The masked man turns around, locking eyes with Aaron’s determined gaze.

  Rain pelts down like a barrage of arrows, drenching the entire city.

  A twisted bolt of lightning tears through the curtain of rain, striking a tall building.

  Silver sparks flare from the lightning rod.

  “Boom!”

  The long-awaited thunder rumbles.

  The masked man utters a single word.

  “Alright.”

  Hearing Master Scott’s approving reply, the sadness on Aaron’s face vanishes instantly, replaced by a playful grin.

  “Master, aren’t you curious how I recognized you?”

  “Not curious.”

  “Since you say you’re curious, I’ll reluctantly tell you. It’s because in my whole life, besides you, no one else has ever cared about me this much.” Aaron smacks his lips and pats Master Scott’s shoulder. “Master, don’t worry. Since I’ve accepted you as my master, I’ll treat you well in my soul!”

  “Oh, is the person you’re willing to give everything to really me?”

  “Ahem, that was just a joke back then. You old man, why hold a grudge?”

  Aaron scratches his head awkwardly.

  Under the mask, Master Scott’s lips curl into a sly smile.

  “I’m giving you something.”

  Master Scott pulls out a sandalwood box and casually tosses it to Aaron.

  Aaron opens it to find two vials of potion inside.

  “What kind of potion is this?”

  “Focus Potion.”

  “Focus Potion? Didn’t you say you couldn’t brew this potion?”

  Aaron is stunned. Last time, Master Scott said he couldn’t brew this potion, so Aaron hadn’t hoped for anything. Now, just from a casual mention, he actually tracked down Focus Potions for Aaron—and two of them at that.

  A Level 3 Focus Potion costs over a million gold coins each.

  “Kaviz just is a Level 3 pharmacist who claims to be loaded, does that mean I, an outcast all these years, can’t be rich too?” Master Scott snorts.

  “You totally can! Totally can!” Aaron’s eyes glisten with emotion as he grins. “Master, this lifetime, your disciple will give everything for you without hesitation!”

  “Go on, head back by yourself. Don’t say you were kidnapped, make up your own excuse.”

  Before Aaron can finish his loyal speech, Master Scott waves him off, hands him the umbrella, and his figure vanishes into the endless rain.

  Aaron watches the silhouette fade into the misty downpour, a wide smile lifting the corner of his mouth.

  “What a stubborn old man.”

  ...

  Rainy night.

  At the station.

  Raindrops pelt the ground with growing intensity.

  As passengers disembark, the maglev train slowly powers up again, picking up speed until it transforms into a silver dragon, shattering countless raindrops, breaking through the rain curtain, and roaring off into the distance.

  Nightfall.

  Rain curtain.

  Silver dragon.

  Against this intertwined backdrop, a girl holds an umbrella and carries a backpack, walking along the platform.

  She stands tall, about 1.7 meters, with hair reaching her collarbone. Her features are delicate, skin fair. A light coffee-colored mid-length trench coat wraps her slender figure, revealing only a pair of impeccably straight long legs.

  Her presence draws frequent glances from passengers getting off the train.

  Though her looks are pleasing, what draws more attention is the cold and distant aura she carries.

  And her eyes—stunning eyes that no master painter could ever paint.

  They seem to have once held the brilliance of countless stars, but now gradually dim, turning into a coldness like the silent void of the cosmos.

  This exquisitely poised girl is like a proud snow lotus blooming atop the mountain peaks in the dead of winter.

  Her arrival causes the men around to unconsciously fix their gaze on her, only to be sharply pinched on the arm by their female companions. The men quickly avert their eyes, pretending to spot an “acquaintance” and greeting with their eyes.

  Several awkward glances meet in the air. After a while, the platform fills with many “acquaintances.”

  At the station exit, Ava waits with several black-clad bodyguards.

  As travelers trickle out one by one, Ava suddenly waves excitedly.

  “Emily.”

  The coldly elegant girl shows a faint smile and walks toward Ava.

  Three hovering cars speed through the air before finally landing in the courtyard of a villa within Hunter Union, the City-in-City.

  Ava, now changed into her pajamas and holding two glasses of red wine, enters the living room.

  “Welcome to my humble abode, Your Majesty.”

  Emily sinks into the sofa, lazily stretching out her arm to take a glass of wine. “Ava, you’re still as carefree as ever.”

  “No choice. The family’s responsibilities are too heavy for me to bear. I’m young, so I’m taking this chance to relax. Once I graduate from the Imperial Academy, who knows where they’ll send me.” Ava plops down beside her, shrugging in frustration. “So, tell me, what brings you to Bert City all of a sudden?”

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  “On a mission. Details are confidential.” Emily takes a sip of her wine.

