6kv Chapter 121 An Unusual Social Gathering
Chapter 121 An Unusual Social Gathering
Chapter 122 An Unusual Social Gathering
Deep within the Evans Estate, in a secluded underground retreat.
In stark contrast to the subtle or tense atmosphere elsewhere in the manor, this secret room, filled with layers of barriers, was now filled with a powerful yet stable energy fluctuation.
Grandpa Evans was still sitting cross-legged in the center of that complex magic circle, but his condition was completely different from before.
He had begun to tame and absorb the violent dragon blood medicinal power, which was no longer ruthlessly washing and tearing, but had transformed into a warm and vast torrent of life.
It flows orderly through his meridians, which had withered and shriveled from years of age and old injuries, providing deep nourishment and reshaping.
The abnormal flush on his face had long since faded, replaced by a healthy, rosy glow.
Even the roots of her gray hair seemed to faintly reveal a newborn-like dark color, and beneath her dry skin, there seemed to be abundant vitality surging, making her look as if she had become ten years younger.
Most notably, the energy fluctuations emanating from his body not only stabilized completely, but also broke through the invisible bottleneck that had plagued him for decades with an unstoppable momentum, reaching a completely new and more powerful level!
Although there is still a long way to go before reaching the next major realm, this is undoubtedly a leap forward in the essence of life!
The stubborn, hidden injuries accumulated over the years were healed, and the process of aging seemed to be forcibly slowed down or even reversed by this powerful life energy. He even felt that his mental strength had become more refined and sharp than ever before.
The old man slowly opened his eyes, exhaling a long breath of turbid air that carried a faint smell of blood and a burning sensation. His eyes shone brightly, filled with unbelievable joy and profound shock.
"It worked! It actually worked!"
He murmured to himself, carefully savoring the long-lost, even more powerful feeling he had experienced in his youth.
"That kid Hick—what kind of supreme treasure did he give me?! The effect—it's practically defying the heavens and reshaping my very foundation!"
After the initial euphoria, a deeper sense of worry and confusion welled up inside me.
Such a precious medicine with miraculous effects, and Hick just had his father send it over so casually?
He was in the Silent Forest—no, the old man suddenly realized that Hick, who possessed such abilities, could he really be just a "genius apprentice" in the Silent Forest?
Just how high did he reach?
And what kind of dangerous vortex are they in?
The old man shook his head, forcing himself to suppress these chaotic thoughts for the time being.
Now is not the time to delve into these matters. The most urgent task is to thoroughly consolidate this hard-won new realm and fully absorb the medicinal effects.
He closed his eyes again, guiding the vast energy within his body through the final few cycles to completely stabilize it.
About two hours later, the old man, whose realm was completely stable and whose internal power was perfectly integrated, slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were filled with a restrained brilliance and his aura was deep and calm.
It was at this moment that he sensed the information left by the butler through a small magic circle outside the secret room—about the visit and lodging of the Arnold family team.
"The Arnold family—a group of young apprentices—traveled all the way from the south to the heart of Eicar?"
The old man frowned immediately upon seeing the brief message, his vigilance instantly heightened.
"This is so unusual—"
In ordinary travel, it would be impossible to organize such a large group of apprentices to travel so far; usually, it would only be a few people.
Teams that manage to reach the heart of Aikar are either powerful and led by a formal wizard, or they have a very clear and important objective.
It is highly illogical for a team of apprentices, which lacks top-tier combat power but has a considerable number of members, to appear here.
Unless they feel this area is as safe as their own backyard?
"There's definitely something wrong here, something's definitely fishy!"
The old man suddenly stood up, his movements agile and showing no signs of old age.
In the past, he might have handled the situation by trying to avoid trouble, thinking it was better to do less than more.
But things are different now!
His grandson Hick was clearly at a critical and potentially dangerous stage of his rise, and he had to find out anything unusual happening around the Evans family!
He had to secure the rear for Chick and be vigilant against any potential risks.
He immediately left the meditation room and strode towards another equally secluded room in the manor—the family intelligence archives.
The room was lined with huge bookshelves, which were densely packed with intelligence files and news briefings that the Evans family had collected over the years through various channels.
The old man had sharp eyes and went straight to the "Recent Urgent Reports" section, his fingers quickly and accurately flipping through the information from the recent period.
