C31 A Deal Is a Deal

In the valley, Huang Fan led his clansmen, disregarding all else, as they raced toward Mount Aureum. The focus of everyone's attention was on the Lunar Spirit of the Colddeath, particularly on Ann Ziqing. The movements of the Huang family were of no immediate concern to them. With Huang Chen dead and many of their kin slain, the weakened Huang family, with more members still in Asvetaesi, was hardly a threat. The priority was to eliminate the Lunar Spirit and neutralize the threat posed by the Colddeath.

"Ziqing?" Yu Lili whispered, pushing the wheelchair to move Yu Cen to safety. She had witnessed the fragments of the Lunar Spirit, like ethereal light, merging into the body of the purple-clad maid. This indicated that the Lunar Spirit had taken refuge in Ann Ziqing's consciousness. Unsure of the severity of the situation, she decided it was best to remove the elder and leave the matter to Mayor Yuan Lianyao and Le Feng, who practiced the Snow Thunder Technique.

"Yu Yuan!" The crowd's eyes tracked Yu Yuan as he dashed forward. After a loud command to halt, he made a beeline for Ann Ziqing. Yuan Lianyao, taken aback, softly remarked, "It's just a maid. Why take it so seriously?" As the head of the Yuan family and the mayor of Asvetaesi, she was no stranger to bloodshed, having lost family members, old comrades from expeditions in the forbidden areas of the Mysterious Realm, and numerous admirers. Ruthless in her methods, she advanced her own power and her family's interests.

She considered Yu Yuan to be of the same ilk—both regarded human life as expendable. In her view, the life of a mere maid paled in significance to that of a Lunar Spirit of the Colddeath. The choice of who mattered more seemed obvious.

As he ran, Yu Yuan bellowed, "Yu family members, keep away from Ann Ziqing!" "Clear the way!" commanded Yu Cen from his wheelchair. Yu Lian and several elders familiar to Yu Yuan quickly heeded the call and distanced themselves.

They were all acutely aware that turmoil was bound to follow in Ann Ziqing's wake.

Many members of the Yu family gazed at the purple-clad maidservant with eyes brimming with compassion.

They feared that this young woman was destined to be sacrificed, a victim to the wrath of Yuan Lianyao and Le Feng.

"Yu Yuan?"

As he thundered to her side, Yuan Lianyao, who had been momentarily still, softly implored, "We must prioritize the greater good. That girl is merely a mortal and not of our Yu family. Do not let her be the reason the Lunar Spirit of the Colddeath escapes, or else Asvetaesi City will be plunged back into jeopardy."

Le Feng, who had arrived before Yu Yuan at Ann Ziqing's location, was poised for action.

Bright silver sparks danced erratically at the tip of his short spear.

"I'll assess the situation first."

With those words, Yu Yuan moved past Yuan Lianyao, his brow furrowed with concern, as he cautiously made his way toward Ann Ziqing.

No one could predict whether the Lunar Spirit concealed within Ann Ziqing would lash out violently.

Aware of his inferior power, Yu Yuan was hesitant to act, fearing that he might be obliterated by the Colddeath's three souls before he even got close.

Suddenly, Ann Ziqing, the maidservant in purple, became the center of attention.

Her petite figure was draped in a purple dress, her head bowed as though she were nodding off.

Yet, everyone suspected that the Lunar Spirit was covertly seizing control of her Mindscape, intent on possessing her.

"Ziqing."

At last, Yu Yuan halted a few meters in front of her and called out gently.

Le Feng, following Yuan Lianyao's silent cue, stood vigilantly at Yu Yuan's left, ready to intervene should the Lunar Spirit attempt to violently seize Ann Ziqing.

Meanwhile, Yuan Lianyao, Zhao Dongsheng, Zhao Zhenghao, and the other formidable figures of Asvetaesi discreetly spread out.

They encircled Ann Ziqing, forming a subtle perimeter around her.

"Young Master..."

The shoulders of the maid in purple shook, betraying either fear or pain.

She finally lifted her head, her eyes brimming with tears, her face ashen as if sensing her impending doom. She gazed at Yu Yuan, her expression one of heart-wrenching despair. "Young Master, am I about to die?"

As she spoke, a point of bloody light suddenly swelled between her eyebrows!

It was like her third eye.

As the bloody light expanded, her trembling intensified, and the agony on her face became even more heart-wrenching. "It hurts so much, Young Master, it truly hurts!"

"Senior of Colddeath, may I propose a deal?" Yu Yuan mused for a moment before speaking up, "I'll let you go free, on one condition: please don't destroy this maid's three souls before you depart."

Hope flickered weakly in the tear-filled eyes of the maid in purple, "Young Master, oh Young Master."

Her sobs were soft and low.

"Yu Yuan, this isn't wise, is it?" Zhao Dongsheng was the first to object, his plump face scrunched up so tightly his eyes were nearly invisible, "Allowing him to leave and use the blood sacrifice magic circle to refine the Lunar Spirit... Once it re-enters his body, who could possibly restrain him?"

