"Important treasure? What kind of thing?"
Leilin had already assumed a middle-aged appearance. He stared at the figure before him — one composed entirely of black mist — his face tinged with displeasure.
"We're not entirely sure either, but it's definitely extremely valuable, and for Second-rank Wizards the temptation is immense. After laying eyes on that treasure, Arist betrayed the White Wizard Alliance without a second thought, ambushed Aleken and Zhuna, and ultimately made off with the treasure…"
The black mist figure's voice was terribly hoarse, and its body was so insubstantial it seemed it might vanish at any moment.
"Alright, last question — where is he now?" Leilin exhaled slowly and continued.
"Unclear. Someone vaguely spotted traces of him in Evernight City. Judging by his route, he should be fleeing toward the Endless Ocean…"
Upon hearing this reply, Leilin shook his head.
The Endless Ocean lay to the east of Evernight City — a completely different direction from the Thorn Iron Gate. Even if he set out in immediate pursuit, he would never catch up.
Moreover, it hardly seemed worth mobilizing everything over a piece of intelligence that might or might not be true.
There would be no shortage of Wizards hunting Arist. Rumor even had it that a Third-rank powerhouse had gotten involved. Leilin had no intention of putting himself in danger.
After all, he himself was a wanted fugitive as well.
"Do you have any other questions, honored guest?" the mist figure asked.
"No, that's all." Leilin rose and left the room.
Clang! The great door slammed shut, plunging everything inside into darkness as the mist figure gradually dissipated.
"Honored guest! You asked two 4A-rank questions and three B-rank questions, for a total fee of…"
The moment Leilin stepped outside, a woman dressed in revealing attire — like the proprietress of a brothel — immediately swayed over, her serpentine waist undulating.
Her enormous, full bust was practically pressed against Leilin's chest.
"Mm, I know!" Leilin flashed a provocative grin. A small black pouch trimmed with gold streaked through the air in a glittering arc, landing squarely in the ample cleavage between the proprietress's breasts, eliciting a flurry of coy protests.
After declining the proprietress's "kind" offer to stay, Leilin departed without hesitation.
Whoosh! The wall bricks on both sides slid rapidly apart, revealing a secluded, grimy street. The distant clamor of Wizards drifted over.
Leilin glanced back. The doorway had already vanished without a trace — in the distance there was nothing but an ordinary wall. This place was completely different from where he had entered.
These Wizard organizations that made their living selling intelligence all possessed formidable concealment skills. Leilin was certain that their exits at the Thorn Iron Gate numbered more than one, and that there was no way to trace any of them back to their headquarters.
Even that proprietress was no ordinary character. Leilin rubbed his fingers together and departed with a smile.
Meanwhile, at the original trading location, the moment Leilin left, the proprietress's expression shifted. She slumped limply onto a nearby sofa, her lovely figure on full display.
At the same time, a powerful Spiritual Power emanating from her — not inferior to a peak First-rank Wizard — seeped out.
This intelligence-trading proprietress was actually a peak First-rank Wizard herself! That level of strength was enough to dominate a region anywhere along the South Coast!
But now, cold sweat dripped ceaselessly from the proprietress's face.
"Terrifying! That Spiritual Power…" She patted her chest, still shaken. "Absolutely a powerful Second-rank existence! What was someone like that doing here?"
She had clearly sensed Leilin's subtle probe. In truth, had Leilin not held back at the last moment, she would have been in far worse shape.
The beautiful proprietress lay on the sofa for a while longer, thoughts racing through her mind, when suddenly her expression changed.
"Don't tell me he came because he heard the same news?"
Her face drained of color. She began muttering to herself: "This business is getting harder and harder to run. No — I have to leave as soon as possible! Things like this happen every two or three days! I can't go on like this!"
…
Back on Leilin's side, he was likewise reflecting on the whole affair.
Strictly speaking, this matter was connected to him.
After he had destroyed a secret-realm gate last time, some mechanism had apparently been triggered, causing the entire Ganges Secret Realm to undergo mysterious changes.
A colossal ruin of ancient architecture had surfaced at the heart of the Ganges Secret Realm.
The Dark Wizards and White Wizards, both overjoyed, had immediately clashed over it in multiple skirmishes before barely reaching a compromise to explore it separately.
Both sides had invested enormous effort into this expedition.
This was a ruin left behind by the very Wizards who had built this secret realm! If they could uncover their legacy, they would soar to unimaginable heights in an instant!
The Dark and White Wizards alike had dispatched their most elite forces — squads led by at least Second-rank Wizards — into the ruins.