[[[SECRET DIMENSION]]]
Cruden did not understand what was happening but followed.
Crow outstretched his hand and touched several places on the wall in quick succession. It was only then the illusion of the wall disappeared and what stood before him was an iron door. Cruden could tell immediately that it was the same material that was used to make the door for the prison.
Crow then pressed the door and inserted his Qi. Which the warden had to update due to crow recent changes.
After a few seconds, the door slowly opened.
Cruden really wanted to see the warden's gift now. Such security must not be for naught. Cruden stepped into the room only to see a man sitting on a chair in the middle of the room with his chest, arm, and legs bound with a black mask on his face.
Cruden's eyebrows scrunched with confusion. It was not what he had in mind. He looked to crow but he stayed silent as ever.
Cruden then sized up the room. The room he was in had no windows. The only exit was the entrance, and all the lights were stationed about the door shining brightly in the middle. This must be an interrogation room
Cruden scanned the and sensed a good level of maliciousness.
Crow pointed her hand at the man and a thin almost indistinguishable line of yin qi rushed back into his arm.
As soon as the Win Qi left the man. He coughed and gasped loudly for air.
Please let me go, please, I can pay you anything you want!!
The man had barely spoken those words then began to cough again
Cruden's body shuddered at the sound of the man's voice. He knew who this man was.
This was the young master of the Barren Family! his previous owner! Jin Barren
"However you wish to dispose of him is up to you. We captured him 15 days ago and we have interrogated him thoroughly. We have discovered what we all believed to be true"
"You were framed and almost lost your life for it!"
The warden was projecting his voice with Link. He was able to view through crow's eyes.
"The barren family has a large juicy secret. There was once a powerful cultivator that was born in the Barren family. He is the source of their income today. He used to plunder as steal from other families.
"The artifact that you were framed with stealing is unique. Its coarse craftsmanship with no offensive or defensive capabilities and it is low-quality level materials so one would never regard it as something important, but it is one of the 5 keys to a secret dimension left by that powerful ancestor for the Barren family to safeguard until his return"
"It has been a few years since there has been any word about the ancestor and the family is getting anxious their income has been constantly declining."
Cruden was silently listening but couldn't help but ask through the link "but what does that have to do with me?"
"It has nothing to do with you, you are just the cannon fodder caught in the political warfare of the barren family. There is a split in the family. Those who believe in the old ways and those of the new generation who believe in riches."
Someone of the new generation wanted to sell the artifact and needed someone to take the fall. That someone was the man before him
Cruden gritted his teeth. He now understood what happened. If it was not for the young miss pleading his case. He would have died on the spot. He was furious. He had been a slave all his life for the Barren family, and this is how they repaid him.
The young master who was tied up was sitting very anxiously in the chair. He was worried for his life. He had already given all the information he knew but they still refused to let him go. Every time the door would open. He would be brought back from an inch from death. He had never experienced such disrespect and cruelty in his life. Not to mention the biting cold he would feel in his bones. He felt like he was being frozen from the inside out.
The whole time he was staring at the young master. His face was devoid of emotion only his eyes had a hint of savagery
In the past, if he had gotten, the chance he would have run and kicked him to death. He remembered all the hardship and humiliation he suffered under his hands. Even though he had framed and wanted to kill him, seeing the young master now, he did not want to kill him. His life had been transformed completely.
"Will it really satisfy me if I were to kill him? "He also knew how sad the young miss would be.
Crow could tell Cruden was in a dilemma. So, he intervened "Enmity should be paid with enmity". Then proceeded to walk away.
Before he could leave Cruden contacted him. "I will not kill him because I don't want a certain someone to cry but I can never forgive him. Cut off both his arms and cripple his cultivation maybe now he will learn the value of a hand."
Crow was a little ticked off with Cruden ordering him around, but he and the warden were satisfied with Cruden's answer.
Cruden did not wait around for Crow to do the deed. He slipped into his shadow on the floor and disappeared. When Cruden appeared, he was on the roof of the mansion. He was thinking about the past and staring in the direction of the palace thinking about his young miss.
