Chapter 29: Taking Back Leighton?
Upon hiring a carriage, Lilia and her three companions, cloaked in silver robes and concealing masks, arrived at their destination, the Black Tiger Gang's base.
Unlike before, the guards displayed lack of arrogance, upon noticing the three masked men accompanying Lilia.
Though lecherous and wanted to tease Lilia, the two men were far from foolish,they had no desire to meet the same grim fate as the two guards before.
The compensation is here. Bring him here, my son, Lilia said indifferently
The two men exchanged uneasy glances, a small man barely reaching five feet tall, and a bald, bulky figure uncertain of how to proceed. Neither wanted to interrupt their boss while he was engaged in his illicit activities.
Sensing their hesitation, Ace unleashed the power of his seventh-tier aura, its oppressive presence suffocating the two men where they stood.
If you won't bring him out willingly, must I come and take him by force? Ace's cold voice rang out, loud enough to reach those immersed inside the gambling house.
The sudden surge of a powerful aura rippled through the air, instantly setting everyone on edge. Even the hardened gamblers and ruthless gang members inside the gambling house trembled involuntarily, their bravado shattered by an overwhelming sense of dread.
The two guards, drenched in sweat, cast fearful glances toward Ace, unable to conceal their terror.
"Do I need to repeat myself?" Ace's voice cut through the air.
"N-no… no need. We'll go immediately," the guards stammered, their voices trembling as they scrambled away in desperation.
After a short while, the guards returned, accompanied by Eustace and several gang members.Together with Leighton, the gang members even addressed him "young master" out of fear of incurring Ace's displeasure.
"Mom, you're here!" Leighton exclaimed, a spark of joy lighting his face as the gang members gently carried him before Lilia.
Upon seeing Leighton, Lilia pulled him into a tight embrace, her voice trembling with remorse. "I'm sorry, Lei. I'm late."
"It's alright, Mom," Leighton replied softly. His gaze then shifted to Ace, filled with a mixture of admiration and unease. The imposing aura radiating from Ace filled him with equal parts fear and awe.
He had never imagined that his mother possessed the ability to invite a powerful knight for his rescue.
"Alright, let's go, son," Lilia said decisively, tossing ten gold coins toward Eustace and his men with a flick of her wrist.
"Madam, please accept these coins back. What happened last time was merely an accident," Eustace said flattery.
But Lilia didn't even glance at them. Instead, she guided Leighton carefully into the carriage.
Keep the gold, "It's compensation for the broken potion. Consider this an additional payment for taking care of him." With that, he threw five more gold coins to Eustace before stepping into the carriage.
Without another word, they departed, leaving the tense scene behind.
Eustace and Henry exchanged stunned glances, their faces pale as the voice echoed in their memories—the unmistakable voice of the masked man from before. The only difference now was the overwhelming strength that radiated from him.
Where once the masked man had been a mere second-tier knight, he now exuded a power that was both unfathomable and intimidating.
No one dared move until the carriage had vanished from sight. As it disappeared, Eustace's thoughts lingered on the masked man's words about the additional five gold coins. Glancing down at the gleaming coins scattered on the ground, a heavy confusion settled over him.
Forget it,whatever they plan is beyond my power to intervene. His best course of action was silence.
Deep down, he grasped why Ace had revealed himself again—a warning, a reminder not to divulge the secrets of recent events. It was a silent message: discretion was essential if they wished to avoid further trouble.
Soon, the carriage arrived at the entrance of the knight's stronghold, where it was halted by stationed knights for inspection.
Lilia and Leighton stepped out, bidding farewell to the masked Ace, Nerissa, and Eureya with heartfelt gestures.
Half a mile further, the carriage came to another stop. Nerissa and Eureya disembarked, but not before Ace handed each of them—and Lilia—a share of blood crystals for cultivation, with each receiving a generous portion of 100 crystals.
Ace himself descended from the carriage shortly after. After settling the fare, he set off toward the periphery of the Four Cloud Mountains to train, focusing on honing his skills and perfecting his precision.
After all, possessing powerful abilities was futile if they failed to strike their intended target.
He dedicated himself to rigorous practice, refining his mastery of the three techniques: Phantom Illusory Steps, Phantom Illusory Clones, and Phantom Illusory Blade. Pushing his body to the limit, exhaustion eventually overcame him. As the sky darkened with approaching dusk, he turned back toward the inn.
As night settled in, Ace went behind the inn for another grueling training session, determined to push his limits further. Meanwhile, Lilia, Nerissa, and Eureya focused intently on absorbing the blood crystals, steadily advancing their cultivation.
As for Leighton's injured leg, it had already been fully healed thanks to the healing potion Ace had entrusted to Lilia earlier.
The following morning at the knight's stronghold, Nerissa wakes up in high spirits. With a bright smile, she told Nhor, "I need to go out this morning to buy supplies for our daily needs."
"Do you want me to accompany you, Mother?" Nhor asked between bites of his meal.
"There's no need," Nerissa replied gently, ruffling his hair affectionately. "You should stay here and continue your cultivation."
Alright, Nhor agreed, a bit more at ease. Having watched over his mother the previous night and observed that she had not left his room, his spirits were noticeably lifted today.
At Lilia and Eureya's residence, the morning routine was strikingly similar. After carefully combing their hair, adorning themselves in elegant dresses, and lightly dusting their faces with powder to enhance their natural beauty, the three women gathered together.
They also hired a carriage waiting outside the knight's stronghold, setting off together towards the town.
Inside the carriage, they chatted happily, buoyed by the progress they had made in their cultivation the previous night.
Nerissa had already advanced to the late stage of the first-tier knight, while Lilia and Eureya had reached the middle stage of the same rank.
Meanwhile, back at the inn, Ace's eyes fluttered open groggily, disturbed by a knock at the door.
As Ace opened the door, three captivating women stood before him, each radiating a distinct charm and temperament.
"Good morning, baby," Nerissa greeted him warmly, her smile bright and inviting.
Eureya's cheeks flushed softly as she offered a shy, "Good morning, Ace."
Lilia's voice was cool and measured, yet her eyes held a gentle tenderness as she said, "Good morning."
"Come on in," Ace said warmly, gesturing for them to enter.
The moment the door closed behind them, Lilia suddenly broke into a run and threw herself into Ace's arms.
He caught her effortlessly, their embrace electric.
"Husband, I missed you," Lilia murmured, eyes closed, hands entwining around his neck as their lips met in a passionate kiss, ignited by longing and affection.
After a few minutes of passionate kisses, Ace drew Nerissa and Eureya into his embrace. He then kissed Nerissa, and then kissed Eureya the same as Lilia and Nerissa, with their tongues intertwined and explored each other's mouths.
Fortunately, there was no problem; it was just that Nerissa and Eureya glared at Lilia with a dissatisfied look.
But Lilia didn't seem to care.
Looking at them, Ace had no choice but to carry them and place them to sit atop the long table again, with Nerissa in the middle.
The three women watched Ace with longing as he bent himself down, his face directly between Nerissa's legs, both of his hands stretched from both sides, placing them on Lilia and Eureya's smooth legs.