"Father, are we really just going to let this go?"
"Let it go? I'll make that brat pay for this sooner or later! They must have headed toward the wasteland. I'm taking men to chase them. Find the other elders and hold down the territory. With our Silver Wing Family suddenly suffering such a devastating blow, those rival families will definitely start making moves. If I haven't caught up with that brat within three hours, I'll come back immediately!"
"Yes, Father." Sikong Hongyue nodded.
Sikong Yi transformed into a streak of light and shot toward the wasteland at full speed. Sikong Hongyue went to find the other elders.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the Silver Wing Family's territory, inside a hidden hollow in a tree.
"
"That old thief Sikong Yi definitely thinks we've run toward the wasteland. The wasteland is flat and open with nowhere to hide — we'd be easy to catch. So we'll do the opposite: hide here in the jungle first. Today's events will keep the Silver Wing Family busy enough. With such heavy losses, those rival families won't wait for the Silver Wing Family to slowly recover. They'll definitely make their move. Once the Silver Wing Family is too busy to deal with us, we can leave without any trouble." Nie Li smiled.
"Provoking you was that old thief Sikong Yi's bad luck,"
Nie Li seemed to sense something and turned to look toward Xiao Ning'er. Their eyes met, and Xiao Ning'er immediately lowered her head, a blush spreading across her cheeks as they grew warm.
Nie Li touched his nose with a slightly awkward expression.
Suddenly, he remembered something. "You all stay here. I need to go out for a bit."
"Nie Li, what are you going to do?" Xiao Ning'er asked with immediate concern.
Nie Li looked off toward the distant mine. Going out now was indeed a bit dangerous. But remembering the child's tear-filled yet resolute gaze, he decided to lend a hand.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. You all need to be careful — absolutely do not reveal your presence," Nie Li said with a smile, then leapt into the darkness in the distance.
The Silver Wing Family's mine. Since this place was normally heavily guarded with comings and goings providing many eyes and ears, and because the miners were innocent people, Nie Li hadn't laid down any Flame Burst Runic Patterns around this mine. When the Silver Wing Family had been ravaged by the Flame Burst Runic Patterns, this place had remained completely unscathed.
However, the turmoil within the Silver Wing Family had thrown this place into chaos as well. The slaves mining here were in an uproar, trying to rush past the Silver Wing Family's guards.
"Anyone who dares to act up — execution without mercy!"
The remaining miners, on the verge of revulsion, felt a flash of terror in their eyes and retreated. Sikong Shou was a Gold-rank powerhouse — they were no match for him whatsoever.
Sikong Shou let out a cold snort. "A bunch of trash, and you dare to rebel?" Bloodlust gleamed in his eyes, his killing intent cold and sharp.
The guards raised their swords, ready to strike at any moment. After intimidating the miners into submission, Sikong Shou looked up toward the treetop palace. A hint of panic also flickered through his eyes. He had no idea what was happening — could an enemy have breached the family's territory?
If so, the enemy was terrifyingly powerful. Even the treetop palace had been destroyed.
If the Silver Wing Family truly fell, then their own futures wouldn't be pleasant either.
The miners erupted with emotion. In many of their once-despairing eyes, a glimmer of hope flickered to life. If the Silver Wing Family was truly destroyed, then perhaps they could finally regain their freedom.
By now, Nie Li had reached the edge of the mining district, hiding in a large tree as he scouted the various conditions of the area.
"Over two hundred people in total, with more than ten at the Gold level — the rest are all Silver. There's a watchtower over there; it's probably the core area," Nie Li thought to himself. "Every miner here has been branded with a slave seal. The caster must be a Runic Pattern Master. Normally, a Runic Pattern Master can't be more than a few li away from those branded with a slave seal, or their bodies will explode and they'll die. So the Runic Pattern Master who cast the seal is most likely inside that watchtower!"
To free those miners from their slave seals, he had to eliminate the Runic Pattern Master who had cast them!
After a moment's thought, Nie Li fused with the Shadow Demon Spirit and crept silently toward the distant watchtower.
The towering watchtower stood over ten meters tall, surrounded by numerous guards with tight security. The guards were all buzzing with chatter, talking in a jumbled mess — after all, with their territory under attack, it was impossible for them to remain completely unaffected.
While their attention was scattered, Nie Li activated his Ethereal skill and slipped inside.