Intelligence

"A seventh-tier half-dragon warrior, and I'm currently at the fourth tier, which means..." Ye Chuan counted on his fingers, "Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Crystallization, Golden Core..."

"Nascent Soul... Etherealization... Dao Comprehension..."

"So this guy's at the Dao Comprehension realm?" Ye Chuan suddenly realized. No wonder this lord was so hard to deal with—his combat power was on par with Qin Tianya, the sect master of the Qingyun Sect.

Back then, Qin Tianya had instantly obliterated him in one strike, but the fatal damage was reflected back due to Ye Chuan's immunity trigger.

Fearing that lethal counterattack, Qin Tianya had kept his distance, letting Ye Chuan's magic resistance work to his advantage. But Kaiaolen was different—he just charged in and threw two punches without hesitation.

"This little dragon is so annoying." Ye Chuan muttered under his breath before turning his gaze to Irena, who sat despondently on a rock.

Her ears drooped low, her fingers fidgeted nervously, and her emerald-green eyes were filled with confusion.

Putting himself in her shoes, Ye Chuan could understand. Her entire family was dead, yet she had to wear their skins and interact with others with a smile every day. And now, the pillar of support she had painstakingly found was trying to capture her—anyone would be lost in such a situation.

Not to mention, even that big oaf Torres had been captured.

"Torres... right, what about Torres?" At this point, the only person Irena could rely on seemed to be Ye Chuan beside her.

"What can we do? I can't save him." Ye Chuan shrugged.

He was no match for that little dragon. Its scales were too tough—Ye Chuan's sword couldn't even scratch it, and activating his void form was pointless.

"Lord XiXi..." Irena tugged at Ye Chuan's sleeve, looking up at him with pleading eyes like an abandoned little animal.

Ye Chuan tilted his head.

"You know, since that little dragon isn't actually possessed by the skin-wearing monsters, maybe we can negotiate?"

That was Irena's thought. If she could just make Count Kangong believe her, Torres wouldn't be in any danger either.

"But... he doesn't seem to trust me."

"I don’t think he necessarily distrusts you." Ye Chuan suddenly smiled.

Irena tilted her head in confusion. "?"

"If my guess is right..." Ye Chuan pondered for a moment before grinning. "Alright, let’s run a little test."

"A... test?"

"But before that, there are still some things I need to investigate." Ye Chuan waved his hand, and a dark mist began to spread. A figure clad in armor appeared beside him.

This was...

"A familiar?" Irena gasped. Did Ye Chuan have this ability all along?

"Familiar? Well, you can think of it that way. Della, stay here and protect Irena. I’m heading into the city." Ye Chuan commanded the Rider of the End.

Della remained silent, merely gripping her small hammer and standing by Irena’s side.

Staring at the armored figure beside her, Irena tried to strike up a conversation, but Della gave no response—only the flicker of flames seeping through the gaps in her armor.

"Here’s some water and food. Stay here for now. I’ll be back." Ye Chuan tossed the supplies down before vanishing in a flash.

"Lord XiXi..."

...

Milar City. Ye Chuan had returned.

This time, however, he wore a mask and a different coat—at least no one here would recognize him now.

"Let’s see..." His eyes scanned the alleys and edges of the streets, searching for something.

Finally, his gaze settled on a group of ragged children. Unlike the passersby, their clothes were filthy, and some even had missing limbs.

These were street kids—wanderers who knew the city’s secrets better than anyone.

One half-grown girl stared intently at the crowd, as if waiting for an opportunity.

Then, she spotted a plump coin pouch on a passing woman’s belt and stealthily moved closer.

"Hey." A hand suddenly tapped her shoulder.

"Ah?!" The girl yelped, tumbling onto the ground. When she saw Ye Chuan’s smiling face, she scrambled to run.

Ye Chuan flashed in front of her, blocking her path.

"Oof!" She crashed into him and fell again, too weak to stand.

She was painfully thin, as if she hadn’t eaten in days. Curling into a ball, she covered her head, bracing for a beating.

But instead of pain, she heard a question: "Kid, I’ve got some questions for you."

The girl slowly sat up, eyeing Ye Chuan warily. Her clothes were tattered, her feet bare, her whole body covered in grime.

"If your answers satisfy me, this money’s yours. Deal?" Ye Chuan dangled a few silver coins with a grin.

The girl stood, studying the coins skeptically. "Liar."

"Liar?"

"You won’t give me anything, even if I answer." She seemed used to being tricked.

Seeing her prickly defiance, Ye Chuan tossed the coins. She caught them instinctively, clutching the cold metal tightly in her palm.

"Well?"

"..." She stayed silent, but her stomach betrayed her with an audible growl.

"I’ve got more." Ye Chuan smiled, pulling out two more coins.

The girl gulped. "W-what do you want to know?"

"Simple. Any strange happenings in the city lately? Especially about Count Kangong."

At the mention of the count, fear flickered in her eyes.

"I... I can’t tell you."

"Oh?" Ye Chuan held out his hand. "Then give the money back."

"N-no! Fine, I’ll talk."

Under his expectant gaze, she relented.

"The lord’s manor... people go in sometimes, but most don’t come out. And the ones who do... they act weird."

"Interesting. What kind of people does he take?"

"All kinds. Maids, street kids like us... but no one ever really leaves."

"Anything else?"

"N-no... wait." She hesitated, then fell silent again.

"Thought of something?"

"People say... the lord’s turned into a monster. That he eats people."

"I see." Having gotten what he needed, Ye Chuan straightened up. The girl tensed, gripping the coins like her life depended on it.

Seeing her pitiful state, he tossed a small pouch of silver at her feet.

"Keep it."

"?!" The girl instinctively picked it up and opened it, only to find several hundred silver coins inside!

She looked up, but Ye Chuan had already vanished.