A few weeks ago, inside the palace at Dawn Heart, on a balcony overlooking the vast green garden, sat a beautiful young lady. She wore a white dress, and her eyes shone lightly as she turned to look at Sophia. This was Xiu Ying of Longevity, the current Ruler and Zixin's twin sister.
Sophia slowly poured tea for the two of them, and Xiu Ying withdrew her gaze. She casually glanced at the garden and asked softly, "Do you have plans to settle down?"
Sophia smiled lightly, shook her head, and replied solemnly, "Unfortunately, I'm too invested in my career. I can't imagine myself with a partner."
Xiu Ying nodded, her expression calm without a hint of her thoughts revealed. She had a similar, if not an identical, view of this matter, so she understood Sophia's perspective.
Xiu Ying gestured for her to take a seat, and Sophia sat down. After she finished pouring the tea, she placed it down and handed Xiu Ying her teacup.
Xiu Ying grabbed the handle and gently sipped. The tea was warm, and as it entered her throat gave her a sense of calmness, as if everything would go well. She lifted her gaze and noticed Sophia's confusion.
She sighed and said, "I understand your concern. My request for you to come all the way here is certainly suspicious."
Sophia waved her hand and shook her head, trying to not give Xiu Ying the wrong idea as she spoke, "No, no, no. I didn't think like that; I was just… curious. It's not common to be called by you."
Xiu Ying's expression softened, smiling, "That's good to hear. I was a bit worried. Since that's settled, I came to make a request. The matter at Mount Lorebale is something I can't tell you fully, but I hope you will partake."
Noticing Sophia's confusion increase, her smile softened even more as she continued, "You see, I've foreseen Mount Lorebale has been under someone's scheme for a long time. The time when the scheme will end is near, and I want you to help end it."
Xiu Ying fell silent and took another sip, looking at the grand garden. Sophia sighed and took a sip as well.
After a while, Xiu Ying spoke, "Trust the person my dear brother trusted. Life is difficult, so… if it ever feels wrong, then wait and consider."
…
Back to the present, Vanor carefully observed Sophia's expression, taking every detail in.
"You…" Sophia muttered softly, but before she could even continue, she was cut off by Vanor.
"You could say I despise being a pawn, but that wouldn't be totally correct. It's more like… I hate being looked down on." Vanor paused, clenching his hand into a fist as he continued, "It's not because of something as pitiful as an ego, no, I'm not that pathetic. It just reminds me of the man who burned my home to ashes."
His gaze darkened, his eyes turning colder as he bit his lips. Sophia froze, her hands trembling at the sight of Vanor's expression. She sighed and thought: We probably should talk about the siege. I have a feeling that if I probe further, he might just bury me himself.
Noticing the subtle shift in her demeanor, Vanor waved his hand and spoke, "Don't think about it; I've already handled it. With the agreement with Xiaoxiao, she would provide us with explosives."
Sophia's lips twitched, and if it weren't for her mask, Vanor would have clearly seen her expression stiffen at the mention of Xiaoxiao.
I guess that's good. Sigh, the first and only time I met her was when she tried taking back the artifact shell from me. This is a bit complicated. Sophia sighed internally, composing herself to not let Vanor see through her again.
They continued to discuss and talk further, spending the time making plans.
…
On the other hand, Schizel sat atop a tree on Mount Lorebale. When the sunrise landed on him, his eyes slowly opened, and he looked around lazily.
He sighed and glanced down. Several meters below him was a bunch of wolves. Their bodies were riddled with wounds, and they bled. He continued scanning his surroundings and found no traces of the Wolf Lord.
"It probably found something worthwhile to do; otherwise, I would already be dead." He shook his head and lay down on the branch.
"This siege… is really annoying. Why is Vanor even so persistent? Are there any attachments here? But to what? Mount Lorebale? No, to… Hope? It can't be… although she's fragile, she's more than capable enough." His gaze fell on the wolves, staring blankly as he muttered, "Hope… Hope… Hope…"
A rare flash of light crossed his eyes as he pondered, "She… why did she go last night? There must be something important. Important… special… irreplaceable… Is it a plan? No, if I were to guess, the most fitting word would be 'scheme.'"
Schizel narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning cold. "Scheme or not, it doesn't matter. As long as the Wolf Lord is slain, it's worth the hassle but… I doubt it."
He shifted his gaze towards the horizon, his eyes calm like an abyss. He fell silent, and his thoughts halted, freezing completely. An unknown amount of time passed, and a sudden realization hit him: "The Wolf Lord didn't kill me- why? I'm certain it despises us; this doesn't align with reason."
He bit his lip and tossed the thought to the back of his mind. He turned around and jumped into another tree, avoiding the wolves below.
On his way, Schizel continued to jump from one tree to another and made sure to look down from time to time. However, before he even knew it, he sensed great danger behind him.
When he turned around, he saw a large open maw. Silver fangs were attached above and below, reflecting the sunlight.
He clenched his fist and threw a punch at one of the fangs. The fang trembled, sending waves down the Wolf Lord's body.
Schizel narrowed his eyes and jumped down. When his gaze fell, he saw several berserk wolves running up the tree. He clenched his fist again and punched down. His fist landed on a wolf, destroying its skull as its head shattered, blood gushing everywhere as its brain matter suddenly felt the gravity pulling them.
He continued punching down the wolves, which helped his fall slow down. Each time a wolf perished, blood and flesh would spatter across the tree, dyeing it crimson.
Once he was a meter off the ground, the wolves lunged forward, their mouths open wide and wet from saliva. Schizel grabbed on the tree and pushed himself, launching himself a few meters higher. When he landed, he stepped on a wolf and crushed its skull. After it died, he leaped off and landed on another wolf. He ran, crushing one wolf after another in a matter of seconds.
The Wolf Lord lunged at him, its maw wide open. Schizel glanced back and jumped back, dodging the attack, but just as he did, the Wolf Lord flicked its tail. The tail moved like a snake and closed the distance, sending him flying onto a tree.
When he landed on the tree, he coughed out a mouthful of blood. He held onto the tree as he stared straight at the Wolf Lord with his abyssal black eyes.
"Even if I die, so be it. I'm a Hunter, and living until now has already exceeded my expectations. But even so, I will fight this beast to the death. That way, Vanor has a chance." He clicked his tongue, his gaze turning cold.