Pillar of Yita

”You’re asking where the Rain Listeners went half a year ago?”

”Wait, do you suspect Toragotos is the Dark Giant Dragon?”

Sophie’s tone was filled with incredulity, as if she were looking at a madman of considerable size; she didn’t understand how this person who had been fine just a moment ago suddenly started spouting nonsense. What made it even more awkward was that her father was waiting behind her to meet the prodigious young man she was introducing. Thinking of this, Sophie couldn’t help but tense her cheeks as a blush slowly crept up to her ears; she had probably never been so embarrassed in her life.

She bit her teeth silently; if looks could kill, Fang Hong would have been stabbed through the heart by two resentful glares.

And Fang Hong looked back at the princess of Silver Weslan with some bewilderment. Although what he had said might have been fantastical, did it really warrant such an overreaction? Did she need to look at him with eyes that seemed to say he owed her a million dollars?

This made him a bit embarrassed to continue.

But after taking a deep breath, Sophie continued with a suppressed complaint, ”What are you talking about? How could Toragotos be the Dark Giant Dragon? Do you understand what that implies? Colin Ishurian Artisan Association and the Avenquin Elves would never miss something like that—let alone the Dwarves of Eldron who are its allies. Do you really understand how much the Dwarves hate the Dark Giant Dragon?”

”That’s debatable, too. Haven’t you heard of the precedent set by the Dragon’s Witch?”

”You know about the Dragon’s Witch?” Sophie seemed somewhat surprised, her tone becoming more serious.

Fang Hong nodded.

After thinking for a moment, Sophie replied, ”Well, precisely because of the lesson taught by the Dragon’s Witch back then, it’s absolutely unlikely. Besides, the Dark Giant Dragon is cursed for eternity and, apart from dark forces, they possess no spellcasting abilities, let alone become an Alchemist. You understand what I mean, right?”

Fang Hong replied, ”I’m not saying Toragotos is definitely the Dark Giant Dragon, but it could be something similar; however, it’s just a guess of mine. That’s why I must verify with you about the matters concerning the Rain Listener Guild.”

”A similar existence?” Sophie reflexively looked back and Su Changfeng put a hand on her back and whispered, ”Rain Listener? Let him continue.”

She was slightly startle, then barely perceptibly nodded.

Then looking toward Fang Hong, for the first time, she asked with some seriousness, ”What exactly do you want to know about the Rain Listeners? Silver Weslan does indeed hold some insider information about their upper echelons disappearing, but not all information can be disclosed to you.”

”I don’t need to know too much; I just want to confirm a few things,” Fang Hong answered.

He remembered what Elisa had told him before and asked, ”I heard that the Rain Listener Guild was commissioned by some people half a year ago to complete a mission, and during this mission, they visited a certain place south of Colin Ishurian. Is there any truth to that?”

Sophie nodded, ”The information we received is almost consistent, but we can’t guarantee one hundred percent accuracy.”

”That’s fine,” Fang Hong wasn’t seeking one hundred percent accuracy, he just needed to piece together the lost clues: ”I want to know, what is that place in the south of the so-called kingdom?”

Sophie turned her head slightly, Su Changfeng said softly, ”This young man is interesting, ask him what else he knows.”

”Why do you seem so interested in this matter?” Sophie stealthily typed into their private channel of conversation.

”Because the disturbance it caused is not small.”

Sophie then compliantly asked Fang Hong, ”I can’t tell you much, what have you guessed?”

”I guess that place is the Bain region,” Fang Hong thought for a moment, ”or perhaps even further—”

”In Norsenica, right?”

”Exactly.” Sophie thought to herself as she nodded, while simultaneously guessing at Fang Hong’s true intentions.

But behind her, Su Changfeng frowned slightly, seemingly catching onto something vaguely and pondering silently.

Only Fang Hong, at the moment Sophie nodded, had a clear realization in his heart.

All the problems were pointing in a single direction at this moment.

He quickly organized the entire sequence of events in his mind, like fragments in the dark stream of thought, each piece falling like stars to the ground, transforming into meteors streaking across the sky, their shining light gradually outlining the silhouette of the series of events.

Such a story would have to start from a very long time ago—

Fang Hong calmly looked up and suddenly asked, ”Do you know what I’m reminded of right now, Miss Sophie?”

”How would I know what you’re thinking of?” Sophie replied with some irritation—this deadbeat always made her lose face in front of her own father, and to think she’d previously kindly taken the blame for him, this dull-witted guy.

But Fang Hong was very serious, ”I remember something; do you recall the peculiar crowns we saw before? Besides the Xinsas Serpentfolk who use them most frequently, there was another group that also preserved them as a tradition.”

Sophie was momentarily lost in thought, looking at him somewhat surprised, ”Are you talking about the Lizard People?”

Not all Lizard People.” Fang Hong replied, ”It’s Ta Hess.”

”Ta Hess...” Sophie repeated, then suddenly realized something, ”They...”

From the vassals of Xinsas, the Watchers from a bygone era, the descendants of Guda Suoke had once split into five.