I slamd the young man against the wall, my forearm pressed against his throat just hard enough to make breathing difficult.
"Tell again," I growled, "where Anthony Harding is right now."
"I swear—" he choked, his face reddening, "I don't know! He hasn't been ho since yesterday!"
The servant's eyes bulged with fear. I'd broken into the Harding estate minutes earlier, bypassing the security system with embarrassing ease. The house was mostly empty—just a skeleton staff maintaining the mansion.
"But you know sothing," I insisted, easing the pressure just enough to let him speak. "Anthony's involved in Clara's disappearance, and I need to find them both. Now."
"Please," he gasped. "Check his study! Second floor, end of the hall. He spends hours there alone. Maybe there's sothing—"
I released him abruptly. "Show ."
The servant massaged his throat, nodding frantically as he led upstairs. My patience had evaporated hours ago. Clara and Maia had been missing for nearly twenty-four hours now, and every second felt like torture.
Anthony's study was locked, but that hardly mattered. One kick shattered the ornate wooden door. Inside, I found an immaculately organized space—leather-bound books, expensive furniture, and a massive mahogany desk.
"Leave," I ordered the servant, who scurried away without protest.
I tore through drawers, rifled through papers, and checked beneath furniture. Nothing seed suspicious until I noticed a loose floorboard under the Persian rug. Prying it up revealed a small safe.
Concentrating my qi into my fingertips, I placed my hand against the tal. A simple lock like this was no match for my abilities. Within seconds, the safe clicked open.
Inside lay a jade box identical to the one described in the maintenance worker's story—the box that supposedly contained a pill given by the mysterious old man.
My phone buzzed. William Vance.
"Any news?" I demanded, not bothering with pleasantries.
"Police found Maia," his voice cracked. "Unconscious by the side of the road near Blackpine Mountain. She's in the hospital now, but Clara... there's still no sign of her."
My heart sank. "Is Maia conscious? Has she said anything?"
"Not yet," William replied. "Liam... they're saying she might not wake up. Sothing's happened to her qi pathways—the doctors can't explain it."
Ice ford in my veins. "I'm at Anthony's house now. Found sothing strange. I need to speak with him imdiately."
"I'll send you his known locations," William said. "Please... find my daughter."
I ended the call, clutching the jade box tightly. Whatever Anthony had gotten himself involved in, it went far beyond a simple kidnapping.
---
I found Anthony Harding at his family's private gym downtown. The staff didn't even try to stop when I stord past the reception desk. They must have read sothing in my expression that warned them not to interfere.
Anthony was alone, pumling a heavy bag with surprising strength. He turned when he heard the door slam behind .
"Knight," he sneered, wiping sweat from his brow. "To what do I owe this unwelco—"
I crossed the distance between us in a blur, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the mirrored wall hard enough to crack the glass.
"Where is Clara?" I demanded, fury barely contained in my voice.
Anthony's eyes widened with genuine shock before narrowing again. "I don't know what you're talking about. Release before I call security."
"The race track, Anthony," I hissed. "You sabotaged Clara's car, then took her and Maia sowhere. Maia was found half-dead on Blackpine Mountain, but Clara is still missing."
Sothing flickered across his face—fear, guilt, perhaps both—but he quickly composed himself.
"You're delusional," he scoffed. "I was at the track, yes, but I didn't—"
I tightened my grip, lifting him slightly so his feet barely touched the floor.
"I'm not here to debate," I snarled. "I found your little jade box. The one with the pill. Tell what happened on that mountain or I'll crush your throat right here."
Real panic flashed in his eyes now. "You... you went through my things?"
"The maintenance worker saw you tampering with Clara's car," I continued, ignoring his question. "And a traffic cara caught your car heading up Blackpine Mountain with both won inside. Start talking."
Anthony struggled against my grip, but I was imasurably stronger. Finally, sothing in him broke.
"Fine!" he gasped. "I'll tell you! Just... let breathe!"
I loosened my hold but kept him pinned against the wall. Anthony coughed violently before speaking.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this," he said, his voice hoarse. "I just wanted... power. Do you know what it's like being a second-tier cultivator in the Harding family? Always overlooked, always weak?"
"I don't care about your insecurities," I cut him off. "Where is Clara?"
Anthony's face twisted with a mixture of fear and defiance. "Earth Fiend Valley," he whispered, as if afraid soone else might hear. "An old man approached months ago. Said they needed young won with... pure energy. In exchange, they offered cultivation resources beyond anything available to normal practitioners."
My blood ran cold. Earth Fiend Valley—an organization I'd heard whispered about in the darkest corners of the cultivation world. They practiced forbidden arts, experinting on living subjects to advance their twisted understanding of qi manipulation.
"You sold Clara to these monsters?" I could barely contain my rage.
