A Chance Encounter

That concludes everything that has happened.

Suoxiate finished her report to Nia with a smile, and slightly lifted the hem of her skirt.

"... I had a feeling that Li Lin was planning something by sending me away, but I never expected him to do something so dangerous."

Nia frowned, her displeasure almost obvious.

"I'll have a good talk with Li Lin when he gets back. He's not the Arcane Mage he used to be; he's the core of the Magic Empire. If anything were to happen to him, the consequences would be unbearable. After all, we can't lead an empire. But there's no use talking about it now... Where's Li Lin?"

"Our master has already departed for the capital of that impoverished northern kingdom."

Angela interjected, saying something that surprised Nia.

Didn't he take you with him?

"Master said he wanted to test his new body and planned to go solo for once. But frankly, I have absolutely no interest in going to that woman's city. Staying here and training the cow is much more interesting."

"Who are you calling a cow?! Washboard!"

Yi Aier immediately protested.

"With your skinny, flat body, like an ancient log, you're only fit to do laundry!!"

"Oh ho... you really dare to say that, cow. Very well, before the master returns, I will definitely train you into a well-behaved and obedient bitch!"

"If you can do it, then give it a try! You brat, don't think my Magic Power cannon is just for show! Looks like I'll have to have a proper 'talk' with you!"

"..."

"..."

"Suoxiate?"

"Hmm? Is something the matter, Nia?"

"I think I understand why Li Lin went alone."

"Discussing our master's rights and wrongs is not something we maids should do. But then again..."

At this point, a rare hint of sarcasm appeared on Suoxiate's face.

"How is the new Arcane Mage doing lately?"

"Progress is slow... but it's not without results."

Although Nia's answer was understated, it presented a completely different picture for the person involved.

It must be admitted that while Nisi possesses sufficient potential to become Arcane Mage and has gained recognition from the Evocation spell runes, she hasn't fully adapted to the differences between Arcane Mage and a regular mage. For Arcane Mage, the most important thing is to learn to utilize the Magic Tattoo on their soul, using them anytime, anywhere. Like Li Lin, they can act at will, summoning magical runes for attack and defense at any time and under any circumstances. This is not only a means of self-protection but also a process of harmonizing with the source of magic.

However, there are many techniques in advanced magic that can achieve the same effect, such as Silent Spell and Quicken Spell. Compared to the completely unfamiliar Magic Tattoo, Nisi was clearly more adept at fighting using methods she was familiar with. But in the battle against Nia, her little tricks were completely meaningless. Nia simply cast a single layer of Multiple Spell Framework defense, which withstood all of the elven mage's attacks.

"This is just the beginning, Nisi."

Looking at the pale-faced elven mage who was watching her powerful spell disappear at the edge of the magical barrier, Nia spoke quietly and slowly, without the slightest impatience.

"I tell you once again, it is impossible to defeat me using advanced magical techniques. I am the Eternal Library, the omnipotent master of knowledge. Whether you use Spell Penetration, Quicken Spell, or Silent Spell, it means nothing to me. The only way to defeat me is to use the power of the Arcane Mage's mark— the Magic Tattoo —which I cannot use. Remember, you are no longer a high-ranking mage; you must abandon the combat methods and techniques of high-ranking mages and start from scratch."

There are no useless spells, only useless mages.

It was clear that Nisi had not yet acknowledged her defeat, or rather, she was still not mentally prepared to use her new powers.

"In the face of power, skill plays a negligible role. Don't always think of relying on your spellcasting skills to achieve victory... No matter how exquisite your spellcasting skills are, the gap in power can never be bridged."

As she spoke, Nia raised her staff.

"Then, let's do it one more time."

Li Lin had no idea what kind of torment his beloved student was currently enduring, and even if he did, he probably wouldn't care. Right now, he was dressed in leather armor, disguised as an ordinary adventurer. He hadn't fully adapted to this body yet, and it was clear that a clear goal would accelerate his adaptation. Just as combat was the best way to improve his strength, he needed another way to adapt to and master this body. For this mission, Li Lin didn't plan to use any magical power, as he was already quite familiar with it. It could be said that in this world, purely in terms of magic, he had no equal. A one-sided war was easy and advantageous, but a one-sided battle wasn't necessarily so.

Currently, Li Lin is dressed like a genuine, legitimate adventurer. He is sitting in a corner of the tavern, carefully listening to the gossip and rumors circulating. He still has some time to use before meeting Catherine. It is quite necessary to take this opportunity to see what kind of reputation this saintess actually has.

