Just when the evil smile on the corner of School of the Cat's mouth bloomed, his pupils suddenly shrank to the size of a needle tip. The extremely cold magic power that was supposed to explode actually disappeared out of thin air the moment it touched Yavi's left hand!
"This can't-"
Before the horrified roar could be uttered, Yavi's silver sword was whizzing towards him with light blue sword energy. The sword light flashed across like a crescent moon, and School of the Cat the demon hunter felt a chill on his right shoulder, and his whole arm flew into the air with a gushing blood. Before the severe pain reached his brain, Aard Sign's full fist hit his jaw with a sound of breaking through the air.
"Crack!"
A heartbreaking sound of bone cracking exploded in the hall. The nobles who were watching saw in horror that the School of the Cat demon hunter's head tilted back exaggeratedly under the heavy blow, and his whole body was smashed to the ground like a rag doll. The marble floor tiles fell apart at the moment of impact, and the dust storm raised by the shock wave made the entire front hall tremble.
When the choking smoke and dust gradually dissipated, everyone through their tearful eyes saw the figure of Yavi standing like a demon in the center of the ring-shaped cracked ground. The five fingers of his left hand were deeply dug into the enemy's dye. In the hair of blood, the completely unconscious School of the Cat demon hunter was lifted up like a trophy. The blood dripped down the wound of the severed arm, forming a scarlet lake on the cracked ground.
The silence in the aftermath of the disaster only lasted a short moment.
"We... won?" A young noble said tremblingly, and the sword clenched in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.
This soft sound seemed to break some kind of spell, and deafening cheers suddenly erupted in the hall. The ladies collapsed on the ground, their delicate makeup was washed away by tears; the lords slapped each other on the shoulders, and some even hugged each other excitedly. In the corner, the white-haired old Earl held his son tightly, his wrinkled hands still shaking.
Yavi turned a deaf ear to the commotion behind him. He skillfully took out a bundle of hemp rope soaked in salt water from Talisman Space, tied the unconscious assassin into a rice dumpling shape, and fastened shackles mixed with Dimeritium on his legs. The wound on the broken arm was already covered with strange black blood scabs, obviously the magic potion he drank earlier was still taking effect.
Herbert stepped forward quickly, his weather-beaten eyes carefully looking at Yavi's injuries. His rough fingers gently brushed the wound on Yavi's cheek, as skillfully as an experienced doctor. "The wound is not deep," he whispered, with a soldier's unique calmness, "But it still needs to be disinfected and bandaged."
Jace followed closely behind, carefully checking his brother's injuries. He carefully pressed Yavi's ribs with his generous palms, and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that there were no fractures. "You have a tough life," he grinned, and habitually wanted to pat Yavi's back, but stopped his hand halfway, "But we still have to let the doctor take a look."
At this time, the city lord Liz strode forward with his guards. His light yellow hair looked particularly majestic in the firelight. "Lock him to the bottom of the dungeon," he ordered crisply, "Use triple shackles and arrange for double guarding." The soldiers immediately picked up the unconscious assassin, and the sound of iron boots on the ground echoed in the hall.
Maya walked quickly with her skirt in hand, her well-maintained face now full of worry. Yavi was about to speak when her mother's warm hands held her face. "Look at you..." Maya's voice trembled slightly, and his fingertips gently stroked the scar on Yavi's eyebrow bone. Yavi's stern face finally softened completely, and he gently held his mother's hand. "It's just a skin injury, mother."
After everyone's emotions calmed down a bit, Liz stood on the high platform in the center of the hall, his short silver-gray hair shining in the candlelight. "Everyone," his deep and powerful voice silenced the noisy hall, "We have all gone through too much tonight. I suggest that everyone go back and rest first, and we will discuss any matters tomorrow."
As the Lord Liz announced that the meeting was over, the crowd in the hall began to leave one after another. The nobles walked together in twos and threes, chatting in low voices from time to time; the female family members tidied up their messy clothes and left slowly with the support of the maids; the guards stood on both sides of the corridor holding torches, lighting the way for everyone to leave.
This night, the castle was extremely quiet. Some people turned out the lights early but could not fall asleep, some were sitting in front of the window in a daze, and some were sipping wine to calm down their shock - after all, everyone needed some time to calm down after the thrilling battle just now.
The Winter Solstice Festival is spent on such an unforgettable night...
The next morning, sunlight poured into the banquet hall through the stained glass windows. After the servants had been cleaning it all night, the mess from last night no longer existed. Only a few conspicuous sword marks and broken marble floor tiles on the ground silently told the brutality of the life-and-death struggle.
The lords and their families took their seats one after another, and their low-pitched conversations were occasionally mixed with memories of the frightening moments last night. When Liz City Lord stepped onto the main stage with steady steps, the noisy discussion gradually subsided. He looked around the audience, his eyes lingering on everyone's face for a moment.
"Everyone," Liz's voice was steady and powerful, "Before discussing countermeasures, we must first thank someone." He turned and faced the direction where Yavi was, "If it hadn't been for Your Excellency Yavi to come forward last night, we might not have had the chance to see the rising sun today."
Before he finished speaking, warm applause sounded like a tide. The nobles stood up one after another, the young ladies waved handkerchiefs, and several older lords even took off their hats to pay tribute. The cheers echoed under the dome of the hall and lasted for a long time.
"This is the honor you deserve." Liz nodded to Yavi, his eyes flashing with approval. When the applause subsided, he raised his hand to signal everyone to sit down, "Now, let us discuss how to respond to this 'gift'." When he said the last two words, his tone suddenly turned cold, and the temperature of the entire hall seemed to drop a bit.
While everyone was intensely discussing the strategic deployment of attacking Poviss, Katz slammed the table and stood up. His loud voice drowned out all the discussions. "Before sending troops, I have to pry something out of the mouth of that bastard last night!"
Several young and energetic nobles immediately echoed loudly, and there was a sound of shouting and killing in the hall. Liz City Lord frowned slightly and turned to look at Yavi, who was sitting in the first place on his left. "What do you think?"
Yavi tapped the armrest of the seat with his slender fingers, his expression indifferent. "It's all in vain." His voice was not loud, but it instantly silenced the noisy hall, "That's just a killer who gets paid to do things. According to industry regulations, he doesn't know the employer's information at all, and he doesn't care."
He raised his eyes and glanced at everyone present, and continued, "Besides, the willpower of demon hunters has undergone special training. Among fellow sects, the effect of Signs's mental control will be greatly reduced." A sneer appeared on the corner of Yavi's lips, "You want to get a word out of him? I'm afraid it's harder than squeezing blood from a stone."
These words made everyone here look at each other in confusion. Katz muttered unwillingly, "Then we can't let him be so easy..." But his momentum was obviously weakened.