  “As expected , you people are always so mysterious. Fine, I’m not interested anyway. How long are you staying in Bert City this time?”

  “Probably for a while. The exact duration depends on further notice.” Emily shakes her head.

  “It’s been three years since we last met, and you’ve changed a lot.” Ava eyes Emily up and down, smacking her lips. “You weren’t like this before. Back then, you were always teasing me, full of mischief. Now you’ve turned into this cold mountain? Do you want to go for the aloof vibe, huh?”

  A flicker of weariness crosses Emily’s eyes. “I’m just tired. I don’t like the life I’m living now.”

  “Seriously, I don’t get what’s so tiring about your life. You’re so gifted, your family values you so much, and more importantly...” Ava looks at Emily’s pretty face with a hint of envy. “You’re so beautiful, it’s hard for me to accept. I don’t know what’s making you unhappy, and I don’t dare ask.”

  A sly glint appears in Emily’s eyes, and her cold aura instantly fades. She furrows her brows and sighs, “You’ll never understand my troubles. These are the kind of worries only someone truly exceptional can have. I envy you, you’ll never have to deal with what I do.”

  Ava snorts. “If I could beat you, you’d already be tossed out into the yard.”

  “Just the rage of the foolish mortal.” Emily chuckles lightly.

  Watching Emily switch back and forth between cold aloofness and playful teasing, Ava breathes a sigh of relief.

  Thank goodness, that old friend is still here.

  Though they haven’t seen each other in three years, the family circles are filled with stories about her.

  Known as the Light of Revival, the favored daughter standing under countless spotlights, she is somewhat different from the mischievous, clever, and cunning little girl they knew in their youth. But gradually, those two versions are merging again.

  “I just realized there’s someone who looks a lot like you,” Ava suddenly says, remembering something amusing.

  Mentioning others, Emily immediately goes back to her usual cold tone. “Oh.”

  “Aren’t you curious who it is?”

  “Not curious.” After saying that, Emily pats Ava’s shoulder and earnestly advises, “Women, curiosity can be dangerous. With your intelligence, it’s safer not to be too curious.”

  “You should just go back to being that quiet, icy beauty! I’m begging you!” Ava looks utterly speechless.

  “Enjoy it secretly! You don’t even know how many talented young men in the Empire are lining up just to chat with me.”

  Emily raises her eyebrows, quite full of herself.

  “Tch!” Ava pouts, then adds, “By the way, don’t you have to do the mission with others? This time, you didn’t sneak out on your own again, did you?”

  “Not really. I’ve made progress in my cultivation recently, so the families have loosened their restrictions.”

  Ava looks at her in surprise. “You awakened?”

  “Surprised?”

  Emily stretches lazily, revealing her perfect curves, speaking calmly.

  Ava’s eyes shine with deep envy.

  …

  Hunter Union, Divine Judgment Hall.

  As the Empire’s sharpest weapon against the Church, Divine Judgment Hall houses the most formidable veteran hunters in the area.

  Correspondingly, the power held by Divine Judgment Hall is staggering, they can arrest suspects at will.

  Because of this, many regard Divine Judgment members as wild beasts.

  “So, you’re saying you went out on your own and got robbed?”

  In a room within Hunter Union, a Divine Judgment member asks Aaron with a serious expression.

  Aaron sits tensely in the chair, a hint of unease flickering in his eyes. He apologizes, “That’s exactly what happened. After preparing the Calm Potion, I felt too exhausted and wanted to relax a bit. So I took the back door of the Black Mamba bar and went out to the City-in-City outskirts to clear my head. I didn’t expect to be knocked out, and my phone and everything else disappeared. I only woke up when the rain drenched me. It must have been a robbery.”

  The two Divine Judgment members exchange glances, clearly displeased with this potion genius’s recklessness.

  “You went out on a whim, do you know how many people we had searching for you? Not just us. Your master and Hall Master Kaviz even issued a huge bounty to find your whereabouts. Just yesterday, over a hundred hunter squads went out looking for you.”

  “I’m really sorry. The pressure from brewing the Calm Potion this past month was too much, so I just wanted to get out and relax.” Aaron lowers his head, his voice growing quieter.

  “Alright, you can go back now. Don’t be so reckless next time.”

  “Sorry for the trouble.” Aaron bows repeatedly.

  During the two days he was missing, Divine Judgment Hall caused the biggest stir. As the main force capturing outcasts, they couldn’t escape blame, and their reputation took a hit. Many members were deployed to the wilderness.

  “This should be ruled an ordinary robbery, right?”

  After leaving the room, Aaron thinks to himself.

  Master Scott forbade him from revealing the kidnapping, probably because the lie wouldn’t hold up.

