Chapter 174: The Mysterious Figure

Inside the small building, a fight broke out. Outside, the hundreds of guards under Tixiang’s command did not join in.

When noble lords fought each other, it was fine even if bones got broken. But if these guards went in and got involved, even if a noble lord only got a scratch on his arm, dozens of heads might fall.

So all the guards strictly kept to their posts. They acted as if they did not hear the noise and fighting inside the building. They had seen such things many times. If there were no fights in Tixiang’s club for a month, it must be a miracle from the Gods. The experienced guards would not move a step unless Tixiang called them.

A team of ten guards walked slowly along the river with a fierce fighting dog. The hundreds of people inside the building came from the top noble families of the Imperial Capital. If anything happened to any one of them, it would be a big trouble. So the security was very tight. Even by the river, several teams of guards patrolled all the time.

Because the water flow was slow in this big river bend, the surface had frozen thick while the main river still had rough waves in winter. The guards moved slowly along the bank with the fighting dog, watching the distant ice surface carefully.

If anyone tried to get in, they could only run across the ice. As for under the water, they never believed anyone could come from there. The ice was nearly one meter thick. Not to mention ordinary thieves, even masters with Combat Qi skills would find it hard to break through such thick ice on a cold winter night. Even if they could break the ice, they could not do it without making noise.

So the guards focused their attention on the distance. Only the fighting dog they were pulling suddenly struggled hard and growled low when passing a section of ice. The guards were startled. They quickly looked around, but everything was quiet and there was no movement. The guard holding the dog kicked its bottom hard, scolded it in a low voice, and then forced it to leave.

As soon as the guards left, not far from them, a two-meter-wide hole silently appeared in the thick ice. A stream of clear water silently rose several meters high, forming a giant hand that carried several figures toward a distant forest.

The figures stood steadily on the big hand made of water. The hand sent them into the forest, and they slowly stepped onto some branches and stood there, coldly watching the small building where the fight was happening. The big water hand slowly retracted into the river bend, and the broken ice hole quickly froze again, merging with the surrounding ice without leaving any trace.

In the darkness, it was vaguely seen that there were seven men and one woman. One man in a fiery red cloak seemed to be their leader. This tall man stood firmly on a branch as thick as a baby’s arm. Despite the cold wind, his body and the branch under his feet did not move at all.

His whole body was covered by the cloak, with only one hand visible outside the sleeve. It was a strange hand that shone with a strange metallic light, hurting one’s eyes like being stabbed by a knife when looked at. He held a string of 108 blood-red beads, each the size of a thumb, and slowly turned them one by one, mumbling something under his breath.

After a long time, when he saw from afar that Elham and others entered the small building led by guards, the red-cloaked man let out a low hum. His voice was deep and hoarse, like two old rocks hitting each other, giving a stiff, dull, and unchanging feeling.

“Fallen divine children!” the red-cloaked man murmured. “The Original Sin hidden deep in their Souls, darkness covers their Divine Light. Only the flame of destruction can punish all, purify all, and save all.”

The bead string rotated faster and faster. The red-cloaked man softly asked the woman beside him, “Seeing how they are now, if they reach the position they wrongly seek, it will be a disaster.”

The woman in a water-colored cloak chuckled softly. “So, it all depends on your decision.”

The red-cloaked man smiled coldly. He turned and looked at a short, fat man in a black robe standing beside him, who was slightly hunched respectfully. The red-cloaked man’s entire face was hidden in darkness, only his eyes shining brightly. The stern, pale red metallic gleam made the black-robed man stiffen, and cold sweat kept coming out of him.

In the middle of winter, the short, fat man’s thick winter clothes were soaked with sweat.

“Remember, the most important thing is the two Divinities. I cannot obtain those two Divinities, so no one who stands in our way should get them. Street thugs, the lowest and humblest sinners, can have those two Divinities, but those who oppose us cannot get them!”

The red-cloaked man murmured, his voice growing hoarser and lower, like the whispers of a Demon or the unconscious muttering of a high Deity.

The short, fat man bowed so low his head almost touched his toes. His voice was full of respect and fear. “As you wish, honorable sir.”

The red-cloaked man sighed softly and nodded slowly. “Do these things well, and what you seek will surely be yours. According to my information, their family has sent backup. Do not let them meet. You know what to do, right? You can do it, can’t you?”

The short, fat man nodded and bowed repeatedly, smiling obsequiously. “Your will is everything to humble me. What you ask will surely be done. No matter the cost, their backup will not meet them. They will be isolated, trapped here, and must follow your will toward the ending you have arranged for them.”

The red-cloaked man smiled. He took out a red pearl the size of a fist from his sleeve and gave it to the short, fat man.

“When you kill them, use the Arcane Art I taught you to activate it. Then no one will know what happened to them. Remember, you must activate it only after you start the attack. Otherwise, its vibrations will alert them, and none of your traps or tricks will work.”

After a moment of thought, the red-cloaked man patted the short, fat man’s shoulder. “I know your strength. Work hard; this task is not difficult.”

The short, fat man took the red pearl and fawned with a few flattering words.

From afar, a light shone on the side of the short, fat man’s face. That plump face looked familiar.