Inside the lakeside restaurant, Serena Vale gazed at the empty table by the lake, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her. She had received news yesterday that Aurelian Dragon had been imprisoned, and the news was being spread everywhere. The consensus was that Aurelian Dragon was doomed this time.
When Aurelian Dragon came to report to her every day, Serena Vale didn't feel anything different. But after getting used to this kind of life, she found that when she didn't see the man, she felt a strange emptiness in her heart.
This didn't mean she had fallen in love with this man. Serena Vale told herself that this disreputable Governor was a man living in a completely different world from her, and his current persistence might just be a passing fancy. Entering the gates of a noble family was like entering a deep, dark sea; she didn't want her future life to become like that. For her, finding an ordinary person and living a simple, loving life together was the greatest happiness.
"Miss, look at that person!"
Xiaohong, a new waitress in the store, pointed at a man standing in front of the store, looking very curious.
Serena Vale sighed softly and turned to look. When her gaze fell upon the man, she was startled. Suddenly, a very strange feeling welled up inside her. It was a feeling that was both unfamiliar and strangely familiar.
This tall, handsome man looked very young, perhaps in his early twenties, but his eyes seemed to hold a strange sense of vicissitude, as if his life experiences far exceeded his years.
Serena Vale had never practiced martial arts, so she naturally didn't have extraordinary eyesight. Therefore, she didn't notice that when the young man saw her, he trembled slightly, and his expression became very strange, as if he had been frightened by something or as if he had been electrocuted. He mumbled something under his breath.
"He's been standing in front of our shop for two days in a row. He's such a strange person. Why doesn't he come in?"
The new waitress was great in every way, except that her talkativeness was a bit much for Serena Vale. She really didn't know a girl could be so talkative. But now, she actually hoped Xiaohong would talk more.
"He doesn't seem to be from Esnia; I've never seen him before."
Just as Serena Vale had expected, the talkative waitress started muttering to herself.
"It is said that he came from the south of the empire, and his clothing and demeanor confirm this."
Serena Vale had no idea when her waitress had become so knowledgeable about these things. But seeing Xiaohong's shining eyes, Serena Vale seemed to understand something.
"I'll go and invite him in!" Xiaohong said, walking towards the shop entrance. A bright smile spread across her round face; a young girl's genuine smile is always adorable.
Strangely, this time the waitress messed things up. Seeing Xiaohong approaching, the young man immediately turned and hurried away. He hadn't uttered a single word the entire time, but Serena Vale had a strong feeling that the young man had said a great deal.
Turning her gaze away, Serena Vale sighed softly again. Lately, she seemed to have developed a particular fondness for sighing. What was causing this change in her? Serena Vale herself found it somewhat strange. What had caused this change in her?
"That weirdo!" Xiaohong stamped her foot, staring in the direction the young man had disappeared. Just as she was about to turn back, she suddenly saw a middle-aged man riding a yellow horse galloping towards her, his face covered in the dust of travel.
"Hey, hey, uncle, you can't ride a horse like that in this place!"
"Uncle?" The middle-aged man had already reached the front of the shop, jumping off his horse with surprising agility. He glared at Xiaohong, "Who are you? Do I look that old?"
Xiaohong glared back at the seemingly energetic middle-aged man without backing down. Just as she was about to speak, Serena Vale, who had been startled, came out of the store and exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the man.
"Father, you're back!"
"Father?!" Xiaohong immediately swallowed back the words that were already on the tip of her tongue. Wasn't Serena Vale's father the owner of this shop? That was her source of income, so she'd better make a good impression. Having made up her mind, she immediately put on a bright smile.
"Manager, I..."
"Am I old?" This is the question that middle-aged men who are always mindful of their birthdays are most concerned about.
"Uh, the store manager looks so young! Hahaha..."
Nodding, Xiaohong quickly left the father and daughter's side.
"Father…" Serena Vale was about to welcome her father, Yang Jian, when she suddenly saw her father's smile vanish, replaced by a serious expression that was rarely seen on his face. He asked in a low voice, "Who was that young man who just left? When did he arrive here?"
"I don't know." Serena Vale shook her head slightly, a hint of doubt rising in her heart. "What's wrong with him? Is something the matter?"
Yang Jian hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand gently and said to Serena Vale, "Never mind, let's go inside and talk! There's no rush."
※ ※ ※
Cliff looked at the beautiful goddess warriors surrounding him and said mockingly to Aurelian Dragon, "Lord Aurelian, you certainly have quite the entourage. Where did you find so many beautiful women? What use are they?"
The man next to Cliff looked at Aurelian Dragon with disdain and said, "Lord Aurelian, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to use these women to keep us here?"
Aurelian Dragon chuckled coldly, as if he hadn't heard Cliff's words. He put his hands behind his back, raised his head, and said, "As the Governor of the East, I have the duty to expose evil and punish wrongdoing. Now, I suspect you two are plotting something and I'm taking you both to the Governor's residence. Do you have anything to say?"
