“Xia Duo, can you contact the people from Leaf-Cutter quickly? Now that we’ve successfully rescued Lian, getting her back home is the top priority. As for the hunt for Yuta, tell them to put that on the back burner for now.”
Starlight turned to Xia Duo after studying the map for a while.
“Mm... I can give it a try. Sister, come with me; you’re the best at animal communication.” Xia Duo nodded immediately and led Moen toward the cave’s exit.
Seeing the two sisters about to leave, Yserazor tossed them a dark green pass. “Take this. It’s a pass for my cave’s barrier. You won’t be able to leave without it.”
Moen caught the token and gave a respectful nod. “Thank you, Rift Dragon King.”
Yserazor waved a hand dismissively. “It’s a small matter. Just be careful when you go out. This is my territory, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely without danger.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be careful,” the two sisters replied in unison.
After they left, Lian, who had been huddled in Starlight’s arms, suddenly looked up and asked timidly, “Did Uncle You and the others come too? But his body was...”
Starlight gently patted Lian’s head, his voice gentle. “Don’t worry, Senior You is doing very well now. You don’t need to worry about him.” As he spoke, he began to tell her what had happened after that battle.
Lian listened silently to his narration. Several times she seemed to want to say something, but she ultimately held it back.
“I say, Little Lian, can you tell us what exactly happened after you were taken? And how did you end up in the Crimson City-State?” Po Kong suddenly asked.
“Po Kong!” Hearing his question, Starlight immediately shot him a warning look. When they rescued Lian, she was covered in injuries and clearly traumatized.
Po Kong’s blunt questioning was certainly inappropriate right now.
“I... I...”
Sure enough, Lian’s voice began to tremble, and a flash of fear crossed her eyes. Her body curled inward slightly, as if she were reluctant to recall that experience.
Seeing this, Starlight quickly patted her shoulder and comforted her. “Lian, if you don’t want to talk about it, don’t force yourself. We won’t pressure you.”
Po Kong also realized he had been too abrupt and hurriedly apologized. “I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have said that. Please don’t take it to heart, okay?”
Lian lowered her head and remained silent for a moment before speaking softly. “It’s okay... I... I intended to tell you anyway...”
With that, Lian bit her lip and looked up again, her gaze becoming more resolute.
“Actually, after Yuta took me, I was teleported to a very strange place. It seemed to be an underground space... It was very dark, with almost no light, and... there was a very heavy death energy.”
“In that place, I saw many black monsters. They had captured many of my Tree Elf compatriots... and I could tell they were all priests or held similar roles; they all possessed the Power of Nature.”
“Ah! That’s it! Many elves were also kidnapped. It seems you were all taken to the same place!” Po Kong’s eyes widened as he spoke.
Lian nodded and continued, “Mm... there... I saw... the monsters draining all the Power of Nature from those Tree Elf priests. After they were used up... they were bled dry and thrown into a pool of malevolent energy.”
At this point, Lian’s face grew even paler, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Starlight quickly took her hand to soothe her. “Lian, if this is too painful, you don’t have to go on.”
Lian shook her head, a flash of determination in her eyes. “No... I want to finish. You must know these things.”
She took a deep breath and continued, “Originally, Yuta intended to extract the small amount of Power of Nature I have as well. But a voice from the darkness stopped him... That voice said the Power of Nature in me wasn’t pure and wouldn’t be very useful... and that keeping me might serve another purpose.”
Starlight and Po Kong exchanged a look, both showing gravity in their eyes. Starlight asked in a low voice, “That voice... do you know who it was?”
Lian shook her head. “I don’t know... the voice was very blurry, like it was coming from far away. But I could feel that his power was incredibly vast, even more terrifying than Yuta’s.”
Po Kong clenched his fists, looking furious. “What are those guys trying to do? They kidnapped so many priests and drained their Power of Nature... is it for some kind of ritual?”
“Those murdered elves... it seems the death slaves that appeared in the House of Red were converted from them. It all makes sense now... How disgusting!” Starlight thought of the deceased manipulated by Philip and spoke through gritted teeth.
“It seems you’ve already seen them...” Lian’s eyes lowered, her voice weak as if she didn't want to recall those horrific scenes.
She paused for a moment and continued, “Later, I heard Yuta receive a message. It seemed something had been lost, and they urgently needed something else to replace it.”
“Then, I was locked in a black cage and inexplicably teleported to the human city.”
“They seemed to want to use me for something, so I kept resisting. They used various methods to torture me... I was so scared, but my body kept healing itself, and I couldn't even commit suicide... until you appeared, Brother Starlight.” Lian’s voice began to choke up, and a tear slid down her cheek.
Seeing this, Starlight felt both heartbroken and enraged, yet helpless. He could only let out a long sigh and gently embrace Lian’s small frame.
Although the wounds on Lian’s body had healed, many faint scars were still visible.
These scars were like a silent testimony, recording the torture and grievances she had suffered in the Crimson City-State.
“I knew those people from the House of Red were no good! How could they even bring themselves to do this!”
As he spoke, Po Kong slammed a fist into the nearby stone wall. The massive force caused the solid wall to dent, sending stone fragments flying with a dull thud.
“I wonder how Big Brother and the others are doing... If anything happens to Big Brother and Sister Bella, I’ll turn their entire city-state upside down!”
“Calm down, Po Kong,” Starlight said, looking at him calmly. “Hunting down Big Brother Sui Yun and Lady Isabella doesn’t serve the interests of the House of Red. They won’t kill them easily. However, if possible, I hope you can use your family’s influence to pressure the House of Red. At the very least... let those elves find peace.”
Starlight’s heart was equally heavy. Although a fire of rage burned within him, he knew clearly that they couldn't topple a titan like the House of Red on their own.
What they needed was more power and a wiser strategy.
The fire in Po Kong’s eyes hadn't died down, but he understood that Starlight’s words made sense.
He took a deep breath, trying to settle his emotions, and nodded. “You’re right, Little Star. Once we leave here, I’ll contact my family and see if we can take some measures against them.”
After ending that heavy topic, Po Kong seemed to want to move away from the oppressive atmosphere quickly, so he changed the subject to Starlight’s earlier situation.
“Let’s stop thinking about those bastards for a moment.” Po Kong waved his hand, his tone returning to its usual lightness. “I say, Little Star, what was with you earlier? Why did you force yourself to suppress your cultivation? An opportunity to break through to the Saint Rank is so rare... you’re just throwing it away!”
Starlight gave a bitter smile, his tone tinged with helplessness. “Po Kong, it’s not that simple. Do you remember what Senior Angela said? If I choose to break through to the Saint Rank, it might trigger some unpredictable consequences.”
Rate on N.U.
