C489 The Leader

On the fifth floor of the Sea Wanderer, the Skyreach Consortium's internal members gathered. Jiang Yurong stood solemnly in a room adorned with numerous crystal balls hanging from an openwork ceiling, her head slightly bowed as she addressed a woman with the appearance of a child.

"The lotus flower, shortly after boarding, suddenly made her way to the second floor."

"She claimed to be Lee Qi, a distant relative of the Shadowlight Empire's Lee family, before she boarded. What's even more peculiar is that the pair of sisters who were trying to cozy up to Tong Laoqian seemed to have been persuaded by the big devil and ended up in that young man's room."

"As of tonight, those sisters have been in that young man's room for a full three days."

"Windspeaker Feng Zhong has visited there before. That rascal Lee Qi inquired about the Embers Sea from him, which is quite bizarre."

Jiang Yurong herself was puzzled, often shaking her head as she reported the news. She hadn't initially paid much attention to Yu Yuan, another passenger. But after he boarded, not only Feng Zhong but also Zhang Manman, Zhang Miao, and Yuan Lianyao had all paid him visits. What was happening?

"Feng Zhong can be disregarded; he always goes around peddling information to anyone who boards the ship."

The woman, clad in simple sackcloth and unadorned except for a Cosmos Ring on her left pinky finger, stood amidst the crystal balls, glancing at one and then tapping another. Each crystal ball shone like a bright mirror, reflecting various realms and lands.

The Skyreach Consortium had established itself on the continents of Aetherius and Euwrea, as well as on many secret islands. Scenes of resource transportation and trade emerged within the different crystal balls.

The woman, whose presence was unassuming, resembled an ordinary elderly person as she wandered among the crystal balls, occasionally staring into space.

"Those sisters..." Her gaze turned icy as she shook her head, then abruptly shifted the conversation. "That young man, he's asking Feng Zhong about the Embers Sea?"

"Yes," Jiang Yurong confirmed.

"He claims to be a member of the Lee family, intending to travel to the Sundering Isles, yet he's inquiring about the Embers Sea." The woman mulled over this for a moment, then chuckled and shook her head. "The youth of today are anything but straightforward, never speaking a word of truth. A bad seed like him, it wouldn't matter if he met his end."

The image of Yu Yuan sharing a room with the two sisters abruptly surfaced in the woman's thoughts. She murmured to herself, "I can't concern myself with that now."

"What do you mean?"

"I suspect even the name Lee Qi is fabricated," the woman said with a dismissive snort. "He's not worth our attention. He's too young, and his power is somewhat lacking. Whatever his origins or identity may be, they hold no significance to the Skyreach Consortium. Just make sure to look after the fire lotus. She's likely to have many dealings with us in the future."

Jiang Yurong was taken aback. "She?"

"Yes, she's the ruler of Asvetaesi, right next to the Forgotten Ruins," the woman regained her composure and explained to Jiang Yurong, "The Ruby Hand values her so highly that they sent Faang Yao to protect her and assist you in cultivating your Lunar Spirit. It's not just because of her father, Yuan Qiufang."

"Because of her role as the mayor?" Jiang Yurong asked, slightly astonished.

"Asvetaesi will become a place of great value," the woman said with a smile. "Her talents and capabilities far surpass her father's. Her discernment and fortune are truly enviable. You don't need to concern yourself with the particulars. Just understand that the potential of the fire lotus is boundless."

Jiang Yurong nodded solemnly. "I understand the importance."

...

On the second floor, in the twenty-fifth house.

After Yuan Lianyao had expressly told the sisters to leave, Zhang Manman, following her sister's advice, had the audacity to shamelessly stay put.

Zhang Manman's stance was clear: if anyone was to leave, it would be them.

Yu Yuan was taken aback and instinctively rose to evict them.

Having been addressed as Lee Qi by Yuan Lianyao, and knowing she had arrived with Faang Yao, Yu Yuan was filled with questions he wanted to ask the city's leader.

He agreed with Yuan Lianyao's decision to send the sisters away.

But it seemed someone was not taking the hint.

"Leave them for you?"

Yuan Lianyao extended her hand, lightly resting it on Yu Yuan's shoulder, and pressed him back down, "As the head of the household, you should stay put."

Yu Yuan paused, bewildered. "Head of the household..."

"Move a little further in," Yuan Lianyao coaxed with a sultry gaze, gesturing for him to move deeper into the bed.

Yu Yuan, puzzled, complied with her request and edged further in.

Yuan Lianyao, who had been sitting at the edge of the bed, flashed a charming smile before gracefully lifting her legs onto the bed. She sat opposite him, adopting the same cross-legged posture, their knees touching.

"Why should we leave our room to you two sisters?"

She scrutinized the sisters with a dismissive hum, "Oh, look at you two little vixens, still maidens. How shameless to throw yourselves at my man. Aren't you worried that such news might devalue you?"

Zhang Manman's face flushed, ready to retort.

But it was her sister who spoke up softly, "If Yuanyuan isn't worried, what's there for us to fear?"

Yuan Lianyao's eyes sparkled mischievously, her lips curving into a slight smile as she turned her attention away from Zhang Manman to her sister, Zhang Miao.

Zhang Miao slowly lifted her gaze to meet hers.

Yu Yuan felt bewildered by the situation and instinctively scratched his head, wondering, What's going on here?

Given Yuan Lianyao's status and power, she shouldn't be quarreling with these sisters.

"Very well."

Yuan Lianyao's smile broke into a grin as she nodded, then abruptly rose to her feet, pulling Yu Yuan by the hand off the bed. "My dear, since you've already made them a promise, I won't be the one to send them away. This room isn't fit for you anyway. Come with me to enjoy better comforts."