Soon, an intelligence briefing from a clandestine source caught his attention.
The briefing contained only one sentence: "Seven days from now, the Tower of Eternity and Anse Academy will jointly host a social and exchange event at Crescent Lake, ostensibly aimed at promoting progress and exchange among white wizards —"
Upon seeing this message, the old man frowned even more deeply.
"How long has it been since the large-scale exchange meeting? And now the Tower of Eternity and Anse Academy are already organizing another joint event?"
Years of experience allowed him to instantly sense something unusual about it.
"This timing is too deliberate."
Therefore, we must now personally meet with these young people from the Arnold family and find out their ultimate destination after traveling so far to Ekar!
Is their so-called "hunting down the murderer" just a pretext?
Evans Estate, the solemn and dignified main drawing room.
Unlike the side hall used for previous receptions, the main hall had a completely different atmosphere.
The heavy velvet curtains, the dignified portraits of outstanding figures from the Evans family hanging on the walls, and the faint scent of sandalwood and the unique aroma of old books in the air all highlight the family's heritage and history.
The old man, Evans, who had completely consolidated his realm and was now rejuvenated, sat in the main seat.
He changed into a solemn suit that symbolized the family's authority, although his face still bore the marks of time.
But those eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and the powerful energy fluctuations emanating from his body, which he had not yet fully subsided after his breakthrough, enveloped the entire hall in an invisible pressure that made people's hearts tremble.
He did not deliberately conceal this power; in a way, he needed it to intimidate the visitors before him and seize the initiative in the conversation.
Below, Kyle and Senna are sitting side by side.
Before they came, they may have been filled with admiration and curiosity for the old hero, but now, facing the old man's imposing presence and sharp gaze, both of them felt immense pressure.
Kyle still tried his best to maintain proper etiquette, but his eyes were filled with an unprecedented solemnity and caution, and his body was slightly tense.
Sena appeared even more uneasy. The subtle pressure emanating from the old man made it difficult for her to breathe. She subconsciously moved closer to her brother, her previous carefree demeanor completely gone.
"The Arnold boy and girl,"
The old man spoke, his voice loud and steady, carrying an unquestionable authority, skipping all the pleasantries and formalities.
"I heard that your family's caravan suffered a loss on the border of the Kingdom of Bill? You're currently investigating a group of people of unknown origin..."
A ruthless person?
Kyle felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't expected the old man to be so direct and accurate with his information as soon as he emerged from seclusion.
He quickly stood up and bowed respectfully in response: "Yes, Lord Evans. The incident was sudden and the losses were considerable. The family is very concerned about this and has ordered us to investigate along the way to find out the truth."
"Hmph, concern?"
The old man snorted coldly, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair, the sound of which was particularly clear in the quiet hall.
"So you two kids, with a group of apprentices who have little practical experience, dared to venture deep into the heart of Aikar to investigate because you were concerned?"
When did your Arnold family become so reckless and arrogant?
Do you still think that the Kingdom of Sant and the area surrounding my Evans family are some lawless land where you can run wild and investigate at will?
These words were extremely impolite, full of questioning and accusation, and a powerful aura pressed down on the two of them.
Kyle's forehead instantly broke out in a fine layer of cold sweat, and he quickly explained, "My lord, you misunderstand! We had absolutely no such intention! This trip was mainly to escort my younger sister on her travels, to broaden her horizons, and incidentally to investigate the caravan attack. We didn't expect to find any substantial clues here. We are truly sorry to have disturbed your peace!"
"travel?"
The old man's gaze was sharp as he swept over Sena, whose face had turned pale, and his tone became even more sarcastic.
"Does traveling require such a conspicuous entourage? And why bother coming all the way to this remote border region?"
"Your Arnold family's travel routes are quite unique. Or is it that the scenery here is particularly to your liking?"
Sena felt a chill run through her body as the old man swept over her. Her spoiled sense of "justice" and impulsiveness crumbled before his absolute power and authority. Her lips trembled, and she whispered, "We—we also want to catch those bad guys and prevent them from harming people again—"
"Senna!" Kyle called out in a low voice, quickly stopping her.
The old man heard it all clearly, and a hint of undisguised sarcasm flashed in his eyes: "Catch the bad guys? Eliminate a menace for the people? With just a few kids like you? Little girl, do you even know what kind of strength those bad guys might have?"
