Somewhere aboard the Xingyue, two martial artists wearing black masks that only revealed their eyes and cloaked entirely from head to toe in wide, flowing capes, were walking along a dark corridor, one behind the other. Between these two shadowy figures in black cloaks walked none other than Lilya and Ryan—whom Patton and Zhang Wen had spent a long time searching for moments ago.
“Hurry up,” the martial artist behind Lilya urged in a low voice from time to time. As a master of psionic arts at the Saint level, Lilya could tell after just one listen that the voice was not his natural one. The mask he wore must contain some kind of device capable of distorting his voice via psionic manipulation.
They hadn’t even forgotten to disguise their voices… Lilya frowned deeply, recalling everything that had happened moments ago.
A few minutes earlier, Lilya had left Zhang Wen’s cabin, intending to sneak back to the first deck of the Xingyue to reunite with her fellow maids. But suddenly, as she was walking down the corridor, the two cloaked martial artists had appeared on either side of her.
Their strange attire immediately triggered Lilya’s alertness. However, before she could utter a sound, the martial artist now walking behind her had flashed her several hand signals that startled her.
They were actually secret signals used for communication among high-ranking officers of the Imperial Guards!
Somewhere on the Starlight Moon, two martial artists clad in black cloaks that covered them from head to toe, wearing masks that revealed only their eyes, were walking in single file down a dark corridor. Between these two cloaked figures were none other than Lelia and Ryan, whom Bateng Ping and Zhang Wen had been searching for earlier.
“Move faster,” the martial artist behind Lelia occasionally urged in a low voice. As a Saint-level psychic master, Lelia could tell with just one listen that the voice was not his own. The mask he wore likely contained some device that distorted his voice using psychic energy.
They didn’t even forget to disguise their voices… Lelia furrowed her brows and mentally recounted everything that had just happened.
A few minutes earlier, Lelia had left Zhang Wen’s room, intending to sneak back to the first level of the Starlight Moon to reunite with her fellow maids. That’s when the two cloaked martial artists suddenly appeared on either side of the corridor.
Their bizarre attire immediately put Lelia on guard. However, before she could make a sound, the martial artist now walking behind her made a series of gestures that shocked Lelia.
They were the secret signals used by high-ranking officers in the Imperial Guard!
But as the chief adjutant of the Imperial Guard, Lelia knew better than anyone that on the planet Cassares in the Southern Realm, aside from her and Zhang Wen, there should be no other members of the Imperial Guard. In other words, the signals they used weren’t to prove they were officers of the Imperial Guard, but to let Lelia know that they were fully aware of her true identity!
After finishing the series of signals, the two cloaked martial artists quickly closed in on Lelia while she was still stunned. “If you don’t want everyone to know who you are, stay quiet and come with us,” one of them whispered in warning, then positioned himself in front of her while the other took the rear.
They pressed the button for the floating elevator, intending to take Lelia away. But no one expected that when the elevator doors opened, they would run straight into Ryan.
What followed was Ryan’s startled scream, and then he was instantly knocked unconscious by the cloaked martial artist in front.
“Take him, let’s go!” The cloaked martial artist’s tone was sharp and commanding. The two quickly ushered Lelia and Ryan into the elevator.
The quick reflexes the two cloaked martial artists displayed when Ryan appeared, as well as their cunning and caution in stopping the elevator on the third level, had already made Lelia realize that these two were no ordinary individuals. Her recent discovery only reinforced her belief that they were far more formidable than she had initially thought.
As Lelia silently pondered, the four of them had already traversed a long corridor.
Before boarding the Starlight Moon, Lelia had familiarized herself with the ship’s layout and cabin distribution. She knew that the first level of the Starlight Moon was divided into two areas, north and south, by a central gate. The southern area was the ship’s entertainment hub.
The southern section housed a variety of entertainment facilities: a cinema, swimming pool, gambling center, small bars, and more. Additionally, the rooms of the ship’s alluring maids were also located in the southern area.
Beauty, alcohol, gambling… After the second test in Gero ended inconclusively, the southern section of the Starlight Moon’s first level had become the liveliest place on the ship.
In stark contrast, the northern section of the first level, separated from the southern area by just a single gate, was entirely different. Most of the northern section was used as storage for food supplies. Except during meal times, this area was almost always deserted.
However, the two peculiar cloaked martial artists were now leading Lelia and Ryan deep into the northern section.
“Where exactly are you taking us?” Lelia finally couldn’t hold back her question after walking through two more pitch-black corridors.
“If you don’t want us to expose your identity, don’t ask too many questions. We’ll tell you when we get there,” the martial artist in front replied without turning his head, though his pace quickened slightly.
After continuing down the dark corridor for another five or six minutes and making several turns, the two cloaked martial artists finally stopped in front of a heavy metal door.
Unlike the other doors in the northern section, this thick metal door was equipped with a psychic lock on its side, which required a specific frequency of psychic energy to unlock.
“Is this the place?” the cloaked martial artist in front asked in a low voice to the one behind him. His voice, too, had been altered by a psychic device.
“This is it,” the one behind confirmed with a firm nod.
“Good,” the one in front said emotionlessly, then stepped forward.
If the actions of the two cloaked martial artists had only surprised Lelia before, their current actions were enough to shock her.
Because Lelia had recognized exactly where the two cloaked martial artists were taking her and Ryan.
On any luxury cruise ship like the Starlight Moon, the designers would have considered that passengers might bring valuable cargo with them. Sometimes, these items couldn’t be conveniently stored in their rooms. Thus, the Starlight Moon needed a place to store these valuable items.
The gate in front of the two cloaked martial artists led to one of the three secure storage rooms on the Starlight Moon. However, as a room for storing valuables, it wasn’t accessible to just anyone. In fact, the security of the Starlight Moon’s secure storage rooms was on par with the original stone vault of the Cassares Central Bank!
The psychic lock beside the gate, though unassuming in appearance, was intricately connected to all the alarms on the Starlight Moon. The slightest mistake in operating it would trigger a ship-wide alarm, and all security gates would immediately slam shut!
Yet, the cloaked martial artist at the front walked up without hesitation, placed his right palm on the psychic lock, and began operating it.
Lelia knew that these two cloaked martial artists weren’t disregarding the consequences of triggering the alarm—they knew the password to open this storage room!
Sure enough, under the cloaked martial artist’s operation, the psychic lock soon emitted a soft “beep,” and the indicator light turned from red to green.
“Get inside!” As the one-meter-thick echinus stone door slowly opened, the cloaked martial artist behind Lelia and Ryan immediately whispered.
“Who exactly are you? How do you know my identity, and how do you know the password to this storage room?” Lelia didn’t move. Instead, she looked coldly at the martial artist and asked.
“Heh! Adjutant Lelia, we know far more than you think,” the martial artist chuckled, his voice still distorted by the device. “Now, get inside.”
“Hmph!” Lelia frowned, once again using her psychic energy to lift Ryan, who was still unconscious, and walked toward the storage room.
However, the cloaked martial artist behind her stopped her. “Only you go in.” At the same time, the one who had opened the storage room door stepped back out.
In that instant, a sudden realization dawned on Lelia.
“Which family from the Imperial Capital do you belong to?” Lelia stopped in her tracks and abruptly asked the two cloaked martial artists.
The two, who had been calm and composed up until now, were momentarily taken aback by Lelia’s question.
“I was right!” Lelia’s assumption had been baseless, but the reaction of the two cloaked martial artists confirmed everything.
“Well, well! As expected of the woman who once served as the chief adjutant of the Imperial Guard. Your sharpness far exceeds my expectations,” one of the martial artists couldn’t help but clap and laugh.
“To gather intelligence on me so quickly, and to have such an extensive intelligence network in the Southern Realm—even obtaining the password to the Starlight Moon’s secure storage room—there are only a few families in the Imperial Capital capable of such feats,” Lelia sighed softly and continued, “With such power and the willingness to meddle in the Southern Realm’s affairs, there are only three families in the Imperial Capital—or rather, two families and one individual: the Kemal family, the Orleans family, and Chancellor Serilu. However, the Kemal family has always disdained petty tricks like kidnapping and assassination, and Chancellor Serilu’s influence in the Southern Realm is too weak. Even if he sent people from the Imperial Capital, they wouldn’t arrive this quickly. So, you must be the Lion’s Tooth Guard of the Orleans family?”
“Miss Lelia, I bow to your wisdom.”
“Ah, you flatter me,” Lelia smiled faintly. “I don’t care if the Orleans family wants a piece of the Southern Realm, but do you realize what you’re doing? Interfering with the Imperial Guard’s duties—if the Emperor gets angry, even the Orleans family might not be able to protect you.”
“Heh! Miss Lelia, you’re mistaken. We would never dare to disrespect the Imperial Guard. As for the Emperor’s orders, we strictly adhere to them. We brought you here not to interfere with the Imperial Guard’s duties, but because the Starlight Moon is about to become a very dangerous place. For your safety, we’re having you stay here for a few days.”
“A few days? I suppose you’ve already planned to come back and silence me once your business is done?” Lelia remained composed, her smile still charming.
“Miss Lelia, you’re overthinking it,” the cloaked man chuckled again. “Even if we weren’t afraid of the Imperial Guard’s retaliation, we’d still have to consider Young Master Hilde’s instructions. When you suddenly left the Imperial Capital without a word, Young Master Hilde was heartbroken for days. Before we left, he repeatedly instructed us to bring you back to the Imperial Capital safely. So, unless your actions truly force our hand, I won’t lay a finger on you. This is just a temporary stay for you. Once the dangerous individuals on the ship are dealt with, we’ll let you leave immediately.”
“Dangerous individuals? Who are you referring to?” Lelia glanced sideways at the cloaked man.
“Miss Lelia, do you really need to ask? Of course, it’s the man posing as a teacher from the Almitheus Academy, whose true identity is the former Ruby Serpent, now colluding with the dangerous figure Agate from the Assembly—Andre Stein,” the cloaked man’s laughter, even distorted by the psychic device, carried an unmistakably sinister tone.
