Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1056 - 1055 - Ranger

Chu had been gone most of the night but as the sun was cresting the horizon, she returned with the 4 slaves in tow. Lind only took one whiff from her and felt uncomfortable.

The scent of blood was fine. It was the intensity of her excitement that worried him! She was VERY happy to see him.

Still, she passed off the slaves to him as she took Nana with her to prepare breakfast. He directly did not ask what she was making. He already knew what beasts liked the most.

He did not deny them but he did not indulge in the same.

The 4 people were bruised, cut, and maimed in some way. The demon was in the best shape aside from his missing arm. His Art was helpful so the Holy Flame Sect had kept him more than just alive.

"First, I will remove those collars so long as you swear not to harm me or my companions. Do not bother to lie, I will know." His emerald eyes glowed and his aura informed them of his power.

None of them were Immortals but even the Holy Flame Sect had only had 3 Sliver Tier Immortals in their group before. It was clear that powerful cultivators had long fled the area.

"Tck, first those Flame bastards, now beasts! We are–" One of the men dared to complain and Lind simply flicked his finger. He did not move from his spot but the man was sent flying outward until he slammed into the tower wall.

Katara snickered as she looked on. She was repairing several of the formations from what he could tell.

"Lord Immortal, we are not a unified group but as you can see, I am helpless. I will not be a problem." The older man with no hands held up his bloodied stumps but Lind frowned at him.

"Only a complete idiot would believe you are harmless without hands. A cultivator needs only Qi to kill. Hands are just tools like a sword or axe." The pale gray eyes of the man sharpened at his words. His wrinkled face twitched upward in a smile.

"Smart. I am from the Orion Fan Syndicate. I like smart people." The name meant nothing to Lind but Katara snapped up at it.

"Unless you are as annoying as the Shandor Syndicate, I am not overly concerned." The dead serious tone in his voice made the old man lose his smile.

"We stay away from those lunatics. Profit is easily made by fleecing some young masters and moving goods around. No need to draw attention from Immortals." The man was peak Diamont Tier so Lind could understand that sentiment.

"I just want to go! Can you just let me go?!" The other young human man looked desperate but Lind narrowed his eyes as he smelled something vile on him.

"A drug trafficking fool will get no pity from me." Shock flooded his young face before he sneered.

"There is nothing you can do anyway. These collars are–" Before another word could be spoken the demon took a knee. Silence descended on them all.

"May I serve you great Lord? I am Ranger." Katara reacted once more but that time was in interest. Lind cocked his head as he realized the name was not normal.

"Do you not have a blood name?" Surprise crossed the demon's lavender features but he shook his head.

"I am Ranger." No other explanation. He reminded Lind of Kal when he was defending Tessa from danger. Simple, no subterfuge, and a desire for power.

Lind touched the collar and it snapped off like it was made of clay! Shock flooded all the faces there but Lind and Ranger.

He made it look so easy!

"I swear to Heaven and Earth to serve you until the end of my days." A Sky Realm demon caused Heaven to rumble as the oath took hold. Lind produced an azure and gold elixir that Ranger reacted to.

"Regrowth Flame Elixir will restore your arm. It will hurt but there is nothing I can do about that. Eat first before starting though." Lind glanced where Chu had gone before producing some rations of his own. "Eat this to be safe."

He did not explain why it was safe but Ranger took it gladly.

Katara led him to the side where he could rest and recuperate.

"I am not for serving but happy to not betray you. Will that suffice?" The old man spoke up as he stroked his mangy white beard. All their clothes were too bloody to pick out what they were previously but Lind noticed the old man's rags were in better shape than the others.

"Your name?" The old man seemed to think for a bit before nodding at something.

"Suppose if I am giving an oath I should be straight. My given name was Ozeran, but I prefer Oz." Katara froze at that name and drew her massive sword instantly. A smirk danced on his face as he bowed at her. "I see the Maidens remember me!"

Lind sighed before turning to her.

"He is an assassin. His hands were likely laced with many poisons or hidden artifacts to kill on contact. It was not wrong to take them!" A grimace came to his face in confirmation.

"He had killed Sisters?" Lind's question made all look at him oddly aside from Katara. She shook her head but still looked ready to kill.