"He's not serious, is he?" Cliff and the man next to him exchanged a confused look. Aurelian Dragon's actions were incredibly rude and petty, using such a despicable excuse to cause trouble for the two of them.
"What evidence do you have?" Cliff swallowed his anger and glared at Aurelian Dragon as he retorted.
"Do you need evidence? My words are the evidence!" Aurelian Dragon's smug look infuriated Cliff and the men beside him. "Let's take you back first and interrogate you thoroughly!"
"People who come from a scoundrel background never change their scoundrel habits!" Cliff thought to himself. Why would a man like this attract beauties like Lynette Quill or even Phoenix Vane? Fate really does play tricks on me!
The man beside Cliff, however, showed little emotion. His eyes widened, and he coldly demanded, "How are you going to take us away? With that little woman who knows a bit of magic, or with these pampered sissies?" As he spoke, he deliberately gestured towards Obsidia Shade and Cynthia, who were standing next to Aurelian Dragon.
Princess Selene Qian, who was already eager to make a move, was about to strike again when Aurelian Dragon grabbed her arm.
"Your Highness need not trouble yourself to deal with these two arrogant fools."
After saying this, Aurelian Dragon winked at the goddess warriors standing beside Cliff and his companion, who nodded in understanding.
The two lightning javelins were slowly raised, their tips flashing with cold light and electric sparks, exuding a terrifying aura and a powerful sense of oppression in front of Cliff and his companion.
"Huh, she's actually a master!" Cliff and the man beside him couldn't help but sense the strength of their opponent from the connection of their auras. They no longer had their nonchalant attitude, but instead stared at the woman beside them with vigilant expressions, secretly gathering all their strength.
Cliff's eyes slowly turned into a strange blue, a chilling blue that sent shivers down one's spine. If one looked closely, one could even see a trace of black between Cliff's eyebrows, indicating that he had practiced more than just ordinary sinister techniques.
The man next to Cliff had his clothes bulging outwards, and even his exposed neck showed signs of exertion, with clearly defined muscle lines. Judging from the way he was channeling his energy, it was a form of internal and external martial arts training.
Aurelian Dragon was secretly alarmed upon seeing this. It turned out that during the time Cliff disappeared after his defeat, he had been practicing this seemingly sinister martial art. He wondered how far he had progressed. Thinking of this, he slightly nodded towards the goddess warrior standing next to Cliff.
The goddess warrior named Shadan nodded knowingly, and her lightning spear suddenly burst forth with hissing electricity, hurtling towards Cliff with such astonishing force that it made Cliff's expression change.
Cliff crossed his palms and spread his Yin Sha Great True Power within a three-foot radius in front of him. The thick true power caused a strange change in the airflow in the space, and even a faint ghostly howl could be heard coming from the depths of the netherworld.
The lightning spear, which was slowly extending forward, began to tremble violently. Each tremor produced a crackling sound. The originally white lightning seemed to be subjected to great resistance and was compressed to the edge of the spear tip. Moreover, its color turned into a strange bluish-gray.
Cynthia and Obsidia Shade's expressions both changed slightly. Being well-informed, they already knew what kind of skill Cliff was using. "Yin Sha Great True Power" was an evil technique that allowed practitioners to exchange their life force for immense power, but this kind of skill had rarely appeared since the War of the Hundred Races. They wondered where Cliff had learned it.
It's quite interesting, really. In recent times, one after another, extraordinary experts have appeared. This situation seems to have rarely happened before. Only during the War of the Hundred Races did a large number of experts suddenly emerge. Could it be that we have reached another turning point? Then who is it that will trigger this amazing storm? Cynthia couldn't help but wonder.
Aurelian Dragon and Princess Selene Qian were also quite surprised, because Cliff was no longer the handsome and dashing man he usually was. His slightly ashen complexion and gloomy expression made people feel extremely uncomfortable.
At this moment, the man standing next to Cliff suddenly raised his voice and said, "Lord Aureliano Buendía, if you are interested, let's have a good meeting at the welcome banquet held at Sanssouci Palace in seven days!"
"Oh, is there such a banquet in seven days?"
Upon hearing this, Aurelian Dragon immediately became interested.
"Who are you to know such news?"
Shadan, who had already stopped fighting at Aurelian Dragon's behest, took a step back, allowing Cliff to breathe a sigh of relief. He said coldly, "Lord Aurelian is quite fortunate to have such beautiful and skilled female bodyguards by your side. However, in certain situations, they cannot protect you from all troubles."
Aurelian Dragon's eyes narrowed slightly, and two cold glints flashed past, causing Cliff's heart to skip a beat. He realized that not only had his own skills improved significantly, but this lecherous and immoral man in front of him had also made great progress. He couldn't underestimate Aurelian Dragon.
"I am Parry's Mabri!" the rock-like man beside Cliff said slowly in a deep voice. "My younger brother has been taken care of by you, sir, and we are truly grateful!"
"Pari's Mabri?" Aurelian Dragon felt like he'd heard the name somewhere before, but when had his brother ever received his care? Aurelian Dragon had absolutely no recollection of it.
