Chapter 280: A Festival Full of Openings

Several weeks passed.

During that time, Damian and the four women traveled quietly through several different territories while maintaining their masked identities.

To outsiders, they were no longer disciples connected to the Heavenly Sword Sect.

They were simply five wandering cultivators using strange dragon-themed aliases.

Eventually, after several weeks on the road, the group finally reached the region where the Valeria and Valehart Families held considerable influence.

Compared to the territory controlled by the Heavenly Sword Sect, this place felt far more political.

Large merchant roads stretched between sword cities, clan estates, auction houses, trading districts, and family-controlled towns.

Cultivators wearing different family emblems could be seen everywhere.

Merchants openly praised one clan while quietly conducting business with another.

Young geniuses traveled surrounded by guards.

Old families smiled politely at one another while clearly waiting for the slightest opportunity to stab each other in the fucking back.

Everywhere Damian looked, he could practically feel generations of old grudges, alliances, rivalries, and hidden ambitions simmering beneath a thin layer of civilized smiles.

In other words...

This was exactly the kind of place where beautiful villainesses and fake righteous bastards could appear at any fucking moment.

Naturally, Damian’s mood became excellent.

On this particular day, he walked through a crowded city street with Cynthia beside him.

Linsey, Helena, and Evelyn had temporarily separated from them to gather information from different parts of the city.

Linsey had immediately volunteered to investigate the taverns, restaurants, gambling houses, and other places where loose tongues gathered.

Helena went toward weapon shops, mercenary groups, and cultivator markets.

Evelyn, meanwhile, had quietly disappeared toward the rooftops and secluded alleys without even explaining exactly what she planned to investigate.

Nobody bothered asking.

That was simply Evelyn.

Cynthia remained beside Damian because she understood the political situation in this region better than the others.

She glanced toward him as they walked. "What do we do now, Master Damian?"

Damian smiled beneath his mask. "Simple."

His gaze shifted toward the distant section of the city where several banners bearing the Valeria Family emblem could faintly be seen above the buildings. "We walk around and take a look at the Valeria Family’s territory."

Cynthia’s eyes curved slightly. "Just walk around?"

Damian nodded shamelessly. "Of course."

Cynthia stared at him for half a breath before quietly chuckling. "And perhaps look around for your next harem candidate while you’re at it?"

Damian immediately placed one hand over his chest. "Cynthia."

His voice became deeply touched. "Your understanding of me truly warms my heart."

Cynthia smiled sweetly. "Of course. I’ve spent enough time around you to recognize your habits."

Damian coughed lightly. "That makes me sound like some suspicious bastard wandering around specifically hunting for beautiful women."

Cynthia tilted her head innocently. "Are you not?"

Damian stopped for half a step.

His mouth twitched beneath the mask. "I prefer the term generous beauty appraiser."

Cynthia covered her lips and laughed softly. "Naturally."

Damian glanced sideways at her. "Why did that somehow sound like you don’t believe me at all?"

Cynthia answered without any hesitation. "Because I don’t."

Damian sighed dramatically. "My reputation is truly suffering."

Cynthia’s gentle smile remained as they continued down the crowded street. "In that case, Master Damian, I think it would be better if we waited about a week before making any major moves."

Damian’s expression shifted slightly. "Oh?"

Cynthia looked toward the busy road ahead. "There will be an important event soon."

Damian’s interest immediately rose. "A major event?"

Cynthia nodded. "Yes."

Her voice lowered slightly. "It’s an important gathering involving both the Valeria Family and the Valehart Family, meant to publicly strengthen and commemorate the bond between the two families."

Damian’s steps slowed.

Cynthia continued, "Because of that, many important members of both families should appear."

Her gaze became slightly more meaningful. "The security will certainly be tighter, but there will also be far more guests, servants, merchants, wandering cultivators, and outsiders entering their territory."

Damian immediately understood. "So ironically, that might make it easier for us to move around."

Cynthia nodded gently. "Exactly."

She glanced toward him. "And if the person you’re looking for is still somehow connected to either family..."

Her smile became slightly sharper. "There’s a good chance we might see her during that event."

Damian’s eyes immediately brightened beneath his mask.

His lips slowly curled upward. "Now that sounds fucking interesting."

He turned toward Cynthia. "Care to tell me more?"

Cynthia’s gentle smile deepened. "Gladly."

---

Cynthia walked beside Damian and continued in her usual soft voice, "Simply put, it’s a festival."

Damian raised an eyebrow beneath his mask. "A festival?"

Cynthia nodded. "Yes. A public celebration, martial arts exhibition, and recruitment event all mixed together into one."

Damian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So basically, it’s one massive event where young geniuses show off, powerful families pretend to be generous, merchants make a shitload of money, and everyone secretly judges everyone else?"

Cynthia paused for half a breath before chuckling softly. "That is certainly one way to describe it."

Damian’s lips slowly curled upward. "Interesting."

Cynthia glanced sideways at him. "You seem rather pleased."

"Of course," answered Damian.

Damian looked toward the distant district where the banners of the Valeria and Valehart Families could faintly be seen above the rooftops. "A festival means crowds."

His eyes gleamed beneath his mask. "And crowds mean openings."

Cynthia gave a small nod. "Correct."

Damian continued walking for several steps before another thought suddenly crossed his mind. "Wait."

Cynthia turned slightly toward him. "Since this is a major festival hosted by two powerful cultivation families, there should be VIP seats, right?"

Cynthia paused.

Her gaze lingered on Damian for a moment as though she were already beginning to suspect what kind of bullshit he was planning.

Eventually, she nodded. "Naturally."

Damian’s expression brightened and his grin became more shameless.

Cynthia immediately noticed.

Her gentle expression shifted into mild suspicion. "Master Damian..."

Damian casually waved one hand. "Change of plan."

Cynthia’s smile sharpened faintly. "You want us to obtain invitations?"

Damian chuckled. "No."

Cynthia blinked.

Damian turned his gaze toward the Valeria Family banners in the distance. "I don’t want to ask them for invitations."

Cynthia quietly waited.

Damian’s grin widened beneath his mask. "I want to make enough noise that they personally come over and beg us to sit in their VIP section."

Cynthia stared at him for several seconds.

Her smile slowly became helpless. "Of course you do."

Damian placed one hand proudly over his chest. "Poison Dragon, if we’re going to infiltrate a festival..."

His eyes gleamed mischievously. "We might as well infiltrate it in fucking style."