23: Starry Sky Meditation

Ronan had underestimated things. What was this talk of robbery... This was way more profitable than robbery!

"Miss Alice, have there ever been direct conflicts between hostile forces and the Guild?"

After asking, Ronan felt this question might also fall within the fee range, making it somewhat redundant to voice.

"There were in the past. I heard it was when Moonless City was first established. The situation among the various forces could be described as a massive free-for-all."

Alice smiled, "Of course, for specific details, I recommend purchasing relevant intelligence. I have various tiers available here..."

Ronan was starting to understand the Guild's tactics.

First, toss out an eye-catching piece of information, giving only the gist without details.

Once the listener's interest is piqued, then timely introduce the passenger package.

"Next time for sure." Ronan stood up and left.

Walking out of the Adventurers Guild hall, he suddenly felt an empty sense of being penniless.

Parker followed behind, somewhat hesitant to speak.

"Sir, I consider the guiding task completed. Do you have any further instructions?"

He suddenly felt that describing what he did as a task seemed very... professional.

"Then let's go, back to Jiuwan Village."

After saying this, Ronan strode ahead, heading toward the city exit.

This time, he didn't need Parker to guide him. He was afraid that upon arrival, Parker might ask for an additional guiding fee.

Although the other party likely wouldn't dare, he couldn't risk it since he truly had no money and couldn't withstand any probing.

"Sir, aren't you staying in the city?" Parker was somewhat surprised.

He thought Ronan would enjoy himself properly, and he might even get to tag along to high-end places like Ju Xiang Bie Yuan, Ruby Dream Hall, and Grey Elf Rose Hall.

"I accepted your village's task..." Ronan briefly explained the task content to him.

"So that's what it is. That was a long time ago. That woman has probably run off to who knows where by now."

Parker briefly shared what he knew, which basically matched the task description.

After learning when the incident occurred, Ronan agreed with his view, "I'm just passing through. Actually, I'm really heading to the Abandoned Ancient Castle."

"Abandoned Ancient Castle?!" Parker's voice suddenly sharpened, "Sir, that's not a place to go!"

"What's the story?" Ronan raised his eyes.

"It's said to be haunted. Even Adventurers have been lost there..." Although it was hearsay, Parker spoke as if he had seen it firsthand.

"That's perfect." Ronan nodded, "I'm specifically targeting ghosts."

Gargoyles are also ghosts.

Mages are just mages.

When leaving the city, Parker once again left under the respectful gazes of the guards, feeling elated.

Along the way, Ronan chatted intermittently with Parker behind him.

"Your village isn't that far from Moonless City. Why is it still so backward?" He saw the wooden huts and pigsty at the village entrance again and asked.

"Sir, the village naturally can't compare to the city. The older generation didn't even know Moonless City existed."

Parker said with a smile, then walked to the village entrance and called out, announcing his and Ronan's arrival.

Soon, a group of men, young and old, followed the Village Chief out.

Upon seeing Ronan clearly, everyone collectively sighed in relief.

"Sir, why have you returned?" The Village Chief stepped forward, somewhat puzzled.

"Village Chief, the sir accepted the village's task." Parker quickly stepped forward and briefly explained.

"So that matter... Please, sir, come into the village to discuss." The Village Chief waved to disperse the crowd and led Ronan into a wooden hut.

The wooden hut was extremely simple. A wooden bow covered in cobwebs hung on the wall. In the corner were piled rusty short hunting knives, animal traps, and shackles with chains.

It looked like this should be a hunter's home.

On the bed inside lay a middle-aged man. An elderly woman with graying temples feeding him medicine was likely his mother.

Seeing the Village Chief bring someone in, the old woman tried to stand and bow, but after some comforting, she gave up and continued feeding the man on the bed.

"Sir, this is the hunter Hunter." The Village Chief introduced, "He had an accident during a hunt and ended up paralyzed from the waist down."

"Who knows what ominous thing he brought back. His wife, upon contact that same day, went mad and ran toward the Monster Forest, disappearing since."

"We've asked him countless times, but he won't say... Seeing that this family couldn't be left to ruin, the village could only pool money to hire Adventurers to investigate."

At this point, the Village Chief sighed, "The village actually can't afford much... Over time, everyone basically gave up."

"Now, this mother and son can only rely on occasional village relief to survive."

Seeing the old woman finish feeding the medicine and leave, Ronan took the opportunity to walk to the bedside.

Seeing a young man with white hair, wearing luxurious robes, and looking dignified and imposing, the paralyzed hunter's eyes showed fear.

"Can you speak?" Ronan asked briefly.

The hunter nodded, making a muffled sound in his throat in response.

It's like this when you haven't spoken for a long time and just start. It gets better after a few more sentences.

"Do you still want your wife back?" Ronan got straight to the point, "Tell me everything. I'll help look for her."

The hunter remained silent.

Ronan looked back and exchanged a glance with the Village Chief, shook his head helplessly, and turned to leave.

"Any other clues?" Outside, Ronan asked the Village Chief. Seeing the Village Chief also didn't know much, "Forget it, I'll look around myself."

"Sir, it's so late today. Why don't you stay?" The Village Chief kindly offered.

"No, I'm very busy. I need to head to another place soon."

Night is precisely when Gargoyles are active. Heading there now might be just right.

"Sir, that's their family's abandoned pigsty."

The Village Chief saw Ronan heading toward the area behind the wooden hut and kindly reminded him.

"I know. I'm just looking around. Don't mind me." Ronan's voice came from behind.

The Village Chief had no choice but to leave alone.

At this moment, Ronan stood in the dilapidated, abandoned pigsty, holding a rough stone in deep thought.

This was an ordinary stone with no distinctive features, its texture and grain no different from the surrounding rubble.

However, in Ronan's eyes, the stone appeared differently.

He could clearly see that the stone was just a crude disguise. Inside, it actually hid a bead.

When did I gain X-ray vision?

Ronan was somewhat amazed, simultaneously noticing his Spiritual Power was continuously depleting.

He quickly looked at his panel.

Sure enough, the [Analysis] in the traits column was flashing incessantly. The culprit consuming Spiritual Power was it.

So this new trait only reveals its true function when encountering specific items.

Understanding the stone was just a disguise, he twisted his Spiritual Power into a strand and carefully probed into the bead inside the stone.

As soon as his Spiritual Power touched the bead, it sank like a clay ox entering the sea, as if absorbed by the bead.

Ronan So be it increased the output, sending a surge of Spiritual Power toward the bead.

At a certain moment, the bead seemed to reach a critical point. With a faint, almost imperceptible cracking sound.

Instantly, glowing characters shot out from the bead, arranging orderly in his mind, forming page after page of text.

Before he could clearly see the content,

The long-dormant book of magical knowledge suddenly emitted a colorful light, absorbing all these pages into itself.

Immediately after, the book of magical knowledge moved without wind, and the content just now instantly appeared before Ronan's eyes,

"Starry Sky Meditation Method..."