C271 Rebirth Poisonous Strategy!

Yuan Lianyao arrived, suspended in the air.

Flames danced around her, each petal of the fiery lotus blossoms emitting an astonishing heat, encircling her like miniature suns.

At the late period of Subtlety, her combat prowess could very well rival that of Lei Xiao and Liu Wei.

Yuan Lianyao had the backing of both the Silvermoon Empire and the Ruby Hand—a fact well-known to all.

The Ruby Hand, a formidable force on the Land of Quiescence, ranked third in strength after Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep.

With a foundation and power surpassing that of Thunder Sect and Winter's Bite, the Ruby Hand stood out significantly.

The clandestine pact between the Silvermoon Empire and the Ruby Hand had elevated Yuan Lianyao's status, imbuing her with an air of confidence. She showed no fear, even when confronted by representatives from Thunder Sect and Winter's Bite.

"Ms. Yuan."

Liu Wei's brow furrowed. Upon her arrival, his expression fluctuated with uncertainty. After a moment's deliberation, he gestured towards the Blackfang Legion's fallen and said, "These are traitors from the Sunblessed Empire who fled near Asvetaesi. We encountered them and took care of the problem for you. How might the mayor express her gratitude?"

The young men and women, new to the trials of Aetherius, gazed at Yuan Lianyao with curiosity and amazement.

Yu Yuan, upon seeing her, felt a twinge of regret. "Such a shame..."

In the shadows, Yu Zhu's power was more than sufficient to dispatch the visitors from Thunder Sect and Winter's Bite with ease.

His initial plan had been to eliminate these threats in one fell swoop.

With Yuan Lianyao's arrival, the prospect of silently dispatching Lei Xiao and Liu Wei on the spot had become unrealistic.

He preferred not to reveal Yu Zhu's abilities and talents prematurely, to avoid drawing undue attention.

For now, he would have to lay low.

"The Blackfang Legion's assault on our people will not go unaddressed," Yuan Lianyao declared, floating next to Yu Yuan before descending to inspect Wei Feng, who was bound and gagged. "Is she a soldier of the Blackfang Legion?"

Yu Yuan gave a confirming nod.

"I must have this soldier named Wei Feng," Liu Wei stated emphatically, fixing his gaze on Yu Yuan. "Name your price."

Before Yuan Lianyao's arrival, his intent had been to forcefully seize Wei Feng and take her away.

If Yu Yuan encountered resistance, he might seize the opportunity to eliminate the threat and prevent future problems.

Yuan Lianyao had arrived, and he was well aware that any rash actions would instantly make enemies of both the Silvermoon Empire and the Ruby Hand on behalf of Winter's Bite. He concluded that the potential gains were not worth the risks and decided to take a different approach.

"In Sillserine, Zhan Tianyou of the Zhan family was nearly killed by her arrows," Yuan Lianyao said with a stern face. "I need to understand why the Blackfang Legion was in Asvetaesi. Yu Yuan, may I handle this Blackfang Legion female soldier named Wei Feng and take her back to Asvetaesi?"

Yu Yuan, momentarily taken aback, quickly regained his composure and nodded in agreement. "I'll defer to the mayor's wishes."

Liu Wei and Lei Xiao, upon hearing Yuan Lianyao's request, were visibly unhappy.

"Very well, take her with you, and we'll head back to Asvetaesi," Yuan Lianyao decided firmly.

"Agreed."

Without further ado, Yu Yuan hoisted the bound Wei Feng onto his shoulder and, with a nod to Ning Ji, announced, "We're heading back."

Ning Ji, deliberately avoiding Liu Wei's gaze, promptly joined them.

Bai Shenshen of the Sacred Hands Sect hesitated before speaking up. "Yu Yuan, my visit was also to pay respects to your grandfather."

"Then you shall join us," Yu Yuan responded with a nod.

With that, he carried Wei Feng on his shoulder and set off, with Ning Ji and Bai Shenshen following closely behind. Yuan Lianyao remained still, her gaze fixed on Liu Wei.

Lei Xiao and the seven disciples from Thunder Sect and Winter's Bite also turned their attention to Liu Wei. It appeared that if Liu Wei gave the word, they would disregard Yuan Lianyao's status and collectively attack, aiming to overpower Yu Yuan's group and rescue Wei Feng.

Liu Wei's expression was icy, and he remained silent, his eyes locked on Yuan Lianyao, who stood unaffected by the tension.

"Let's part ways here," she said after some time.

Once Yu Yuan had completely vanished from sight, Yuan Lianyao finally allowed herself a smile towards Liu Wei. Then, she summoned a blazing lotus flower beneath her and soared into the distance.

After she had departed, Lei Xiao furrowed his brow and questioned, "Why didn't you take action?"

"Liu Wei!"

A member of Winter's Bite addressed the formidable disciple of their sect without mincing words, "So what if the minor mayor of Asvetaesi has ties with the Ruby Hand? What do we have to fear? With your strength and Elder Lei's combined, can't you overcome her?"

"And as for Lin Zhuyun's betrothed and those from the Sacred Hands, we can surely subdue them."

He couldn't fathom why Liu Wei, renowned within the sect for his decisiveness, was now hesitating.

"Did you notice that arm?"

Liu Wei gestured towards the severed limb of a Blackfang Legion soldier of Subtlety.

"What about it?" Lei Xiao inquired.

"Before we arrived, he had already lost an arm, and Wei Feng, along with the Blackfang Legion, intended to withdraw," Liu Wei explained with an unexpected calmness. "Just with Yu Yuan, the Sacred Hands, and those three incompetents, what could possibly compel the Blackfang Legion to retreat? If the Blackfang Legion is retreating, the only reason Wei Feng would seek death is..."

