Chapter 785 Suspicion <TOC> Chapter 787 Bridging the Gap
Previous page password is bold portion: hA_At1#rukE
Translator: SumTLMan
In Count New Rosberg’s mansion, the week has passed without any significant incident. For them, the most exciting development was the budding romance between young master Nite and the maid who tends to the Snowlay Garden. Even more surprising was the Count’s lack of intervention. This signaled that even a sparrow had a chance to transform into a phoenix, causing a flutter of anticipation to stir within the hearts of many unwed maidens still in the throes of their first spring.
Apart from this, another curious occurrence was the reappearance of the wizard, Angel, who everyone assumed had left. He had, in fact, been in seclusion, returning to the Count’s household after a week. Of course, their social standing didn’t permit them to gossip about a personage as high as the wizard.
At this moment, Angel, having returned to the Count’s abode, was immersed in a novel borrowed from the city library – —Song of the Deep Sea at Witching Hour—.
The novel, an adventure tale, was based on the legendary pirate Tulas, known as the “Tyrant King” from two thousand years ago. While it borrowed elements from some unofficial histories, a significant portion was pure fiction, concocted by the author. The plot was so riveting that Angel was thoroughly engrossed.
Whenever he reached an exciting passage, he would extend his spiritual power into the Cathedral of the Dead, observing Tulas, who lay enveloped in a swirling black mist, to see if he could detect the swaggering, formidable image of the legendary pirate from the book.
However, Tulas was still unconscious and looked rather listless, making it difficult to reconcile his current state with the impressive figure described in the book.
Angel continued reading, currently at a captivating part of the story where Tulas, brandishing his sword, battled a band of thieves known as the Sea Emperor to reclaim the promised land – the Far East Sea, a place every mariner hailed as the “Glory of the Great Ocean”. Although the description of the battle scene lacked detail, Tulas’ awe-inspiring image leapt off the pages.
While reading, Angel also guided the black mist swirling around Tulas away from him. The disordered energy on Tulas was immense. Even after three days, negative energy continued to seep out. The clouds of black mist were manifestations of this chaotic energy. To prevent Freud, residing in another room within the Cathedral of the Dead, from being affected by this chaotic energy, Angel had to periodically guide the black mist away.
Just as he had guided this portion of black mist away, Angel looked towards Tulas and surprisingly noticed a slight movement in Tulas’ soul body. Although Tulas was still unconscious, he had turned over, revealing most of his face.
Upon seeing his face clearly, Angel was taken aback. It was an extraordinarily delicate face, one could even call it boyish, which completely contrasted with the fearsome bull horn helmet and half-exposed muscular chest in leather armor he wore.
Angel had never imagined that the fierce figure he had envisioned would turn out to have such a boyish face! The stark contrast was so dramatic that Angel could no longer immerse himself in the plot of —Song of the Deep Sea at Witching Hour—, as his mind was filled with this incongruous image.
Deciding to set the book aside, he drew the Cathedral of the Dead back into his bracelet and stepped out of the room.
Before stepping out, Angel took a glance at the mirror. A languid middle-aged man was reflected in the glass, but in the blink of an eye, he was transformed into a handsome young lad.
Angel, having returned to his true appearance, looked at his sickly pale face in the mirror and sighed faintly. His external injuries had almost healed, but his internal wounds were far more challenging to mend, evidenced by his exceptionally pallid complexion.
With a swish of his hand across the mirror, Angel’s appearance shifted back to that of a middle-aged man. He then ambled out of his room.
Outside, snow was falling heavily. As soon as Angel exited the mansion, he saw Nite approaching, leading a reindeer-drawn sleigh.
“You certainly have a knack for timing. The moment I step outside, here you are,” Angel said coolly. “How is it that you’re not basking in the charm of Lady Sanna on such a snowy day?”
“Hehe,” Nite scratched his head. His face, wrapped in white marten fur, turned slightly red. Whether from the cold or embarrassment, one couldn’t tell. “As long as you’re in Lost Melodies for a day, I am your dedicated carriage driver, sir.”
Angel had initially planned to fly away, but due to his internal injuries, his body was prone to lethargy during self-repair. It seemed prudent to conserve energy where possible. Thus, he didn’t reject Nite’s offer and climbed onto the sleigh.
Once they were out of the mansion’s premises, Nite asked, “Where are we headed, sir?”
Angel didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked into the snowy distance and murmured, “That’s a question for her.”
Following Angel’s gaze, Nite saw nothing but the snow-covered ground. Suddenly, a humanoid figure began to appear, eventually taking the shape of a petite woman dressed in white.
With her eyes closed, the woman’s face was exquisitely beautiful. “Sir Pat, our master has been waiting for you at the Ocean Mansion nearby,” she said.
This woman, known as White, had appeared shortly after Angel’s return to the mansion. She came bearing a message that Jiebo hoped to meet him.
Jiebo had initially intended to visit, but Angel was too weak at the time. He excused himself, stating he was studying a newly crafted alchemical creation and would visit Jiebo once he was done.
