Aria kicked the envoy straight from mid-air. With her long leg extended and foot pressing his wrist, her tone was cold. "You're quite the performer." Nobody could blame her mockery. Whether trained or not, Aria never wasted words or relied on borrowed power through talismans whenever she acted. Her eyes bore into his as she grabbed his collar. "Where's this beast you mentioned?" "B-Beast?" The Krowonian envoy froze, surprised she had believed his lie. However, they had indeed been followed by someone earlier. He had realized the gap between them. Blood dripped from his mouth as he spoke, "It escaped. Our people are still in pursuit of it. It went east." He hoped to distract her. But everyone knew Aria was not easily fooled. "East?" Aria's eyebrow raised as she slammed him hard against the ground. The danger to Sam had awakened something unknown within her. "If he went east, what are you hiding behind you?" With another strike, the envoy's face was nearly embedded in the g
Hearing this, the Krowonian envoy knew he could not hide anymore. He then moved to signal for help. Aria would not even let him use his poison needle, let alone call for reinforcements. She merely kept his face unbruised for photos as they needed records of these spies. The envoy thought she had dropped her guard since she was using her phone. Just as he nearly completed his signal, Aria struck his Frontal Acupoint. Instantly, the envoy collapsed. The others tried running, but Aria waved her right hand. Having released the southern barrier, she unleashed countless evil beings. They had nowhere to retreat. What was this Farshyan's background? Why was her magic so unorthodox? Why did these evil beings obey her? The Krowonian practitioners' eyes widened, but they could not outpace the surrounding spirits. With each step, spirits dragged them down as if saying, "You like earth-diving, don't you? Come join us underground!" Though both borrowed power, Aria's method differed compl
Back in the Clearwater Alley of Southbury, this young boy named Simon Barnes had been with a group of rough but decent kids. A man named David Simmons had stopped her and tried to teach her a lesson. Back then, Simon had stood silently in the corner. Aria raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Are you the beast of fortune?" She had sensed his uniqueness even then. Simon was found in the same garbage heap as Sam, though Sam was slightly younger. One could not speak, and the other could not walk. Simon recognized Aria. Despite his poor light sensitivity, his intelligence remained striking. When he saw Aria, he simply greeted, "Boss." His voice was incredibly weak. He was drenched in cold sweat, and his white hair was plastered to his fair face. He looked oddly pitiful. Since he had called her boss, Aria could not ignore him. She examined his wounds by first pressing several acupoints. Then she noticed needle marks on his wrists and ankles. One arm even bore beast-binding chains, which
Simon wasn't so much obedient as overly clever. "I'd follow even if you refused, boss." Lately, his pursuers had multiplied. He did not want to trouble David and the others. Raising him and treating his leg was hard enough already. He didn't seek employment at Heartbound Hall for the promise of wealth, though that had been David's initial reason for bringing him there. But after days passed with no word from David, Simon ventured out in search of him.He had planned to trade with Aria, who surprisingly refused his blood. Anxiety showed on his face. Aria glanced at him. "Is something else bothering you?" "Uncle David's missing." Simon felt indebted for the first time. She had saved his life, yet he was here asking another favor. But who else could he turn to? "Dr. Carver, could you help find him?" Simon's eyes shimmered gold. "I'll do anything if you find him." Aria's memory proved remarkable. "Are you talking about David Simmons?" "Yes!" Simon finally showed emotion fitt
On the other hand, the elderly spirits admired Aria's style. Maybe it was because of age or zodiac signs, but other arcane practitioners always hesitated with enemies. Not only that, they would constantly call upon divine powers. The spirits hated it when practitioners summoned powers against them. Right now, they even had to watch these Krowonians who dared disturb their people's peace! They had not bitten them to death only because Aria said turning them in would count as merit. Usually, merit meant nothing to evil spirits. But they could brag about this particular merit in the Netherrealm forever, so it was worth it! Though the evil beings did not show it, Aria sensed their good mood. Wasting no time, she took Simon's hand. "Your proposal works. The one I'm searching for is essentially like you." She placed the glass marbles she had found earlier in his palm. "Sense his location." Clever as ever, Simon did not question her comment and just closed his eyes. They were surrou
"Yes! That's us!" When the Special Mission Unit agents mentioned capturing Krowoian spies, the evil spirits stood proudly at attention, like receiving honors at a ceremony. Now, that was a sight for sore eyes. After years of hunting spirits, the practitioners from Mount Dracotigris had never witnessed anything like this. Most surprisingly, the spirits asked for nothing in return. The agent simply said, "We'll credit you officially." They then dispersed one by one, even clearing the residual vengeful energy before leaving. "Is this... normal?" A junior practitioner named Cilian Shaw asked his senior. Silence fell over the scene. Normal? Hell no. Usually, subduing evil spirits would drain them completely. Earthbound Manifestations were especially nightmarish. They would need every trick in the book just to escape those. Yet now the place was eerily peaceful, as if these spirits were harmless, which was pure nonsense. Take the spirit of that grandmother with a crooked neck, fo
