Snowpeach Town: Chapter 4

/*unedited*/

The next morning…

As the sun golden rays bathed the whole land in a golden hue, the people began to emerge from their homes, as a new day greeted each and every people in the village. Those who survive greeted the day with grateful hearts, and those who lost someone in the night raid mourned and their cries echoed through some of the streets of the town.

Shin Jiao at this time is getting ready to go out. He has a talk with the couple last night and decided to participate in the trap which the town's mayor and the other elders cooked up.

But Shin Jiao didn't fully trust this situation and wanted to learn more about what had really started this thing. He heard some cultivators talking about the mayor's son's fault. So today he decided to do some proper investigation.

"Master, about last night… I… I'm sorry for not controlling my power properly." Jie Ye said while lowering her head.

She didn't dare to look at Shin Jiao in the eye as she felt guilty about last night's incident.

"Haha… you don't have to worry about that. Actually I'm glad that you improved so much in just two days. I really didn't make a wrong decision in helping you." Shin Jiao said with a smile.

He was really happy at her progress, he is sure that she would really have a bright future ahead of her. Shin Jiao knows that mages and warriors are like cultivators, they have a longer life span and stronger bodies. So if she continually improves her ability through practice and real battle experience, she would improve by leaps and bounds.

"I will go out first… later if someone looks for me just tell them that I went out and be back at noon." Shin Jiao instructed as he left the house.

Shin Jiao immediately traverse the crowded street of the town and enter a dark alleyway. Then he carefully wore an article of new clothing and done on a mask. The place Shin Jiao is going to is the bar, but not just any regular bars in town but a bar from the slums. Shin Jiao is well aware that in these places dark dealings and hidden secrets are known as the walls in this town have their own ears and this place is the best place to hear it.After half an hour of walking and scanning his surroundings, he finally was able to find a trace of a place where people of unsavory characters seems to congregate. Shin Jiao used his absolute sense to be able to find this place. But by doing so he felt like his mental stress has reached almost 50% and a slight headache is currently throbbing through his brain.

Shin Jiao wanted to rest but he could not, as his time is limited and he still needed to investigate the necromancer and this town.

Actually he just decided to do this after hearing that disturbing thing he discovered from the cultivator last night. If that cultivator is right, then this is deep and murky water, which includes politics or something deeper.

Shin Jiao slowly walked towards the tavern in a hidden corner of a dark alley. Due to his slight headache, his walking is like he has had a little too much to drink. When the people around the area saw a masked man walking wobbly towards the tavern they became vigilant. But when they saw that he seems to look like just some drunken bastard they suddenly relax their vigilance.

Shin Jiao slowly enters the tavern and a very strong stench of alcohol, blood, and other foul odor assaulted his nose.

Then he is suddenly reminded of the old days when he is still a spy. He would blend with the people and go to dangerous places in the world. These kinds of smell bring back memories of those old, dark and gloomy days of his life. At first, he thought that it was an adventure and an exciting roller coaster ride living as a spy. But then reality struck him if he is not careful his life would end before he knows it.

The place in front of him gives the same vibe just like that time. He feels that if he makes just one wrong move in this place then the people would immediately end his life just like that. Shin Jiao can see the cultivation level of every person in the tavern but mixed within that group are a couple of gold core realms in the late stages.

Shin Jiao might be able to handle one or two of them but to say he can handle then all then that is just suicide.

He slowly walks towards the old wooden bar counter which seems to have not been maintained or even cleaned properly. Even the edges of the counter have traces of blood on them. But what surprised Shin Jiao is the quality of the wood material of the counter. If he is not mistaken this material is called ironwood, a very strong and sturdy material that's like a wood made of very fine steel.

When Shin Jiao took his seat, nobody bothered him. From his clothing and his mask, he looks like a person down on his luck and is just trying to drown himself in misery. So they didn't put him in their eyes.

"A serve." Shin Jiao said in a low hoarse voice as he lifted his finger.

Then the man behind the counter just grabs a wooden bowl and filled it with a red-colored liquid from a barrel behind him. As red liquid filled the wooden bowl, Shin Jiao noticed that a red aura is emitting from the wooden bowl.

He then gave a single low-grade spirit stone to the man, who frowns and signaled two on his finger.

"What 2 spirit stones for this suspicious drink?" Shin Jiao shouted in his mind, but still fished out another spirit stone and gave it to the man.

Shin Jiao then roams his eyes to the place and immediately found a dark corner to sit by himself. He then slowly acted like taking a sip of the bowl filled liquor on his hand as he closes his eyes and heightening his senses.From where he sits, whispers and voices of the people in the tavern didn't escape his ears. Then suddenly Shin Jiao's noticed a conversation that piqued his interest.

Two men are sitting on a table as they talk about the attack and one of the man's friends getting killed by an undead beast. Then suddenly one of the two asked the man who has lost his friend.

"Your aura seems darker than usual. Is this the side effect? I heard that while the battle is happening there was an accident in the infirmary?" the man asked.

Nodding his head the man who lost his friend gives a long sigh.

"The undead core… it… it contains something else."

"What do you mean?" the man suddenly asked in curiosity.

"My friend was killed in front of me by a large spider-like undead beast. Though I was able to get rid of it still it was too late. When I saw the large hole on my friend's chest, I knew everything was finished. But I still carried him to the infirmary." The man explained showing a sad and mournful expression.

His blue robe and silver armor with four long lines of slaw marks made him look heroic which is a contrast to his gloomy expression.

"And then?" the man suddenly asked seemingly feeling impatient.

"And then tragedy struck. Before I could put my friend on a bed, his eyes suddenly open and I saw them change into an ember color in front of my eyes. Before I could react he suddenly swung his hand toward my neck. Luckily I was able to move and he hit my silver armor. Look this is the result." The man in a blue robe and silver armor pointed at the long claw mark which almost ruined the silver armor.

"How did that happened? I mean he is not the only one who died in this raid." The man asked incredulously.

"I… I think it's the undead core… He… he has been absorbing a large amount of those cores every battle." The man in a blue robe said.

"What? Then you? I've seen you also absorbing them right?" the man said as he slowly kept a distance from the man in a blue robe.

"Maybe… Sigh…" the man in blue robe answered with a long and hopeless sigh.

The people around them suddenly turned silence. Actually ever since the people in the bar heard the two's discussion, everyone became silent and upon hearing the situation everyone expression turned serious.

"Damned it!" Suddenly someone from outside the door cursed.

Everyone's attention then turns towards the closed wooden door of the tavern. When the door open 3 people suddenly enter the place, which made all the patrons inside the tavern suddenly lowered their heads.

The three figures who enter the tavern wore a proud and haughty expression on their faces. As they approach the counter, a pin drop silence engulfs the place and only the three people's footsteps can be heard.

"Hey, I'm in a foul mood today. I want something to appease this grievance, or else I won't be contented with this result.." One of the men wearing a blue cultivator robe suddenly shouted.