In the shadows, the masked man watched their retreating figures disappear into the night. He struggled to his feet, pulled a communication Crystal from his robes, and crushed it between his teeth.

The moment the Crystal shattered, a dark red halo flared up, coalescing in the air into a line of twisted text.

[Target’s combat power severely underestimated. Mission failed. Requesting extraction.]

The text flickered twice before dissipating into the air.

Clutching his shoulder, the masked man staggered away in the opposite direction.

Nightingale Bar.

The sign was a wooden carving of a red bird, mounted on the outer wall. Its wings were spread, and its eyes, inlaid with rubies, glinted eerily in the darkness.

The bar’s door was narrow, only wide enough for one person to pass through.

Pushing the door open revealed a dimly lit interior. The air was a mixture of alcohol, tobacco, and cheap perfume.

Behind the bar, a woman was wiping a glass.

She looked to be in her thirties, with red hair tied back in a ponytail. She wore a tight leather vest, revealing two arms covered in tattoos.

Hearing the door, she looked up and glanced over Ian and Robert before lowering her head to continue wiping the glass.

"We’re closed."

Her voice was hoarse and a bit nasal.

Ian walked up to the bar, pulled out a high stool, and sat down.

"I’m looking for Red Sparrow."

The woman’s hand paused as she wiped the glass.

"She’s not here," she said.

"Then where can I find her?"

Ian took a High Level Magic Stone from his Dimension Ring, placed it on the bar, and pushed it forward.

The Magic Stone gleamed with a soft luster under the dim yellow light.

The woman glanced at it but didn’t move.

"I don’t know any Red Sparrow," she said. "You’ve come to the wrong place."

Ian increased the number to ten.

Ten High Level Magic Stones. This was a fortune beyond the means of an ordinary person.

The woman finally put down the glass.

She looked up, stared at Ian for a few seconds, and then suddenly smiled.

"Kid, do you know the rules?" she asked, reaching out and tracing a finger across the surface of a Magic Stone.

"Here at the Nightingale Bar, the price for information isn’t set with Magic Stones."

"Then what is it?"

"With your life." The woman leaned forward, propping her elbows on the bar and drawing closer to Ian. Her voice dropped to a low whisper.

"For some people, buying information about them means putting your life on the line. Are you sure you want to buy?"

Ian looked at her.

"The broker I’m looking for took a job this afternoon. The client came from the south and carries the aura of the Withered. I want to know who the client is and where they are now."

The woman’s smile vanished.

She stared at Ian, her gaze turning as sharp as a knife.

"You’re Ian Marcus." It was a statement, not a question.

"I am."

"The much-talked-about Level One Wizard from the Magic Potion Department. The Refiner of the Starlight Potion."

"I am."

The woman was silent for a few seconds, then she straightened up, pulled a wooden board from under the bar, and hung it on the door.

The board read: Closed for Business.

She turned and pushed open a small door on the side of the bar.

"Come in."

Behind the door was a small room, about ten square meters, piled high with junk.

Dozens of wooden shelves were nailed to the walls, lined with all sorts of jars and pots. They contained bizarre things preserved in liquid: eyeballs, fingers, and still-squirming Insects.

In the center of the room were a table and two chairs.

Red Sparrow gestured for Ian to sit, then sat down opposite him.

"I have the information you want," she said, getting straight to the point. "But the price is high."

"Name your price."

"First, was it you who killed the people from the Purple Iris Flower Commerce Association?"

"Eight died, one got away," Ian said.

Red Sparrow raised an eyebrow. She knew that two Level One Wizards had also been part of the operation.

"Ruthless," she commented with a nod. "Second, do you want this information for revenge, or to negotiate?"

"That depends."

"Third..." Red Sparrow leaned forward, staring into Ian’s eyes.

"If I tell you, you have to promise that after you walk out this door tonight, you were never here, and you never saw me."

"Agreed."

Red Sparrow took a deep breath.

"The clients are two people, a man and a woman. The man is called ’Ashes,’ and the woman is ’Cold Crow.’ Both are Core Stewards of the Withered Council. I only know that Cold Crow is at Level One Peak."

