Leilin had backed away many times before — not because he was afraid, but because he didn't want trouble.
But now, this girl had something on her that interested him, and once his research bore fruit, the benefits would be enormous.
Naturally, he intended to get involved.
However, out of caution, he chose to hide off to one side, preparing to first assess how strong the enemy was.
If their strength was unremarkable, he wouldn't hesitate to simply kidnap or coerce the girl, and he wouldn't fear any pursuit.
If they were truly too powerful, he'd have no choice but to give up. After all, the world was vast — this wasn't the only warlock bloodline. Perhaps they were rare on the South Coast, but on the Central Continent there were certainly plenty.
A few days later, the carriage entered the region around York City.
This was already the border territory of the Yinglan Empire, and the old man's anxious behavior had escalated to its peak. He stayed in the carriage at all times, rarely venturing out, and even kept the little girl firmly by his side, as though he feared something.
The night was hazy, dyeing the sky entirely grey, with only a faint glimmer remaining at the distant horizon where earth met sky.
The carriage pulled over to the roadside, and the weary band of travelers began to disembark, sitting in a circle around the campfire to eat and rest.
After so many days traveling together, the people in the carriage had warmed up to each other — especially after the small merchant took out a set of bagpipes and played a cheerful tune, and the beautiful woman beside him performed a dazzling dance.
Several middle-aged men began pulling wine bottles from their packs, stepping forward to lavish attention on the beautiful woman, and her giggling laughter rang out continuously, giving the impression she refused no one.
The atmosphere reached a crescendo. Travelers sang and danced — even the coachman had a few swigs of strong liquor, the tip of his nose turning slightly red.
Leilin leaned against a nearby tree, holding a wine bottle and taking a sip now and then. He glanced sidelong at the carriage, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Tonight, although the sky had already darkened, the old man kept urging the coachman to press on.
However, traveling at night was extremely dangerous, so the proposal was unanimously rejected by all the passengers and the coachman.
The old man's expression at that moment had truly been quite a sight.
Moreover, today he had insisted on staying in the carriage with his granddaughter, not even allowing her to step outside, and unpleasant rumors had already begun circulating among the travelers.
But Leilin knew that this pair pretending to be grandfather and granddaughter had likely joined the caravan to escape some pursuit, and judging by the current situation, their pursuers were about to arrive.
No — they had already arrived. Leilin turned his head toward the shadows, where several apprentices radiating energy fluctuations appeared completely exposed under his Chip's scan.
Judging by the energy readings, all were Third-rank Apprentices.
Crack!
A crimson arrow flew in, piercing straight through the head of a shirtless man with brawny muscles who sat by the campfire.
"AHHH!!!"
Blood sprayed onto the woman beside him. Her expression went blank, and it took several seconds before she let out a piercing scream.
"Bandits!" "Help!" All manner of shouts erupted throughout the camp.
The nearby coachman, quick-witted, threw on a leather vest, crouched on the ground with his head in his hands, and stayed perfectly still.
Caravan companies all had tacit agreements with the local bandits — robberies generally targeted only the passengers. As for the coachmen, the bandits usually turned a blind eye, since they wouldn't carry much money anyway.
But today, the coachman's plans fell completely through.
Whoosh! Another crimson arrow shot forth, piercing straight through the coachman's neck! He clutched his throat with both hands, eyes bulging, blood foaming at the corners of his mouth. His lips still moved open and shut as he drew breath, as if wanting to savor one last taste of fresh air before dying.
"Enhanced the arrow with a Sharpness enchantment? Interesting."
Beside the chaotic camp, Leilin remained leaning against the tree, taking a swig of fruit wine, and remarked calmly.
His leisurely demeanor was clearly at odds with the surrounding carnage, but no one paid him any more attention.
The second attack had brought even greater chaos to the camp — men, women, old and young, all running in a frenzy.
A few minutes later, the once lively camp was left with nothing but the burning campfire and cups, bottles, and other abandoned belongings strewn across the ground.
Rustle! Three figures in black robes emerged from the woods.
His exceptional eyesight allowed Leilin to make out the newcomers' faces clearly from a considerable distance.
Two men and one woman, all middle-aged. The woman wore heavy lipstick, making her mouth look like a gaping crimson maw.
The three were clearly not Academy students — their attire was rather casual, but embroidered on their clothes was the image of a dodo bird, which appeared to be a family crest.
These were the wizard apprentices cultivated by family clans.
Some clan members with poor aptitude who couldn't be admitted to the Academy would receive unified training within their families.
Most of them couldn't even advance to Third-rank Apprentice, doomed to remain First or Second-rank Apprentices for life.
These three managing to reach Third-rank meant they were either quite talented, or had been expelled from the Academy, or were already graduated apprentices.
"Miller, come out! We know you're in there!"
The three surrounded the carriage in a triangle formation, and a silver-haired man let out a triumphant laugh.
Boom!