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Leyton, who had returned to the house across the street, did not choose to rest but went out again with Crow Anu.
The weather today had been gloomy, with no moonlight piercing through the clouds, and only dim streetlights on the street dispelled a small amount of Darkness.
The night was dark and windy, perfect for Zombies!
Leyton and Crow Anu's figures were in a graveyard on the outskirts of the East Borough, followed by five or six Zombies with varying degrees of decay in their bodies. In the graveyard without streetlights, this scene appeared particularly eerie and terrifying.
Leyton scattered a translucent white powder, which quickly spread in the air, transforming into a bright but not dazzling ripple that illuminated the graveyard.
"Caw!"
Crow Anu squawked twice, flapping its wings and flying off Leyton's shoulder. It scattered some pungent herbal powder within the illuminated area.
Crow Anu skillfully placed the ritual materials in their correct positions. After the ritual was set up, Leyton vibrated his Spirituality and lit the candles.
With the aid of the ritual, Crow Anu controlled the Zombies following him, making them spread out and start digging their own graves in the graveyard.
After the graves were dug, Crow Anu controlled the Zombies to lie down in their respective graves. Then, with the aid of the ritual, he cleared away the Death aura from the Zombies, allowing them to return to being quiet corpses.
He then communicated with the surrounding spirits, asking them to help bury the newly dug graves with soil.
Crow Anu landed on a tombstone next to Leyton, excitedly flapping its wings and saying, "Boss! My Gravedigger potion has been digested by almost one-third!"
"However, I feel like there are still some incomplete aspects to the acting."
"Good progress. You'll be able to advance to Spirit Medium in one or two more months."
Leyton nodded slightly. This crow was exceptionally talented in the Death Pathway.
He then scattered iron-black materials, summoning an invisible giant hand to collect the scattered soil on the ground, throwing it into an inconspicuous corner, and covering it to ensure that digging graves in the middle of the night would not be discovered.
After dealing with the traces on the scene, Leyton reached out and grabbed one of the crow's wings, then turned and plunged into the Spirit World. He then appeared in Hillston Borough, blending seamlessly into the crowd.
As an economic center, Hillston Borough had a bustling night market, with the entire street block brightly lit.
Fashionably dressed men and women walked on the streets, including high-earning professionals working there, as well as tourists and pedestrians out for leisure. Carriages and various strange machines emerged endlessly, perfectly showcasing the prosperity of Backlund.
Leyton carried a newly bought birdcage, which was casually open. Crow Anu stood inside, curiously looking around.
Because of the sudden prophecy, Leyton had lost his appetite for dinner earlier. After a busy round, he felt a bit hungry again. He skillfully walked to the food street with various snacks and late-night meals, picking and choosing a large bag of late-night snacks.
Carrying the bought food, Leyton prepared to find a less crowded place to directly cross through the Spirit World back to Minsk Street.
As he walked out of the densely populated area, Leyton was about to step into the Spirit World, taking advantage of the opportunity to avoid the sight of surrounding pedestrians, when Crow Anu, who was originally standing upright in the open birdcage, suddenly fell to the ground.
Its small body was still trembling, as if it had encountered something extremely terrifying.
Leyton did not check on the crow on the ground but followed his intuition and looked to his side and back.
A distinguished, well-dressed middle-aged gentleman looked at him with curiosity.
The middle-aged gentleman had bronze skin, black and white hair, and extremely rare black eyes. He wore a loose black fur coat and was of medium build. On his hand, he wore a very conspicuous black and red ring inlaid with gems.
Leyton's Eyes of Mystery Prying allowed him to see more.
Those were dark green, almost black scales and pure white feathers, with strange symbols of different shapes on each feather and scale.
Just as Leyton continued to stare, wanting to see more, his own Spirituality suddenly issued a warning, as if something extremely terrifying would descend in the next moment.
Leyton immediately lowered his head, averted his gaze, and stopped looking at the middle-aged gentleman.
One of the Mystery Pryer's rules summarized by Leyton: Restrain your strong curiosity, and do not try to pry into the unknown and Concealment that you do not understand.
(From his captain's experience and lessons!)
He returned his gaze to Crow Anu, who had fallen to the ground, and checked its condition. Apart from a lingering layer of fear covering its mind, it had no other problems.
"This crow is very interesting. It might have a very unusual background."
