Chapter 348 The Capital’s Reality and Sightseeing

The polite small talk quickly ended. Shaoke was the first to change the subject, bringing up the matter between Mage Yisier and her husband. After a moment of silence, Mage Yisier finally responded.

"He just wants me to go sleep with some nobles now," she said, her expression was very grim. "He's forgotten how noble a mage's status is. He just wants to satisfy those nobles' dirty thoughts of toying with a Seventh Tier Mage." As she said this, Mage Yisier rubbed her forehead helplessly, clearly deeply affected by the matter.

"Cut all ties with him," Shaoke quickly gave his answer. "Mage Roman said he even sent someone to hurt you a while back. If that's the case, why keep up such a pointless relationship?" As he spoke, Shaoke's psychic energy, which he kept constantly extended, detected some professionals rapidly approaching the manor, so he quickly stopped the previous topic and informed the hostess of this discovery.

Mage Yisier didn't pay much attention to the news, but she knew Shaoke was puzzled. Still, she explained in detail to him and Mage Roman: "Whenever an outsider comes here now, he quickly sends some people over to check." After saying this, Mage Yisier twisted the corner of her mouth and added, "He thinks this will drive my friends away from me." She shrugged and gave Shaoke and the others a helpless look. Though the topic was heavy, her indifferent expression put Shaoke a bit more at ease.

"Yisier, have the people inside come out now." Soon the professionals outside reached the manor, and a gruff voice shouted loudly. Shaoke figured that shouting like that would carry a long way. "If you don't come out, we'll come in and drag you out ourselves." The people outside continued shouting, showing no respect for Mage Yisier or Mage Roman.

Shaoke silently stood up, pulled his cloak tighter, and without any warning unleashed a Fifth Tier Rending Ray at the one who had shouted. The gray-black ray pierced through the house and shot out, and the loud shouting was silenced forever. The street began to stir into chaos.

"Attacking within the imperial capital is punishable by the military authorities," Mage Yisier said, snapping back to her senses after Shaoke had cast his spell. She hadn't expected Shaoke to kill someone right here and now. Mage Roman and the Cleric beside her also looked at Shaoke with worry. Their only concern now was whether the patrols would discover this and cause Shaoke unnecessary trouble.

"Low-tier professionals have no right to reprimand a high-tier existence," Shaoke sensed the situation outside. The man he had killed was a Sixth Tier Warrior. Back then, during a battle with a Fourth Tier Warrior, it had taken him some time, but now, killing a Sixth Tier professional was merely the work of an instant spell.

"If you run into this situation again, it's best to kill them," Shaoke said, then instantly fired off two more Rending Rays. He stood up and headed for the door. "Low-tier existences are never qualified to stand before you and talk nonsense." He took off his ordinary cloak, gesturing for Mage Roman and the others to follow him outside. If those outside kept causing trouble, he wouldn't mind killing a few more.

Outside Mage Yisier's manor, the street had erupted into chaos over the deaths of the three professionals. Many ordinary residents fled the area, but they didn't go far—instead, they gathered at a distance to watch the show. The professionals who had gathered there were in a panic. They had never expected to be met with such ruthless, unprovoked violence.

"He's now in touch with a noble family. Doing this will cause a lot of unnecessary trouble," Mage Yisier quickly caught up to Shaoke. She didn't want to cause him any unnecessary trouble because she hadn't explained everything. After all, she still liked this mage.

Shaoke paid no attention to Yisier's words. Although the imperial capital forbade professionals from attacking and fighting here, there were exceptions to the rule. Moreover, this time, some low-tier existence had insulted an Eighth Tier Practitioner. "No one has the right to make me go out and see them," Shaoke answered Mage Yisier. Only such a response would keep him from breaking the rules and avoid a siege by the imperial capital's guards, who were Eighth Tier Practitioners themselves.

"Don't you know that attacking us here will be punished by the military authorities?" A young mage yelled loudly using an Amplification Spell after Shaoke and the others came out. "I believe the empire's patrols won't let you off the hook," the mage shouted again, then backed away a few steps because he felt uncomfortable under Shaoke's gaze.

Gray-black rays flashed in the air once more. Covering barely a hundred meters, they reached their target in an instant. The young mage, like his three companions before him, had his skull shattered by Shaoke's spell and lay dead on the street. Shaoke then slowly floated up, hovering in the air, waiting silently.

Eighth Tier Practitioners! The professionals gathered outside Yisier's manor panicked. They hadn't expected the murderous mage to be an Eighth Tier existence.

"Stop. No one is allowed to leave here without my permission," said Shaoke, floating in the air. He quickly sensed the professionals below preparing to flee and gave a timely warning. "Without my permission, you cannot leave here." With that, he fell silent and gestured for Mage Roman and the others to return to the manor. He would handle everything outside.

After a brief discussion, Mage Roman and the others decided to return to the manor, leaving the outside matters for Shaoke to confront. Of course, this was exactly what Shaoke wanted.

