C13 Conspiracy

"Four-star Apprentice, lower tier!"

Ning Gao's eyes narrowed as he sensed the mountain cat's strength and immediately clenched his fists. Having fled the Ning family in haste, he was unarmed, making it unwise to engage in combat with a spirit animal far superior to his own level. He glanced around, searching for anything he could use to avert the imminent danger.

The claw marks on the tree trunk attested to the mountain cat's formidable attack power. If those claws struck him, he would undoubtedly be ripped open. The mountain cat, not waiting for Ning Gao to ready himself, coiled its body and leaped into the air, lunging at Ning Gao.

Ning Gao rolled away, snapping off a tree branch and thrusting it at the mountain cat's belly. The branch's sharp end, coupled with Ning Gao's considerable strength, impaled the mountain cat, skewering it onto the wood. The animal struggled briefly before its movements ceased.

Absorbing the life essence, Ning Gao's depleted spiritual energy was instantly restored, bringing him a step closer to the next realm. He tore into the hide; cat meat might not be the tastiest, but it was still flesh and a welcome change from a diet of fruit.

At the Lee family estate in Vuiburgh, a middle-aged man sat on an antique wooden chair in the grand hall, idly rotating two iron balls in his hand, his gaze detached as he looked down.

A young man knelt in the center of the hall, flanked by many onlookers with cold stares. The young man's face was ashen, his head bowed, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"Lee Fei, you claimed you threw Ning Gao into the abyss of the Redmire Mountains. Why, then, has he managed to escape from the Ning family?" The middle-aged man's voice was laden with gravity, each word landing like a hammer blow to Lee Fei's heart.

"Patriarch, I indeed threw the lad down there, but somehow he..." Lee Fei stammered.

"All I know is that the Ning family has issued a city-wide manhunt for him. And the man they seek is Ning Gao, the very one you cast into the abyss."

The patriarch of the Lee family, Lee Ming, had a fierce glint of murderous intent in his eyes. The fate of Ning Gao was inconsequential; what mattered most was keeping their plan under wraps.

Should the Ning family discover the Lee family's schemes, an all-out war would be inevitable. And even if the Lee family emerged victorious, it would be at a great cost.

Vuiburgh was home to three major families. Any misstep between them would only serve to advantage outsiders.

Such a loss would be too great to justify.

"Patriarch, we've received intelligence. It appears that someone spotted a young man resembling Ning Gao hastening towards Arlingwaki Hill," a man at the side of the hall reported after giving a nod.

"Arlingwaki Hill? It seems Ning Gao isn't as foolish as the rumors suggest. He knows that's the safest place right now," Lee Ming remarked with a cold huff. His instincts told him that the individual resembling Ning Gao was indeed the man himself.

"Patriarch, I request permission to atone for my failures by pursuing Ning Gao in Arlingwaki Hill!" Lee Fei implored, his expression one of fervent determination.

His oversight had plunged the Lee family into peril. Thankfully, Ning Gao had kept silent about Lee Fei's failed assassination attempt and the subsequent search. Otherwise, the Lee family would not be enjoying this semblance of tranquility.

"You have one month. If you fail to return with Ning Gao's corpse within that time, don't bother coming back at all."

"Understood... I understand!" Lee Fei's frame quivered as his animosity towards Ning Gao surged.

Were it not for him, he would not be facing such a dire ultimatum from the patriarch.