章 18: Veiled Encounter

What?

Why is that bastard here?

The saintess quickly whispered a few words of incantation, her voice barely audible over the din of the crowd. As she finished her spell, a soft glow enveloped Xin Ming and herself, and they felt a strange but warm sensation wash over them.

Suddenly, their appearances began to shift, their features aging before their eyes until they resembled elderly individuals. Wrinkles creased their skin, and their posture bent slightly with the weight of age. To any observer, they would now appear as harmless old folk, blending seamlessly into the crowd of departing citizens.

Xin Ming marveled at the practicality of the saintess's spell, impressed by her ability to wield divine magic in such a way. With their new disguises in place, they continued to shuffle along with the crowd, their true identities hidden from prying eyes.

Not bad! Seriously I thought I was going to have to make a move there.

As the Grand Magus neared their group and asked a few questions to the group beside them, Xin Ming swiftly cast a grateful glance at the saintess, silently thanking her for her quick thinking.

Even as the Grand Magus approached them, their hearts remained calm. The saintess had firm belief in her God and the spell bestowed upon her and Xin Ming was a master at deception and could easily adapt to any situation, to him this was but one of many situations he had already encountered.

The grand magus, his eyes sharp and on alert, surveyed the departing crowd before him with an air of authority. As the Grand Magus came nearer, they could feel his gaze lingering on them. "Please, State your business," the Grand Magus asked.

Xin Ming and the saintess exchanged glances, their minds racing for a suitable response. With their disguises in place, they had hoped to slip past unnoticed, but now they found themselves face to face with the very demon they sought to avoid.

"We are but humble merchants, seeking to depart from the city, to sell our goods." Lysandra replied, her voice quavering slightly despite her best efforts to appear composed.

The grand magus's eyes narrowed, his gaze boring into them with an intensity that could send shivers down people's spines. "But why don't I see any merchandise on you?" he inquired, his tone laced with suspicion.

Xin Ming hesitated, struggling to come up with a plausible explanation that would satisfy the demon's curiosity without arousing further suspicion. "As humble merchants, we do not have enough funds to set up a shop in this city, we were just trying to find a place to sell to begin with." he replied cautiously, choosing his words carefully. "Therefore we do not possess any merchandise on us right now." The grand magus regarded them silently for a moment, his expression inscrutable.

Then, with a curt nod, he signaled for them to pass. "Very well," he said dismissively. "Proceed on your way, but know that the city gates will remain closed to all who seek to bring trouble within our walls." Relieved that their ruse had succeeded, Xin Ming and the saintess hurried past the Grand Magus, Lysandra's heart was still pounding with the adrenaline of her narrow escape.

As they disappeared into the distant woods, they exchanged a silent glance of relief, knowing that they had narrowly avoided detection by the demon's keen eyes.

"Thank you, Lysandra," Xin Ming said gratefully as their silhouettes could now be seen disappearing into the woods , his voice barely audible over the bustling noise of the departing citizens. "Your divine magic saved us back there. I don't know what we would have done without it."

Lysandra smiled softly, her eyes reflecting a mixture of relief and satisfaction. "It was the least I could do," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm just glad it worked."

"We need to lay low for a while, at least until we figure out our next move" Xin Ming replied, his voice low and measured. " The grand magus won't give up easily, and we can't afford to be caught off guard."

Lysandra nodded in agreement, her expression grave as she contemplated their options. "But where do we go from here? We can't stay in these woods forever, and it's only a matter of time before they track us down."

Xin Ming appeared as if though he was in thought. "You know that spell you just performed, can you transform us into anything you like?" he said slowly. "Perhaps you could give us a separate identity?"

Lysandra's eyes brightened at the suggestion, a flicker of hope dancing in their depths. "Yes, that could work. But I can only maintain the spell for around 5 incense sticks"

Xin Ming nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities. "That should be enough time" he said. "We'll need to move quickly and stay hidden until the spell wears off."

Lysandra nodded in agreement, her expression resolute as she prepared to cast the spell once more. "I'll do my best to keep us concealed," she said, her voice steady despite the lingering uncertainty.

The serene ambiance of the forest was shattered by a sudden, piercing scream that echoed through the trees. Instinctively, he turned towards the source of the sound, his senses on high alert as he scanned the surrounding foliage for any signs of danger.

Lysandra's grip tightened on his arm, her eyes widening in alarm as they both strained to pinpoint the origin of the scream amidst the dense undergrowth."What was that?" Lysandra whispered, her voice quivering with fear.

Xin Ming's jaw clenched with determination, his mind racing through possible scenarios. "I'm not sure," he replied, his voice low and urgent.

As they cautiously pressed forward, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet of leaves beneath their feet, Xin Ming's senses remained on high alert.

Suddenly, another scream rent the air, closer this time, sending a chill down Lysandra's spine. Without hesitation, Xin Ming sprang into action, his martial instincts taking over as he moved swiftly through the foliage towards the source of the disturbance.

Lysandra followed close behind, her divine magic crackling in the air as she prepared to unleash its power against any potential threat.

As they burst into a small clearing, Lysandra's eyes widened in horror at the sight before her. A young woman was being accosted by a group of bandits, their crude weapons glinting in the dappled sunlight as they closed in on their prey.