Upon hearing the words “Flame Society,” both Sista and Su Ling’s expressions changed.
Seeing this, the young man sheathed his longsword and walked over with steady steps. The red tassel on the hilt swayed gently in the wind. His eyes were sharp as he stared straight at them and asked:
“Where are you two ladies from?”
“We’re from the south, planning to enter Escon City,” Sista replied.
“Enter the city? Could you tell me what business you have there?”
“We’re just here to visit some relatives in the city.”
Sista made up an excuse on the spot but didn’t rush to leave, because those three words had caught her attention.
“You said you’re from the Flame Society. Why are you active in this area?”
“Miss, to be honest, security isn’t great around here. The Flame Society just robs the rich to help the poor and keeps everyone safe.”
The young man frowned, seeming to think. After a moment, he spoke with concern:
“Two ladies traveling alone—that’s really not easy. If you trust us, the Flame Society can give you a hand. These are chaotic times. Women as gentle as you could easily fall into danger if you’re not careful.”
Sista’s gaze was sharp as she stared straight at the young man, as if trying to see through his thoughts. She asked coldly:
“Before that, I have a question. Do you know someone named Phil?”
Hearing this, the young man’s body stiffened slightly, and his face turned serious immediately. He slowly nodded and said in a low voice:
“Miss, why are you asking about her? Phil is a close confidant of our captain. She usually acts mysteriously and rarely interacts with outsiders.”
A hint of wariness flashed in his eyes, as if sizing up the intentions of the two women before him.
Sista’s expression relaxed a little, but her tone remained icy:
“We have important business to see her.”
The young man was silent for a moment, as if weighing the pros and cons. Then he slowly spoke:
“Our internal members can’t just bring outsiders to see her. Please follow me to a place first.”
With that, he turned and walked toward a quiet alley, his steps steady, clearly very familiar with the area.
The alley gradually became emptier, and the surrounding buildings grew older. The walls were covered with patches of moss left by time, and the air carried a stale smell. Sunlight spilled through the narrow entrance, casting broken shadows on the ground.
Sista held Su Ling’s hand tightly and lowered her voice:
“Don’t be afraid. They can’t touch me, and they certainly can’t touch you.”
But Su Ling shook her head.
“Your Highness, that’s not what I’m worried about. Why did you choose to interact with the Flame Society? We were almost at the city, weren’t we? Delaying at this critical moment…”
Sista lowered her eyes slightly, leaned closer, and whispered in Su Ling’s ear:
“Back in that abandoned village, we were attacked by pursuers. Su Ling, do you remember what they said then?”
“What?”
“‘Surrounded.’ That guy said we were already surrounded.”
Sista’s voice was low and calm.
“I thought it was just a threat at first, but after seeing those pursuers just now, I realized things aren’t that simple.”
The alley grew narrower, and the light dimmed further. Su Ling listened intently.
“Inside Ansiers Palace, there’s an assassination organization dedicated to carrying out secret missions for royalty. This organization is similar to the Black Feather Organization of the Human Kingdom, but smaller and even more covert.”
“They also use code names instead of real names. But unlike the Black Feather, these people change their code names with each mission. Unless you’re the mission organizer or an internal member, it’s hard for outsiders to confirm who actually participated.”
“But that also leads to confusion about member identities. So they leave marks on their clothing corresponding to the mission code names.”
Sista narrowed her eyes slightly.
“I already saw those marks on those pursuers just now.”
“Iris, Violet… According to the naming rules I know, this group of pursuers alone has at least a hundred people.”
“Removing the two in the village and the dozen or so in the marketplace just now, there are at least seventy or eighty more searching nearby for us.”
Su Ling’s expression changed slightly.
“The closer we get to the city, the more pursuers there probably are,” Sista continued. “Since we’ve already been spotted, we might as well go along with it and hide here first. Wait for Duke Lorian to make his move.”
Su Ling frowned slightly, as if thinking of a countermeasure.
“Then why should we trust the Flame Society? They’re an underground organization too—their methods and goals might not align with ours. What if they have other plans…”
“I believe they won’t harm us for now.”
Sista cut her off, her eyes fixed on the back of the young man ahead.
“When I mentioned Phil just now, he was wary, but he clearly hesitated. That means Phil has a high position in their organization.”
