The Little Card

Si Daofu was thoroughly choked by Ye Chuan's remark. "I came here for a reason, of course."

Ye Chuan gave him a sidelong glance. "Oh, because of the succubi?"

"Y-you—how dare you slander me like that? I told you I was just there to temper my willpower!" Si Daofu's face flushed red as he glared at Ye Chuan, eyes practically spitting fire.

Then he started muttering something about ["What does a mage have to do with succubi?"] and ["Observing succubi doesn’t count as indulging—it’s mental training!"]...

"Wait, was I actually right?" Ye Chuan, seeing the old man’s flustered reaction, immediately caught on. "Seriously?"

"At your age, still into that stuff."

"And here I thought you wanted to discuss magic."

"Don’t tell me you spend all day 'discussing magic' with succubi?"

"Water-element magic, huh?"

"Can you even get it up?"

Ye Chuan’s words pierced Si Daofu’s heart like a volley of arrows, infuriating the old man so much that he raised his staff, ready to smack Ye Chuan over the head.

"Lord Si Daofu, please calm down." Seeing the old man on the verge of losing it, Eisien—well aware of the terror a seventh-tier archmage could unleash—quickly intervened.

"Calm down, we’re in the Adventurer’s Guild."

Si Daofu seemed to regain a sliver of composure. "Hmph! If it weren’t for the Guild’s reputation, I’d smash your skull in right now."

"Look at you, getting all worked up just 'cause I said you’re washed up." Ye Chuan smirked.

One sentence was all it took to send the old man back into a red-faced rage.

"Um, uh…" Eisien hurriedly motioned for Ye Chuan to shut up, noticing how wounded Si Daofu looked. She raised her voice in consolation,

"Even if Lord Si Daofu is… lacking as a man, you shouldn’t rub salt in the wound like that!"

Her words drew the attention of many in the Guild, all eyes eventually landing on Si Daofu.

Soon, laughter—bright and mocking—filled the Guild hall, inside and out.

"I’ve had enough!" Si Daofu couldn’t take it anymore. He raised his staff, preparing to cast a spell. Not that he’d use much force—just enough to teach this disrespectful brat a lesson.

"Marli-Marli, Silence Spell!"

A glowing orb shot straight at Ye Chuan.

Ye Chuan didn’t dodge. The orb struck him—and was completely absorbed.

"Well? Cat got your tongue?" Si Daofu stroked his beard smugly.

"If you apologize now, I might consider lifting the spell."

Ye Chuan stared at him silently. A few seconds later, he spoke.

"Moron."

Si Daofu’s triumphant grin froze. He yanked at his own beard in shock. "Y-you—how are you still talking?!"

"Who knows?" Ye Chuan shrugged. "Trash-tier magic."

While Ye Chuan might tread carefully around that dragonkin guy, against this old mage? He went all out. This was his comfort zone.

"Marli-Marli, Silence Spell!" The old man, refusing to believe it, cast the spell again.

"Yeah, yeah. Marli-Marli-boom." Ye Chuan raised a foot as if to kick the old man but reconsidered—they didn’t have any real beef. Instead, he adopted a pitying look.

"Tsk. First your little guy doesn’t work, now your magic’s useless too."

"Y-you—!" Si Daofu clutched his chest, face pale as he staggered back.

"Faking it?!" Ye Chuan reached out to grab him—but the old man suddenly twisted his wrist with a sly grin.

"Marli-Marli, Silence Spell!"

This time, the spell erupted in a blinding flash at point-blank range.

"HAHAHAHA! Got you now, brat!" Si Daofu cackled triumphantly, his smirk widening when Ye Chuan stayed silent.

"Does this look like a seventh-tier archmage to you?" Ye Chuan asked Eisien behind the counter.

"Not at all," she admitted, shaking her head. In her eyes, Si Daofu had always been a dignified figure—this was the first time she’d seen him act like a clown.

Seeing Ye Chuan still unaffected, Si Daofu finally quieted down, scrutinizing him seriously.

"Why aren’t you affected? Do you have a curse-nullifying artifact?"

"Nope. I’m just built different—immune to all magic," Ye Chuan said.

"Pfft!" Si Daofu scoffed.

"I’ve lived two hundred years and read every book in the Mage Tower. Never heard of anyone immune to all magic. You’ve just got some anti-curse trinket on you. Don’t act all high and mighty."

Ye Chuan shrugged, done entertaining him.

Eisien, meanwhile, was stunned. Most people wouldn’t dare disrespect a seventh-tier archmage, yet Ye Chuan treated him like a joke.

Combined with his mysterious background, she couldn’t help but wonder—just how strong was he?

"I’m leaving." Ye Chuan tossed a card at Si Daofu. "Here. Gets you half off at the Succubus Den. Enjoy."

"Wha—I’m not some regular at those places!" Si Daofu protested—yet pocketed the card all the same.

Ye Chuan shrugged and walked out of the Adventurer’s Guild.

Not like it was a real discount card anyway—just some promotional flier.

He still had business at the coliseum, so after asking around, he headed to the so-called abandoned arena.

Evening had fallen by the time he arrived. The ruins stood before him, bathed in the dying light.

The setting sun cast long shadows over the crumbling walls, gilding the derelict coliseum in a melancholic glow. The grand archway had collapsed long ago, its bronze-inlaid frame now hollowed by vines.

On the broken lintel, half of a rusted emblem was barely recognizable.

"This is the coliseum? ‘Abandoned’ is an understatement—it’s practically collapsing." Ye Chuan surveyed the wreckage before flying inside.

The tiered stands resembled a beehive split by an axe, most of the stone steps collapsed into the ashen earth below.

Some pillars had snapped mid-shaft, their stumps jutting from the weeds like broken teeth. The gladiator reliefs carved into them had been weathered into vague outlines—one figure held a shattered spear, another lay curled on the ground, their robes choked with moss.

At the center, a thicket of thorns and vines choked the arena floor. The surrounding walls were veined with deep cracks.

Everything was in ruins.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

The moment Ye Chuan landed, a vaguely familiar voice spoke up.

He turned, surprised, and spotted a short-haired girl stepping from the shadows of a broken pillar, twirling a dagger in her fingers.

"Niya?" Recognizing her, Ye Chuan gave her a once-over. "What are you doing here?"