Su Nian cursed silently in her heart.
She no longer trusted the Horned Demon Bastard in the slightest.
Every encounter with this guy could easily lead to something she couldn’t accept.
She recalled the humiliating images and photos taken by the Horned Demon Bastard at Shadowmoon Manor using the Shadow Crystal Ball.
But this time, she wouldn’t be threatened again!
Su Nian slowly reached out her hand, suppressing the unease within her, and took the photo handed over by Chu Tian.
Her gaze gradually settled on the photo, and under the dim yellow light, the scene in the picture slowly became clear.
She saw a desolate land, a place devoid of any life.
The barren ground was scattered with withered branches and stones, resembling a cursed graveyard.
The soil had been disturbed, leaving pits of various sizes, as if torn apart by some force, or dug up by certain creatures.
Those pits were irregular in shape, their edges jagged.
The scene in the photo sent chills down her spine.
It was a deep-seated disgust, an instinctive fear of death and darkness.
“What is this place?” Su Nian asked calmly, though her mind was full of doubts.
Why would the Horned Demon Bastard show her this?
Even if he wanted to threaten her with some bleak photos, she wouldn’t be surprised.
But she didn’t expect something so strange.
She forced herself to control her emotions, not letting her fear show.
She couldn’t show weakness in front of the Horned Demon Bastard; he must not see her vulnerable side.
“Near Mossenburg, outskirts of Bai Shui Town,” Chu Tian’s voice came.
He watched Su Nian’s reaction, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes—part admiration, part expectation—making him unpredictable.
“Bai Shui Town,”
Su Nian repeated the name, trying to search her memory for any clues.
But her impression of the place was faint.
“What’s the meaning of showing me this photo?” Su Nian looked up at the Horned Demon Bastard, her eyes filled with suspicion.
Was this another threat?
Or some other evil scheme?
She didn’t believe Chu Tian would show her this picture without reason.
Every move he made hid an unspeakable agenda.
“Look carefully again.”
Chu Tian didn’t directly answer Su Nian’s question but gestured for her to keep studying the photo.
His tone was calm and deep, making his intentions hard to read.
Su Nian furrowed her brows and looked at the photo once more.
This time, she examined it more carefully, focusing intently.
Her eyes scanned every detail, not missing any suspicious clues.
She noticed the pits in the photo weren’t isolated.
Around them were large patches of similar marks, densely packed, nearly covering the entire frame—like a leaf riddled with wormholes.
This…
This was definitely not caused by ordinary Magic Beasts.
Common Magic Beasts wouldn’t leave such dense traces.
Moreover, Su Nian’s gaze fell to the edge of the photo, where she saw some ruined buildings and scattered tombstones.
Though dilapidated, she could vaguely make out what they once looked like.
‘This… this seems like… a graveyard!’
Su Nian’s face instantly went pale as paper.
She finally realized where this place was.
This… was a cemetery, a place where the dead were buried.
“These pits… are…” Su Nian hesitated, hardly daring to believe her own guess.
“That’s right.”
Chu Tian nodded, confirming Su Nian’s suspicion.
“These pits were likely made by Undead Creatures emerging from underground, and it’s very probable that a Necromancer summoned them.”
“Necromancer…” Su Nian whispered.
Undead Creatures?
Knights, magic, Goblins, the Demon Race—all existed; the presence of Undead Creatures was reasonable too.
She had heard legends about Necromancers—those evil beings who manipulated corpses, desecrating the sanctity of life, wreaking havoc among mortals.
They were synonymous with evil.
Under the faith of the Goddess of Light, they were heretics to be hunted down—darkness and corruption incarnate.
As a member of the Demon Race, why would the Horned Demon Bastard show her such a photo?
What did he want?
Was he trying to intimidate her into submission?
Or… was this Necromancer an accomplice of his?
That made sense.
A thought flashed through Su Nian’s mind like lightning cutting through the night sky, illuminating the doubts in her heart.
The powerful Horned Demon from Academy City, combined with the Necromancer near Mossenburg—were they planning a war against the Red Maple Kingdom?
Did they intend to stage an inside-outside alliance, overthrow the kingdom’s rule, and turn this land into a living hell?
Hold on.
She needed to test him.
No panic, and definitely no exposing this bastard directly.
Su Nian took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
She struggled to steady her wildly beating heart, trying to keep a clear mind to face the looming crisis.
“How could a Necromancer appear near Mossenburg?” Su Nian asked, feigning confusion, her voice tinged with curiosity.
She looked up at Chu Tian, her clear, bright sky-blue eyes shining with probing light.
“That place is a military stronghold of the Red Maple Kingdom, heavily guarded and fortified. How could they allow such a dangerous being to infiltrate?”
“That’s exactly what I want to investigate,” Chu Tian said slowly, his brow slightly furrowed.
“I suspect the Morsen Family is colluding with the Demon Race, secretly working with a Necromancer to control corpses and incite rebellion within the Red Maple Kingdom, aiming to overthrow the entire kingdom’s rule.”
“So, I must go to Mossenburg myself and uncover the truth.” Chu Tian’s tone was resolute and unwavering.
Investigation?
A cold sneer rose in Su Nian’s heart.
She didn’t believe a word from this Horned Demon Bastard!
This so-called investigation into the Necromancer was probably just a pretense to meet with his accomplices, plotting how to carve up the Red Maple Kingdom’s lands and wealth, how to turn this beautiful land into a living hell!
To imprison and enslave the people here, just like what they had done to the Magic Beasts in the Monster Forest…
This guy was nothing but a liar.
‘Wait!’
Su Nian’s thoughts suddenly froze.
‘What did the Horned Demon Bastard say just now? He was going to Mossenburg!’
That thought tore through the darkness in her heart like lightning.
What did this mean?
It meant she could break free from this demon’s clutches and regain her freedom.
A surge of wild joy rose in Su Nian’s chest.
She could already envision herself escaping Shadowmoon Manor, leaving the Horned Demon Bastard far behind.
But the joyous feeling lasted only a moment.
Rationality, like a cold tide, quickly overwhelmed her, bringing her back from elation.
Su Nian realized that even if the Horned Demon Bastard left Academy City for Mossenburg, she might not be safe.
Three major problems lay ahead of her.