After the few female spellcasters entered the manor, Shaoke remained hovering in the air. He planned to wait for the patrols to arrive and have a proper discussion with them. But this idea would never come to pass—as night fell, no patrol cavalry passed by. Shaoke clearly sensed that a powerful cavalry unit had passed through the street ahead without coming to investigate.

Since the patrols had not arrived after such a long time, Shaoke lost the desire to stay any longer. He understood that the patrols had tacitly approved of his actions. Therefore, he acted even more recklessly. One after another, Rending Rays were instant-cast. Over a dozen low-tier professionals gathered there—whether they were Sixth Tier or lower—had their skulls shattered, and their remains were burned clean by Arcane Fire. All this happened in a very short time, too short for those professionals to flee.

"I think this time, your nominal husband will no longer dare to come here to cause you trouble," Shaoke said to Mage Yisier upon returning to the manor. "If something like this happens again, don't hesitate—kill them without worry. After all, you're a Seventh Tier Mage." As he spoke, Shaoke waved his staff. He cared less and less about ordinary people now.

The group chatted about other matters for a while before finishing dinner and spending the night at Yisier's manor. That evening, aside from Lan Wei'er, who was unhappy about going to bed alone, Shaoke and the others all stayed in one room. After a passionate night, they lay panting on the bed and talked in low voices.

During the night, Mage Roman and the White-robed Cleric once again tried to persuade Mage Yisier to return to the Blizzard Legion headquarters, where she could avoid many troubles. However, this good suggestion was once again flatly rejected by Mage Yisier.

"I want to leave the Blue Feather Empire and travel to another empire," Mage Yisier said, lying on Shaoke's abdomen. After a series of kisses, she lifted her head to look at him. She hoped this man could give her some advice.

"Become a Wandering Mage?" Shaoke tightly grasped the Cleric's golden long hair as she took over Yisier's task below, bringing him great stimulation. Meanwhile, Mage Roman kept touching some of his sensitive spots with her small hands, seemingly trying to rekindle his desire.

Mage Yisier nodded, then lay on Shaoke, quietly feeling his warmth. She had grown tired of military life and wanted to spend some time freely outside.

"If that's the decision you've made, I won't object," Shaoke said, stroking Yisier's long hair. He then dropped the subject because the White-robed Cleric below had resumed her teasing. He had no choice but to once again embark on a path of conquest among these female spellcasters.

Over the following days, the mages indulged in spirited sightseeing across the imperial capital. Finally, after resigning from her position in the Blizzard Legion, Mage Yisier took the High-tier Meditation Method and some items needed for advancement that Shaoke had given her, and left the imperial capital alone, heading for the distant Maple Leaf Empire. She wanted to learn more spell knowledge and meet new people there.

Yisier's departure left Mage Roman and the others somewhat somber, but they knew such things could not be avoided, as everyone has their own choices. Such choices could not be dissuaded by a few words from others. However, before leaving, Shaoke privately promised Yisier that he would surely visit her in the Maple Leaf Empire in the future. For now, he could only wish her well there.

After seeing off Yisier, Mage Roman and the White-robed Cleric both hoped that Shaoke would return to the Blizzard Legion. There, they could spend a lot of time together, and Roman's hope of having a child would have a much higher chance of being realized.

Shaoke did not immediately agree to Roman's suggestion, but he did temporarily reside at the Blizzard Legion headquarters. This way, he could spend more time teaching Lan Wei'er about spellcraft.

One day, while Shaoke was resting in his room, Lan Wei'er ran in, bringing some not-so-good news. "Mage Xueye, mother and the Cleric have been surrounded by some people outside. A Blizzard Legion member came to inform you." Lan Wei'er anxiously pulled at Shaoke's arm, intending to rush to the scene immediately. She was very worried about her mother's safety, especially since both she and the Cleric were spellcasters without offensive capabilities. If those people attacked, the consequences would be severe.

The news unsettled Shaoke's calm mood, but he remained composed. He calmly asked Lan Wei'er for details about Roman's situation, then slowly packed some items before letting Lan Wei'er lead him there. Shaoke's calm demeanor relieved the panicked Lan Wei'er, as she believed an Eighth Tier Practitioner could solve any problem.

The place where Mage Roman and the others were surrounded was a manor in the center of the imperial capital. There, nobles had invited the Blizzard Legion to a banquet, and Mage Roman and the Cleric had attended as representatives of the Blizzard 33rd Corps.

Lan Wei'er couldn't explain the exact reason, only that Roman had argued with some people, and after the banquet ended, those individuals forbade Roman and the others from returning.

Once outside, Shaoke unhesitatingly picked up Lan Wei'er and flew swiftly in the direction she indicated. Fortunately, he activated a low-tier Defensive Spell to shield Lan Wei'er from the biting wind. The rapid flight took barely half a magic hour.

His powerful psychic energy shrouded the manor Lan Wei'er had pointed out. There, he quickly detected the mental fluctuations of Mage Roman and the White-robed Cleric. He also unexpectedly sensed the mental fluctuations of some familiar faces, but he didn't bother to identify them. Instead, he demonstratively instant-cast a Rending Vortex to alert those surrounding Roman.

