As soon as Andrew entered the city lord's manor, he sensed a faint black aura drifting through the surrounding air. It was exceedingly strange, and when it settled on him, his whole body grew cold.
"Milly, do you feel cold?" Andrew asked quietly.
It was Milly's first visit to the city lord's manor, and she was curious about everything she saw. At Andrew's question, she shook her head twice without a thought.
Could it really be my imagination? Andrew wondered again. Unwilling to let it go, he caught up with Howard in a few strides and asked, "Father, do you feel how chilly it is here?"
Howard asked in puzzlement, "Chilly? Is it? It feels no different from outside to me."
Rather than dispelling Andrew's doubts, this only strengthened his conviction: something was definitely wrong here.
At that thought, he immediately went over to Golden Tiger, where he was closer to Janice and Ling'er. Then he noticed something wrong with Ling'er's expression. Her face was slightly blue, and she had curled up in Janice's arms. She looked as though she was freezing.
"Polite, help me look after Milly!" Andrew immediately handed Milly to Polite beside him and took Ling'er into his arms. Milly was still lost in her awe at the manor and paid no attention to who was holding her.
"Ling'er, what's wrong?" Andrew asked in her ear.
Ling'er wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Her little hands were ice-cold.
"Big brother, it's so cold here, even colder than the grasslands," Ling'er said pitifully, thinking of winter on the grasslands.
Ling'er can feel the cold too. Why can't Father or little Milly feel it? Andrew was even more puzzled. He kept feeling that there had to be something strange about this place. Instinctively, he looked back at the city lord following behind them.
Meeting his gaze, the city lord grinned. One look at that smile was enough for Andrew to remember it for the rest of his life.
Buzz!
At the sight of that smile, his head buzzed, and his body lost all sensation. Fortunately, he recovered the very next instant.
How strange. What exactly did he just do? Andrew turned his head slightly, countless questions filling his mind. He knew just how dangerous his situation had been. In battle, that momentary lapse would have been enough to get him killed several times over!
After a moment's thought, Andrew sought the city lord's gaze again, wanting to find out exactly what the man had done to him. Unfortunately, he failed this time. The city lord was not looking at him, but had fixed his gaze on Ling'er.
The city lord's expression was quite a sight as he watched Ling'er. On his face, so gaunt it was little more than bone, the shriveled skin bunched together, looking terrifying at first glance.
Though Andrew did not understand what the man was thinking, he turned slightly to shield Ling'er. At the same time, he watched the city lord's reaction out of the corner of his eye.
When a figure blocked Ling'er from view, anger flashed in the city lord's eyes. Unwilling to give up, he took a few steps forward, but Andrew moved to Golden Tiger's other side. This time, he truly could not see Ling'er.
Andrew's actions also startled the city lord. After his anger, he quickly regained his composure and walked slowly at the rear of the group. Only this time, he lowered his head and pulled up the black hood behind him, looking mysterious and unfathomable.
By the time they reached the city lord's garden, it was already late. The city lord decided to host a feast for everyone in the garden, which pleased Bandeni greatly. Thinking that he had finally managed to save face, he grew somewhat warmer toward the city lord.
The others looked delighted at the news of a feast, especially Janice, who had always valued the finer things in life and had suffered quite a bit these past few days. Only Andrew remained clearheaded. Holding Ling'er, he kept watching the city lord's every move.
Soon, dinner was served. Strangely, the city lord disappeared at this point. No one paid it any mind, however, and they dug in. Even the usually aloof Polite refused to fall behind. Setting Milly beside him, he reached for a roasted gazelle and shared it with her. Golden Tiger also had someone specifically attending to him and ate with great relish nearby.
"Ling'er, do you want to eat?" Andrew asked.
Ling'er shook her head, pressing her lips together without speaking. Andrew could tell that she truly did not want to eat. He had no appetite either. Neither of them touched the food before them, merely watching the others feast.
This food gives me a feeling of revulsion. Ling'er probably feels the same.
Andrew thought this as he carefully searched for any sign of the city lord.
The banquet went on for a long time. The manor's servants kept bringing out platter after platter of delicacies, and Bandeni and the others refused none of them. In the end, everyone had stuffed themselves until their bellies were round. Janice fared a little better, leaning to one side with somewhat restrained movements, while Bandeni and the others abandoned all decorum and lay down on the ground.