A very gentle, approachable voice came.
Leyton looked up following the sound and saw the middle-aged gentleman who had approached. He nodded slightly but kept his gaze averted from looking directly into the other party's eyes.
There was nothing wrong with the other party's eyes, but Leyton's intuition kept him wary of the other party's eyes, as if his Eyes of Mystery Prying would see things that were usually invisible, bringing unpredictable danger.
"Sir, are you very knowledgeable about birds? Are you perhaps an expert in biology?"
Leyton made a casual remark to make the scene less awkward.
"I didn't expect to have such an academic demeanor, but unfortunately, I am just a merchant."
The other party showed a suitable hint of regret on his face.
After saying this, the middle-aged gentleman half-squatted and placed the trembling crow, which had fallen to the ground, back into the birdcage Leyton was holding.
After doing all this, the middle-aged gentleman let out a sigh of relief and said, "Sorry, I accidentally scared your crow just now."
"It's fine, it's alright now."
Leyton shook his head slightly in response.
This gentle middle-aged gentleman opposite was very likely a High-Sequence powerhouse of the Death Pathway. Leyton estimated that the other party was very likely above a demigod. Otherwise, it would be difficult to scare the crow like this without him noticing.
"May I curiously ask where you bought or met this crow?"
The middle-aged gentleman asked very politely.
Leyton restrained himself from raising an eyebrow, showing a puzzled expression: "Sir, why are you so interested in this crow?"
"I stumbled upon it in the Backlund Bridge Area. It snatched the bread from my hand then, and after I caught it, I kept it by my side."
The middle-aged gentleman showed an enlightened expression upon hearing this, though it was unclear if he believed Leyton's explanation. But a smile appeared on his face, and after a slight nod, he said, "It seems you two are very fated. It has an unusual bloodline, though thin, but if you can cultivate it well, it might be able to return to its ancestors in the future."
"Unusual bloodline?"
Leyton repeated softly, already having some relevant conjectures in his mind.
He then looked at the middle-aged gentleman, bowed slightly, and saluted: "Thank you for your reminder. After chatting for so long, I still don't know your name, sir!"
"Mr. Pulak Eggers, a tobacco merchant from the Southern Continent."
"It's a pity you're not someone who likes tobacco; you don't have the smell of tobacco on you. Otherwise, I would give you some of my favorite tobacco. Believe me, it's worth treasuring!"
Mr. Pulak Eggers introduced himself in a gentle tone, only showing a different look of fascination when talking about tobacco.
The other party's surname surprised Leyton. Backlund was truly a magical place; he could casually walk on the street and meet a descendant of the Balam Empire royal family.
Leyton restrained his surprised expression, only showing a slight look of surprise and saying, "Eggers! A Southern Continent native. Mr. Pulak, you are indeed a great noble."
"Just a peripheral member. My identity as a merchant comes before that."
Mr. Pulak Eggers merely explained briefly, not saying too much, but he did not deny his identity as a descendant of the Balam Empire royal family.
Leyton nodded slightly and did not continue to ask about this topic. Over a long period, even the former Balam Empire royal family must have formed several factions internally, and it was normal for some of them to be marginalized.
Crow Anu in the birdcage had recovered and was cautiously looking around inside the cage. It seemed unaware that the influence it had just experienced came from the middle-aged gentleman in front of it.
"Mr. Pulak, my name is Al Tines, from Feynapotter, and I recently arrived in Backlund."
"I think I should leave."
Saying this, Leyton lifted the crow in his hand, which had recovered, and the late-night snack in the bag in his other hand.
"Hmm, if you have any questions about tobacco that you need to consult, you can ask me anytime. If you come to me to buy tobacco, I will even give you a better price than others, haha."
Mr. Pulak Eggers became exceptionally enthusiastic and energetic when talking about tobacco.
After bidding farewell to Mr. Pulak Eggers, Leyton walked a distance, turned into a small alley, and then stepped into the Spirit World, leaving Hillston Borough.
Mr. Pulak Eggers, who was leaving in the opposite direction, paused slightly after Leyton stepped into the Spirit World, then continued to walk forward as if nothing had happened, seemingly thinking of something happy, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"A very interesting young man, and he has a very interesting crow."
"It seems I've been away from home for too long; seeing young people easily reminds me of my own children... Perhaps, it's time to go back and see that gloomy-faced kid."
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