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When the figure within the portrait solidified and cast a cold, indifferent gaze upon him, the last trace of lingering affection and longing in Landon’s eyes vanished completely, replaced by nothing but pure disgust. “I am the head of the family. I do not have the leisure to come and see you.”

“The head of the family? Heh.” The figure in the painting let out a cold laugh, though it was unclear what exactly they were mocking. “Speak. You would not come here without reason. What do you want?”

“The Song family is becoming an eyesore.”

“Oh?” The figure raised a brow. “So, you have finally decided to make a move against the city lord’s faction?”

“Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?” Landon stared straight into the figure’s eyes, his voice devoid of warmth. “The Three Moons Festival is approaching. Do not forget the condition you promised me.”

“Of course not.” The figure leaned forward, wrapping Landon in an intimate embrace, their breath brushing against his ear as they let out a soft, amused chuckle. “You and I are the closest people in this world. How could I possibly forget what I promised you? But… why do I sense that Liana is no longer in the Ye family?”

The tone shifted abruptly, a faint chill seeping back into their voice. “At this time, she should not be leaving the estate. Has something unexpected happened?”

“It is nothing more than a minor inconvenience.” Without a trace, Landon slipped free from the figure’s embrace, brushing his shoulder with visible disdain before speaking flatly, “Some wild girl from who knows where earned Liana’s trust and, with reckless audacity, ran off with her.”

“A girl? Ran off?” The figure paused for a moment, then their expression darkened instantly, turning dangerous. “Are you joking, Landon? A mere stray girl, as you call her, managed to take Liana right out of your hands so easily? Have I been mistaken about you all these years? Since when have you ever shown mercy to anyone, let alone a girl?”

“Of course not. That wild girl is just a bit clever, that is all. But rest assured, I have already sent Old Huang after them. He will bring Liana back very soon.”

“It had better be so.” Realizing their loss of composure, the figure returned to their usual cold indifference. “But remember this well. No matter what, Liana must not suffer the slightest harm. Her importance… surpasses even yours.”

With those words, the figure’s colors faded once more, dissolving into pure black ink as it returned to the paper. A gentle breeze drifted in through the window, rustling the parchment with a soft susurration.

Only when gazing at that lifeless portrait did a trace of gentleness resurface in Landon’s eyes. Yet that gentleness was quickly swallowed by another, far stronger obsession.

“Judging by the time, Old Huang should have already brought Liana back.”

Old Huang had always been his most capable subordinate. Though cruel and merciless, with a twisted fondness for tormenting the living, especially innocent and defenseless young girls, he was someone Landon trusted completely when it came to getting things done.

“It is just a pity… another innocent girl in this world is about to meet a miserable end.”

***

“So scary, so scary, so scary…” In the dim alley, the helpless girl’s hollow eyes slowly streamed with tears, as though she had endured unimaginable torment. She could not even bring herself to run, only able to cry in silence. “These monsters… they are too terrifying.”

Covering her nose, Lilith shouted in righteous outrage toward Old Huang in the distance, “Do they not brush their teeth? Just one howl and the stench hits like a rotten blast!”

“……”

Old Huang did not respond. But it was not because he was absent-minded. He simply stood there trembling, staring at Lilith with a vacant, disbelieving gaze.

What… had just happened? He even began to suspect he had fallen under some kind of illusion. Or perhaps he was trapped in a nightmare.

The five wolf beasts he had painstakingly raised, creatures that together could tear an eighth-stage warrior into shreds, had, in a single instant, been utterly devoured. That girl, who carried not the slightest fluctuation of spiritual power, merely snapped her fingers, snap, and an eerie black flame had appeared out of nowhere, swallowing them whole.

They had not even had the chance to scream.

“Th-this… what kind of technique is this? Why have I never even heard of it? Is it some kind of artifact? A talisman? Or the supreme art of some great figure?”

“This?” Lilith raised her hand, and the black flame danced upon her fingertips like a mischievous spirit. “What should I call it… hmm. If I had to describe it, I suppose you could say…” She casually waved her small fists twice. “…it is just my normal attack. Like this.”

“Normal…?” Old Huang’s face twisted instantly with anger and humiliation, as if he had been toyed with. “How is that even possible?!”

To compare such a terrifying technique to something as trivial as a girl casually throwing a punch… was she implying that the results he had painstakingly honed over an entire lifetime were no better than a careless swing of her fist?

Mockery had its limits, and this had gone far beyond them.

This girl was definitely no ordinary person. She was most likely the descendant of some ancient powerhouse from a great sect, and she probably carried a terrifying artifact on her as well.

The complete absence of spiritual energy around her was likely a facade, deliberately concealed through some unknown method. No wonder she acted with such reckless disregard for consequences. She had been playing the fool to trap the tiger all along.

‘No, this matter has to be reported back to the family head immediately. Otherwise, it could very well disrupt our plans moving forward.’ Old Huang’s thoughts raced, and in an instant, he had already devised an escape.

“Hey, are you spacing out?” With her hands clasped behind her back, Lilith looked at him with a faint, teasing smile. “If it is not too much trouble, could you answer a question for me? Why are you all so fixated on Liana?”

“The Third Miss… is young, and unwell. She cannot… leave the estate freely.”

“I can protect her. Now that you have seen my strength, you should be able to feel at ease, right?

But…” Lilith studied the murky expression in Old Huang’s lone eye, curiosity flickering within her gaze as she tilted her head. “Why do I get the feeling you still have not given up on taking Liana away? Let me think… the way you act, it does not seem like it is truly for her safety. Rather, it feels like, for some reason, she cannot be allowed to escape your control.”

“Today… I misjudged. We shall… meet again.” Old Huang gave no direct answer. Instead, he abruptly pulled out a small sphere and slammed it onto the ground. With a loud bang, green smoke burst forth, billowing upward as a foul stench spread, instantly swallowing all sight and dulling every sense.

“Ugh… are you really that fond of disgusting smells?” After being assaulted twice by such nauseating stench, Lilith’s patience had clearly worn thin. A trace of irritation surfaced on her face as she lightly clenched her hand toward the direction of Old Huang’s escape.

“Ahhh!” A scream rang out. Within the green smoke, tiny whirlpools began to form one after another as black flames flickered and swayed, devouring both the smoke and every trace of that vile stench.

Forced back into view, Old Huang clutched his head, staring in horror at the thin layer of black crystal blocking his path. Gathering all the spiritual energy in his body, he struck it with full force, boom, yet the black crystal did not even tremble.

“What… is this? Why… can it not be broken?”

“If the black flames earlier counted as my normal attack, then I suppose this would be my normal defense.” At some unknown moment, Lilith had already appeared beside him. Resting her cheek in her hand, she tilted her head, watching Old Huang’s terrified expression with quiet amusement.

“Hey… about that question I asked earlier, can you answer it properly now?”