Chapter 65: Whatever In Exchange For Your Niece

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Whatever In Exchange For Your Niece

Xavier raised an eyebrow.

Mira continued before he could respond.

"Why have you been protecting me?" she asked. "And why did you give me such a valuable demon core? Answer those questions, and I’ll tell you what happened inside."

Xavier stared at her. His wife was becoming far too clever. Mira had been suspicious of him for some time, and now that she finally had an opportunity to question him, she clearly was not going to waste it.

She studied him for a moment before suddenly speaking with confidence.

"I think I know who you are connected to," she said. "You know my husband, Xavier Kane, don’t you?"

His expression nearly cracked.

Mira continued, completely unaware of his amusement.

"My husband has been giving me an endless supply of precious pills lately," she said.

"Those aren’t things ordinary people can obtain." She folded her arms. "So there must be someone supporting him."

Her reasoning actually made perfect sense. Evelyn was close to Xavier. She had defended him more than once and clearly knew things about his circumstances that others did not.

At the same time, there were only a handful of master alchemists capable of producing the kind of resources Xavier had been giving Mira, and Mr. X happened to be one of them.

He had also appeared whenever she was in danger. The pieces seemed to fit perfectly.

"You’re the alchemist my husband asked to look after me, aren’t you?" Mira said, smiling knowingly. "He must have convinced you to come here and protect me."

Xavier was silent for several seconds. Then he lowered his head, desperately suppressing a laugh.

"That’s right," he said, his voice almost betraying him. "I do have a very close relationship with your husband."

He could not believe it. He had expected Mira to eventually recognize him.

Instead, she had constructed an entirely different explanation and convinced herself that it was the truth. Xavier suddenly found himself looking forward to the day she discovered that the mysterious Mr. X she had been thanking all this time was actually her own husband.

He decided then and there that he would never expose himself. Let her figure it out on her own. That would be much more entertaining.

Mira’s expression softened.

"Then thank you," she said, bowing deeply. "I don’t know how Xavier managed to convince someone like you to help me, but I’m truly grateful."

The sincerity in her voice almost made Xavier laugh again. He quickly turned his face away.

"You’re welcome," he said.

Then, before his expression betrayed him, he returned to the matter at hand.

"But you still haven’t answered my question," he said. "What happened to all those beasts?"

Mira immediately smiled.

"Mr. X, I figured out your relationship with my husband without your help," she said, tilting her head. "So why should I answer your question?"

Xavier was speechless. This was his wife, all right. He decided not to argue.

There was no need to rush.

Besides, he had more important things to do. Xavier walked over to Snow and carefully picked her up. He was about to leave when Mira suddenly called after him.

"Wait, Mr. X!" she said.

Xavier stopped.

Mira hesitated.

"About the Snow," she said, glancing at the creature in his arms. "It’s actually my companion. Could you return it to me?"

She knew the request sounded suspicious. Mr. X clearly understood that the little beast belonged to this secret realm, and asking him to hand it over without explanation might make him think she was hiding something.

But she had no choice. Lydia was constantly urging her to retrieve the creature. The Hunting Ground would only disappear once Snow entered the Soul Bell.

Mira’s greatest concern was that Mr. X might misunderstand her intentions. Worse still, if he believed she was trying to deceive him, it might affect his relationship with Xavier.

Before she could explain herself, Xavier had already made his decision.

He had no reason to believe Mira would hurt the little creature. Without hesitation, he placed Snow gently on the ground.

"So your name is Snow?" he said, smiling faintly.

"That’s a good name." There was a strange meaning hidden beneath his words. "I hope we’ll meet again someday."

Mira’s eyes brightened.

"Thank you, Mr. X," she said.

She immediately lifted the Soul Bell. The instant she rang it, a clear chime echoed across the palace grounds.

A strange force swept outward, and Snow did not even have time to react before her tiny body transformed into a streak of light and was pulled directly into the bell.

At almost the same moment, the entire Hunting Ground began to tremble.

