Chapter 1555: Point of No Return

There was something about Lory’s smile make her movement halt, then a chill crawled up Myra’s spine. That smile was, those eyes...something is not right. Perhaps she is just pretending, the last defiance of someone about to die.

Myra assured herself, however, every fiber in her body screamed to run as far as she could, before it was too late...

Too late?

Lory’s lips parted, her voice low and cold, carrying a weight that didn’t belong to someone on the brink of death. "Li Xin," she murmured, calm as still water. "Your turn, honey."

Glass shattered into countless pieces.

The impact was deafening. Windows burst apart in a storm of shards that sprayed through the villa, glittering briefly before raining down. Furniture toppled and splintered, tables overturned, walls cracked under the pressure.

The blood-veined flower was annihilated in an instant, its vines ripped apart, its petals shredded and burned away into ashes, completely erased as though it had never existed.

Then silence followed—

Zhao Li Xin rose to his feet with Lory still held securely in his arms.

"Are you alright?" His voice was low, threaded with urgency as his gaze searched her pale face, every line of her expression etched into his sight.

Within him, something wicked awakened.

Flames surged through his qi, coiling and roaring like an inferno barely held in check. The helplessness from moments before had vanished entirely, replaced by something violent, cruel, and wild.

One could see He was only a second from losing control, then suddenly Lory raised her palm and caressed his cheek.

The warmth from her hand is like rain to his wildfire. The fury within him gradually dissipated as sanity slowly returned to him.

"I’m fine..." Lory said softly. "I just need a few seconds to recover from the poison. Don’t be so worried, silly..." Lory pretended to pout. But then her eyes trace his face with concern, "What about you? Are you okay?"

Zhao Li Xin could see Lory’s complexion slowly improve, meaning the poison had been neutralized by her healing powers. Only then did the raging inferno around him ease, and slowly receding, just like a tide drawn back from shore.

"I’m fine," he replied, a quiet smile of relief touching his lips. "That much poison won’t hurt me."

Lory let out a long breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Relief softened her features. "But I have to admit, the poison was far stronger than I expected," she murmured.

"If it had been anyone else, they would have died long ago." Her gaze dimmed with unease, "... and she said someone help her increase her power..."

Zhao Li Xin’s dark eyes dimmed as his gaze swept across the wreckage of the room. Shattered glass littered the floor like frozen rain.

Amid the debris, Calista struggled to her feet, her legs trembling beneath her weight. She could feel it, his eyeing on her. Fear crawled up her spine as she slipped a hand into her pocket, never once looking away from him.

With careful movement, Calista drew out a small vial. Her fingers fumbled as she forced the lid open and drank the healing potion in a single, desperate swallow. The liquid burned down her throat.

Moments later, strength crept back into her limbs, color returning to her face, though it was shallow and incomplete, like life hastily stitched together.

Nearby, Derek and Ceila did the same, scrambling amid the ruins, clutching their own potions with trembling hands. None of them spoke. None of them dared to.

Derek’s eyes flicked toward Myra. She lay farther away, face down on the floor, unmoving. He couldn’t tell whether she was alive or dead. The urge to check gnawed at him—but he didn’t move. He couldn’t.

Because Zhao Li Xin was watching.

The man stood in silence, his posture relaxed, almost indifferent. His eyes were cold and hollow, stripped of emotion. He made no move to stop them. No step forward. No gesture of urgency. He simply stood there and observed.

And that was what terrified Derek the most.

He had faced countless opponents, dangerous, cruel, savage figures, high-level targets so lethal that many assassins refused to take their contracts. Yet none of them had ever carried a presence like him, none had ever made every hair on his body stand on end.

"Li Xin, put me down," Lory said softly. ⅇ𝒃𝚗ℴ

Zhao Li Xin looked at her at once, his gaze searching her face, the unspoken question clear in his eyes.

Lory gave a small nod. "The poison’s been completely neutralized. I’m fine."

The color had returned to her cheeks, and from his palm, Zhao Li Xin could feel her heartbeat, which had become steady, strong, and restored to its familiar rhythm.

Even so, worry lingered in him out of sheer habit. After he set Lory back on her feet, his hand brushed over her sleeve, sweeping away invisible dust and smoothing the faint creases in her clothes. The motion was unhurried, thoughtful, gentle, as if he were touching something fragile, something precious.

"You..." Calista glared sharply at them, her voice tight with disbelief. "How are you still alive?"

Lory turned her gaze toward her with ease, her posture loose, almost languid. "Is that important?" she replied, her tone careless, as though the question barely deserved an answer.

