Killing Intent 2

"Young Master Anglie," Ward greeted in a low voice.

"Old Ward, has anything happened lately? You don't look too well," Anglie said deliberately.

"Nothing much. There have just been a lot of matters lately. I'm getting old, and my energy is far from what it used to be." Ward sighed softly. "Where are you headed, Young Master?"

"Oh, there's something I need you to look after." Anglie explained the matter Cilier had entrusted to him. In truth, her father wanted to obtain tax-exempt status for fruit shipments from the territory.

"This is no trouble. Since Young Master has spoken, he alone may be exempted from taxes, though the scale restrictions cannot be changed." Ward smiled.

"Of course." Anglie smiled as well.

"Then I'll take my leave first." Ward nodded.

"All right."

Anglie stood in the corridor, watching Ward leave at a brisk pace, his thoughts churning.

Forget it. Strengthening myself and gaining power of my own is what truly matters. Chip, scan my physical condition.

Anglie Leo. Strength: 2.1–2.6. Agility: 2.5. Constitution: 2.2.

This was the power of the Blue Bamboo Shoot. Not long ago, his strength had only been 0.8, but now it had reached a maximum threshold of 2.6. However, the Blue Bamboo Shoot's effects could go no further. By now, eating it had caused his body to develop resistance. It no longer produced any noticeable increase.

Nor had Anglie found any other food or item capable of improving physical attributes. As a result, the pace of his enhancements had suddenly stalled.

Perhaps it's time to make use of that power... He made his decision.

Ten days later...

Early morning. Not a cloud stretched across the sky.

Audis Knight Territory

Within a lush green forest, a small river ran through the trees, its waters flowing quietly. Both banks were covered in fine pebbles.

A group of cavalrymen were leading their horses to the riverbank to drink and rest.

The Baron stood beside a large tree, one hand resting against its trunk as he gazed into the distance. Beside him stood a middle-aged man with graying hair. A silver longsword hung at the man's waist, and his expression was calm and gentle.

"I never expected to meet you here, Chris." The Baron spoke softly. "Thinking back to the days when we fought side by side, it feels as though they happened only yesterday."

"Yes. Kyle, you were always the one charging at the front, and you taught me so much battle experience and so many techniques. If not for you back then, I would probably have long since become nothing but a pile of bones." Chris sighed.

"By the way, why are you here? Didn't you go north?" the Baron suddenly asked.

"Brother Kyle, did you receive the letter from the Dark Chapter?" Chris's expression turned grave. "That's why I came. There are some things we should discuss in private."

The Baron narrowed his eyes slightly. "Fine. It's been a long time since we brothers last met. We can have a proper talk."

He took the lead into the woods. Chris followed closely behind, and the two quickly vanished among the trees.

After walking some distance, the Baron stopped first.

"All right, this should be far enough. Tell me, why did you suddenly come here?" he asked in a deep voice.

Chris fell silent for a moment, his gaze complicated.

"Brother Kyle, I..."

Ssshhk!!

A streak of black light stabbed viciously toward the Baron's waist, only to strike with a ding, as though it had been deflected by something.

The Baron's expression changed.

"Chris! You...!"

The only answer was a sword tip thrusting at him like a venomous snake.

"You actually... actually betrayed me!!!" Bloodshot veins surfaced in the Baron's eyes. With a clang, he drew the greatsword from his back.

In the woodland outside the castle.

Holding a longbow, Anglie emerged helplessly from the depths of the forest.

This was already his fourth time searching for that Raging Mountain Bear. He had originally intended to kill it after his strength greatly increased, avenging his father's injury. Yet that beast had somehow stopped appearing altogether. Even using the scent of blood to lure it had been useless.

Anglie could only return along the same route in frustration.

After returning to the castle and changing out of his hunting clothes, Anglie headed straight for the library. Whenever he had nothing to do, he liked going there. The exceptionally peaceful atmosphere allowed his mind to relax quickly.

During this time, using the energy he had previously absorbed from the ring, his agility had improved noticeably once again.

