City of Sin (Yanyu Jiangnan)

Who Touched Your Pocket Money?

Lina was enraged, flames springing around her fingertips as she prepared to strike. A burly man immediately jumped forward from behind Cardiff, giving her pause for thought, while an old man by the stairs who had ignored everything so far flashed over as well.

Even though she was a saint, being sandwiched between two saints left Lina with little room to act in. She would be able to cast only one spell before sustaining severe injuries at minimum; she recognised both of these opponents, and even on an open field it would be all she could do to protect herself.

The old man suddenly coughed, “Miss Lina, this is a place of business, not war. Please do not make trouble for paying customers.”

Lina already knew they were trying to provoke her, but she calmed down and took out two promissory notes from her bosom before throwing it at the middle-aged noble that had spoken up, “Look carefully. Is that not enough money for me to buy something here?”

Cardiff’s uncle picked it up and was surprised to see two notes from the Church of the Eternal Dragon worth 100,000 each. This was a huge sum of money even to most nobles. However, one sideways glance at Cardiff’s expression and he gritted his teeth, snorting before tearing both pieces of paper up in an instant.

“Bah! I am only a servant of the Tueschers and even I don’t care for just this amount of money. It is only a piece of epic-grade equipment you’re looking for, is it not? Take whatever you want from the third level under my name. What can those poor Archerons give you? They are nothing compared to Earl Cardiff!”

Lina started to seethe with rage, magical light overflowing from her mask as she started to gather her mana. It looked like she would attack regardless of the consequences. Seeing the situation worsen, Cardiff who had been silent for some time suddenly made a face of realisation and send profoundly, “Lina, I really am sincere. You should know I keep my promises. Come follow me, to the fourth floor or the auction on the fifth. You can have anything you like. As for the Archerons, I’ll help you take care of them.”

“I said no, Cardiff!” Lina growled.

Cardiff still maintained his calm, casting a glance to his left and right to have two more people move forward to block Lina’s path completely. He stepped ahead himself, and the grey-shirted employee of the store hesitated for a bit before retreating to his original position. The two new entrants were only one level below sainthood, and Cardiff was a saint himself. Lina was now flanked by a total of four powerful opponents.

The Dragon Mage’s fury started to manifest in the real world, mana surging out of every pore. Cardiff was preparing to kidnap her, but she would rather die than submit. She didn’t understand why things had turned out this way; this fellow had always been polite and gentle in the past, but the one thing she did know was that no good end would meet her at his hands.

Those nearby were immediately astonished, feeling like a wave of power had just struck into their sea of consciousness. A grand mage ready to unleash their full mana pool in one shot was akin to a tiny sun exploding; the resulting energies would wipe out everything in a ten-metre radius! Cardiff turned white as a sheet; another sign of hostility and Lina would erupt immediately. Unless she willingly ebbed the flow of her magic or a saint sacrificed themselves to hold her to the ground, they would all be gravely injured at the minimum.

However, saints and grand mages only worked for nobles on business. Who would willingly sacrifice their life for the sake of others?

“Who touched your pocket money?” a gentle voice sounded from below, immediately shattering the bright mana around Lina as she gasped and withdrew her energy. Everyone was bewildered to see a smile rise up on the Dragon Mage’s face, a bliss that she didn’t realise herself as she turned to look at Richard walking up the stairs.

By Richard’s side was Nyris, and following them were a few soldiers of the royal family. The two of them seemed to be dressed for business, the prince in full royal garb adorned by countless magical crystals and Richard outshining him with a fashionable hunting outfit in the style of the Millennial Empire. Richard already had a hand on Extinction, something that added to the garb in giving him an air of valiance that did not detract from his noble grace.

As his elven bloodline continued to grow stronger, Richard was starting to reveal more of his natural charm. The feast from Emperor Philip and the hydra egg had made him a few inches taller as well, and even though he wasn’t as muscular as a warrior he looked gallant and handsome.

Lina was stunned for a moment. Even though she had been aiding his cause for years now, she had always seen him as the cute and stubborn child who had blushed when she first sent a flying kiss his way. At best, she was seeing silhouettes of Gaton’s greatness within him. Now, however, that youth had become a man of his own.

Richard seemed to be aloof to the atmosphere as he walked in with a smile, not even throwing a glance at the grey-shirted employee. The old man was about to move, but a cold glance from Nyris forced him back into his seat. The royal guards clogged up the spiral staircase behind, blocking the sight of the merchants who had sensed something was amiss.

Seeing that Richard had arrived at the third floor unimpeded, one of Cardiff’s level 17 guards stepped forward and blocked his way, “Who are you? Get the fuck ou—” He was barely halfway through his words before Richard flickered for a moment, filling his vision with countless silver lights that left him feeling horrified.

This guard wasn’t specifically talented, but having experienced several battles he instinctively retreated. However, all struggles were futile in the face of absolute might. The guard suddenly realised he had lost all feeling in his body, unable to so much as move as the silvery glow enveloped him.

*Splat!* The guard’s chest exploded into a crimson mist, and those present could barely see Richard sheathing Extinction before he turned stiff as wood and fell onto his back. The impact shook open endless cuts on his hands and legs as well, the crisscrossed lines of red looking like a terrifying crimson web.

Each thin line hid a terrifyingly deep wound. This was a specialty of Extinction, minimising how much the enemy bled as it sapped the very life out of their flesh. Blood had burst out of the man’s chest only because his own internal energy had been shattered by the attack.

The guard’s chest was still moving slightly, but his eyes had already defocused and his skin had turned white as a sheet. It looked like he was just awaiting certain death.

Cardiff and the saint guardian were shocked beyond words. They had sensed the killing intent when Richard drew his sword, but they hadn’t believed a level 17 warrior would be bested by a mage. However, the murderous aura they felt could not be questioned. Instinct told them that testing Richard’s patience right now would only result in their death.

The sight of the guard going down was actually a little relieving; they thanked the stars that they hadn’t acted out themselves. Richard’s attack had simply been too swift, too strong. Even if they were in the guard’s position, they would barely be able to block a few strikes before their defences were broken.