The thatch on the roof felt soft underfoot, and many parts of it were already rotting.
He took the opportunity to store the heavy Staff of Guidance in his Space Ring.
Accidentally collapsing a roof would only bring unnecessary trouble.
He leaped nimbly across the rooftops with light steps. At the same time, he slowly extended his mental perception outward, meticulously scanning every alley and corner, refusing to overlook any anomaly.
However, his search only revealed commoners huddled in shacks, crouching in corners, or hiding in the shadows. The person he was looking for was nowhere to be found.
His mental power was continuously draining. This kind of wide-range detection was inherently exhausting, and he probably couldn't sustain it for much longer.
Bai Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing his mental fatigue, and leaped toward the next roof.
Hard work paid off. As his perception swept over an open clearing, he finally caught a familiar status panel outline.
【Carson Lv.3】
【Status: Panic, Concealment】
The clearing was completely unobstructed and could be seen through at a glance, yet that status panel appeared abruptly before his eyes, looking exceptionally bizarre.
Bai Xuan immediately stopped in his tracks on the roof, focusing his mind to pinpoint the exact location of the panel.
Yet the ground was empty. There were no shacks, no debris, only a messy patch of weeds and gravel. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
After a brief thought, Bai Xuan had his answer. The man was likely hiding underground.
His perception swept carefully around the clearing, finally detecting something unusual in a hidden corner at the edge.
Several thick clumps of shrubs grew there, much denser than the surrounding vegetation, which seemed somewhat deliberate.
Viewed from a normal angle on the ground, these shrubs perfectly blocked whatever lay behind them, seamlessly hiding any traces.
But from Bai Xuan's current vantage point on the roof, he could clearly see a wooden board hidden behind the shrubs. Its color was extremely close to the surrounding mud walls; without careful observation, it would be impossible to distinguish.
Having confirmed his target, Bai Xuan leaped down from the roof, landing steadily. He then retrieved the Staff of Guidance from his Space Ring and walked straight toward the shrubs.
He reached out and parted the dense shrubs, revealing a wooden board about two feet square. There were small gaps along its edges, clearly indicating the entrance to a tunnel.
Bai Xuan inserted the tip of his staff into the gap of the board and pried slightly. However, this metal hatch was far sturdier and heavier than it looked. After two attempts, he only managed to pry open a tiny crack.
Applying a bit more force, the hatch let out a harsh, grating sound but still refused to budge.
Bai Xuan frowned slightly. He changed his approach, wedging the shaft of the staff horizontally into the gap, and immediately activated Spirit-Weight Equilibrium.
With a sharp click, the latch inside the hatch snapped open.
The hatch popped up slightly, revealing the pitch-black entrance of the tunnel below, its depth hidden in the darkness.
Bai Xuan did not rush in. Instead, he stood at the entrance and called out in a deep voice, “Come out. I know you're in there.”
Silence filled the tunnel. Even after a few seconds, there was no response.
Bai Xuan spoke again, his tone flat but carrying an unquestionable pressure, “I've already confirmed you're in there. If you come out on your own versus me going in to find you, the outcome might be quite different.”
Yet there was still no movement in the tunnel, as if there was truly nothing inside.
Wasting no more words, Bai Xuan slowly raised the Staff of Guidance, aimed it at the ground beside the entrance, activated Spirit-Weight Equilibrium, and slammed it down with immense force.
Boom! He poured his full strength into this strike, making it even heavier than the blow he had delivered at the entrance of the Grimy Hand Gang.
A large section of the ground instantly caved in, cracks spreading in all directions like a spiderweb as the entire clearing trembled slightly.
The walls of the adjacent thatched shacks groaned and creaked, and bits of thatch cascaded down from the roofs.
Under this immense vibration, a startled cry finally echoed from within the tunnel.
“Wait! I'm coming out! I'll be right out!” a raspy male voice called from deep within the tunnel, laced with obvious panic.
Bai Xuan slowly took a few steps back, stopping about forty to fifty feet away from the entrance. This was a safe enough distance; no matter what intentions the other party harbored, he would have ample time to react.
Soon, distinct footsteps echoed from the tunnel, growing clearer as they approached.
First, a hand reached out of the opening and pressed against the ground, followed by half a head. A pair of wary eyes quickly scanned the surroundings before finally locking onto Bai Xuan.
