Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 405 - 404 - Strange Pair

"Leo, what happened to you?" A scrawny kid was crawling out of an alley with a swollen shut eye, blood running down his body, and what seemed to be a distinct limp.  The girl asking was one of the barmaids on break out back of the tavern.

Due to the constant dodging of hands and running many beverages with food to tables, the owner let them recuperate after the large wave passed each day.  The owner had few rules but the maids appreciated that they were protected from more scary work.

Any customer that thought they were for sale would find a rude awakening!

"Ah nubbin much, ow!"  His swollen lips did not allow him to talk easily and the crimson on his teeth made it clear he had blood in his mouth.  The maid sighed and used her rag to dip into a water bucket.

Her fellow maids frowned as that was supposed to be their drinking water but they made an exception for Leo.  He was one of many street urchins trying to survive but he kept their alley clean with his fellow 'brigands.'

"You need to go to the old healer.  She can at least make sure none of this gets infected."  Leo's remaining open eye watered against the pain but his disdain for the healer was clear.  The old woman charged an arm and a leg, sometimes literally.

Still, he was only a Body Refining Realm boy.  How could he not go when he really could get sick and infected way too easily?

"You never answered me, by the way.  Who did this?"  Leo seemed reluctant to speak but then made a mark in the air.  It was a simple arrow head to the right.

Fear crossed the eyes of all the maids.  Fighting a few brats would not cause much of an issue but an actual organization?  The symbol was also known to them.  It was a local group that claimed to have ties to the Tidao Syndicate.

It was not wise to brag about such a thing as no one knew where eyes and ears would be, so there had to be some truth to it.  Or at least there had to be a group trying to join under them so they were allowed to speak as such.

In either case, it was bad for their small village.

The whole of Yinande was rife with stories of groups causing a bloodbath and tearing down old businesses to open more 'efficient' ones later.  The maids had no illusion what would happen to them as some of those people had pushed the limits of the owner more than once.

"Explain what happened to this child, now."  A stern voice suddenly came from the mouth of the alley.  Everyone jumped as no footsteps had been heard but all relaxed as they saw a woman with him.

She was very beautiful but seemed distant, yet the maids felt close to her.  As if she carried scars like them.

There was no slave collar but the man was clearly in charge.  The maids were only at the peak of the Soul Realm so not feeling a cultivation was normal, yet their discerning eyes could see the fine skin and temperament of Sky Realm.

Leo moved in front of the girls and spread his arms.  His pale skin and injuries made a sorry sight with the dark rags covering his body.  It was clear he stood no chance but the maids appreciated his spirit.

They were reminded of when he and his 'men' swore to protect the alley for the maids and themselves.

A sudden change came over the distant woman.  She actually smiled at Leo and they all lost their breath at that.  Her smile made her beauty like the sun.  It was too bright to look at directly but it always drew the eyes regardless.

"Ha, ah, I think you misunderstand my intent."  A jade badge was flashed but the maids needed no further prompting.  They all bowed respectfully while Leo looked confused.  The very maid that had been cleaning him pushed his head down.

"He is a powerful maker!  I don't know what jade represents but it is higher than grade 4!  I felt the same presence before on the old healer!"  Despite how shady Yinande was, there were a few things that were still maintained.

The evaluation of alchemists, refiners, and so forth was strictly adhered to.  Badges were issued and maintained due to the constant need of trustworthy ability.  The person could be as corrupt as any politician alive, but their ability had to be real.

Thus, anyone with such a badge was respected by the common and even the criminal would think twice before robbing them.

Lind did not walk openly because his badges drew far too much attention.  Such an action was not unusual as some similar badge holders did the same in Yinande.  They did not want word getting back to their colleagues where they had been!

Lind knelt down before any maid could stop him.  He then spread his senses and frowned at what he saw.

The boy's external injuries were not light nor were they the first.  There was a lot of scarring on top of the cultivation.  Fighting could help hone the body, but breaking it and improper recovery would hamper advancement.

The boy should have reached the Soul Realm in the higher quality environment but his body's condition was nearly irrevocable.  If that was all, Lind would have sighed at the poor conditions and simply offered a few grade 1 elixirs to help him, but things were worse than that.

His cracked ribs were ready to break if he had one more jolt and his leg was shattered at the ankle.  How he was upright was a small miracle to Lind's mind.  His frown was not missed by Fey and she tugged on his pale tan robes.

They had opted to be less flashy in Yinande where colors seemed to stand out.  Fey stood out anyway but her demeanor let any experienced warrior know she was lethal at a glance.  She would not be currently, but the way she moved was long ingrained into her.

He smiled and then looked around.

"I don't suppose there is a place out of the alley I could speak to you all?"  Lind assumed the boy was family to them but the maids looked shocked at his suggestion.

"Nah hwome har."  The boy tried to speak but his lips were so bad it barely made it out, yet Lind only nodded.  He then looked hard at the maids who quickly unlocked the back door and went into the kitchen.