"I remember her..." "Hush! Don't speak her name!" The senior priest cut Cilian off. She was someone even the heavens frowned upon. The fact that she could split the heaven's gate with a sword alone spoke volumes about how unconventional she was. Their admiration for her was genuine. If she appeared, they'd all kneel before her teachings. But her constant association with evil beings led to mixed opinions among the Dracotigris Order. Anyone who studied the ancient arcane texts knew the most common comment about her—never borrow power from another being so carelessly as it might be tainted. Yet, to this day, the most widely used spirit-summoning techniques came from her lineage. They said when she was around, beasts of fortune frequently appeared on the mountain, all under her command. Homer technically practiced her arcane arts too, which made him part of her lineage. The members of the Special Missions Unit did not understand what the Dracotigris priests were discussing. Thei
Daemon did not stop William. With his ancient arcane mastery, he always had a few spirits at his disposal. "Master, there were too many evil beings at the plaza for us to get to its deepest corner, but the Dracotigris Order was there." The one who reported was someone in a black mist with a single, unsettling bloodshot eye. William hurried away at the mention of Dracotigris. He was worried about their people being exposed. Daemon asked carefully, "Who from Dracotigris?" None of their skilled practitioners had returned, which concerned him. "We couldn't get close. Someone set up a barrier." Daemon immediately thought of that reclusive prodigy whom the Dracotigris Order recently recruited. Had they finally emerged? He stood up. "They were captured. Where's the beast of fortune then?" The spirits exchanged glances. "The beast wasn't with the Dracotigris Order." Daemon frowned. "They wouldn't just let a beast of fortune go." He cared little about Krowo's situation. He just ne
"Mr. Grisham, what are you saying? Fiona and I are practically sisters. I've been visiting the Grisham residence since I was a child, and I've long thought of you as family."Priscilla's voice carried a practiced warmth. "I used to worry people might think I was trying to curry favor. But now that my family has risen in status, I don't have to worry about that anymore."Her words were as smooth as ever, perfectly calculated to tug at heartstrings.Clyde, like many ageing men, had grown to value familial bonds more than ever. Once, his grand home had been filled with the presence of his wife and children. But after the tragedy, it had grown much quieter. Priscilla's remarks stirred a sense of comfort he didn't realize he craved.Just then, Waymond returned home. He looked as though he had something to say but stopped short upon seeing Priscilla.In contrast, Priscilla seemed happy to see him. "Waymond, you're back!"Waymond gave her a brief glance and a faint smile. "Yes.""Way
The investigator hesitated. "You want to meet them? They're not easy to meet, though. Shouldn't we apply for an official request first?"After all, these were not ordinary people.Aria held her phone casually, her fingers flying over the screen as if she were texting. "No need. I just happen to have a meeting with them."The investigator was stunned. What kind of meeting would grant her access to people like that?Y and the rest of the team seemed unfazed, used to Aria's uncanny connections. Taking the opportunity, Y adjusted her glasses and asked, "Boss, can you get hair samples from the suspects? That will save me the trouble of tracking them down."Aria slipped her phone into her pocket. "Sure. I'll leave things here in your capable hands. You all know the drill."Y's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Got it. Lock up anyone who tries to bail the suspect."The investigator watched in stunned silence as the Special Missions Unit went about their business. Their methods were brazen
In the meantime, Aria had arranged for someone to interrogate the couple. Her identity made it unsuitable for her to appear in the interrogation room. It didn't take long for the Hanson couple to confess. They revealed they had received a call that morning from someone claiming to represent their insurance company. The caller mentioned a policy worth one million dollars and urged them not to miss the claim period.While the policy and the insurance company were legitimate, the person orchestrating the claim was not.The Draycott family's meticulous operations made it challenging for the police to uncover significant leads in a single day.Following Sam's instructions, the technical department restored the call data. Its content was shocking. However, apart from Sky's voice, all the other people used voice changers. Therefore, they had to use soundwave analysis to identify them.The first breakthrough came from a person captured in a video—Craig Jameson, a prominent member of th
