While staring at the hand he'd used to strangle that man, Noah seemed completely lost in thought.
'What was that feeling…? There had to be someone else, further away… But how…? Well, I sent him a little gift—I hope he likes it.'
After those thoughts, Noah looked around. Seeing the woman dead on the table, one man with a hole in his chest, and another pinned to a tree outside, he murmured,
— Looks like everything's taken care of. Well then…
And with that, he simply collapsed. Ting's uncle—who'd been frozen in place—rushed forward and caught him before he hit the floor.
'How did that happen…? What was that flame, and how did that boy kill that man so easily?' he wondered, gently laying Noah down, still puzzled.
'And those eyes… Why were they so terrifying? It felt like my soul was burning just looking into them… Not like I was staring at a fellow human.'
His mind racing with questions, he sighed, stood up, and slowly walked toward his niece, who crouched a few paces away, trembling and covering her ears.
When her uncle gently touched her shoulder and said,
— Ting'er…
She opened her tear-filled eyes and, on seeing him, couldn't hold back. She bolted into his arms, collapsing in anguished sobs.
Relieved to see her alive, he held his injured hand away and hugged her with his other arm. Smiling, he teased,
— Think you should back up a bit—unless you want to ruin your dress.
"What are you talking about…?" she sniffled.
"Nothing, just a little problem with my hand."
"Your hand…?" She wiped her tears and looked at it. "So what happened? It looks fine to me."
"Not this one."
"Not this one…?" Confused, she glanced at his other hand and, shocked, exclaimed,
— What happened to it?!
"It wasn't too serious, so it's no big deal," he said, still smiling.
Seeing he wouldn't explain, Ting took a strip of the scarf from her waist and carefully wrapped it around his wound.
"...At least for now, this will stop the bleeding," she said once she'd finished.
With a smile, he replied,
— You know this will heal quickly, right?
"Still… leave it on there just in case."
"Okay, okay," he agreed.
After she'd stemmed the bleeding, Ting stood, her brief calm giving way to tears again. She walked to her aunt's body on the table and, as a tear rolled down her cheek, pulled the sword from her chest.
She threw the blade to the floor and asked,
— Who do you think ordered this…?
Her uncle looked around, closed his eyes, and shook his head.
— I… don't know…
Clenching her fists, she cried,
— Please don't lie to me, Uncle! I deserve to know who's responsible.
Turning to him, tears streaming, she continued,
— I deserve to know who it is and why they're doing this to me! He's already cast me aside, so why won't he and his men leave me alone…? Why do they always come back?!
"…You need to understand that you're first in line for your father's succession. That's why so many people want to harm you."
"But I'm not there…! So the title should pass to his other son, right?"
Moving closer, he replied:
—not exactly… Because you're the eldest, as long as you live, no matter where you are, you'll always be the heir.
"So that means it never ends…?"
Placing his hand gently atop her head and giving it a soft shake, Fusu smiled and said:
—Don't worry, I'll sort this out… Especially now that you're well again. You'll need to make up for lost time and truly enjoy your life.
She managed a small smile, wiped her tears, and whispered:
—As if that's really possible…
Though she dabbed at her cheeks, the shock of what she'd just seen still made her body tremble. She turned to look at Noah's prone figure a few paces away and, keeping her distance, asked:
—What happened to him...? Why is he lying there like that?
"I don't know… After he killed that man, he just passed out."
Ting scanned the area but saw no corpse. She asked:
—…And where's the body...?
Fusu shook his head:
—There isn't one… It simply vanished after being consumed by that strange flame.
"Vanished in a flame…? Do you think it could have been a demon?"
"I'm not sure… We're far from demon territory, so it's hard to believe a demon made it here."
"But what if…? That would explain how he healed such a deep gut wound so effortlessly…"
"Yes, that might be true… But it was odd. He didn't seem to tap demonic Qi; his personality shifted in an instant—as if he'd become someone entirely different. And that bluish flame…"
Fusu stared at Ting, thoughtful. The idea seemed too wild to consider—yet his own eyes didn't lie when no illusion was at play. He walked over to Noah and continued:
—The flame he used… it was very much like the one I saw inside you.
"Wait, but… how…? So he didn't heal me… he took the curse upon himself…? Why?"
"That's exactly… what I'd like to know, too."
---
In the pitch-black center of an unfurnished room, a brilliant beam of light suddenly appeared. From its glow, a man emerged, took a few hesitant steps forward, sank to his knees, and trembling, said:
—My lord… it seems the mission, unfortunately… has failed.
Then, from the surrounding darkness, a voice echoed:
—And what of the assassins…?
"All of them are dead, my lord…"
"…And what about Lady Yaang?"
"At least she… I mean, unfortunately, she's dead too."
"I see. What a pity…"
The voice seemed to drift closer as it continued:
— But why are you telling me this? Where is Lao Ai?
"…Lord Lao, I'm afraid… has also passed away."
"How is that possible?"
Though it was a simple question, the man trembled as he answered:
— Sir, I was using the ocular-connection technique you granted me to observe every moment of the mission. I regret to report that during its execution, Mr. Lao died.
"…And how did that happen? Wasn't he in a room surrounded by guards?"
"Yes, my lord, but… unfortunately, none of them could prevent his death."
"Do you mean someone simply walked in and killed him, despite the guards?"
"No, my lord…"
"Then how exactly did he die? Don't tell me it was an attack from outside the kingdom's borders—that's impossible."
"I'm afraid you're correct…" The messenger trembled, unwilling to recall what he'd witnessed. "While Mr. Lao used the ocular-connection to see through the eyes of the three assassins, he suddenly began to shake and scream, as if confronted with something utterly terrifying."
"So they were killed by some powerful demon beast?"
"No, my lord… Before he died, Mr. Lao said the assassins had already contacted the princess and Mr. Fusu."
"And what happened next…?"
The messenger shuddered as he spoke:
— He screamed and tried desperately to move away, but a strange bluish-white flame engulfed his entire body. Moments later, nothing remained.
His nails twisted inward, some digging into his skin.
"Are you telling me he was killed with a single strike—no chance to fight back?!"
The crack of porcelain echoed through the chamber as the messenger flinched, realizing the teacup in his hands had shattered. The voice pressed on:
— One last question: was anyone else with them?
"Mr. Lao said there was a young man who led the assassins to the princess… But he added that the boy seemed only at the Tempered-Body stage, with little Qi inside. So you needn't worry about him, my lord."
"That's all?"
"Yes, my lord."
The man bowed his head.
— If you'll excuse me, I will take my leave…
He trembled.
"Ah, of course. You may go."
He turned and began toward the exit. From the darkness came one final call:
— Wait... There's one more thing.
He paused and replied,
— At your service, mil—
Before he could finish, something unseen struck him. His head collapsed to the floor, and the room seemed to grow darker than ever.
Tsk! "No need to worry," he said. Every threat must be eliminated, and those blind to it neither deserve—nor should be allowed—to remain by my side… It seems she's found someone truly fascinating at the end of this world.
A faint smile curled on his lips as he picked up a fresh teacup poured by his servant. After a sip, he murmured:
— To accomplish something like this from so far away… it seems impossible. If it were possible, I would very much like to meet you myself…