A red sun slowly rose from the distant horizon, its rays piercing the night like sharp swords.
The Blood Serpent snaked across the ground, leaving a winding trail. A member of the Shadow Serpent Clan jumped down from the top of the Blood Serpent and walked anxiously toward the tent.
As he approached the tent, the chieftain Anim's Furious Roar reached his ears precisely, causing the Fate Master to shudder and halt in his tracks, reluctant to go inside.
However, considering the intelligence he had gathered, the Fate Master had no choice but to report to the clan chief as soon as possible, so he reluctantly entered the tent.
"Greetings, Chieftain!"
The visitor quickly bowed respectfully.
"How is it? Have you found that little beast yet?" Anim asked hurriedly.
The person who entered lowered their head and said in a low voice, "No."
"Then what are you doing back here? You useless good-for-nothing!"
Anim's expression changed, and he rebuked her sternly.
The visitor had no choice but to continue, forcing himself to speak, "Chief, although I didn't find the one who escaped, I did find Lady Rosalie's body."
"What?!"
These words shocked not only the clan leader, Anim, but also the other high-ranking Shadow Serpent Clan, who all looked up with drastic changes in expression.
"That's impossible. Rosalie is Level Three Fate Art Master and a member of our Shadow Serpent Clan. Who would dare to kill her, and who has the ability to do so?"
An old man with white hair and beard repeatedly denied the visitor's words in a stern tone.
Chieftain Anim, however, calmed down at this moment. Although he had a volatile temper, he was usually able to suppress his emotions with reason when faced with important matters. Otherwise, he would not have been able to hold the position of chieftain with his good son alone. Even if he had, the other tribesmen would not have been so convinced of his worth and would not have listened to him so readily.
Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?
"Absolutely not. I remember Lady Rosalie's scent very clearly, and although the corpse was headless, it was dressed exactly like Lady Rosalie."
"Okay, I understand. You can go now. Don't spread this news for the time being," Anim instructed, and the visitor bowed and left the tent.
Once this person left, the entire tent erupted in chaos, with many high-ranking members of the Shadow Serpent Clan discussing the matter and expressing their opinions.
However, the chaos abruptly ceased after Anim coughed.
Anim sat back in the main seat, coldly surveying the room before fixing his gaze on the old man who had just spoken in denial, and asked, "Second Uncle, what's your opinion?"
The old man stepped forward and said, "Clan leader, if this is true, then in my opinion, either our Shadow Serpent Clan's enemies took advantage of the situation, or someone is trying to fish in troubled waters and reap the benefits!"
"The first scenario is unlikely, given how discreet our operation was; even the local Crawford Family didn't notice. The second scenario is more probable. I speculate that Rosalie most likely captured that little bastard, but was ambushed and kidnapped. The assailant, fearing discovery, fled in haste and failed to dispose of Rosalie's body!"
After the old man finished his analysis, many high-ranking Shadow Serpent Clan, including Clan Chief Anim, nodded in agreement.
Anim muttered to himself, deep in thought, "So, who could have made the move? If we rule out the first possibility, the perpetrator is most likely a local force. But the strongest local tyrant was the Crawford Family, whom we wiped out. And Rosalie is Level Three Fate Art Master; to kill her in such a short time, one would need at least peak level three strength. That doesn't make sense..."
As Anim continued his deductions, his brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
Just then, his second uncle, the white-haired old man, spoke again, coldly laughing, "Clan leader, have you forgotten that besides the Fate Master, there is another Transcendent system in this world that can rival us!"
These words shocked everyone present.
Anim abruptly stood up, his expression changing drastically, and he unconsciously lowered his voice, saying, "You mean, the one who intercepted it is likely a powerful figure from the Star God Lineage?"
"Heh, I really can't think of any other possibility besides them. Could it be that that little bastard could suddenly increase his strength and kill Rosalie in one fell swoop?" The white-haired old man stroked his beard, his face cold.
Another elder from the Shadow Serpent Clan added, "If it's the Star God Lineage's making a move, that's normal. Although these guys can't attack mortals, they're completely unaffected when it comes to killing us Fate Master. Don't forget, the Star God System was originally established to deal with Fate Master like us!"
The two elders started the discussion, and the tent was immediately filled with a sea of people. Almost everyone agreed that the Star God Lineage was the most likely to make a move.
"Heh, so that's how it is. These vermin hiding in the gutter have always looked down on us Fate Master. I never expected them to resort to such underhanded tactics. If we don't avenge this, how can our Shadow Serpent Clan maintain our standing?!"
Anim sneered repeatedly, his eyes filled with disgust and murderous intent.
"Patriarch, retaliation is inevitable, but there's no need to rush. Besides, we only suspect that the Star God Lineage is behind it; we lack concrete evidence. Provoking a fight rashly could lead to serious consequences."
"Then, Second Uncle, what do you think we should do?"
"I think we should wait for news from our clansmen in Green Harbor City. If that little bastard is still alive, he will most likely go to Green Harbor City for refuge. If not, it means that he was either kidnapped by the Star God Lineage or killed. Either way, it proves that the Star God Lineage is the murderer of Rosalie."
After the white-haired old man finished speaking, Anim nodded repeatedly, "Second Uncle is right, then let's wait a little longer."
After saying this, Anim added with a sigh, "Fortunately, the family has someone as mature and prudent as my second uncle. Otherwise, when I, the clan leader, encounter problems, I wouldn't even have anyone to help me make decisions!"
Upon hearing this, the white-haired old man smiled modestly and said, "I'm just a bit older and have more experience; I'm far inferior to the clan leader."
"Second Uncle is too modest. What do you think we should do now? Should we continue to wait for news, or retreat to Buda City?"
"I will follow the clan chief's arrangements."
"Hmm... Let's go back to Buda City then. We've been searching all night without any news. Searching any further probably won't be of any use. Let's go back and wait for a reply from the clansmen in Green Harbor City."
As Chief Anim of the Yin Serpent Clan made his decision, the members of the Shadow Serpent Clan in the valley began to evacuate one after another. In an instant, the yin energy and bloody smell that permeated the entire valley quickly dissipated under the mountain wind.
"Is this Buda City? The residence of the Shadow Serpent Clan! Instead of building a castle outside the city, they live in the city itself, crammed together with a large number of ordinary people. I wonder what they were thinking."
Victor, disguised by Gustavo, followed the crowd with slight caution and entered the city gate, while secretly communicating with Gustavo through the sound transmission channel formed by the "Blood Pact".
Upon hearing Victor's question, Gustavo smiled enigmatically and said, "The more the merrier..."
Victor didn't understand the meaning of Gustavo's words, and the latter didn't explain either. He simply took Victor to find a place to stay, and then spent another day buying various medicinal herbs from the major pharmacies in Buda City.
Afterward, Gustavo secluded himself in his room, sealed the doors and windows, and began concocting the first poison he had encountered as a child—"Hades."