"The old man... he was so powerful," Anthony's voice cracked. "You don't understand what it's like being weak! He gave the Heartblood Pill—with just one dose, I've advanced more in days than I had in years!"
I slamd him against the wall again, harder this ti.
"Where exactly is this Earth Fiend Valley?" I demanded.
"I don't know!" he cried, genuine terror in his eyes now. "The old man appeared on the mountain road. He took Clara and was going to take Maia too, but sothing interrupted them. He just... disappeared with Clara! I swear I don't know where they went!"
I studied Anthony's face carefully. He was telling the truth—at least partly.
"What else?" I pressed. "What didn't you tell ?"
Anthony swallowed hard. "He... he wanted more. Three young won each month, he said. In exchange for continued resources."
My stomach turned. I released Anthony suddenly, and he collapsed to the floor, gasping.
"Get up," I ordered coldly.
He stumbled to his feet, watching warily. "What are you going to do?"
"You're going to the police," I said flatly. "You'll confess everything." Toreporterrors,pleasevisittheoriginalposton*.
"They can't help!" Anthony protested. "Don't you understand? These people aren't ordinary criminals! They're cultivators using forbidden arts! The police would be slaughtered!"
I knew he was right, but that didn't absolve him. "Then the Martial Guild—"
Anthony laughed bitterly. "You think they don't know? The Earth Fiend Valley has existed for centuries. If the Guild wanted to stop them, they would have done it long ago."
That revelation didn't surprise as much as it should have. The corruption in Veridia City's Martial Guild ran deep.
"One more question," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "How long does Clara have?"
Anthony's face paled. "The old man said sothing about a 'purification ritual' that takes three days to prepare. After that..." He couldn't finish the sentence.
I'd heard enough. With lightning speed, I struck a precise point at Anthony's neck. He collapsed instantly, unconscious but alive. I called the police to collect him, then headed for my car.
William Vance needed to know the truth, no matter how terrible.
---
William's face crumpled as I explained what Anthony had told . We sat in his luxurious living room, but all the wealth surrounding us seed hollow now.
"Earth Fiend Valley," he repeated, the na foreign on his tongue. "What... what will they do to her?"
I hesitated, unwilling to describe the horrors I'd heard about. "They harvest energy from young won," I finally said, softening the brutal reality. "They cultivate using the darkest arts."
William buried his face in his hands. "This is my fault," he whispered. "I should have protected her better."
"No," I said firmly. "This is on Anthony and the monsters he allied with. But we don't have ti for guilt. Clara needs us now."
He looked up, desperation in his reddened eyes. "What can we do? If even the Martial Guild won't touch them—"
"I'll go after her," I stated simply.
William stared at in disbelief. "Alone? Against an entire valley of dark cultivators?"
"I'm stronger than I appear," I replied, thinking of the battles I'd already won against impossible odds. "But I need information—the exact location of Earth Fiend Valley, its defenses, its hierarchy."
William shook his head helplessly. "I don't have those kinds of connections."
"I know soone who might," I said, already pulling out my phone. "Conrad Thornton."
Conrad answered after several rings, his voice cautious. "Liam? It's been weeks since—"
"I need your help," I interrupted. "What do you know about Earth Fiend Valley?"
There was a long silence before Conrad spoke again, his voice noticeably lower. "Where did you hear that na?"
"That's not important. What matters is they've taken soone I promised to protect, and I'm going after her."
"You're insane," Conrad hissed. "Earth Fiend Valley isn't so gang of thugs. They're ancient, powerful, and completely ruthless. They practice arts that have been forbidden for thousands of years."
"I don't care," I stated flatly. "Where are they located?"
Another pause. "Liam, listen to . Even if I knew exactly where to find them—which I don't—you'd be committing suicide by going there. Not even Martial Saints willingly enter their territory."
"Clara Vance has less than three days before they perform so kind of 'purification ritual' on her," I said, letting my desperation show. "I'm not asking if I should go. I'm asking where."
Conrad cursed softly. "You stubborn fool. Fine—I've heard rumors they operate sowhere in the Eldoria mountain range, deep in territory no one claims. The entrance is supposedly hidden by powerful formations that confuse the mind."
"Then you're coming with ," I decided.
"What? No!" Conrad protested. "I'm not—"
"You've studied ancient formations for years," I cut him off. "You're the only person I know who might be able to help navigate whatever protections they have in place. Besides, you owe after what happened with the Umbral Covenant."
William watched our conversation with growing hope. I could see him realizing that I wasn't just making empty promises—I genuinely intended to rescue his daughter.
"This is madness," Conrad insisted. "We'd need an army—"
"You have thirty minutes to et at the airport," I said firmly. "Bring whatever tools and knowledge you have about formations. I'll handle the rest."
"Liam—"
I ended the call before he could argue further, turning back to William.
"I'll bring her ho," I promised, my voice leaving no room for doubt. "Whatever it takes."
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