REINCARNATION OF THE STRONGEST WAR HERO-Chapter 311: Scheming In The Shadows

Within the Grand Library, Logan sat quietly at the long stone table, the ancient book still open before him. The golden lamplight illuminated the pages, but his thoughts were far from the words now. Seika Solwyn’s climb lingered in his mind — the recognition from the Golden Dragon’s Temple, the unseen acknowledgment that only Seika had felt.

Logan exhaled slowly. "Third in history..." he murmured under his breath.

Meanwhile, somewhere else within the spirit mountain, something far darker was unfolding inside the estate of the Chong Family — one of the infamous Evil Spirit Families. Inside a grand hall carved from black stone, a meeting was underway.

"So," a cold, measured voice echoed, "have you learned anything about the one destined to inherit the Golden Dragon’s legacy?"

The speaker sat at the head of the long table. His hair was streaked with silver, his presence heavy and oppressive.

This was Min Chong, the family head of the Chong Family.

An elder seated on the side bowed slightly. "Master... from what we’ve gathered, he is only a sixteen-year-old boy."

Min Chong’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

"Age means nothing," another elder interjected, his tone grim. "That boy is terrifyingly strong. Reports say he has already stepped into the Martial Saint realm."

The hall fell silent.

"Martial Saint... at sixteen?" a female elder finally spoke, her voice a mix of disbelief and greed. "No wonder he is the one chosen by fortune."

Min Chong leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping lightly against the armrest. "And what of the others? Any plans being made?"

Shahan Chong, one of the senior elders, scoffed. "Do we really need to care? Yuhe Feng is already hell-bent on revenge. He won’t stop until that boy is dead."

Min Chong let out a slow breath, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I know. But tell me — why should we rely on the other two families to seize control of the path to the Upper Heavens?"

The elders exchanged glances.

"If we can manipulate that boy," Min Chong continued, his smile widening into something far more sinister, "then the power will belong to us. Not only will we decide who ascends to the Upper Heavens... we will also gain a powerful toy."

The word lingered in the air. Shahan’s eyes narrowed. "You mean... You want to use the Puppeteer’s Hand technique on him?"

"Yes," Min Chong replied calmly.

Silence descended once more.

Finally, another elder spoke, his voice low and eager. "That sounds... perfect. We should seize such an opportunity while it still exists."

Min Chong nodded. "Then it’s decided. Please arrange for someone to abduct the boy and bring him here. No mistakes. No witnesses. I don’t want even a whisper of this leaking out."

Shahan hesitated for only a moment. "Should we deploy the Four Guardians? With them, it would be effortless."

Min Chong considered it briefly before nodding in agreement. "Ok then. Send them. I want certainty."

With that, the meeting concluded. Shadows shifted as the elders rose, their expressions filled with anticipation.

The trap had been set.

________

The next morning, sunlight filtered gently through the tall windows of the Hunter Guild’s infirmary.

Ali Arkman lay unconscious. Time ticked by. And suddenly....

He groaned.... softly. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

His eyelids fluttered before slowly opening, his vision blurred and unfocused. Pain surged through his body, dull but persistent, reminding him just how close he had come to death.

"...Am I still alive?" he muttered weakly.

"Guild Master!"

A startled voice rang out beside him.

Ali turned his head slightly and saw a young woman seated beside his bed. Her head had been resting against the chair, strands of hair falling over her face. She was put on guard, but at some point, she had fallen asleep. Just now, she woke up only to see the guild master moving. She blinked rapidly, eyes widening with relief. "Guild Master, you’re finally awake!" she said, joy flooding her voice.

Ali frowned faintly, studying her face. "You’re... Jessi, right? From Gideon’s team? Logan’s teammate?"

"Yes," Jessi replied quickly, nodding. "I’m Jessi."

Ali let out a shallow breath. "What happened? I thought... I was about to die."

Jessi’s expression darkened. "You were badly injured when we arrived. We wanted to confront the enemies, but they fled the moment they realized they were outnumbered. We brought you here immediately."

Ali closed his eyes briefly, memories of Gazel and Sirus flashing through his mind. Their strength. Their killing intent.

"...I see."

After making sure Ali was stable, Jessi asked, "Guild Master, may I go and inform the others? They had been worried sick because of you."

Ali nodded. He needed to speak with them as well.

It didn’t take long.

The infirmary soon filled with people. Gideon arrived first, his expression tense. Leo followed, along with the rest of their teams. Then more came — few of the A-class hunters, guild officials... even Elizabeth, the receptionist of the Hunter Guild, appeared, her usually calm face etched with concern.

"What happened, Guild master? Who were those two?" Gideon asked, his voice low but sharp.

Ali slowly pushed himself into a more comfortable position, ignoring the pain. "I was ambushed," he said. "Those two. They were cultivators."

The room went silent.

"Cultivators?" Leo repeated.

Ali nodded grimly. "Yes. Like Logan... but stronger."

Shock rippled through the room.

"Stronger than Logan? How is that possible?" someone whispered.

Ali’s gaze hardened. "Much stronger."

A heavy weight settled over everyone present. If what Ali said was true, then the situation was far more dire than they had imagined.

"They weren’t normal enemies," Ali continued. "Their intent was clear. They wanted me dead. Though I don’t know why."

Elizabeth clenched her fists. "What should we do then? What if they attack someone else when no one is around to help?"

Ali exhaled slowly. "I think Logan needs to know this. Immediately."

Gideon nodded without hesitation. "Should I go and inform it?"

"No," Ali said. "I’ll go myself. I need to discuss something else as well."

Despite the pain wracking his body, Ali’s eyes burned with a sense of urgency.

Far away, unaware of the storm gathering around him, Logan remained within the Grand Library — reading, learning, and unknowingly standing at the center of converging fates.