Villain Path

Chapter 59. Out of the plot

From the original novel Shen knew that somewhere in RR League existed a dungeon for punishing really guilty disciples, or else it is not clear why, but only now he happened to find out that it is located on the Dew Incense Peak. Somehow there was no opportunity to visit Ren's patrimony until this moment, but now Shen was ready to do it without a twinge of conscience. From now on, he was going to do everything without a twinge of conscience. (tr №6 notes: "without a twinge of conscience" is the same as "shamelessly")

Dew Incense Peak was different from the Peak of Blue Stars or the Peak of Lilac Daybreak because of a large number of incense trees covering its entire top. Between these thick, not - too-tall trees stood a traditional-style wooden palace, which was the home of the owner of the peak. His students lived in a large, elongated house that looked like a dormitory. The dungeon was supposed to be located in a cliff on the opposite side. Shen was not going to meet Lord Ren without an extreme reason (or he's gonna have a heart attack), so he chose to spend his time searching.

It didn't take him long to wander through the paths before he found the entrance cut into the cliff. There were two senior cultivators standing guard, and there was a certain spell hanging on the entrance itself that would not let anyone below the rank of a lord in. Nodding to the cultivators, Shen freely went inside.

Talismans burned dimly on the walls, and the narrow corridor sloped down into darkness. It was much colder inside, and the moist air was howling in the branches of the corridor.

At first Shen thought that the dungeon would be empty, except for Letis Lis, but he soon realized that he was wrong. Behind almost every door or bars, someone was languishing and, after a little closer inspection of their auras, Shen understood that they were not disciples of the League.

«Remnants of the cultists from the Cold Flame Sect?»

At the moment, he didn't really want to check. As he walked down the corridor, he unmistakably identified the place of Letis Lis's imprisonment. Admittedly, Shen didn't expect that Shian would be harsh enough to lock Lord of the League RR in a dark, damp cell. At first he thought it would be something like a house arrest, after learning about the dungeon – that it would be quite a comfortable cell, not too different from a room in a middle-class inn. But the reality was that the beauty was languishing in a prison without access to fresh air and the ability to use spiritual powers. He thought it won't be cool to be on the other side of the bars himself.

"Lord Shen?" Letis Lis didn't recognize him right away. "Have you come to inquire about my health?"

"I came to find out from you one missing piece of this story," Shen uttered, getting closer to bars. "How did you know I had the zither?"

"Someone told me," the woman shrugged.

"Someone?"

"Yes. I don't know who it was. I got a note that said about a zither. It was described quite accurately, so I was sure that the writer had seen the zither with his own eyes. I figured I'd get another note later explaining what he wanted in return for his help, but nothing came."

"Do you have the note?"

"No, I burned it."

"So you got it when I left the castle on behalf of the meeting of lords? And immediately began to act, while there was such an opportunity?"

"Yes, that's right. Apparently, the person who sent it also knew that you wouldn't be on the Cursed Peak."

"And do you have any idea who it could be?"

Letis Lis shrugged.

"No suggestions at all. Although... Except that I'm sure it's one of the Lords. Would anyone else have had the opportunity to think this through? Maybe even get me caught was part of his plan. Could it be that this man had put a curse on the zither?"