Chapter 169: His Longing
At this time, the moon had already risen, yet Dalahan City remained lively, with cultivators from various parts of the continent gathering here. Many still stayed in Valiard City, awaiting Duke Valiard, while even more gathered in the capital, anticipating his appearance at the royal palace. Speculation had already begun that Duke Valiard had left Valiard City in disguise due to the apparent lack of activity from the Valiard family, leading people to search for him—especially in Dalahan City, where he was most likely to appear.
After leaving the royal palace, Aldrian didn’t immediately return to the inn to meet with Eleine and the others. Instead, he first met with the First Finger, whom he had tasked with gathering information. After receiving updates from Arson Vuran, the leader of the Thunderous Shadow Pavilion, about his father’s family’s movements and their envoy, Aldrian asked the First Finger to track their location.
Even though Aldrian had already chosen his own path and lived independently from his parents, he still wanted to see them, at least to make sure of their condition and well-being. Perhaps he could also learn more about his mother’s family this time. He quickly teleported to a district of the city where many noble families resided.
He sensed the First Finger on top of one of the buildings, so he instantly teleported beside him. The First Finger, unprepared for Aldrian’s sudden appearance, nearly slipped and fell from the roof but quickly steadied himself.
"Master, could you appear in a more normal way? Even I can’t detect your sudden arrival," the First Finger said.
"Shh, just report on the Flamecrest family," Aldrian replied, while extending his senses to the surrounding area. Finally, he found what he was looking for. His eyes trembled, his heart raced, and there had never been a time when Aldrian wanted to meet his father as much as he did now. Nothing had changed about his father—five years wasn’t a long time for a cultivator—but for Aldrian, the time had felt endless, and now he could finally see his father.
Aldrey was in his room, cultivating, and Aldrian could see that his father was much stronger than he had been in the secret realm.
"Master, during my reconnaissance here, I stumbled upon something interesting," the First Finger said.
"What?"