Rin gritted his teeth. "Are you leaving without setting me free?"

"You'll be free in three hours," Abdin told him. "But don't seek revenge against me. You wouldn't like the outcome if you do," he warned.

He turned again and resumed his walk. A few paces away from the end of the street, Rin called after him. "Wait... I have one," he said. "I'll give it to you, but you must first take me to your friend."

Abdin turned slowly to face him once more. The truth was, Rin would have died within five minutes if Abdin had left. He didn't intend to let him live as he was, but he needed information before dispatching him.

He stepped back, shaking his head sadly. His face displayed surprise at catching a faithful in a lie.

"An Ayrid will suffice," he said. "But know that with only one, I don't intend to take you anywhere. Do you agree?"

Rin continued gritting his teeth, but he couldn't move a muscle to harm Abdin. "I agree, but my Lord will avenge me if you provide false information."

His words seemed harmless on the surface, but Abdin knew it was a powerful prayer. In the West, most people viewed such a prayer as a curse. If Abdin had been an average cultivator to break his promise, he would have fallen dead.

"Agreed," echoed Abdin. He tapped Rin's chest with his hand again.

Rin vomited a dark lump of blood, and his face turned pale. Even without the cultivation binding, his body was now weakened. He stared at Abdin with eyes filled with fear.

Abdin merely grinned. He was well aware of every trick used by these people, and he didn't intend to give his opponent any chances.

The man took an Ayrid from his bag and handed it to Abdin. It was brown with black dots, seven dots in total, clearly indicating it was a level seven.

Abdin placed the Ayrid inside his bag. "The man you're seeking is called Sulat," he said. "He is the former ward head of Wuran and has some connection with the castle owner."

He turned to leave, and Rin clenched his teeth again. "Do you know where he is?" he called after Abdin.

"You should take me there," he cried. "Why would you take my Ayrid and not accompany me? How long will it take to get there?"

Abdin raised his eyebrows. "Of course, I know where he is," he replied, "but I never promised to take you there," he said and walked away.

"How much would make you change your mind?"

Abdin laughed inwardly but shook his head at Rin. "Only if you have a seed like the one you just gave me."

Rin fell silent. His eyes looked angry, but he knew there was nothing he could do with Abdin at the moment. He had taken note of Abdin's features and planned to seek revenge once his superiors arrived.

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"I have another one, but I won't show you until you take me there to see for myself."

Abdin silently weighed the options. "The people you're seeking have authority here," he said. "I can't have you ruin my serenity when I like things here. But if you offer a good price, I'll take you to his doorstep." He paused as if thinking.

"My price is two Ayrids of the same level as this. I could take one, but in that case, I won't show myself there. However, I can show you a video of his face and give you directions to his location."

"I agree, but on two conditions," said Rin. "I won't give you anything until you take me to him. And if we get there and I don't get what I want, then I won't pay you. In that case, you'll also return the one you already took."

Abdin frowned thoughtfully. "Can I see them?" he asked.

Rin brought out the two Ayrids and showed them to him.

Abdin sighed at the sight of all three Ayrids. That was all he needed to see. His long conversation with the man was meant to disarm any suspicions he had.

"Where did you get three Ayrids like these?" he asked.

"None of your business," snapped Rin. "We reached an agreement, and I want you to start freeing my trapped veins this minute."

Abdin bowed lower and pointed towards Rin's chest with his finger, but a dagger suddenly appeared in his hand, inches above his chest.

The man only smiled. "Doesn't man's greed ever change wherever one goes?" he said amused. "Know that oaths and promises are never broken with Sawa faithful. You'll drop dead as soon as you touch me, and Lord Sawa will judge you himself."

"Are you saying I'll die if I touch you?" Abdin asked, arching his eyebrows as he stared from the motionless man to the tip of the dagger he held.

Rin laughed sadistically. "You won't even get the chance to kill me. I warn you to be careful and remove this dagger from me this minute. Lord Sawa's punishment will befall you as soon as you lay your hands on me, and the only way to stop that is to fulfill your promise."

Abdin nodded in understanding. "Right. Let me check," he said, plunging the dagger deep into Rin's chest.

Rin smiled until the end, believing he had already trapped Abdin. But his smile turned into a look of surprise moments before he died.

Abdin carved out his chest and removed the heart. He melted it with a bolt of lightning, causing the victim's bag to dissolve automatically, while his ring turned wispy.

Another bolt of lightning dissolved the rest of the body. Abdin vanished into a corner after making sure all signs of Rin were gone.

Two riders arrived at the scene shortly afterward. They searched and drew some seals fruitlessly for some time before giving up and leaving.

Meanwhile, Abdin sat not far from the scene at a marketplace. It was new and had been created for the trade of cultivation items. It consisted of a handful of buildings that had recently been transformed into a market.

It was founded a month or so ago, while Abdin was still unconscious. He did not know of its existence until now.

He took a deep breath and entered deep thought. Killing Rin would attract the attention of his Archbishop in charge, but a soldier's death wasn't unusual for an Archbishop, especially when the said soldier hadn't sent any messages beforehand.

The death wouldn't be linked to Abdin in any way since no clues pointing to him were found.

He would have made him unconscious and stowed him away in his bag if it were possible. But as it was, religious people had many ways of rescuing themselves. Doing that would only give Rin a chance to cause trouble.

Usually, it took about two years or so for an Archbishop to expect any messages from his soldiers during a search. Any news of Abdin would be cause for them to rally together and descend upon the scene. However, without any news, they would travel to places where they had lost men to avenge them.

For the death of Rin, Abdin expects a visit from the Archbishop and his followers, but he would be ready before then. If Rin had truly not been in Biyakis for long, then it may take a year or two before anyone comes looking for him.

He stood up and walked towards the shop behind him. It was a haven for charms, but there were very few buyers around. The reason for this was the exorbitant prices. Abdin scanned the area and turned to leave, but a voice suddenly rang out in his ears and stopped him in his tracks.

"Commander...?" the voice called out.