Chapter 199: The Fish Takes the Bait
Fox, Bella, and Carol had never heard of the Unlucky Flower.
In fact, it didn’t exist. It was a fictional herb Kailun had made up based on the unlucky entity in the jade coffin.
“What is the Unlucky Flower? Why have I never heard of it?”
Fox played along and asked the crucial question.
“It’s a special plant that can enhance mental power. It’s the latest discovery in the Xiya Kingdom. It’s a mutated plant that appeared only in the last hundred years. It’s completely black and resembles the Sunset Flower.”
Kailun kindly explained to everyone.
It didn’t matter if this plant actually existed. As long as he claimed it did, it would exist.
He would find some time to secretly collect some Sunset Flowers and make some unique modifications.
He would then distribute these special Sunset Flowers through specific channels and have Fox be responsible for acquiring them.
Because of the Lucky Potion, Kailun thought of Rose again. She knew the ingredient formula.
If he wanted to involve Rose in this scheme, he couldn’t bully her too much tonight. It was a bit of a pity.
“I’ve never heard of it, but if you say it exists, then it must exist.”
Bella didn’t care if this plant actually existed. She looked at Carol warily, afraid that she would steal her position.
Carol shrugged indifferently at Bella’s vigilance. She was sleepy and wanted to go back to sleep.
She couldn’t maintain her “clinginess” due to her exhaustion. It was better to conserve her energy for tomorrow’s “battle.”
She yawned again and stretched. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go back to sleep. I don’t think Fox is in any danger. That weak aura can’t affect her.”
“Go back and rest. I’ll handle this.”
He waved to Carol. They didn’t need many words or formalities now.
After Carol left, Kailun put his arm around Bella and beckoned to Fox with his other hand. “Are you sure you don’t want to come and sit? I can check your body.”
“No!” Fox refused again. If Bella wasn’t there, she might reluctantly agree.
She hesitated for a moment and continued, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go back now. You can enjoy your time with Bella.”
She was hesitant before saying that. Escaping was useless, but she couldn’t think of a better solution.
She might as well focus on finding a way to regain her talent. Without it, she was just an ordinary eighth-rank mage, in a way, even inferior to Isabella.
“Wait, there’s one more thing I need your help with. I’ll draw a picture of the Unlucky Flower and give it to you. I need you to acquire it for me. Of course, I can grant you a wish as a reward, whether it’s money, resources, or anything else.”
Kailun’s gaze locked onto Fox’s eyes, making her look away.
“You said it yourself. Don’t forget.” Fox glanced at Kailun and then looked away again. “I’m going back to read the scrolls. You can come find me anytime after you’ve finished drawing it. Even… at night. I’ll be there.”
After saying that, Fox quickly ran away, wagging her tail.
“I didn’t realize you cared so much about Fox. I’m a little envious. But that foolish fox suddenly became so reserved. That’s not like her.”
Bella, sitting on Kailun’s lap, turned her head to look at his handsome face. She was a bit surprised, but not entirely.
It seemed like something Kailun would do. He kept everything hidden in his heart, his true self vastly different from his outward appearance.
Kailun chuckled. “It’s nothing. I treat everyone equally.”
Bella: “Hmph, do you believe that yourself? If Hilna and the Pope heard that, they would definitely scold you.”
Kailun’s smile didn’t waver. “No, they wouldn’t dare to scold me.”
“Also, you were lying to Fox about the Unlucky Flower, right? I’ve read many books in the Abyss, but I’ve never heard of it. I don’t think it’s possible for the Sunset Flower to mutate. It hasn’t changed for tens of thousands of years.”
Bella clung to Kailun’s arm, seeking an answer. She was curious why he would lie.
“I was indeed lying to Fox, but only half-lying. I didn’t lie about the reward.”
Kailun didn’t deny it. He didn’t mind telling Bella while that entity wasn’t around.
“You really dote on Fox. Tsk, tsk, tsk~”
Bella clicked her tongue, her tail wrapping around Kailun’s waist again.
