The two guards bent at the waist, great beads of sweat pounding down from their foreheads.
The sweat struck the dry bluestone pavement, leaving behind round, dark watermarks.
Su Li shifted the door-panel-sized greatsword to his other shoulder.
"Lead the way."
The two guards nodded repeatedly, turning around as if fleeing for their lives and clumsily hurrying ahead to guide him.
The streets of Silver Crown City's eastern district were strangely deserted today. Most of the shops on either side had their doors shut, with only the occasional mercenary poking his head out to look around.
When they saw Su Li approaching with that absurdly huge sword on his shoulder, they all consciously retreated into the alleys and yielded the main road.
Su Li followed behind the guards.
After crossing three streets, the imposing five-story building of the Silver Claw Merchant Guild appeared at the intersection.
Manager Barlow was already waiting at the foot of the steps before the guild's entrance.
The fat goblin wore an exquisite dark-purple silk robe today, with six gold rings set with large gemstones adorning his ten thick, stubby fingers.
Despite the freezing weather, Barlow's forehead was covered in sweat, and he kept wiping it with a white silk handkerchief.
The third-rank pressure Su Li had unleashed in the tavern's private room on the night of the Star Festival remained vivid in his mind.
Then, last night, the city had erupted with the terrifying disturbance of a fourth-rank breakthrough. Though there was no direct evidence pointing to Su Li as the cause—
Barlow's shrewd goblin instincts told him that this matter was absolutely inseparable from this young magic-forging grandmaster.
Even if it had not been him, there had to be some immensely terrifying figure standing behind him.
He could not afford to offend him. He