Ruger silently ate the last delicious, tender meatball.
In truth, the crux of his problem was the same as everyone else's here—a bloodline issue. Only, his was viewed from another angle: a curse originating from the source of his bloodline.
He raised his head and looked at old Lunse.
In his heart, he had always been curious about the relationship between the old dog-headed man and Aunt Jenny. It did not seem as simple as family or friendship.
"And..." Old Lunse continued, glancing in a certain direction as he spoke, "Burning Blood City may not remain peaceful lately either... Going out for a walk would be good. You're not like Niu Wengduo and me—we can't leave this place for long."
Ruger understood what the old dog-headed man meant. The direction he had glanced toward was precisely the old gentleman statue's home.
"Remember, bloodline problems must be dealt with early. Growing stronger only conceals the problem for a time; in the end, it will erupt even more violently," Old Lunse said. "As for learning potion brewing, that lord will only be more skilled than I am..."
The old dog-headed man had clearly mistaken his bloodline problem for the common kind.
Ruger nodded. He felt that something was very wrong with Old Lunse's state, as though other matters were affecting him.
Just two days ago, when he had obtained what he longed for with Mister Niu Wengduo's help, the confidence Old Lunse had shown then seemed to have vanished.
"What happened?"
Ruger asked tentatively.
Old Lunse merely sat there and rolled his eyes, saying nothing.
Ruger smiled. He figured the old dog-headed man might also have sensed the changes in Burning Blood City. After the previous stretch of rainy nights, the city had suddenly grown a whole size larger. It was not