“You’re targeting Zhang Wen?” Lelia’s expression instantly turned cold. “Zhang Wen is now the Southern Realm division commander of the Imperial Guard, personally appointed by the Emperor. His collaboration with Agate from the Assembly is also by the Emperor’s decree. How dare you target the Imperial Guard’s division commander? Are you planning a rebellion?”
“Heh! Adjutant Lelia, I have no idea what you’re talking about. According to our intelligence, there’s no such thing as a Southern Realm division of the Imperial Guard. The Emperor has never informed the Duke of any agreement with the Assembly. All we know is that the Ruby Serpent Andre Stein and Agate the Flame Demon are still among the Empire’s most wanted criminals. Since we’ve encountered them during our mission, it’s only natural that we act in the Emperor’s interest and eliminate these two major threats.”
“So, you’re determined to oppose the Imperial Guard?”
“Heh…” The cloaked martial artist was about to respond when his companion impatiently stepped forward, blocking him from Lelia.
“Lelia, don’t try to intimidate us with the Imperial Guard,” the previously silent martial artist spoke up, his tone cold and entirely different from his companion’s. “The Imperial Guard has never had any interest in the Southern Realm. This move to vie for dominance in the Southern Realm must be entirely your own idea, right? Otherwise, given Old Man William’s personality, why would he send only a single adjutant on such an important mission? If your mission in the Southern Realm succeeds, William might indeed back you up. But if it fails, do you think he’d care about your life? Oh, perhaps for the sake of appearances, he might complain to the Duke or the Chancellor for a few days. But I’m certain he wouldn’t risk a deep feud with the Orleans family over the ambitions of a mere female adjutant.”
“Heh… Miss Lelia, my companion here is a bit hot-headed. Please don’t take it to heart. However, though his words were a bit harsh, the underlying meaning is correct,” the first cloaked martial artist stepped forward again, smirking at Lelia. “Let me give you some advice, Miss Lelia. While we’re carrying out our duties, it’s best if you stay here quietly. Otherwise, we won’t do anything to you, but if you fall into someone else’s hands, Young Master Hilde would be devastated.”
After signaling, the two cloaked martial artists swiftly approached her while she was still shocked. “If you don’t want everyone to know who you really are, don’t make a sound. Follow us!” One of the cloaked figures warned her in a whisper, then the two of them took positions—one in front and one behind—sandwiching Lilya between them.
They pressed the button for the floating elevator, preparing to take Lilya away. But no one had expected that when the elevator doors opened, they would run straight into Ryan.
What followed was Ryan’s startled scream, and in an instant, the martial artist in front struck him down, rendering him unconscious.
“Take him with us. Let’s go!” The cloaked figure’s tone was as sharp and commanding as a military order. The two quickly led Lilya and the unconscious Ryan into the elevator.
The two cloaked martial artists’ quick response when Ryan appeared, and their cunning and caution in stopping the elevator at the third deck, had already made Lilya realize these two were no ordinary adversaries. Now, this latest discovery made Lilya feel even more certain—they were far more formidable than she had initially imagined.
As Lilya was silently calculating her options, the group of four had already silently passed through a long corridor.
Before boarding the Xingyue, Lilya had already studied its structure and cabin layout. She knew that the first deck was divided into two sections—South and North—by a central gate. The southern section was the entertainment center of the Xingyue.
With its media rooms, swimming pools, gambling centers, small bars, and other recreational facilities, the southern area had everything one could want. It was also where the sexy maids of the Xingyue lived.
Beauty, fine wine, gambling… After the second test in Gelo had ended without results, the southern area of the first deck had become the liveliest place aboard the Xingyue.
Yet, just across a single gate on the same first deck, the northern section was a completely different world. Most of the northern area was used for food storage. Except for mealtimes, it was practically deserted.
And yet, these two strange cloaked martial artists were now leading Lilya and Ryan deep into the northern section.
After passing through two more pitch-black corridors, Lilya finally couldn’t help but ask, “Where exactly are you taking us?”
“If you don’t want us to expose your identity, don’t ask too many questions. We’ll tell you when we get there,” the martial artist in front replied without turning his head, quickening his pace slightly.
After continuing down the dark corridor for another five or six minutes, making several turns along the way, the two cloaked martial artists finally stopped in front of a thick, heavy metal door.
Unlike the other doors on the first deck’s northern section, this heavy metal door had a psionic lock on its side—one that required a specific frequency of psionic energy to unlock.
“Is this the place?” the martial artist in front whispered to the one behind him. His voice, too, had been altered by the psionic device.
“Yes, this is it,” the other one confirmed firmly.
“Good.” The martial artist in front said emotionlessly before stepping forward.
If their previous actions had only made Lilya suspicious, their current actions were enough to shock her.
Because Lilya had now recognized exactly where these two cloaked martial artists had brought her and Ryan.
On any luxury cruise ship like the Xingyue, designers always considered that passengers might bring valuable cargo. Sometimes, it wasn’t convenient to store such items in their cabins. Therefore, the Xingyue needed a place to store these valuables.
Somewhere on the Starmoon, two martial artists clad in black cloaks that covered them from head to toe, with only their eyes visible through black masks, were walking down a dark corridor, one in front and one behind. Between these two cloaked martial artists were none other than Lelia and Ryan, whom Bateng Ping and Zhang Wen had been searching for earlier.
“Move faster,” the martial artist behind Lelia occasionally urged in a low voice. As a Saint-level mind master, Lelia only needed to hear it once to discern that the voice was not the speaker’s natural one. The mask he wore must have contained some device that distorted the voice using mind techniques.
They even went so far as to disguise their voices… Lelia furrowed her brows and mentally reviewed everything that had just happened.
A few minutes earlier, Lelia had left Zhang Wen’s room, intending to sneak back to the first level of the Starmoon to reunite with her fellow maids. That was when these two cloaked martial artists suddenly appeared on either side of the corridor.
Their bizarre attire immediately put Lelia on guard. However, before she could make a sound, the martial artist now walking behind her made a series of gestures that shocked Lelia.
They were the secret signals used by high-ranking officers of the Imperial Guard to communicate with each other!
But as the chief adjutant of the Imperial Guard, Lelia knew better than anyone that on the planet of Cassares in the Southern Realm, aside from her and Zhang Wen, there should be no other members of the Imperial Guard! This meant that the signals they used were not to prove they were officers of the Imperial Guard, but to make Lelia understand that they knew her true identity!
After completing the series of signals, the two cloaked martial artists quickly approached Lelia while she was still in shock. “If you don’t want everyone to know who you are, stay quiet and come with us!” one of them whispered a warning to Lelia, and then, with his companion, they flanked her.
They pressed the button for the floating elevator, intending to take Lelia away. But no one expected that when the elevator doors opened, they would run straight into Ryan.
What followed was Ryan’s startled scream, and then he was instantly knocked unconscious by the cloaked martial artist walking in front.
“Take him, let’s go!” The cloaked martial artist’s tone was as sharp and commanding as an order. The two quickly boarded the elevator with Lelia and Ryan.
When Ryan appeared, the quick reflexes displayed by the two cloaked martial artists, as well as their cunning and caution in stopping the elevator on the third level, had already made Lelia realize that these two were not simple. The recent discovery only deepened her sense that these two might be even more formidable than she had imagined.
As Lelia silently calculated in her mind, the four of them had already quietly traversed a long corridor.
Before boarding the Starmoon, Lelia had familiarized herself with its structure and the layout of its cabins. She knew that the first level of the Starmoon was divided into two regions, north and south, by a central gate. The southern region was the entertainment hub of the Starmoon.
The southern region of the first level had it all—movie rooms, swimming pools, gambling centers, small bars… all kinds of entertainment facilities. At the same time, the rooms where the Starmoon’s seductive maids lived were also located in the southern region.
Beauty, wine, gambling… After the second test of Gero ended inconclusively, the southern region of the Starmoon’s first level had become the liveliest place on the ship.
However, the northern region of the Starmoon’s first level, separated from the southern region by just a gate, was completely different. Most of the northern region was used as storage for food supplies. Except during meal times, this area was almost always deserted.
Yet, these two strange cloaked martial artists were now leading Lelia and Ryan deep into the northern region.
“Where exactly are you taking us?” After walking through two more pitch-black corridors, Lelia finally couldn’t help but ask.
“If you don’t want us to expose your identity, don’t ask too many questions. We’ll tell you when we get there,” the martial artist in front said without turning his head, though he quickened his pace.
After advancing through the dark corridor for another five or six minutes and making several turns, the two cloaked martial artists finally stopped in front of a heavy metal door.
Unlike the doors of other rooms in the northern region of the first level, this heavy metal door was equipped with a mind lock on the side, which required a specific frequency of mind energy to unlock.
“Is this the place?” the cloaked martial artist in front asked in a low voice to the one behind him. His voice, too, had been processed by a mind device.
“This is it,” the cloaked martial artist behind him confirmed with a firm nod.
“Good,” the one in front said emotionlessly and stepped forward.
If the actions of these two cloaked martial artists had only surprised Lelia before, their current actions were enough to shock her.
Because Lelia had recognized where these two cloaked martial artists were taking her and Ryan.
On any luxury cruise ship like the Starmoon, the designers would consider that passengers might bring many valuable items. Sometimes, these items were not convenient to keep in their rooms. Therefore, the Starmoon needed a place to store these valuable objects.
The gate in front of the two cloaked martial artists was one of the three storage rooms for valuable items on the Starmoon. However, since it was a storage room for valuable items, it was not accessible to just anyone. In fact, the security of the Starmoon’s valuable item storage rooms was on par with the original stone vault of the Cassares Central Bank!
The mind lock next to the gate, though seemingly unremarkable, was actually connected to all the alarms on the Starmoon. If there was even the slightest deviation in the mind energy during operation, the entire ship would immediately sound the alarm, and all security gates would close simultaneously!