To Li Lin's surprise, although fantasizing about beautiful women is arguably every man's nature, even the most despicable lazybones here hadn't uttered a single bad word about Catherine. He merely mentioned it, and it immediately ignited the people's righteous indignation. In the eyes of these citizens of Dideyasi, Catherine had practically become their spiritual idol, and for such an important figure to not only fail to receive the Temple's protection but also suffer such unspeakable insults was intolerable to the people of Dideyasi. However, this also validated Catherine's statement from another perspective: the people's adoration for her was inextricably linked to her still being the saintess of the God of Justice, even when facing the Temple. The citizens of Dideyasi merely... They complained about the Temple's ineffective punishment and lax supervision, but didn't truly consider it their enemy. They currently only felt disgust towards the Temple, but no resentment towards the God of Justice. Catherine's mission wasn't entirely unsuccessful, but obstacles remained. Unlike Lalia, Dideyasi itself lacked sufficient military strength; most of its power currently relied on the Temple's military force. Because of this, Dideyasi could not truly break with the Temple. Although Catherine was loyal to Li Lin, she was also a clever and shrewd woman, naturally understanding that reckless actions would only lead to her own downfall and wouldn't contribute to completing Li Lin's plan.

A very interesting woman...

Li Lin swirled his wine glass, gazing at the inferior wine inside.

Killing her too soon would be a waste; judging from Catherine's current actions, she still has plenty of potential to be developed and utilized.

We'll see what happens after that.

The commotion around him made Li Lin turn his head. He saw a dancer angrily yelling at a disheveled man. Even without using magic to trace back what had happened a few minutes earlier, Li Lin could glean the whole story from the following sentence.

"You filthy, disgusting barbarian! You've had your fun and don't want to pay? I'm not that easy to bully! You stingy bastard, no wonder even your... thing is so small!"

There's no better way to enrage a man than this. Soon, the man's face turned ashen, and he slapped the dancer across the face, knocking her heavily to the ground. This action attracted the attention of those around, many of whom quickly distanced themselves, waiting with great interest to see what would happen next.

"You damned woman, how much do you think your old hag is worth!"

Shouting and cursing, the man angrily kicked at the woman, but just then, Li Lin stepped forward and blocked his attack.

"I think you're the one who should apologize... It's not good to treat a lady like that."

"Oh?"

Seeing someone suddenly step forward, the man paused for a moment, then focused his gaze on the long sword at Li Lin's waist and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Kid, you want to play the hero? You're eighty years too young! Get out of my way, 'Mad Hand' isn't someone to mess with!"

You shouldn't treat a lady like that.

Li Lin glanced around and quickly spotted several men hidden in the crowd. Although they pretended to be nonchalant, their hands were concealed in their pockets, clearly indicating they were in cahoots with the man. They were just waiting for him to make his move before attacking from behind. While their concealment was very clever, Li Lin saw it as a completely blatant attempt to hide anything. Moreover, Li Lin didn't intend to give up so easily; after all, he needed a little influence and some gossip to help him.

"If you apologize now, I might let you off the hook."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, the man let out a cold laugh. He slowly approached Li Lin, looking down at the young brat before him.

"Who do you think you are! Get out!!"

With a furious roar, the man threw a punch at Li Lin's chest. At that moment, Li Lin reacted instantly. He reached out, and just before the man's fist struck his chest, Li Lin's palm pressed against the man's wrist, forcing him to deflect the punch. Ultimately, the man's fist struck only air, missing its intended target.

"Damn it!!"

The man was clearly not surprised by his failed attack. These days, anyone who dares to step forward and act like a hero must have some skills. Although Li Lin's actions were somewhat strange, he still jumped back a step, then drew a dagger from his waist and slashed at Li Lin's outstretched right hand. However, Li Lin naturally had no intention of letting him succeed. Watching the dagger thrusting towards him, he calmly reached out and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, then lifted it upwards.

"Bite!!"

With a crisp clash, the longsword blocked the dagger's attack. This made the man's expression even more unpleasant. However, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he naturally didn't want to lose face. Besides, if he couldn't win one-on-one, he could always gang up on the other.

"Brothers! Let's go together!!"

With the shouts of the burly man, several people who had been hiding in the crowd jumped out and attacked Li Lin from different directions. Some even took the opportunity to stab the woman behind Li Lin, forcing him to defend himself, since the woman was still lying on the ground and not fully conscious.

Madness.

The body Li Lin was currently in was not human; he could even clearly sense the location of each attacker and was confident he could withstand all their attacks. No one knew the immense magical power hidden beneath this young body. To the onlookers, it was all over in an instant. Li Lin drew his longsword and, as if by precise calculation, knocked away the dagger of the leading man. Then, he effortlessly swept through the air; everyone only saw a blur before their eyes. When they looked again, the remaining accomplices had lost their earlier ferocity. These thugs were now clutching their hands, gasping for breath— Li Lin's attack had precisely injured all their wrists, forcing them to drop their weapons.