Upon seeing Bai Xuan's appearance, the man's gaze froze for a moment. Then, as if all his strength had drained away, he crawled out of the tunnel with a look of complete resignation.
Bai Xuan calmly sized up the person in front of him.
The man was about forty years old, dressed in tattered clothes that made him look no different from any other thug in the slums.
His messy hair clung to his forehead, and his face was smeared with dirt and soot. He had clearly disguised himself to look inconspicuous and hide his identity.
But his eyes were entirely different. Beneath the dirt, his gaze was sharp and deep, far from what a common thug who spent his life in the slums would possess.
The man stood up straight. It was indeed Carson. He looked at Bai Xuan, his face showing no struggle, only an expression of absolute resignation.
“You're here to capture me, aren't you?” His voice was still raspy, his tone filled with helplessness. “I know I can't run anymore.”
Bai Xuan continued to look at him in silence without responding. Only after a moment did he slowly speak, “What did you steal? Which faction is backing you?”
Carson was visibly stunned, clearly not expecting Bai Xuan to ask such a question. A flash of surprise crossed his face.
He then shook his head, a hint of bitterness creeping into his tone. “I didn't steal anything. I was framed. The ones who framed me were the Cross nobles.”
Bai Xuan still didn't reply. He merely watched him quietly, his deep gaze seemingly trying to pierce through his mind.
Seeing that Bai Xuan remained silent, Carson actually felt a weight lift from his heart, so he simply continued speaking.
Perhaps because he had bottled it up for too long, or perhaps because he knew he had nowhere left to run, his words flowed exceptionally smoothly.
“I was originally born a commoner. Later, I got lucky, made some connections, and slowly managed to earn a living in the Cross family. Life was relatively stable, and nothing really went wrong.”
At this point, his eyes dimmed, his tone filled with sorrow. “Until a month ago, my village was attacked by a monster tide. My family was wiped out, leaving me all alone.”
Hearing this, a slight ripple finally appeared in Bai Xuan's calm eyes.
Carson continued, “After that, I lost all hope. I had no desire to climb the ranks anymore; I just wanted to scrape by in the town and live out the rest of my days.”
“But a few days ago, I passed by a room in the family estate and accidentally overheard some secrets I shouldn't have.”
He stared intently at Bai Xuan's face, trying to detect some emotion, but Bai Xuan remained expressionless, his demeanor unchanged.
“Then I was discovered by them,” Carson shook his head with a bitter laugh, his tone filled with disappointment. “None of the people I used to know could be trusted.”
“The bounty on my head is too high. If they turn me in, they can split several gold coins. Besides, the town gates are heavily guarded, so I can't leave at all. I could only hide.”
He looked back at the tunnel entrance behind him, his gaze complex. “I fled to the slums, originally planning to hide for a few days and think of another way once things blew over.”
“I didn't expect to find an abandoned basement here, so I moved in temporarily.”
“To avoid drawing attention, I even joined the Grimy Hand Gang, pretending to be an insignificant little thug.”
Having said his piece, he turned back to look at Bai Xuan, his eyes completely resigned. “But in the end, you still found me.”
Bai Xuan still didn't speak. He merely stared at him in silence. The quiet stretched on for a long time, the air thick with a suffocating tension.
Being stared at like this made Carson's skin crawl, and the unease in his heart grew stronger.
Finally, he couldn't help but ask tentatively, “What... what do you actually want?”
“What I want to hear is the truth.”
Bai Xuan spoke slowly, “If you try to fool me again, I'll have no choice but to take you in for the bounty. Don't worry, with your current strength, you won't be able to escape.”
“I really am telling the truth! Why won't you believe me? I've already fallen to this state, what good would lying to you do?”
The muscles on Carson's face twitched as he forced a smile that looked worse than crying.
Bai Xuan did not respond. He simply stared at him, his gaze falling upon Carson like a deep, dark pool.
Yet it was this very calm gaze that made Carson feel a heavy weight pressing down on him, making it almost hard to breathe.
He had lurked in the Cross family for so long and seen many ruthless characters, but none had ever given him this level of pressure.
As the pressure mounted, Carson's heart beat faster and faster, countless questions swirling in his mind.