Yet, the cloaked martial artist in front, seemingly unconcerned about these severe consequences, walked straight up and placed his right palm on the mind lock to operate it.
Lelia knew that these two cloaked martial artists were not disregarding the risk of triggering the alarm—they knew the password to open this storage room!
Sure enough, under the cloaked martial artist’s operation, the mind lock soon emitted a soft “beep,” and the indicator light turned from red to green.
“Get inside!” The heavy door, made of a full meter of sea urchin stone, slowly opened, and the cloaked martial artist behind Lelia and Ryan immediately whispered.
“Who exactly are you? How do you know my identity, and how do you know the password to this storage room?” Lelia didn’t move. Instead, she looked at the martial artist and coldly retorted.
“Heh! Adjutant Lelia, we know far more than you think!” The martial artist chuckled, his voice still distorted by the device. “Get inside now.”
“Hmph!” Lelia frowned, once again single-handedly pulling Ryan, who was still unconscious, and using her mind energy to support him, she walked toward the storage room.
However, the cloaked martial artist behind her stopped her. “Only you go in.” At the same time, the cloaked martial artist who had opened the storage room door stepped out.
In that instant, a sudden realization dawned on Lelia.
“Which family from the Imperial Capital do you belong to?” Lelia stopped in her tracks and abruptly asked the two cloaked martial artists.
The two cloaked martial artists, who had been calm and composed, were momentarily stunned by Lelia’s question.
“I was right!” Lelia’s judgment had been based on little evidence, but the reaction of the two cloaked martial artists confirmed everything.
“Good, good! As expected of a woman who once served as the chief adjutant of the Imperial Guard. Your shrewdness far exceeds my expectations,” one of the martial artists couldn’t help but clap and laugh.
“To gather information about me so quickly and to establish such an extensive intelligence network in the Southern Realm, even obtaining the password to the Starmoon’s valuable item storage room—there are only a few families in the Imperial Capital capable of such feats,” Lelia sighed softly and continued, “With such power and the willingness to meddle in the Southern Realm, there are only three families in the Imperial Capital—or rather, two families and one individual: the Kemal family, the Orleans family, and Prime Minister Serilu. However, the Kemal family has always disdained petty tricks like kidnapping and assassination. Prime Minister Serilu’s influence in the Southern Realm is weak, and even if he sent people from the Imperial Capital, they wouldn’t arrive so quickly. So, you must be the Lion’s Tooth Guard of the Orleans family?”
“Miss Lelia, I bow to your wisdom.”
“Heh, you flatter me,” Lelia smiled faintly. “I don’t care if the Orleans family wants a piece of the Southern Realm, but do you know what you’re doing? Interfering with the Imperial Guard’s official duties—if the Emperor gets angry, even the Orleans family might not be able to protect your lives.”
“Heh! Miss Lelia, you’re mistaken. We would never dare to disrespect the Imperial Guard. As for the Emperor’s orders, we strictly follow them. We brought you here not to interfere with the Imperial Guard’s duties. It’s just that in the coming days, the Starmoon might become very dangerous. For your safety, we thought it best for you to stay here for a few days.”
“A few days? I suppose you’ve already planned to come back and silence me after your business is done?” Lelia remained composed, her smile still charming.
“Miss Lelia, you’re overthinking it,” the cloaked man spoke again with a laugh. “Even if we weren’t afraid of the Imperial Guard’s retaliation, we’d still have to consider Young Master Hilde’s orders. When you suddenly left the Imperial Capital without a word, Young Master Hilde was heartbroken for days. Before we left, he repeatedly instructed us to bring you back to the Imperial Capital safely. So, unless your actions truly put us in a difficult position, I wouldn’t lay a finger on you. This is just a temporary stay for you. Once the dangerous individuals on the ship are dealt with, we’ll let you leave immediately.”
“Dangerous individuals? Who are you talking about?” Lelia glanced sideways at the cloaked man.
“Heh, Miss Lelia, do you really need to ask? Of course, it’s that man disguised as a teacher from the Almythius Academy, whose true identity is the former Ruby Serpent, now colluding with the dangerous figure from the Assembly, the Flame Demon Agate—Andre Stein,” the cloaked man’s laughter, even distorted by the mind device, carried a sinister undertone.
“You’re targeting Zhang Wen?” Lelia’s expression instantly turned cold. “Zhang Wen is now the Southern Realm division leader of the Imperial Guard, personally appointed by the Emperor. His collaboration with Agate from the Assembly is also the Emperor’s will. How dare you attack the division leader of the Imperial Guard? Are you planning a rebellion?”
“Heh! Adjutant Lelia, I have no idea what you’re talking about. In the intelligence we received, there was never any mention of the Imperial Guard establishing a division in the Southern Realm. The Emperor never informed the Marquis of any agreement with the Assembly. All we know is that the Ruby Serpent, Andre Stein, and the Flame Demon, Agate, are still among the most wanted individuals on the Empire’s bounty list. Since we’ve encountered them during our mission, it’s only natural for us to serve the Emperor by eliminating these two major threats.”
“So, you’re determined to oppose the Imperial Guard?”
“Heh…” The cloaked martial artist was about to speak when his companion impatiently stepped forward, blocking him from Lelia.
“Lelia, don’t try to intimidate us with the Imperial Guard,” the martial artist who had been silent until now spoke in a completely different, cold tone. “The Imperial Guard has never had any interest in the Southern Realm. This time, coming to the Southern Realm to vie for dominance must be entirely your own idea, right? Otherwise, given Old Man William’s personality, why would he send only a mere adjutant on such an important mission? If your mission in the Southern Realm succeeds, William might indeed back you up. But if it fails, would he still care about your life? Oh! Perhaps for the sake of appearances, William might complain to the Marquis or the Prime Minister for a few days. But I’m sure he wouldn’t go so far as to create a deep-seated feud with our Orleans family over the ambitions of a mere female adjutant of the Imperial Guard.”
“Heh… Miss Lelia, my companion here is a bit hot-headed. Please don’t take it to heart. However, though his words were a bit harsh, the meaning behind them is spot on,” the previous cloaked martial artist also stepped forward, smirking at Lelia with ill intent. “Let me give you a piece of advice, Miss Lelia. While we’re carrying out our duties, it’s best for you to stay put here. Otherwise, we certainly won’t do anything to you, but if you happen to fall into someone else’s hands, Young Master Hilde would be heartbroken.”
Though the psionic lock next to the gate looked unremarkable, it was actually connected to all the alarm systems on the entire ship. If even the slightest error occurred during the unlocking process, alarms would immediately blare throughout the Xingyue, and all safety gates would slam shut at once!
Yet, the martial artist in front showed no hesitation as he stepped forward and placed his right hand on the psionic lock to begin the unlocking process.
Lilya knew that these two cloaked martial artists weren’t reckless enough to ignore the consequences of triggering an alarm—they must have known the correct unlocking code!
Sure enough, after the cloaked figure operated the lock, it emitted a soft “beep,” and the indicator light turned from red to green.
“Inside!” The heavy door, made of one-meter-thick sea-urchin stone, slowly opened. The martial artist behind Lilya and Ryan immediately whispered urgently.
Lilya didn’t move. Instead, she fixed the martial artist with a cold stare and asked, “Who exactly are you people? How do you know who I am, and how do you know the code to this storage room?”
“Hehe! Deputy Lilya, we know far more than you can imagine!” The martial artist sneered, his voice distorted by the device still sounding strange. “Hurry up and go inside.”
“Hmph!” Lilya frowned again, then grabbed the still-unconscious Ryan with one hand, supported him with her psionic energy, and walked toward the storage room.
But the martial artist behind her blocked her path: “Only you go in.” At the same time, the other cloaked figure, who had originally opened the storage room door, stepped back out.
At that moment, a sudden realization flashed through Lilya’s mind.
“Which family in the Imperial Capital are you from?” Lilya suddenly asked the two cloaked martial artists as she stopped walking.
The two cloaked figures, who had previously remained composed, were momentarily taken aback by her question.
“I was right!” Though Lilya’s guess had no solid basis, their reaction confirmed everything.
“Well done, well done! I must admit, you, a woman who once served as the Chief Deputy of the Imperial Guards, are far sharper than I expected,” one of the martial artists couldn’t help but clap his hands and laugh.
“To have gathered my information so quickly, and to have established such an extensive intelligence network in the Southlands—even acquiring the access code to the Xingyue’s valuable storage room—only a handful of families in the Imperial Capital could pull that off,” Lilya said with a light sigh. “With such capability and the will to get involved in the Southlands’ affairs, there are only three families—or rather, two families and one individual—who fit the bill: the Kemal family, the Orleans family, and Chancellor Selius. However, the Kemals have always disdained underhanded tactics like kidnapping or assassination, and Chancellor Selius lacks power in the Southlands. Even if he had sent people from the Capital, they wouldn’t have arrived so quickly. Therefore, you must belong to the Lion Fang Guard of the Orleans family.”
“Miss Lilya, I must bow to your wisdom.”
“Oh, you flatter me,” Lilya smiled slightly. “I don’t mind if the Orleans family wants a share of the Southlands pie. But do you realize what you’re doing? Interfering with the Imperial Guards’ official duties—if the Emperor gets angry, even the Orleans family might not be able to save your lives.”
“Hehe! Miss Lilya, you’ve misunderstood. We would never dare to show any disrespect to the Imperial Guards. As for the Emperor’s orders, we will follow them strictly. We brought you here not to interfere with the Imperial Guards’ affairs. Rather, in the coming days, the Xingyue might become a very dangerous place. For your safety, we merely ask you to stay here temporarily.”
“Temporarily? I suppose you’ve already planned to kill me once your business is done?” Lilya remained calm, her charming smile unwavering.
