Mama Young looked startled. She stood up and bowed respectfully. "Sir, my name is Abigail Young..."

The old man beckoned to her again. This gesture made Raina Young, who was standing beside her, visibly uncomfortable.

The Clan Leader of Yamada immediately said, "Grandfather, it’s time for the banquet to start." He then pushed the old man to sit at a slightly elevated table.

Aurora Sinclair scanned the people below but didn’t see the young Advanced Martial King from earlier in the day.

Around 11 p.m., Mama Young returned, slightly tipsy.

She had the faint scent of alcohol on her.

Aurora Sinclair was currently lying in bed, pretending to be asleep.

Mama Young gently shook her. "Joy, wake up..."

"Mmm... Mama Young... I’m so sleepy..." Aurora Sinclair replied, covering her eyes and yawning.

Mama Young shook her a couple more times. "Get up, let’s chat for a bit."

Aurora Sinclair discovered that when Mama Young drank too much, she became very talkative, pulling her into a long chat and rambling about the past.

"Let me tell you... the Family Head back then was not worthy of my lady at all. My lady was the precious daughter of the Premier Family’s Core Lineage. So many fine young men in Kingsford pursued her. She was far more dazzling than that young lady from the collateral branch adopted by the Morgan Family..."

Aurora Sinclair’s brow suddenly furrowed. "Who is the young lady from the collateral branch?"

"Noelle Young... I heard she later married a man from a minor family, gave birth to a monster, and ended up dying a tragic death..."

Aurora Sinclair froze. Noelle Young... Noelle Rhodes...

All the things that had happened in the past suddenly seemed to connect.

’So I’m also from the Young Family...’

Mama Young, beside her, gradually fell into a deep sleep. Aurora hugged her knees and gazed at the bright moonlight outside the window.

A trace of sorrow rose in her heart.

She had heard from the crazy woman that Professor Young’s daughter had lacked a certain protein since childhood and wasn’t expected to live long. That was why Professor Young had sought medical help everywhere, researching various drugs to treat her. In the end, he discovered S Active Cells, which could enhance the body’s immunity and further develop its functions and potential.

Her mother must have been that girl, Professor Young’s daughter, one of only two survivors of the Young Family massacre.

***

A dark cloud drifted over the moon, and the frosty white moonlight gradually vanished.

Aurora Sinclair’s gaze suddenly sharpened. She stood up and leaped out the window.

On the rooftop, the silver-haired man from earlier stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly waiting for her to arrive.

"Little girl, what are you doing here?" Fluent Veridian flowed from the silver-haired man’s mouth.

Aurora Sinclair was taken aback and asked in confusion, "You can speak Veridian?"

"Is it that hard to learn?" The silver-haired man’s eyes held a look of arrogance.

Aurora Sinclair glanced at him and said calmly, "One cannot fight against fate."

The silver-haired man’s expression instantly darkened. "How did you know?"

"The Power in your attack on me earlier today was not at the level of an Advanced Martial King. Using your Power to maintain a youthful appearance will only accelerate your aging," Aurora Sinclair pointed out.

But the silver-haired man suddenly burst out laughing, a strange light in his eyes. "Once I absorb your Power and break through to the Advanced Martial King level in one go, I will naturally extend my lifespan..."

A gust from a palm strike assailed her. Aurora Sinclair’s expression changed drastically; the palm strike was actually absorbing the Power around her.

’Could this be the Evil Skill that Marshall Lowell practiced?’

Aurora Sinclair immediately enveloped herself in Power and threw a rapid series of punches, each one landing solidly.

The silver-haired man was not slow, but he still couldn’t keep up with Aurora Sinclair’s speed.

Suddenly, he shot a Hidden Weapon at Aurora Sinclair and fled backward.

Aurora Sinclair gave chase. This man had to be silenced.

Unexpectedly, he arrived at the secluded courtyard she had visited on her first night and reached out to grab the head of the long-haired monster inside.

The long-haired monster instantly roared in pain.

Aurora Sinclair immediately rushed forward to interrupt his Evil Skill.

