The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 221. Searching

Chapter 221: 221. Searching

The streets of Thane Town were quiet, with a few villagers and travelers passing by. He strolled aimlessly for a while, taking in the sights. After a while, he found himself near the Town Chief’s office, a modest building tucked at the edge of the town square. He decided to get an early start on his assignment and walked inside.

The Lizard girl receptionist greeted him and directed him to the basement where the arrays were located. Descending the narrow staircase, Tyler noted the stale air and dim lighting. The room where the arrays were kept was small, filled with faintly glowing symbols carved into the stone floor. Some were faint or flickering, evidence that the arrays indeed needed replacement.

Tyler knelt down, inspecting the array closely. He activated a few of the diagnostic spells he’d learned at the academy, watching as the symbols lit up, revealing the extent of the damage. As he worked, he felt a sense of satisfaction—it was intricate work, demanding focus and patience, and he enjoyed the challenge.

Hours passed unnoticed until he heard footsteps approaching. Turning, he saw the Town Chief, a man with a graying beard and a stern expression.

"You must be the academy student here to replace the arrays," the chief said, nodding in approval as he watched Tyler work. "They’ve been unstable for a while, so we appreciate your help."

"Happy to help," Tyler replied, standing and stretching after crouching for so long. "These should be functional by the end of the day."

"Good to hear," the chief replied, a hint of relief in his voice. "That’s fast."

He was little worried if the Little guy is really knowledgeable.

Once the chief left, Tyler resumed his work, carefully tracing the new symbols into the stone. It was tedious work, but as he focused, he felt a steady rhythm settle over him. He lost track of time until he finally completed the last symbol, standing back to admire his work.

With the repairs complete, Tyler activated the array, watching as it glowed with a steady, vibrant light. Satisfied, he packed up his tools and left the office, stepping out into the cool evening air.

"Is it done?" one of the staff members asked.

"Yeah... but I still need to monitor it for a week to make sure everything’s stable," Tyler replied.

After updating them, he made his way to the inn and then to the small shop across the street, where he had spotted a mysterious woman the day before. He ordered some food and waited, hoping to see her again. But as the minutes ticked by, there was no sign of her.

"Little brother, are you looking for someone?" Moeko asked cheerfully as she served him his food.

"No...," Tyler sighed, picking at his meal.

"Oh, come on! You can tell me. I’ll help you find them!" Moeko insisted, her smile wide and inviting.

Tyler hesitated but then said, "That woman with the veil..."

Before he could finish, Moeko’s eyes brightened. "Oh! You mean Sister Veronica? She’s from another city and comes here now and then to buy rare ores. She might stay for a week this time. I didn’t know you were into older women, little brother! If I didn’t already have a boyfriend, I’d be wooing you myself!" She gave him a teasing wink.

"It’s not like that," Tyler said, waving his hands defensively.

Moeko just grinned in satisfaction and walked off to tend to other customers.

The next day, Tyler visited the chief’s office to check the array. It was a temperature control array that kept the building comfortably warm, regardless of the outside temperature. After a thorough inspection, he turned to the chief and asked, "About that person I mentioned yesterday—any luck with that?"

"Oh, you mean the Dog Beastman named Jake? There was a fellow like that staying here a while back. He was at the Titus Inn, but it seems he checked out last week. Unfortunately, we’re not sure where he went after that," the chief replied.

"Thank you. That’s helpful," Tyler nodded. Jake was one of his targets - he might have the treasure that resonates with the mysterious copper pot in Tyler’s possession.

Later that evening, as Tyler was returning to the inn, he noticed Moeko stepping into a sleek flying car. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. The model of the car was incredibly expensive, suggesting that Moeko’s boyfriend was a wealthy individual. She waved happily and entered the car, disappearing down the street.

With other things still on his agenda, Tyler decided to follow his lead on Jake and visit the Titus Inn to search for more clues.

The next morning, he felt a twinge of disappointment when he found the food stall across from the inn closed. He settled for breakfast at another nearby restaurant before heading over to the Titus Inn.

