Chapter 529: A Reckoning in the Shadows

Are we going?

A flash of determination lit his eyes. In the long silence, Yenir fought to suppress the burning impulse within him.

To say he wasn’t intrigued would be a lie.

If he could secure that artifact which converts spiritual energy into strength, it would be like having a built-in cheat code.

This thing might even prove useful beyond the Fourth Stage.

Besides, taking down Yinglong was already part of his plan.

But…

“I can kill Yinglong whenever I want. Why must it be now? Why must I save you?”

Sending the message, Yenir showed no concern for how cold his words might sound.

He was pressed for time; according to Blood Nightingale, he should head for the Far Frontier immediately!

What a joke… With the Death Duel only two days away, if he were to vanish now, then with Lu Haishan’s style, chaos would surely erupt. Lu’s fear would only lead to relentless pressure on the Authorities.

Perhaps the other end was already used to Yenir’s cold indifference. After a brief silence, a message from Blood Nightingale came through once more.

“I’m the only one who knows how to use that thing! Or rather, I’m the only one who can help you use it!”

Hmm?

With a raised eyebrow, Yenir read Blood Nightingale’s message with mild surprise.

Only that damn woman knows?

Truth be told, he was only half-convinced.

Indeed, he had long suspected that there might be some ‘story’ between Blood Nightingale and Yinglong.

The fact that Blood Nightingale stuck around Yinglong most likely meant she had ulterior motives.

He tentatively probed:

“Reason.”

“How do I know you’re not just trying to con me to save your skin?”

“Then tell me the method first, and I promise I’ll save you!”

Locked in her room, Blood Nightingale stared at Yenir’s message. In an instant, her small face went pale with rage, as if ignited by a spark.

That bastard was hard to convince as it was, and now he had the nerve to deceive her!

If she didn’t have Yenir as her only hope, she’d rather cut off all contact with that bastard!

She took a deep breath, struggling to calm the sorrow and anger inside her.

In the next moment, her eyes filled with grim determination as she finally sent a message.

“Bloodshadow Safe Zone is mine!”

“Yinglong killed my father!”

“That artifact was made using my father’s corpse! It’s the blood shadow behind him!”

“I’m telling you the truth! Yinglong wasn’t chasing after me—he doubted me! The blood shadow from my father carries a heavy implication. That’s why he kept me close, hoping to draw out more information!”

“Kill Yinglong! Bloodshadow Safe Zone is yours! The blood shadow is yours! And my Blood Nightingale is yours too!”

…

Each message hit like an explosion.

Although Yenir had long suspected as much, reading through Blood Nightingale’s messages left him utterly stunned.

What the hell!?

He had considered that Blood Nightingale might harbor a grudge against Yinglong—perhaps because, when she was young, her family was slaughtered in the Far Frontier by members of the Bloodshadow Legion, leaving her to fend for herself with dreams of revenge.

But Yenir never imagined the truth would be even more absurdly dramatic.

Could it be that Blood Nightingale is actually the heir of the Bloodshadow Legion? And that her own father was turned into an artifact by Yinglong!?

“Blood Nightingale? Blood Shadow!?”

Inhaling deeply, Yenir’s eyes suddenly lit up with a flash of insight.

That damn woman really had a lot of nerve.

Not only did she hang around with Yinglong, but she also chose such a provocative name. Come to think of it, it’s no wonder Yinglong was inexplicably so concerned about her.

Chances are, from Yinglong’s perspective, Blood Nightingale might just be the little girl he once let go. But for an enemy’s daughter to end up by his side? Now that’s downright strange.

Given Yinglong’s cautious and suspicious nature, he would undoubtedly overthink everything…

Since the blood shadow conversion comes with side effects, Yinglong was desperate to eliminate them—so much so that he hesitated to act rashly against Blood Nightingale.

Of course…

If nothing went awry, this was set to turn into an espionage thriller filled with outrageous drama.

“All the pieces fit…”

“That would mean Yinglong might not have died at the hands of the Otherworldly Ghost Monarch in his previous life, but instead at the hands of Blood Nightingale!?”

“Without my intervention, Blood Nightingale would have flourished, and with her thirst for revenge, she’d most likely have come after Yinglong again…”

“Of course, it’s also possible that in her past life, Blood Nightingale might have set Yinglong up in the Dungeon…”

Under the influence of the butterfly effect, Yenir couldn’t possibly untangle what truly happened. Blood Nightingale was clearly hiding crucial information, most likely connected to the blood shadow!

But at that moment, putting everything else aside, Yenir couldn’t help but hesitate.

If Blood Nightingale died, the method to use that artifact might be lost forever.

Moreover, judging by her words, converting spiritual energy does come with side effects. Just look at Yinglong—perhaps it can never be reversed…

For Yenir, that was utterly unacceptable.

“This is… such a hassle…”

A slight agitation began to well up inside him.

He definitely wanted that artifact, but he couldn’t possibly catch up to Blood Nightingale.

“What if Fang Hao goes in my place!?”

In that very moment, Yenir instinctively thought of a compromise.

It was tempting—indeed, very tempting.

According to Blood Nightingale, while a person could be done without, turning down an overpowered artifact from the Bloodshadow Legion would be pure idiocy.

Facing such a generous gift, anyone would be tempted.

Just as Yenir was about to message Fang Hao, a new private message suddenly lit up in his inbox.

And the sender was none other than the very Fang Hao he’d been looking for.

“Yenir! Get over here, quick! Something big has happened!”

………………….