Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3364: Movements In The Outpost

The Old woman had told students that they should question everything they were taught and seek truth on their own. She had said that even the guardian beasts were not supreme and that they too could grow stronger than them.

Someone had disliked her teachings and reported her. The result was imprisonment.

There were criminals in the cells too. One man openly admitted he had murdered an entire caravan of traders. Another confessed to raiding and destroying several remote villages. Yet even those with horrible actions seemed almost resigned, not defiant.

They at least knew why they were here. The ones who were innocent or caught by false charges were far more broken.

But the one story that irritated Lin Mu the most came from two merchants sitting in the far corner. They were quiet until Lin Mu talked to them. Their robes were worn and their hair was messy.

"What are you here for?" Lin Mu asked.

The older merchant replied, "Smuggling prohibited goods."

Lin Mu studied their expressions. His sword heart murmured in the back of his mind. No falsehood. Complete sincerity.

"What goods?" Lin Mu said.

The merchant sighed. "Cookies. Simple spirit cookies from our hometown. There was nothing harmful in them. Someone claimed they were laced with mind altering substances. We tried proving it, but they arrested us instead."

"How long have you been here?"

"Two years," the younger merchant said. "We were supposed to be tried within the month. Then the trial kept getting delayed. Then delayed again. Then forgotten."

Lin Mu leaned closer. "Isn’t the punishment for illegal goods is only a fine and removal of teleportation privileges." He remembered.

The two nodded.

Lin Mu frowned. "You are cultivators. Why not return home by flying through space?"

The older merchant chuckled bitterly. "We brought our entire savings and stock with us. If we leave, it will all be confiscated. And we will be bankrupt. Even if we tried to fly, we would not survive the trip. Space storms and other dangers would kill us."

Lin Mu exhaled slowly.

His disappointment in the Western Immortal Court deepened. He had met noble members of the court before, but he now understood that those had merely been exceptions. There were far too many like the guards here. Far too many like the captains these young masters relied on.

Corruptible. Petty. Cruel.

Yet he remained calm. Patience was something he had long mastered.

While Lin Mu observed the jail, the world outside was far from quiet.

Daoist Chu had gotten to work within the hour of Lin Mu’s arrest.

He first visited the administrative building where official documents were handled. There he spoke with a series of officers, passing coded messages through the proper channels. As a true member of the Western Immortal Court’s trainee division he had certain rights, and he used them efficiently.

He sent messages through a special jade slip that bore the symbol of the Immortal Court Academy. The reply would take several days, but it would reach someone who had a greater say than any captain in an outpost.

Meanwhile, Elyon, Cattaleya, and Meng Bai remained at a place near the jail. Elyon used his darkness affinity to eavesdrop on guards. Cattaleya stood in silent fury and Meng Bai kept an eye on Little Shrubby.

Little Shrubby was the real concern.

The small but terrifying beast sat on a rooftop staring at the jail with burning eyes. His tail flicked in agitation.

"If they hurt Lin Mu, I will burn them all," he growled.

Meng Bai gulped. "Fire is not the answer. You know how Master feels about needless destruction."

"They imprisoned him," Little Shrubby growled again. "I can smell their arrogance."

Meng Bai rubbed his temples. "We know they are corrupt. Master knows too. That is why he let them take him. To see how far they go."

Little Shrubby hissed. "I will not let them harm him."

"He will not be harmed," Elyon said, appearing beside them silently. "The guards treat him like any other prisoner. No torture. No questioning yet."

Little Shrubby’s golden eyes narrowed. "Yet."

"We will watch closely," Elyon said. "When it is time, Lin Mu will walk out on his own."

While Lin Mu’s companions held their positions, another force moved silently.

The goblins.

The small green skinned beings had not forgotten the human who had stood up for them. They had been watching from the shadows. Goblins did not repay kindness with words or gifts. They repaid it with action. And they were exceptionally good at one thing.

Spreading chaos.

That very night, goblins infiltrated the outer districts of the outpost. Their tiny frames allowed them to slip into gaps beneath floorboards or between arrays. Their cloaks hid them from immortal senses. It was only Lin Mu who could acutally sense them when in reality only a few would be able to do that.

In secrecy, their claws etched symbols so quietly that no one noticed.

In the Yong clan estate, a young servant carrying food suddenly froze when he felt something crawling across his ankle. He whipped around, but nothing was there. A faint mark glowed under his robe. A goblin had tagged him.

A few hours later, a clan elder in the Qing household was walking across the courtyard when a sudden chill touched the back of his neck. He swatted at the air, confused. A new symbol had appeared behind him, painted in invisible light. He had no idea that he had been marked.

Every time one of the clan’s members walked through the marketplace, a tiny invisible hand brushed their clothes. Sometimes their sleeves were tugged. Sometimes their hair was touched. Sometimes their boots were scratched.

Goblins moved like whispers.

They leapt between shadows, climbed up roofs, and slipped under wagons to mark more individuals. Not a single person noticed them.

The taverns, trade halls, and outer courtyards saw more goblin activity than they had in decades. Those with exceptionally sharp senses felt a strange unsettling presence but could not locate its source.