NOVPUB
Chapter 79: The Demon’s problem
Two women stood in front of the gate to the Yu family manor. One of them was Vanisa, now wearing a tight black-and-white robe that revealed her black hair and accentuated her curves. The other woman wore tight red robes, revealing not only her figure but also part of her thigh and big mounds.
The clothes they wore caught the attention of many passersby, not only stirring men’s fantasies and potentially causing trouble, but also making people wonder who these women were and why they were standing in front of what used to be the Yu family manor.
Though many were tempted to warn them not to linger near the manor, they dared not speak up, as the women were surrounded by several guards.
The two women gazed at the gate, which had been cleaned up since Aldrian’s first visit. Though there was no new sign for the Yu family yet, the manor already looked much better than the day before. The gates opened, revealing Yu Fenglian, who smiled as he greeted them.
"Welcome to the Yu manor, misses. We’ve been expecting your visit," he said, bowing slightly.
Vanisa returned his smile. "Thank you for the warm greeting. We’d like to meet with Young Master Aldrian."
"Yes, he’s waiting for you. Please, follow me." Yu Fenglian then escorted them inside.
As people saw the interaction, some recognized Yu Fenglian and gasped. Were there survivors from the night of the massacre? Did they really have ties to the devils? Whispers and gossip quickly spread about what might be happening inside the Yu family manor.
Many in the city claimed that yesterday, they saw a group of people entering the Yu family manor. Strangely, the city lord’s manor made no move against them. Last night, when the entire city was in chaos because of a giant beast, a few witnesses also reported seeing numerous corpses scattered around the manor, though they were quickly cleaned up.
Now, with the sudden revelation that the young master of the Yu family is alive and well, people began to wonder: Is there some conspiracy at play? With the western peak having collapsed and no word from the city lord’s manor, many began to suspect that all these events might be connected.
Inside the Yu family manor, the two women were led to a pavilion in the middle of a pond. When they arrived, Aldrian was already there, calmly drinking tea. In this serene setting, Vanisa took a closer look at Aldrian’s face, though she could sense it was merely a disguise. The other woman, too, studied Aldrian intently, as though trying to unravel his secrets.
"It’s nice to see you, Miss Vanisa. And you are?" Aldrian asked.
The second woman stepped forward and cupped her hands in a polite gesture.
"Apologies if our visit disturbs your peace. I am Arin Filaris, from the Thorny Flower Garden. I’ve been dispatched to this city to act as the Garden’s eyes, and I am also the master of the Fragrant Blossom Pavilion."
Aldrian look at her thoughtfully,
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Arin Filaris
Age : 29.363 years
Race : Human
Cultivation : Middle Duke
Cultivation technique : The Four-Stage Celestial Flower
Attack Techniques: Garden’s Torture Illusion, Demonic Energy Whip, The Eternal Demon’s Dream, Silent Night Killer, Demonic Nightmare
Defense Techniques: Demonic Energy Whip, Thorny Flower Armor
Movement Techniques: Light Step, Flower Petal
Support Techniques: Demonic Flower Form
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Her soft voice, capable of seducing many men, paired with her wicked yet beautiful face—like a cunning fox—and her flowing black hair that reached her back, made her the epitome of the Thorny Flower. But one thing particularly caught Aldrian’s attention.
"Thorny Flower Garden? One of the top three powers in demon territory? That’s not what I expected. Please, have a seat, so we can have a pleasant conversation," Aldrian said.
Vanisa stood off to the side as Arin sat opposite Aldrian, replying with a smile, "Perhaps that’s an exaggeration. We are a demonic sect that mostly keeps to itself."
Aldrian smiled. "Yet, Miss Arin, your sect’s reputation has spread across the entire demon territory and beyond. There’s no need to be so modest, especially with the added fact that your sect only accepts female disciples. I’m truly impressed."
"It’s thanks to the hard work of our ancestors. We were fortunate to have one of the strongest female demonic cultivators back then."
Aldrian poured hot tea into a glass and handed it to Arin. "This tea has a wonderful flavor. I hope you enjoy it."
