The next day, Ovid followed his daily routine after waking up, folding the blanket so that the corners matched perfectly, he went downstairs and ate breakfast. When he saw the owner emerge from the kitchen, he gave her a deep gesture of thanks.
She carried a hint of tiredness under her eyes, looking at Ovid, she seriously said, “The world has been peaceful these few thousand years, but there are still dangerous diabolical sects and conflicts between kingdoms up in the north. Because of your relationship with Anna, few would probably kill you, but remember, the will of fate is unpredictable.”
“Thank you for the advice,” Ovid nodded his head and said.
The northern kingdoms are united only spiritually under the pope, the kingdoms and dukedoms each possess their own agenda and would constantly embroil in conflict. Moreover, there had been rumours that the pope’s lifespan is coming to an end and an ambitious monarch had been eyeing for the position as the figurehead for the northern kingdoms.
Recalling the papal heavy cavalry and some other unknown history she once had to the world, the owner’s brows slightly knitted. She severely looked at Ovid and said, “Most people who can manipulate mana are either nobles or a part of the clergy. But even they cannot face off against a well-planned ambush or sheer numbers, if you see an army, even if none of the soldiers knows magic, flee as quickly as possible.”
Ovid nodded once more and earnestly replied, “I understand.”
And then the owner said a few more words, warning Ovid about the elven conflict in the Aeon forest and some other matters. After exhausting her words, she handed Ovid a large wooden chest, explaining there were some clothes that suited his body and looked exceptionally nice.
Ovid could tell that the owner had clearly stayed up many nights tailoring these garments. He sat down opposite the owner and drank a half a cup of wine as thanks, which made the owner rather pleased.
When the starry skies had been replaced with a blue sky, Cai Hua and Anna respectively woke up. After placing the wooden chest into Anna’s satchel, he pushed the door open and left through the courtyard.
---
Due to Cai Hua’s recent actions, the entire northern sections of the Julian empire was on lockdown. To get out of Phalaris, it no longer amounted to simply paying a few follis, but rather a very exhaustive set of procedures.
As they were being searched, Ovid and Anna behaved quite obediently, but he was constantly worried that Cai Hua would grow angry. Anna had also passed through when he turned over his head, he indeed saw the guards having a great deal of struggle against Cai Hua.
Ovid found it rather strange since Cai Hua had told him this morning the existence of spacial stones, could be used to store a large number of goods. Anna’s mysterious satchel was one such object. These items could not be found through conventional means, especially if one were simply a mundane person.
Due to Cai Hua’s struggle, the guards ultimately took him and Ovid to be questioned. Ovid was just about to reveal Anna identity’s when he saw Cai Hua shaking his head in a mysterious manner. The gentle and cultured eyes held a resolution that was impossible to reject.
Angered by their silence, the guard turned stood up from their chair, and advanced toward Ovid, causing him to grow vigilant.
The guard arrived at their side of the table.
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Ovid was unsure what to do and remained still.
The guard took out a sword, preparing to arrest the two of them.
Cai Hua couldn’t bear Ovid’s inaction any longer, taking out a pair of chopsticks and poked a certain place at the guard’s spine.
Without any mana or spiritual essence, the guard’s movement suddenly stopped, as if he had become a corpse.
He then placed the chopsticks down in a gradual manner, making a crisp sound once it hit the wooden table. The chopsticks then suddenly flew up and hit a part of Ovid’s upper arm.
Ovid’s hand shot up like as if it were a bolt of lightning.
He could tell by the trajectory, it would hit the hilt of the guard’s sword, and cause it to pierce through the guard’s abdomen.
He bit his lips and forcibly twisted his body, causing his arm to be slanted.
His hand went against the blade of the knife and a portion of his skin was torn off by the blade.
Fresh blood flowed along Ovid’s arm, but he acted as if he did not notice, or truly didn’t notice due to the sudden shock. He was a serene and tranquil person, yet he could not maintain his calm at this moment. He turned around as if wanting to say something to Cai Hua.
Yet before he could open his mouth, Cai Hua said dissatisfied. “If you ask me why I attempted to force you, it would take some time.”
Ovid tried his best to maintain calm and said, “She has done nothing wrong while you had intentionally acted in a way to encourage this situation.”
Cai Hua first passed Ovid a medical pellet for minor wounds. He said, “To have authority to interrogate anyone means they are not a good person because this role is villainous. These people are cold and insensitive in nature. Moreover, she has a murderous spirit.”
Ovid thought about it and somewhat grasped what Cai Hua implied. But how could he sense murderous spirit?
As though he could read Ovid’s thoughts, Cai Hua said, “Once you have reached a level like mine, you could tell how many an individual had killed by their murderous intent.”
Cai Hua continued, “This person, judging by their clothing which should be worth twice her annual salary, had done quite a lot of villainous in the past as well. With her strong murderous intent, she is an individual deserved to be killed. The murderous intent is ultimately the proof, while her profession is merely just points of suspicion.”
Ovid looked closely at the woman’s clothes and found it was indeed something only major merchants could afford to wear. He rummaged through these clothes and found a few pouches containing lethal poison.
Ovid thought what Cai Hua said to be sensible, yet asked, “Even if that’s the case, why must she be killed? Is it to prevent her from killing others in the future?”
Cai Hua said expressionlessly, “I’m not a good person and I don’t hope to deter these sort of things. I hope for you to cultivate a murderous intent and improve your blade work.”
“In any case, these measures were placed to find me. The subordinate of my enemy is my enemy.”
Ovid looked at Cai Hua and unease and said, “But still, I don’t want to kill people.”
Cai Hua looked at him and sighed, “You truly are interesting. The guard had been planning to kill you and take your possessions yet you are defending her. Since she had the intent to kill you, she must die. That is the most basic law for anyone planning to take the path toward eternality.”
Ovid stayed silent for a long time, in the end, he said, “My mother told me that killing is wrong.”
Cai Hua shook his head. He thought that the youth was indeed too immature, recalling that he had only killed someone after his twenty-first birthday. He stood up from the chair and grabbed the chopsticks he had placed on the table. He tapped it twice with his index finger.
Thud, the head of the guard fell down like overripen pomegranates breaking from its branch, rolling smoothly across the ground.
There was an extremely flat and smooth opening on the guard’s neck. It was as if it had been cut through by an extremely sharp sword.
However, Cai Hua only held a wooden chopstick in his hand.
Ovid stared at the rolling head on the ground. His face grew paler and paler. Even his tightly pressed lips became white.
He did not except that in the end, Cai Hua would still kill the guard. Although he wasn’t a sentimental person, his value is still that of a modern person’s. He had excepted that afterwards, Cai Hua would bring the guard to some authority and throw the criminal in a cell.
The head rolled towards the edge, leaving behind a trail of blood. It ran into a webbed corner and stopped. Maybe Ovid subconsciously did not want it to become dirty, he reached out and pulled the head next to the body.
Walking to the door of the integration room, Cai Hua patiently waited for Ovid to recover. Once the youth’s face finally regained some colour, he said warmly, “Perhaps it is too early for you to kill, but at least, you have to grow accustomed to their presence. I could tell that you have yet to take the first step toward immortality, so cultivating a murderous spirit is beneficial towards you.”
“Starting from today, you are my disciple, and I am your master. I do not require you to serve me tea or spread my teachings, I only request you to stay alive.”
Perhaps it was because Ovid was overwhelmed by the stench of blood, he didn’t notice that Cai Hua’s face was even paler than his. It was completely white. It was as if all the blood in his body had been used to form that sword intent.