Three days later.
Mornings in Fenlai City were as lively as ever. Vegetable sellers, people hurrying to work, people walking their birds-the streets and alleys rang with voices. But today was a little different-an air of unease hung over the city.
The bruises on Loa's body had mostly healed. Two Forms Battle-qi repaired his body far more effectively than ordinary battle-qi, and the tempering of his tailbone had greatly increased his own ability to recover.
He pushed the door open and went out to buy a few things.
Several women had gathered at the mouth of the alley, vegetable baskets on their arms and heads close together as they whispered. They kept their voices low, but Loa's hearing was sharp enough to catch every word.
"Have you heard? Things haven't been peaceful lately. Don't go outside the city unless you have to."
"What? What happened? How come I haven't heard anything?"
"You haven't heard yet? It's all over the city! A necromancer has come right up to the outskirts of Fenlai City!"
"What?!" The woman who had asked turned pale. "A necromancer? Those evil things... didn't the Church wipe them all out long ago?"
"Who knows? Anyway, the news is true-there's a manor a little over ten li outside the city, and someone destroyed it. They found several skeletons inside, stripped of all their flesh. Nothing but bare bones!"
"Oh, my God of Light... isn't the Church doing anything?"
"Of course they are! I heard they already sent people to investigate and confirmed that a necromancer did it!"
The more the women talked, the more frightened they became, until their voices shook.
Loa walked past them without much expression, but several thoughts turned over in his mind.
The skeletons... he had left them behind when he departed. Balk, the driver,