Black Mountain paced back and forth in his study, muttering to himself.
"Seven or eight days. A man who couldn't possibly advance just happened to go into seclusion right before I made my move."
"The branch managers all vanished, their families left one after another, and they kept only his wife and son in the city to keep up appearances."
"Something is obviously wrong!"
The covert guard did not dare respond. He remained on his knees.
"Enough. You can go," Black Mountain said.
After the guard left, Black Mountain stood by the window for a long time. The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. One possibility kept taking shape in his mind.
Lynn is dead!
The Grayfeather Family knows it can't hold on to such a vast fortune, so they're cutting their losses to survive!
The thought surprised him, but it excited him too.
"You'd better really be in seclusion," Black Mountain muttered. "Otherwise..."
He left the rest unsaid.
The night wind whistled through a crack in the window.
Black Mountain went to the coat rack, took down a nondescript gray robe, and changed into it. Then he used Wizardry to veil his face in a thin layer of shadow.
He pushed open the window and leaped out. With a tap of his toes against the courtyard wall, he soared into the air and swept toward Graystone City like a silent owl.
Blackstone City was not all that far from Graystone City, especially for a Second Ring Wizard flying at full speed.
Black Mountain flew over the wilderness for a while, then decided he was not going fast enough. He conjured a giant black raven.
Its wingspan was nearly two zhang. Its body was jet-black, and its eyes were dark red.
Black Mountain landed on its