Somewhere on the Starship Moonlight, two martial artists clad in black cloaks that covered them from head to toe, with only their eyes visible through black masks, were walking down a dark corridor, one in front and the other behind. Sandwiched between these two black-cloaked martial artists were Lelia and Ryan, whom Baten Ping and Zhang Wen had been searching for earlier.
“Move faster,” the martial artist behind Lelia occasionally urged in a low voice. As a Saint-level psychic master, Lelia could tell with just one listen that the voice wasn’t the speaker’s real one. The mask he wore must have contained some device that distorted his voice using psychic energy.
They even went to the trouble of disguising their voices… Lelia furrowed her brows and mentally reviewed everything that had just happened.
A few minutes earlier, Lelia had left Zhang Wen’s room, intending to sneak back to the first level of the Starship Moonlight to reunite with her fellow maids. That’s when the two black-cloaked martial artists suddenly appeared on either side of the corridor.
Their bizarre attire immediately put Lelia on guard. However, before she could make a sound, the martial artist now walking behind her made a series of gestures that shocked Lelia.
They were the secret signals used by high-ranking officers of the Imperial Guard to communicate with each other!
But as the chief adjutant of the Imperial Guard, Lelia knew better than anyone that on the planet Cassares in the Southern Realm, aside from her and Zhang Wen, there should be no other members of the Imperial Guard! This meant that the signals weren’t meant to prove they were officers of the Imperial Guard but to show that they knew Lelia’s true identity!
After finishing the series of signals, the two black-cloaked martial artists quickly closed in on Lelia while she was still stunned. “If you don’t want everyone to know who you are, stay quiet and come with us!” one of them whispered a warning before they flanked her, one in front and one behind.
They pressed the button for the floating elevator, intending to take Lelia away. But no one expected that when the elevator doors opened, they would run straight into Ryan.
What followed was Ryan’s startled scream, and then he was instantly knocked unconscious by the black-cloaked martial artist in front.
“Take him, let’s go!” The black-cloaked martial artist’s tone was as sharp and commanding as an order. The two quickly ushered Lelia and Ryan into the elevator.
The quick reflexes the two black-cloaked martial artists displayed when Ryan appeared, as well as their cunning and caution in stopping the elevator on the third level, had already made Lelia realize that these two were no ordinary individuals. The recent discovery only deepened her sense that they were far more formidable than she had initially thought.
As Lelia silently calculated in her mind, the four of them had already traversed a long corridor.
Before boarding the Starship Moonlight, Lelia had familiarized herself with its structure and the layout of its cabins. She knew that the first level of the ship was divided into northern and southern sections by a central gate. The southern section was the entertainment hub of the ship.
The southern section housed a variety of entertainment facilities: a cinema, a swimming pool, a gambling center, a small bar… everything one could desire. Additionally, the rooms of the ship’s alluring maids were also located in the southern section.
Beauty, alcohol, gambling… After Gero’s second test ended inconclusively, the southern section of the Starship Moonlight had become the liveliest place on the ship.
In stark contrast, the northern section of the first level, separated from the southern section by just a single gate, was entirely different. Most of the northern section was used as storage for food supplies. Aside from meal times, almost no one ever entered this area.
Yet, the two peculiar black-cloaked martial artists were now leading Lelia and Ryan deep into the northern section.
“Where exactly are you taking us?” Lelia finally couldn’t hold back her question after passing through two more pitch-black corridors.
“If you don’t want us to expose your identity, don’t ask too many questions. We’ll tell you when we get there,” the martial artist in front replied without turning his head, though he quickened his pace.
After advancing through the dark corridors for another five or six minutes and making several turns, the two black-cloaked martial artists finally stopped in front of a heavy metal door.
Unlike the other doors in the northern section, this thick metal door was equipped with a psychic lock on its side, which required a specific frequency of psychic energy to unlock.
“Is this the place?” the black-cloaked martial artist in front asked in a low voice to the one behind him. His voice, too, had been altered by a psychic device.
“This is it,” the one behind confirmed with a firm nod.
“Good,” the one in front said emotionlessly before stepping forward.
If the actions of the two black-cloaked martial artists had only surprised Lelia before, their current actions were enough to shock her.
Because Lelia had recognized where the two black-cloaked martial artists were taking her and Ryan.
On any luxury cruise ship like the Starship Moonlight, the designers would have considered that passengers might bring valuable cargo. Sometimes, these items couldn’t be conveniently stored in their rooms. Thus, the ship needed a place to store such valuables.
The gate in front of the two black-cloaked martial artists led to one of the three secure storage rooms on the Starship Moonlight. However, as a storage room for valuables, it wasn’t accessible to just anyone. In fact, the security of these storage rooms was on par with the primary stone vault of the Cassares Central Bank!
The psychic lock beside the gate might have looked unremarkable, but it was intricately connected to all the alarms on the Starship Moonlight. The slightest deviation in the psychic energy during operation would trigger alarms throughout the ship, and all security gates would slam shut simultaneously!
Yet, the black-cloaked martial artist at the front walked straight up to the psychic lock, placed his right palm on it, and began operating it without a care for the potential consequences.
Lelia knew that these two weren’t disregarding the risk of triggering the alarms—they knew the password to open this storage room!
Sure enough, under the black-cloaked martial artist’s operation, the psychic lock emitted a soft “beep,” and the indicator light turned from red to green.
“Get inside!” The heavy door, made of a full meter of sea urchin stone, slowly opened, and the black-cloaked martial artist behind Lelia and Ryan immediately whispered.
“Who exactly are you? How do you know my identity, and how do you know the password to this storage room?” Lelia didn’t move. Instead, she looked coldly at the martial artist and asked.
“Heh! Adjutant Lelia, we know far more than you think!” The martial artist chuckled, his voice still distorted by the device. “Get inside now.”
“Hmph!” Lelia frowned, once again using her psychic energy to support the still-unconscious Ryan as she walked toward the storage room.
But the black-cloaked martial artist behind her stopped her. “Only you go in.” At the same time, the one who had opened the storage room door stepped back out.
In that instant, a sudden realization dawned on Lelia.
“Which family from the Imperial Capital are you from?” Lelia stopped in her tracks and abruptly asked the two black-cloaked martial artists.
The two, who had been calm and composed up until now, were momentarily taken aback by Lelia’s question.
“I was right!” Lelia’s assumption had been baseless, but the reaction of the two black-cloaked martial artists confirmed everything.
“Well, well! As expected of the woman who once served as the chief adjutant of the Imperial Guard. Your sharpness far exceeds my expectations,” one of the martial artists couldn’t help but clap and laugh.
“To gather so much information about me in such a short time, to establish such an extensive intelligence network in the Southern Realm, and even to obtain the password to the secure storage room on the Starship Moonlight—there are only a few families in the Imperial Capital capable of such feats,” Lelia sighed softly before continuing. “With that kind of power and the ambition to meddle in the Southern Realm, there are only three families—or rather, two families and one individual—in the Imperial Capital: the Kemal family, the Orleans family, and Chancellor Serilu. However, the Kemal family has always disdained petty tricks like kidnapping and assassination. Chancellor Serilu’s influence in the Southern Realm is too weak, and even if he sent people from the Imperial Capital, they wouldn’t arrive this quickly. That leaves the Orleans family’s Lion’s Fang Guard, doesn’t it?”
“Miss Lelia, your wisdom leaves me in awe.”
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere,” Lelia smiled faintly. “I don’t care if the Orleans family wants a piece of the Southern Realm, but do you realize what you’re doing? Interfering with the Imperial Guard’s official duties—if the Emperor gets angry, even the Orleans family might not be able to protect you.”
“Heh! Miss Lelia, you’ve got it wrong. We would never dare to disrespect the Imperial Guard. As for the Emperor’s orders, we follow them strictly. We brought you here not to interfere with the Imperial Guard’s duties but because the Starship Moonlight is about to become a very dangerous place. We’re merely ensuring your safety by having you stay here for a few days.”
“A few days? More like you’re planning to silence me once your business is done, right?” Lelia remained composed, her smile as enchanting as ever.
“Miss Lelia, you’re overthinking it,” the black-cloaked man chuckled again. “Even if we weren’t afraid of the Imperial Guard’s retaliation, we’d still have to consider Young Master Hilde’s orders. When you left the Imperial Capital without a word, he was heartbroken for days. Before we left, he repeatedly instructed us to bring you back safely. So, unless your actions force our hand, I won’t lay a finger on you. This is just a temporary stay for you. Once the dangerous individuals on the ship are dealt with, we’ll let you leave immediately.”
“Dangerous individuals? Who are you talking about?” Lelia glanced sideways at the black-cloaked man.
“Miss Lelia, do you really need to ask? It’s none other than Andre Stein, who disguised himself as a teacher from the Almithes Academy but is actually the former Red Serpent and now an accomplice of the dangerous figure Agate from the Assembly,” the black-cloaked man’s laughter, even distorted by the psychic device, carried an unmistakably sinister tone.
“You’re targeting Zhang Wen?” Lelia’s expression instantly turned cold. “Zhang Wen is the Southern Realm division leader of the Imperial Guard, personally appointed by the Emperor. His cooperation with Agate from the Assembly is also by the Emperor’s decree. How dare you attack a division leader of the Imperial Guard? Are you planning a rebellion?”
“Heh! Adjutant Lelia, I have no idea what you’re talking about. According to our intelligence, there’s no such thing as a Southern Realm division of the Imperial Guard. The Emperor has never informed the Duke of any agreement with the Assembly. All we know is that Andre Stein, the Red Serpent, and Agate, the Flame Demon, are still top targets on the Empire’s wanted list. Since we’ve encountered them during our mission, it’s only natural that we eliminate these threats for the Emperor.”
“So, you’re determined to oppose the Imperial Guard?”
“Heh…” The black-cloaked martial artist was about to speak when his companion impatiently stepped forward, blocking him.
