C21 Make Things Big

"Alarmist nonsense!"

Le Feng let out a cold laugh as a rich, blood-scented air wafted from the tip of his gleaming short spear. "A few hunters and common folk have disappeared. How could that possibly threaten Asvetaesi?"

The other guards exchanged uneasy glances.

In the vast lands of Aetherius, cities and villages often faced unexpected incidents.

The loss of a few mortals here and there wouldn't shake the foundations of any city.

Le Feng surmised that it was likely the work of cultivators practicing dark spells, passing through Asvetaesi and sacrificing commoners to forge their weapons or conjure spells.

These cultivators moved like shadows, rarely lingering to avoid drawing attention.

Did they think they could act with impunity in Asvetaesi, as if Yuan Lianyao and the four major families were pushovers?

Did they assume the Silvermoon Empire was defenseless?

"If you return to the city, could you relay a message to the mayor? I wish to meet with him," Yu Yuan requested.

"And who do you think you are, to demand an audience with the mayor?" Le Feng replied with disdain. "Kid, you'd best stay out of trouble in Thylethlume!"

The fierce dispute at the Yu family's hall not long ago had been hushed up by Yu Cen.

As a result, neither Huang Chen of the Huang family nor Le Feng were aware that Yuan Lianyao had personally stated Yu Yuan could visit her at the Keep whenever he wished.

"Starting from this village, conduct a search within a ten-mile radius for any suspicious individuals. Pay extra attention to all strangers," Le Feng ordered, furrowing his brow and casting a probing look at Ning Ji. "Mr. Ning, I've heard about you and your four flags capable of summoning souls."

"They were destroyed by Yin Jue," Ning Ji replied with a hint of bitterness.

Le Feng nodded. "I hope it's not you, contemplating reforging those flags and acting rashly."

"Feel free to investigate," Ning Ji responded, his hands open and his eyes earnest.

"It was merely a suggestion. I trust Mr. Ning is not that sort of person," Le Feng said, gesturing for the guards to spread out and begin their search. He added, "Moreover, given Mr. Ning's level of cultivation, it would be quite a challenge for him to make an entire village's population vanish so swiftly."

Ning Ji stated calmly, "I can't do it."

"I suspected as much," Le Feng replied, bowing with a fist to his chest. "Lately, the outskirts of Asvetaesi have been unsettled. Both of you, please be careful. I still recommend that you return to the city tomorrow morning to prevent any unforeseen incidents."

He was the last to leave, following the guards.

Bathed in the crimson moonlight, the deserted village seemed to be draped in a thin veil of blood, prompting Ning Ji, who had accompanied Yu Yuan, to feel a sense of foreboding. "Mr. Yu, what do you know? And should we heed Le Feng's advice to return to Asvetaesi in the morning?"

"At the moment, it's the area outside the city that's unsafe, but it won't be long before the danger spreads inside the city walls," Yu Yuan said, gazing into the night sky, his brow furrowed with worry. "Honestly, the smartest move would be to take our family members and leave Asvetaesi as soon as possible to avoid getting caught in this turmoil."

Ning Ji was startled. "Is the situation really that grave?"

"It's very grave," Yu Yuan sighed. "My words carry little weight; I fear that even if I speak up, not all of my clansmen would believe me. And even if they did, it's not feasible for them to just drop everything and hastily depart from Asvetaesi. However..."

"However, what?" Ning Ji pressed, eager for an answer.

"However, if we don't leave soon, we might end up perishing along with Asvetaesi," Yu Yuan said, shaking his head, his heart filled with hesitation. "Ning Ji, stay with me. We need to take a closer look at the city from all four directions. I must confirm whether my suspicions are indeed correct."

"Understood!"

...

The night was sleepless.

With Ning Ji by his side, Yu Yuan spent the better part of the day surveying the city from every angle.

"What's that over there?"

On the afternoon of the following day, under a heavy sky, Yu Yuan pointed to a small mountain.

"That's Mount Aureum. It's where the Huang family, the sworn enemies of your Yu family, oversee their mining operations," Ning Ji explained. "Huang Bin's father, Huang Chen, is likely there now. According to the information I've gathered, Huang Bin is the one aiming to take you down in the Spirit Channel contest."