Arin smiled, taking the glass. She looked at it for a moment before sipping, letting out a soft sigh of appreciation.
"Now that you’re here, Miss Arin, I assume you have the authority to make decisions in this matter," Aldrian said.
"Not entirely, depending on the outcome of our discussion, my sect will still need to approve any decisions."
Aldrian nodded in understanding.
"That’s fine," Aldrian said with a smile. "I hope we can find common ground later."
Arin was silent for a moment before asking, "Young Master Aldrian, can you tell me who you really are and where you come from? From what we’ve gathered, you arrived in this city just yesterday, yet you’ve already stirred up trouble with the city lord’s manor—and caught them colluding with devils."
Aldrian chuckled softly. "I already told you, I’m just an adventurer seeking experience. But if you’re asking where I come from, it’s the Ivory Empire. You could say I have a special relationship with them."
"Special relationship?" Arin thought, but decided to let it go for now.
"Then how did you get involved with the city lord’s manor? Like you said, it’s only your first day here, and you’ve already made trouble with them?" she pressed.
"Hmm, you could call it a chain of fate," Aldrian replied, before explaining how Yu Fenglian had approached him, the man’s condition, and everything that had transpired afterward, except for his visit to the city lord’s manor last night, which he decided to leave for later.
Arin and Vanisa were stunned by what Aldrian shared. They had been watching the city lord’s manor for past year, yet this young man managed to gather all of this information in just one day? Some of what he said also aligned with what they had already uncovered. They felt a twinge of shame at their own shortcomings. All they could do now was verify Aldrian’s claims.
Last night, Aldrian had apprehended the higher-ups at the city lord’s manor, though they didn’t know how he had done it. He had also exposed the manor’s connection to the devils. Arin was almost certain that his claims were true. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. When she opened them again, her gaze was filled with newfound respect.
"To be honest, I was sent here by the Thorny Flower Garden a year ago, following the incident in the Ivory Empire. However, it’s actually a joint operation between my sect, the Piercing Heaven Sect, and Black Dragon Pavilion." Arin revealed.
Aldrian raised an eyebrow. The Piercing Heaven Sect and Black Dragon Pavilion were involved? After a moment’s thought, it made sense. The devil’s infiltration into the Ivory Empire would undoubtedly have implications for the demon territory as well.
The structure of the demonic cults was not like that of an imperial family, where a strict hierarchy governed each region. In the demon territory, each area managed itself independently, without needing to answer to a higher authority from another region. Only strength determined one’s standing in the demonic hierarchy.
Many consider the Piercing Heaven Sect to be the de facto leader of the demonic cults because of their overwhelming power in the demon territory. As a result, the various regions within the demon territory are wary of them and respect their decisions to some extent, though that respect only goes so far.
The Dual Horns Peak held special significance, as it was autonomous and home to the teleportation station. Strategically located in the northern part of the demon territory, near the Ivory Empire, this city was the primary gateway for outsiders who wished to visit or transit through the demon territory.
It was easy to imagine that if devils wanted to infiltrate the demon territory, they would begin here. With no unified chain of command across the demonic cults, infiltrating one region would make it difficult for others to detect their presence. Add to that the internal rivalries among the various powers within the cults, and the situation became even more complex.
The only thing that united the demonic cults was their shared faith in the Heavenly Demon—a supreme being from the past whose legend continued to live on to this day.
"The Piercing Heaven Sect doesn’t want any instability within demon territory, so they approached us and the Black Dragon Pavilion to create an intelligence network across the region. Long story short, we successfully established the network in a short time, and the Dual Horns Peak became one of our primary targets due to its strategic location and some oddities in the city," Arin explained.
"We quietly bought out the entire brothel and turned it into our base. The information we’ve gathered over time only strengthened our suspicions about the city lord’s manor, but we never managed to find any concrete evidence linking them to the devils," she continued.
Aldrian sipped his tea, processing Arin’s explanation. After a moment of silence, Arin spoke again.
"Now, regarding the higher-ups of the city lord’s manor and the devils you have in custody—what do you plan to do with them, young master?"
