The illusory figure sitting on the throne of white bones seemed like the ruler of darkness, exuding terrifying might and power as though omnipresent.
“Who is he?”
When she spoke, her voice had a unique charm and was as mysterious as the night.
Vaguely, the illusory figure transformed into a woman. Her hair was bunched together in a high bun and secured with a black wooden phoenix hairpin. She looked very young with fair, soft skin and her blue eyes had a detached indifference seen only with superiors.
She was dressed in a gorgeous, tailored black formal robe that accentuated her slender and perfect figure. On the pinky of her fair right hand was a black gemstone ring. The ring was jet-black like eternal darkness and it resembled an open eye.
The Queen of Darkness.
The woman, who was an integration of elegance, beauty and nobility, exuded a solitary and vacant aura of darkness.
It was a kind of darkness that seemed capable of devouring souls and sinking everything including time.
It was just that, in the eyes of the old man, all he saw was a graceful figure from the darkness. He saw nothing apart from that.
“He isn’t from Feiyun Village.”The old man bowed his head as he spoke and his voice was gentle and calm. “I have personally investigated and found out that three months before he came to Feiyun Village, the Violet Abyss Prison Mine that the founding emperor abandoned back then was completely destroyed one night and not a trace remained.”
The Queen of Darkness fell silent on the throne of bones. After a long while, she asked, “Do you mean he is the child from back then?”
The old man shook his head and continued, “I investigated the area where the Violet Abyss Mine Prison was originally located. I am just puzzled that, given Lin Xun’s cultivation level of the second layer True Martial Stage at the time, it would take him at least one year to reach Feiyun Village. There is a huge clash between three months and one year.”
The Queen of the Darkness’s voice was cold as she said, “There’s no clash. Given Lu Boya's ability, it is completely possible for him to set up a transportation rune formation and instantly teleport the child out of the Violet Abyss Mine Prison.”
The old man’s eyes narrowed in surprise. “Lu Boya didn’t die!?”
The Queen of Darkness nodded, “At this point, there’s no need to hide it from you anymore. The reason why I insisted on going to the Great Three Thousand Mountains a year ago was to pay Lu Boya a visit.”
The name sent the old man’s emotions roiling and a dazed look came to his kind and gentle face.
Only after a long while, the old man finally responded with a complicated expression, “No wonder. I heard from Xue Jin that Lin Xun has unimaginable skills in the art of runes. I was puzzled as to who he learned them from. It turned out to be Lu Boya.”
His expression was a mixture of surprise, astonishment and bewilderment. He couldn't imagine why Lu Boya, who was confirmed to have died long ago, was still alive.
“The death of Lu Boya back then has always been a mystery. Only I know the truth. All the higher-ups of the empire and the group of old people on the stargazing platform had been deceived by Lu Boya.”
The Queen of the Darkness’s calm voice seemed to be fluctuating, showing her unsteady emotions. “It’s just that, now, it seems that Lu Boya is really dead.”
It was as if she was very upset about Lu Boya’s death.
The old man also fell silent. If the Violet Abyss Mine Prison created by the founding emperor himself had been destroyed, then how could Lu Boya still be alive?
“Lu Boya didn’t die back then but he took the child who should have died long ago and hid in the Violet Abyss Mine Prison. But he likely didn’t expect that a disaster would suddenly descend upon him and take his life.”
The old man sighed, complicated emotions swirling in his eyes, as if he was reminiscing about the past.
The Queen of Darkness’s voice had regained its usual indifference and calmness. “What I'm curious about is whether the person destroyed the Violet Abyss Mine Prison to kill Lu Boya or Lin Xun.”
The old man’s eyes narrowed. This question was very important. If it was to kill Lu Boya, it would suggest that they were unaware of Lin Xun’s identity.
If it was to kill Lin Xun, it would prove that the murderer didn’t know that Lu Boya, who was already proven dead back then, was a person full of mysteries.
Of course, the murderer might wanted to kill both Lu Boya and Lin Xun.
“Only Lu Boya knows what happened back then. Lin Xun wouldn’t have been able to survive if not for him. It’s just a pity that the mystery can’t be solved after his death.” The Queen of Darkness sighed.
The old man pondered for a moment and said, “Miss, let’s not talk about the past. Now that we know about Lin Xun’s background, do we—”
The Queen of Darkness interrupted, “Cover the matter.”
The old man was baffled. “Cover it?”
The Queen of the Darkness said indifferently, “Only Lu Boya knows about the reason so since Lu Boya didn’t tell him the reason, we shouldn’t overstep our place and meddle in the matter. Unless one day he possesses the power that will make me change my mind. Only then will he have the qualification to know about everything.”
The old man nodded.