It was now advancing toward the threshold of 5. Though slow, the progress was exceptionally steady. Even Anglie himself could no longer fully control his speed if he was not careful. Several times, he had nearly crashed into a tree because he ran too fast. It had taken him several hours to adapt before he finally stabilized.

"In another day or two, the energy will probably be used up. Then I'll have to find new items for enhancement again." This matter had been weighing on Anglie recently.

He opened the library door, shut it behind him, and walked over to sit at the desk. A book he had taken out the night before lay open carelessly on the tabletop.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. His father had been gone for so long, yet he kept feeling that something was wrong.

In the forest.

The Baron raised his greatsword, a savage smile curling across his lips.

"Farewell, Chris."

Ssshhk!!!

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

Amid a shrill scream,

the Baron clutched his right eye tightly. Blood streamed uncontrollably through his fingers and dripped down his cheek. A green short arrow was firmly embedded in his eye socket.

His greatsword had fallen crookedly to one side.

Seizing the chance, Chris rolled away sharply, sprinted several meters away, and rose to his feet again.

Even though the Baron had been severely injured, Chris still watched him with complete vigilance.

"Lisa!! It was you!! Aaaahhh!!" the Baron roared madly. With a forceful pull of his right hand, he yanked the short arrow from his eye socket with a ssshhk. A spray of blood burst out and stained a clump of grass on the ground red.

Two figures slowly stepped out from the shadows deep within the woods.

One was a middle-aged woman with disheveled hair, dressed in a long gray cloth gown. She held a delicate short bow in her hand, and a black arrow ring was worn around the fingers of her other hand.

"Long time no see, Leo." Her expression was calm.

The other person made Baron Leo shudder violently.

"Audis... Even you have betrayed me..." Disbelief filled the Baron's remaining eye.

Audis stood silently beside Lisa without saying a word.

"Leo, your ambitions have gone too far. You actually dreamed of raising an army and declaring independence. For your son's sake, you have offended too many people." Chris sneered from the side. "A girl whom Audis Knight's son originally liked was also abducted into the castle by you and violated to death, all because your son said, 'I like her.' A person like you would not deserve pity even if you died ten thousand times over!!"

The Baron stood where he was, allowing blood to continue dripping from his face. He silently looked at Audis.

"So even Ward too...?"

"Why else do you think none of your subordinates have noticed your disappearance by now?" Lisa said coldly. "My sister died by your hand, and my father was driven to death by you as well. Today, everything will be settled!!"

The Baron fell silent.

Scenes from the past replayed in his eyes.

Lisa, whom he had once loved. The time he had risked his life to save Audis. Chris, who had admired him so deeply. And that beautiful figure who had always lingered in his dreams.

"Qilian..." he murmured.

Audis and the other two exchanged glances. This brief lapse in the Baron's focus was the best opportunity.

"Attack!!" Lisa shouted.

Ssshhk!

The three drew their weapons at the same time and charged forward.

"Father..." Song Ye's sense of foreboding grew ever stronger.

Though they had not spent much time together, the Baron's constant consideration for him and wholehearted devotion had made Song Ye truly regard him as his father.

He sat in the study, idly turning over a silver family crest tucked between the pages of a book.

It was a small oval piece, engraved with a soaring eagle and surrounded by a ring of thorn patterns.

"Something is obviously wrong. Ward's behavior in private suggests that he received some bad news, perhaps even made some sort of guess. Yet Father knew nothing and took no precautions? The only person in power in this castle is Father. With his methods, he shouldn't be completely unaware..."

Song Ye felt that everything lately had been off. It seemed he had overlooked something crucial.

"What could it be?" He gently turned the crest over, frowning in thought.

Bang!!

The study doors were shoved open.

Song Ye turned toward the doorway.

Ward, his head full of white hair, stood there with a smile on his face. Behind him were four heavily armored swordsmen clad in black armor.

"Young Master Anglie."

The swordsmen behind him drew their cross swords in unison. The sound of metal scraping instantly changed the atmosphere in the study.

Song Ye sat by the desk and gently set down the crest in his hand.

"Ward, what are you doing?" His face was filled with surprise.