Chapter 440. Reunion - 1
Maximus left the Sinclair Estate without wasting another second.
The servants waiting outside immediately stepped forward and respectfully offered him a carriage along with an armed escort, but he rejected every single offer without even slowing his pace.
He barely acknowledged their words before continuing toward the estate gates with hurried footsteps, as though remaining inside the mansion for even another moment would suffocate him.
Outwardly, his expression appeared tense.
However, that visible desperation was not even a fraction of what he was truly experiencing inside his heart.
His breathing had become increasingly uneven ever since he stepped out of the mansion, and despite his efforts to maintain his composure, he was desperate for the glimmer of hope that had been promised to him a few hours ago.
Without realizing it himself, his pace gradually transformed into a full sprint.
His body shot across the streets of the capital with astonishing speed as he weaved through countless pedestrians without colliding with anyone. The ordinary cultivators walking through the Core District barely managed to notice a white blur flashing past them before Maximus had already disappeared several streets ahead.
His desperate strides carried tremendous force, causing the stone tiles beneath his feet to crack slightly every time he pushed himself forward with even greater speed.
His mind had become completely consumed by the need to bless his eyes with the sight he had been craving for years now.
The familiar scenery around him continuously shifted as district after district disappeared behind him. He crossed the Core District almost without noticing it.
Soon afterward, the streets became noticeably quieter as he entered the Inner District.
Even that scenery failed to remain around him for long.
Before he knew it, the luxurious roads had once again transformed into the simpler surroundings of the Outer District, where merchants, travelers, and ordinary civilians crowded the streets from morning until evening.
Only when the enormous gates leading outside Riverdale’s capital finally came into view did Maximus begin slowing down.
His feet slid several meters across the loose sandy road before eventually coming to a stop.
For the first time since leaving the estate... Everything became quiet.
The strong wind that had continuously battered against his face during the run finally disappeared.
Only then did he realize something. His eyes had already become completely red.
Throughout the entire journey, the tremendous wind resistance had forced the tears gathering inside his eyes to remain trapped there.
Now that he had stopped. Those tears quietly rolled down his cheeks one after another.
Maximus slowly lowered his head. He clenched his fists tightly.
His entire body trembled ever so slightly. The need to reach his destination was growing every second within his mind.
Before he could allow himself to remain standing there for too long, his instincts suddenly screamed in warning.
Someone was following him. His sharpened senses immediately detected two cultivators quietly observing him from behind.
Without even turning around to confirm it, Maximus abruptly abandoned his original route toward the city gates. Instead, he sharply changed direction, and he sprinted towards the slums. At this point he could not let the duchess know about his intention, or she would do everything in her being to make him suffer.
The narrow maze of decaying buildings would provide the perfect opportunity to disappear. Without slowing down, he immediately rushed toward the poorest district of Riverdale.
Behind him, the hidden pursuers instantly changed direction as well.
Inside Riverdale, ordinary cultivators were strictly forbidden from flying above the city without permission. The knights stationed throughout the capital constantly monitored the skies, making aerial pursuit impossible.
As a result, the only option remaining for the Duchess’s men was to continue chasing Maximus on foot.
His sudden change in direction immediately confirmed their suspicions.
"He knows that we are tailing him." The leading pursuer out of the two narrowed his eyes. Neither of them intended to lose sight of him now.
Whatever reason Maximus had for suddenly entering the slums. They needed to know and report back; otherwise, their heads would be served to the dogs of the duchess for dinner.
Maximus sprinted through the twisting alleys with remarkable agility.
The pathways became increasingly narrow, forcing him to leap over broken walls, abandoned carts, and scattered debris while constantly changing direction.
He was breathing heavily, not from exhaustion but from panic of not being able to escape this chase. His eyes remained bloodshot.
Inside his heart, an indescribable emotional storm continued raging without showing any signs of calming down.
His desperation to meet his beloved was at its peak. He could barely think straight anymore.
Still...
His feet refused to stop moving. Eventually, as he rounded another corner, an opportunity finally presented itself.
Ahead of him, an enormous crowd had gathered inside one of the larger open streets.
Dozens of men were wildly fighting one another. Some wielded crude clubs. Others swung their fists. Several people shouted encouragement while more spectators eagerly watched the chaotic brawl unfold.
Whether it was a gang dispute or simply another day in the slums hardly mattered.
For Maximus...
It was the perfect chance to wear off the tailing.
Without reducing his speed, he quickly removed the formal outer robe bearing the insignia of House Sinclair while continuing to run.
Moments later, he disappeared directly into the middle of the enormous crowd.
The two pursuers arrived only in time to witness Maximus vanishing into the chaos.
