Friends Through Fighting

"You lost."

Lin Lei spoke calmly. Flower Territory allowed fights, but killing was forbidden. Besides, Lin Lei did not harbor much killing intent. Though he had been dragged into a PK match for no reason, he had already beaten Huo Er badly enough to vent his anger.

Even with a blade pressed to his throat, Huo Er still looked unconvinced. As the main instigator, picking a fight was one thing, but losing it was another. It was hard for him to accept calmly.

Lin Lei did not say anything more to him. He sheathed his weapon, dusted himself off, glanced around, and walked toward Hu Baifu.

His movement made the Dwarves who had been gathered nearby rush over to help Huo Er up. One of them even wanted to announce his identity and loudly scold Lin Lei, but Huo Er, who was slowly getting to his feet, stopped him and shouted at Lin Lei's retreating back.

"What's your name?"

"Lin Lei Thunder Roar, Centurion of Flower Territory."

Lin Lei did not turn around. He answered as he walked, his voice not loud, yet carrying unquestionable authority.

Huo Er said nothing else. He took the weapon a nearby Dwarf had retrieved for him, strapped it to his back, pushed through the crowd that had yet to disperse, and headed toward his own trading post with the Dwarves following beside him.

Lin Lei's interruption, along with losing to a human whose rank and strength were clearly lower than his own, brought Huo Er back to his senses. He shoved aside the valuable jewelry he had prepared and decided not to pursue Lady Moran any longer.

Dwarves were hot-tempered, but they still knew right from wrong. After returning to the trading post, Huo Er dismissed everyone and entered the secret room alone.

As the grandson of a caravan leader, Huo Er had seen much since childhood. He quickly emerged from his fury and, thinking about his abnormal behavior over the past few days, could not help feeling afraid.

"Why did I fall for Lady Moran? Who exactly is she?"

Huo Er pondered. This time, Lin Lei's killing intent and the trial between life and death had restored his mind. There might not be another chance next time.

With that thought, he took out two blank envelopes. One was for his grandfather, telling him what had happened over the past few days, including how his mind had been clouded. Since ancient times, the only beings in Azeroth capable of bewitching people's minds were the Banshees under the Lich King.

Huo Er had no evidence that a noblewoman beloved throughout the territory was an evil Banshee, but he had to do something. He needed to tell his father about this and have him stay on guard.

The other letter was for Lin Lei. Although Huo Er had clashed with him and even had his life threatened by him, a Dwarf's instinct to repay kindness made him choose this. He told Lin Lei about Lady Moran's strange behavior. Whether Lin Lei believed it or not was no longer his concern.

Having made up his mind, Huo Er quickly wrote the two letters and sealed them with a Dwarven secret art. They could only be opened by the intended recipients. He left the secret room and handed the letters to the two people closest to him for delivery.

Watching them hurry away without pause, Huo Er let out a breath. As the person in charge of Flower Territory, he could not leave casually. For the time being, he planned to stay inside the residence and go nowhere. The residence had defensive designs created by Dwarven masters. Even ordinary Gold-rank fighters could not break in. It was not entirely safe, but at least he would not be so easily ambushed again.

Meanwhile, under the gaze of countless people, Lin Lei returned to Hu Baifu. He was immediately greeted by Hu Baifu's broad, blooming grin, which made Lin Lei shudder.

"Incredible, incredible! Centurion Lin's martial skill truly is extraordinary. From what I know, among the Centurions in our City Defense Department, your rank and strength are the highest. And you're so young. You'll definitely rise far beyond this in the future. I imagine you'll also become even more valued by Miss Alice."

Hu Baifu flattered Lin Lei while probing him. Fortunately, Lin Lei was not some inexperienced fool fresh out into the world, and Hu Baifu's words did not stir much within him.

"Not at all, not at all. Ah... the people ahead have all dispersed. Let's move up."

Lin Lei laughed it off and changed the subject. Looking at the line that had shortened because of the duel, he led Hu Baifu, who had opened his mouth to ask for more information, toward the front.

Before long, a clerk outside invited Lin Lei inside. Since Hu Baifu had no business there, he waited outside, keeping company with Red Fire, who was likewise not allowed in. Animal companions were not permitted inside the shop.

After entering, Lin Lei looked around. The decoration was not as luxurious and extravagant as he had imagined, filled with gold and silver, jewels, and precious pendants. Instead, it resembled a secluded forest, quiet and peaceful, with the beauty of nature.

Standing inside, Lin Lei could not hear the slightest sound from outside. There was likely a soundproof barrier installed here to block out the world's disturbances. The fight outside must not have alerted anyone within.

Lin Lei's status was not high, so only a pretty young woman came over and led him to find a formal outfit that suited him.

