Twenty minutes later, the gaunt man returned, accompanied by five other young men in tattered clothes.
One of them, a scholarly-looking fellow with a monocle and ink-stained sleeves, handed Eddie a drawing.
It was a striking likeness of Sophia in her black attire, even though her face was obscured. The ink was still fresh, suggesting it was a hurried work.
"I know it might not be a perfect likeness. I only had five minutes, and I've never met Sophia. I based it on descriptions from Oliver and Yanthon, so it might not be completely accurate," the scholarly young man explained nervously.
"No, it's really good," Eddie was amazed. The artist had captured Sophia's essence from mere descriptions, and in such a short time.
He turned to the other four, urgently asking, "Who among you has seen Sophia? You two mentioned her, right? When did you see her?"
Oliver, a shorter, fair-skinned young man, answered, "About half a week ago. Yanthon and I were recording battle achievements by the Shangluo River. We didn't pay much attention to the Academy Rose Team initially, but we overheard Porking from the Yan family greeting their team captain, Shentu Gong. Blaze was also there. While we were writing, we heard them speaking disparagingly about Sophia. She got angry and argued with them."
At the mention of Sophia, the group looked worriedly at Eddie, sensing his connection to her. They didn't recognize him, but they guessed he must be closely related to Sophia. Who else would be so determined to find her?
Oliver skipped the details of the mockery to avoid upsetting Eddie further. Nevertheless, they all watched Eddie apprehensively, fearing his reaction.
"And then?" Eddie pressed, unconcerned about the slander. He was more focused on finding Sophia and ensuring her safety.
"Sorry, we didn't see much after that. She just stormed off," Oliver replied.
Eddie's priority was clear: finding Sophia was paramount. Once she was safe, he could focus on his own training and helping her succeed in the trials.
If Eddie had any reservations about Sophia and her family when he first arrived in this world, they were long gone now. He fully embraced them as his own, seeing Sophia as his sister. Finding her now, he was determined to guide and help her improve rapidly.
"Sophia couldn't win the argument and it escalated to a warrior's duel. She summoned two War Treants and almost killed Shentu's Scorpio-Lion. But then Porking joined the fight. He's very strong. With a two-to-one advantage, they defeated Sophia and Shentu expelled her from the team," said a bronze-skinned young man named Yanthon, summarizing the conflict briefly.
"And what was Blaze doing at the time?" Eddie asked, knowing the fight must have been intense. The idea of two men bullying his sister infuriated him. On the surface, he remained calm, but inside, a storm of anger was brewing.
He shifted focus to another key person – Blaze.
Was this member of the Yue family just standing by while his cousin was being bullied?
Eddie knew from Sophia's letters that Blaze was stirring trouble behind the scenes. If it weren't for his manipulations, Sophia wouldn't have been so heartbroken.
Oliver hesitated for a moment before revealing the truth, "Well, he was... just watching."
"Really? What a great brother!" Eddie said with a cold laugh. He wanted nothing more than to crush Blaze under his heel. However, he knew there would be time for that later.
Especially during the Yue family's annual youth martial contest, where he could take his revenge and defend Sophia's honor.
The six men were relieved to see Eddie didn't explode in anger. They exchanged knowing glances, confirming their suspicion.
This man, so anxious to find Sophia, must be the legendary third son of the Yue family. If it was indeed him, things would be much simpler.
They just needed to find Sophia. As her brother, he was unlikely to renege on the promised reward.
More importantly, this young master was generous and respectful, making him an exceptional employer.
"You're Yehken, right?" Eddie acknowledged the gaunt man's capabilities.
Impressed by his quick response and efficiency, he patted Yehken's shoulder. "You've done well. We need to find Sophia as soon as possible. If she's safe, I'll double your payment. And who are these guys?"
Eddie noticed the two silent, twin brothers who had not spoken yet. Dressed in similarly worn clothes, each had two curved blades on their backs, the only ones in the group carrying weapons.
He found it odd. If Yehken was the guide and the scholarly-looking man was an artist, with Oliver and Yanthon as witnesses, what role did these twins play?
"I'm Lyqeen, and this is my brother, Lyken. We're both high-level warriors at level two, and our summoned beasts are Swift Wind Minks. Yehken thought Sophia might be in the Star Realm undergoing trials. We can ensure your safety through Dragon Valley Path. Unless we fall in battle, you won't face any danger," Lyqeen explained, almost making Eddie burst into laughter.
Did Yehken think he was so weak that he needed bodyguards?
Yehken, noticing Eddie's bemused expression, quickly added, "Don't worry about the hiring cost. We six will only ask for one payment, no extras needed."
" We just hope you'll hire us all. I alone can't guarantee safe passage through Dragon Valley Path. Even with your Iron Ridge Demon Wolf, uncontracted beasts easily flee in battles here. "
"I assure you, the Li brothers' skills surpass their current level; they just couldn't afford the official ranking at the Warrior Guild. "
"With six of us, Wen Yu Mo can set up a search mission at the Mercenary Guild; Oliver will go to distant places like Tianbao, Tianhua, and Tianji for information; Yanthon will cover Shangluo, Shangze, and Shanghong. "
"Once we reach the Star Realm, they'll relay any news through the guild. They can also keep tabs on Shentu and Porking to avoid further encounters."
Eddie nodded, appreciating the well-thought-out plan.
However, Eddie noticed something intriguing. Aside from the buxom woman, neither Hessian nor Yehken and the others could discern Grey's true strength.
And he was confident that Grey, constantly bolstered by his own Qi, would never betray him. Grey had proven loyal; even rough treatment couldn't drive it away.
"We really need this job," the six men looked at Eddie with a genuine sense of desperation in their eyes.
"For you, it's a job, but for me, it's about Sophia's safety. Please give it your all!" Eddie was less concerned about the number of people Yehken had gathered; the more involved in the search for Sophia, the better. His sole focus was finding his headstrong sister as quickly as possible.
"Rest assured, this job is as important as life itself to us. We're starving," Yehken said earnestly, nodding emphatically at Eddie.