The Demolished Treasury

“He got away.”

Thomas’s words confirmed Yexi’s suspicion. He explained, “It’s a blood-magic technique of the Krass Order, the Bloodshed. By expending one’s own lifeblood, they can teleport a hundred miles away in an instant.”

Yexi raised an eyebrow. “That’s quite impressive. Is the only cost a loss of lifeblood?”

“Of course not. The method of cultivating this wicked art is extremely vile; I won’t trouble a young lady with the details. Even for those who succeed in learning it, there is a high probability of instant death upon use. The Bloodshed is a last-ditch gamble. This time, he was lucky.”

Thomas was clearly disappointed to have let such a big fish escape, but he knew that capturing a Cardinal without proper preparation was a monumental task. He quickly composed himself and turned to Yexi. “Thank you for your assistance, my lady. Although the enemy has fled, he was a high-ranking member of the cult. It’s possible he tampered with the residence or left clues behind. I hope you will inform the Marquis that we need to conduct a thorough inspection of the premises.”

Yexi understood that Thomas was acting in his official capacity. And as the Pegasus Knights began to arrive, Thomas did not order a private search of the Marquis’s home, but simply secured the area, clearly waiting for the Marquis’s permission. Yexi nodded and, in a flash, disappeared.

The distance between the estate and the city wall was not short for an ordinary person, but with Yexi’s speed, she reappeared in the command room on the wall like a ghost only a moment later.

Ard and the Marquis were still laughing and talking, and didn’t notice her arrival.

“I’m telling you, Yexi-chan is wonderful in every way, except she always sides with my wife! My status in this house, sigh… I don’t know which bastard taught her to be this way. The moment I make my wife angry, Elienla gives me a teary face, and Xi-chan starts lashing out at me with harsh words, painting me as some great villain.”

“I’ve only been here for two or three days, but I already know exactly what you mean. One moment it feels like a warm spring day, the next it’s like being plunged into an ice cave. Here, here, Marquis, have some tea. This is the good stuff I… acquired from Father Reiss.”

“A kindred spirit! This tea is indeed fragrant and alluring. To tea!”

“I wonder in what way you two have found yourselves to be kindred spirits?”

Yexi’s bell-like voice cut through the air. The two men, still sipping their tea, suddenly felt that the fine brew had lost its fragrance. The temperature in the room plummeted. In Ard’s words, well, it was like being plunged into an ice cave.

The Marquis, ever quick-witted, immediately replied, “I was just saying that the young man Ard and I are kindred spirits in our appreciation for fine tea.”

Ard hastily chimed in, “That’s right, that’s right! Yexi, I couldn’t possibly keep this fine tea I got from Father Reiss all to myself, so I invited the Marquis to have a taste.”

Yexi chuckled softly. “So it’s a bribery scene. But I thought I just heard two grown men gossiping behind someone’s back. I’m not referring to you, Mr. Guest, or you, my Lord. Why would a Lord and his guest engage in such shrewish behavior?”

“Ahem. Ahem. Xi-chan, why are you back so soon? How are things at our home?” The Marquis deftly changed the subject to official business.

Yexi gave him a cool, sidelong glance and said calmly, “The enemy escaped, milord. More than half of the residence was destroyed in the explosion. Commander Thomas requests your permission to conduct a full investigation of the estate. He is currently securing the scene.”

“Two-thirds destroyed?!” The Marquis’s heart clenched. “Xi-chan,” he asked anxiously, “our family’s reserve funds…”

Yexi dropped the bombshell. “I took a special look at your underground treasury, my Lord. It was near the epicenter of the blast. There’s not a single brick left.”

The Marquis looked as if he were about to cry. In an instant, he had gone from being a man of means to being dirt poor. And right after a war, when money was most needed—pensions, resettlement fees, rewards. The expenses were already flowing like water, and now his century-old family home had to be rebuilt from the ground up too.

The Marquis clutched his chest, feeling a stabbing pain in his heart. It seemed he would have no choice but to swallow his pride and ask his second son in the capital for money.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I… I’ll figure something out. Money… it’s a only small matter! I’ll go over there myself. Have one of Commander Thomas’s knights take me back. Young man, you’ll have to make do with a room here on the wall for now. Xi, go report to the Lady that all is well.”

Yexi nodded. “Mm.”

Seeing the Marquis trying to put on a brave face, Ard felt a pang of sympathy for him. “Of course, Marquis. Please, go on ahead.”

As the Marquis stumbled out, Ard sighed. “I never thought I’d see the day the Marquis was broke. Yexi, is his treasury really gone?”

Yexi seemed unconcerned. “Naturally.”

Ard was puzzled. “Aren’t you angry or upset? You know, for the next few days, or even months, your expenses will be…”

“The expenses will be fine.” A corner of Yexi’s mouth lifted into a smirk. She watched as the Marquis mounted one of the knight’s pegasi, ready to witness the tragic state of his little treasury with his own eyes. “The Lord’s little treasury was emptied out by the Lady a long time ago. All the valuables are in the town where the Lady is staying now.”

