Chapter Ninety: The Grand Master (Seeking Votes)

Zhou Yi hurriedly let go of her hand. Previously, he had been so startled by what happened on the rooftop that he hadn’t noticed his hand had somehow slid up Sofia’s waist, resting upon two soft curves.

“My apologies!”

Sofia shook her head, seemingly unconcerned.

“Honestly, the part where you accused me of being Waldner’s mistress stung more.”

Zhou Yi felt utterly flustered. Was tonight some kind of public shaming session?

“I really didn’t know at the time. For the sake of survival, I just did whatever I could to keep myself alive. Can we not bring it up anymore?”

Sofia nodded.

“Alright, let’s drop it. Try to sense—this is the rear courtyard of the City Lord’s manor. I can’t pinpoint which young master is where right now.”

Zhou Yi collected himself and glanced at the buildings below.

The compound was vast, divided by a straight corridor into front and back sections. The front courtyard was dimly lit, and the back had lanterns at the entrances of each courtyard, with guards keeping vigil. The rooms themselves remained dark, except for the eastern wing, where one room shone with light.

This time, Zhou Yi didn’t close his eyes. He simply focused, attempting to sense each room, starting with the one beneath him.

They were at the very center of the courtyard. Inside, snoring thundered; a man was sleeping with a woman in his arms. Zhou Yi frowned slightly. The man seemed to be in his fifties—likely the City Lord himself. But hadn’t his son been gravely injured? How could he sleep so soundly?

Without pause, Zhou Yi swept his senses through the western courtyards, which were relatively quiet. Over twenty women slept alone in separate chambers—undoubtedly the City Lord’s concubines.

He glanced toward the eastern wing and nudged Sofia’s arm.

“Let’s move east. I can’t sense anything from here—the distance is too great.”

Without hesitation, Sofia grabbed Zhou Yi by the waist and leapt two buildings toward the east. Below, a patrol passed by, prompting Zhou Yi to hold his breath. Only when the guards moved on did he dare look.

These sentries merely patrolled the corridor, never entering the rear courtyards.

Zhou Yi focused again on the brightly-lit room diagonally opposite. Before he could probe inside, anguished groans echoed from within.

“Ow, it hurts! Don’t touch it! Aren’t you going to fetch help?”

“Please bear with it, young master. The arrow mustn’t be moved. Word is, help will arrive at dawn. I've already sent men to intercept them along the way.”

“I can’t bear it! It hurts!”

Now, Zhou Yi’s spiritual sense entered the room.

It was a lavish, spacious chamber. In the center, a soft bed, upon which lay a young man with one leg bare. At the base of his thigh, a dark object was lodged deep.

Just seeing it made Zhou Yi shiver, feeling a chill between his legs. Had the arrow landed a few centimeters closer, it would have been a fatal blow.

He forced himself to focus, banishing stray thoughts. He’d sensed danger in the carriage earlier, but now felt nothing, which puzzled him. He scanned the room, finding no hidden figures or suspicious objects. If the thing had returned with the young master, where had it gone? Was it lurking in some shadow, watching them?

The thought made Zhou Yi shudder and he quickly withdrew his senses, scanning his surroundings.

Sofia, noticing his reaction, leaned in.

“What’s wrong?”

Zhou Yi shook his head.

“I’m not sure. I just checked the room—the City Lord’s son and a servant are inside. The dangerous aura, as well as the wood-type spiritual energy that Cheng Zhi detected, is absent. It seems they’re waiting for someone—those who can help won’t arrive until dawn.

I suspect the dangerous presence I sensed earlier might be like us, hiding somewhere in the shadows, waiting for the right moment. Whether their target is us or those supposed assassins, I can’t say.”

Sofia looked around. Except for darkness and the biting wind, she sensed nothing.

“Let’s wait. This spot is relatively safe. If we’re discovered, we can enter the second floor through the window, or escape from the opposite side.”

Zhou Yi nodded, glancing at Sofia with lingering doubts.

“You once said we mustn’t let ordinary people in the mission world witness us dealing with awakened ones. But what if those awakened are committing crimes? Are we supposed to just stand by and watch?”

Sofia was stunned.

No one had ever asked her that. Typically, Chosen Ones or their slaves focused on eliminating awakened ones at the lowest possible cost. Whether their victims lived or died was rarely considered; only the laws within the base made mention of it. Yet those rules were largely ignored—so long as results were good, everything else was overlooked. Her earlier warning to Zhou Yi was just a reminder.

Seeing Sofia’s surprised expression, Zhou Yi understood perfectly. This was the answer he dreaded most. He sighed softly.

“I always thought the Chosen Ones and the base were like gods in each mission world—overseeing everything, controlling the fate of those who disrupted harmony.

Like the dangerous presence in this world, though I might not match it, I want to know what it is. At least when someone comes to eliminate it later, they’ll have some information—not stumble around in the dark as we do.”

Sofia raised an eyebrow.

“Stay in the base long enough, and you lose your humanity. If you said that to Waldner, he’d think you were insane. As for the Chosen Ones, most have been to many bases, their abilities mediocre, yet their egos towering—they’re even colder.”

“But what’s gotten into you today? Why so sentimental? If you want to act, just do it. At worst, we can return via the teleportation disk and leave this place behind. No need for such emotion.”

Zhou Yi gave an embarrassed smile and sighed.

“I’m no saint, nor do I intend to play hero. Just feeling a bit melodramatic—those base regulations are utterly ridiculous.

Rules exist but no one follows them. What’s the point? I’m letting you know now—I won’t abide by them tonight!”

Sofia’s gaze lingered on Zhou Yi. He was unusually sentimental tonight, but if it was his turn to act, she wouldn’t argue. As Zhou Yi said, some base rules truly were absurd.

“This isn’t the base. No one here can monitor us. Do as you please—don’t treat me as deputy lord. Will that do?”

Zhou Yi laughed, glancing at Sofia. His mood lightened after venting.

He’d wanted to leave after emerging from the Five Elements Tomb, but Sofia insisted on coming here, and he didn’t press the issue. Now, unable to locate the dangerous presence, he still felt watched, unsettling his emotions.

“I’ll stay here and keep watch below.”

Sofia, obedient for once, deferred to Zhou Yi. She excelled at fighting and endurance, but searching without the base’s monitoring was pointless for her. She followed Zhou Yi’s advice.

Time ticked by. The City Lord’s son’s cries below grew more wretched.

Zhou Yi shook his head. With a wound at his groin and prolonged blood loss, untreated damage—he might not keep that leg.

As he drifted in thought, a chilling wind swept past. Zhou Yi gripped Sofia’s arm and pressed flat against the tiles, holding his breath, not daring to make a sound.

With the wind, a masked figure in black robes strode directly into the City Lord’s son’s room. The servant inside immediately knelt, prostrating himself.

“Grandmaster, you’ve finally returned. The young master is suffering—his cries are growing weaker.”

The servant’s face and body were drenched in sweat.

Zhou Yi understood—it was the awe of subjugation, the kind that made resistance futile. Just as he’d felt upon waking at the base when Waldner advanced to Tier Three; even though he couldn’t move, he’d felt compelled to kneel.

The man addressed as Grandmaster entered, stepping to the young master’s bedside.

Zhou Yi didn’t dare probe further, only peering through the gaps in the tiles. The dangerous aura lingered.

The Grandmaster reached toward the bed. The City Lord’s son let out a trembling scream and collapsed to one side, blood gushing like a fountain.

The sudden movement sent the servant crawling to the bedside, shaking the young master desperately.

“Grandmaster, Grandmaster! The young master is unresponsive!”