Despite Yu Yuan's confusion, she firmly led him away, leaving the sisters behind with their astonished stares.

Once outside the room, Yu Yuan was about to ask questions when she silenced him with a look.

Holding onto Yu Yuan's hand firmly, she confidently led him through the corridors, ascending directly to the fourth floor under the watchful eyes of onlookers who had opened their doors at the sound.

Upon reaching the stairs, Yu Yuan saw Tong Laoqian standing by his door with a peculiar grin.

"Come, let's talk."

Yuan Lianyao beckoned to Tong Laoqian while still clinging to Yu Yuan's hand.

Tong Laoqian chuckled, nodded, and without any hesitation, joined them as they made their way to Yuan Lianyao's room.

"It's truly magnificent."

Upon entering, Yu Yuan surveyed the room's arrangement and offered a smile of approval.

"It's been a while," Tong Laoqian acknowledged with a nod, greeting Yu Yuan. "I informed Ms. Yuan about your travels on the Sea Wanderer. Please, don't hold it against me."

Yu Yuan had already surmised as much and nodded in response. He then turned to Yuan Lianyao and inquired, "What's the deal with those sisters?"

At his question, a fleeting glint of intrigue sparked in Tong Laoqian's eyes.

Yu Yuan let out a huff, "Are those sisters connected to you?"

"Well, haha..."

Tong Laoqian fidgeted, looking sheepish. He cast a covert glance at Yuan Lianyao and murmured, "Yu, you showed me kindness in the Forgotten Ruins. I believe in repaying even the smallest favor with a spring's worth of water. I offered the sisters to you to alleviate the solitude of your travels. No thanks or formalities are necessary."

Yu Yuan was taken aback.

A frosty glimmer emerged in Yuan Lianyao's eyes, intensifying as she spoke, "Tong Laoqian, Yu Yuan did indeed do you a favor in the Forgotten Ruins. Is this your idea of repayment? You recognized the true nature of those treacherous sisters. It's one thing to amuse yourself with them, but why involve Yu Yuan in your deception?"

"What are you implying?" Tong Laoqian wore a look of aggrieved innocence.

Yu Yuan was equally perplexed.

He had found the sisters, Zhang Manman and Zhang Miao, somewhat odd, but hadn't given them much thought.

Their abilities were too insignificant to pose any threat to him.

Besides, aboard the Sea Wanderer, he had nothing to fear.

"The Twin Spirit Charm of the Nightbane!" Yuan Lianyao declared sharply, her gaze filled with enmity as she fixed it on Tong Laoqian. "In the Forgotten Ruins, the state preceptor must have cautioned you against reckless talk! If you harbor resentment towards him, take it up with the state preceptor directly!"

"I wouldn't dare confront him. On the Sea Wanderer, what skill is there in using poison to scheme against Yu Yuan?"

"Back in the Lost Lands, Yu Yuan looked after the three of you, didn't he?"

The intense heat of her fury was brewing within her as she became incensed.

She was unmistakably furious!

"Nightbane!"

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, his expression slowly turning grave. He then fixed Tong Laoqian with an icy stare and said, "Senior, this isn't right. I've never wronged you in the Forgotten Ruins, so why would you seek to harm me aboard the Sea Wanderer?"

"You're familiar with the Nightbane Sect?" Tong Laoqian expressed his surprise.

Yuan Lianyao was equally puzzled, "The Nightbane Sect practices obscure and minor techniques, and they're hardly known. How did you come to know of them?"

"Don't you know of them as well?" retorted Yu Yuan.

"I do, because when I was a child, people from the Nightbane Sect sought me out in secret, claiming I was a promising candidate for their enchantment arts and wanted to recruit me into their ranks," Yuan Lianyao clarified. "I had no interest in enchantments, and my heart was set on joining the Ruby Hand, so I declined the Nightbane Sect's offer."

"It was then that I learned of this inconspicuous sect called the Nightbane. Later, I deliberately sought information about them and discovered that this almost exclusively female sect possessed many malevolent techniques, and their spells were peculiarly fierce and deadly."

"The technique employed by those sisters was the Twin Spirit Charm, imparted to them by the Nightbane Sect after careful selection."

"In this technique, the younger sister is the decision-maker and ultimately the one who benefits. The elder sister, on the other hand, becomes a puppet under her control, manipulated and oblivious."

"The elder sister, under her spell, would serve various men, refining essence and vitality within her body, which the younger sister would then stealthily extract and refine for herself."

"While absorbing and refining, she could cast a spell that restored the elder sister's virginity, leaving no trace that even the God of Ghosts could detect."

"Throughout the entire ordeal, the elder sister remained unaware, believing she and her sister were serving men together. She was even oblivious to the true nature of the spell she practiced, unaware that she was a cultivator of the Nightbane Sect."

"My sister will recount the heart-wrenching tales of their past, of how they were relentlessly pursued and threatened by others."

"Everything she did was to make her sister willingly do her bidding, to be at her beck and call."

"Once the Twin Spirit Charm is perfected, the moment my sister harnesses the Solar Spirit will signal the end of my sister's life."

"Their deaths are said to be extraordinarily tragic."

"If you fall under their spell and lie with them, you'd likely meet a silent death long before you ever set foot on the Sundering Isles. This method of taking lives requires no combat or struggle; it's so stealthy that not even the Skyreach Consortium might detect it."

As she spoke, her anger flared, and she fiercely pinched Yu Yuan's arm.

"I want you to pay for your lust! You nearly met your end at their hands!"

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