“Besides, we don’t have a better option now.”
A hint of helplessness crept into Sista’s voice.
“Rather than blindly dodging pursuers out there, it’s better to use the Flame Society’s strength. Maybe they can provide us with useful information and help.”
Su Ling was silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.
“Your Highness, I’ll follow your arrangements.”
Just then, the young man leading them suddenly stopped and turned to make a shushing gesture.
A trace of alertness showed in his eyes, as if he sensed something unusual.
Sista and Su Ling immediately held their breath and followed his gaze.
At the end of the alley, a few figures vaguely appeared, slowly walking toward them.
Their steps were steady and powerful, and they exuded a chilling aura—clearly not ordinary people.
“Hey, don’t be so tense. It’s me, Shesha.”
The leading man had a loud voice.
The young man relaxed.
“Shesha, I met two people outside who said they want to see Phil.”
“Phil? Who wants to see Phil? Bring them in first.”
With those words, the group stopped in front of a shabby wooden door.
The young man knocked three times gently.
The door slowly creaked open, revealing a dim room.
A few candles were lit inside, their weak flames casting flickering shadows on the walls.
The young man gestured for them to enter, then closed the door.
As soon as Sista and Su Ling steadied themselves, they heard footsteps. Several figures emerged from the darkness and surrounded them.
The leading person spoke:
“It’s been unsettled around here lately. You say you know Phil—do you have any proof?”
Sista smiled slightly and took a portrait from her bosom.
The person in the portrait was none other than Phil.
“I heard that this Phil is also looking for me.”
She handed the portrait to the man.
The man took the portrait, looked at it, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face.
He looked up at Sista, then down at the portrait, as if confirming something.
After a moment, he slowly said:
“The Flame Society has strict rules. We can’t just bring outsiders to meet internal members. But since you mentioned Phil, we can inform her about this and let her decide whether to see you.”
Sista nodded.
The man pondered for a moment, then said:
“Alright, wait here for a while.”
With that, he turned and walked out. The others followed, leaving the room.
Only Sista and Su Ling remained.
They sat on a worn-out chair, waiting quietly.
Time ticked by, and the only sound in the room was the faint crackling of burning wood.
Su Ling gripped Sista’s hand nervously and whispered:
“Your Highness, will they really take us to see Phil?”
Sista patted her hand gently and comforted her in a low voice:
“Don’t worry. Since they promised, they probably won’t go back on their word. Let’s just wait patiently.”
After a while longer, the door finally opened again.
The young man walked in, a hint of apology on his face.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Phil agreed to see you, but you have to follow me. Don’t wander off.”
Sista and Su Ling exchanged glances, then nodded and followed the young man out of the room.
The Flame Society had built many underground passages.
The young man led them through various tunnels, sometimes returning to the surface, carefully detouring, then going underground again.
After repeating this several times, they finally arrived in front of a secret room.
The young man knocked gently.
A familiar voice came from inside:
“Come in.”
The door slowly opened.
Su Ling’s eyes immediately locked onto the familiar figure in the room.
Phil stood there.
Compared to the memory Su Ling had of her, she seemed much more mature.
Her once slightly youthful face now bore a touch of determination and steadiness. Her eyes carried the maturity of someone who had weathered storms, but the familiar outline and temperament still made Su Ling recognize her instantly.
Phil also looked at Su Ling at the same moment.
A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, and her eyes reddened almost instantly.
The next moment, she strode forward and hugged Su Ling tightly.
“Su Ling, it’s really you… I… I missed you so much.”
Phil’s voice trembled slightly, full of the joy of reunion.
Su Ling hugged her back tightly, gently patting her back and said softly:
“Phil, I missed you too. Are you okay?”
Sista watched this scene from the side, her brows furrowing deeply. Her expression was clearly unpleasant, and she even felt an urge to rush over and separate them.
She took off the fake blond wig on her head and cleared her throat lightly, trying to draw their attention back.
“This isn’t the time for catching up. Let’s discuss the real business first.”
Phil reluctantly let go of Su Ling and took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions.
Then she looked at Sista, her expression gradually turning serious.
“You’re right, Your Highness Sista. We do have a lot to talk about.”