Eternal Temptation: Awakening Sinful Desires - Chapter 304

Chapter 304: Searching For Clues
The Eldoria Country had two large provinces. One of them was Azure Sky Province, while the other was Emerald Vale Province. Both provinces were located on opposite sides of each other, and each had its own unique characteristics. While the Azure Sky Province was known for its radiant blue sky and rolling hills, the Emerald Vale Province was known for its vast green valleys and towering forests. In the center of both provinces was the capital city of Eldoria, along with the most powerful sect, the Twilight Mist Sect.

The mission Asher chose was to go investigate a strange case that had been occurring in Azure Sky Province. According to the information provided by the Twilight Mist Sect, people in some small villages near the outskirts of the province had been mysteriously disappearing, leaving behind no traces of their whereabouts. The cause of their disappearance remained unknown, and the situation was becoming more serious with each passing day.

It was unclear whether this was the work of bandits or some other organization, but it was certain that if they continued to abduct people at this rate, there would soon be an uproar among the commoners, causing unrest throughout the entire province. The Twilight Mist Sect couldn’t sit idly by as it happened, so they issued missions for disciples to investigate and solve the problem.

When Asher and his two women entered the teleportation portal to Azure Sky Province, they were greeted with the sight of a bright blue sky stretching out as far as the eye could see. There was no hint of clouds or any other obstacles blocking their view, making it appear as though there wasn’t a single thing above them.

The three of them had arrived at the Twilight Mist Sect’s teleportation station, located in a small town near the outskirts of Azure Sky Province. The town was relatively peaceful and quiet compared to the bustling city of Eldoria, which was bustling with activity 24/7. People here didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry either. Most of them went about their daily lives without paying much attention to the world around them. There was an old saying in Eldoria that “the quieter it gets, the closer one is to nature.” And this town seemed to follow that philosophy.

As Asher looked around him, he could see dozens of disciples dressed in black robes and wearing purple belts standing nearby. Their robes were similar to his, except for the color and belt color. The difference in belt colors indicated their status within the sect. Asher and Cai Yan wore a gold belt, which meant both were core disciples, while most of the other disciples wore purple, indicating their status as outer disciples.

The disciples seemed to be surprised by the sudden appearance of the core disciples, but no one dared to disturb them, as that would be considered disrespectful and cause problems for them later. It was common knowledge that core disciples were far more important than outer ones.

Asher didn’t bother to interact with any of the disciples as he turned around and walked away from them with his two women beside him. “Where is the village closest to here? I think we should head there first.”

Cai Yan nodded her head, then took out a small jade slip from her storage ring and inserted a tiny amount of spirit essence into it. The jade slip glowed brightly before a hologram-like map appeared above it, showing the surrounding areas and towns within several hundred kilometers. She was always very meticulous in her work, and this time she made sure to prepare all the necessary information and resources beforehand.

“There are three villages in this area, and they are all about the same distance from here. But we should go where the first incident occurred, as that is the best place to start our investigation. From the information given to us, there were several disappearances from the Woodcutter Village, which is about a fifty kilometers east of here.” Cai Yan explained as she pointed to the map, indicating the location of the village.

After hearing her explanation, Asher nodded his head. He didn’t have any experience with investigations, so he was thankful for her thoroughness. “Okay, then we’ll head to Woodcutter Village first. Nadia, can you fly us there?”

“Yes, Young Master,” Nadia responded, taking out her flying artifact, a black cloud hovering in mid-air, which she climbed on and then motioned for the two to join her. Asher sat between the two women, and then Nadia proceeded to fly in the direction of Woodcutter Village.

It didn’t take long for the three to reach their destination after flying at full speed. The village was small, with only a few dozen houses and farms scattered about. There wasn’t much else in the area except for a small stream running through the middle of it, along with a few patches of trees here and there.

As soon as they arrived, they noticed that the atmosphere was very different from the other town they had just been in. People in this village seemed more anxious and nervous. They kept glancing at each other as if they were afraid of something happening at any moment. There were no children playing outside either; instead, everyone seemed to be inside their houses, and most of the windows had been shut tightly, blocking out any light from coming in.

“This place is so gloomy and depressing,” Cai Yan commented. “Why don’t we talk to someone and ask them what’s going on here?”

“Good idea.” Asher agreed, and Nadia brought them to the entrance of the village before landing.

Then the three entered the village and noticed a young boy sitting under a tree outside his house. He seemed to be about 8 or 9 years old and wore simple clothing. When he saw Asher and the women approach him, he jumped to his feet, quickly running into his house.

As soon as the boy entered the house, a middle-aged woman with long brown hair and hazel eyes walked out, carrying a basket filled with vegetables. She wore simple clothes similar to the boy’s and had a worried expression on her face as she approached them.

“Hello, travelers. May I ask what brings you here?” The woman greeted them with a polite smile, although there was a hint of anxiety in her voice as well.

“We came to investigate the recent disappearance cases,” Asher replied, returning the woman’s smile. “May we ask your name?”

“My name is Diana. Diana Greenwood,” the woman answered.

“Nice to meet you, Diana. I’m Asher. This is Nadia, and this is Cai Yan.” Asher introduced himself and the two women by his side.

Diana greeted the three politely before returning to the topic at hand. “So you’re here to help us find the missing children, right?”

“Yes, we are. Is there anything you can tell us about them?” Asher inquired.

“Well, the first missing child disappeared a few months ago. His name is David, and he is eight years old. He was playing with some other children in the forest near here when he vanished without a trace. No one knows where he went or what happened to him, but his parents are very worried.”