Chapter 44: A Convenient Misunderstanding

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: A Convenient Misunderstanding

Before going to sleep the previous night, he had made several investments. The low grade spirit stone he had obtained from Rivers was among them.

He had also invested several third grade pills taken from Rivers and Lucas, along with the fourth grade Awakening Pill.

Unfortunately, his luck didn’t seem nearly as ridiculous as it had been when he obtained the Six Harmonies Heaven Piercing Finger.

None of the investments produced anything spectacular. Most of the returns were only between two and five times their original value.

Still, that didn’t mean the results were useless. Even ordinary returns accumulated into a considerable fortune when the items being invested were already valuable.

Xavier kept a portion of the rewards for his own cultivation and planned to exchange the rest for more pills and cultivation resources.

That way, he could continue feeding resources into Mira’s cultivation. The more valuable his investments became, the greater the system’s returns would eventually be.

It was a cycle. Invest resources. Receive multiplied returns. Convert those returns into even better resources. Then invest again.

As long as he had enough capital to keep the cycle moving, his strength and Mira’s strength would continue climbing.

And right now, he had another reason to accumulate as many resources as possible. The auction at Skywater Pavilion was approaching. Xavier had already made up his mind.

He was getting that Creation Pill.

By noon, Xavier had already begun putting his next move into action. The appearance of the Hunting Ground had changed everything.

Whatever secrets were waiting beyond that crimson gateway, he had no intention of entering unprepared.

Mira would be involved sooner or later, and if she was going into an unknown secret realm, he intended to make sure she had enough resources to protect herself.

There was also Lydia. If the fragment of Lydia’s soul really was inside the Hunting Ground, then finding it might be the only way to eventually separate her from Mira.

For both reasons, time was precious.

Xavier met Evelyn Hart in a quiet corner beside the Resources Department. She handed over the items they had agreed upon.

"Here are the Vitality Pills and Foundation Establishment Pills you wanted. I also managed to get you two Grade Four Spirit Gathering Pills," she said.

Xavier checked the containers before giving her a satisfied nod.

"Perfect. Thanks, Evelyn," he said.

She smiled.

"Likewise. I hope we can keep doing business," she replied.

Their previous transactions had gone smoothly, and Evelyn had proven herself to be a reliable trading partner.

Naturally, when Xavier needed more resources, she was one of the first people he thought of.

The Grade Three Vitality Pills were nothing worth discussing. The two Grade Four Spirit Gathering Pills were far more valuable to him.

Once consumed, they could temporarily increase the rate at which the body absorbed the spiritual energy surrounding it.

When combined with a spirit stone, the effect could make cultivation considerably faster. And Xavier intended to put them to good use.

He had already reached the first level of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

On paper, that cultivation was nowhere near enough to challenge someone like Lucas, who had stood at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

The previous night had been different. He had caught Lucas completely off guard and relied on the Six Harmonies Heaven Piercing Finger to freeze the surrounding space before delivering the killing blow.

That was not the same as defeating a peak Foundation Establishment martial artist in a straight fight. If he entered the Hunting Ground now and encountered a powerful opponent head on, there was no guarantee he could survive.

He needed to become stronger. And quickly.

After completing the exchange, Xavier was about to leave when Evelyn suddenly stopped him.

"Xavier," she called.

He turned.

"Are all those pills for Mira?" she asked.

"Of course," he said, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"She’s my wife. Who else would I be buying them for?" he added.

Evelyn studied him for a moment before asking casually, "Then have you heard what happened to Pete and Martha Carter?"

Xavier’s smile didn’t change.

"What happened?" he asked.

"They disappeared," she said, her gaze remaining fixed on him.

"So did three of their family’s martial guards," she added.

Xavier’s expression remained perfectly calm. Then he gave a small laugh.

"Really?" he said.

"That’s actually great news," he continued.

"I was worried they might blame us for what happened to their son. If they’ve disappeared, that’s one less problem for us," he explained.