"He was not that stupid. He has, however, humiliated us by killing targets we were protecting. He is also known to be an enforcer for those foolish enough to get into debt with their syndicate." Lind nodded but did not dismiss the man immediately.

"In your opinion, does he break his word?" The old man actually held his breath at that point but Katara looked pained as she slowly nodded.

"He was right about the Orion Fan Syndicate. Smugglers, killers, and more but oddly they keep their word. If they say they will let you go, you will be safe. If someone kills one of their own, they only exact precise vengeance." Lind arched an eyebrow at that.

"People will use their family as shields unless they understand they will be held directly responsible. Quite a few entitled pigs squealed loudly that they could not die because they were too important to their families. Most of the time the families quietly thanked us for our work." Bragging now came from Oz but Lind looked at him harshly.

"I care not for your stories. There is a young girl here and if I get a hint you have said a word to her, death will be a fond dream for you." His aura slammed into Oz and made him kneel. Oz quickly nodded.

The collar snapped and he took the oath not to betray nor harm any of their group. Lind then had Katara administer a Gold and green elixir to restore his hands as well.

He was about to talk to the drug peddler when Ranger spoke up.

"Check their left arms." He was looking at the 2 fiercely as they tried to hide from his sight. Lind ensnared them in wind while pulling back their left sleeves.

Pale bare flesh was exposed but Lind's face darkened considerably.

Neither Oz nor Katara saw anything but Lind's Eyes saw it all!

A mark was engraved by a weaver into their souls! It was a skull with chains crossed like an 'X' over the jaws.

"Shandor Syndicate." It was just 2 words but the bone chilling effect made all shiver.

"NO! You are being tricked! We are not–" The man that smelled of drugs screamed as his arm was shattered.

"I told you I would know when you lie. Talk quickly before I lose my patience." Both men babbled quickly but the tale they told was rather mundane.

They had used a safehouse to survive the chaos and expected to get orders from the next up in the chain of their network. Yet only silence had greeted them. After a few months, they had tried to slip to the east to get in contact when the Holy Flame Sect caught them.

As they had no real skills, they were just more slaves to be used for labor.

Lind almost would have pitied them if not for the fact he recognized the drug on one of them. His dark eyes were trying to look away at all times as sweat soaked his brow.

"The extract from the crimson lotus is used to make a hallucinogenic to override the mind. While it can be used to help process a heart demon, its most common use is to trick men and women into unwilling actions. They awake with no memory, if they are lucky." The blood drained from his face as he fell to his knees.

"Please! Spare me!" Given the Shandor Syndicate's primary business in slavery, Lind could see what the drug would be used for.

"What did you sell the drug for? What did you make the Lost Dream for?" The proper name of the drug made both men flinch which made Lind narrow his eyes. Neither spoke as they knew he could detect lies already.

"They mostly used it to get gladiators for the black arenas. It was where they left me and others to wait for death while dosing us before the fights." Ranger spoke up once more and now the blue eyes of the other young man looked enraged at him.

Lind leaned down and his emerald slitted eyes made the 2 wail.

"That was not all, was it?" The peddler shook as a new scent filled the air. Oz sneered while Katara just looked disgusted. Ranger did not even flinch.

"I just followed orders! I would have been killed if I didn't! So what if some client wanted to play with–" A head went flying but Lind never moved. Katara looked down at her sword as she wondered if she had moved but it was Ranger that went wide eyed.

Shadows! Shadows had moved at Lind's command but he was a natural Qi cultivator wasn't he?!

The other man tried to run but the collar at his neck lit up all of a sudden. He screamed as Lind slowly walked up to him and looked down.

"You knew the name. You knew what he did and both of you survived together. You were involved as well." No questions made the man wail but Ranger nodded quietly at the words.

The man suddenly stopped moving but no one was sure what happened as he was alive one moment and then dead the next.

"So, that is what the mark does." Lind had seen the weaving trigger as the man clearly was going to spill secrets to try and live but the Shandor Syndicate silenced him forever. His soul had shattered and left a husk behind.

He vaporized the bodies instantly as he had no desire to know more from them. His once peaceful feeling was long gone such that both Oz and Ranger understood one thing.

Never cross the man in front of them. Not ever.