Do you know how deep the water is in this land? Don't end up losing your own life and the lives of those around you here, instead of eliminating the danger!
He paused, leaning forward slightly, his imposing aura intensifying as his gaze locked onto Kyle: "Stop beating around the bush. Tell me, where is your team's real destination?"
How much of that so-called caravan attack was real, and how much was a hoax? Even though I'm old, my eyes aren't blind, and my mind isn't senile!
Kyle was inwardly groaning, knowing he could no longer hide it.
Facing a veteran wizard patriarch whose strength has greatly increased, whose attitude is tough, and who is clearly suspicious, continuing to conceal things would likely only enrage him completely.
If this old man, known as the "shield of neutrality" and known for his tough methods, were to conclude that their group harbored ill intentions—
Kyle had no doubt that the other party would carry out his idea of "justice" without hesitation and leave them behind.
He took a deep breath, as if making a decision, and had no choice but to partially confess: "I dare not hide it from you any longer, sir. We—we do indeed have an even more important mission."
The family received confirmation that in seven days, the Tower of Eternity and Anse Academy will hold a semi-public social event at Crescent Lake, aimed at promoting exchange and cooperation between the younger generations of both institutions.
The family hopes that we—representing the younger generation of the Arnold family—will go to observe and learn, and try to establish connections with some outstanding individuals.
This reason sounds much more reasonable.
The Tower of Eternity and Anse Academy are both renowned white wizarding organizations. Their exchanges are indeed attractive to young wizards from other neutral or friendly factions, and sending teams to observe is a normal diplomatic activity.
Upon hearing this, a knowing glint flashed in the old man's eyes, but his deep-seated vigilance remained undiminished.
The Tower of Eternity and Anse Academy? At this sensitive time?
He was almost certain that there was more to this "social gathering" than met the eye.
Moreover, the Arnold family's information network is far too extensive.
"An exchange meeting?"
The old man repeated it, his tone seemingly softening slightly, but his gaze remained sharp.
"Even so, your operation, ostensibly to track down a criminal, and your extensive search of the border region, is far too grand and conspicuous. Furthermore, the direction you've been investigating seems to be quite far from Crescent Lake. How do you explain that?"
Kyle forced a smile and explained, "The investigation did indeed take place, it's not just an excuse. It's just—perhaps we were investigating in the wrong direction, misjudging the clues, which led us to this place. Please forgive our presumption, sir."
He tried his best to make his tone sound sincere.
The old man stared at him for a good ten seconds, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate his very soul, until Kyle felt a chill run down his spine. Only then did he slowly lean back in his chair, wave his hand, and show a look of utter disinterest on his face.
"Forget it, I have no interest in digging into the complicated thoughts of you young people."
He seemed to have lost interest in pursuing the matter.
"Since we're going to a conference on legitimate reasons, let's rest at the manor for two days and then set off as soon as possible."
The area around the Silent Forest hasn't been peaceful lately, so please be careful and avoid causing any further trouble.
His words sounded like a reminder, but to Kyle, they sounded more like a warning.
"Yes, yes, thank you for your concern and understanding! We will definitely act cautiously and will not cause you any trouble!"
Kyle quickly agreed, secretly relieved that he had managed to get away with it for now.
"Hmm," the old man nodded slightly, picking up the teacup beside him—a clear signal to see the guest off.
Kyle felt like he had been granted a pardon. He quickly pulled up the still somewhat dazed Sena, bowed respectfully, and took his leave, almost fleeing the oppressive atmosphere of the main hall.
Watching the two figures leave, the old man's calm expression vanished instantly, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity, his brows furrowed tightly.
"The Tower of Eternity — Anse Academy — Fellowship — Arnold Family —"
He repeated these keywords in a low voice, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously and rapidly.
He was almost certain that this sudden "social gathering" was a complete cover-up!
There must be a bigger scheme hidden behind this!
And the younger generation of the Arnold family were not simply there to "observe and learn"!
Their choice of this time and route to appear here is itself highly unusual.
The feeling that a storm was brewing was growing stronger and stronger.
"We must immediately inform Hick of this news, along with the unusual movements of the Arnold family!"
The old man suddenly stood up, his eyes resolute.
A wizarding family known for its neutrality sends so many juniors to the white wizards' social gathering, even though not a single formal wizard is with them!