Kelsier asked, "How could outsiders possibly get buried in our family cemetery?" The three arcane priests looked at each other, fingers moving as they did some quick calculations. "The Keating family's fortune would be affected when burial sites mix like that. It's really bad for the living family members." All three had studied this stuff in depth. It was too bad they'd only learned the by-the-book version. Unlike them, Aria learned her arcane knowledge through other ways, so she immediately thought of something. "That so-called priest wanted them to feed off the Keating family's offerings and steal their fortune." Aria knew this kind of sneaky method too well. After all, someone had pulled the exact same thing on the Carver family. The Carvers had lost ten years of stolen fortune. She looked at Kelsier. "Sorry to bring this up, Mr. Keating, but when exactly did your family start having problems with heirs?" Kelsier didn't answer. His hands balled into fists, radiating pur
The chair Landon was sitting on might as well have been a throne of bones. He didn't need to say anything. He just rested his chin on his hand, and countless vengeful spirits would surge from behind him, ready to rip Jarold to shreds. Every single one of them was stronger than Jarold, and they could all finish him in one or two bites. Jarold lifted what was left of his arm, blood and tears streaming down his face, desperate to beg for mercy. But he knew Landon had never been the merciful type. Besides his arm, his entire left side had already turned to black goo. Just when he thought he was toast, a calm voice floated down from upstairs. "Landon, don't kill him. I still need to ask him some questions." Jarold recognized it—that was Aria, the female arcane seeker with the Soul-Summoning Plaque. He couldn't wrap his head around what these two had going on. But the next thing he knew, all the nightmare fuel in front of him just disappeared. He could finally breathe again. And La
Indeed, the Keatings had killed a lot of people in the past for the sake of Farshya. But Kelsier never thought Betty—his innocent little girl—would be the one bearing the karma. He'd rather take the hit himself. Even the gossip rags in Portfall knew how much he cherished his daughter. Hearing those words from her mouth hit differently. However, as one of the key leaders in the Portfall state government, he knew how to make the tough calls. "Push her away," he told Audrey. Though Audrey's face was wet with tears, she knew what mattered. She reached out to shove Betty back. Except Betty's grip was insanely strong. There was no way a little girl should be that powerful—most adults couldn't match it. "Mommy, you're so mean! You say you love me, but look what you're doing! What, would you guys be happier if I were a boy?" Betty's words cut deep and were filled with a creepy sense of resentment. She wouldn't let go, so the three priests couldn't use arcane techniques on her. Whil
The three priests figured they'd give Landon and Aria one last chance to back out. Running away once things got scary would trash their reputation in the esoteric community. After that, nobody would hire them for esoteric work ever again. In Portfall, everything depended on their reputation and whether people could trust them. These priests weren't saints who worked for free. They had bills to pay. Apart from selling protective charms, esoteric readings generated the most revenue. These newbies had barely set foot in Portfall and were already trying to con the Keating family. If this got out, news like that would only ruin their lives. But surprisingly, Landon and Aria didn't react to the warning at all. Instead, Randall's face went white as he urgently whispered to them. "Mr. York, you've just recovered this year. Evil spirits and Phantom Patrols are way too dangerous for you. Let's come back after these priests clean everything up. We can meet Kelsier another day." Randall
The other priest dressed more unconventionally and had a shorter fuse. He sipped his tea and muttered, "The Keating's situation is definitely bizarre. If it weren't for Ms. Keating's reactions, I'd think she was just throwing tantrums to get her parents' attention." "But some things don't add up, especially those handprints and palm marks in her bedroom. They appeared out of nowhere. She couldn't have made them herself, not at those angles..." The priest stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Jaqen leading Aria's group inside. "Everyone, these practitioners have just arrived, and they are also here to examine Ms. Keating," Jaqen spoke with his usual diplomacy. "Why don't you all get acquainted while I go upstairs to make the announcement?" The three priests nodded politely. When facing such difficult cases, practitioners did tend to consult with each other. However, looking at these newcomers, none of them took Aria seriously, given her young age. After all, their own disciples
Reputation in the field of esoteric arts should be earned through actual work. The esoteric community kept track of everything, including the number of manifestations someone had dismantled or how much beneficence they'd accumulated. Every country had its own respected exorcists or arcane practitioners. They just called them different names. But that didn't mean people couldn't fake it. Some had real skills, while others just ran their mouths. They didn't know the first thing about reading esoteric formations, but they could sweet-talk anyone into believing nonsense. They didn't just steal money—they ruined lives with their scams, using cheap tricks to exploit people who didn't know better. For example, they would tell sick people to skip medicine and just drink blessed water instead. That was complete garbage. If that stuff actually worked, nobody would ever get old or die. So Aria watched these so-called esoteric experts or arcane practitioners with healthy skepticism. She'd