However, not everyone was injured by Li Lin.

"A bunch of scoundrels, they actually launched a sneak attack!"

Behind him came a man's indignant shout. The two thieves who had planned to ambush Li Lin from behind were now lying on the ground, crying and wailing. Clearly, they were also seriously injured.

"Would you like to come again?"

Li Lin didn't pay attention to the sudden helper, but leisurely sheathed his longsword and asked the burly man in front of him.

"No, we're not coming anymore! We surrender! We surrender!!"

The difference in strength was already quite obvious, and there was no need for further judgment or confirmation. The burly man, clutching his bleeding wound, obediently answered, the murderous aura that had previously clung to his face now completely gone.

"Then please pay the bill and apologize to this lady."

Li Lin glanced at the woman who had slowly stood up, leaning on him. Clearly, she had decided that he, as the one who had stood up first, was someone she was willing to rely on.

"This..."

The burly man hesitated to speak, after all, he was somewhat "well-known" in the area, and if he lost face now, what would happen in the future...? However, Li Lin's light tapping of his fingers on the sword hilt immediately made the burly man make a decision.

"Here's the money!! Here you go!"

He threw the money pouch from his waist at the dancer, then turned and disappeared into the crowd. The others, seeing their leader leave, immediately helped their injured companion and followed. Only then did Li Lin have time to turn around and look at the man who had helped him deal with the attacker.

Thank you for your help.

"You are welcome."

The man before him appeared to be about the same age as Li Lin, with a calm demeanor and a heroic air. He too was dressed as an adventurer, but unlike Li Lin, he wielded a massive two-handed longsword. Even Li Lin couldn't imagine how such a weapon could so easily subdue the two attackers in such a crowded place. In response to Li Lin's thanks, the man gave a somewhat embarrassed smile.

"Maybe... I'm just being nosy."

Indeed, after witnessing Li Lin's swordsmanship just now, no one would doubt that even without the help of the greatsword-wielding man, he could easily defeat these enemies.

"No, that's not true. You always need help when you're traveling."

As he spoke, Li Lin glanced, seemingly casually, at the gradually dispersing crowd.

"How about I buy you a drink sometime?"

"This..."

Faced with Li Lin's invitation, the man looked hesitant and gazed into the distance. There stood a young girl dressed as a priest and a man dressed as an archer. Clearly, the three of them were members of a squad.

"If you don't mind, I can buy you a drink."

In fact, Li Lin had spotted them long before the man. After all, just as he made his move, the priestess almost simultaneously used divine magic to halt the thugs' actions, while the man shot two daggers from a gap in the crowd, stabbing two of them in the legs. However, all of this happened in an instant; apart from Li Lin and the victims themselves, even the victims didn't know how they were injured. Faced with Li Lin's invitation, the man didn't hesitate and quickly agreed. Then, at his invitation, the two men who had been standing some distance away also came over and sat at the same table with Li Lin, and the two naturally began to chat.

From their conversation, Li Lin learned that the young swordsman who had intervened to help injustice Geligao Li, a highly capable figure among the northern mercenaries. At the age of twenty-seven, he had become the vice-captain of the largest Snow Fox Mercenary Corps, clearly a formidable warrior. The archer was his companion and subordinate. The priest's identity, however, was what most aroused Li Lin's suspicion. She hadn't revealed her name, only stating that she was a priest from the Holy Autonomous Territory.

Although such adventurous teams are not uncommon, Li Lin still secretly took notice of the priest from the Holy Autonomous Territory at this time.

The conversation between the two sides was very harmonious. Li Lin's words made everyone feel very good about this young and capable swordsman. His measured speech and polite attitude were endearing. Geligao Li subtly probed, trying to find out Li Lin's background. Li Lin only said that he was a scion of a declining noble family, who enjoyed martial arts and traveling. This did not arouse suspicion among the others, after all, such behavior was not something an ordinary mercenary would possess. If he said that he had been in this line of work since childhood, it would raise suspicion.

Both sides chatted amiably, and time flew by unnoticed. By the time everyone realized it, it was already nearly dusk.

"Oh no, we're going to be late!"

At the young priestess's prompting, Geligao Li glanced at the sky outside the window and quickly stood up.

"Mr. Li Lin, it was a very pleasant chat with you. Well, we have to take our leave now, and we'll talk again another day."

"Perfect timing, I also need to leave."

As he spoke, Li Lin also stood up and looked out the window.

I hope we'll have the chance to meet again someday.