Chapter 12: Blood Between Toes.
Leeward stood before the aged Spirit Water-Bearer, then advanced toward the exchange counter with cold, deliberate steps.
"It has been a long time since I last saw you inside my shop, Leeward..." the old man whispered, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Yes, Old Man Zin... it has indeed been a long time," Leeward replied, but his mind wasn't fully present; he was still deep in thought. A person like Leeward, when faced with a problem, couldn't clear his mind until he found a solution, and that was exactly his current state.
"Is Overd well? It's been a while since I last ran into him." Curiosity filled Old Man Zin's heart, and he posed the question directly before getting down to business.
"Overd is dead."
The words were shocking, especially given the ice-cold tone in which Leeward delivered them. Zin felt as though his very being had been shaken. Ideas clashed in his mind, and although he struggled to believe it, he accepted it deep down.
"When...? I never heard a thing about it."
"Murdered yesterday by an unknown person, and at the worst possible time. He was killed right after I made a deal with him to secure my freedom, agreeing to pay off the rest of my debt in installments..."
Leeward's features appeared pale; he had no desire to discuss this matter at all.
"I never expected this... Overd was a good man. We studied together since childhood... Why would anyone kill him? According to his reputation, he never harmed anyone, and he was well-liked in the village.
" Zin felt it was completely unexpected, remembering the last time he saw Overd's face, only a few weeks ago. It was a fleeting moment... and now, Overd was dead under mysterious circumstances at the hands of an unknown killer.
"I don't want to get into boring details, but Overd wanted to establish a **Danek Arena**, to start making money and competing in this field.
And I think you know who owns the primary Danek Arena in this village... It's **Haigy**, from the Refil Monoth clan, not Kantum Monoth.
Everyone knows about the conflict between them, stretching back decades... And as you know, anyone who achieves great success in life will have many envious eyes fixed upon them, even if they show kindness when met."
Leeward had deduced that the killer, or the one responsible for Overd's death, might be **Haigy Refil Monoth**. Immediately after Overd began working on a Danek Arena, he was killed... and this pointed to only one person who didn't want a competitor in this field: Haigy.
"That makes some sense... but I don't think so," Zin countered. "Haigy, despite his influence, is a coward. He would never dare kill someone himself. And perhaps he hired someone to do it... even in that case, he fears being exposed, losing his fortune, and going to prison. He's a damn coward; he wouldn't commit such an act."
"Well... there is some logic to that. Currently, all I want from you..."
Leeward pulled out the **Spiritual Core** he possessed and placed it on the counter. "Process this into a **Spiritual Elixir**, and prepare three other **First-Rank Elixirs** for me as well. I will return this evening to collect them and pay the amount." He spoke seriously, confident in his ability to gather the necessary money from fighting in the Danek Arena.
The old man Zin took the stone and examined it in his hand. "It's Second-Level... do you really think you are capable of refining it? It might only harm your soul."
"I am already at the precipice of the **Hardened Warrior** rank. There isn't much left for the breakthrough, and I'll delay that until the end. If I can breakthrough with three other elixirs, that would be good. And I'll refine this only as support to increase my power." Leeward knew the risks well... but he ignored them. His focus now was entirely on transitioning to the Second Rank; that would increase his ability to protect himself in this case, and prepare for any emergency.
"So that's it... I remember you've been stuck in the **Transition Tier** for three years, and now you are determined to breakthrough? Well, I'll prepare four elixirs for you." Old Man Zin laughed a little at Leeward's situation. For three years, Leeward had been stuck in the final tier of the First Rank due to a lack of resources and not having enough time for spiritual refinement.
Leeward wasn't annoyed by Zin's laughter, but he replied coldly: "Well, that has its benefits too. My combat skills have reached their peak. I am not weak, nor am I reckless in attack.Furthermore, I have become proficient in using the **Spiritual Field**, awakened my **Stigma**, and refined my own technique." He didn't like being underestimated.
"Oh, come on... are you taking this seriously? Hahaha!" Old Man Zin burst out laughing even more. "Your ego still dominates you, it seems."
Leeward didn't show a clear reaction. He turned and swiftly left the shop, closing the door behind him, leaving the echo of the bell to resonate within its walls.
Leeward moved through a dark corridor, heading straight toward the **Danek Mertequn Arena**. He had already taken the first step toward advancing his power. The second step was securing the funds through the arena's combat.
He quickened his pace. Emerging from a side alley, he reached a bustling market on a main street. The atmosphere was loud, the air thick with the smell of street food, and people were everywhere—a sensory chaos that blurred his mind. Yet, one thought remained anchored in his consciousness.
*"Perhaps the Sharman Clan hasn't discovered it yet. I might have judged that man too quickly; he could just be a passerby in the village. There is no motive for him other than purchasing that spiritual tool..."* he mused as he walked.
Suddenly, he felt it—a sensation that someone was following him. It wasn't a fleeting feeling; he felt clearly that someone was lurking in the shadows. Leeward believed in one thing: his instincts never lied. This was why he was always cautious, planning every step.
*"There is someone behind me... Could it be that same man from the Sharman Clan? Or someone else? If it is him, why follow me? What reason would he have? I showed no strange reaction, nor did I reveal anything proving I took the wealth. Everything I did was calculated. If he is the one following me, then my first assumption was entirely wrong."*
The Sharman Clan had indeed arrived to investigate the theft and the massacre surrounding the caravan.
He continued through the crowd like a slipping shadow, trying his best to act natural. A grim seriousness settled on his features; this was the first time he had fallen into a predicament of this magnitude.
Throughout his life as a slave and a criminal, he had been accused of murder several times, but he always escaped due to a lack of evidence. This gave him significant experience in handling such troubles.
Currently, his concern wasn't the Overd case, but the **Sharman Clan**—the rulers of the **Dragon Empire**. A person as insignificant as him would be powerless against them.
He glanced down at his feet and saw the **dried blood** caked between his toes. He cursed himself internally. *"How could I make such a fatal error... this alone is enough to condemn me, or at least keep suspicion fixed upon me. Perhaps my footprints are still clear in that pool of blood near the wagon."*
Leeward felt he was in the worst position of his life. He turned back quickly, catching a glimpse of a guard following him—one of the same guards from the cattle pen. He initially thought this guard was his pursuer, and he wasn't entirely wrong; the guard had been assigned to tail him since he left the farm.
But Leeward knew better.
*"The sensation I felt from the one following me... it doesn't belong to a weak guard. There is someone else in the vicinity, hiding and stalking me, invisible to my eyes..."*
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