It was not even close to the cleanest kitchen but it was private.  The rusting pots and pans were the cleanest thing in it.  Dirt and patched up walls were the norm everywhere.  Few could afford actual formations or anything normal shops for cultivators might have.

Still, the food was delicious and the smell made most mouths water.

Lind nodded but then dropped a formation plate casually.

The instant the ward was set up, all of the maids shivered.  Anyone that could afford a formation plate, let alone use it so casually, was not to be trifled with by the likes of them!

"Your internal injuries are very bad.  You will not be able to walk by the end of the day, if ever again.  You could also die as well."  His words were spoken without pausing but he made sure to smile at the end.  "I can repair it, but it will be just as painful as what you may have experienced today."

He assumed that would be enough but the boy looked leery at him.  Lind's confusion as he turned to Fey who just shrugged her shoulders.  They did not understand why the boy was reluctant.  Was the thought of pain that bad?

"Ahem, great senior!  Leo had only known the old woman of our village.  She is a grade 4 alchemist and I think she is a grade 2 refiner.  We know such pills are very expensive."  Her implied words finally got through to Lind.

"Your name, miss?"  The girl blushed as Lind was very handsome and he did not have the same eyes as their customers.  He was looking at her, not just her body.  She twirled her curly brown hair before realizing she had not answered.

"This junior is called Mary."  Lind smiled and bowed to her in thanks.

"Mary, Leo, I think you have a misunderstanding.  I am not here to set up shop, but I saw a severely injured child and cannot let it pass.  If you like, it is my chosen Dao."  Lind was serious and Mary could see it but Leo did not believe a word of it.

No adult offered anything for free, not one.  There was always a catch, a dirty choice, or some other disgusting shadow lurking behind the facade of help.  Lind saw the cynicism and turned to Fey.

She looked confused before she understood.

"You are saying Big Brother is not trustworthy?!"  Her voice was shrill but Lind had put up the formation plate for that very reason.  He patted her head to calm her down.

"No, he is saying how he has been treated until now.  Tell him, tell him what you have learned."  Lind did not elaborate but Fey slowly thought about it until she understood.

"I first met Big Brother on a ship…"  Lind had not expected her to go back that far but she cut out quite a bit aside from her family.  She talked about how a lot of the older cultivators always had a balance when dealing with each other but that only made Lind stand out.

He never asked for her to repay anything.  He asked for the spread of knowledge and paid for expenses to get it copied!  He welcomed everyone and founded a sect where many voices could come together and discuss the Dao.

Lind almost teared up to see her so happy and smiling again.  His face was not missed by the maids or Leo as they understood that perhaps what they were seeing was the price Lind wanted.

"So, so, isn't Big Brother great?"  Fey finally ran out of what she wanted to say.  She never brought up the Floating Isle Heavenly Maiden Sect branch, but Lind still squeezed her hand to remind her he was there.

"Ok, I can see you like him at least.  I can also see he is like how my old brother was."  The tense was not missed by Lind as he glanced at Mary.  She slowly shook her head with a frown.

The more he saw of Yinande, the more urging his heart gave him to found his sect.

"Anyway, what do you need me to do?  Nothing is free."  Lind slowly nodded but then looked solemn.

"For saving you, you will have to save others.  You will have to work hard to become strong to protect what you value.  One day, you may see someone wearing this."  Lind held up a Moebius Strip.  "If you see them, tell your friends to follow them for a test.  That is all I would ask of you."

His words seemed odd but the boy slowly nodded.  He had to work to pay off the good fortune, he understood that.  All were shocked when a vial of liquid appeared in Lind's hands.  An elixir master was a legend but they saw his badge clearly now.

"Drink this and I will stay with you."  Leo nodded and then downed the crimson liquid in 1 gulp.  Even before he moved the vial away, his body seemed to become fire.

He screamed until he was hoarse but the maids saw Lind grasp his hand and the feeling of pressure increased.  The man was keeping his word!  It seemed to take forever but it was only moments when a healthy and hale Leo lay on the dirty floor.

He was covered in impurities but just as they were about to clean up a gush of Qi came from him.  Lind smiled as he burnt away the refuse.  The boy was now in the Soul Realm.

"I will teach him what he needs, then we will leave."  Lind had made an impression on the maids and when he woke, Leo was now fervent about him.  A trail of stories across Yinande were like that.

A strange couple would visit a town.  Sometimes something small would happen or something miraculous, but always the description of the 2 were the same.

Ren reviewed the jade slip his subordinate had given him and frowned.  It was too easy.  Lind Frey was leaving a trail for someone to follow and clearly did not care who.  Despite the signs of a trap, the man could not disobey Baihu.

The air shimmered as many men flowed across the island in pursuit of Lind Frey.  The hunt was on.  Who was hunter and prey would be decided by battle.