Who on earth was this guy? How did he track him all the way here, and how did he see through his hiding spot at a single glance?
He couldn't delay any longer.
Carson grit his teeth and kicked off the ground. Wrapped in a surge of energy, he vanished into thin air.
All traces of him suddenly vanished, as if he had never existed.
Bai Xuan was slightly taken aback, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.
Was this... invisibility?
This was the first time he had encountered such a skill.
But he didn't panic. The status panel had already displayed Carson's position. No matter where the man hid, he couldn't escape.
In his invisible state, Carson sprinted with all his might. This was his trump card life-saving skill: Shadow Stealth.
He had been able to escape from the inner walls of the Cross family estate a few days ago and hide safely in the slums all this time entirely because of this skill.
However, this skill had a flaw: it could only be used for two minutes at a time, and it required a long period of meditation to recover afterward.
As he sprinted, he instinctively looked back. The path behind him was empty; there was no sign of Bai Xuan.
I should have shaken him off. Carson had just let out a sigh of relief.
Just then, a piercing, excruciating pain shot through his right leg, as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer. He instantly lost his balance.
He couldn't help but pitch forward, rolling several times over the gravel before finally crashing heavily into a ruined wall.
Carson hurriedly looked down at his right leg.
His leg bone was bent at a bizarre angle. The agonizing pain caused a scream to well up in his throat.
But just as he was about to let it out, he grit his teeth hard, forcing the scream back down.
He couldn't scream. Once he made a sound, it would inevitably attract others, and then escape would truly be impossible.
He was utterly baffled. He was clearly invisible, so how had the other party managed to hit him?
At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a staff embedded in the ground not far away. It was the very weapon the man had been holding earlier.
Footsteps slowly approached from behind, neither fast nor slow, but each step felt like it was treading directly on Carson's heart.
He turned his head with difficulty to see the white-robed figure walking toward him step by step. Once the young man reached his side...
Bai Xuan lightly gestured with his hand, and the staff rose from the ground, landing steadily back into his grasp.
Carson's pupils contracted sharply. Who on earth was this person?
Bai Xuan knelt down in front of him, a warm expression on his face. “I told you to speak the truth. Since you ran, I had no choice but to accidentally break your leg.”
“Don't worry, I'm a Healer. I'll fix it for you.”
Pausing, he stared directly into Carson's eyes, his tone softening slightly. “You only need to tell me the truth. Actually, I don't have any good feelings toward the Cross family either, so I won't turn you in for the reward.”
“In truth, you're from the White family, aren't you? Will you say it yourself, or should I say it for you? Two choices, but the outcomes are very different.”
Carson opened his mouth, but his throat was too dry to make any sound. He could only stare blankly at Bai Xuan.
Bai Xuan said no more. Hovering the staff over the broken leg, he spoke softly, “To show my sincerity, I'll heal you first. Bear with it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, golden light slowly welled up from the shaft of the staff, completely enveloping the twisted right leg.
The bones realigned at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the torn flesh slowly mended.
But what followed was a pain even more intense than when the leg had broken, as if countless steel needles were repeatedly piercing through his bone marrow.
Carson's mouth flew open, a scream catching in his throat. His entire body trembled violently, his teeth chattering loudly as cold sweat poured down his forehead like severed beads.
“Bear with it, don't make a sound.”
Bai Xuan's voice was still gentle, offering a slight reminder. “Attracting people won't do either of us any good.”
Carson clenched his fists tightly, forcing the scream back down.
Only when the golden light gradually faded and his leg was fully restored did he collapse on the ground, gasping heavily for air.
Looking at Bai Xuan now, his eyes held nothing but raw, undisguised terror.
Yet beneath the terror, a shred of rationality remained.
He spoke in a raspy voice, with a hint of uncertainty, “You... you're really not from the Cross family? And you're not here to capture me?”
Bai Xuan did not answer. Instead, he pulled an object from his chest and held it before the man's eyes—a crest engraved with intricate patterns.
“This is a crest given to me by the White family,” Bai Xuan said calmly. “If you recognize it, you should understand who I am.”
Carson stared at the crest for a moment, seemingly identifying it.
His tense body suddenly relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
“So you are... an honored guest of the White family. You scared the life out of me.” He leaned against the ruined wall, his voice filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.
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