That's when he heard a soft voice from below.
Mr. Warden! Mr. Warden!
"I need to speak with you urgently. Upon closer inspection, Cruden realized it was Lin barren. He quickly ducked down"
She had come there every day ever since Cruden had been locked up but on the day Cruden was supposed to be disarmed. She was told by her family that he got into it with one of his cellmates and died.
Many of her family members were happy with the news and did not care less to verify the information on a lowly slave. But the young miss was very unhappy to hear the Cruden had been killed.
Now her older brother was missing as well as the family's artifact that cause the huge ruckus the last time. Many people believed that young master Lin had been kidnapped along with the artifact, some believe he stole the artifact and disappeared, but she knew even though her brother tend to engage in evil acts. Her brother loved her and would never leave her.
She knew about the split in the family, but her brother was always defending the old ways. He would never have stolen the family artifact. He must be either missing or kidnapped. The family was searching everywhere outside the city for her brother, and she was starting to lose hope.
It was on her trip to her brother's favorite bar to gather some information and while talking to one of the drunk men there. He informed her of a person who could help her search for her brother. The warden of the prison.
She thought she would never have to go to that place ever again since it was the place Cruden had died in
She immediately rushed there but not once has she met the warden. She would come every day knocking on the door and shouting his name. it was unbecoming of a young lady like her, but she did not care.
"Knock" "Knock" Knock" Mr. Warden!!!!
Cruden immediately tried to connect his visual and audio with the scene Infront the mansion.
The warden immediately answered and signed. "It's that little girl again? Why doesn't she give up?"
Cruden was surprised to hear the warden's response.
"What do you mean by again?"
"She has been revisiting here ever since ur imprisonment. Don't worry she will stop soon." Of course, the warden knew who she was but he couldn't be bothered. He has had many people visit him for their loved ones but he would usually ignore them.
Did she come here looking for me? Cruden asked but the warden didn't answer.
Cruden was surprised by the warden's nonchalantness. He wanted to retort but the warden stopped the connection and proceeded with his test.
Cruden watched as the young miss Lin continued to create a ruckus. It took a while but she eventually stopped.
Cruden was at a loss with the warden. He would not personally approach her. He was confused. There we no guards with her. Even though she was strong at the 7th level of qi but she would usually be accompanied by her guards.
He decided he would follow her and make sure she got back to the mansion safely. He activated his invisibility skill and stood a good distance away.
The young miss Lin walked away reluctantly. She released a big sigh, shook her head for a minute, and walked on.
Cruden watched as she made her way through the town. Cruden grew nostalgic as he would remember his trips with her to get herbs. She was the only person that treated him equally and never once acted of higher status.
Cruden then watched as she walked into an alley. Young miss Lin then took out a cloak and a mask from her spirit ring and draped them and walked out the alley. Cruden did not know what she was up to but was future caught off guard to see her walk into the wolf guild.
The wolf guild was a place full of mercenaries for higher who would take on missions for cash. Requests could be placed in the guild and rewards would be given for their successful completion. It is a life sought out by many. While it may sound easy, some of the missions are very dangerous. Sometimes a whole team of mercenaries would be wiped out on a mission.
Mercenaries themselves are not honest men. Many are thieves and criminals themselves
But it's a good way to gain reputation and cultivation resources. Even though it may sound the same as an assassin guild it does not compare. One makes you famous and the other
One is for the public and while the rewards can be high, it can unusually be completed in groups but an assassin's guild usually no backup and theses mission normally makes one appear on the wanted list.
Cruden sized up the place. It was a 2-story building with the upper floor off-limits. The place was buzzing with people, some sitting at the bar, some chatting and some looking at the mission board. It was pretty much how he expected. Some of the people looked really intimidating but the young miss maneuver through the crowd and made her way to the front desk. It was evident it was not her first time.
The female clerked smiled seeing the hooded figure of the young miss approaching. She was one o the few people who knew the identity of the young miss.
"Welcome again stranger, nice to see you again. We have not heard any updates on your first request, but I have exciting news.