"Mount Aureum," Yu Yuan murmured, his eyes narrowing as he slowly squatted down. With a few stones picked up at random, he began arranging them on the open ground. "Judging by that rune circle, the lynchpin's location is none other than Mount Aureum!"

A sense of clarity began to form in his mind. "Has Mount Aureum experienced any recent collapses?"

"Collapses have been occurring frequently," Ning Ji replied, astonished. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"If the Huang family is tasked with guarding Mount Aureum..." Yu Yuan's gaze grew icy. "Then they must be the city's inside collaborators, acting as the enemy's spies."

"Who is it that intends to strike at Asvetaesi, and to what extent?" Ning Ji wondered aloud, perplexed.

"I'll explain later," Yu Yuan said, taking a deep breath. "I think I've figured it out. We need to head back to the city now. I must meet with Yuan Lianyao in person! If my suspicions are correct, the interior of Mount Aureum is likely a scene of bloodshed and death."

"The cave collapses are merely to contain the scent of blood and to prevent any unforeseen incidents."

...

Deep within Mount Aureum's belly, a network of long, intersecting stone paths lay blocked at each end by piles of rubble.

Now, those paths were strewn with bodies in disarray.

Countless slender blood lines threaded through the corpses, siphoning the blood and coursing along their lengths. The blood lines glowed crimson, resembling the intricate lines of a rune circle and the complex meridians of the human body.

Thousands of these glowing blood lines, carrying streams of blood, converged into a vast, brightly lit cavern at the mountain's core.

Within this cavern, millions of thumb-thick blood lines wove together to form an immense blood net suspended in the air, nearly filling the entire space.

Each intersection of the blood lines in the net radiated dazzling blood light, which illuminated the cavern with an eerie brightness, painting everything in a macabre shade of red.

"Hu! Hu! Hu!"

A blood shadow flitted ceaselessly within the expanse of the large blood net.

As the blood shadow traversed each intersection of the blood lines, the radiant blood light within the grid would abruptly fade away, as if it had consumed a fraction of the blood's vital energy. With each passage, the blood shadow grew increasingly powerful.

...

Outside the Keep.

Yu Yuan was met by none other than Le Feng, who had just returned from outside the city.

"The mayor is in deep contemplation and will not emerge before the three realms' contest," Le Feng stated with a stern demeanor. "You're not the only one; even I haven't been able to see her since my return."

"Le, could you please relay a message for me? Just say it's Yu Yuan with extremely urgent news for her." Eager to meet Yuan Lianyao, Yu Yuan emphasized the gravity of the situation to Le Feng.

Le Feng looked surprised for a moment, then softened slightly. "Mr. Yu, I bear no ill will towards you. But the mayor is not someone who can be easily approached. If she weren't in seclusion, your current approach might persuade me to pass along your message. But as it stands, it's simply not possible."

"Is that truly the case?" Yu Yuan pressed for confirmation.

Le Feng shook his head. "It is."

"Ning Ji, take action. Let's escalate this," Yu Yuan said as he stepped back. "Don't worry, there won't be any trouble. Someone will step in to resolve the aftermath."

"Is this really wise?" Ning Ji asked, his face a picture of dismay.

"It's okay."

Le Feng stared at them incredulously. "Have you lost your minds? This is the Keep of Asvetaesi. Mr. Ning, you're at the Golden Sanctum level just like me. You're considering attacking me in front of the Keep? Are you certain about this?"

At that moment, the unusual commotion caught the attention of many Asvetaesi residents, drawing a crowd.

With a throbbing headache, Ning Ji suggested to Yu Yuan, "Perhaps we should return to the Yu family and consult your grandfather?"

"The outcome would be the same even if Old Mr. Yu were here!" Le Feng retorted, now visibly agitated. "The mayor has made it clear she does not wish to be disturbed before the three realms' contest. That means absolutely no interruptions are permitted, not even by Old Mr. Yu of the Yu family!"

"Let's make a scene! The bigger the commotion, the better. Someone will always step in to sort things out!" Yu Yuan barked impatiently, "Ning Ji, if you have faith in my assessment, then act with conviction!"

"Understood!"

With a heavy heart, Ning Ji launched an attack on Le Feng, the captain of the guards in Asvetaesi, right outside the Keep.

It was all at the behest and provocation of Yu Yuan.

This act was tantamount to provoking the Yuan family and the whole of Asvetaesi!

...