After a few days of settling down in Roser City, Adrian and the kids were finally used to their new schedule.
The kids stayed in the courtyard while Adrian went out to take care of whatever they needed.
One day in the restaurant downtown, Adrian was at a table by the window, clad in his black cloak, he quietly ate his meal while listening to the conversations of the customers.
His main purpose was to gather information.
He knew the demon sects could not hide their actions for long and they would have to give up eventually. He wanted to assess the reaction of the Orthodox faction in order to plan his next move.
Adrian was not the same 15-year-old boy he was a month ago.
The extermination of his family coupled with the vast knowledge he had received, increased his intelligence and mental fortitude to a level that shouldn't be found in a child.
"Hey, don't you think the patrols in the city are getting too much?"
"Of course, but it's not without reason."
"That's true. Some people still can't believe that the Thorne family has fallen."
"It's a pity that none of them survived."
"A pity? Hah, those bastards deserved it. Their arrogance finally caught up to them."
Various individuals voiced their opinions on the recent events. Some were sympathetic towards the Thorne family while a few were gloating at their misfortune. Most were just trying to have a fun conversation. Soon, the topics switched to some other subjects. Adrian listened to everything and couldn't find any useful information.
However, this was to be expected. After all, Roser City was just a small city that was in the middle of no where. The fact that they were able to recieve such news was already hard to believe.
This was the situation for the past few days. He quietly got up and exited the restaurant. He quickly made his way back to the small courtyard and sat down on a chair in his room. His return didn't cause any reaction from the kids.
They were taking a nap because they were tired from cultivating all morning. Adrian stared at the ceiling for a while, deep in contemplation.
After a while, his gaze became firm, and he made a decision. He then waved his hand and a small crystal ball appeared in it.
This was a method of communication that required crystal balls that were a pair. One could connect to the other by simply infusing qi into the crystal ball. Adrian infused his qi into it and it started glowing.
In a luxurious hall far away, a girl of similar age to Adrian was practicing her sword arts when she felt a fluctuation from her storage ring.
Her delicate figure suddenly came to a halt as a surprised expression appeared on her face.
As she was about to pick up, a figure suddenly appeared behind her.
"Why have you stopped practicing?"
The figure questioned in a slightly hoarse voice. She turned around to find her father, Norman Blake, the patriarch of the Blake family, standing behind her. The girl turned around and replied, with a surprised voice, " Father, someone is trying to contact me using the crystal ball." She waved her hand and a similar-looking crystal ball appeared in it.
She infused her qi and a connection was formed between the two crystal balls.
"Alicia...are you there?" A familiar voice sounded out from the crystal ball.
"Adrian? You're alive?" Her bewildered voice sounded out from the crystal ball.
Adrian wasn't surprised at her attitude. After all, news of the destruction of his family was circulating throughout the continent.
No one would have expected him to be alive.
"Yes, I'm alive. I was lucky enough to survive."
Listening to his explanation, both father and daughter somewhat understood the situation.
"Alicia, I need your help. I don't know if those people looking for me. I need you to help me arrange for people to come and help me escape from here safely."
Alicia had been ever fiancée ever since they were toddlers. Even though they couldn't be said to be in love, they communicated regularly due to the influence of both families and were very familiar with each other. Adrian considered Alicia a friend, so he wasn't expecting her next words.
"Adrian, I and the House of Blake cannot help you." Her voice was particularly cold as she said this.
Adrian was stunned for a few seconds before he replied "Wait, what do you mean you can't help?
At least consult with your father before making such a decision."
"This is my father's decision." Her voice rang out again.
After a short pause, Adrian spoke again. "Both Houses have a mutual agreement to help each other in times of need. You're my fiancée, why don't you want to help me?"
"The House of Thorne no longer exists, so all agreements between the two families are void....including our engagement." As she said the last part, Alicia looked up at her father who nodded his head slightly indicating his agreement.
"It seems there is no fate between both houses. Since you were lucky enough to survive, I suggest that you try and live quietly somewhere that..."
Before she could finish her sentence, the crystal ball dimmed indicating that the connection was cut off. She sighed softly as she asked her father,
"Is this the right thing to do?"
The man replied softly without any change in his expression.
" Child, you are too young to understand the workings of this world. Just do what I tell you to do and you'll be fine."
"Besides, a fallen house has nothing to offer us anymore."
Alicia was about to speak before her father simply waved her off. She didn't say anything else, simply bowed and walked away.
Her father watched her as she walked away, his thoughts unreadable. Norman Blake was always a shrewd man who only cared about profits. The marriage between the two families was one such transaction.