Rise of The Abandoned Husband

Garcia Coleman's cunning sent chills down Star's spine.

Looking at Garcia Coleman before him, Star found himself at a loss for words.

"Fine, Uncle Star, I understand what needs to be done." Garcia Coleman gestured dismissively, turning his attention away from Star.

...

The following morning.

The death toll had climbed to twenty-five.

This sudden escalation caught my attention immediately.

The man with the mustache and I walked up to the morgue entrance together.

Looking down at the corpses sprawled across the floor, I felt my brow furrow.

"This method... it looks familiar." My expression darkened.

"Walton Greer again?" My eyes grew cold as they narrowed.

Outside the Martial Arts Hall, Walton had employed this same technique to set up Iris Darren.

I hadn't expected him to surface again at the Hundred Spirits Meeting!

"This Walton Greer... he can't be allowed to roam free!" Anger flared within me.

"Mr. Raymond, you should watch your back these days." A stranger beside me spoke in hushed tones.

I turned to him, confused. "Me? What should I be watching out for?"

The man leaned closer conspiratorially. "Word's spreading that the killing method bears a striking resemblance to one you've used before!"

My face went pale at these words! A sinking feeling settled in my gut!

"Obviously, I don't buy it for a second!" The martial artist quickly added.

"Mr. Raymond would put his life on the line for everyone's safety. There's no way you'd commit such acts."

I gave a slight bow. "I appreciate your faith in me."

Still, my anxiety deepened.

The man with the mustache stepped closer. "Why the worry? Everyone just said they don't think it was you."

I shook my head. "Repeat a lie often enough, and it becomes truth."

The man with the mustache rubbed his chin, seeming to grasp my point.

"What if... we bail from the Hundred Spirits Meeting?" The man with the mustache suggested.

I drew a long breath. "You think running will solve anything? If we leave, we'll have even fewer chances to prove my innocence."

"So what's the plan?" The man with the mustache pressed.

I opened my mouth but came up empty for solutions.

"Finding Walton Greer first would be ideal." I exhaled slowly.

After speaking, I expanded my divine sense, blanketing nearly the entire Hundred Spirits Meeting!

Unfortunately, I couldn't locate Walton Greer anywhere.

"I have a feeling the Capital City Martial Arts Association is behind this," I murmured.

"They're involved?" The man with the mustache looked shocked.

I nodded. "If they really are connected... we're in deep trouble."

"Whatever, I'm clean, and I haven't done anything wrong. No one can pin this on me." I waved dismissively.

For me right now, the priority is figuring out how to break into the Martial Saint realm quickly, plus tracking down Heavenly Vanilla.

That evening, back at my lodging, I pulled out the Emberlyn Flame Leaf.

The Emberlyn Flame Leaf looked unremarkable at first sight. Even with my keen perception, the man with the mustache hadn't spotted anything special about it.

"How exactly do I use this Emberlyn Flame Leaf?" I wondered internally.

Saron replied, "Don't you possess spiritual fire? Drop the Emberlyn Flame Leaf into the spiritual fire. Just mind the intensity, or you might incinerate the Emberlyn Flame Leaf."

I nodded right away.

I steadied my breathing, and with a flick of my palm, a thread of spiritual fire appeared in my hand.

Purple flames swayed like dancers in the darkness, stunning and mesmerizing.

I used my other hand to grasp the Emberlyn Flame Leaf and set it in my right palm.

Then I concentrated on the flame, gently heating the Emberlyn Flame Leaf.

Minutes passed before the Emberlyn Flame Leaf started glowing with golden radiance!

As the spiritual fire continued burning, the golden glow intensified!

The outer layer began flaking away, exposing golden tones beneath!

"Stop there!"

Saron's voice rang in my head.

I immediately extinguished the spiritual fire, then examined the Emberlyn Flame Leaf.

Now, the Emberlyn Flame Leaf blazed brilliantly in the darkness, resembling a luminous crimson comet.

"Nice work, Mason! Your eye's gotten sharper, actually spotting a Emberlyn Flame Leaf!" The man with the mustache marveled beside me.

I looked at him with surprise. "You recognize the Emberlyn Flame Leaf?"

"Of course, The Master has wandered far and wide, what haven't I encountered?" The man with the mustache smirked.

I didn't dwell on it, but Saron spoke icily in my mind. "Your companion isn't ordinary."

"Huh? What makes you say that?" I asked, puzzled.

Saron said coldly, "From what I know, the Emberlyn Flame Leaf vanished over a thousand years ago. Unless someone's lived for more than a thousand years, they couldn't identify it instantly."

I scratched my head. "Aren't you reading too much into this? Plenty of ancient artifacts exist, and many people can identify them."

"The Emberlyn Flame Leaf is unique. It disappeared entirely a thousand years back, with no documentation remaining," Saron went on.

"He might sense the item's extraordinary nature, but he definitely wouldn't know it's called Emberlyn Flame Leaf, unless he was around over a thousand years ago!"

I couldn't help but stare at the man with the mustache with amazement.

I'd long suspected the man with the mustache wasn't ordinary, but I never imagined he'd actually lived for over a millennium!

"Hey, Mason, how about I swap this treasure map for it?" The man with the mustache approached with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. "Get lost, dream on."

"Tch, cheapskate." The man with the mustache grumbled.

I carefully stored the Emberlyn Flame Leaf, planning to refine it soon.

"About that Emberlyn Flame Leaf, guard it well. It boosts divine sense." The man with the mustache reminded me.

Then he complained, "It's really frustrating comparing myself to others. With your constitution, reaching Martial Saint already makes you unbeatable, and now you can even strengthen divine sense."

"God, I can't even picture what you'll be like once you hit Martial Saint. Maybe you'll have the strength to battle mighty realm practitioners..."