  Sky Sect...

  In recent days, Vorry often mentions this name in conversations.

  The outcast base Aaron went to is also a Sky Sect stronghold.

  Master Scott came directly, obviously acting on information passed from the outcasts.

  Scott’s position among the outcasts must be quite high to command them like that.

  The moment Aaron first saw his master, he felt something was off.

  Sure enough, he really isn’t a good person.

  Aaron can’t help but grumble silently in his mind.

  Inside the room.

  After Aaron leaves, one Divine Judgment member speaks up, “Do you think what Aaron said is true?”

  “Though it sounds a bit far-fetched, I tend to believe it. After all, he’s only sixteen, grew up as a wilderness drifter, never seen the beautiful nightscape of Bert City. He’s been cooped up in the potion lab for a month. It’s only natural for a young guy to want to get out and relax.”

  “You think there’s no chance he joined the outcasts and then got sent back?”

  “No way. You know how those outcasts operate, they only care about money. If they wanted to collect the bounty, they’d have killed Aaron by now. If they wanted to groom him as a spy, they wouldn’t have the patience. He’s just an apprentice. It’ll take decades for him to become a potion master, and who knows if they’ll even be alive then? They don’t do thankless tasks.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “But man, these geniuses sure have guts, one bolder than the next!”

  “Normal. Pharmacists brew potions every day. It’s really dull.”

  “By the way, did you hear? Our Divine Judgment Hall trained a bunch of super geniuses this year. Their strength is terrifying!”

  “Of course I know. The strongest among them even earned recognition from a rule artifact. That rule artifact, silent for hundreds of years, finally found its master again!”

  “Rule artifacts... There aren’t many of those in the entire Empire...”

  After Aaron leaves, the two Divine Judgment members chat idly.

  Outside Divine Judgment Hall.

  As soon as Aaron steps out, Bruce grabs his arm, worry in his eyes. “Junior brother, they didn’t mistreat you, did they?”

  Divine Judgment Hall is the Hunter Union’s violent arm. Everyone fears them deeply. Stories of their brutality spread far and wide.

  Bruce always sees Divine Judgment Hall as the hell.

  “Nothing much. They just asked where I’d been.” Aaron feels warmth in his heart and smiles.

  “Junior brother, I’m not trying to lecture, but you really stirred up trouble this time. Next time, don’t be so impulsive. Go apologize properly to master and say some good words.”

  Bruce speaks earnestly, then worries he’s been too harsh. “But don’t blame yourself too much. I know the pressure you’re under. If you ever feel overwhelmed, talk to me. Don’t carry everything alone. Sometimes just sharing your troubles won’t solve them, but it’ll make you feel better inside.”

  “Yeah, I got it, senior brother,” Aaron says obediently. “By the way, what about Alex?”

  “He seems to have gone back home.”

  “Did he tell you that?”

  “Not exactly. He asked master for leave directly. Looks like something came up at home, so he had to go back.”

  Aaron nods.

  Master Scott must have found out about Alex. After all, the only person who could’ve betrayed his movements is Alex, since they have a grudge against each other.

  Judging by how Master Scott kills, he really seems like a ruthless villain who treats human life like trash.

  Using a little pressure to force Alex to spill the truth would be easy for him.

  Aaron is curious about how Master Scott will handle Alex. He makes a mental note to ask later.

  A cold, murderous glint flashes in Aaron’s eyes. He considers himself no saint; repaying evil with kindness is not in his nature.

  From a distance, a figure runs over.

  Kaviz arrives, waving at Aaron.

  Bruce stands in front of Aaron, alert. “Hall Master Kaviz, what do you want with Aaron?”

  “Bruce!” Kaviz smiles when he sees Bruce. “You go ahead and get busy. I have some private matters to discuss with Aaron.”

  Bruce hesitates. He knows Kaviz is trying to poach Aaron, but since Kaviz is his superior, Bruce doesn’t want to make things awkward.

  Seeing Bruce hesitate, Kaviz adds, “Bruce, have you finished the tasks assigned by Potion Hall this month? Written the work report? If you’re done, help others check the herbal quotas for this month.”

  As Potion Hall’s Hall Master, giving Bruce some work to do is easy.

  Aaron steps in to break the tension. “Senior brother, you should get back to work.”

  Hearing this, Bruce doesn’t linger. He quietly reminds Aaron a few things and then jogs off toward Master Scott’s residence.

  “Dear Aaron, are you alright?” Kaviz approaches with unusual concern after Bruce leaves.

  “Thank you for your concern, Hall Master Kaviz. I’m fine,” Aaron replies, bowing again. “I’ve heard that Hall Master Kaviz spares no effort in searching for me. I’m truly grateful for your care.”