“Lelia, don’t try to intimidate us with the Imperial Guard,” the previously silent martial artist spoke up, his tone cold and detached. “The Imperial Guard has never had any interest in the Southern Realm. This venture to compete for dominance in the Southern Realm must be entirely your own idea, right? Otherwise, given Old Man William’s personality, why would he send only a single adjutant on such an important mission? If your mission in the Southern Realm succeeds, William might back you up. But if it fails, do you think he’d care about your life? Oh, perhaps for the sake of appearances, he might complain to the Duke or the Chancellor for a few days. But I’m certain he wouldn’t risk a deep feud with the Orleans family over the ambitions of a mere female adjutant.”
“Heh… Miss Lelia, my companion here is a bit hot-headed. Please don’t take it to heart. However, while his words might have been a bit harsh, the underlying message is correct,” the first black-cloaked martial artist stepped forward, smirking at Lelia. “Let me give you some advice, Miss Lelia. While we’re carrying out our duties, it’s best if you stay put here quietly. Otherwise, while we certainly won’t harm you, if you fall into someone else’s hands, Young Master Hilde would be devastated.”
“Dangerous individuals? Who exactly are you referring to?” Lilya glanced sideways at the cloaked man.
“Hehe, Miss Lilya, do you really need to ask? Of course, we mean Andrei Stein—the former Ruby Serpent, now masquerading as a teacher from the Almishus Academy, and currently colluding with Agate the Flame Demon of the Syndicate,” the cloaked man’s laughter, even distorted by the psionic device, still carried a chilling tone.
“You’re planning to target Zhang Wen?” Lilya’s expression turned cold instantly. “Zhang Wen is now the Emperor-appointed Southern Commander of the Imperial Guards. His cooperation with Agate of the Syndicate was also authorized by the Emperor. Daring to attack the Imperial Guards’ Southern Commander—you’re practically declaring rebellion!”
“Hehe! Deputy Lilya, I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying. Our intelligence reports never mentioned anything about a Southern Command of the Imperial Guards. The Emperor has never informed Lord Orleans of any agreement with the Syndicate. All we know is that Andrei Stein, the Ruby Serpent, and Agate the Flame Demon still top the Empire’s most-wanted list. Since they’ve crossed our path during our mission, we naturally must serve the Emperor by eliminating these two dangerous threats.”
“So, you’ve made up your minds to oppose the Imperial Guards?”
“Hehe…” Before the cloaked martial artist could speak, his companion impatiently stepped forward, placing himself between him and Lilya.
“Don’t try to scare us with the Imperial Guards, Lilya,” the previously silent martial artist spoke in a completely different, cold tone. “The Imperial Guards have never cared about the Southlands. This mission to the Southlands to compete for dominance—it must have been your own idea, right? Otherwise, with Old William’s personality, how could he have sent only a deputy for such an important task? If your mission succeeds, William might stand by you. But if it fails, do you really think he’ll care whether you live or die? Oh! Maybe, for appearances’ sake, he’ll grumble at Lord Orleans or Chancellor Selius for a few days. But I’m sure he won’t risk a serious feud with the Orleans family over the ambitions of a mere female deputy of the Imperial Guards.”
Somewhere on the Starlight Moon, two martial artists clad in black cloaks that covered them from head to toe, their faces obscured by black masks revealing only their eyes, were walking down a dark corridor. Between these two cloaked figures were Lelia and Ryan, whom Bateng Ping and Zhang Wen had been searching for earlier.
“Move faster,” the martial artist behind Lelia occasionally urged in a low voice. As a saint-level psychic master, Lelia could instantly discern that the voice was not his own. The mask he wore likely contained a device that distorted his voice using psychic energy.
They even disguised their voices… Lelia furrowed her brows, recalling everything that had just happened.
A few minutes earlier, Lelia had left Zhang Wen’s room, intending to sneak back to the first level of the Starlight Moon to reunite with her fellow maids. That was when the two cloaked martial artists suddenly appeared on either side of the corridor.
Their bizarre attire immediately put Lelia on guard. However, before she could make a sound, the martial artist now walking behind her made a series of gestures that shocked Lelia.
They were the secret signals used by high-ranking officers of the Imperial Guard!
But as the chief adjutant of the Imperial Guard, Lelia knew better than anyone that on the planet Kasares in the Southern Frontier, aside from her and Zhang Wen, there should be no other members of the Imperial Guard. This meant that the signals weren’t to prove they were officers of the Imperial Guard but to let Lelia know they were fully aware of her true identity!
After finishing the series of signals, the two cloaked martial artists quickly approached Lelia while she was still in shock. “If you don’t want everyone to know who you are, stay quiet and follow us,” one of them whispered threateningly, then positioned himself in front of Lelia while the other took the rear.
They pressed the button for the floating elevator, intending to take Lelia away. But as the elevator doors opened, they unexpectedly ran into Ryan.
What followed was Ryan’s startled scream, after which the cloaked martial artist in front swiftly knocked him unconscious.
“Take him, let’s go!” the cloaked martial artist commanded in a sharp, authoritative tone. The two quickly ushered Lelia and Ryan into the elevator.
The cloaked martial artists’ quick reflexes when Ryan appeared, as well as their cunning and caution in stopping the elevator on the third level, made Lelia realize these two were far from ordinary. Her recent discovery only deepened her sense that these individuals were more formidable than she had initially thought.
As Lelia silently strategized, the four of them had already traversed a long corridor.
Before boarding the Starlight Moon, Lelia had familiarized herself with its layout and cabin distribution. She knew that the first level was divided into northern and southern sections by a central gate. The southern section was the ship’s entertainment hub.
The southern section boasted a variety of amenities: a cinema, swimming pool, gambling center, small bars, and more. Additionally, the rooms of the ship’s alluring maids were also located in the southern section.
Beauty, alcohol, gambling… After the abrupt end of the second test by Gero, the southern section of the Starlight Moon’s first level had become the liveliest place on the ship.
In stark contrast, the northern section of the first level, separated from the southern section by just a gate, was entirely different. Most of the northern section was used as storage for food supplies. Except during meal times, this area was almost always deserted.
However, the two peculiar cloaked martial artists were now leading Lelia and Ryan deep into the northern section.
“Where exactly are you taking us?” Lelia finally asked after passing through two more dark corridors.
“If you don’t want your identity exposed, don’t ask questions. We’ll tell you when we get there,” the martial artist in front replied without turning his head, quickening his pace.
After advancing through the dark corridors for another five or six minutes and making several turns, the two cloaked martial artists finally stopped in front of a heavy metal door.
Unlike the other doors in the northern section, this one had a psychic lock on its side, requiring a specific frequency of psychic energy to unlock.
“Is this it?” the cloaked martial artist in front asked in a low voice, his tone also altered by the psychic device.
“This is it,” the one behind confirmed with a firm nod.
“Good,” the one in front said emotionlessly, stepping forward.
If the actions of the two cloaked martial artists had only surprised Lelia before, their current move was enough to shock her.
Because Lelia had recognized exactly where the two cloaked martial artists were taking her and Ryan.
On any luxury cruise ship like the Starlight Moon, designers would take into account that passengers might carry valuable cargo. Sometimes, these items couldn’t be conveniently stored in their rooms. Thus, the Starlight Moon needed a place to store such valuables.
The gate in front of the two cloaked martial artists led to one of the three secure storage rooms on the Starlight Moon. However, being a storage room for valuables, it wasn’t accessible to just anyone. In fact, the security of the Starlight Moon’s storage rooms was on par with the Kasares Central Bank’s vault for raw stones!
The psychic lock beside the gate, though unassuming, was intricately connected to all the alarms on the Starlight Moon. The slightest error in operating it would trigger alarms across the ship, and all security gates would slam shut immediately!
Yet, the cloaked martial artist in front walked up without hesitation, placing his right palm on the psychic lock and beginning to operate it.
Lelia knew these two cloaked martial artists weren’t disregarding the consequences of triggering the alarm—they knew the code to open this storage room!
Sure enough, under the cloaked martial artist’s operation, the psychic lock emitted a soft “beep,” and the indicator light turned from red to green.
“Inside!” The heavy door, made of a meter-thick sea urchin stone, slowly opened, and the cloaked martial artist behind Lelia and Ryan immediately whispered.
“Who exactly are you? How do you know my identity, and how do you know the code to this storage room?” Lelia didn’t move, instead staring coldly at the martial artist.
“Heh! Adjutant Lelia, we know far more than you think,” the martial artist sneered, his voice still distorted by the device. “Get inside.”
“Hmph!” Lelia frowned, once again lifting Ryan, who was still unconscious, with her psychic energy and walking toward the storage room.
The cloaked martial artist behind her, however, stopped her. “Only you go in.” At the same time, the one who had opened the storage room door stepped back out.
In that instant, a realization dawned on Lelia.
“Which family from the Imperial Capital do you belong to?” Lelia asked abruptly as she stopped in her tracks.
The two cloaked martial artists, who had been composed until now, were momentarily taken aback by her question.
“I was right!” Lelia’s judgment had been speculative, but the reaction of the two cloaked martial artists confirmed it.
“Well, well! As expected of a woman who served as the chief adjutant of the Imperial Guard. Your shrewdness far exceeds my expectations,” one of the martial artists couldn’t help but clap and laugh.
“To gather information on me so quickly and establish such an extensive intelligence network in the Southern Frontier, even obtaining the code to the Starlight Moon’s secure storage room—only a few families in the Imperial Capital could manage that,” Lelia sighed, continuing, “With that kind of power and the ambition to meddle in the Southern Frontier, there are only three—or rather, two families and one individual: the Kemel family, the Orleans family, and Chancellor Serilu. However, the Kemel family has always disdained petty tricks like kidnapping and assassination, and Chancellor Serilu lacks influence in the Southern Frontier. Even if he sent people from the Imperial Capital, they wouldn’t arrive this quickly. So, you must be the Lion’s Fang Guard of the Orleans family?”
“Miss Lelia, I bow to your wisdom.”
