NOVPUB
Chapter 73: The Night of Judgment 2
As Aldrian walked closer to the stairs, many ignored him. It wasn’t unusual for people to ascend the stairs to visit the city lord’s manor. The stairs were unguarded, so anyone could climb them. The real challenge came at the top of the peak, where you would either be welcomed as a guest or thrown out.
Still, some people couldn’t help but wonder who this young man was when they suddenly saw Aldrian disappear from their view. Stunned, they felt like they had just seen a ghost, but after a moment of shock, they simply returned to their business, not caring about Aldrian. Maybe that person using his movement technique, they thought.
Aldrian reappeared halfway up the peak, having teleported to cover the distance. Not wanting to waste time, he teleported again, arriving at the top of the mountain. From a distance, he saw the gates of the manor, and without hesitation, teleported directly in front of the gate, where four Viscount-stage guards stood watch.
The guards were startled when Aldrian suddenly appeared before them. They had seen him briefly from afar as he suddenly appeared at the top stairs, but his sudden reappearance right in front of them was like watching a ghost materialize from nowhere.
After a moment of surprise, the guards drew their weapons—swords and spears—pointing them at Aldrian.
"Who are you? State your purpose!" one of them demanded.
"I want to speak with your city lord. There’s something I need to discuss with him," Aldrian replied.
"Do you have an appointment?" the guard asked.
"No, I don’t," Aldrian said.
"I’m sorry, but you can’t meet our lord without an appointment," the guard insisted.
Aldrian remained calm. "How about this, tell your lord that if he wants to learn about the Yu family’s treasure, he’ll have to meet with me. I’ll wait here, and I guarantee he will grant me entrance." 𝚗ovp𝚞b.𝚌om
The guards were confused by what the young man had just said, but if his claim was true, they couldn’t ignore it. One of them nodded to another, signaling him to inform the city lord. They waited in silence until the messenger returned.
"You’ve been summoned by the lord to meet him in the main hall. Let me escort you," the guard said.
Aldrian was then escorted toward the main hall. As he walked, he observed the manor. Inside were vast, with many beautiful gardens, a large pond, and an expansive training field. Combined with the breathtaking view from the mountaintop higher than the clouds. It felt like a place where an immortal hermit might reside.
After walking for a while, they reached the doors of the main hall. Even before Aldrian stepped inside, he could sense the presence of people within, each seated in their designated chairs.
As Aldrian entered and the guard returned to his post, the elders of the city lord’s manor fixed their eyes on him, their interest piqued. Some were intrigued by the audacity of this young man, who had caused chaos in the city of Dual Peak Horns, their territory.
Ignoring their gazes, Aldrian focused on the man seated in the center—the one with the most intimidating presence in the room. His cultivation was the strongest, and his demonic energy leaked out in a display of power, attempting to deter Aldrian.
This was the strongest person Aldrian had encountered outside of his domain, yet he didn’t feel threatened. Instead, he was looking at the prospect of facing someone who could challenge him, a chance to test his limits. The city lord’s aura, that of a Grand Duke, bore down on him like a mountain.
Amidst the pressure, Aldrian calmly assessed the city lord’s information.
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Seo Kang-Dae
Age : 45.363 years
Race : Human
Cultivation : Middle Grand Duke
Cultivation technique : Three fire’s demon scripture.
Attack techniques : Demonic blue fire spear, Demonic green fire sword, Demonic white fire halberd, Pillar of fire, Fire tornado, Spear of three demonic fires, Three demonic fires territory
Defense technique : Fire shield, Fire wall
Movement technique : Breezing demonic wind
Supporting technique : Three demonic fire’s armor
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The fact that the city lord was already at the Middle Grand Duke stage added even more pressure to Aldrian. The floor beneath him cracked under the immense force that sought to bend his knees, but Aldrian didn’t budge. His face remained serene, showing no sign of struggle. The city lord, witnessing this, was astonished by the strength of this young man, who was only at the Low Earl stage.
"How is he resisting my pressure without even flinching?" the city lord thought, perplexed. He had intended to display his power and humiliate Aldrian, but it seemed to have no effect.
"No wonder he dares to act so brazenly in my city—he clearly doesn’t care about his life," the city lord mused.
