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Even if ghosts really existed, they would only be spiritual entities. There were countless spells designed to deal with spirits—he himself knew several. Why should he be afraid?

"Well then… I wish you the best of luck! Sirs, please take these documents. With these, you\'ll be able to move around the capital more freely, though to be honest, not many people care about such formalities anymore."

One of the soldiers said as he handed out papers stamped with a red seal to both Dean Bruce and Nicholas William. Sighing, he continued, "A month ago, the Pur-cloud Imperial Capital was bustling with life, and everyone was eager to come here. Who could have imagined that in such a short time, everything would change so drastically? I don\'t even know if we\'ll survive this…"

Ignoring the soldier\'s lament, Dean Bruce and Nicholas William urged their horses forward, passing through a darkened passage and entering the city.

Inside, the streets were littered with dry leaves. Every time the horses\' hooves struck the ground, a crisp sound echoed through the empty alleyways. The breeze swept through, sending leaves fluttering around. What should have been a serene and ethereal scene now appeared hauntingly eerie on these deserted streets.

"Not a single soul in sight!"

Nicholas William remarked. "Master, what should we do now?"

"What should we do? We head to the General\'s Mansion first," Dean Bruce replied. "Lead the way."

"Hehe…" Nicholas William scratched his head awkwardly, neither speaking nor moving forward.

Sensing something was off, Dean Bruce suddenly thought of a possibility. The corners of his mouth twitched as he asked with exasperation, "Don\'t tell me… you don\'t know the way?"

"Master, you\'re so clever!" Nicholas William grinned sheepishly. "I\'ve never been to the Pur-cloud Imperial Capital before, so I really don\'t know where her family lives."

Dean Bruce was utterly speechless. With a sigh, he glanced around, trying to assess their next move.

Nicholas William sighed helplessly, "I thought we could ask someone for directions once we got here, but who could have imagined that this once-bustling capital city would now be almost completely deserted?"

"Forget it. Let\'s find an inn to stay at first and see if we can come across anyone else," Dean Bruce suggested decisively as he urged his horse to move forward slowly.

Nicholas William quickly followed, asking with a puzzled expression, "Master, you hold a respectable position within the Magic Guild. Why don\'t we head to the Magic Guild here?"

"Foolish!" Dean Bruce responded calmly. "Even the common folk who make a living in the Pur-cloud Imperial Capital have left. Do you think people from other factions would still be here? They probably fled as soon as trouble arose."

"I fear the only people left in the capital now are the royal family, high-ranking officials, and the commoners who have been forcibly locked inside."

Hearing this, Nicholas William frowned and spoke coldly, "If you ask me, the royal family isn\'t any better. They know something terrible has happened in the capital, so why force people to stay? Can\'t they just let everyone leave and then address the issue afterward?"

Dean Bruce glanced at Nicholas William and shook his head slightly before speaking softly, "It seems your father is still quite young. Why don\'t you suggest that he have another son to inherit the position of city lord?"

"Huh?" Nicholas William was taken aback, catching the sarcasm in Dean Bruce\'s tone. He asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you\'re not wrong," Dean Bruce nodded. "This kind of thinking is exactly why I accepted you as my disciple. But… it\'s not suitable for someone who wants to be a city lord."

If the Empire of Lane Cloud were to let those people leave now, even if they did eventually resolve the so-called haunting, it would be nearly impossible to get them to return.

Without people, the capital would be empty. The royal family would struggle to recruit soldiers or collect taxes. With no money and no people, they\'d soon be overtaken by the subordinate cities.

In this world, where the strong prey on the weak, if the royal family\'s strength were to be surpassed, it would inevitably be replaced by another power!

Therefore, to maintain their rule, the Empire of Lane Cloud had no choice but to keep all the noble families and commoners here, even if it meant risking some lives. After all, keeping them in place was better than letting them leave and establish their own dominions elsewhere.

Dean Bruce understood all of this but couldn\'t be bothered to explain it to Nicholas William in detail. Instead, he said, "Enough, don\'t worry about such matters. Go scout ahead and see if there\'s any inn around here."

"Yes, Master."

Nicholas William spurred his horse forward, only to shout out a moment later, "Master, there\'s a bounty board here! Should we take a look? The royal family is really generous—they\'re offering a noble title and a reward of a million gold coins to anyone who can solve this crisis!"

"They\'re even willing to marry off one of the princesses! Heh, Master, I think marrying a princess wouldn\'t be a bad deal for you!"

"…" Dean Bruce shook his head with a smile. He hadn\'t expected that after distracting Nicholas William, the young man would become so indifferent toward his so-called fiancée.

