The man in the conical hat staggered along.
The cheers behind him gradually faded beyond hearing, but they had nothing to do with him anymore.
It was simple.
After all, who cared about a loser who had lost everything?
Of course, a few curious people tried to follow him, hoping to see how a mere Smoke and Wind Pavilion had enlisted those powerful figures. But the Immortal Palace was a maze. After several twists and turns, he shook them all off.
Only when he reached an empty, deserted spot did the man in the conical hat let out a long breath. He took out a lifelike jade cicada and crushed it.
The next instant.
He was inside a small hut.
There was nothing remarkable about the hut itself, except that every window had been sealed. Not a sliver of sunlight could get in. A single candle flickered in the center, casting the indistinct shadows of several figures nearby.
No one spoke when he entered. The man in the conical hat cautiously raised his head. One person stood by a sealed window, lost in thought, while two others sat at a table, handling objects whose purpose he could not make out by the faint candlelight.
After a long while, the person by the window finally spoke.
"You're here?" The man in the conical hat hurriedly bowed and answered with utmost respect.
"Yes, my lord, I—"
Before he could finish, the person by the window waved a hand.
"I know what happened. You botched it this time, didn't you?"
The man in the conical hat shuddered and dropped to his knees in panic.
"Please forgive me, my lord... I did fail this time, but please give me one more chance. Just one. I'll never disappoint you again..."
As though begging were not