"The guest you’re asking about left over a week ago, and I’m afraid we don’t have any further information. Also, no, we can’t give out his Terminal number," the receptionist said, sounding politely firm.

Tyler placed a small stack of cash on the counter. "Are you sure?" he asked, giving the receptionist a knowing look.

The man glanced down at the money but kept his expression steady. "I’m sorry, sir. We can’t."

Tyler sighed and added more to the stack.

The receptionist gulped but still shook his head, his professionalism unwavering. Tyler nodded in understanding, reaching out to take the cash back. But the receptionist’s hand moved quickly, and in an instant, the cash disappeared behind the counter.

"Oh no... I seem to have dropped my money," the receptionist said, feigning a worried expression. "I’ll just need a moment to pick it up. Here’s the logbook for the past week’s guests. I sure hope no one looks at it while I’m down here picking up this money for... let’s say two minutes," he added with a hint of amusement in his voice as he bent down to gather the bills.

Tyler grinned, taking the logbook and flipping through it quickly. Within moments, he found the information he needed—Jake’s Terminal number, neatly logged from his recent stay. He closed the book and placed it back on the counter just as the receptionist "finished" picking up the cash.

"Thanks for your help," Tyler said, nodding to the man with a grateful smile.

The receptionist smiled back knowingly. "Anytime, sir."

Tyler dialed the number he’d gotten, hoping it would connect him to Jake. However, the line was dead—the number had been switched off. He sighed in frustration, deciding he would try again later.

The next day, Tyler checked in on the array he’d installed. Everything seemed stable, and the staff expressed their thanks. With his work done for the morning, Tyler headed back to his inn. As he walked, he noticed that the little food shop across the street was open again. A small smile crept onto his face; he’d grown fond of the place over the past few days, and it was becoming one of the few comforts in this town.

Inside, Tyler took a seat and ordered a few dishes. When Moeko came over to serve him, he decided to ask, "What happened yesterday? I noticed the shop was closed."

Moeko looked tired, and there was an odd distance in her gaze as she thought for a moment. "I... I don’t remember," she replied, her voice unusually serious.

Tyler was taken aback. He’d expected a simple answer, maybe something about a holiday or family errand, but her response left him puzzled. Just then, the woman named Veronica, walked into the shop. The moment Tyler spotted her, his interest was piqued. He decided to start a conversation today.

But Veronica paid no attention to Tyler, heading straight over to Moeko instead. They exchanged a few words that Tyler couldn’t make out, but whatever was said, it left Moeko with a confused expression. Veronica then approached Moeko’s parents, who looked equally concerned after the conversation. Tyler watched, trying to piece together what might be going on, but he couldn’t catch any of the words.

When Moeko returned to serve his food, Tyler couldn’t help but ask, "Is everything okay? You all seem... tense."

Moeko shook her head, her mind clearly elsewhere, and walked away without further explanation. Tyler continued with his meal, but his curiosity had taken hold. He watched as Moeko, her parents, and Veronica hurriedly left the shop together, looking deeply unsettled.

Tyler sensed that something was wrong. The usual cheerful Moeko is nowhere to be seen. Deciding to get to the bottom of it, he discreetly followed them as they made their way down a series of narrow streets and into a secluded part of town.

Eventually, they entered a small, nondescript house. Tyler kept his distance, watching from the shadows. A few moments later, the group emerged again, but Moeko’s parents looked completely drained, as if all the life had been sapped from their eyes. They walked in silence, shoulders slumped, with expressions that were hollow and vacant.

Tyler held back, letting them leave without drawing attention to himself. The oddness of the entire situation only fueled his curiosity further. Once they were out of sight, he slipped toward the house and quickly checked to make sure no one was watching.

Finding the door slightly ajar, he slipped inside, taking care to move as quietly as possible. Inside, the room was dimly lit, and he could smell the faint scent of incense lingering in the air. His gaze swept over the sparse furnishings, searching for anything that might explain the family’s strange behavior.

When Tyler saw what was inside, his eyes widened.

In the dim sunlight, a few shadows swayed. As the sunlight shone, these shadows appeared and disappeared.

There were three people hanging from the ceiling.

——Moeko and her parents.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.