Chapter 744

On one wall, a large corkboard was nailed, covered with all manner of parchment task lists—from finding lost pets to hunting dangerous magic beasts, from escorting caravans to exploring ruins, everything imaginable.

Many people gathered before the task board, pointing and whispering among themselves.

Li Chen quietly sat at a vacant table near the corner, a position that allowed him to overhear the conversation of a nearby table of four seasoned mercenaries whose aura was notably strong.

He ordered the most ordinary barley ale but did not drink it; instead, he gripped the cold ceramic cup as if a weary traveler resting, while all his attention focused on the neighboring table’s talk.

The table held four people: three men and one woman.

One burly man with a grotesque scar across his face downed a gulp of ale, wiped his mouth, and said: “The Whisperwind family has really thrown down the gold this time—paying top price for Wind-Split Demon Wolf cores, take as many as you can get! No one knows what they’re doing, but they’re desperate for this stuff. Brothers, if we pull this off, we’ll be living like kings for a while!”

The “Whisperwind” family he mentioned was a prominent half-elf clan in Silverglow City, renowned for producing skilled archers and enchanters.

It was said this world had no pure elf race—only half-elves existed.

Another thin man with sharp eyes shook his head and sighed: “I won’t be joining you this time. I took a private job—guarding a shipment to the Whispering Corridor.”

“What?! The Whispering Corridor?!” No sooner had he spoken than the other three at the table, including the female mercenary who had been silent while fiddling with her dagger, all showed expressions of shock and disbelief.

The scarred brute nearly spat out his ale, his eyes wide as he lowered his voice: “Are you insane?! Is that place even for humans? I heard decades ago, some Saint-tier bigshot marched in confident as hell, wanting to uncover its secrets—what happened? He never came out! Not even a bubble! That was a Saint! How many lives do you think you’ve got to waste?”

The thin man’s face twisted with bitterness and helplessness; he rubbed his fingers and whispered: “I know it’s dangerous—what choice do I have? My wife’s sick, critically so. Only a high-ranking priest of the Temple of Life can stabilize her.”

“And she needs medicine to hold on—costs you know how much. This employer paid an insane sum; the advance deposit alone covers the priest’s fee. For this money, I’ve got no choice but to risk it.”

His words carried the desperate resolve of a man crushed by life.

The others fell silent, no longer trying to dissuade him, only clapping his shoulder with complex glances.

On the border, everyone had their reasons to do what they must.

Li Chen listened quietly, his eyes beneath the hood shifting slightly.

The name “Whispering Corridor” had appeared in fragments of some ancient scroll he once read.

It was said to be a perilous place linking to an unknown dimension, filled with strange laws and powerful entities—even more dangerous than the edge of the ancient battlefield beyond Silverglow City.

Could the Pope’s disappearance before his vanishing have been connected to such a place? Or was this merely coincidence?

He quietly noted down the Whisperwind family’s massive purchase of Wind-Split Demon Wolf cores and the name “Whispering Corridor.”

These seemingly insignificant details might be fragments needed to piece together the truth.

He left a few copper coins on the table, rose like an ordinary passerby, and slipped out of the noisy tavern—his next step was to find more concrete sources of intelligence.

Not long after, Li Chen easily located the Whisperwind family’s outpost in Silverglow City, using the fragmented bits of information gathered from taverns and alleyways.

As a powerful half-elf clan in the city, their residence was unmistakable.

It was a castle built in elven style, perched on a highland in the city’s eastern district.

The castle was constructed from silvery-white stone, its lines elegant and fluid, its towering spires piercing the clouds, wrapped in glowing ivy.