Then, all of a sudden, a soft, muffled groan broke the tension. Everyone’s attention snapped toward the sound. Myra lay sprawled amid the debris, her body half-shadowed by shattered glass.

Her eyelids fluttered, and a faint sound slipped from her throat as consciousness slowly clawed its way back. One of her hands twitched against the floor, fingers dragging weakly through the dust, an unmistakable sign that she was awake, though it was barely.

Lory turned her head in that direction, watched her for a brief second, then spoke calmly, her eyes sliding back to Derek. "You can check on her."

Derek didn’t move right away. He observed Lory warily, unease crawling up his spine. But Myra groaned again, louder this time; she sounded like she was in pain.

Honestly, it was quite embarrassing for someone with their reputation; however, Derek knew if he wanted to have a chance to come out of this situation, he would need Myra’s help.

Derek then braced himself to move toward her, though his movement was slow, cautious, and his eyes never once breaking eye contact with Lory and Zhao Li Xin, as if he feared that the moment he looked away, death would follow. Meanwhile, Zhao Li Xin let out a soft sneer, laced with disdain.

For someone whose livelihood revolved around taking the lives of others, Derek possessed remarkably little courage of his own. With so little guts, he had less spine than a thirteen-year-old cultivator in his world.

Derek checked Myra’s condition briefly, then took out a health potion and poured it into her mouth. A moment later, Myra regained some of her strength, but her expression was a mix of fear and confusion. She looked at Calista, her eyes silently asking what had happened and why the potion wasn’t working.

Calista stiffened, irritation flashing across her face. She clicked her tongue as she could hear the silent accusation on Myra’s face.

Lory noticed their subtle interaction and chuckled softly. "Please don’t blame her, Myra," Lory called her name in a mocking tone. "...she just doesn’t know who she’s facing on, nevertheless, I must praise you, the poison was actually very good, ordinary gifted people wouldn’t be able to handle it."

"But you can.." Calista looked at Lory with a mix of confusion and frustration.

"Because I’m not ordinary, girl, and especially him," she placed her palm on Zhao Li Xin.

Calista took a deep breath, then she instinctively glanced at Ceila. Their eyes seem to be discussing how to get out of this situation alive.

"Your power..." Lory’s voice cut through the wreckage, soft yet unmistakably sharp, drawing every gaze back to her. Her eyes narrowed, thoughtful, dangerous. "You said someone made you stronger."

Silence fills the room.

"Who was it?" Lory continued calmly. "Luxemborough? Or the S.A.I.N.T. organization?"

At the mention of the S.A.I.N.T. organization, Calista’s composure cracked, even though just for a heartbeat. But Lory saw it.

"Oh," Lory’s brows shot up, then a slow smile curving her lips. She just got her answer. "So you received help from the S.A.I.N.T. organization." Her gaze never left Calista’s face, sharp and assessing. "Was it a Paladin?" she asked lightly.

"Which one? Coincidentally, I know some of them.~" The smile remained, thin and polite, threaded with an obvious warning.

Calista’s fingers curled at her sides. She pressed her lips into a thin line, refusing to respond. Ceila stiffened as well, her silence just as deliberate. They exchanged no glances, spoke no words—but the tension between them spiked.

They wouldn’t talk, especially not about the Paladins.

Even though the S.A.I.N.T. organization was upheld before the public as a righteous humanitarian force, adorned with spotless banners, grand noble causes, and shining promises of love and peace, those who had brushed too close to its inner circle knew the truth.

The Paladins were not saviors.

They were no different from any other powerful organization: ambitious, greedy, and cruel beneath the polished surface. And to snitch on even one of them was nothing less than signing one’s own death sentence.

Lory had expected they would resist...at first.

Lory spoke again, her tone light, almost amused. "Anyone who gives me the information gets to walk out of this villa alive." A grin curved her lips.

Immediately, the two sides reacted. Calista shot Derek a sharp, warning glance, while Derek and Myra exchanged uncertain looks, hesitation written plainly across their faces. Lory watched the struggle play out with quiet interest, then added casually,

"I’ll count to ten. Whoever speaks first leaves alive." Lory grinned playfully.

The pressure in the room spiked, thick and suffocating.

"One... two... three..."

Derek clenched his teeth, his jaw tightening. He was cracking—Lory could see it. Calista caught his eye and silently mouthed, Don’t be crazy, a stark reminder of the consequences of betraying S.A.I.N.T.

"...eight... nine..."

"Lucia Viora!" Myra shouted.

Calista squeezed her eyes shut. "Dam**t."

"Ahhh.." Lory’s face lit up.