He assumed Aldrian was reckless, delivering himself to his own death. He couldn’t believe that, despite some tricks to defeat his subordinates, this young man could pose any real threat to him or the entire city lord’s manor.
"You don’t need to test me. I’m only here to give you an answer—mine and yours," Aldrian said calmly. His gaze shifted to the side, locking eyes with one of the men holding a fan, who was smiling at him. Aldrian responded with a smile of his own.
The city lord’s face darkened in response to this display of insolence. Yet, his curiosity about Aldrian’s identity and purpose grew.
"Now, you’d better spit out the truth about the treasure. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you beg for death," the city lord warned, his voice filled with menace.
"You will hear the absolute truth tonight, and I will achieve my purpose. Do you wish to hear my story, my lord?"
"What—" the city lord wanted to ask, confused about what Aldrian was talking about, but he was cut off by Aldrian.
"There was once a noble family, they stood strong for millions of years. Many revered them, speaking of their rare chivalry and noble principles."
The elders, who had been watching in silence, now exchanged confused glances at this unexpected turn of events.
"Unfortunately, one day, that noble family fell into ruin at the hands of an unknown group. As if their misfortune wasn’t enough, they were slandered and accused of having ties with devils." At this point, everyone in the room immediately understood what Aldrian was implying and recognized the family he was referring to.
"What are you trying to say, young man? We already know what you’re getting at, so just get to the point!" said one of the elders seated far from the city lord, indicating his lower rank within the council.
"Be patient, I’m almost at the interesting part," Aldrian replied calmly, his eyes locking onto the elder before continuing his tale. "After they were falsely accused of collaborating with devils, the family’s reputation was destroyed, and their deaths were justified in the eyes of some."
"Perhaps they were guilty? But here’s the intriguing part, the devils themselves watched all of this unfold with amusement from close distance, treating it as a game of chess they were playing," Aldrian said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Several of the elders frowned, and tension began to mount in the room. Some of them started to feel uneasy, sensing the direction the story was heading. A few elders discreetly began circulating their energy, preparing techniques in case things took a darker turn. Aldrian noticed this and found it amusing before he resumed his narration.
"The truth is, the devils were actually grateful. They were rid of a family that had been compromising their operations. And they offered their ’thanks’ to their collaborators, not the devils by the way—those cultivators who coveted something from the fallen family."
"Presumptuous! Are you accusing someone here of betraying us and conspiring with the devils?" the same elder from before shouted, his face red with fury. Aldrian simply smiled at him.
"It seems not everyone here is involved with the devils," Aldrian thought.
Before any of the other elders could berate Aldrian for his bold accusations, the entire hall suddenly shook. The city lord’s aura exploded with even greater intensity than before, and the overwhelming pressure now focused entirely on Aldrian. The weight of the Grand Duke’s power was far more intense than earlier, bearing down on him like a storm.
"You are truly brazen to slander us by accusing us of collaborating with devils. If you don’t kneel and apologize now, I will consider it an insult against all demonic cultivators. You will be punished by death, regardless of any information you have about the treasure," the city lord declared.
Despite his outward composure, the city lord was anxious. How does this young man know about the devils’ involvement? He had taken great care to leave no trace, contacting the devils through secret means that even the Piercing Heaven Sect struggled to detect. So, how could Aldrian possibly know there were collaborators among them? Could there be a traitor?
He couldn’t afford to dwell on it. The young man had to be silenced, especially now that it seemed he knew about the Yu family massacre. The city lord also needed to find out how Aldrian had acquired this knowledge.
The treasure known as the "Heavenly Rock" no longer mattered. If word got out that they had collaborated with devils, their family would be doomed, even the Piercing Heaven Sect would hunt them down.
The city lord cast a glance at the man with the fan and gave him a slight nod. The man understood the signal immediately. He tapped his fan lightly, and the manor’s defensive formation was instantly raised, enclosing the entire estate.
Some of the elders were stunned by the sudden shift in the atmosphere. turned to the city lord, questioning his extreme action.
"Why has the defensive formation been activated?" one of them asked.
The city lord slowly rose from his seat and began walking toward Aldrian, his steps deliberate and menacing.
"To prevent a certain someone from escaping," he said coldly.
