Pilgrimage Lore

Words poured out like a barrage, and Xia Lun frowned slightly.

"Deal?" he repeated, keeping his gun trained on the girl's bright blue eyes.

The girl nodded. Pale gray hair fell beside her cheeks as she slowly slipped her right hand into her left sleeve and tossed out a key.

"This is my show of good faith. The Master Key to Dusk Snow Prison." She kept her eyes on Xia Lun throughout, her voice steady.

Xia Lun glanced at the key from the corner of his eye and gave a slight nod.

As if encouraged, the girl launched into another rapid explanation. "Do you know what a show of good faith means? It's the deposit Merchants pay when doing business. Well, in terms you vicious criminals would understand, it's a Blood Pact."

"This is the Master Key. It opens every door in Dusk Snow Prison, including your cell door, the cell block door, and the Pressure Sluice gate. Do you know what a Pressure Sluice is? Judging by your expression, you definitely don't, so let me explain. The Pressure Sluice was first invented by the Scholar Knight to deal with the transition between the rainy and dry seasons in the Dunwodelin Region—"

"Shut up!" Xia Lun snapped. "Skip the nonsense. Get to the point."

Even with his Intelligence at fourteen, her barrage of words was making his head throb.

The girl huffed and continued. "I'm being as concise as I can, but I don't know what you already know, so I need to give you enough background. This isn't nonsense, and it isn't rambling. It's necessary context. In short, I'm doing this for your sake."

Without a word, Xia Lun pressed lightly on the Hammer.

Click.

The girl went rigid, like a goose seized by the neck. She fell silent