……
“An Unlucky Flower mutated from the Sunset Flower?”
“Never heard of it, but what if it’s real? That fox’s improvement is undeniable. It’s probably thanks to the Lucky Potion.”
“I’m finished. I haven’t woken up for so many years. I can’t keep up with the times anymore.”
“No, I have to gather my forces again. It should be in time if I return to the Abyss now.”
A muttering voice came from a dark cave in a deep mountain forest. Occasionally, bats would fly out of the cave entrance to hunt for food.
A pair of crimson eyes glowed in the darkness. It should have been a terrifying sight, but it wasn’t scary at all.
Perhaps it was because those eyes were too lively, lacking the necessary intimidation.
“Whoosh!”
Suddenly, a small figure with wings flew out of the cave at lightning speed.
The wind seemed to be stunned for a moment before reacting, whistling through the cave.
A swarm of bats poured out of the cave frantically, as if something terrifying had happened.
Soon, a loud explosion echoed through the forest. The once intact cave collapsed, burying any traces of life under a pile of rubble.
……
“War only brings us pain. Now we should focus on recuperating and rebuilding.”
As evening approached, the old Dragon King Bolton stood on an open space in the second mine, delivering a speech. He had successfully taken over the leadership.
Roden and his companions had already left for the Xiya Kingdom after completing their mission. They were expected to arrive within two days.
The death of the Werewolf King had made some people abandon their ulterior motives. After the great battle with the Temple of the Celestial God, they had no other choice.
“In the coming period, we will work closely with the Xiya Kingdom for mutual development. As for the Temple of the Celestial God…”
Bolton stood at the front, speaking eloquently. He had already discussed the subsequent plans with Kailun.
For some reason, he felt more at ease leaving Bella with Kailun. At least he didn’t have to worry about her being endangered because of his mistakes.
As he was speaking, a deputy from the Birdman Clan approached him and whispered something in his ear.
Bolton’s eyes widened. “You’re saying the ancestral statue in the ancestral land moved?!”
He was shocked by this news.
The Abyss’s ancestral land was almost non-existent now. Very few people went there to pay their respects.
Legend had it that the Abyss was formed by a special entity, that its existence was related to that entity.
But legends were just legends. Most of them didn’t believe that the statue with a green face and fangs had anything to do with their race.
The statue, created by an unknown entity, had huge wings, fierce dragon horns, sharp fangs, long ears, and blood-red eyes. It was incredibly intimidating.
It held a time-related artifact in its hand, its feet stepping on golden threads of fate, its other hand seemingly grasping a broken spatial object, exuding an overwhelming sense of power.
The Abyss’s ancestral statue was a male figure, looking cold-blooded and cruel.
But very few people had actually seen it, and the races connected to it had long since perished in the passage of time.
If you traced the origins of the Abyss, you would discover that a large part of their history was missing.
Not only them, but even the Temple of the Celestial God was the same.
It seemed that a war had taken place tens of thousands of years ago, and the defeated races had been driven to the current Abyss.
The lack of many details made it impossible to investigate further. Bolton had heard no less than ten different stories.
He hadn’t expected the legendary ancestral statue to move.
“Did the ancestor leave any message?” Bolton asked the Birdman.
“A line of blood-red text appeared on the ground in front of the statue. It says ‘Returning soon. Prepare to welcome. Do not spread the word.’”
The Birdman conveyed the information he had gathered to the old Dragon King. Sometimes, the return of a former leader wasn’t a good thing.
It might lead to another power struggle, and the Abyss couldn’t withstand any more turmoil.
As for restoring hope to the Abyss?
If that entity truly had such power, they wouldn’t have lost the war tens of thousands of years ago.
In the Birdman’s mind, this so-called ancestor was useless.
“I understand. Block the news immediately. Don’t let anyone else know about this.”
After instructing his deputy, Bolton said a few more words, handed over the speech to someone else, and then went to a secluded corner to inform Kailun.