That delay stretched into two days.
Angel turned to Nite, “Now you know where we’re headed. Off to the Ocean Mansion.”
Caught off guard by White’s sudden appearance, Nite was momentarily dazed. It was only when Angel nudged him that he came back to his senses, “Understood. The Ocean Mansion is just across the street. It’s not far.”
As he spoke, Nite began to loosen the reins.
White, meanwhile, gave a respectful nod to Angel, then slowly faded into nothingness.
As he watched White disappear, Angel’s expression turned slightly somber. He had been able to detect White’s presence earlier only because she intentionally released her aura… But once she disappeared, Angel could not sense her presence at all.
Such an ability to conceal oneself was something Angel had never seen before. It completely circumvented mental detection, leaving not even the slightest trace.
Whether employed for stealth attacks or probing for information, it undoubtedly held immense power.
“Indeed, one should never underestimate anyone.” If Angel were to confront White, a surprise attack could potentially tip the scales, regardless of familiarity.
Nite, holding the reins, led Angel towards the Ocean Mansion. Perhaps witnessing the arrival of a second transcendent in the City of Lost Music, Nite’s expression was serious, and he remained silent throughout the journey, lost in thought.
Only upon arriving at the Ocean Mansion did Nite finally speak, “Sir, we’ve arrived.”
After dismounting, Angel glanced at Nite and whispered, “I know what worries you. As a general rule, transcendent beings don’t interfere with the affairs of mortals. Don’t overthink it.”
Having said that, Angel strode directly into the lavish building that was blanketed in heavy snow.
As he approached the entrance, Angel heard a sound from the other side.
Turning to look, he saw a striking woman with purple hair leaning against a column, smoking a pipe. Seeing Angel approach, she walked over to him.
Angel halted, recognizing her as a member of Summer Dew Ridge, a woman who had appeared when he was crafting the Black Night Sanctuary and had sold him a favor.
“Sir Pat, I’ve heard so much about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person. How about we set aside some time to chat?” The purple-haired woman sashayed over, a captivating fragrance wafting in her wake.
Angel remained silent, his gaze shifting elsewhere.
Standing at the entrance of the Ocean Mansion was a young man in blue robes, an iridescent scale twinkling between his elegant brows.
“Jiebo, I haven’t stepped into your Ocean Mansion. Is it forbidden to catch up with an old friend even at the doorstep?”
The young man at the door was indeed Jiebo. He cast a mocking glance at Silkvine, who was deliberately dressed to entice.
“Old friend? I never heard that Angel and you were acquainted,” Jiebo responded indifferently.
Silkvine flicked her hair, “We crossed paths at White Oak Mountain just the other day. Now that we meet again, why can’t we call each other old friends?”
Jiebo chuckled, striding over without paying any heed to Silkvine. He addressed Angel directly, “I’ve wanted to have a chat since we met in Moonset City, but there was no opportunity. Now that we have a chance, shall we?”
Angel nodded, following Jiebo into the mansion, leaving Silkvine stamping her foot in frustration outside.
Once inside, Jiebo whispered, “That woman outside is the Shadow Goose of Summer Dew Ridge. Don’t let her flirting fool you. Her sexual orientation is a mystery.”
Angel had no intention of discussing this. He wasn’t one for gossiping about strangers. Instead, he got straight to the point, “Let’s not beat around the bush. I’m currently categorizing and summarizing my alchemy notes and don’t have much time. What is the reason for this sudden invitation?”
Jiebo’s expression faltered, his mind recalling a message from Sirius not long ago. His eyes squinted slightly, “I heard you secluded yourself in hiding a few days ago, were you writing an alchemical diary?”
With Jiebo’s words, Angel felt an immediate surge of alertness.
Although Jiebo’s speech didn’t seem to express any particular intent, merely echoing Angel’s words, the added time constraint made it seem as if he was subtly probing about Angel’s whereabouts a few days ago.
Sure enough, in the next moment, Jiebo asked, “I’m quite curious, where did you retreat to? I sent White to message you a week ago, and it was only the day before yesterday that she found you.”
Angel’s face remained impassive, not directly answering Jiebo’s question, “It seems that White’s tracking ability isn’t as strong as her hiding ability.”
Having said that, Angel continued, “Did you call me here just to discuss such meaningless matters?”
“Not at all, the reason I invited you here is, of course, for another matter.” Jiebo started walking towards the inner hall, “Shall we sit inside and talk?”
Angel merely nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
As the two headed towards the inner hall in silence, each harbored their own thoughts.
Angel was pondering over Jiebo’s previous words. It seemed Jiebo indeed had intentions of investigating his whereabouts a few days ago. Even his excuse for seclusion, was known to him.
But why would Jiebo need to investigate his movements? Unless, he left some clues on that island, which were found by the people from the Song of the Deep Sea? But Angel carefully reviewed each step he took, there shouldn’t be any residual traces, moreover, he had cleaned both ends of the teleportation formation thoroughly…
Could it be, he was overthinking it?