Though the House of Thorne was a bit hesitant at first, they ultimately agreed, having found no suitable reason not to. Now it seemed that they had made the wrong bet.
'Wait, since the brat is still alive, perhaps he knows what those demons were looking for that caused them to go on such a rampage.
Hah, it seems I was a bit too rash this time. It wouldn't have been too late to break off ties after learning what he knows.'
He let out a sigh of regret. Then without hesitation, he turned and made his way into the hall. Despite his blunder, he still held an advantage. He was the only one who knew that Adrian was still alive, and he was going to use this information to the greatest advantage.
Alicia's face was unreadable as she made her way to her room. Even though she was a bit reluctant, there was nothing she could do.
Besides, she couldn't deny that she was happy that their engagement was broken. Even though she hadn't voiced her opinion before, she was against marrying someone against her will, so this all worked out quite well for her.
Thinking of this, the little bit of guilt in her heart dissipated as her mind became clear and free of doubt and worry.
After the transmission was cut off, Adrian sat silently for what felt like hours. The shattered crystal ball was still in his hands, the shards digging into his skin, reminding of what he had just heard.
This conversation confirmed that he was all alone in this world now. The realization hit him so fiercely that his mind blanked out. The Blakes were his last hope, and now that they were refusing to help him, he didn't have a clue what to do next.
As he sat there in a daze, a small hand tugged on his robe, pulling him out of his thoughts. He looked down to find the barely awake Olivia rubbing her eyes with one hand while holding onto his robes with the other. Seeing the cute little girl brought a smile to his face.
He realized that he wasn't actually alone. He still had his two siblings with him. This realization relieved him of his worries.
"Big brother, what's the matter?" She asked while yawning.
"Everything is fine, Liv. Are you hungry?" He forced out a smile, masking his actual feelings while asking.
"Yes, let's go eat, big brother."
Liv, who became wide awake at the mention of food, said sweetly.
Adrian ordered some food from the restaurant below and had it delivered to their rooms.
Since Liv had started cultivating, her appetite had increased, and she had to have meals regularly in order to keep up with her metabolism. While the kids were eating, Adrian was still thinking. He had to carefully plan out their next course of action.
Adrian had to grow stronger. He couldn't do so by staying in this small city. Even though he had various cultivation techniques and skills at his disposal, he needed treasures and resources to enhance his growth speed.
Thinking of this, he decided to return to the Misty Mountains. Though it was known as a death zone, the amount of resources present there was undeniable. They just needed to be found.
Now that he had a plan, he heaved a sigh of relief. An invisible weight was lifted off his shoulders as he began chatting leisurely with the kids.
He informed them that they would be leaving tomorrow. Now he had to make some preparations. Before, he didn't consider the consequences of contacting someone else. But now that the House of Blake had turned their backs on him, the situation had become complicated.
The news that he was still alive was out there now, so he had to become weary. He didn't know what the House of Blake would use this information to do, but he wasn't waiting to find out. His trust in them and anyone, for that matter, had completely evaporated.
Adrian went out to buy a wagon and a few horses. He also went around to purchase a lot of different items like fruits and wine. His idea was to pose as a wandering merchant.
There were many such individuals in the region, and in a city that was remote, people wouldn't question it too much.
With this out of the way, he also went to hire a few mercenaries. He hired a few who were at the late stage of the qi condensation realm. After learning that the one hiring was a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, multiple individuals signed up for the job.
Perfect. This would make their disguise even more believable. The goods in such a small city weren't much and of good quality, but they would do just fine. Furthermore, he still had the remaining supplies from the hidden mountain warehouse. The amount was enough to make up for the deficit.
When day broke, Adrian and the kids prepared themselves. The kids would ride in the carriage while he would remain as the coachman. The wagon filled with goods was attached to the carriage.
The three mercenaries would sit in the wagon with the goods and would stand guard.
After setting out, they were able to leave the city quite easily because the guards at the gate still remembered Adrian. They didn't waste any time and simply made way for his carriage.
Since they were heading back to Stonehold City, it would take them a few months since they were going to be stopping in some cities along the way. This was to make the trip less idle and boring for the children and to make sure their whereabouts and destination remained unknown.
As the sun was setting on day 3, the crew decided to set up camp in the woods. As they made a fire, Adrian sensed something amiss. Since his level was much higher than the others, his sensitivity was also top-notch.
He could sense about ten individuals, a few hundred meters away from where they were, hiding in the forest. From their auras, they were between the mid and late stages of the Qi Condensation realm.
Their leader was at the peak of the qi condensation realm. It seemed their luck of avoiding bandits had finally run out. Even though they were outnumbered, Adrian was not worried at all.