Prime Originator

Exiting the VIP lounge, Leon directed his gaze and Baron Grant and confidently said, "I heard you wished to talk to me in private?" 

Both Young Master Conrad and Baron Grant were startled by Leon's appearance and glanced back at the VIP lounge behind with doubt.

Knowing what they were thinking, Leon stated, "There's nothing wrong with the VIP lounge's sound insulation." 

Young Master Conrad was immediately relieved with a trickle of cold sweat. 

If there had been a problem with the sound insulation, it would mean that everyone inside the VIP lounge was disturbed by the commotion outside the entire time!

After he was relieved, a bigger question appeared in both his mind and Baron Grant. 

How did the prince find out what they were talking outside if there was no problem with the room's sound insulation? Did it not also imply that the prince still knew everything that happened outside despite the sound insulation?

"Your Highness, I did not mean to disturb your mealtime. Please continue to enjoy your meal with peace of mind. I do not mind waiting." Baron Grant said politely.

Leon shook his head and said, "Rather than that, I'm more interested in what you wish to speak with me."

"This… then shall we find somewhere else to talk?" Baron Grant suggested, seeing how the prince had already expressed his interest. It would be rude not to comply after the prince had said so much.

"Where do you want to talk?" Leon agreed and allowed for Baron Grant to lead the way.

Shortly after Leon and Baron Grant left, Young Master Conrad said to Nelson, "You do not need to pay for today's meal. I will cover all expenses."

Nelson was pleasantly surprised, but he soon understood why. He smiled and said, "Well then, I will have to thank Young Master Conrad, for your generosity. I hope Young Master Conrad can be forgiving and not pay any heed to what I have said to the Young Master earlier."

"To forgive is to forget. I hope Young Master Nelson can put in some good words in front of his Highness for me."

Nelson smiled wryly. He was not close to the prince and had even been rude. He was not sure if he could become one of the prince's followers.

Returning to the VIP lounge, Nelson Donahue became more respectful despite the prince's absence. He was not sure if the prince was also interested in the elven princess, but he did not dare compete with the prince. Thus, he no longer had his eyes on the elven princess.

…

Leon followed Baron Grant and arrived outside Lost Isle Alley. 

Leon became more confident that the person had some relation with the Illusory Butterfly Sect, but not because he could detect the unique cultivation of the sect on the person's body but because the person was afflicted with lingering traces of the yin poison cultivated by the sect.

"Bringing you here, Your Highness might have already faintly guessed my identity, but allow me to introduce myself. I am Grant Marleigh, the former second elder of Illusory Butterfly Sect and the current title holder of Baron in this kingdom."

Baron Grant took the initiative to speak at this point. The entrance to Lost Isle Alley was desolate and devoid of people. If he did not talk at this point, the prince might just attack him.

"The former second elder, you say?" 

"Correct, Your Highness. Due to a conflict of differing views, I have left the sect with a group of disciples roughly 20 years ago. We have been on the hunt ever since."

"And what do you want to achieve by telling me this?" Leon rubbed his chin with wild surprise, not expecting such an answer from Baron Grant.

"To show you our sincerity and prove we are not your enemy…" Baron Grant dropped onto one knee and said, "We wish to pledge our loyalty to you."

"And why should I accept your loyalty? There are plenty of people who would willingly pledge their loyalty to me if I were to express my intention to take in followers." Leon said calmly. He was not in a rush to accept.

"I…" Baron Grant was briefly stunned by the question posed before he recovered. "I have information not privy to the kingdom that your Highness might find interesting. If your Highness wishes to learn the truth of the events of 17 years ago, I can also recount to you, your Highness."

Leon was silent for a moment.

"My adoptive parents, they are…"

"They are also former disciples of Illusory Butterfly Sect."

Sure enough, his adoptive parents were related to the Illusory Butterfly Sect. Leon had mixed feelings of relief and concern upon learning this news. Things had gotten complicated.

