Chapter 85: Cassius Frost

The chaotic ambush at the courier station had ended almost as quickly as it began once Theo and his master intervened.

Two days had passed since the blood was washed from the rain-soaked floorboards and they finally entered the provincial capital... a sprawling beast of commerce and martial power.

It far eclipsed any ordinary city Theo had ever seen. Towering pagodas pierced the clouds, and the wide avenues were choked with merchants, cultivators, and beast-drawn carriages.

Theo spent that time stabilizing his newly formed Inner Scenery energy. He let his Abyssal Forge acclimate to the dense ambient qi of the city, carefully circulating his power to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

He also handled a few minor sect duties, checking in with Vespera to ensure their lodgings were secure. Today, however, his focus shifted strictly to logistics and profit.

He headed toward the Grand Bounty Pavilion...

Following the chaotic bloodbath at the courier station involving the Shadow Syndicate, the sect tasked him with claiming the official rewards. He also needed to negotiate the salvage rights for the weapons recovered from the slain assassins.

The haul from the Syndicate was substantial. Dozens of poisoned daggers, stealth cloaks, and several spatial rings filled with ill-gotten wealth.

While the elite assassin Zuo Qiuyang managed to escape the brawl his subordinates were not as lucky. Corey had proven invaluable during the fight, his greatsword keeping the bulk of the assassins at bay.

Now, turning their gear over to the Pavilion was far safer than trying to fence it on the black market.

Theo didn’t have to wait in the crowded main hall.

The moment he crossed the threshold, Overseer Sylvia hurried over to greet him. As the top-ranked prodigy on the provincial list, his presence commanded unquestioned respect. Sylvia’s personal reception drew stares from hardened mercenaries and veteran guards, cementing his VIP status.

"A pleasure to see you, Theo," Sylvia said. She offered a crisp nod and gestured toward the restricted jade staircase. "The appraisal team finished analyzing the Syndicate weapons faster than expected. We are heading up to meet the Pavilion Master to finalize the transfer."

Theo nodded and matched her brisk pace. They navigated the corridors, bypassing several security checkpoints.

Sylvia glanced at him. Her expression shifted from strictly professional to curious.

"How are you finding the Pavilion’s resources so far? Are the affiliated benefits meeting your expectations?"

"They are excellent," Theo replied. "The internal trade network is incredibly useful. The discounts on alchemical herbs... specifically the rare variants of Ice-Vein Lotus and Sun-Flare roots and forging materials beat anything on the open market. It saved me a significant amount of spirit stones."

Sylvia smiled. A look of quiet pride crossed her features.

"I am glad to hear it. We aim to provide elite talents with the optimal environment to grow. Your strength directly contributes to the stability of the entire province."

She paused as they reached the spiral staircase leading to the executive suites. Before ascending, she looked back.

"Have you considered upgrading your status to an Obsidian token holder?"

Theo shook his head, offering a polite refusal.

"Not right now. I have been too busy with sect duties. My current access level suits my needs perfectly."

"Obsidian rank grants priority access to rare auction items and restricted hunting grounds," Sylvia explained, her tone enticing. "It also provides a dedicated intelligence handler. You would receive real-time updates on high-value bounties before they are posted to the public boards. It is a door always open for someone of your caliber."

"I will keep it in mind. For now, my focus remains on the sect’s upcoming mandates."

As they climbed the stairs, the bustling noise of the lower floors faded into silence. The atmosphere shifted.

The Shadow Syndicate was a pervasive rot in the province. Their network stretched into every shadowy corner, fueled by blood money and aristocratic grudges. Zuo Qiuyang’s appearance at the courier station was no coincidence. It was a calculated strike, one that failed only because he underestimated the combined strength of Theo, Liana, and Corey.

Sylvia hesitated. She looked away briefly before meeting his gaze. Her brow furrowed.

"Theo. I wanted to apologize for the courier station ambush."

Her tone softened into genuine regret.

"I could not intervene or send reinforcements while the fighting happened. I wanted to mobilize our strike teams immediately. But the provincial governors explicitly ordered me to stand down. They claimed the situation was under control."

Theo knew the provincial governors played a dangerous game. By ordering Sylvia to stand down, they were essentially turning a blind eye to the Syndicate’s operations, likely to avoid a full-scale shadow war within their borders. It was a pragmatic, albeit cowardly, political maneuver.

Theo offered a reassuring smile.

"There is no need to apologize. I appreciate the concern regardless. Fortunately, we resolved it without any casualties on our end."

"True," Sylvia sighed wearily. "But it remains a tragedy. Several promising local guards threw their lives away because of the Syndicate’s bribes."

Theo chose to remain silent. He knew exactly who she meant.

She was referring to the local informants who aided the Shadow Syndicate in setting up the ambush. They received severe punishments for their treason. The magistrate stripped them of their cultivation and banished them to the northern mines for a decade of hard labor.

On the surface, it seemed like a lenient sentence for treason.

They received a lesser punishment because they were coerced by the Syndicate’s brutal tactics.

During the aftermath, they turned themselves in. They cooperated fully with the magistrate and exposed several hidden Syndicate safehouses.

Cultivation was a ruthless path. One misstep could destroy decades of effort. The guards let greed cloud their judgment. But the fact they surrendered showed they hadn’t lost their humanity.

Theo figured if those informants could endure the grueling labor in the mines, they might find a chance at redemption. With the right reflection, they could eventually rebuild their lives as decent citizens.

His thoughts were interrupted as they reached the top floor.

"Follow me," Sylvia said.

Theo stepped onto the plush, sound-dampening carpet. The corridor exuded heavy authority. It was lined with dark ironwood paneling and minimalist lighting arrays.

They stopped before a set of frosted-glass doors at the end of the hall.

Stepping inside, Theo found himself in a spacious, sunlit office. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a commanding view of the capital’s skyline.

Behind a broad mahogany desk sat a middle-aged man. He meticulously reviewed a floating array of intelligence reports.

The man possessed sharp features, pristine white hair, and a well-groomed white beard. The combination added a striking sense of strict martial discipline to his strong jawline.

As the man looked up, Theo felt a sudden, inexplicable prickle of familiarity.

There was something in the sharp structure of the man’s eyes. The subtle, commanding tilt of his brow. It looked strangely reminiscent of someone he knew intimately.

Curious, Theo silently activated the Heavenly Mandate Divine Eye.

A subtle ripple passed over his vision. A detailed status screen materialized, instantly stiffening Theo’s posture in surprise.

[Name: Cassius Frost]

[Age: 45]

[Cultivation: Mystic Core Realm (Mid-Stage)]

[Destiny: Purple (A seasoned veteran wielding unquestioned authority over the capital’s underworld.)]

[Evaluation: Bears a diluted trace of the Supreme Yin bloodline.]

Theo stared at the glowing blue text.

The eyes. The commanding aura. The diluted Supreme Yin bloodline. The surname. This man was Liana’s relative?