Ard blinked. “And the Marquis doesn’t know?”

“How could he? It happened not long ago. The Lord went out carousing with his friends, got drunk, and caused some trouble. The Lady was so furious that while he was still drunk, she emptied his treasury and had everything secretly moved to the next town. The Lord lost his treasury privileges and can only receive a monthly allowance from the Lady. He has no idea his vault is already empty.”

Ard’s eyes went wide. “So just now, you were…”

Yexi glanced at Ard. “The Marquis asked about his treasury. And his treasury indeed doesn’t have a single brick left. I never said the money inside was destroyed in the explosion. Such a gossiping friend of housewives deserves a little shock to set him straight, don’t you think?”

Seeing Yexi’s gaze turn to him, Ard panicked and quickly agreed. “Yes, of course, of course.” But he felt his flattery wasn’t having much effect. Yexi was still sizing him up. When he was sweating cold bullets, she finally spoke. “By the way, didn’t I just tell you the location of the Trefle family’s treasury? That’s quite a predicament, since that’s not something an outsider should know.”

“Huh? Ah!” Ard frantically shook his head. “No! Lady Yexi is so clever and dutiful, why would you tell me something so important? I didn’t hear anything just now. My hearing is bad!”

“You were born deaf?”

“Ah, well, no.”

“Hmm?”

Seeing Yexi twirling her dagger, Ard had a sudden epiphany.

“No, no, no, yes! Yes, I was born deaf! Pity me, Lord Yexi! For the sake of my miserable condition, please spare me!”

Perhaps Yexi felt she had teased him enough, or perhaps she felt she had wasted enough time. She let him off the hook. With a light “hmph,” she turned and left. Ard didn’t see the joyful smile that spread across her face as she turned, her red lips curved like a crescent moon, revealing pearly white teeth. She was exceptionally beautiful, like a mischievous fairy of the night.

“The more beautiful the woman, the more difficult she is to deal with. The ancients certainly weren’t lying.”

Ard had no chance to appreciate such a beautiful sight. He felt weak all over and was shakily looking for a room to rest and calm his overly turbulent heart. Even with his Black Dragon constitution, he couldn’t handle this much excitement.

Deep in the Beast Forest, at the appointed rendezvous point, Taylor and Hicks waited anxiously for Rile’s arrival.

Ever since Taylor had discovered their plan was leaked and Pekoin was prepared, he knew tonight’s operation would face heavy resistance, and they likely wouldn’t be able to achieve a complete victory. But this matter was too important. Having tipped their hand once, it would be infinitely more difficult to make another move. The Grand Holy Church was not some third-rate sect; their sharp eyes, keen senses, and swift, decisive actions had long been a source of terror for unorthodox sects like the Krass Order. The Sanctum did not believe in rehabilitation; their unwritten policy towards heretics was total annihilation.

For Taylor and his fellow Cardinals, this joint operation had to succeed. Failure was not an option. Otherwise, even with their status, returning to the Order meant certain death. Of course, they themselves believed death was not enough to atone for failure, but the Grand Master’s great cause could not be allowed to fail at their hands.

Thus, after things went south, Taylor had managed to contact Rile, and the two had secretly devised a backup plan. If the Sanctum intervened and defeat was inevitable, they would avoid a direct confrontation. They would use the attacking forces as a diversion, a sacrifice, and while Pekoin was celebrating its victory and their guard was down, Rile would infiltrate the Marquis’s residence and steal the holy relic. Although without the blood sacrifice the relic could not be awakened, at least they would have escaped this perilous situation.

The last time the Krass Order’s city was conquered by the Grand Holy Church, the relic had luckily not been discovered. But this time, their actions would definitely reveal that their Order had left something important behind in Pekoin. Knowing the Sanctum’s temperament, they would likely dig three feet into the ground to find it.

As Taylor fretted, a cloud of blood mist suddenly appeared before him and Hicks. The two of them stared intently as the mist coalesced, forming a human figure that collapsed to the ground.

It was the escaped Rile. He was in a terrible state, covered in blood, his face deathly pale. A wound in his abdomen was still bleeding profusely, and his eyes were closed. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, one would have thought him dead.

Taylor ignored all this. His eyes were fixed on the object clutched in Rile’s hand. He strode forward, pried Rile’s fingers open, and took the black, blood-moon-shaped stone carving. A wild, triumphant laugh erupted from his throat.

“Hahahaha! The holy relic of our Order has finally returned! Hahahaha!”

Taylor’s unhinged laughter echoed through the eerie, silent forest, terrifying even the smaller beasts into flight. Hicks’s usually stoic face was now also twisted into a grotesque smile.

The two wasted no more time. They hoisted the unconscious and heavily wounded Rile over their shoulders and vanished into the darkness.