“Lord Yixing, I’ve finished cleaning your room.” Awei'er quickly finished tidying up the house, then called out to Yixing.

A week had passed since that day. After burying her mother, Awei'er had moved into Yixing’s home. He hadn’t asked her to, but she’d taken it upon herself to handle all the housework. Apparently, while supporting herself and even paying for her mother’s care, she’d worked at a merchant guild, on a farm in the countryside, and in the home of a local noble. She was excellent at both housework and cooking, which had made life absolutely heavenly for Yixing lately. He barely had to lift a finger—his clothes were brought to him, and his meals served.

At this point, if he had to eat another meal cooked by Ansari, he’d probably spit it out and say, “What the hell is this crap?!”

That was just how full of himself he’d gotten.

“All right, Lord Yixing, I’m heading out to buy groceries!” After finishing the cleaning, Awei'er picked up her basket and started thinking about what to cook.

“All right. Be careful, and come back soon,” Yixing replied.

“Should I make him ribs… or fish?” Lost in thought over the question, Awei'er headed to the market, cheerfully considering her options as she looked around.

Not far away, though, someone was watching her. They wore a hat and plain clothes, and looked so utterly unremarkable that they could’ve been anyone. At the same time, they lowered the brim of their hat, seemingly communicating with someone somewhere in the distance.

“I’ve found the target. I’m almost certain she’s the one. We should be able to learn from her who killed Leng Qianfeng, the bounty hunter.”

“Yes… We checked with the city hall. Someone named Ansari submitted the contract on Leng Qianfeng, but we can confirm that Ansari wasn’t the one who killed him. He’s not capable of it. Besides, Ansari set out for the Beastlands a week ago, so he might be difficult to track down.”

“Understood. We’ll take the girl back now. Yes, we won’t attract the police.” The person switched off the communicator, then followed Awei'er through the crowd, moving without drawing attention.

But when the person turned the corner and came through a narrow alley, they suddenly found someone standing in front of them.

“I’ve been watching you follow her for a while. What’s the problem?” Yixing snapped his fingers. With a ding, the communicator shattered.

“Following her? What following?” The person looked confused. “What are you talking about?” As they spoke, they continued walking forward. Yixing reached out and grabbed their shoulder.

“Stay and chat for a bit. What’s the rush?” Yixing held on to the person with a cheerful smile.

But the person dipped one shoulder and tucked it in. Without moving their legs, their upper body somehow sank three inches, trying to slip free of Yixing’s grasp.

They soon realized their mistake. Yixing’s hand was like an iron clamp; it didn’t budge in the slightest. Instead, they found themselves being lifted into the air!

Knowing they’d been exposed, the person barked, “Kill!” Their arm suddenly stretched out, and they pulled a short blade from the sole of their shoe, slashing straight at Yixing! The blade was bizarre. Its dark surface didn’t reflect the light at all, as if it had been made specifically for assassination.

The blade was swift and silent, leaving afterimages as it flashed through the air! The stranger’s short blade darted toward the vital points all over Yixing’s body. Their murderous aura sent a chill through the air around them.

Yixing didn’t know why the other person was after Awei'er, but with danger right in front of him, he decided to subdue the stranger first. He might be able to get some answers out of them.

So Yixing gave his wrist a slight tremor and touched the stranger’s short blade with one finger, applying almost no force. Yet a strange vibration traveled through the blade and straight into the stranger’s wrist.

A tingling numbness spread from their wrist through their arm. Their whole arm went limp, and they could barely hold on to the blade. The sight sent a jolt of fear through them!

“Impossible… I’m already first-rate. How could I fail to block even one move? How can there be a top expert this unknown?!” Shocked, they didn’t dare keep fighting. They leaped back, turned, and ran.

But the numbness spread from their hand through the rest of their body. After only a few steps, they lost control of their entire body and collapsed to the ground, drooling. They could still move their eyes, but everything else was paralyzed. They couldn’t even blink.

“You still managed to run this far after I severed the pathways to your nerves. You really do deserve your reputation as a bounty-board regular, ranked 418th: the Ragdoll—Pete, right?” Yixing walked over, hoisted the person onto his shoulder, and asked with a cheerful smile.

The bounty board was compiled by the neutral Golden Bell Merchant Guild. It was a single, world-spanning ranking that contained information crucial to bounty hunters: who was worth how much.

The board listed the world’s most notorious super-criminals. Leng Qianfeng, for example, was ranked 1,147th. There were 1,500 names in all. Making the list meant you were either exceptionally powerful, extremely dangerous, or both.

There was also a corresponding ranking called the Heroes’ Board, likewise compiled by the commercial association known as Golden Bell. If the bounty board listed the underworld, the Heroes’ Board listed powerful people who could walk openly down the main streets. Golden Bell updated the rankings according to recent events, once a week. Viewing them cost money—a monthly subscription was one gold coin, a steep price. But there were always countless people willing to pay. By rough estimates, more than five million people around the world followed the board’s updates, earning Golden Bell five million gold coins just for updating the rankings every week.

Besides the rankings, the board also featured gossip about various experts and details about their signature techniques. It was quite useful, so Yixing read it often.

Judging by the person’s abilities, Yixing had recognized them the moment they hunched their shoulders.

Pete, known as the Ragdoll, had trained in an unusual martial art that let him control his muscles and bones, changing his body shape however he pleased. Calling him a master of disguise wouldn’t be an exaggeration. He could turn around and become someone else in an instant, changing his appearance as easily as a doll.

Yixing hadn’t expected to catch the Ragdoll today. But he realized that if even an expert like the Ragdoll had come after an ordinary girl like Awei'er, then whatever was going on behind the scenes couldn’t be ordinary.

As he was thinking this, Yixing’s ear twitched. Something outside suddenly seemed wrong.

This was a busy district, and until now it had been filled with the din of people. His fight with the Ragdoll had taken place in the alley, so it shouldn’t have affected the street outside.

But now… there wasn’t a sound outside. It was as if everyone had vanished.

Sensing something was wrong, Yixing carried the Ragdoll and leaped out in a couple of strides. Sure enough, the entire market was empty. Someone had done something!

“What? Someone can ignore a spell that drives the crowds away? Who are you?” A black-robed mage descended from the sky. At the same time, about twenty fully armored knights appeared behind him.

“Are they your people? Blink if they are. If they aren’t, stay still.” Yixing asked the Ragdoll, who was slung over his shoulder.

The Ragdoll shifted his eyes, showing that he didn’t know the black-robed mage.

“May I ask who you are?” After getting his answer, Yixing walked forward in confusion. What was going on today? Why did he keep running into strange things?

“The Firster Court has come to capture a traitor. All bystanders, leave!” The black-robed mage seemed reluctant to start a fight. He took out a search warrant and waved Yixing away.

“The Firster Court? Are you from the elven royal family? Why have you come to human territory?” Yixing furrowed his brow. How had he run into elves in the middle of a market?

“All bystanders, leave!” The black-robed mage stamped his staff and repeated the order sternly.

They really were government officials, and Yixing had no intention of picking a fight with them. Besides, his priority was to find out why they were after Awei'er. So he nodded, turned around, and left with the paralyzed Ragdoll over his shoulder.