Riding up to take a look, Dean Bruce saw the bounty board covered with notices, almost filling the entire board. The rewards weren\'t limited to what Nicholas William had mentioned—there were plenty of other tempting prizes, all exceedingly generous.

"Master, seriously, why don\'t you consider taking on one of these bounties? We\'re here to save my fiancée anyway!" Nicholas William suggested earnestly.

After a brief pause, Dean Bruce shook his head. "Our purpose here is solely to rescue your fiancée. Don\'t get involved in anything else—especially matters tied to the royal family. Once entangled, it\'s difficult to extricate oneself."

Nicholas William nodded in agreement, but his expression made it clear that he wasn\'t entirely satisfied with the decision. Noticing this, Dean Bruce couldn\'t help but land a firm slap on the back of his head.

Passing by the notice board, the two continued along the empty streets. They glanced around as they went, noticing that every household had shut their doors and windows tightly. As they ventured deeper into the city, the sound of the horses\' hooves began to echo off the surrounding buildings, reverberating through the vacant streets.

"Good thing it\'s daytime now. If it were night, I\'d probably be scared to death by this sight," Nicholas William muttered, his gaze darting around. "Hey, Master, look over there! There\'s a flag fluttering—it seems to be an inn!"

Following Nicholas William\'s finger, Dean Bruce spotted a tattered flag swaying gently in the breeze. There were no words on it, just a circular symbol.

The symbol was unfamiliar. At the very least, Dean Bruce hadn\'t come across it in any books, and it didn\'t belong to any of the major factions he knew of. It did seem like it could be an inn, though.

Nodding slightly, Dean Bruce gestured for Nicholas William to go ahead and investigate.

Knock, knock, knock—

The sound of knocking echoed, but there was no response from within. Nicholas William turned back and shrugged, just about to say something when, with a creak, the wooden door behind him swung open.

"Huh?"

Nicholas William gasped and turned around, his face filled with shock.

There was no one at the door!

How had it opened on its own?

Dean Bruce\'s view was blocked, so he couldn\'t see what was inside. But sensing the alarm in Nicholas William\'s expression, his eyes narrowed as he readied himself for combat.

"Cough, cough... You\'re the one who knocked on the door. What are you so nervous about? If you\'re afraid, then why did you knock? Well, don\'t just stand there—come in already!"

The sound of coughing was followed by a frail, elderly voice.

Hearing the voice of a human being, the fear in Nicholas William\'s heart dissipated instantly. Feeling relieved, he quickly turned to Dean Bruce and said, "Master, should I go in first to check things out? Or..."

Before Dean Bruce could respond, the old voice echoed again beside them, "Though a bit slow-witted, you do show respect for your teacher. Not bad, not bad. Entertaining you two won\'t be a waste of my energy."

Upon hearing this, Dean Bruce dismounted effortlessly, leaping past Nicholas William and stepping through the door.

With numerous treasures for protection, he had no reason to be afraid.

The room inside was quite spacious, with a faint scent of alcohol lingering in the air. He glanced around and noticed that while the tables had all been put away, the walls were lined with rows of wine jars and barrels, emitting a strong aroma.

"What\'s this? Are you two here for some wine? You\'ve come at the wrong time, I\'m afraid. With the capital on lockdown, this old man hasn\'t been able to get any supplies and can\'t brew my usual fine wines."

The voice spoke again, and Dean Bruce followed the sound to its source. In a dimly lit corner, he saw an elderly man sitting at a table, meticulously polishing a peculiar-looking sword. The sword\'s blade curved and twisted like a bolt of lightning.

"Since you\'re already here, there\'s no need to be so cautious. Close the door and come sit down. Although I have no fine wine to offer, this old man still knows a thing or two about brewing a fine cup of tea."

The old man\'s tone was calm and unhurried. As he spoke, he continued to focus all his attention on polishing the lightning-shaped blade.

Seeing this, Dean Bruce couldn\'t help but feel a sense of curiosity. What kind of treasure was that blade to warrant such careful treatment?

Without hesitation, Dean Bruce strode over to the old man, waved his hand lightly to brush away the dust on the table and chairs, and sat down.

Nicholas William quickly followed, frowning as he asked, "Elder, it\'s so dark in here. Can\'t you light a lamp?"

He wasn\'t foolish. An old man who could run a tavern in the imperial capital, even amidst the chaos, was certainly no ordinary person!

"It\'s not dark here—it\'s your heart that\'s shrouded in darkness." The old man replied in a slow, measured tone. "Once your heart is bright, there will be no more darkness in this world for you."

"..."

Hearing these words, and recalling the mention of brewing tea earlier, Dean Bruce\'s eyes narrowed slightly as suspicion crept into his mind.

Could it be… that this old man was also a transmigrator from a different era?