The long-haired monster retaliated with a backhand palm strike, hitting the silver-haired man squarely in the chest.

The silver-haired man staggered back several steps, but Aurora Sinclair had already closed in, striking his back again.

A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out. The silver-haired man suddenly opened his mouth, and a sound infused with "Power" spread throughout the entire Yamada Clan’s estate.

Aurora Sinclair’s expression changed dramatically. She punched again, this time holding nothing back, and directly cut off his sound.

The Power entered his throat and ruined his vocal cords.

Aurora Sinclair threw another punch, destroying many of his meridians.

Like a flower, the silver-haired man rapidly withered at a speed visible to the naked eye. Finally, he lay on the ground, barely breathing.

By the time the Yamada Martial Artists arrived, Aurora Sinclair had already hidden herself in the courtyard, holding her breath.

"Old Ancestor—"

***

「On the third day.」

Mama Young shook Aurora Sinclair awake. "Joy, stop sleeping! The Yamada Old Ancestor might not make it."

Aurora Sinclair groggily opened her eyes, her hand pausing mid-yawn.

When they reached the bedside, the silver-haired man was already emaciated beyond recognition. He looked no better than Marshall Lowell had, clearly suffering from the backlash of his Evil Skill.

Using an Evil Skill to extend one’s life at the expense of others will eventually lead to one reaping what they sow.

She did not regret cutting off his "Vitality."

Due to the death of the Yamada Old Ancestor, they ended up staying for another half a month.

Aurora Sinclair took the opportunity to visit the courtyard where the pregnant women were being held.

Inside, she saw the woman who had lost all will to live.

Unlike the other two pregnant women who were free to move, her limbs were chained to the bed. She couldn’t move at all, and her eyes were filled with a numb gaze.

Aurora Sinclair tried calling out to her twice, but it was as if she had already lost her human consciousness. Her gaze was completely vacant.

She then pressed several of her acupoints to stimulate her bodily functions, but the woman still didn’t react. It was as if her brain had been removed, turning her into a fool.

Aurora Sinclair carefully lifted the woman’s head to examine it. To her surprise, Golden Needles had been inserted into several major acupoints on the back of her head.

This was an ancient needle technique called the Golden Needle Seal.

The technique was originally used for healing, but for some unknown reason, it was later turned into a form of punishment.

She had heard Apothecary Warner talk about it before, but she never expected to see it with her own eyes today.

’Those people are absolute animals!’

A towering rage surfaced in Aurora Sinclair’s eyes.

***

「Meanwhile.」

Alvin Morgan, combining a map of Niphoria with the point where Aurora Sinclair had disappeared, finally pinpointed her location.

He immediately led the Morgan Family’s elite forces and infiltrated the valley.

After several days of surveillance, they discovered that the people in the valley were recently holding a funeral procession.

The vehicles entering and leaving recently all had black and white funeral flowers tied to them.

"Where is the Sherwood Clan’s car?" Alvin Morgan suddenly asked.

Benjamin Morgan looked at the tablet in his hand and analyzed professionally, "It will arrive here in ten minutes."

"Prepare to move."

Half an hour later—

A black hearse pulled up behind several other cars.

Two men in black suits and sunglasses got out of the car. One of them opened the back door and held a black umbrella for an elegantly dressed woman.

The woman wore a black hat with a half-veil, a black skirt suit, and a black and white corsage pinned to her chest. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Upon entering the Ancient Gate, she said in the Nighorian language, "My condolences."

The person at the gate glanced at the invitation card and announced loudly, "Claire Sherwood, daughter of the Sherwood Clan’s leader, has arrived."

Someone then came over to lead the way for them.

The bamboo along the path was hung with strips of white cloth. They passed many strangers, all of whom had strong fluctuations of "Power" and were all people of status from Niphoria’s Martial World.

The woman would nod slightly whenever she saw them, and they would return the gesture politely.

The group followed the stone-paved path to the main entrance, where they heard a familiar voice from inside.

"Joy Young, what are you doing?"