One-Eyed Monster

「Guru Mountain, Dawn Peak.」

Unaware, Bunan had become a murder suspect on the run, accused of killing an Empire Politician—the Mayor of Liuli City, no less.

I know I’m innocent, but it doesn’t matter, Bunan thought. Others don’t see it that way, and the fact that I fled has put me in a terrible position.

At the onset, he had known there was no other choice. I have to head for the mountain. The Alchemists had cordoned it off, so for now, no one else could climb it. His last hope, the young son of Governor Rostov, was also up there. If I’m lucky enough to find the young master, I might still have a chance to clear my name.

But Bunan hadn’t anticipated it. This mountain is so hard to climb!

I almost froze to death on this mountain.

If it hadn’t been for Qi Liu, I might have frozen to death here, still a murder suspect.

What brought him even more comfort was that his gamble had paid off. Young Master Hustace is indeed nearby!

Even though Young Master Hustace is in a deep slumber, as long as there’s hope, there’s nothing to fear.

He also realized Qi Liu was a reliable fellow. He actually found the young master on the mountain!

Beside Young Master Hustace were two other people: one was a plain-looking woman in a Wizard’s robe, and the other was a man with a grim face and a purple cape who looked quite frightening.

In Bunan’s recollection, among those who had climbed the mountain with Qi Liu, one was an old witch, while the other two were young people. How have they changed so completely?

Bunan rubbed his eyes for a while but still couldn’t figure out what had caused this.

Especially the ordinary-looking woman—the Wizard’s robe she was wearing was exactly the same as the one worn by the hunched Wizard he remembered from earlier. This made Bunan think pessimistically. Could these strangers have dealt with everyone else, even stealing their clothes?

But in the end, Bunan felt he might be wrong. If these strangers were malicious, why would they have given me warmth when I was in peril? And why would only Qi Liu be with them? I can’t determine their true motives, but I’m confident they mean us no harm.

Bunan desperately wished Qi Liu would explain what was happening, but until this very moment, he hadn’t found a chance to exchange even a single sentence with him.

Most of his time was spent trailing behind them, gasping for breath as he tried to keep up.

He really didn’t know how the purple-cloaked man had so much energy. This fellow is practically sprinting uphill while carrying Young Master Hustace on his back! That kind of physical strength is superhuman!

Along the way, Qi Liu fared slightly better than him. Bunan could do little more than pant heavily.

What’s more, he realized the mountain was incredibly vast. They had been going around and around within it, never seeming to get out.

Shouldn’t Qi Liu be leading the young master down the mountain? Why are we always climbing upwards? We’ve reached the peak already! What on earth are they doing?

Bunan really wanted to ask, but ever since he was rescued, he hadn’t spoken more than three sentences.

The first, of course, was ”Thank you.” The second was a surprised shout of ”Qi Liu!” And just as he was about to utter a third sentence, the man in the purple cloak forcefully pulled him up to keep moving.

His pace was naturally slow, and he had nearly frozen to death. The urgency of their journey had effectively silenced all his questions. He was doing well just to keep up, let alone indulge in the luxury of asking why.

Finally, they reached the summit of Dawn Peak. The group stopped, giving Bunan a chance to catch his breath, his chest heaving.

It was an indescribable journey. Bunan had never experienced anything like it. Even when he felt most wronged, he had never felt such urgency.

He couldn’t comprehend it. Why did we need to rush up the mountain with such haste?

What puzzled him even more was the crowd. There are so many people at the top of Dawn Peak!

”Don’t resist anymore,” a lean, bronze-skinned man atop the peak stated calmly. ”Give up your current position, and I can let you descend the mountain safely.”

The man paid no mind to Bunan and the other unexpected arrivals.

”Don’t be delusional. I suggest you abandon that notion immediately,” retorted a thin man holding a pipe, standing next to a large rock across from the bronze-skinned man. He seemed unfazed by the threat.

However, in Bunan’s eyes, the skinny man was clearly at a disadvantage. His opponents were three: the bronze-skinned man, a fat man, and an old man. All three watched like tigers stalking their prey, clearly determined to succeed, though Bunan had no idea what they were competing for.

My best option is to slip away quietly and avoid this perplexing conflict, Bunan thought. Both sides are formidable, and I don’t have the energy to meddle. I’ll be lucky if I’m not dragged into this strange mess. Moreover, Bunan thought, That man standing by the stone looks somehow familiar.

Isn’t that guy from the Liuli City Court of Guards?!

At that thought, Bunan’s face turned pale with fright. He hurriedly hid behind Qi Liu, his hands trembling as they clung to Qi Liu’s shoulders.

Qi Liu was puzzled by Bunan’s actions. They had been following the Hunter up the mountain, and he hadn’t had time to ask Bunan what was going on. However, using his natural instincts as a Politician, he sensed something. Something big is about to happen on this mountain. The best plan for Young Master Hustace is to stick with this Hunter. Qi Liu was still trying to process the earlier events. And now we’re in another strange situation, he thought, a renewed surge of panic and conflict rising within him. It’s just one thing after another!

”If you don’t want trouble, get out of the way!” The fat man in the trio gave a harsh warning without even turning his head to look at Qi Liu and the others.

Nevertheless, his threat caused little commotion. Everyone except Bunan acted as if they hadn’t heard him; none of them showed any intention of backing down.

”Oh dear, Mugen, it seems your threat had no effect at all,” the elderly member of the trio said in a mocking tone.

”You…” The fat man, Mugen, was clearly irritated by the elderly man’s sarcastic tone, but with external threats present, he restrained himself from lashing out.

”Look at you, getting angry over the smallest things. You lack strategic vision. We must present a united front now; we can’t afford petty squabbles,” the old man ”comfortingly” admonished Mugen once again.

As Qi Liu watched them, an inexplicable feeling welled up inside him. There was something common among these three, a kind of pulling force that seemed to have drawn them all to the same place.

His inherent Politician’s instincts told him. These three must be practitioners of forbidden techniques.

These three were indeed the leaders of Black Crow, practitioners of the Dark Arts. They had received orders to come to Guru Mountain to search for Governor Rostov’s son. After their initial attempt ended in failure, they decided to climb the mountain themselves to complete the task. However, halfway through their trek, their mission suddenly changed, compelling the three leaders of Black Crow to hastily scramble to the summit of Dawn Peak.

When they arrived at the summit, they were prepared to execute their new assignment: to destroy the rock atop the peak. They had never expected, however, that someone would already be guarding it.

And the guardian was much stronger than they had anticipated.