The three men turned around with confused faces, but the young man who saw him first stared while a myriad of emotions flashed through his eyes.
"You're, here." he said.
"What, am I not welcomed?"
The young man franticly shook his head, but as he took a step towards the newcomer, one member of the group of three pushed him back with one hand. That man didn't put much force behind the push, but without being able to resist the young blacksmith stumbled backwards.
"You know this pretty boy?"
The young man, reluctant to ask for help, didn't know what to say, but his acquaintance didn't seek his permission.
"Well, looks to me like you three are bothering him. Could you leave us for now?"
"Huh? Why would I... Okay, let's go guys."
A confrontation seemed inevitable at first, but oddly enough, the three obeyed the one they mocked as a 'pretty boy' and left the shop.
"...You're full of surprises as ever, Shui." said the young man.
Compared to the last time he saw him, Shui had a more simple and serene aura like an ordinary person you could find on the street. Furthermore, his eyes which could suck in one's attention were now closed. However, to him, Shui still looked unbelievably reliable.
"Thanks. So, I want to ask how you've been, but judging by what I just saw I don't think I'll get a good answer."
"Ah, well..."
The young man, Serina's brother, went on the explain what happened to him and Serina since escaping Silver City. Most of it was stuff that Serina also knew about, but when he spoke about his recent unfortunate experiences, he added details that he never shared with her.
Such as the fact that all of the guys that robbed him of his wares were part of the same gang, and that they were secretly supported by a big clan in the city.
"Hmm, you must have some sort of fate with criminal organizations for this to happen again. Wanna move to Reich to test that theory?"
"I'd rather not. Besides, I still want to watch over Serina, though she might not need this sad excuse of a big brother anymore."
As Shui saw the self-depreciating smile on his face, he felt the urge to help this friend of his. He took out a few materials and borrowed his space to make a talisman using the flesh of a high beast. Once he was finished, Shui gave Serina's brother a strip of skin that was furry on one side but smooth and squishy on the other side.
"Next time someone comes to bother you, give this to them."
"What is it?" said Serina's brother while accepting the talisman.
"You don't need to worry about that. Just think of it as pest repellent."
"Thanks."
If it was his sister who gave it to him, he would have been reluctant to take it, but he was willing to accept help from Shui who was his benefactor.
"Don't mention it. I'm going to check on those two but we should go out for lunch or a drink sometime."
"Okay, I'll be ready whenever you are."
After leaving his shop, Shui went straight to the Riot clan. This was the first city he came to after leaving Vale Hills, but he already had a good idea of what had happened in the time he was in seclusion.
Anytime she was awake the red spirit would bother him about going to find that deposit of elemental crystals, but before that he wanted to check up on his friends and family, especially those in Cyrus and Kate, whose whereabouts were unknown along with the rest of the sect.
'I'm sure she hasn't died but that's about all I can tell. I wonder if I can find a divination expert to find her.'
If Shui wanted to, he could learn the art of star reading for himself, but the demerits of that art was too much for him to consider it.
"Here's the place."
Shui stopped in front of an impressive estate that maintained its simplicity. Shui didn't need to wonder if this was the right place because of the hidden auras he sensed. A Soul or Earth Realm cultivator wouldn't be able to detect anything, but Shui could identity about four different offensive arrays set up at the entrance, each with enough power to instantly kill anyone below Sky Realm.
As someone with knowledge on arrays, Shui was interested in taking a closer look, but his continued presence alerted the guards of the Riot clan.
"Do you have any business with the Riot clan?"
A middle-aged man who seemed to have had many rough experiences on the battlefield stood behind the gate of the residence and spoke to Shui. He didn't sense any danger from this handsome young man, but it was his job to ensure that no threats were left unchecked.
"Yes, my name is Shui. I'm friends with Fatty Zain and Serina."
"Hmm, they're not here at the moment but I'll pass on your message when they arrive."
"No, it's fine. I already know where they are."
"What do you mea-?"
The guard wanted to ask Shui what he meant and how he would find them, but before the words could leave his mouth, Shui had already vanished. The guard thought about reporting this strange matter to his superiors, but it didn't seem important enough to mention.
When Shui said he already knew where Fatty and Serina were, it was because he managed to detect their auras while he was in front of the Riot clan. He could have found them much earlier if he extended his detection range to the limit, but he didn't want to alert any hidden experts in Pemacreba.
After walking for a few minutes, Shui spotted the round-shaped teen with a cute little girl next to him. He raised an eyebrow at their dark expressions, but still approached them casually.
"Hey, it's been a while."
The moment they heard his voice, Fatty and Serina froze in place and slowly turned their heads in his direction. Once they saw him, the weight on their hearts immediately disappeared and they rushed towards him.
"Shui!"
Both of them happily wrapped their arms around him and Shui accepted their embrace with a smile.
"Glad to see you're okay."
"Mhmm, we knew we didn't have to worry about you but,"
"What took you so long to get here?"
"It's good to see you again."
"We need to celebrate."
"Okay, okay, slow down."
Though he could hear what they were saying, Serina and Fatty bombarded him with their words in excitement so he suggested that they enter a restaurant to slowly discuss over food.
Shui started off by telling them about what he knew regarding the emergence of the chimera lord, including its true identity. Neither of the two had heard about a fallen before but they didn't doubt a single one of Shui's words. After going over that situation, Shui told them that he had left the city on a mission so he was able to escape the disaster that befell Silver City.
"By the way, do you know where the rest of the sect is headed?"
In response to Shui's question, the two of them shook their heads with guilty expression. They wanted to help him but all information on the three big sects which had left Silver City was very scarce.