Chapter 703: Mana-Reinforced Fates
The bitter scent of cheap lichen hit Adam as soon as he stepped into the underground tunnel. Torches crackled on the green patch of rot covering the walls, casting soft lights on five guards. Their copper hauberks clinked as they put down their pipes and gave up on their dice to raise their faces, eyes narrowed and hands on their blades’ hilts.
Adam noted the immaculate mail and sharper blades compared to those of the city guards, raising a brow.
Upon noticing their boss accompanying the blue-haired youth, the men’s grip loosened on their blades. They bowed slightly, their lips curling into smirks as the oldest stepped forward. His burly presence swallowed the narrow tunnel, his unkempt, graying hair framing a long scar running from his left brow down to his chin. He opened his lips, the left part of his face turning threatening.
"It’s good to see you, boss. Any longer and that smelly moss would have grown on us." The guard chuckled.
"I’m more afraid you’ll drown in your booze or cough your lungs out with everything you smoke." Hu slapped the man’s shoulder with a playful wink. "Lucky you, the cultivator came early. Don’t spend your nights with Xiao, though," he said, squeezing the air in front of his chest and laughing. "I’m thinking about giving her your pay directly since she gets almost all of it already."
The other guards burst into laughter, slapping the table or their legs. The captain laughed too.
"What can I say? She’s not popular without reason." A predatory smirk split his face as he turned toward Adam. "You should stop by the brothel to enjoy her services before leaving, esteemed cultivator. I guarantee what she hides beneath those colourful dresses is worth the detour."
Adam rolled his eyes, his voice coming out dry. "I’ll keep that in mind... after, you know? We proceed with what matters."
Hu and the captain’s eyes narrowed into slits, all traces of amusements fading from their voices.