Chapter 1096: Chapter 1096: Tiger’s Den, Wolf’s Lair
No wonder he wanted so badly to obtain the Jiu Hua Divine Cauldron.
Qin Sisi finally realized who the black-robed figure was that had poisoned her, and her heart was filled with a mix of shock and sorrow.
The shocking part was that soone who appeared so polite and refined would stoop to using poison to steal soone else’s artifact.
The sorrowful part was that a Forging Master, who should depend on persistent practice to grow stronger, was instead pinning his hopes on a forging cauldron, revealing a flawed character that precluded true greatness.
The later black-robed man sneered, saying, "Your clothes aren’t an issue, but your shoes—they’re standard issue for the Forging Master Guild."
The earlier black-robed figure looked as if he’d been struck by lightning, frozen in place for what felt like an eternity. His ticulous planning ended up unraveling due to a pair of shoes.
Exposed, he panicked and fled in the direction he’d co from, disappearing swiftly into the boundless night.
The cunning wolf had departed, but the vicious tiger still remained.
The burly later black-robed figure, seeing his peer flee, let out a contemptuous snort, then strode toward Qin Sisi. He picked up the black cloth sack from the ground and re-covered her, slinging her over his shoulder before bounding away with agile leaps.
Qin Sisi’s consciousness was recovering slowly. She probed the black-robed man with her Divine Sense and discovered that a dense red glow emanated from his body—he was a Magic Spirit, and not just any, but a High-level Magic Spirit.
This realization filled her with despair. She tried to stir the magic within her body, and although there was so movent, it was less than one-tenth of what it should be—a level far too weak to contend with the black-robed man.
As he carried her, the black-robed man alternated between sprinting and leaping, jolting Qin Sisi to the point where she nearly passed out.
After an indeterminate amount of ti, she felt that he had begun to fly and then entered a towering building. She could hear his footsteps echoing as he moved.
Gradually, the sound of footsteps grew chaotic, and it seed as though people were regularly passing by. Every so often, voices calling out "Elderly Fourth" pierced the air nearby.
Suppressing the disorienting dizziness in her head, Qin Sisi began to think. Elderly Fourth? Was he an elder assisting the Clan Leader in managing the family? Midair City was the Changkong family’s territory—could the black-robed man be the Changkong family’s Elderly Fourth?
In her dazed state, another "Elderly Fourth" echoed nearby. Qin Sisi suddenly found the voice familiar, yet she couldn’t imdiately place it.
Before she could piece together any clues, the sound of a lock opening reached her ears, followed by the sensation of herself being roughly thrown to the ground once more.
She let out a muffled cry, struggling to sit up, when suddenly a bright light pierced her vision. The cloth sack covering her was torn away. Her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden brightness, but before she could, soone grabbed her neck from behind and forced a drop of liquid into her mouth.
As the liquid slid down her throat, Qin Sisi felt the magic she had barely begun to stir steadily dissipating. Even her Magic Source grew murky and indistinct—completely unresponsive, let alone interactive.
Poison again! Qin Sisi gritted her teeth silently. These people, fearing any resistance, used poison to suppress one’s magical power, leaving them utterly defenseless.
When she finally managed to sit up and survey her surroundings, she froze in shock.
She had been placed in a narrow cell, its three sides made of solid stone, and its fourth side a barrier of thick iron bars. Outside, two blazing fires illuminated the area, and two armored guards stood vigil.
Even more shocking was the scene inside the cell. Dozens of young won, ranging in age from their teens to mid-twenties, were huddled together. Their vacant eyes reflected overwhelming fear as they crowded close to one another.
At what should have been the pri of their youth, they looked more like flowers stripped of sunlight—withered and lifeless.
Qin Sisi’s head buzzed as she suddenly thought of the string of missing young won’s cases spanning over a decade. Could they be the grim answer to those mysteries?
But it had been over ten years. Judging by their ages, it was impossible for these won to have been imprisoned here for that long. They must have been abducted relatively recently, just as she had been.
Why was this group targeting so many young won? Could it really be for Jiu Ge? But why did so return unscathed while others vanished entirely?
Jiu Ge—could he truly be such a person?
Qin Sisi moved closer to the nearest girl and asked softly, "Where are you from?"
The girl glanced at Qin Sisi, her lips trembling slightly, but she did not utter a word.
Recognizing her fear, Qin Sisi tried to be as gentle as possible. "Don’t be afraid. Do you know where this place is?"
Qin Sisi’s gentle tone seed to relax the girl a little. She opened her mouth, just managing to say "I" before a booming voice barked from outside, "Sit still! No talking, or I’ll beat all of you!"
The girl flinched and recoiled, afraid to utter another word, even inching away from Qin Sisi as though terrified she would draw further attention.
Qin Sisi sighed inwardly. The won here bore various scars—evidence of frequent beatings. It was no wonder they were so terrified.
She cast a cold glance toward the guards outside the iron bars. The one who had just shouted at them happened to et her gaze.
Smirking arrogantly, the guard said, "You—new one—behave yourself. Or you’ll be the first one to be sacrificed."
Upon hearing this, the other won quickly shuffled away from Qin Sisi, seemingly frightened that she would bring them misfortune.
Qin Sisi couldn’t resent these helpless girls living in constant fear. She moved away herself, creating a distance from the others.
The word "sacrifice" echoed in her mind.
Sacrifice to whom?
She rembered Yu Miao once telling her that the Changkong family raised hundreds, if not thousands, of Blood Eagles beneath Soul-breaking Cliff, feeding them human flesh.
Could this sacrifice the guard ntioned an the sa thing?
By conventional wisdom, sacrifices were typically dead. If that were the case, the won captured early on were likely dood by now.
More than an hour passed, yet Qin Sisi’s magical power showed no signs of stirring, filling her with growing urgency.
Unable to summon her magic, she was as powerless as the other won trapped in this dark and cramped cell. How could she possibly escape such a dismal place?
Just then, chaotic footsteps echoed from the distance, as if a group of people were approaching the cell.
"Elderly Fourth," the two guards imdiately stood up, puffing out their chests and greeting the newcors.
Qin Sisi strained her ears to listen, her heart pounding.
The Elderly Fourth who had brought her here had returned. What did he want this ti? Was it about her, or about the innocent young won imprisoned with her?
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