Chapter 46: The Church of Heavenly Direction’s Move
Xin Haotian walked through the busy streets of the inner district of Balin. Some who recognized his face gasped and made way for him. The surrounding people couldn't sense anything unusual from this man in the conical cap, but those who knew him understood that this was merely his way of hiding his presence. The sword saint continued walking until he reached the mayor's mansion. The two elven guards at the entrance, recognizing him, trembled but hardened their resolve.
"May I ask what the esteemed sword saint is doing here?" one of them inquired.
"Tell the mayor that I need to speak with him. There is something I need to know," Xin Haotian replied calmly.
The guard felt conflicted. They had strict orders to deny any visitors since a few weeks ago, but what if the visitor was the sword saint? Frustration gnawed at him, but the orders were clear.
"We apologize, but the mayor is currently occupied and cannot be disturbed," one guard said, though sweat rolled down his forehead. How could he not be nervous? He was standing before the strongest of the ten great swordsmen of the continent—he was just a mere small fry in comparison.
Xin Haotian looked at the guard and said, "Is that so? Then I will wait until he can spare the time." He then walked away to a nearby tavern.
The guards sighed in relief when Xin Haotian had already left, they feared offending this solitary cultivator. Though they were not afraid within their territory, protected by the world tree's blessing, it was still unwise to make an enemy of him. Unknown to them, the mayor, Livrin, watched them from his mansion window and sighed.
"This past month has been hectic," Livrin muttered to himself.
"People keep coming to me, asking about the event from a month ago. But with the Sword Saint here now, I can't avoid them any longer. The number of guests will only grow in the future, so I need to come up with a believable explanation to satisfy their curiosity."
He sat down in his chair, thinking of how to explain the situation. The existence of Aldrian was a secret the Ivory Empire was determined to keep hidden from the world, and he intended to keep it that way.
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