A powerful spatial force spread across the secret realm, and every martial artist and magical beast within it was caught by that force. One after another, their figures vanished.

When the light faded, everyone who had survived the Hunting Ground had been transported back to the entrance of Autumnleaf Mountain.

The secret realm had finally come to an end.

****

Meanwhile by evening, Adrian Sinclair had personally accompanied a young man to the foot of Valemont’s Autumnleaf Mountain.

"Master Collins, we’ve arrived. This is the entrance to the Hunting Ground Secret Realm." He announced with a wide grin.

Despite being the head of the prestigious Sinclair family, Adrian carried himself with remarkable humility before the young man beside him.

Every word was carefully chosen, every gesture respectful.

He had no choice. Over the past several days, rumors surrounding his son, Jonathan Sinclair, had spread throughout Valemont.

People had learned that Jonathan possessed a rare Celestial Core, and that single piece of information had already attracted trouble.

More than five separate attempts had been made to abduct Jonathan. Fortunately, the Sinclair family had kept him under heavy protection, and none of those attempts had succeeded.

But Adrian knew better than to believe the danger was over. Those incidents were merely the beginning.

As news of Jonathan’s Celestial Core continued to spread, more powerful martial artists would inevitably take an interest in him.

Eventually, the Sinclair family would encounter someone they could not afford to offend or defeat.

The attraction of a Celestial Core was simply too great. For a martial artist, possessing such a gift could completely change the course of their cultivation.

After discussing the matter with the elders of the Sinclair family, Adrian had made a decision.

They needed protection from someone powerful enough to make others think twice before touching Jonathan.

That was where the young man beside him came in.

Collins Lindsay. He was the eldest son of the Lindsay family, one of the most influential families in the entire region.

The Lindsay family’s reach extended far beyond ordinary business. They possessed enormous influence in commercial circles, political circles, and even the darker underground world that ordinary people rarely encountered.

More importantly, the current patriarch of the Lindsay family was a genuine Star Sea Realm martial artist, and there were even rumors that an ancient elder of the family had already stepped into the Divine Power Realm.

That realm was so far beyond the Sinclair family’s reach that Adrian could barely imagine it.

The strongest elder in the Sinclair family was only a 4th-stage Spirit Platform Realm martial artist.

Compared with the Lindsays, the Sinclairs were practically insignificant.

And Collins himself was no ordinary heir. He was a recognized genius who had once ranked 27th on the national young genius rankings, meaning that among the countless young martial artists throughout the Asterra , Collins was considered one of the most talented.

Of course, the ranking could not account for every genius, since some powerful young cultivators deliberately kept a low profile and never appeared on the official list.

Even so, Collins’ talent was undoubtedly among the highest among his generation.

With such a background, Adrian naturally had to treat him with the utmost respect. After all, he was the one asking Collins for help.

"Master Collins, you’re already a peak Foundation Establishment Realm martial artist," Adrian said with an ingratiating smile.

"With you personally coming here, I’m certain this Hunting Ground Secret Realm will be dealt with effortlessly."

The flattery was obvious. Collins did not mind it. Instead, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

"You really know how to talk, Adrian," he said, casually placing a hand on Adrian’s shoulder.

"As for your son’s situation, I’ll speak with the family tonight. Once Jonathan grows stronger, he can follow me and work under the Lindsay family."

Adrian’s expression immediately brightened.

Then Collins added, "But don’t forget what we discussed. I want you to handle the matter within the next few days."

His smile became somewhat suggestive. "And don’t forget your niece either. Mira."

Adrian’s heart skipped.

He had already understood exactly what Collins wanted. When he had first sought Collins out for help, Adrian had deliberately shown him a photograph of Mira, and Collins had immediately taken an interest in her.

When he learned that she had already awakened the frost Phoenix Bloodline, his interest had only intensified.

A woman possessing such a rare physique was valuable enough to attract the attention of countless powerful families.

Unfortunately, Collins had also learned that Mira was already married. Rather than making him lose interest, that fact had apparently made him even more interested.