"They arrived in Shadow Moon three days ago and are staying at the ’Old Oak Inn’ in the southeast corner of the Black Market. They’ve rented the two innermost rooms on the top floor."

"What are they looking for?"

Red Sparrow shook her head. "I don’t know what it is specifically, but they’ve posted a high-priced bounty in the Black Market."

’Could Hector have left some trick up his sleeve and leaked the information?’

Any trace of wishful thinking in Ian’s mind vanished completely.

"How did they track me down?"

"That, I don’t know." Red Sparrow shook her head again.

"But the Withered Council has its own intelligence network. Especially when it involves the death of a core member, they’ll use every means at their disposal.

"Hector died in the Underworld. There were only a few people in the Underground Cave at the time. If they investigate everyone one by one, they’re bound to narrow it down to the most likely suspect."

She paused, then added, "Besides, you’ve been too high-profile recently. The Starlight Potion, core privileges in the Magic Potion Department, and opening a shop... A tall tree catches the wind. It would be hard not to attract attention."

Ian was silent for a few seconds.

’I didn’t have a choice. There are only so many resources to go around. If I don’t fight for them, they’ll just end up in someone else’s pocket.’

"What’s their next move?"

"Cut off your resource channels and force you out into the open," Red Sparrow said.

Ian nodded. The attack today was just a probe.

If the probe failed, they would escalate.

The suppliers he worked with in the Black Market had probably already been secretly threatened or eliminated by the enemy.

"Do you have any specific information on that?" Ian asked, probing further.

Red Sparrow hesitated for a moment but decided to tell him. She also wanted to get on the good side of the Magic Potion Alchemist before her.

"Next, they’ll likely target your resource lines within Shadow Moon."

Ian’s gaze turned cold. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"They dare to make a move on people inside Shadow Moon?"

"Not openly, of course. But if they act covertly and leave no evidence, there’s nothing anyone can do," Red Sparrow said.

"The Withered Council has always operated in secret. By the time you realize what’s happened, they’ll be long gone."

She looked at Ian, her expression complex.

"Wizard Marcus, let me give you a piece of advice. The Withered Council is insidious and venomous, not straightforward like the Deep Red Royal Court. They also have a Level Three Great Witch backing them. You can’t fight them alone."

"So?" Ian asked.

"So, either you bow your head, hand over what they want, and buy yourself a way out, or..." Red Sparrow paused.

"You leave Shadow Moon, leave the East Coast, and get as far away as you possibly can."

Ian sneered inwardly. ’I worked so hard to build up my strength, and it wasn’t so I could spend my life on the run.’

He stood up, took out another ten High Level Magic Stones from his Dimension Ring, and placed them on the table.

"This is the fee for the information."

Red Sparrow looked at the pile of Magic Stones but didn’t touch them.

"One more thing," Ian said. "If ’Ashes’ and ’Cold Crow’ die, will someone stronger come for me?"

Red Sparrow froze for a second, then slowly nodded.

"...They will."

"In this region, the Withered Council is famous for being protective of its own. Killing their core members is the same as declaring war. The ones who come next might be Level Two, or even Level Three."

"Understood."

Ian turned and walked toward the door.

"Hey," Red Sparrow called out to him. "Are you really going?"

Ian stopped but didn’t turn around.

"They went after my channels, and they tried to kill me..." he replied softly.

He pushed open the door and walked out.

Robert was waiting outside. Seeing Ian emerge, he hurried over.

"Sir, did you find out?"

"Yes," Ian said. "Go back and tell Kenna to close the shop for now. All four of you are to stay in your quarters and not go out. Wait for my word."

"Yes, sir." Robert paused. "Sir, where are you going?"

Ian looked up, his gaze fixed on the southeast corner of the Black Market.

’At least one Level One Peak Wizard, plus the Vaporization Wizard who escaped.’

’I can’t just go knocking on their door. I’m not strong enough to beat them in a direct confrontation.’

’This is my personal problem, so I can’t rely on the High Tower’s power to intervene directly.’

’As for private invitations... Alevia is only at Level One Peak, and Malena just recently advanced. As for the others...’

’Forget it. I’ll handle this myself. It shouldn’t be too difficult.’