"Damn it!"
One of them immediately cursed.
The sheer number of bodies made it impossible to distinguish one individual from another. Without exchanging another word, the leading cultivator suddenly extended his hand.
Wind elemental mana violently gathered around his palm.
An instant later...
A massive shockwave exploded directly into the middle of the crowd.
The terrifying force instantly crushed everyone unfortunate enough to stand near the center of the blast.
Those farther away escaped immediate death but were violently hurled across the street as broken carts, shattered wood, and fragments of stone flew through the air alongside countless bodies.
The lively noise filling the slums disappeared almost immediately.
An eerie silence spread across the entire street. Those who had survived remained frozen in fear.
Nobody dared move. Every frightened eye slowly turned toward the two cultivators responsible.
Terror spread across every face. Without sparing the injured another glance, both pursuers calmly walked toward the center of the devastated street.
There...
A young man wearing the robes of House Sinclair lay groaning in pain. The leading cultivator immediately grabbed him by the collar and forcefully lifted him from the ground.
Then his expression changed.
"...What?"
This was not Maximus. The man hanging helplessly from his grip possessed white hair and wore the official clothing of House Sinclair.
Beyond those similarities...
Nothing matched. His face belonged to an old drunkard. The expensive robe had clearly been stolen or more likely exchanged to trick them.
The leading cultivator ground his teeth so hard that veins bulged across his forehead.
If they returned without Maximus. The Duchess would never forgive such failure. Their punishment would undoubtedly be worse than death.
Slowly, he released the drunkard and crushed his head under his feet before turning around. There was nothing left that he could do except search the whole perimeter of the capital. Maximus was now an S-ranked cultivator, so his speed would naturally be fast enough to cover a lot of distance in the time that they had wasted.
But before either of them managed to leave. Something horrifying occurred.
His companion suddenly froze.
Then, something like a fire wisp landed on him, and flames erupted instantly, burning his whole body.
Without warning, his entire figure ignited like an oil-soaked torch.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
His agonized screams echoed throughout the slums. The fire consumed him at an impossible speed.
Within moments, he collapsed onto the ground while desperately clawing at himself, yet nothing managed to extinguish the mysterious flames devouring his body.
The surviving cultivator’s pupils immediately narrowed. He slowly turned around.
Someone was approaching with heavy steps.
A tall man with crimson hair leisurely walked toward them.
He wore an elegant noble outfit embroidered with the unmistakable silver dragon emblem.
The crest belonged to House Draconis.
Behind him walked a beautiful young woman carrying a small child in her arms.
Even without their noble attire, the grace with which she carried herself made it painfully obvious that she did not belong anywhere near the slums.
The red-haired man lazily cracked his knuckles while glaring at the surviving cultivator.
"What exactly gave you the confidence to cause such unrest during my visit?"
His voice remained calm. Yet beneath that calmness rested unmistakable irritation.
The surviving guard instantly realized how disastrous the situation had become.
Someone from House Draconis had personally witnessed everything.
His mission had already failed. Remaining here meant certain death.
Without hesitating another second, he immediately turned around and fled with every ounce of speed he possessed.
Jaden watched him disappear into the distance. He gave a quiet scoff before slowly raising one hand.
Just before he acted...
A soft hand gently rested upon his shoulder.
Emily smiled faintly while looking at him.
"Let’s go, Jaden."
The irritation in his expression immediately softened. He lowered his hand without complaint.
"As you wish."
He calmly turned around before following a step behind her while Emily continued walking ahead with little Stav comfortably sleeping against her shoulder.
Several moments passed quietly. Then Emily suddenly spoke.
"You never listen." There was mild amusement hidden inside her voice.
Jaden smiled.
"I simply don’t like being careless whenever Stav is around." His answer sounded perfectly natural.
Several miles away...
The fleeing cultivator suddenly burst into crimson flames. His screams never reached anyone.
Within seconds he met exactly the same fate as his companion.
Emily looked sideways toward Jaden before letting out a small laugh.
"You really act as though he’s your own son."
She intended the comment as harmless teasing, but the reply made her quite surprised.
Jaden answered almost immediately.
"I honestly wouldn’t mind."
Emily blinked. A faint blush gradually appeared across her cheeks as she quickly looked away from him.
His answer had been so direct that it completely caught her off guard.
She had no witty response prepared for that.
She simply remained quiet while continuing to walk forward without even noticing when Jaden’s hand naturally wrapped around her, gently pulling her a little closer as they walked through the uneven streets.
The movement felt so natural that Emily did not even think about it.
Without realizing it herself, she had already grown completely comfortable within his protective embrace.