Chapter 166 - Unlucky encounters 

The Sun Merchant employee being questioned liked that was forced to tell the location of her superiors. One of them saw Luna first and the group of six divided up feeling blessed that one of their targets was right in front of them. One came to take Luna while the other 5 ran upstairs to find the rest of their targets. After all, luna was not powerful enough to get away from any of them. The fact that they did not know that Fiona and Xue were not here gave Luna an advantage to make a run from the last member. Waiting for the other five to go in search of the people that were not there, Luna planned her escape. Using three talismans, a blinding light talisman, another one that made her run faster and create a shield protecting her, Luna ran. She ordered the guards to protect her, they were already injured from before, but they bought her enough time to gain a lead.

She ran through the streets and towards Aile's mansion, but the person following her soon caught up. Not being surprised by her talismans any more she lost her advantage. She also did not have any high-level offensive talisman that could hurt him, she was going to be taken. Fortunately for her, the area was frequented by Hazel's adventurer's union and a group was passing close by.

The adventurer's union, the house and the merchant union were in the same area. Luna asked for their help, and after showing her badge, they came to her aide. Seeing his prey try to run away, the kidnapper tried to slow down Luna, he stabbed her in the abdomen. In hopes of slowing her down and catching her after he deals with the adventurers' pest. Wounded and bleeding, Luna made the last stretch and arrived at the mansion, where she was taken inside and healed. A group of 3 has come to retrieve her since and were caught. The culprits were no doubt the royals and Marquis Andrew taking advantage of the fact that the balance of strength shifted in their favour. He seemed to be blinded with power as he had demanded the return of those three individuals. His demand was more of a threat than anything else. Not worrying or caring if the Sun Merchant Union was aware of his involvement. Knowing that the leader of the team was a close aide of Marquis Andrew and a 5th stage powerhouse, it was understandable that Marquis Andrew wanted his return.

Aile listened, and the story only stirred his anger. Once again, he nodded at Three to continue.

Luna was not facing long-lasting damage, but the person's weapon had some coating that has put her to sleep. With the Marquis's rising influence Three refrained from calling a healer, as Luna was not poisoned or influenced in any negative way, she was just sleeping. If an enemy entered the premises without Aile and Hazel, the problem would have escalated. Although Aile has the majority of the healers as retainers, they are not trustworthy and only work for money.

Aile checked her pulse and using his soul evaluated her. Sensing the anomaly, Aile sighed in relive and said, "It is a weak variant of Nightshade, and it will be cured with some fire grass."

Diana rolled her eyes at the people gathered, and Three looked down, embarrassed. It seemed Diana had offered a similar conjecture, and she was ignored. Zero immediately brought a stack of fire grass to Aile. She was ready and had trusted Diana, so she kept a stack ready. Aile squeezed the grass until a thick liquid was extracted and fed Luna the extract.

While waiting for Luna to wake up, Three continued to narrate the third attack of the royal group. The third attack was even more daring. The leading member of the white-clothed individual had gone to request a duel with Hunter. This was a common practice of giving leeway to an enemy.

It might seem counter-intuitive, but this practice had a clear goal. Each side has something to gain if the aggressor wins the moral of the defeated party would be lowered. Knowing that the defeat of their powerhouse would be imminent in confrontation, it usually results in the white flag being raised by the losing party.

No death would occur as a result of a bloody drawn-out war, and the losing party could be absorbed into the winning or an agreed price would be paid.

If the aggressor loses then the defender would get the promise of peace from a few days to months or years. Being on the defending and weaker side, Hunter agreed, even a single day of delay would be enough for him. As the requested reinforcements from the White Clan's side would arrive.

With that, the fight started, and Hunter noticed that his enemy was just a 5th stage powerhouse of the white-clothed reinforcement and not the leader, he had a bad premonition. But the fifth stage kept him at bay for an hour as he was not willing to reveal his 7th stage of cultivation or his fighting strength.

During this time a small team of experts had gone to get Violet. Not knowing that Violet had sneaked out, and left on the trip with Aile. As a reserved person who had been staying in her chamber for days after Ellie left, no one noticed that she was gone, they expected her to stay in her room. After all, she was not the kind to leave the house without other people's knowledge.

Therefore when the enemy tried to go for her the White Clan's side too fought tooth a nail preventing the royal side from achieving victory. Had they let them to Violet's room and surround them, the fight would have been less complex.

After a bloody battle, the team of Marquis Andrew won, coming here prepared. But Violet was nowhere to be seen. Hunter getting the news of the attack, finished his fight no longer concerning himself on the duel's rules and came dragging the 5th stage powerhouse with him, expecting to trade him for Violet in the best case.

Appearing and seeing that Violet was missing, Hunter took out his anger on the people of the royal group. He beat them black and blue until one of his subordinates found a letter addressed to him.

Opening it and expecting to face the biggest dilemma of his life, choosing between the White Clan and his family. Hunter found it hard to continue, he took his time to open and see the demands. Once he opened the letter, his face twitched, and he was not sure how to react.

He was relieved, pissed, annoyed and not sure how to behave.

The letter read,

"Hello, dad,

I do not want to be watched, I am going on a little adventure, do not worry, I trust these people. I will be back in 4-5 days."

Violet, who had always been obedient, had left once again and avoided another tragedy. The first time, escaping the Sacred Mountain with Ellie before the disaster struck. Can he be mad that she was not caught? What should he say to her? What if she becomes more willful and something happens to her later? She might get complacent and feel she is right every time. Hunter was baffled and was not sure how to discipline her for this action of hers.

On the one side, he was happy she was saved from another plot, on the other side she left with someone to who knows where. Is she safe? Will she be kidnapped by another party or worst...? Preventing his thoughts from going on the darker path, he remembered something. He knew that she only ever appreciated and was interested in one group. So it was a safe bet to think that she went on a mission with the Moon Merchant's adventurer group.

As a cunning middle-aged man, he took the opportunity and shouted at his guards to look for Violet.

Hiding Violet and preventing such a situation from happening again was ideal for him. Therefore he wanted to have a talk with the boss of Moon Merchant Union and make it seem like Violet indeed had gone missing. Removing one of his weakness and giving Violet the freedom that she sought for. This would be, of course, after he thinks of a way to punish her, as she made him worry about her. He almost revealed his 7th stage of cultivation to squash the royal side.

Aile listening to Three understood the situation and Hunter's plan. Keeping Violet safe was something he too wanted, so he understood why Hunter wanted to get a hold of him recently. Aile asked Xue, One and Two if everyone kept their mask on when entering the town. They nodded and understood Aile's chain of thought and said that someone was waiting for them at moon merchant union, and after talking with Violet, she left with him. They were sure it was Hunter.

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