The girl's voice was pleasant and clear like an oriole's. Following her petite figure, even Lin Lei, who had weathered countless storms, could not help feeling the urge to cherish her.

Fortunately, Lin Lei had trained his mind. He could resist external confusion, temptation, and spiritual attacks. Once the female clerk left, he regained clarity.

"Is that an innate seductive charm?"

Lin Lei did not dwell on it. Some people were simply born with soul-stirring charm, attracting attention with every gesture. He thought he had encountered such a person and did not take it too seriously, merely controlling his behavior a little to avoid embarrassing himself.

Now on guard, Lin Lei was no longer drawn in by the clerk's movements, which greatly surprised the clerk observing him nearby. Lin Lei shopped quickly and chose the formal outfit he liked in no time, one very similar to a modern military uniform. He had taken a liking to it at first glance.

Lin Lei's swift purchase unknowingly allowed him to escape a disaster. Before the clerk could report it, she could only watch him leave.

On the third floor of the tailor shop, the female clerk reported her failure to a woman seated in a chair upholstered with the hide of a Gold-rank magical beast, a Split-Tooth Tiger. In the dim room, only a pair of Obsidian-like eyes was visible. Her entire body was wrapped in a black coat identical to the one worn by the caravan woman Lin Lei had encountered before.

"A Silver-rank nobody. If he slipped away, then he slipped away. He probably didn't notice anything. Keep an eye on him and proceed according to plan."

An androgynous voice sounded, making the clerk waiting nearby, too frightened to even breathe loudly, release a sigh of relief.

"Yes."

The female clerk answered respectfully. After the woman in black finished speaking, she went downstairs, leaving only the black-clad woman seated in the main position of the empty hall.

"Lin Lei Thunder Roar. Interesting. Whose pawn is he this time?"

The murmuring voice echoed continuously through the hall. In the next instant, even the remaining light went out, and the hall fell silent.

After leaving the tailor shop, Lin Lei returned to the guard post with Hu Baifu, then parted ways with him at the entrance.

The moment Lin Lei entered his own guard post, Henry came toward him and handed him a letter covered in strange symbols.

Lin Lei looked at Henry in confusion, turning the envelope over in his hands as he spoke.

"Just what is this?"

"A letter. A Dwarf gave it to you, a Dwarf from Iron Hearth Fortress. The Dwarf who delivered it said Huo Er sent it."

Henry spread his hands, indicating that was all he knew.

"Huo Er? Why did he send me a letter? Is he unhappy about losing to me and wants another match?"

As Lin Lei spoke, he opened the envelope. The envelope that Henry had been unable to open came apart effortlessly in Lin Lei's hands.

Lin Lei had opened the letter with a teasing attitude, but as he read further, his amused expression gradually turned serious. He connected what had happened at the tailor shop with what Huo Er had written.

"Hah."

Lin Lei exhaled heavily. He felt that he had fallen into serious trouble. Based on his analysis of Azeroth's major events, there was an eighty percent chance that Huo Er was right. Scourge spies had already infiltrated humanity.

"What happened?"

Seeing the changing expressions on Lin Lei's face, Henry, who had not yet left, asked curiously.

"Are you familiar with Lady Moran? The one who owns Moran Tailor Shop in the city."

Lin Lei looked at him and asked.

Henry nodded.

"Moran Tailor Shop is an old establishment. It has been around since I was born. Why are you asking about it?"

"There's something wrong with it."

Lin Lei spoke gravely.

"What?"

Henry did not react at first and asked again uncertainly.

"There's something wrong with that tailor shop. I suspect it has become a gathering place for evil creatures."

Lin Lei repeated himself, his tone unchanged.

"No way. People go there every day. If there were evil creatures there, they would have been discovered long ago."

Henry looked completely unconvinced. If Lin Lei had been anyone else, Henry would have taught him not to speak carelessly with his fists.

Lin Lei said nothing further. He had no evidence now, and relying on his own words alone would not convince anyone. He did not intend to argue with Henry.

"Moran Tailor Shop?"

Watching Lin Lei's retreating figure, Henry found Lin Lei's words resurfacing in his mind. They gave his already slow mind a throbbing headache. After thinking for a while without reaching any conclusion, he returned to the training ground to practice his martial skills.

Based on his memories, Lin Lei guessed that the lord and the lord's daughter had probably not yet been bewitched. As a lord with Platinum-rank strength, Edward was no ordinary person. With the enhancement of a hero's soul, his mind would not be easily occupied by bewildering spells.

As for Alice, being a woman herself, she naturally would not be easily deceived by those Banshees. Lin Lei guessed that they wanted to control people below Gold rank and incite rebellion, using their numerical advantage to defeat Edward and his daughter and overthrow Flower Territory's ruling power.