Unsealing Emptiness

They both dashed towards the estate from the side opposite the explosions.

Their plan was really simple; they wanted to divide the guards stationed inside the estate to minimize their loss. Together they would quickly deal with the royal guard who was also at the Soul Nurturing stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Confirming that his mask properly covered his face, Ozul flew in their direction. The two moons1 in the sky illuminated his figure gliding through the air, but no one in their right mind had the luxury to take a look in the sky.

. . .

The red-haired man sped forward followed by the blond-haired man to his right. Both carried their Spiritual Weapons which had made their strength so explosive.

These Spiritual Weapons were responsible for the deaths of numerous Nascent Souls. And they intended to add one more today.

.....

The leader had his shoulder-length red hair tied behind his back. His eyes reflected not the walls of the County Lord’s estate, but the near future in which he would torture that bastard to death.

Chaos ensued all around him as people scurried about.

Before he could reach the wall, however, the vice leader caught up to him and told him something that made him slow down.

Something unexpected had happened.

He had just gotten word from his men that the royal house’s guard, supposedly the estate’s lone Nascent Soul Realm expert, had marched towards the explosions!

This scenario alarmed him since, in the absence of the County Lord, the guard’s first responsibility should have been to defend the estate.

“Since when did the County Lord have a change of heart?” The Tiger Fangs’ leader mused aloud.

He could only speculate that the County Lord had instructed his guard to protect the County rather than the estate. But that would imply that the County Lord had turned over a new leaf, which was impossible because his son had not ceased kidnapping and killing women who opposed him. And he’d done nothing to put a stop to it.

“Should we stop?” The vice leader asked from the side. Even he felt something was off. Even he wanted revenge since he was arranged to marry the leader’s sister, but the situation had somehow gone off the rails.

The leader shook his head.

“We have come too far to stop now.”

After pulling this stunt, it would be even harder to kidnap the heir of the County Lord the next time. He didn’t want to abandon this opportunity just because ‘it didn’t feel right’.

The vice leader nodded and looked around at the soldiers stationed outside the gate.

He swung his blade and cut at the four of them, severing their heads in a single blow.

Next was the leader’s turn as he readied himself to bring down his giant red sword to destroy the gate. He twisted his wrists and suddenly the sharpened edges of the sword started burning!

“Haa!”

Just as he brought down the sword on the gate, something unexpected happened again.

The fire around his sword’s edges was extinguished and the entire force he had put behind the strike was nullified in an instant!

Blocking his path was nonother than the man who had appeared in their camp to ask for wine!

Anger bubbled inside him as he prepared to pull his sword for another strike, this time at the masked bastard who didn’t seem to know his place.

However, no matter how hard he tried, the giant sword refused to budge under the grasp of that strange black thing that the masked man was controlling.

The leader felt hopeless when he remembered how the masked man didn’t even flinch while nullifying his attack.

‘He’s stronger than I imagined!’ In frustration, the leader ground his teeth.

Unknown to him, Ozul was having a hard time dealing with that physical force. It took all his mental capacity to hold the Purity in its place without a single budge.

To create an illusion of power, he had to be flawless. Only then would his opponent hear what he had to say.

“I am not here to fight.”

The leader scoffed at his words as if he had heard a joke. If what he had done until now wasn’t meant to pick a fight, then what was it all for?

“I had business here, but since you gave me free wine, I have decided to pay my debt.”

“And how do you intend to do that?” The vice leader growled. Even he was shocked that the leader couldn’t get his sword back from the masked man’s grasp.

“By saving your lives.”

Their faces further scrunched up.

“Both of you are in the Soul Nurturing Stage. Even with these Spiritual Weapons, do you think both of you can take on a man in the Soul Liberation Stage?”

“What do you mean? There is no one like that in the estate!” The leader’s face darkened as he shouted back.

“Did you know that the County Lord’s father went into seclusion?”

“Yes? So what?”

“Well, he is back now.”

Their eyes immediately widened as they connected the dots. The County Lord’s father had long cut his connection to society. They never thought that he would achieve a breakthrough!

Still, he wasn’t ready to give up. He questioned, “...Why should we believe you?”

“It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not. I have paid my debt by warning you.” Ozul answered in a cold voice.

Just before leaving, he spoke once again, “Why would the royal guard leave the estate without any hesitation?”

He flew away in the middle of the night and before long, he was indistinguishable from the darkness.

The leader retracted his giant sword and both of them fell into contemplation.

They gripped the hilt of their swords so tightly that it hurt their own hands.

Yet, the reality could not be denied.

All of what the masked man said had made sense.

“Aah!!”

The leader roared before resigning to his fate. He had never felt so powerless ever before. This was his anger at the heavens for his luck. He felt like a cornered beast, unable to do anything!

He started shouting, “Order everyone to retreat!”

The fire burned inside his eyes as he vowed to take his revenge one day.

If they had a man in the Soul Liberation Stage, then all he had to do was to achieve a breakthrough as well!

“Retreat back to the camp!!”

The vice leader also started shouting orders to their men.

After attacking the County Lord’s estate, even if they hadn’t been able to step one foot inside, they had killed many capable soldiers. Once the County Lord returned, he would go to all lengths to search for them.

They had to retreat and make preparations now.

Although confused, the members of Tiger Fangs started running back. Some of them even dared to attack unsuspecting soldiers just to cause some damage while retreating.

. . .

As the Tiger Fangs retreated, Ozul didn’t wait for them. He had already rushed towards the County Lord’s heir.

Even if the Tiger Fangs didn’t heed his warning, he would still go through this plan.

Just that he would have to kill the Lord’s father while also killing all eyewitnesses before pinning all the blame on the Tiger Fangs. Everyone would suspect that maybe the leader of the Tiger Fangs had also broken through to the Soul Liberation Stage.

Lord’s father had been so focused on the explosions that he hadn’t noticed the approaching gang of Tiger Fangs, so he hadn’t acted.

Now, Ozul had to finish his work before the guards alerted him.

When he arrived at the window, he discovered the women had already fled and the County Lord’s heir was comfortably sleeping on the enormous bed. Even in the midst of all this turmoil, he hadn’t woken up.

Ozul decided to act quickly.

He released every bit of Purity that he could muster and sent it inside the room.

A strap of it covered his mouth first and the rest quickly enclosed the heir’s whole body!

He had only recently become a cultivator, so Ozul felt little to no resistance as he quickly soared through the sky, dragging the giant black cube with him.

Having noticed that the Tiger Fangs had also retreated without the old man’s knowledge, Ozul decided that his here had been done.

The only problem that remained now was the captive he had inside the cube. He had covered him completely so even if someone searched for him, they wouldn’t be able to trace his Spiritual Essence.

He had two options: deliver the guy to the Tiger Fangs and let them do whatever they wanted with him, or murder the heir and dispose of the body himself.

If he dropped him to the Tiger Fangs, they would surely be suspicious of him. Warning them to pay off the wine debt worked once, but going so far as to kidnap the heir of the County for them was too much.

‘They might do something unexpected when they become suspicious.’

He had already sensed the feelings of the leader and vice leader. They’d both been suppressing their emotions for quite some time. If he agitated them any more, they may make some rash decisions.

.....

‘They could share my appearance and circulate rumors that I was behind the kidnapping and they were only there to plunder some folks amid the ruckus.’

Ozul dabbled with the most ridiculous scenarios, but he didn’t want to risk it with those two guys who could erupt in rage at any moment.

‘Haa...’

He groaned, his weary eyes dropping. He could only select the option that would bring him the least amount of hassle.