"There's absolutely no chance of victory. That's the only explanation for their desperate move!"

"In fact, I've been vigilant, suspecting there was someone else lurking in the shadows. My provocation of Yu Yuan was meant to draw out this individual, to see if we could handle them."

"But to our surprise, Yuan Lianyao appeared."

Both Lei Xiao and the other young disciples of the sect were perplexed, unable to decipher his reasoning.

"It wasn't Yuan Lianyao!"

Taking a deep breath, Liu Wei looked over at the Blackfang Legion General, who had been fatally pierced through the heart and lungs by a bone. "The one forcing the Blackfang Legion to flee, driving Wei Feng to contemplate suicide, isn't the mayor of Asvetaesi!"

With this revelation, Lei Xiao had an epiphany, "There's another player?"

"Indeed, there must be someone else!" Liu Wei affirmed with a nod. "Had the newcomer matched the Blackfang Legion General's demise, I would have given the order to strike. However, Yuan Lianyao's method of attack and the wounds found on the Blackfang Legion General are starkly different, indicating another unseen adversary."

I've always been vigilant, watching from the shadows. Yet, I couldn't detect any trace of his presence. However, when Yuan Lianyao drew near, my guard instantly went up. After keeping a certain distance, I realized it was the mayor of Asvetaesi.

At this revelation, the valiant young man from the Winter's Bite Sect had an epiphany, "There's someone lurking in the shadows, more fearsome than Yuan Lianyao? And you knew they weren't an ally, so you held back?"

"Exactly," Liu Wei confirmed.

With this explanation, the trial-takers from both the Thunder Sect and the Winter's Bite Sect pondered deeply. They proceeded to examine the wounds of the Blackfang Legion General to validate Liu Wei's deduction.

It didn't take long for everyone to agree — Liu Wei's speculation was spot on.

The assailant who had stealthily slain the Blackfang Legion General had not employed any fiery attacks, ruling out any connection to Yuan Lianyao.

There was another player in the game!

"What do we do now that Wei Feng has been taken by Yuan Lianyao?" Lei Xiao abruptly inquired.

"If Yuan Lianyao is seeking her own destruction and wants to drag Asvetaesi down with her, why should we bother?" Liu Wei scoffed. "Those who traversed that peculiar territory weren't just Wei Feng's party. We want to capture Wei Feng alive, but we're concerned she might take her own life, which naturally ties our hands."

"Still, spreading the word of her capture by Yuan Lianyao to the rest of the Blackfang Legion shouldn't be too difficult."

Gazing towards Asvetaesi, Liu Wei's eyes were filled with a chilling resolve. "The Blackfang Legion are rabid dogs, now completely out of control. Once they learn that Wei Feng has been taken by the mayor of Asvetaesi, will the remaining Blackfang Legion soldiers just sit by?"

"They fear neither the Sunblessed Empire nor Asvetaesi, the weakest of the Silvermoon Empire."

Liu Wei's words carried a sinister undertone.

Lei Xiao's face darkened as he said, "If the Blackfang Legion spreads throughout the City of Silvermoon, the death toll could be catastrophic. Even the Keep might succumb."

Liu Wei remarked, "If that's the case, the Silvermoon Empire and the Ruby Hand surely won't hold us accountable. Instead, they'll devise a strategy to tackle the Blackfang Legion. Doesn't that align with our objectives?"

"You always think things through," the young member of Winter's Bite acknowledged with genuine admiration. "Experience does count for something."

...

Yu Yuan, with Wei Feng slung over his shoulder, had to knock her out again after she put up a struggle. He hung his head, his gaze uncertain.

He was indecisive.

Yu Zhu was still lurking in the shadows, linked to him through a delicate bond with his heaven soul. She could pick up on the thoughts he projected.

He contemplated whether to command Yu Zhu to silently take out Lei Xiao, Liu Wei, and their companions.

Yet, they were still too close to Liu Wei's group.

If Yu Zhu acted, the resulting flare of spiritual energy could easily draw Yuan Lianyao's attention, prompting her to turn back and investigate.

He preferred that Yuan Lianyao remain oblivious to Yu Zhu's activities.

Silently gauging the distance, he allowed Yu Zhu to shadow them unseen.

Suddenly, a faint thread of soul essence emerged from Yu Zhu's direction.

Yu Zhu, perhaps tapping into her innate talents, overheard Lei Xiao and Liu Wei's conversation. With a unique cadence that only Yu Yuan could perceive, she attempted to communicate the information.

Yu Yuan paused and concentrated to interpret the signal, gradually grasping the message she was trying to convey.

Her message was straightforward, and Yu Yuan could easily grasp it.

Relaying others' conversations in her unique manner was far more complex for her now, making it somewhat challenging for Yu Yuan to comprehend.

Eventually, he got the gist of it.

"Wei Feng cannot be taken back to Asvetaesi."

Yuan Lianyao looked on in bewilderment, puzzled by his sudden halt, as he spoke again, "This woman holds a unique position within the Blackfang Legion. Both Winter's Bite and Thunder Sect are pursuing her. To my knowledge, there are numerous survivors from the Blackfang Legion, and it appears their commander is still alive. Bringing her back to Asvetaesi could spell doom for the city if the Blackfang Legion were to learn of it."

Upon hearing these words, Yuan Lianyao felt a sudden tightness in her chest, prompting her to ponder deeply.

After a moment of reflection, she turned to Yu Yuan and asked, "What should we do?"

​