Inside the Ghostly Crow Clan's Battleship, Yughen's wives did their best to heal him and take care of him as they made their way back. He was on a bed that was quickly soaked with his blood all the time. Nonetheless, they repeatedly changed the sheets by lifting him with soul force and bandaging him again and again while they let the High-Level Autarch Grade Healing Pill do its work.
They had gotten this out of the Treasury after a fierce altercation with the Grand Elders, who were double-minded about the Ghostly Crow Realm Master's survival. But finally, they managed to win but that was all. In truth, they were gotten rid of in exchange since they needed to confront the Divine Emperor of Death. They were sacrificed but the Divine Emperor of Death let them return for some reason. "Bastards... they would hope we had died so that they could introduce a new Realm Master..." The second wife, Rita, clenched her fists and stamped her feet.
"Don't worry. We'll retaliate... even if our powers won't support us..."
The first wife, Fillia, spoke with a calm attitude while she was bandaged on the shoulder by another sister who accompanied them.
They couldn't help but turn to look at their husband. Their expressions then turned sad.
The Ghostly Crow Realm Master was entirely weak. He would need a week to reclaim his full strength, but upon returning to the Ghostly Crow Lower Realm, he would feel the connection again and finally be filled with energy, so there might be a good chance for him to help them, but they didn't expect it since he was deeply wounded, both in heart and soul.
They were worried about the latter the most. They had never seen him so down and defeated, making them nearly cry.
"Ah, please lie down for some more time..." Kruna, the third wife, saw the Ghostly Crow Realm Master waking up.
His skin was restored, but there were still a lot of open wounds left. His wings also started to grow back, and his head, which had been bald, now possessed short hair. Still, he kept his eyes closed since eyeballs wouldn't easily regenerate.
It may take more time.
The Ghostly Crow Realm Master Yughen forcefully sat up and waved his hand to stop his wives from putting him back in a sleeping position.
He heaved a long breath and took a deep breath, filled with affection for them. He cast a glance at his first wife, where he could sense her.
"Fillia, you don't need to fulfill the third condition. No one needs to." He panned his gaze at them.
"Be the Divine Emperor of Death said that your life will be taken without fail." Fillia shook her head, her expression not good.
Yughen shook his head, "He said that the third condition is optional, not only because it is not required for me to be released but to say- it doesn't have to be you or any of you. Let me take care of it. I will reign in those traitors who tried to take advantage of a grueling time I made a... mistake..."
His expression hardened. He couldn't believe he would consider this a mistake since a Realm Master's responsibility was to also destroy evil. Nonetheless, he did deeply regret his actions. At that time, he could only wonder how heroic he would've been if he managed to kill an Anarchic Divergent and had completely forgotten about the consequences.
The time was also short for him to consider, so he just released an arrow without thinking much. Never would he have imagined that it would've almost cost him his life, not to mention be thoroughly humiliated and thrashed until he begged to be beaten up.
"..." Fillia and the others were quite shocked by this revelation.
How can the Divine Emperor of Death demand them to show their will to survive and not expect them to abide by their words?
"He said it himself." Yughen added after he saw them remain unconvinced, "He wants the Realm Core just like how he conquered the Verdant Vale and Whispering Wildlands Lower Realms. He's trying to create an internal feud and split our clan before finally swooping in with his forces and claiming the Realm Core, so don't fall for it."
"That-"
Fillia pursed her lips. How could she be naive enough to fall for that? Regardless, she did indeed hate a Grand Elder whose influence completely barred them from uniting the clan to negotiate and save the Ghostly Crow Realm Master, their husband, so they hated that Grand Elder to the bones.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of that Grand Elder. I'll poison him. It's Grand Elder Drovas, isn't it?"
The Ghostly Crow Realm Master guessed with a knowing expression, causing Fillia and the others to be surprised but nod.
"Alright."
Fillia gave her word. However, her eyes were lowered as she raised her hand and touched her shoulder, feeling a sense of despair. She cast a glance at her husband, her eyes turning moist before a smile ran across her lips.
'I won't let you be blamed...'
========
Two days later.
In one of the many palaces in the Ghostly Crow Clan, a family sat, partaking in dinner, "Did you all hear? It seems the Realm Master is back in one piece." A young man clad in black chuckled.
His handsome face had a devilish look to it, and he possessed similar black wings to that of the Realm Master.
"Seriously? I heard that he had been crippled by the Divine Emperor of Death. Was that false?" A black-haired lady with a gothic look looked unamused.
She appeared to the mother of the young man, her looks exquisite and her body curvaceous. She exhibited a mature charm.
The others shrugged while chugging wine or feasting on the food.
A white-haired man finally opened his mouth, "That's merely a rumor. However, it seems like he was beaten up pretty badly. He won't be able to move for a week, so I plan to gather the other Grand Elders and plan to make him step down. He has made a lot of mistakes and won't be able to keep his position anymore unless he turns into a tyrant. Ankuui, you will become the next Realm Master without fail."
"Yes, grandfather."
The young man became polite and nodded.
Afterward, he continued feasting on the food before him when, suddenly, his little sister by his side spat out
mouthful of blood.
Instantly, he was alarmed, and so were the others.
They stood up while the grandfather instantly rushed towards the little sister.
However, he found himself unable to stop and stumbled onto the floor, barely holding himself from hitting the floor as he felt limp.
"This... this is..."
He quickly used his senses to investigate his body and found that he had been poisoned and paralyzed!
The lavish dining hall, once filled with clinking cups and lazy laughter, turned eerily quiet, with only coughing remaining in the scene. The scent of roasted meats and aged wine still lingered in the air, but it could no longer mask the coppery taste of blood now being coughed up.
Ankuui turned to his mother in horror, but before he could move, his arms began to tremble uncontrollably. His limbs lost strength, slipping from beneath him as he collapsed to his knees while trying to catch his breath.
The white-haired Grand Elder clawed at the wall, his cultivation surging in defiance. However, it was in vain. His meridians were sluggish, his fey immortal energy dulled as though wrapped in a fine, invisible net, unable to be used.
"This... this isn't... possible," he gasped, blood trickling down his lips.
How could he- a Level Five Autarch with a prowess that's one level higher fall to this
kind of scheme?
Around the table, one by one, family members dropped, groaning in confusion, limbs
failing them, eyes wide with disbelief.
Then came the sound. Soft, unhurried footsteps echoed through the grand chamber.
Fillia entered the dining hall, her violet-black robes flowing like ink in water. Her black
hair was pinned high, her expression composed and cold, like she was an elegant beauty sculpted in vengeance. The sight of her caused Ankuui's mother to scream, though her voice was choked and broken.
"You..." Grand Elder Drovas trembled, "Lady Fillia..."
This woman who only wore white actually wore black this time around!