As an ally, he had to let Kailun know about this sensitive information.
He also felt that the return of the ancestor from tens of thousands of years ago might not be a good thing. If the ancestor was returning, would the entity corresponding to it also return?
He was numb.
One Kailun was enough. Now, there might be two more transcendent entities appearing.
He was too old to handle this kind of pressure.
By the way, was it possible that his granddaughter’s death was related to these two entities?
His wife’s divination before her death had revealed Bella’s fate, an unchangeable fate.
Thinking of this, he informed Kailun of his suspicions, urging him to protect Bella.
Kailun’s reply was much faster than he had expected.
“I understand. Just obey her. Everything is under control. And don’t worry about Bella’s safety. My home is her safe haven.”
Bolton was relieved after reading Kailun’s reply. Kailun was truly omnipotent. He even knew about this kind of information and said that everything was under control.
“But shouldn’t the ancestor be male? Why did they use ‘she’ to refer to the ancestor?”
Bolton didn’t dwell on this question. He quickly shifted his attention to the ancestor who was about to return.
……
“The fish has taken the bait.”
Kailun put down his communication device and looked at Rose and Hilna, who were standing in front of him.
As he had requested, Hilna had learned a rather complicated dance in just a few days. Now it was time for her performance.
Originally, Rose should have been the one he “bullied,” but because of his new idea, he had changed his plan.
He pointed at Rose. “I’m in a good mood today and willing to give you another chance to make amends. To be honest, the ingredient list you obtained is both real and fake because it’s missing the most crucial ingredient.”
Rose bit her lip, fed up with Kailun’s mischievousness.
If she had indestructible teeth, she would bite him to death.
“Yes, that’s the look. That look of disgust and helplessness.”
Kailun rested his chin on his hand. “Originally, I planned to have you learn from Chrissy tonight, but it’s too early for you. You’re not qualified, not qualified to ‘serve’ me. I can give you a chance to learn dancing from Hilna. If you can satisfy me, I’ll let you return to the Rose Kingdom. Otherwise, I’ll ‘eat’ you.”
Kailun continued to tease Rose, using his talent to influence her thoughts.
As part of his “fishing” plan, both Rose and Hilna were crucial.
The former was the bait, and the latter was the key to creating the “Unlucky Flower.”
Don’t forget that Hilna specialized in potionology. It might be possible to mutate the Sunset Flower through potions.
He just needed to provide enough mental power, and Hilna would have a chance to perfectly fulfill his needs.
Kailun himself could also do it, but he didn’t have that much free time.
[Rose’s Goodwill -1]
“You’re truly hopeless.”
Rose addressed him with respect, but her face showed none.
Kailun had said that she wasn’t even qualified to “serve” him. It made her furious.
She was just a bit older, in her twenties, but her figure and appearance were no worse than those younger girls, right?
A strange sense of competitiveness surged within her.
“Thank you for the compliment. So please watch Hilna’s performance carefully. You’re next. By the way, if you don’t take this seriously, I’ll send someone to tell your people that their Queen Rose has already sold the Rose Kingdom to me, for just one gold coin.”
Kailun sat in his chair, his legs crossed, his casual demeanor infuriating Rose.
They were currently in his study. He had called them over after finishing his work.
Rose: “…”
She remained silent, glaring at Kailun with resentment.
“You’ll keep your promise, right?” Hilna, wearing a beautiful dance dress, asked Kailun.
The confused Hilna wanted to find meaning in her existence. Shirley’s change had been the last straw.
“Of course. Look at Phils and Ella. They’re both in high positions, fulfilling their self-worth. If you want to regain your own worth, Princess, then be obedient, and I will fulfill your wish. And all you have to pay is a small change.”
Kailun leaned forward, his ten fingers interlaced, his aggressive gaze making Hilna take a step back.
She clutched her skirt, took a deep breath, and looked up. “I understand.”
Rose, watching this scene, felt a sense of shared misfortune. Another person had fallen before her eyes.
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