“Flattery won’t help,” Lelia smiled faintly. “I don’t care if the Orleans family wants a piece of the Southern Frontier, but do you realize what you’re doing? Interfering with the Imperial Guard’s duties—if the Emperor gets angry, even the Orleans family might not be able to protect you.”
“Heh! Miss Lelia, you’re mistaken. We would never dare to disrespect the Imperial Guard. As for the Emperor’s orders, we strictly follow them. Bringing you here isn’t to interfere with the Imperial Guard’s duties. It’s just that the Starlight Moon is about to become very dangerous, and for your safety, we’re having you stay here for a few days.”
“A few days? You’re planning to silence me after you’re done, aren’t you?” Lelia remained composed, her smile still charming.
“Miss Lelia, you’re overthinking it,” the cloaked man chuckled again. “Even if we weren’t afraid of the Imperial Guard’s retaliation, we’d still have to consider Young Master Hilde’s wishes. When you suddenly left the Imperial Capital without a word, Young Master Hilde was heartbroken for days. Before we left, he repeatedly instructed us to bring you back safely. So, unless your actions truly force our hand, we won’t harm a hair on your head. This is just a temporary arrangement. Once the dangerous individuals on the ship are dealt with, we’ll let you leave immediately.”
“Dangerous individuals? Who are you referring to?” Lelia glanced sideways at the cloaked man.
“Heh, Miss Lelia, do you really need to ask? Of course, it’s the man posing as a teacher from the Almisius Academy, whose true identity is the former Red Serpent, now colluding with the dangerous figure from the Assembly, the Flame Demon Agat—Andre Stein,” the cloaked man’s laughter, even distorted by the psychic device, carried a sinister undertone.
“You’re targeting Zhang Wen?” Lelia’s expression instantly turned cold. “Zhang Wen is the Southern Frontier division leader of the Imperial Guard, personally appointed by the Emperor. His collaboration with Agat from the Assembly is also by the Emperor’s decree. You dare to attack a division leader of the Imperial Guard—are you planning a rebellion?”
“Heh! Adjutant Lelia, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Our intelligence never mentioned any division of the Imperial Guard in the Southern Frontier. The Emperor also never informed our lord of any agreement with the Assembly. All we know is that the Red Serpent, Andre Stein, and the Flame Demon Agat remain high on the Empire’s most-wanted list. Since we’ve encountered them during our mission, it’s our duty to eliminate these threats for the Emperor.”
“So, you’re determined to oppose the Imperial Guard?”
“Heh…” The cloaked martial artist was about to respond when his impatient companion stepped forward, blocking him from Lelia.
“Lelia, don’t try to intimidate us with the Imperial Guard,” the previously silent martial artist spoke, his tone cold and detached. “The Imperial Guard has never had any interest in the Southern Frontier. This move to compete for dominance in the Southern Frontier must be entirely your own idea. Otherwise, given Old Man William’s personality, why would he send only a single adjutant on such an important mission? If your mission here succeeds, William might back you up. But if it fails, do you think he’ll care about your life? Oh, perhaps for the sake of appearances, he’ll complain to our lord or the Chancellor for a few days. But I’m certain he wouldn’t risk a deep feud with the Orleans family over the ambitions of a mere female adjutant of the Imperial Guard.”
“Heh… Miss Lelia, my companion is a bit hot-headed. Please don’t take it to heart. However, though his words were harsh, the meaning behind them is spot on,” the first cloaked martial artist stepped forward, smirking at Lelia. “Let me give you some advice. Miss Lelia, while we’re carrying out our duties, it’s best if you stay put here. Otherwise, we won’t harm you, but if you fall into someone else’s hands, Young Master Hilde would be devastated.”
Listening to the overt and covert threats from the two black-cloaked martial artists, Liria’s heart sank to the depths. Her background had been thoroughly exposed, and threats held absolutely no effect on her.
Even more troubling to Liria, however, was that these two individuals had immediately seized upon her greatest weakness—Zhang Wen.
Given Zhang Wen’s freshly achieved tenth-tier battle capacity and the fact that he was completely unprepared for an ambush, Liria saw no chance of him surviving an attack from these two. And once Zhang Wen died, all of Liria’s plans in the Southern Territories would instantly crumble into dust.
If that’s the case… Liria lightly furrowed her brow, and holy-tier mental energy began slowly gathering within her body.
Yet before she could even accumulate enough energy to release a single mental projectile, the more talkative of the two black-cloaked martial artists began to laugh.
“Hehe! Miss Liria, should I commend your bravery or lament your foolishness?” Amid a chilling laugh, the black-cloaked martial artist calmly stepped forward, blocking every possible escape route Liria might take.
“Hmph! Refusing the good wine and insisting on the punitive cup.” The other black-cloaked martial artist sneered coldly. Suddenly, streaks of silvery aura like meteors flashed around his body. Moments later, the brightness of the aura intensified and merged into a single glowing mass, resembling a cloud of silver mist.
“Holy tier…” Liria’s pupils constricted sharply.
The martial artist’s strength far exceeded Liria’s expectations! Originally, she had assumed that the operatives sent by the Orleans family to fish in troubled waters would be no stronger than the likes of Golden-Hair Man—mere peak-level experts at the tenth tier. But now, this black-cloaked martial artist had clearly displayed power beyond the holy tier!
As is well known, after breaking through the tenth-tier expert level, although psychokineticists gained considerable combat ability, at the same level, a multitasking psychokineticist could never rival a martial artist specialized in combat. Whether in terms of combat experience or the destructive power of the energy used, psychokineticists were far inferior to martial artists of the same level.
Generally speaking, in a direct confrontation, a psychokineticist’s combat effectiveness was at most equivalent to that of a martial artist one tier lower. In other words, a holy-tier psychokineticist would have a battle strength roughly equal to that of a tenth-tier expert martial artist.
As a dedicated aide-de-camp in the Imperial Guard, Liria had far more combat experience than the average holy-tier psychokineticist. That’s why she had considered taking a desperate gamble. If she risked everything, she believed she had a forty to fifty percent chance of breaking through the blockade of two peak-level martial artists. However, facing a martial artist who had already reached the holy tier, Liria could only feel helpless—even if this martial artist had only just entered the holy tier.
Listening to the veiled and overt threats from the two black-cloaked martial artists, Lelia’s heart sank to the depths. Her secrets were laid bare before them, rendering threats utterly ineffective. What made Lelia even more anxious was that these two had instantly grasped her greatest weakness—Zhang Wen. With Zhang Wen’s combat power barely reaching the tenth tier and the element of surprise on their side, Lelia saw no chance for his survival. And if Zhang Wen were to die, all of Lelia’s plans in the Southern Realm would crumble to dust.
If that was the case… Lelia frowned slightly, and the energy of a Saint-tier mentalist began to gather within her body. However, before she could even muster enough energy to release a single mental projectile, the more talkative of the two black-cloaked martial artists chuckled.
“Heh! Miss Lelia, should I praise your bravery or lament your foolishness?” With a sinister laugh, the martial artist leisurely stepped forward, blocking all possible escape routes for Lelia.
“Hmph! You refuse the toast and now face the penalty,” the other black-cloaked martial artist sneered, as streaks of silver energy, like meteors, suddenly flickered around him. The brightness of these energy streaks intensified, eventually merging into a silvery cloud.
“Saint-tier…” Lelia’s pupils contracted sharply. The strength of this black-cloaked martial artist far exceeded her expectations! Initially, Lelia had assumed that the forces sent by the Orleans family to stir trouble in the Southern Realm would be at most at the peak of the Expert level, like the group led by the blond man. But now, this black-cloaked martial artist was displaying strength that had broken through to the Saint-tier!
It was well known that after breaking through the tenth tier, mentalists gained considerable combat abilities, but at the same level, a “jack-of-all-trades” mentalist could never match a dedicated martial artist. Whether in terms of combat experience or the destructive power of the energy they wielded, mentalists were far inferior to martial artists of the same level.
Generally, in a head-on battle, a mentalist’s combat power was at best equal to that of a martial artist one tier lower. In other words, a Saint-tier mentalist could only exert combat power equivalent to a tenth-tier Expert-level martial artist.
Lelia was a dedicated adjutant of the Royal Guard, with combat experience far surpassing that of an average Saint-tier mentalist. That was why she had planned to take a risky gamble. If she fought with all her might, Lelia had a forty to fifty percent chance of breaking through the blockade of two peak Expert-level martial artists. But facing a Saint-tier martial artist, Lelia could only feel a sense of helplessness—even if this martial artist had just stepped into the Saint-tier.
“Heh heh! Miss Lelia, I’ll advise you once more: be obedient. We don’t wish to disrespect the future lady of the house. But if you force our hand, we’ll have no choice but to go against Master Hild’s orders,” the other black-cloaked martial artist continued with a sinister laugh, blocking Lelia’s only possible escape route after his companion had revealed his Saint-tier strength.
The more talkative black-cloaked martial artist had yet to display his own strength. However, from his arrogant demeanor and the fact that he had swiftly blocked Lelia’s escape route, it was clear that his strength was no less than his companion’s!
If Lelia were facing just one Saint-tier expert, she might still have a chance to fight. But against two Saint-tier experts, Lelia knew that even if she gave her all, the result would only be humiliation.
Moreover, the combined significance of these two Saint-tier experts left Lelia inwardly shocked. After all, Saint-tier experts weren’t like cabbages sprouting from the ground!
The planet Fira, hailed as the center of the Southern Realm, had been under imperial control for a millennium and was unparalleled in its prosperity. Yet, on Fira, the number of Saint-tier experts could be counted on one hand. And on a remote administrative planet like Casares, excluding the anomaly known as Ironface, there had only been one Saint-tier expert—Instructor Xin from the Almysis Academy—before Shura’s ascension.
Even within the Orleans family, a millennium-old noble house, Saint-tier martial artists were exceedingly rare talents! The Lion’s Fang Guard of the Orleans family only had three or four Saint-tier experts in total!
