Leilin walked without stopping, heading straight out of the Anling Bird Market.
The exit was, as before, near that same small village—emerging from within a haystack—and there was another black-robed figure wearing a purple thorn emblem standing guard nearby.
“Chip! Scan my surroundings!” Once outside the village, Leilin issued the command.
A light blue screen projected before Leilin’s eyes, clearly showing that a furtive figure was following behind him. Amid the expanse of blue light, a single red dot stood out vividly.
“Target’s detected energy level estimated at Second-rank Apprentice. No Magical Items detected,” the Chip informed.
“Just a Second-rank Apprentice? Doesn’t seem to be from any major faction. Just a greedy stray dog sniffing after treasure!”
A cold glint flashed in Leilin’s eyes. “If it weren’t for my other plans…”
The Second-rank Apprentice following Leilin seemed quite patient, trailing him for over ten kilometers until they were far beyond the market’s perimeter before launching his ambush.
*Pfft!* The earth beneath Leilin’s feet suddenly swelled into two mounds, transforming into a pair of brownish-yellow giant hands that clamped firmly around his ankles.
Immediately after, a dagger glowing with an eerie purple light stabbed into the small of his back.
“I got him!” The ambushing apprentice’s eyes flashed with delight, but then he realized the “Leilin” before him was unnervingly melting away, transforming into thorn-covered vines that coiled around his entire body.
The thorns pierced mercilessly into his flesh. The apprentice could even feel the entire plant seeming to come alive, greedily sucking the blood from his body.
“Damn it!! It’s a puppet! What spell is this? A Shadow Clone? Or Bloodsucking Vines?” With so much blood lost, the apprentice’s mind started to spin.
“Ah! You can’t do this! P-please… spare me…”
The apprentice struggled and begged, but then the vines squirmed, sealing his mouth shut.
*Thump!* The spell’s effect vanished, leaving only the apprentice’s shriveled corpse on the ground.
Against his enemies, Leilin never showed mercy.
…
The next day, Leilin returned to the market.
“Sir! Need a guide? I only cost one Magic Stone!” At the entrance, a group of noisy young boys and girls called out again.
Today, Leilin had changed his clothes. For concealment, he had even altered his previous face entirely.
Although that previous face was already fake, who could be sure there weren’t some special Wizard spells here capable of seeing through cloaks and such.
As for spiritual fluctuations, Leilin wasn’t too worried. He had deliberately avoided any official Wizards yesterday, so his fluctuations would definitely not have been recorded. Capturing a Wizard’s spiritual signature required preparation even for an official Wizard, and no official Wizard would casually do such a thing.
“You’ll do.” Leilin casually picked a young girl.
“Thank you, sir! I know this place very well!” The girl was somewhat surprised. She wore a white dress and looked a bit thin.
Tossing a Magic Stone into the girl’s arms, Leilin said slowly, “I want to go somewhere a bit more… upscale!”
His voice had also been deliberately altered, sounding completely different from the day before.
“A more upscale place? You mean… the second level?” The girl hesitated slightly.
“Of course!” This was experience Leilin had gathered from multiple visits. The market wasn’t very large, and Leilin always felt something was missing. He hadn’t found many rare resources either. These doormen-like characters standing here were likely looking for capable clients to guide to more hidden locations.
“Since you know about the second level! Then you should understand that without at least a thousand Magic Stones in assets or a guarantee, entry is impossible!”
“Naturally, I have it. Lead the way!” The girl looked up, but couldn’t see Leilin’s expression hidden beneath his cloak, and simply lowered her head to lead.
“Although there will definitely be many official Wizards in places like the second level, I have no choice. The two ancient Wizard formulas for the Azure Potion and Maria’s Tears still have many materials unfound. If I can’t find them at the largest Wizard market, there’s no hope left. I can only try to find substitute materials as much as possible!”
Leilin’s expression was somewhat grim. While selling potions along the way, he had also been trying his best to collect the supplementary herbs for those two ancient potions, but with little success. The Anling Bird Market was the place in the entire Marsh Duchy, aside from the Black Bone Forest Academy, where Wizards gathered most densely. If he couldn’t find them here either, Leilin was truly out of options.
Leilin followed the little girl to a rather secluded alley.
She tapped a stone in the corner of the wall.
*Boom!!!* The wall at the end of the alley shifted aside, revealing a passage leading downward.
“It’s right inside here,” the girl said softly, seeming very frightened.
“Lead on.” Leilin followed the girl downward and reached the destination in just a few minutes.