Chapter 55. Crime and Punishment. Part One.

A few days ago, in Fire City.

An elderly, stately man was slowly wandering through the deserted evening outskirts of the city, moving from street to street until he reached an unremarkable two-story shop on the suburbs. Approaching it within a few dozen meters, he noticed that there were no lights on in any of the windows inside the building, and this sight immediately made him frown. He immediately started approaching it, and soon confirmed his suspicion that the shop was closed and not operating, and from this "discovery," his frowning brows furrowed even more. Soon, he found himself near the closed front door and began knocking loudly on it without hesitation.

Boom-boom. Boom-boom. Boom-boom.

The man continued knocking for about half a minute, simultaneously listening for any footsteps behind the door. Not hearing any movement inside the shop, the man reluctantly began searching in his spatial bag for a spare master key to the door. Considering the volume of the bag, the amount of contents inside, and his lack of spiritual sense, it wouldn't be quick.

All the while, the man was grumbling to himself:

"Such a golden hour, and the shop is not open. What the hell, huh?! How many potential customers have I lost because of this rascal and slacker, how much money have I not earned... Zark, believe me, you will pay for this. I left you alone for just a couple of days, my dim-witted apprentice, and what do I get? A closed shop.

Oh, I thought you had become mature and responsible enough that after a successful deal, I could trust you with the business and allow myself to relax with my friends, but it seems I was too good in my opinion of you. I'll whip you like I did in your childhood and deprive you of any pay for a month. "

Finally, the man found the key buried at the bottom of the bag, opened the front door, and went in. Inside the shop, he did not find a trace of his young apprentice, who was supposed to be behind the counter, greeting potential customers. Moreover, the shop felt somewhat neglected, as if it had not been attended to for several days.

"He didn't even wipe the dust... So it turns out the shop hasn't been open not just today, but all these days while I was gone? Well, Zark, you will pay for this. A month's punishment and a whipping will not be enough..."

Not finding Zark or even a pitiful note explaining his absence on the first floor, the elderly shop owner decided to check Zark's room on the second floor. After all, he had told him so many times not to go out without leaving some kind of message explaining the reason. If he hadn't done even that small thing, then...

With the master key, the man had no problem entering the locked room. At first, he didn't find what he was looking for: a note explaining what was happening. But then, following some inner intuition, not fully understanding why, he decided to use the "Secret Vision" technique, one of the two most important techniques of his family, passed down from generation to generation. The technique itself was not very useful; it not only did not improve vision but slightly worsened it, caused severe pain with each use, and consumed a huge amount of Qi. But it had one feature that outweighed all its drawbacks and for which the man, like all his ancestors, valued it highly. The technique allowed one to see "invisible writings" created using another paired technique called "Secret Writing," which allowed turning almost any liquid into invisible ink.

And now, using the "Secret Vision" technique, the man saw faint, barely visible lines, as if written in a hurry, and even with a finger, on the wall:

"If you are reading this, master, it means I am already dead. More precisely, I was killed. And this was done by a black-haired novice of the Fire Dragon Sect, who came to the shop a day after your departure. He looks about fifteen or sixteen years old, at the second level of Qi Condensation. He wants me to buy several extremely expensive items for him, and after that, I believe he will get rid of me. He placed a powerful artifact on my head to prevent me from escaping.

I don't know anything more about him, I am being watched and can't write much. Forgive me, master, for everything. My time is up. Tell my mom I love her very much..."

The last lines were almost illegible, and the man could barely read them. Still not fully comprehending what he had read, the elderly man scrutinized the writing.

"He turned his tears into ink using the technique, and wrote with them… Each letter he drew slowly, very, very slowly, so that the one watching him would think he was just moving his hand across the wall. My boy, my apprentice, my dear nephew… Where are you? What happened to you? What did that bastard do to you? How will I tell your mother, she will never forgive me...

What should I do now? "

Saying all this, the man fell to his knees and began to cry bitterly. His tears flowed like a river, and he could not calm down for a long time until a thought struck him that instantly dried his eyes:

"I need to find the bastard who killed you and do everything I can to ensure he dies. Whoever this scum is, no matter how powerful his backers are, I will take revenge. Blood for blood. Only then can I fulfill my duty as a master and look your mother's eyes with peace.

And after this, the man's mind started spinning with ideas on how to achieve this:

"If the killer is a sect`s novice, then involving the guards… – is pointless and might even be dangerous. Furthermore, going to the guild without very strong evidence would be a waste of time. And even if I had this evidence, the maximum punishment this bastard, who killed my nephew, would face would be paying in spirit stones… I can't accept that; it would be utterly insufficient.

I'll have to do everything myself. Find him, get close, and kill him.

Zark wrote that this novice has only reached the second level, which means he joined only this year. I have enough strength to deal with him alone if I don't take too long.

And this information significantly narrows down the possible search from thousands of novices to only a few dozen people. The fact that he is a black-haired youth eliminates many. Thank you, Zark.

But still, there are quite a few suspects left…

How can I narrow this list even more?

Perhaps I should think about the motive for the murder.

Why didn't he buy those extremely expensive items himself, why did he choose Zark for this, why did he decide to get rid of him afterward?

The novice bought some forbidden items with his help, and knowing this put Zark at risk? Was he afraid Zark might tell someone about it?

No, unfortunately, these are pointless speculations for now, I don't have answers to these questions. Think, think, you old fool… Of course! This will take some time, but it might work. Moreover, I know most of these brats, and in this small matter, they will help me. Without a doubt.

I'll need to visit every single shop in the city and ask the owners and staff if my apprentice or a young black-haired novice of the Fire Dragon Sect at the second level of Qi Condensation has visited them recently.

If things go well, I might be able to answer these questions and even find the culprit."

Having outlined a plan for his future actions that might lead him to the culprit, the man immediately set about its execution. He began visiting the city's shops and stores, questioning the owners and staff. His long-standing connections and status as an honorary member of the city's merchants and cultivators' guilds allowed him to learn much about what had happened.