Normally, these Saint-tier experts led the Orleans family’s private armies, stationed on the family’s three private planets. Their power and prestige were almost on par with the governors of remote administrative planets like Termiso!
This time, the Orleans family had dispatched two of their most precious Saint-tier martial artists at once! This clearly demonstrated Duke Orleans’ determination to meddle in the Southern Realm and made Lelia even more uneasy about Zhang Wen’s fate.
“Who would have thought that the old man of the Orleans family would change his ways? Sending two Saint-tier experts to the Southern Realm at once. Isn’t he afraid that the waters here are too deep and might drown you both?” Lelia said coldly, though the mental energy within her continued to gather slowly and steadily.
“Heh heh! Our safety is none of your concern, Miss Lelia. After you,” the black-cloaked martial artist replied, unfazed by Lelia’s sharp words, and gestured for her to enter the storage room.
“Hmph!” Lelia snorted, suddenly grabbing the fallen Ryan and dashing into the storage room.
The two black-cloaked martial artists had been focused solely on preventing Lelia’s escape. As a result, when Lelia rushed into the storage room with Ryan, their reactions were half a beat too slow.
*Bang!*
By the time the two black-cloaked martial artists reached the door, Lelia had already slammed it shut.
Facing the tightly locked sea urchin stone door, the two martial artists exchanged glances. They could certainly open the door again, but doing so would require one of them to focus entirely on operating the mental lock.
In other words, the moment the door opened, Lelia would have a chance to face a single Saint-tier martial artist alone. In such a situation, Lelia would have at least a thirty percent chance of breaking through and escaping.
The two black-cloaked martial artists were indeed eager to kill Ryan and eliminate all potential threats. But was it worth giving Lelia a thirty percent chance of escape just to eliminate a “possible” threat? Lelia had presented them with a dilemma.
“Miss Lelia, you’re making this very difficult for us. Master Hild’s orders were to protect your safety, not to protect that little fellow by your side. Moreover, if Master Hild finds out that the two of you are alone together in there, he might be very displeased,” the more talkative black-cloaked martial artist said after a moment of thought, walking over to the mental lock and activating its built-in communicator to address Lelia.
“Is that so?” Lelia replied with a nonchalant smile.
“Heh! Miss Lelia, why go to such lengths? That little fellow is no kin of yours. What good does protecting him do you?”
“Haha. And why do you go to such lengths? He’s done you no harm. Why must you kill him?”
“Well…” Lelia’s sharp retort left the black-cloaked martial artist momentarily speechless. But he quickly recovered and chuckled, “Alright, Miss Lelia. Even if you don’t care about Master Hild’s feelings, aren’t you worried that Instructor Zhang Wen might be upset if he hears about this?”
“Zhang Wen?” Lelia paused briefly, then asked in surprise, “What does his happiness have to do with me?”
The talkative black-cloaked martial artist had yet to reveal his own strength. However, from his arrogant tone and the sharpness with which he had quickly cut off Liria’s escape routes, it was clear his power was no less than his companion’s.
If she were facing just one holy-tier opponent, Liria might still have had a chance to fight back. But facing two holy-tier martial artists, she knew that even at her full strength, attempting to break through would only result in humiliation.
Moreover, the very presence of these two holy-tier martial artists together shocked Liria deeply. After all, holy-tier experts weren’t as common as cabbages growing in a field!
Fira Planet, hailed as the heart of the Southern Territories, had been under imperial control for a thousand years and was the most prosperous world in the region. Yet even on Fira, the number of holy-tier experts could barely be counted on one hand. On a remote administrative planet like Casares, excluding Iron-Face, who had bizarrely broken into the transcendental tier, before Xiu Luo’s promotion to holy-tier, there had only been one holy-tier expert on the entire planet—Instructor Xin from the Almicheal Academy.
Even within the Orleans family, a noble house that had stood for a thousand years in the Empire, martial artists who broke through to the holy tier were extremely rare talents. Within the Lion Fang Guard, the family’s elite force, there were only three or four holy-tier martial artists in total.
Normally, these holy-tier martialists commanded the Orleans family’s private armies and were stationed on three private planets owned by the family. In terms of both power and prestige, they were nearly on par with governors of remote administrative planets like Temiso.
Now, the Orleans family had actually dispatched two of their most valuable holy-tier martial artists at once! This clearly demonstrated Duke Orleans’ determination to extend his influence into the Southern Territories—and made Liria even more worried about Zhang Wen’s safety.
“Didn’t expect the Orleans patriarch to suddenly change his ways. Sending two holy-tier experts to the Southern Territories? Don’t you think the waters here might be too deep, and you two might drown in them?” Liria said coldly, while her mental energy continued to slowly but steadily gather within her.
“Hehe! Miss Liria, our safety is none of your concern. Please, go ahead.” The black-cloaked martial artist was completely unfazed by Liria’s verbal jabs. He simply sneered and gestured again for her to enter the storeroom.
“Hmph!” Liria snorted coldly, suddenly grabbing the fallen Ryan and rushing into the storeroom in a few quick strides.
The two black-cloaked martial artists had focused entirely on preventing Liria’s escape. As a result, when she suddenly moved toward the storeroom with Ryan, they reacted half a beat too late.
Bang!
By the time the two black-cloaked martial artists reached the door, Liria had already slammed the heavy door shut behind her.
Facing the locked sea-urchin stone door, the two black-cloaked martial artists exchanged glances. They could certainly open the door again, but doing so would require one of them to operate the psychokinetic lock beside it with full concentration.
In other words, the moment the door opened, Liria would have a brief opportunity to face just one holy-tier martial artist alone. Under such circumstances, Liria would have at least a thirty percent chance of escaping.
The two black-cloaked martial artists were indeed eager to kill Ryan quickly and eliminate any potential threat. But was it worth giving Liria a thirty percent chance of escape just to eliminate a “possible” threat? Liria had presented them with a difficult dilemma.
Listening to the veiled and overt threats from the two black-cloaked martial artists, Lelia’s heart sank to the depths. Her background was completely exposed to them, rendering threats utterly ineffective. What made Lelia even more anxious was that these two had instantly seized upon her greatest weakness—Zhang Wen.
Given Zhang Wen’s combat energy, which had just reached the tenth tier, and the fact that he was caught off guard, Lelia saw no possibility of him surviving an attack from these two. And if Zhang Wen were to die, all of Lelia’s plans in the Southern Realm would instantly crumble to dust.
In that case… Lelia frowned slightly, and the sacred-tier mental energy within her began to slowly gather. However, before she could even accumulate enough energy to release a single mental projectile, the more talkative of the two black-cloaked martial artists laughed.
“Hey! Miss Lelia, should I praise your bravery or lament your foolishness?” Amidst the sinister laughter, the black-cloaked martial artist leisurely stepped forward, blocking all of Lelia’s potential escape routes.
“Hmph! You refuse the toast and now face the penalty,” the other black-cloaked martial artist snorted coldly, and streaks of silver energy, like meteors, suddenly flickered at his side. The brightness of these energy streaks intensified until they merged into a silvery cloud.
“Sacred-tier…” Lelia’s pupils contracted sharply. The strength of this black-cloaked martial artist far exceeded her expectations! Originally, Lelia had assumed that the subordinates sent by the Orleans family to stir trouble in the Southern Realm would at most be at the peak of the warrior level, like the group led by the blond man. But now, this black-cloaked martial artist displayed strength that had broken through to the sacred-tier!
It was well known that after breaking through the tenth tier, mentalists gained considerable combat abilities, but at the same level, a “jack-of-all-trades” mentalist could never match a dedicated martial artist. Whether in terms of combat experience or the destructive power of the energy they wielded, mentalists were far inferior to martial artists of the same level.
Generally, in a head-to-head battle, a mentalist’s combat power was at best equal to that of a martial artist one tier lower. In other words, a sacred-tier mentalist could only exert combat power equivalent to a tenth-tier martial artist.
Lelia was a dedicated adjutant of the Imperial Guard, with combat experience far surpassing that of an average sacred-tier mentalist. That’s why she had planned to take a risky gamble. If she fought with all her might, Lelia had a forty to fifty percent chance that two peak-tier martial artists wouldn’t be able to stop her. But facing a sacred-tier martial artist, Lelia could only feel a sense of helplessness—even if this martial artist had just stepped into the sacred-tier.
“Heh heh! Miss Lelia, I’ll advise you once more: be obedient. We don’t want to disrespect the future lady of the house. But if you force our hand, we’ll have no choice but to go against Master Hild’s orders.” After his companion revealed his sacred-tier strength, the other black-cloaked martial artist continued to laugh sinisterly, blocking Lelia’s only possible escape route.
The black-cloaked martial artist who had been speaking all along hadn’t yet revealed his strength. However, from his arrogant demeanor and the fact that he had quickly blocked Lelia’s escape route, it was clear that his strength was no less than his companion’s!
If it were just one sacred-tier expert, Lelia might still have a chance to fight. But facing two sacred-tier experts, Lelia knew that even if she gave it her all, attempting to break through would only result in humiliation.
Moreover, the combined significance of these two sacred-tier experts also shocked Lelia. After all, sacred-tier experts weren’t like cabbages growing out of the ground!
The planet Fira, hailed as the center of the Southern Realm, had been under imperial control for a millennium and was unparalleled in its prosperity. Yet, on Fila, the number of sacred-tier experts couldn’t even fill two hands. And on a remote Southern Realm administrative planet like Casares, excluding the anomaly Ironface who had broken through to the transcendent tier, before Shura’s ascension to the sacred-tier, there was only one sacred-tier expert on the entire planet—Instructor Xin from the Almis Academy.
Even in a family like the Orleans, which had stood in the empire for a millennium, martial artists who broke through to the sacred-tier were exceedingly rare talents! In the Orleans family’s Lion’s Tooth Guard, there were only three or four sacred-tier experts in total!