"This feels wonderful!" Bandeni cried in satisfaction.
"Something even more wonderful awaits you."
A black figure drifted into the garden. Andrew's gaze sharpened at the sight. It was the city lord he had been searching for all this time.
Bandeni said, "What else is there? Just tell us, City Lord."
The city lord gave a strange smile and waved his hand. Two columns of people emerged behind him.
"Here it comes!" the city lord said sinisterly, pointing to the rear of the two columns.
"Mom!" Milly suddenly shouted. Struggling up from the ground, she stumbled toward those people.
As the two columns emerged from the shadows, everyone saw two people at the rear carrying an enormous cross. A woman was bound to it-Milly's mother!
"What are you doing?" Even Bandeni sensed something wrong, however foolish he might be, and immediately sat up. Beside him, Polite brought out his enormous shield and greatsword, while Andrew took the opportunity to bring Howard and Janice aside, carefully watching the situation unfold.
"Milly, why are you here? Go back right now, do you hear me!" The woman seemed surprised to see Milly, but quickly composed herself and shouted at her.
Frightened by her shout, Milly stopped, not knowing what to do. Andrew immediately gathered her into his arms and flicked a finger against the back of her neck. Milly instantly passed out.
His action did not escape the woman's eyes, but she paid it no mind at all.
"Look, this is tonight's final entertainment. Keep your eyes wide open as we welcome the great Nether God!" The city lord's sinister voice rang out again, raising goosebumps all over Andrew.
"You're making a sacrifice to an evil god!" Bandeni stood and pointed at the city lord, shouting. With things so obvious, he would have been unworthy of being a magister if he still failed to understand.
"No, no, not an evil god, Master Mage," the city lord said devoutly. "The true god, the one and only true incarnation, His Highness the Nether God!"
Bandeni's expression was grim. "Lord of Lefen City, you dare sacrifice living people to an evil god? The empire won't let you get away with this!" Nowhere in the world tolerated human sacrifice.
The city lord cackled a few times. "Originally, I wanted to send you away quickly to keep this secret from being discovered. If you spread word of it, even the High Priest would probably take action against me himself. To tell the truth, I really was afraid..."
Bandeni snorted. "Good that you know. I advise you to surrender quietly, or don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
The city lord shook his head. "Master Mage, you really aren't very wise. I told you, I was afraid before, but now I'm not!"
"Why? Do you think the evil god you worship can stand against the High Priest?" Bandeni demanded.
The city lord laughed twice. "You're smarter this time. But you're still wrong. It isn't the Nether God I worship-I myself can defeat the High Priest!"
Bandeni spat. "You?"
The city lord stretched both hands toward the sky and said devoutly, "You will never understand how terrifying the Nether God's power is. Ten years ago, I was merely an ordinary warrior of the fourth rank. Fate led me to become the Nether God's servant. In just ten years, the Nether God gave me unrivaled power and made me an exalted city lord!"
Andrew frowned deeply as he listened. Though he did not know the strength of Lefen City's lord, he presumed it could be no lower than the eighth rank. Otherwise, knowing Bandeni's identity and clearly seeing Golden Tiger here, how would he dare do this?
From the fourth rank to the eighth in ten years-that certainly isn't easy. Could he be offering sacrifices to a Sovereign? Impossible. Why would a Sovereign care about mortal sacrifices? Andrew rejected that conjecture.
"The great Nether God once told me that as long as I found someone with a pure soul for him, he would grant me godhood! Look, this is the token the Nether God bestowed upon me! Whenever someone with a pure soul appears near me, this bead glows!" As he spoke, the city lord opened his right hand. In his gaunt palm, a marble-sized bead emitted pulses of red light.
"All these years, I searched a thousand li around Lefen City, yet never found anyone who could make the bead glow. But I never gave up. I believed that my god was watching over me! And sure enough, today, that person finally arrived!"
The more the city lord spoke, the more frenzied he became, yet his eyes remained fixed unblinkingly on Ling'er.
At this sight, everyone knew that the person with a pure soul he spoke of was Ling'er!