Yuan Lianyao's usually seductive smile slowly faded.

In its place was a detached calm as she looked at Yu Yuan and spoke softly, "She's just a maid. Yu Yuan, in my eyes, we're cut from the same cloth. Don't disappoint me."

"Elder?" Yu Lili called out softly.

The tension was palpable, ready to erupt into conflict at any moment.

Yu Yuan's decision could potentially ruin the favorable situation for Ann Ziqing, the maid, and create animosity between the Yu family and both the Yuan and Zhao families.

She sought guidance from Yu Cen.

Yu Cen straightened up in his wheelchair and questioned, "Why should the mayor and Zhao Dongsheng care about Yu Yuan's stance? They could simply ignore him and our Yu family altogether and go after Ann directly."

He gave a wry smile before continuing, "Hasn't it always been this way? Have the Yuan and Zhao families ever sought our consent before taking action in front of Yu Yuan?"

"What are you suggesting?" Yu Lili was still puzzled.

"Yuan has earned their respect for a reason," Yu Cen stated, "For how many years has our Yu family been regarded with respect by the Yuan and Zhao families? Since Yuan has won this respect, let him handle it. We shouldn't hold him back or meddle in his affairs as his elders."

Yu Lili paused thoughtfully before responding gently, "Alright."

"Lord Mayor, whether or not you respect me is of no concern to me." Yu Yuan locked eyes with Yuan Lianyao, his expression growing more serious. "You should have been overseeing the rune circle hubs outside the city. If they were properly managed, the blood sacrifice magic circle wouldn't be operational at all. His Lunar Spirit wouldn't even dare to leave the cave!"

"It's your side that has made a mistake!" Yu Yuan retorted with a cold snort.

"Perhaps," Yuan Lianyao admitted, lacking conviction.

She had entrusted the rune circle's core outside the city to her father, Yuan Qiufang, along with several Yuan family elders. Yet, there had been no word from them thus far.

"There was a problem on your end, which led to a chain of consequences." Yu Yuan stated his conclusion before turning to Zhao Dongsheng. "Mr. Zhao, I will address the promise I made after this matter is resolved. However, if your Zhao family interferes with me, our agreement will be null and void!"

"As for the Black Dragon Scissors, I will return them to the Zhao family afterward."

Upon hearing this, both Zhao Zhenghao and Zhao Dongsheng's expressions shifted.

The Zhao family's "Dragon Devour" strategy had been fraught with difficulties. They had finally glimpsed hope because of him; they couldn't possibly give up now.

"That heartless scoundrel, to think I valued him so!" Zhao Yafu fumed, stamping her foot. "All for a mere maidservant, he would actually cast me aside! The nerve!"

"What are you talking about?" Zhao Xi asked, bewildered.

"Never mind, never mind." Zhao Yafu, having vented her frustration, suddenly had a realization and began to shout, "Yu, I support you!"

Yu Yuan turned back, taken aback by her outburst.

"I support you!" Zhao Yafu waved her arms emphatically, hoping to catch his attention. In her mind, she reasoned, "Doesn't his indifference towards me prove that he has feelings for that girl?"

"Young Master, why... why would you go to such lengths for me?" Ann Ziqing gazed at Yu Yuan, her voice filled with bewilderment. "I'm just a lowly servant; you shouldn't risk offending so many people for my sake."

In that moment, her emotional turmoil seemed to diminish significantly.

Yu Yuan gazed at her intently and whispered, "The first person I saw when I awoke was you. You were also the one who took such great care of me. Regardless of your identity or your intentions, I hope..." He trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished.

Having lived through two lifetimes, he had developed a fondness for only a few members of the Yu family—Yu Cen and Ann Ziqing were among them. Later on, Yu Wei and Yu Lili joined that short list.

In his previous life, when he had reached the pinnacle of alchemy, he regarded Yuan Lianyao and Zhao Dongsheng with the same indifference as he did Ann Ziqing. His concern was solely how others treated him.

Ann Ziqing's eyes suddenly took on an incredibly peculiar expression.

"Young Master," she murmured, then bowed her head once more.

"Whoosh!"

The blood-colored ribbon transformed into a rainbow and shot forth abruptly. It coiled around her slender waist like a belt. The blood-red luminescence that emanated from the ribbon infused itself into her waist and then vanished within her.

The magic circle that enveloped the heavens, a tempest of scarlet, churned with intensity. It was as if the blood sacrifice magic circle had only now been truly activated.

"Come out!" Ann Ziqing commanded, her head bowed, her voice brooking no dissent.

"Oh," came the uneasy response from the Colddeath messenger concealed within her. It promptly emerged, as if compelled by her command.

The "Appearing Divine Dust" hovering above Ann Ziqing's head once again manifested the grievously wounded Lunar Spirit. Draped in what appeared to be a gray robe, the Lunar Spirit hovered above her, twisting and writhing, exuding an aura of trepidation.

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