Faint footsteps suddenly sounded from the depths of the castle.
“Let’s call it a day.”
The figure of the Queen of the Darkness suddenly turned illusory on the throne of bones and gradually disappeared into nothingness.
The old man bowed with impeccable manners before he turned around and left the darkness-shrouded castle.
Just as they both vanished, a little girl cloaked in a black robe that concealed her face appeared.
The night-like darkness in the ancient castle seemed to not affect her vision as she quickly came to the empty throne of bones.
“It’s useless to hide from me. You can isolate your conversations from the world, but you can’t hide it from darkness, and I come from the darkness,” the little girl murmured.
“Little Sister Xia Zhi, Little Sister Xia Zhi.”
Suddenly, a clear and bright voice rang out and a ray of bright violet light cut through the darkness from the distance.
Upon a closer look, it was a youngster around twelve to thirteen years old. He was clad in a robe brighter than snow that accentuated his red lips and pearly white teeth. His eyes were as bright as the stars but his most unusual feature was the natural violet lotus mark between his brows.
Although he was only a youngster, he radiated a sacred violet glow around his body with every movement he made. He had an extraordinary transcendent bearing like an immortal.
The youngster’s eyes grew even brighter when he saw Xia Zhi standing in the dark. He said with a smile, “Little Sister Xia Zhi, why are you here? Aren’t you afraid of Lord Darkness scolding you?”
His expression and manner were unusually affectionate and warm.
Xia Zhi ignored him, turned around, and walked away.
The youngster wasn’t bothered by her lack of response. He stepped forward, looked at Xia Zhi with a blazing gaze and said, “Little Sister Xia Zhi, I have discussed this with my father yesterday. When I break through to the Heaven Ascension Stage, he will discuss marriage with Lord Darkness and betrothe you to me.”
Xia Zhi remained silent and completely disregarded the youngster’s existence.
The young man seemed to understand Xia Zhi’s personality very well. He didn’t take offense and just smiled. “To tell you the truth, given my innate talent, Golden Sea Violet Lotus, I’m absolutely confident that I will reach the Heaven Ascension Stage at the age of fifteen. In three years, we can be together.”
The youngster gazed at her, his eyes full of longing and excitement.
Xia Zhi suddenly halted her footsteps and broke the silence, “No one can control who I want to be with.”
After she said that, she continued to move forward in the dark, her slender figure seeming particularly lonely in the darkness.
The youngster finally couldn’t remain composed. His voice contained a tinge of anger as he said, “Little Sister Xia Zhi, besides I, Chi Cangfeng, who is a better match for you in this world? Who in the empire can compete with me in terms of talent, background and cultivation?”
Xia Zhi ignored him and continued to walk away. Soon, she came to a bronze door in the depths of the castle.
She raised her hand and was about to push open the door when the youngster called Chi Cangfeng sped over and stood in front of her. He took a deep breath and said resolutely, “Little Sister Xia Zhi, I just want to tell you that you belong to me. No one in this world can take you away from me.”
Xia Zhi suddenly raised her head, but without any visible movement, Chi Cangfeng was uncontrollably blasted across the air and landed more than ten feet away.
Xia Zhi didn’t even glance at him. She pushed the bronze door and walked through, the door rumbling shut behind her.
Chi Cangfeng squatted on the ground, his eyes fixed intently on the closed door. A chilling fierceness came to his handsome face.
“Xia Zhi, you will be mine. Even if Lord Darkness is around, he won’t be able to protect you for many years. At that time, whether you like it or not, you will be my woman. In this world, only you are worthy of becoming my woman. Only you can match I, Chi Cangfeng,” the youngster muttered. He rose to his feet and drew a deep breath. The ruthless look and anger faded from his face and he restored calmness to his features.
He strolled through the Castle of Darkness, his body exuding wisps of sacred violet light. At such a young age, he already had a unique and extraordinary bearing.
“Lord Darkness, junior will take my leave now. In three years, I will pay another visit with my father.”
When he came to the gate of the ancient castle, he bowed slightly towards the darkness and pushed the door open.
After Chi Cangfeng left, the entire Castle of Darkness fell into complete silence, only darkness remained.
If anyone was present they would be astonished to see that a teenager who clearly didn’t belong to the Castle of Darkness, a forbidden place in the empire, could come and go freely.
After a long moment, a low and charming voice sounded in the Castle of Darkness. “The Chi Family has begun to come and feel me out. It’s getting more and more interesting. I also would like to see who will be the first to be unable to sit still among you all.”
On the winding stone path in the mountains, the old man watched Chi Cangfeng as he left. His brows were imperceptibly scrunched together and he couldn’t help but look at the Castle of Darkness standing atop the mountain. What is Miss thinking?