# Chapter 1: It is Forbidden to Bring Saws, Saw-Hammers, Saw-Spears, Saw-Guns, Saw-Axes, etc., into the Treatment Room. If Found, a Fine of 50 Gold Coins.
The air was thick with the scent of blood and antiseptic. Su Xiao stood in the dimly lit corridor, his gaze fixed on the sign nailed crookedly to the wall. The words were written in crude, uneven strokes, as if the author had been in a hurry—or perhaps had been holding the brush with trembling hands.
Behind him, the heavy iron door of the treatment room creaked open. A figure emerged, wiping blood from their hands with a rag that had long since lost its original color.
"Next," the figure said, their voice flat and devoid of emotion.
Su Xiao didn't move. He continued staring at the sign.
"Are you deaf?" the figure asked, irritation creeping into their tone. "I said next."
"I can read," Su Xiao replied calmly. "I'm just wondering... who exactly would bring a saw into a treatment room?"
The figure paused, then let out a dry, humorless laugh. "You'd be surprised. Last week, some idiot brought in a chainsaw. Said he wanted to 'trim the bone' himself. Had to sedate him and confiscate the thing."
Su Xiao finally turned to face the speaker. It was a middle-aged man with a gaunt face and hollow eyes, wearing a bloodstained apron that might have once been white. He looked like someone who had seen too much and cared too little.
"Are you the doctor?" Su Xiao asked.
"Doctor?" The man snorted. "I'm the one who patches people up when the real doctors are too busy. Call me whatever you want. Now, are you here for treatment, or are you just here to admire the decor?"
Su Xiao stepped forward, pushing open the door to the treatment room. The interior was sparse—a metal table in the center, shelves lined with jars of questionable contents, and a single flickering lantern that cast dancing shadows across the walls.
"I'm not here for treatment," Su Xiao said, closing the door behind him. "I'm here for information."
The man's eyes narrowed. "Information costs. What do you have to trade?"
Su Xiao reached into his coat and pulled out a small pouch, tossing it onto the table. It landed with a heavy clink. "Fifty gold coins. The same amount as the fine for bringing a saw in here."
The man's eyebrows rose slightly. He picked up the pouch, weighing it in his hand before opening it to inspect the contents. Satisfied, he set it aside.
"Ask your questions," he said, leaning against the wall.
"I'm looking for someone," Su Xiao said. "A woman. Goes by the name Seraphilia. Mage Sage Seraphilia."
The man's expression didn't change, but his posture stiffened almost imperceptibly. "That name... I've heard it before. But I don't know where she is."
"You know something," Su Xiao pressed. "Tell me."
"I told you, I don't know where she is," the man repeated. "But I know someone who might. There's a tavern in the Central District. The owner's an old friend of mine. He keeps his ears open. If anyone knows about that woman, it's him."
"What's the name of the tavern?"
"The Drunken Dragon. Can't miss it. There's a sign out front with a dragon that looks more like a lizard."
Su Xiao nodded, turning to leave. As he reached the door, the man spoke again.
"One more thing," the man said. "If you're planning to go looking for trouble, you might want to leave the saws at home. The fine's fifty gold, but the real cost... well, you'll find out soon enough."
Su Xiao paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "Thanks for the advice."
He stepped out of the treatment room and into the corridor, the door swinging shut behind him with a heavy thud. The sign on the wall seemed to mock him as he passed, its crude letters catching the light.
*Fifty gold coins,* he thought. *Cheap, considering what I'm about to do.*
He made his way through the winding streets of the city, past stalls selling strange trinkets and vendors hawking dubious wares. The Central District was a maze of narrow alleys and crowded squares, but Su Xiao moved through it with practiced ease, his eyes scanning for the tavern.
Finally, he spotted it—a weathered building with a faded sign depicting a dragon that looked more like a lizard, just as the man had said. The Drunken Dragon.
He pushed open the door and stepped inside. The tavern was dimly lit, filled with the murmur of voices and the clink of glasses. A few patrons glanced up as he entered, then quickly looked away, as if they knew better than to stare.
The bartender was a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, polishing a glass with a rag that looked even dirtier than the one the treatment room man had used.
"What'll it be?" the bartender asked, not looking up.
"Information," Su Xiao said, sliding onto a stool at the counter. "I was told you might know something about a woman named Seraphilia. Mage Sage Seraphilia."
The bartender's hand stopped mid-polish. He set down the glass and rag, finally meeting Su Xiao's gaze.
"That's a name I haven't heard in a long time," he said slowly. "What do you want with her?"
"That's my business."
The bartender chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "Fair enough. But information doesn't come cheap. What are you offering?"
Su Xiao placed another pouch on the counter. This one was smaller, but heavier. "Fifty gold coins. Same as the fine for bringing a saw into a treatment room."
The bartender raised an eyebrow but didn't question the comparison. He picked up the pouch, pocketing it without bothering to count.
"Seraphilia," he said, leaning in closer. "Last I heard, she was in the Eternal Light World. Something about an alchemical experiment gone wrong. But that was months ago. She could be anywhere by now."
"Eternal Light World," Su Xiao repeated. "How do I get there?"
"There's a teleportation array in the Underground Space. But it's guarded. You'll need clearance from the Arcane Eternal Star if you want to use it."
"Arcane Eternal Star," Su Xiao said, his tone flat. "That's not going to be easy."
"Nothing worth doing ever is," the bartender replied, picking up his glass and rag again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have customers to attend to."
Su Xiao stood, leaving the tavern without another word. As he stepped back into the street, the sign above the door creaked in the wind, the painted dragon seeming to leer at him.
*Eternal Light World,* he thought. *Arcane Eternal Star.*
He had a long way to go.