Orion slammed his phone onto the table, his fury so intense that it was giving him a headache. "Didn't you say that everything was going smoothly? How did the couple end up getting arrested?"The meeting earlier had already put him on edge. Investors who had previously committed to increasing their funding suddenly claimed they needed more time to decide.Orion couldn't understand it. What other family could possibly compete with the Draycotts? Their discussions had been progressing well—why the sudden hesitation?The reason for his anger was obvious, but what puzzled him more was one investor's cryptic question. "Did you offend someone recently?"Offend someone? If anything, people should be afraid of offending the Draycott family, not the other way around.Of course, there was still the Carver family to consider. Orion had already looked into them.Fergus Carver, the eldest son, was a rising star in Parker Street's investment scene. He was renowned for his unbroken streak of su
The room fell silent as Nova's unrestrained yelling echoed, leaving everyone stunned. Her vicious words about Luna were far more venomous than anyone had expected from a mother.Meanwhile, Aria remained calm the entire time. She even responded to Nova, "She wouldn't have died if she had no dignity. You asked what she was after. Of course, she thought she could give you all the money."You claim to treat all your children equally, yet you gave your son a thousand dollars a month while Luna only got a hundred. Isn't that the difference?"Nova gritted her teeth. "My son eats more. Why can't I give him more pocket money? And yes, Luna did give us money, but we never forced her.""You didn't force her?" Aria's calm tone didn't waver. "Yet you constantly complained about regretting sending her to school. You even said women were better off marrying as soon as possible."Nova was completely baffled by her words.The truth was now painfully clear to everyone. The couple had always favore
The Hansons' theatrics were clearly an attempt to garner pity from the crowd. However, Aria's question quickly brought everyone's thoughts back into focus. "I noticed Mrs. Hanson's phone ringing repeatedly. The calls were from the insurance company," Aria stated plainly. Her extensive experience with similar cases had taught her that when financial interests were involved, people's actions often revealed their true motives."Did Luna take out an accidental death insurance policy?" Aria stepped closer, her voice steady. "Now that she's gone, the insurance company is likely calling to inform you about the compensation. Is that why you're in such a rush to claim her body?"Her words struck a nerve. The Hansons' expressions shifted dramatically, their unease palpable. Nico and Nova exchanged a nervous glance, and their anxiety deepened when they recalled that Aria had been Luna's classmate.Had Luna confided in her? How else would she know about the insurance?The murmurs among the o
Nova shrank timidly but murmured, "I don't want Luna to suffer."The scene was heart-wrenching.If Luna's family took her body away, the police might lose crucial evidence. Despite the officer's clear explanations, the couple seemed unable—or unwilling—to comprehend. Some younger officers began to grow restless.But did they truly not understand?Aria's gaze shifted to the phone tightly clutched in Nova's hand. The screen flickered repeatedly with incoming messages.Raising an eyebrow, Aria stepped forward. "Mr. and Mrs. Hanson, is it?"Nova frowned. "And you are?"Aria lied, "I'm Luna's classmate."At this, Nova and Nico exchanged wary glances. They'd heard that Luna's classmates had taken her to the bar, and hostility flickered in their expressions."Classmate? Students like you are nothing but bad influences!" Nova snapped. "All you care about is plastic surgery and partying."Aria remained silent as Nico interjected, his tone bitter. "Everyone knows Luna went to the bar l
A scene like this naturally drew a crowd. A middle-aged man sat on the ground, wailing loudly. "Come, everyone, see for yourselves! I can't even bring my daughter home. They even shoved me!"Dealing with people like him was never easy. In an age when anyone could record videos and spin narratives, law enforcers had to tread carefully. They couldn't afford to be too aggressive, especially when the other party had valid grievances.The commotion had already attracted onlookers snapping pictures and whispering among themselves."It's not that you can't take her back. The investigation is still ongoing," a law enforcer explained patiently.Nico Hanson's anger flared. "Ongoing? You brought us here to tell us she jumped off a building after partying at a bar. Everyone knows what happened, yet you're saying the case isn't closed? How could you treat us like this?"Poor people's lives mean nothing to you, huh? But do you have to torment us this way?"His fury stemmed from the suggestion
Sam was still fiddling with his keyboard. Looking up, he noticed Landon watching him with a piercing gaze. Instinctively, Sam adopted a defensive posture. Landon raised an eyebrow and pulled out his phone. At the sight of the familiar motion, Sam's eyes brightened.At first, Sam thought of turning around to let Landon scan his QR code. But then he realized there was no QR code on his shirt.Sam pursed his lips and signed for Landon to wait. He had neither his watch nor phone with him.As Langon glanced outside the bar, one of the York family's Dark Shadow guards immediately entered. "Boss, here is the new phone you ordered."Sam was overjoyed after getting a new phone.Landon stood there elegantly. "Go and take a walk."Sam started to leave but paused when he noticed the crow. His sharp eyes flicked toward it, contemplating whether to take it with him.Finally, Sam decided to bring the crow along, worried it might escape. If it did, he'd miss his chance to enjoy the roasted cr