After the spell tore through the roof, Shaoke slowly descended into the room through the gap. There, he immediately saw Mage Roman and the White-robed Cleric surrounded by some people. Their expressions looked terrible. Around them, over a dozen black-robed mages and some warriors protected them, while outside, a group of white-robed professionals, commanded by a middle-aged man, tightly encircled Roman and the others.

"Outsider, I believe I did not invite you to this banquet," said a middle-aged noble as Shaoke and Lan Wei'er entered the grand hall. The noble pointed his scepter at Shaoke and questioned him. Beside the noble stood two Eighth Tier Warriors holding weapons, appearing completely indifferent to Shaoke's arrival.

"Are you the master of this place?" Shaoke set down Lan Wei'er, nodded to Mage Roman and the others to indicate everything would be fine, then scanned the white-robed professionals and continued addressing the noble master: "Since those attending your banquet cannot be guaranteed safety, I don't think you have any right to accuse me." After speaking, Shaoke glanced at the other guests, where he saw some familiar faces looking at him in surprise, as if he were an ancient giant.

His words displeased the host, but he said nothing and only gestured for the new arrival to sit. However, Shaoke ignored him and carefully surveyed the situation.

The banquet seemed in a terrible state. Many professionals in military uniforms were gathered there, but they did not join the confrontation with the white-robed professionals. Instead, they held wine glasses and watched the unfolding events with interest. This left a very bad impression on Shaoke.

"Moxier, let's leave," Shaoke said, walking straight toward Mage Roman and the others with his staff in hand. He paid no attention to the white-robed professionals, even though there were two Eighth Tier Practitioners among them. He then glanced at the white-robed individuals, signaling them to step aside.

Shaoke's actions suddenly quieted the banquet atmosphere. The murmuring of guests ceased as they quietly watched Shaoke. As for their thoughts, Shaoke could not know. Of course, the white-robed professionals would not leave without orders from their commander. At this point, Shaoke identified them by their insignias as people from the Yisage Empire. This reminded him of what had happened in the Fallen Imperial Capital years ago.

"Do you intend to stop me here?" As Shaoke spoke, the black staff's tip suddenly emitted a mass of black flame without any warning. The flame kept bursting, with sparks landing on him, but those sparks followed the magic script on his cloak and flew back to the staff's tip.

"I won't say it a second time," Shaoke said, quickly raising his staff and striking it hard at the white-robed professional blocking his path. This stunned everyone present. They hadn't expected this mage to be so hot-tempered, which made them quite uncomfortable in a banquet setting.

The white-robed professional was not struck by Shaoke, as he was not a warrior. Even so, he did not retaliate because his leader hadn't given the order. Shaoke, however, twitched the corner of his mouth. Under psychic control, the black flame burst violently, with large amounts of flames falling to the floor and disappearing without causing any damage to the fine stone floor or the thick soft carpet.

"I don't think you should start a fight here," said the middle-aged host, stepping a few steps closer under the protection of the two Eighth Tier Warriors. "This is a matter between the Yisage Empire and those two female spellcasters. I don't think we need to get involved in it." He added, "I vouch, on my honor as an Imperial Duke, that the Yisage Empire will not cause any physical harm to those two female spellcasters."

"Xueye, they want Moxier and me to sleep with them," the White-robed Cleric, guarded by the Blizzard Legion members, called out loudly.

Shaoke glanced at the White-robed Cleric, then looked at the pale-faced Mage Roman. The female mage bit her lip and nodded, confirming the truth of the Cleric's words.

"This mage, these two female spellcasters caused harm to a guest from the Yisage Empire during the banquet. They must provide compensation for that," said the middle-aged noble, motioning for a servant to bring wine to Shaoke, who declined.

"Your guarantee is as fragile as a sheet of paper. I don't care about such a paper," Shaoke said, scanning the duke. He actually knew why the duke was protecting the Yisage Empire people, but he didn't want to think too much about it. His only concern was taking Roman and the others back safely.

Just as Shaoke and the noble host were speaking, a young man, supported by some white-robed professionals, arrived. The young man looked very handsome, but his long golden hair was disheveled, as if singed by fire.

"Duke, I think my request is not excessive. They harmed me, and now they must pay a price," said the young man, seemingly ignoring the situation. He gave a slight bow to the duke and repeated his demand. "I don't think this should trouble you. They're just two Seventh Tier Practitioners." He bowed again to the host and then ordered his guards to seize Mage Roman and the White-robed Cleric. But Shaoke stopped them.

"This is your compensation." Shaoke took out a gold coin and tossed it in front of the young man with golden hair. "I think this is sufficient compensation." As he spoke, his externally released psychic energy detected many warriors arriving outside. The violent aura fluctuations told him their identity. With that in mind, Shaoke acted even more boldly.

"If you want to compensate me with gold coins, then please pay a thousand naturally pure primeval elemental stones. How does that condition sound?" The golden-haired young man glanced at Mage Roman, then his gaze fell on Lan Wei'er behind Shaoke, and he smiled at her.

Shaoke did not answer; instead, he closed his eyes and stood still. Beside him, a tense Lan Wei'er tightly grasped his arm, afraid he might abandon her mother.