"Ah!" Obsidia Shade exclaimed softly, "On the way back from Yuzhou…"
Aurelian Dragon suddenly remembered the origin of this name. Wasn't he shot dead by Garrick Stonewall on his way back to Esnia from Yuzhou? How come there's another one now?
Seemingly sensing Aurelian Dragon's confusion, Cliff glared at him with hatred and said in a sinister tone, "Lord Aurelian, the one who was murdered was Lord Mabri's younger brother!"
Aurelian Dragon suddenly felt a chill in her heart. This hatred was truly immense, and Mabri hadn't even shown much resentment in front of her. This kind of man was truly terrifying!
"Lord Aurelian Dragon, we'll have a proper meeting at the banquet in seven days!" Mabri and Cliff turned and left. The meaning behind their last words sent a chill down Aurelian Dragon's spine, but he couldn't run away. Besides, there was no point in picking a fight with them now. More importantly, Mabri was Parry's envoy; continuing the commotion would only make him a laughingstock and escalate into a diplomatic incident. Even the most lawless Aurelian Dragon possessed this level of awareness.
※ ※ ※
On her way back home, a disgruntled Aurelian Dragon encountered Rutu Xian and Fan Tong. She learned a lot of information from the expressionless man, including about their destruction of Wu'an's intelligence network, the Mo Group.
Aurelian Dragon patted Rutuxian on the shoulder with great pleasure and praised, "Old Rutu, I really didn't know you were so capable! In that case, I won't hold it against you for not testifying for me. Keep up the good work!"
Rutu remained expressionless, seemingly unaffected by the likes or dislikes of outsiders. He simply nodded and said to Aurelian Dragon, "Would you like to see a good show, sir?"
Aurelian Dragon perked up and immediately pressed for the reason. Even Fan Tong was intrigued by Lu Tuxian's words. The three of them talked in private for a while before parting ways.
Everything unfolded as Lu Tuxian had anticipated; the people of Wu'an indeed launched an attack on him that night. It happened shortly after dinner, on Lu Tuxian's way home, when a group of masked men suddenly appeared beside him.
Seeing that the expressionless man had no sense of danger and seemed to regard them as boring fools, the masked men, enraged, brandished their swords under the leadership of their leader, who was wielding a longsword. They wished they could cut this annoying guy into seven or eight pieces to vent their anger.
However, they were all wrong. The man in front of them was not a fool to be slaughtered, but a very terrifying person. The masked men who participated in the siege soon saw a horrific scene they had never seen before.
Lu Tuxian's ethereal figure flashed and disappeared amidst the sea of swords and blades. In an instant, everyone felt a strange chill rise in the area, swirling and spreading outwards, as if this area within a ten-foot radius had transformed into another space, a ghostly realm filled with icy coldness.
As their weapons involuntarily slowed, something strange suddenly happened. A claw, seemingly from the depths of hell, appeared before them, its snow-white hand radiating a terrifying killing intent and chilling cold. The sheer terror of that moment rendered everyone incapable of reacting, let alone thinking of attacking.
Lu Tuxian grabbed the wrist of a masked man, then quickly separated them. When they met again, Lu Tuxian was already about ten feet away from them, coldly staring at the masked men.
The masked man with the middle claw froze on the spot, unable to even let out a scream. The bursting blood vessels around his body then robbed the others of the courage to attack again, but as they tried to retreat, they immediately found themselves surrounded, with the imposing Eastern Governor waiting for them.
As Aurelian Dragon directed his soldiers to tighten the encirclement, he shouted at the masked men, "Put down your weapons or you'll be killed on sight!"
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the masked men had no choice but to surrender. After all, life was precious, and judging from the enemy's demonstrated strength, resistance would only result in a one-sided massacre. Therefore, Aurelian Dragon ordered his men to take these men back to the Eastern Governor's Office for thorough interrogation to find out who the mastermind was.
After parting ways with Aurelian Dragon, Rutu didn't go straight home. Instead, he changed his route, weaving through several alleyways. Finally, he stopped in a secluded spot, stood with his hands behind his back, and muttered to himself, "Come out! Stop hiding! Those pathetic bastards didn't even realize they were being used!"
A dazzling sword light, like lightning in the sky, with overwhelming momentum, pierced straight into Lu Tuxian's chest.
Lu Tuxian's eyes flickered, and he was no longer indifferent. He let out a sharp and piercing ghostly howl, waved his hands violently, and the wind howled. He spun around like a top, and the dust around him flew up like sand and stones.
The sword's momentum paused in mid-air for a moment, then flashed past, and a clear sound reached Lu Tuxian's ears.
"Impressive skills! You're a hidden master! Aurelian Dragon is truly fortunate to have such a resourceful and decisive expert by his side."
Rutu sneered and then spoke in that direction, "I know who you are. Saying these nice words is meaningless. Actually, your tricks are not clever at all. You try to bribe some unsuspecting fools to attract our attention, hoping to make us lower our guard before launching a sneak attack. It's just an old trick."
The night wind whistled, and no more sounds came. Rutu stood silently for a while, then turned and left.