His tone was so natural that there was nothing suspicious about it. But inwardly, Xavier’s mind had already become alert.

So they had started investigating. He had expected this eventually. No matter how carefully he had cleaned the warehouse, eliminating every trace was impossible.

He had deliberately walked out of the academy that night to draw the Carter family’s attention.

Worse, Rivers had eventually contacted Pete and Martha while using Xavier’s name. Anyone willing to investigate thoroughly would eventually find a connection.

The only thing Xavier could do was make sure he became strong enough before anyone could uncover the truth.

In this world, strength ultimately determined how much protection a person had. Once he possessed enough power, even if someone openly declared that he had killed Pete and Martha Carter, how many people would actually dare to confront him?

That was the reality of the martial world. The weak were prey. The strong made the rules.

Still, Evelyn’s sudden question had caught him off guard. Was she testing him?

Why bring up the Carter family at this particular moment? Was it merely conversation? Or had she noticed something?

Xavier’s face remained relaxed, but he quietly became more cautious.

Evelyn suddenly smiled.

"Don’t misunderstand me," she said.

"I wouldn’t mind if the entire Carter family disappeared," she added.

Xavier raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected that response.

What he didn’t know was that Evelyn had recently awakened a special constitution known as the Mind’s Eye Body.

It had dramatically enhanced her senses, particularly her ability to notice subtle changes in people’s expressions and behavior.

The instant she mentioned the Carter family, she caught the brief flicker of tension in Xavier’s eyes. It lasted less than a second. Most people would never have noticed it. Evelyn did.

But instead of exposing him, she deliberately revealed her own position first.

"I actually wanted to ask you something else," she said, clasping her hands together.

"Would it be possible for me to trade something of equal value for those pills?" she asked.

Her expression became almost pleading.

"And could you ask the alchemist behind you to prepare another Lesser Enlightenment Pill for me?" she added.

Xavier stared at her.

"The alchemist behind me?" he repeated, pointing at himself.

"I’m just a low level alchemy apprentice. Where would I get an alchemist powerful enough to make those pills?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.

Inside, however, he was stunned.

When did I suddenly acquire an alchemy master?

Evelyn gave him a knowing smile.

"You really intend to keep pretending?" she asked.

Xavier said nothing.

She lowered her voice.

"You’ve already sold me several batches of high quality pills," she said.

"Then yesterday, you went to the Resources Department and exchanged two Grade Three pills and ten Grade Two pills," she continued, holding up a finger.

"And that’s not even the important part," she added.

"Every single pill you’ve brought out has been extraordinarily pure. Not merely good quality. Practically flawless," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"They were clearly refined by the same person," she concluded.

Xavier remained silent.

Evelyn leaned closer.

"So let me guess," she said.

"You have a powerful alchemist working behind the scenes, and you’re the person handling his business outside," she went on, giving him an almost triumphant look.

"Am I right?" she asked.

Xavier was speechless. This woman’s imagination was incredible. She had somehow invented an entire mysterious alchemist for him. And the more he thought about it, the more useful that misunderstanding became.

Evelyn, however, wasn’t finished. There were two conclusions she had deliberately kept to herself.

First, she believed the mysterious alchemist might have been responsible for Ethan’s death. The circumstances surrounding that death had been far too strange.

Second, she suspected that the same person might have dealt with Pete and Martha after they attempted to retaliate against Xavier and Mira.

Her reasoning wasn’t entirely baseless. On the morning of the incident, only a handful of people had been near the scene.

None of them appeared capable of killing Ethan without warning. Yet someone had done exactly that. Then, only hours later, Pete and Martha vanished along with three of their guards.

There was also something else. Evelyn had been cultivating until late the previous evening. When she finally left the academy, she happened to see Xavier leaving.

That coincidence had strengthened her theory. She had connected the pieces and arrived at a conclusion that was completely wrong in one sense, and remarkably convenient in another.