Chapter 224: Sneer

From the wound that had pierced him through, Yan Wei Fu felt the magical power that constituted his body rapidly draining away.

In an instant, several shadows surged from beneath his feet, coalescing into a solid blade that fell, attempting to sever the vine.

“All the ‘Moons’… we gathered because of the same ideals. But that doesn’t mean we need to know everything about each other.”

The blade was easily deflected.

Yan Wei Fu quickly understood the reason—the vine was covered with a mana barrier of the same strength as the one enveloping the Giant Tree Nelf.

Even he would need to accumulate a certain amount of power to break through.

But Nine Night Moon would not give him that chance.

He looked around and saw that the vines that had been clinging to the walls and behind the crystal screens were all moving.

“…Perhaps you have misunderstood me.”

They coiled around Yan Wei Fu’s body like snakes, constantly driving their magic-draining spikes into it.

In this situation, he couldn’t even use Shadow Shift to teleport.

“Misunderstanding? Do you think I am unaware of your secret contacts with those two children of Iruna? My informants are spread throughout this city… None of your actions can escape their surveillance.”

“…”

The extraction of magical power prevented Yan Wei Fu from maintaining his imitation.

His body began to slowly melt like a candle, black magical power dripping like wax tears.

“Are your actions perhaps on the orders of the Crescent Moon? Otherwise, why would you, who have been diligently lurking for centuries, choose such a time to reveal such a laughable slip?”

Nine Night Moon was still watching the crystal screen, as if this death she had personally brought about was no longer worthy of her attention.

“Your long life… the powerful magic that constitutes this body… has been so easily lost to fulfill someone else’s wish. I find it hard to believe that this is the choice of your kind, who judge value by magical power, distinguish between high and low, and claim to be the superior race.”

“…You are mistaken about many things.”

In the face of Nine Night Moon’s sneer, the dying Yan Wei Fu instead cast a pitying look at her.

“This is not on the orders of the Demon Lord’s Wife. In the centuries I have resided in the Sea of Trees, I have never received any instructions from her.”

“Oh?”

“Even now it is the same. I do these things… simply because I personally cannot accept them. From Lady Iruna to Miss Nefitalia… what you have done to these relatives who share your blood makes me utterly sick.”

“So after venting your emotions like this, do you feel any better? After exchanging your life and magic for this chance to rant in front of me, have you changed anything? I’ve said it before… defying Heaven’s Mandate is merely the folly of fools. But your stupidity seems even more exaggerated than those children’s.”

“Heh… In my opinion, there is no folly more foolish and exaggerated than claiming to be Heaven’s Mandate.”

“…Watch your tongue.”

Nine Night Moon’s voice dropped.

“Look at yourself. Even the body you stole is weeping because it houses your filthy and rotten soul! A person who claims to be Heaven’s Mandate actually has to rely on such ugly and despicable means to cling to life?”

Yan Wei Fu’s body had become very small. It was just like the final form of that demon caught at the dance party when Milin kept slicing him.

“Maggots that cannot survive without sucking the blood of their own children… I have never claimed to be any superior race. I have spent a long time in the Sea of Trees in this body, this identity. The souls I have seen have never been divided into noble or base by the strength of their magical power—”

“You have said enough.”

“Except for you. You indeed possess immense magical power, but your soul is hideously ugly. If we are truly in a superior position, it is only compared to you. You will soon be defeated by everything you mock and consider pitiful…”

With the complete disappearance of his body, his vehement rebuke also ceased.

“—”

In the now quiet room, Nine Night Moon’s body, entangled by vines, suddenly began to tremble violently… The liquid magic flowing in the vines jumped wildly as if boiled.

The originally calm expression on her face twisted, and blood continuously seeped from her seven orifices.

The images on the crystal screens also became blurry and chaotic.

After several minutes, her condition returned to normal.

But unlike before, the liquid magic that had been in the vines to nourish and repair her body had been completely consumed.

“Indeed, no matter how much magic power, it is useless. Only the bodies and pure bloodlines of those two children will not reject me… and that relic of Isis… only it can end the rapid aging that occurs after body replacement.”

She shifted her gaze to the last two crystal screens.

…

……

………

“Nefi… Nefi…!”

That was a scene that made Iyue feel extremely terrified.

In the darkness, she could hardly feel her own existence… yet she could clearly see that girl imprisoned in the cell.

“Sister… Mother…”

Under the light emitted by the Gloom Torch, the younger sister’s expression appeared quite demented.

The darkness erased the last glimmer in her eyes; her pupils were dilated, drool flowed from her mouth… and she repeatedly hit her head against the stone slab in front of her.

“Bring her out.”

“But she hasn’t pledged obedience to the Head of the Household yet…”

“This is the order of the Head of the Household. And look at her condition. If we don’t bring her out soon, she’ll beat herself to death in there.”

Two figures appeared… they were the wardens holding torches.

Looking at the dried bloodstains on the stone slab, the vomit, and the food scraps all over the floor, they frowned and carried Nefitalia out of the cell.

“Cover her eyes with a cloth. Otherwise, once she sees the light, she’ll go blind immediately.”

Following his companion’s advice, one of the wardens tore a strip of cloth and blindfolded her.

“Then here…”

“Someone will come to clean up later. According to the Head of the Household’s orders, this place is to be abandoned. We won’t need to come here anymore.”

“Phew… That’s a good thing, isn’t it? I heard that the previous guard couldn’t stand the environment here and jumped straight into the bottom of the hole… I feel like if I had to guard here for a few more years, my mind would probably go too.”

“Stop blabbering. We’ve avoided the war because of this post. Do you know how many people died on the surface from the Demon Army’s invasion while we were guarding here?”

The two dragged Nefitalia out of the Black Prison… After seeing this, Iyue finally felt the existence of her hands and feet.

“Yiruiweilian… Yiruiweilian…! I’ll drive my arrow into your forehead, drain your blood drop by drop… and then grind your bones to dust…!”

Iyue screamed and chased after the door of the dungeon… but when she opened the cell door, what she saw was not the spiral staircase leading to the surface.

“This is… Fenglin City?”

Above her head was the canopy of the giant tree of Fenglin City.

Iyue found herself on a broken street, surrounded by the smell of gunpowder and death—

“Capture that elf…! We must not let her escape this time!”

At the end of the street, a group of demon soldiers clad in pitch-black armor charged at her menacingly.