Chapter 10 Bad News

It was nighttime in Cloudwater City. In the Boly Family's Estate... "What happened, Mandy? Who hurt you so badly?" Morris Boly, the head of the Boly Family, had his eyes turned red at the sight of his daughter's broken limbs. "Father... It was Marcus Thorne," Mandy murmured weakly. "Marcus Thorne? That wretched brat? Dang it! No, wait. How could a fool like him possibly harm you? Could the old ones of the Thorne Family be involved in this too?" "Of course, that must be it! Talk about the nerve of the Thorne Family! Stay here and rest up, Mandy. I'll gather some men and raze them to the ground!" Morris' roar echoed like a thunderclap. However... "Don't go, Father! The Thorne Family is extremely dangerous!" Mandy warned with her voice trembling. "Huh? What was that? What kind of danger could the Thorne Family possibly pose?" Morris questioned in disbelief. He knew the Thorne Family like the back of his hand. Even Frederick Thorne, their strongest cultivator, was no match for him when it came to strength. "The Thorne Family killed my master," Mandy added. "What?" Morris was stunned for a moment. Mandy's master, Madison Xander, was a formidable Void Realm cultivator. How could someone of that caliber have fallen to the Thorne Family? Could it be that the Thorne Family had a secret trump card hidden up their sleeves? "Give me the Communicating Talisman, Father. I need to contact the guild and the God of War Mansion. Only they have the power to avenge me!" Mandy commanded with unyielding hatred. Meanwhile, over at the Jade Swords Guild at the mountain's peak... "Something terrible has happened, Mr. Harris!" A gray-robed middle-aged man rushed into the main hall hurriedly with his face pale. The Grand Master of Jade Swords Guild, Neil Harris, slowly opened his eyes. Then, he furrowed his brows as he glanced at the man. "You're not a kid anymore, Frank. Why are you always so easily flustered? What's the matter this time?" Neil asked in a calm and composed tone. Frank Henderson's expression darkened as he answered, "The Boly Family sent word, Mr. Harris. Madison was killed by the Thorne Family in Borderwatch!" "What did you say?" Neil's composure shattered as he asked in disbelief. "Tell me everything, now!" "Mandy claimed that she asked Madison to put off her engagement with the Thorne Family. However, not only did the Thorne Family refuse, but they also turned hostile. They refused and ambushed Madison, killing him outright! They even forfeited Mandy Boly's cultivation!" "That's not all... Marcus Thorne also threatened that he'll march into our guild and slaughter all of us to erase our legacy in three months!" Frank revealed. A frosty glint flashed in Neil's eyes, though he quickly composed himself. "The woman's story sounds dubious at best. She's trying to manipulate us into solving her problems," Neil said. Frank was surprised, and he scratched his head. "You have a point, as always, Mr. Harris. Such a thought has never crossed my mind. Well... Do we just ignore it if that's the case?" Neil's eyes gleamed sharply. "Absurd! How can we ignore it? Madison is dead, and it is no fabrication even if her tale is false. Blood for blood it is!" Frank quickly nodded. "Exactly! Madison deserves justice. Shall I head down the mountain now and wipe the Thorne Family off the map?" Neil only cast a disappointed glance at Frank. "When will you ever learn to think before you speak, Frank? Madison has reached the Fifth Level of Void Realm. His strength was on par with yours. Do you really think charging in by yourself would help at all?" Frank paused, rubbing his chin before nodding. "You're right... How about I gather a few disciples of Void Realm to join me?" Neil shook his head firmly. "No. We don't know the enemy's true strength yet. Acting recklessly now can certainly backfire. Besides, the guild is probably preoccupied with that matter right now. We can't spare any disciples of Void Realm at the moment." Frank frowned. "I am running out of ideas. What's your plan then, Mr. Harris?" Neil's eyes drifted toward a token engraved with the character—God of War. "Mandy caught the attention of the Crown Prince of God of War, didn't she?" Neil asked. Frank nodded. "Yeah, that sounds about right." "We shall let those from the God of War Mansion handle this. We've been breaking our backs for them for long enough. It's only fair if they return the favor every once in a while." Frank's eyes immediately lit up, and he gave a thumbs-up. "That's such a genius move, Mr. Harris!" Meanwhile, in the God of War Mansion at the Nightwind Kingdom Capital... "Ah... Nothing beats this feeling!" The slender Crown Prince of God of War emerged from behind heavy curtains. Faint silhouettes of roughly seven women were visible behind him. Their vitality appeared to be completely drained. "Master's Draining Technique really is something else! A single night of practicing this is as effective as half a month of arduous cultivation!" "Too bad they're just ordinary women. If only they were spirits..." Just then, an evil thought crossed the Crown Prince's mind, and a sly smile crept across his face. "Hmm... I shall let Mandy Boly cultivate for another six months. She should be enough to push me into the Spiritual Realm once I have drained her essence by then!"