Normally, these sacred-tier experts led the Orleans family’s private armies, stationed on the three private planets owned by the family. In terms of power and prestige, they were almost on par with the governors of remote administrative planets like Temiso!
This time, the Orleans family had dispatched two of their most precious sacred-tier martial artists at once! This clearly demonstrated Duke Orleans’ determination to meddle in the Southern Realm and made Lelia even more worried about Zhang Wen’s life.
“Who would have thought that the old man of the Orleans family would change his ways? Sending two sacred-tier experts to the Southern Realm at once. Isn’t he afraid that the waters here are too deep and might drown you both?” Lelia said coldly, while the mental energy within her continued to gather slowly but steadily.
“Heh heh! Our safety is none of your concern, Miss Lelia. After you.” The black-cloaked martial artist paid no heed to Lelia’s sharp words, merely laughing sinisterly and gesturing for her to enter the storage room.
“Hmph!” Lelia snorted, suddenly grabbing the fallen Ryan and rushing into the storage room.
The two black-cloaked martial artists had focused all their attention on preventing Lelia’s escape. As a result, when Lelia charged into the storage room with Ryan, their reactions were half a beat too slow.
Bang!
By the time the two black-cloaked martial artists reached the door, Lelia had already slammed it shut.
Facing the tightly locked sea urchin stone door, the two black-cloaked martial artists exchanged glances. Of course, they could reopen the storage room door, but doing so would require one of them to focus entirely on operating the mental lock.
In other words, the moment the door opened, Lelia would have a chance to face a single sacred-tier martial artist alone. In such a situation, Lelia would have at least a thirty percent chance of breaking through and escaping.
The two black-cloaked martial artists indeed wanted to kill Ryan as soon as possible to eliminate all potential threats. But was it worth giving Lelia a thirty percent chance to escape just to eliminate a “possible” threat? Lelia had presented them with a dilemma.
“Miss Lelia, you’re making this very difficult for us. Master Hild’s orders were only to ensure your safety, not to protect that little fellow by your side. Moreover, if Master Hild finds out that the two of you are alone together in there, I’m afraid he won’t be very pleased.” The more talkative black-cloaked martial artist pondered for a moment, then walked over to the mental lock and activated the communicator attached to it, calling out to Lelia.
“Is that so?” Lelia replied indifferently, smiling.
“Hey! Miss Lelia, why are you going to such lengths? That little fellow has no relation to you. What good does it do to protect him?”
“Heh heh. Then why are you going to such lengths? He has no enmity with you. Why must you kill him?”
“This…” Lelia’s sharp retort left the black-cloaked martial artist momentarily speechless. But he quickly regained his composure and laughed, “Alright. Miss Lelia, even if you don’t care about Master Hild’s feelings, aren’t you afraid that Teacher Zhang Wen might be upset when he hears about this?”
“Zhang Wen?” Lelia paused briefly, then asked in surprise, “What does his happiness have to do with me?”
“Is that so?” Liria replied with a casual smile.
“Hehe! Miss Liria, why go through all this trouble? That boy isn’t related to you or close to you in any way. What’s the point of protecting him?”
“Haha. Then why go through all this trouble yourselves? He has no grudge against you, no enmity. Why must you kill him?”
Listening to the veiled and overt threats from the two black-cloaked martial artists, Lelia’s heart sank to the depths. They knew her inside out, rendering her threats utterly ineffective. What made Lelia even more anxious was that these two had immediately seized upon her greatest weakness—Zhang Wen. Given Zhang Wen’s combat ability, which had just reached the tenth tier, and the fact that he was caught off guard, Lelia saw no possibility of him surviving an attack from these two. And if Zhang Wen were to die, all of Lelia’s plans in the Southern Realm would instantly crumble to dust.
In that case… Lelia frowned slightly, and the energy of her saint-tier psychic power began to slowly gather within her. However, before she could even accumulate enough energy to release a single psychic bullet, the more talkative of the two black-cloaked martial artists laughed.
“Hey! Miss Lelia, should I praise your bravery or lament your foolishness?” With a sinister chuckle, the black-cloaked martial artist leisurely stepped forward, blocking all of Lelia’s potential escape routes.
“Hmph! You refuse the toast and now face the punishment,” the other black-cloaked martial artist sneered, as streaks of silver energy, like meteors, suddenly flickered around him. The brightness of these energy streaks intensified until they merged into a cloud of silver mist.
“Saint-tier…” Lelia’s pupils contracted sharply. The strength of this black-cloaked martial artist far exceeded her expectations! Originally, Lelia had assumed that the subordinates sent by the Orleans family to stir trouble in the Southern Realm would, at most, be at the peak of the warrior level, like the group led by the blond man. But now, this black-cloaked martial artist was displaying strength that had broken through to the saint-tier!
It was well known that after breaking through the tenth tier, psychic masters gained considerable combat abilities, but at the same level, a “jack-of-all-trades” psychic master could never match a dedicated martial artist. Whether in terms of combat experience or the destructive power of the energy they wielded, psychic masters were far inferior to martial artists of the same level.
Generally, in a head-to-head battle, a psychic master’s combat power was at best equal to that of a martial artist one tier lower. In other words, a saint-tier psychic master could only exert combat power equivalent to a tenth-tier warrior-level martial artist.
Lelia was a dedicated adjutant of the Imperial Guard, with combat experience far beyond that of an average saint-tier psychic master. That’s why she had decided to take a risky gamble. If she fought with all her might, Lelia had a forty to fifty percent chance of breaking through the blockade of two peak warrior-level martial artists. But facing a saint-tier martial artist, Lelia could only feel a sense of helplessness—even if this martial artist had just entered the saint-tier.
“Hey! Miss Lelia, I’ll advise you again: be obedient. We don’t want to disrespect the future lady of the house. But if you force our hand, we’ll have to go against Master Hild’s orders,” the other black-cloaked martial artist continued with a sinister smile, blocking Lelia’s only possible escape route after his companion had revealed his saint-tier strength.
The black-cloaked martial artist who had been speaking all along had not yet shown his true strength. However, from the arrogance in his words and the fact that he had quickly blocked Lelia’s escape route, it was clear that his strength was no less than his companion’s!
If Lelia were facing just one saint-tier expert, she might still have a chance to fight. But against two saint-tier experts, Lelia knew that even if she used all her strength, the result of trying to break through would only be humiliation.
At the same time, the significance of these two saint-tier experts together also shocked Lelia. After all, saint-tier experts weren’t like cabbages growing out of the ground!
The planet Fira, known as the center of the Southern Realm, had been under imperial control for a thousand years and was unparalleled in its prosperity. Yet, on Fira, the number of saint-tier experts could be counted on one hand. And on a remote administrative planet like Cassares, excluding the anomaly known as Ironface, who had broken through to the transcendent tier, there was only one saint-tier expert—Instructor Xin from the Almis Academy—before Shura’s ascension to saint-tier.
Even in the Orleans family, which had stood in the empire for a thousand years, martial artists who broke through to the saint-tier were extremely rare talents! In the Orleans family’s Lion’s Tooth Guard, there were only three or four saint-tier experts!
Normally, these saint-tier experts led the Orleans family’s private armies, stationed on the three private planets owned by the family. In terms of power and prestige, they were almost on par with the governors of remote administrative planets like Termiso!
This time, the Orleans family had sent out two of their most precious saint-tier martial artists at once! This clearly demonstrated Duke Orleans’ determination to meddle in the Southern Realm and made Lelia even more concerned for Zhang Wen’s life.
“I never thought the old man of the Orleans family would change his ways. Sending two saint-tier experts to the Southern Realm at once. Isn’t he afraid the waters here are too deep and might drown you both?” Lelia said coldly, while the psychic energy within her continued to gather slowly but steadily.
“Hey! Our safety is none of your concern, Miss Lelia. After you,” the black-cloaked martial artist said, unfazed by Lelia’s sharp words, and with a sinister smile, he gestured for her to enter the storage room.
“Hmph!” Lelia snorted, suddenly grabbing the fallen Ryan and rushing into the storage room.
The two black-cloaked martial artists had focused all their attention on preventing Lelia’s escape. As a result, when Lelia rushed into the storage room with Ryan, their reactions were half a beat too slow.
Bang!
By the time the two black-cloaked martial artists reached the door, Lelia had already slammed it shut.
Facing the tightly locked sea urchin stone door, the two black-cloaked martial artists exchanged glances. Of course, they could open the door again, but doing so would require one of them to fully operate the psychic lock.
In other words, the moment the door was opened, Lelia would have a chance to face a single saint-tier martial artist alone. In such a situation, Lelia would have at least a thirty percent chance of breaking through and escaping.
The two black-cloaked martial artists were indeed eager to kill Ryan as soon as possible to eliminate all potential instability. But was it worth giving Lelia a thirty percent chance to escape just to eliminate a “possible” source of instability? Lelia had presented them with a dilemma.
“Miss Lelia, you’re making this very difficult for us. Master Hild’s orders were only to protect your safety, not to protect the little guy by your side. Moreover, if Master Hild finds out that the two of you are alone together in a room, I’m afraid he won’t be very happy,” the more talkative black-cloaked martial artist said after a moment of thought, walking over to the psychic lock and activating the communicator attached to it.
“Is that so?” Lelia replied with a nonchalant smile.
“Hey! Miss Lelia, why are you doing this? That little guy is no relation to you. What good does it do to protect him?”
“Ha. Then why are you doing this? He’s done nothing to you. Why are you so determined to kill him?”
“Well…” Lelia’s sharp retort left the black-cloaked martial artist momentarily speechless. But he quickly regained his composure and smiled, “Alright. Miss Lelia, even if you don’t care about Master Hild’s feelings, aren’t you worried that Teacher Zhang Wen might be upset if he hears about this?”
“Zhang Wen?” Lelia paused briefly, then asked in surprise, “What does his happiness have to do with me?”
“Zhang Wen?” Liria’s tone paused slightly, then she replied in feigned surprise, “What does his happiness have to do with me?”
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