"I want to see them first," Leon stated firmly.

"As you wish, Your Highness. All the former disciples have been hiding away in this place. I will lead you to them right this instance." Baron Grant responded compliantly. 

"En. However, I must say, you all sure know how to pick your hiding place. Did you defeat the vengeful spirit of this place, or did you make peace with it when you moved in?"

Leon's eyes fell on the darkness of Lost Isle Alley's entrance and could not help but wrinkle his brows. The people did not avoid this place without reason. The ominous vibes the area was giving was rather heavy.

Baron Grant was taken aback by Leon's comment, before he corrected, "Vengeful spirits only exist in Extreme Misty Forest, Your Highness. Surely, you jest." 

When Leon heard this, he paused his steps with a deeper frown and turned to Baron Grant with an inquisitive look. "You're telling me you have never encountered the vengeful spirit that lurks in this place? Have you not heard of the stories about this place?"

"So, this place had a story behind it, after all." Baron Grant mumbled before he said, "Not at all, Your Highness. Despite living in the Capital for so long, I have never encountered anyone mentioning this place. It was like this place never existed, which in turn, provided us the perfect place to hide. For fear of arousing a topic of discussion and attention to this place, I have never asked anyone about it."

Leon was a bit speechless. Aren't you people a bit too careful? However, if they had never encountered the vengeful spirit, then where was it hiding? Or has it long left this place? Shaking his head, Leon waved his hand. "Continue leading the way."

"Yes, Your Highness. This way, please."

Baron Grant led Leon into the darkness. Leon's brows were furrowed along the way as he detected traces of dark miasma amidst the cold yin energy in the area. Before he could ponder deeper, they had already arrived before an abandoned bar.

The Baron made some rhythmic knocks on the door, but no one answered after they waited. Baron Grant frowned and repeated the knocking pattern. Still, no one answered the door after they waited a bit longer.

"Stop fooling around and open the door! It's me!" Baron Grant snappily said.

"The door is not locked…" Leon stated. 

He reached out for the door handle with his shaky hand and gave it a slight twist, but the entire door crumbled into pieces, leaving him with only the door handle in his hand.

"Hmm, this door is quite worn out…"

Baron Grant gave him a look but said nothing. 

They soon entered the bar and searched the place, including the underground chamber, but no one was found.

"Something's wrong, Your Highness. Please believe me when I say I am not trying to fool you. Everyone should have been waiting for me here, but now there is no one around! Their items are still here."

"I understand. I can see that." 

Leon frowned. 

The Baron did not have a reason to lie. He began to worry about his adoptive parents. 

The moment he stepped into Lost Isle Alley, he had been feeling nothing but unease. There was something seriously off about this whole place. 

"Do you ever use any of the other places here?" 

"None. We only ever use this abandoned bar to lower the risk of being found."

"Let's head back out first," Leon suggested.

Having no reason to reject, Baron Grant agreed.

Once they were outside, Leon had the chance to study the place on a deeper level. He sent out his divine sense, but surprisingly, before they try to enter the ground and sky, they were bounced back. There was a hidden force interfering with his divine sense.

"As I thought, this place is not simple," Leon commented. 

"Your people never noticed anything wrong with this place during the time they hid here?"

"It's not that we have never noticed anything wrong with this place, it's that even if there was, we had no choice but to use it as sometimes the most dangerous place is also the safest."

Leon wanted to ask why they did not escape to the Wildlands or deeper into the Perilous Lands instead, but he ultimately refrained himself. There was still a difference between dangerous and plain suicide.

"So, what have you noticed?"

"Well, for instance, there is a big problem with the sky."

"There is no sky." Leon casually said after a quick look above. 

However, he immediately realized the problem and became alert like he had just been doused in cold water. 

There was no sky!

In an open space, utterly unobstructed by any ceiling, the stars and moonlight of the night could not be seen. 

The sky above Lost Isle Alley was covered in complete darkness!