98: The Drunken Old Man's Intention

One day, after a long journey across mountains and rivers, Xiang Yan arrived near the territory of another so-called Your Highness.

As black mist surged, it enveloped Xiang Yan's body, and he stepped directly into this land.

Having taken only two or three steps into this land, Xiang Yan released a trace of Nelson's aura.

This aura was like a lighthouse in the darkness, instantly attracting the attention of the master of this territory.

A gaze was cast over; it was not physical, yet it contained immense pressure, as if it wanted to see through everything Xiang Yan was.

However, Xiang Yan did not care in the slightest; he did not even lift an eyelid, letting the gaze roam over him.

He merely released an even denser aura of Nelson.

After only a moment, the gaze receded like the tide, disappearing without a trace.

Xiang Yan did not mind this and just waited quietly on the spot.

Everything around him seemed unrelated to him; he seemed to have become an independent existence in this space, completely out of place with everything around him.

I do not know how much time passed before a slight sound of footsteps approached from afar, breaking the silence.

A young girl dressed in light blue clothing walked out from the depths of the territory, accompanied by a strong floral fragrance.

Black flames curled around the hem of the girl's skirt like dancing spirits; her face was exquisite, and there was a hint of heroic spirit between her brows, yet it could not hide the noble temperament emanating from her.

She walked up to Xiang Yan and examined him with slight confusion.

However, the thick black mist obscured Xiang Yan's figure, and the girl's line of sight was blocked as if by a thick curtain, unable to pry into it at all.

The girl frowned slightly, and the surrounding environment seemed to respond to her displeasure; streams of energy gathered onto her, bolstering her, causing her aura to rise and her gaze to become sharp, attempting to penetrate the barrier of black mist.

However, the black mist was like a bottomless abyss, devouring every force that attempted to pry into it.

In the girl's field of vision, there was still only a blurry outline, like looking at flowers in the mist or the moon in the water.

Just as she was preparing to use further power, she heard a cold female voice come from the black mist: "As an Apostle of 'Jade', is this how you show your lack of manners?"

The voice was as piercing as ice, carrying an unquestionable majesty that instantly interrupted the girl's movements.

She withdrew her gaze and looked at the black mist with slight dissatisfaction, her tone carrying a hint of questioning: "Are you an Apostle of 'Evil'? What are you doing here?"

As the black mist churned, the cold female voice came out again: "Since you are an Apostle of 'Jade', you must be aware of the actions of Your Highness 'Evil' during this period, right?"

Upon hearing this, the girl nodded slightly: "Naturally."

"Since that is the case," a palm wearing a black leather glove reached out from the black mist, inviting: "Why not join me in this feast and share in the most extreme carnival in this world."

The girl chuckled, her laughter crisp and pleasant, yet carrying a hint of cold rejection: "Your Highness 'Jade' and I have a philosophy completely different from that of Your Highness 'Evil'. I am not interested in this carnival in the name of destruction."

The black flames on her skirt suddenly flared up, like a baring-fangs-and-brandishing-claws demon, emitting a powerful pressure.

"Oh? Is that so? Then why did you betray the Sacred Hall Heaven?" Xiang Yan's voice carried a few traces of mockery, while simultaneously slowly withdrawing his hand, and the black mist around his body calmed down accordingly.

"As far as I know, what you and Your Highness 'Jade' did back then was no less significant than my current momentum."

Upon hearing this, the girl's originally flower-like smile darkened.

Xiang Yan seemed not to see it, and his voice, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, sounded again: "Since that is the case, let us settle for the next best thing. I need some... sacrifices, some ordinary people, to add some seasoning to this feast. I wonder if you are willing to provide them?"

The light in the girl's eyes suddenly turned cold, like ten-thousand-year-old ice, emitting a piercing chill: "Your Highness 'Jade' and I will never participate in the atrocities of you and 'Evil' in any form."

Every word she spat out was like an ice pick piercing into Xiang Yan's eardrums, carrying undisguised disgust.

The surrounding air seemed to have solidified, filled with an oppressive aura.

The smell of rotten soil became even richer, as if foreshadowing an approaching storm.

The chill emanating from the girl seemed to coat the surrounding trees in a thin layer of frost.

Xiang Yan chuckled again, his laughter filled with disdain and mockery.

"What a pity; has the once-famous Magical Girl 'Aige' been domesticated now? This is truly..." He shook his head, sighing while turning to leave, walking away without any hesitation, and soon disappeared without a trace.

Leaving only the girl standing there, her brows tightly furrowed, her heart filled with doubt and unease.

Xiang Yan's actions were too abnormal.

He came with great fanfare, yet only tested her with a few simple sentences before turning to leave; this felt problematic no matter how one looked at it.

The girl always felt that things were not that simple; Xiang Yan must be plotting some conspiracy in the dark.

A strong sense of unease enveloped her, making her feel as if needles were pricking her back.

In the following days, the girl increased her surveillance of the inside and outside of the territory; any movement could not escape her eyes.

She closely monitored all abnormal energy fluctuations, attempting to capture any traces of Xiang Yan.

However, everything was as calm as the silence before a storm, which made her feel even more uneasy.

Meanwhile, Xiang Yan also restored his original appearance and concealed his aura. He appeared in a bustling city far away from the "Jade" territory.

He changed into ordinary clothing, disguised himself as an incredibly ordinary man, and mixed into the crowd, moving silently through various cities like a ghost.

After wandering around outside for a long time, he entered the "Jade" territory again, and then began his journey of wandering around.

Every time he arrived at a place, he would leave behind a varying number of needle-like contingencies; these contingencies were like poisonous snakes lurking in the darkness, waiting for the right moment.

Unlike before, these contingencies were all attached with the aura of "Jade" and its Apostle; these hidden special contingencies would provide him with significant help in the future.

The "Jade" territory was just the first step in Xiang Yan's plan.

After completing the comprehensive marking of the "Jade" territory, in the following time, Xiang Yan visited the territories of the other three Your Highnesses in turn using the same method; although the processes were somewhat different, fortunately, his goal was achieved in the end.

Xiang Yan successfully left similar contingencies in each territory, all attached with the aura of the corresponding Your Highness and Apostle.