"I hear you’ve advanced to the Innate level?"
Carson Flores stood in the lobby of the Blue Sky Hotel, smiling. "Yes, when it comes to that, I really should thank you for leaving me with ample time."
Gunner Tate’s voice was relaxed, as if chatting with an old friend. "No problem. It’s only interesting to fight someone who has entered the Innate level, otherwise, there’s no fun in it at all."
Carson Flores laughed. "That’s true. Where are you now?"
Gunner Tate replied softly, "I’m currently looking at the message you left for me. And you?"
Carson Flores breathed a little easier inside. This guy must have contacted him as soon as he returned to his Sect.
Better this way; then he didn’t have to trouble the Frost Family Members.
"I’ve been waiting for you for a long time and didn’t see you appear, so I flew to Binnya to enjoy the sunshine."
Gunner Tate sounded slightly surprised. "Binnya? You’re not going to tell me you’re attending the Nine States Gathering, are you?"
He knew about the Nine States Gathering?
It seemed as Leah Frost had said, the existence of the Nine States Gathering was common knowledge. The fact that he himself hadn’t been aware of it was simply because he hadn’t reached the necessary level before.
"Exactly. The Reid Family gave me an invitation Token, so I came over to take a look."
Gunner Tate asked, "Is Shirley Miller with you?"
Carson Flores answered frankly, "No, I’m alone. Why? If she’s with me, would you not dare to come?"
Gunner Tate laughed. "Your wife is strong. Such an opponent is rare. I learned quite a bit from that battle. When I see her next, I’ll make sure to ask for another lesson."
Carson Flores’s heart sank. Hadn’t Gunner Tate said he was more seriously injured? He had already appeared, so why hadn’t Shirley Miller shown up yet?
Could it be that Shirley Miller was more seriously wounded?
Carson Flores thought for a moment. "When she returned, I was still wandering around Mount Kahdas. To be honest, I haven’t seen her yet. I was actually wondering how she was. I heard that both of you were injured in the fight, how badly was she wounded?"
Gunner Tate replied, "Not too badly, strictly speaking, I was a bit more injured. Why, don’t you as her husband know where she is?"
Carson Flores sighed with relief. Since Gunner Tate said Shirley Miller’s injury wasn’t severe, the situation shouldn’t be too bad.
Her absence might simply be because she hadn’t fully recovered. After all, the speed of injury recovery varies and depends on the level of treatment. In any case, it was good as long as it wasn’t serious.
Carson Flores replied frankly, "Yes, I really don’t know where she is, but that’s not important. The one you want to kill is me, isn’t it?"
Gunner Tate asked, "Aren’t you afraid of me?"
Carson Flores laughed. "Since I dared to leave a message for you to find me, I am naturally not afraid. Although I may not be able to beat you, I think I should have no problem saving my own life."
Gunner Tate laughed heartily. "You left that message because you were worried I’d kill people indiscriminately, right?"
Carson Flores tensed inside but maintained a light tone. "That’s part of it. But I also know that to you, others don’t matter. So, let’s not waste time and get straight to the point."
Gunner Tate laughed. "Then wait for me in Binnya, we can talk when we meet."
Carson Flores smiled. "Sure, I’m staying at the Blue Sky Hotel, same as I said before, I’ll wait for you."
Gunner Tate agreed cheerfully from the other side and hung up the phone directly.
Carson Flores immediately dialed Shirley Miller’s number, but it was still unreachable.
Carson Flores sighed and called Leah Frost.
"Aunt Leah, has Mary contacted you?"
Leah Frost replied, "No, what happened?"
"Gunner Tate has appeared."
After recounting his conversation with Gunner Tate, Carson Flores instructed her to take Dawson Frost and his wife away for a while, just as a precaution.
"Okay, I’ll take care of them and then hurry over."
Carson Flores didn’t refuse Leah Frost’s kind offer. After thinking it over, he also called Rocky Stein, asking her to come to Binnya as well.
Since Gunner Tate was around and Shirley Miller wasn’t, Abel Compton and Ethan Roth might rebel again, Carson Flores hadn’t contacted them.
With Leah Frost and Rocky Stein there, at least they had more fighting power. Even if they might not need it, it was better to have it and not need it.
After handling everything, Carson Flores went to the hotel front desk and showed the invitation Token.
Without any fuss, Carson Flores was arranged in a spacious and comfortable suite and was also given a set of meeting instructions.
Carson Flores felt like he was attending a business meeting. Even a Cultivator as impressive as Kaenu Hail treated a meeting so commonly—why did it feel like his vision of a lofty sage had suddenly fallen from grace?
Carson Flores checked and found out that the grand five-star hotel had stopped all services to the public and was dedicated to serving them for the occasion.
Carson Flores picked up the list of Nine States Gathering participants and scrutinized it, not recognizing a single name.
Carson Flores stood up and opened the door. A white-haired elderly man stood there, smiling. "Mr. Flores, I am the Chairman’s Assistant Levi Patel, and the Chairman has invited you to join him for dinner."
Carson Flores’s heart skipped a beat. "The Chairman you’re talking about is?"
Levi Patel smiled politely. "Naturally, it’s Mr. Kaenu, the Chairman of the Nine States Gathering."
Carson Flores’s pupils shrank as he looked at Levi Patel in astonishment. "Mr. Kaenu has invited me to dinner?"