Vivian was currently heading somewhere with a group of people. Although he didn't know where they were going, it wasn't a place where he could interfere.
After all, the Witch of the Tower was among them, which meant it was highly likely a gathering of the Tarot Villa. There was no way he would risk making things awkward for himself by trying to tag along.
“Tsk, tsk. ‘Alliance Leader,’ huh? That’s another impressive title you’ve got there, Alliance Leader.”
Once Giovanni had left, Gu Xiaobei looked at Vivian with a teasing grin.
“Here we go again. Can’t we just change the subject already?”
Vivian didn't get angry at the little jab. If anything, she had become immune to it after being teased so much.
“Let’s go. It’s still quite a walk from here.”
Lan Qingyou didn't join in on the teasing. She just wanted to get things over with so she could go back to her shelter and have a good long sleep.
She had been busy running around for days. Now that the auction was over, it would be a disservice to herself if she didn't take a proper rest.
Oh, right. There was also that Emerald Ridge place of Vivian’s that needed magic circles...
However, just as Lan Qingyou began to lead the group toward the industrial zone, a long-lost yet familiar voice called out from behind.
“Qingyou! It really is you, Qingyou! It’s me, your uncle!”
Hmm?
Not only did Lan Qingyou freeze, but the members of the Villa behind her were also stunned.
“Uncle?”
“Family?”
Everyone turned around in confusion to look at the person who had rushed out from a corner near the auction house.
Whoa—!
Where the hell did this wildman come from!
When they saw the man’s clothes and appearance, everyone couldn't help but gasp.
The man wore a felt hat that had long since lost its original color. The greasy brim sagged low, with black, matted fibers—either animal fur or human hair—dangling from the edges.
His tunic, made of bound tree bark, rustled with every breath. Suspicious dark brown stains seeped through the gaps in the bark, as if the entire garment had been slapped together from rotting wood found in a swamp.
The monster hide wrapped around his waist was an unnatural greenish-gray, and a desiccated claw bone trailed from the end, scraping harshly against the ground as he walked.
Most unsettling of all was the wooden staff in his hand. Its surface was covered in spiral patterns, and the top was inlaid with three beast teeth. Every time it struck the ground, it kicked up a small puff of foul-smelling dust.
Spiderweb-like black veins pulsed beneath his grayish-green skin.
When he suddenly looked up, his murky eyes reflecting the firelight of the nearby lanterns, he looked exactly like a savage who had just crawled out of a cave.
“Well, if it isn't my long-lost dear uncle. I haven't seen you in over a year, and yet you've fallen this low? Where's my aunt? She didn't abandon you because of your pathetic state, did she?”
Even though he was emaciated from long-term malnutrition, Lan Qingyou recognized her enemy, her uncle Liu Yongfu, instantly.
Seeing his current state, she knew he was having a miserable time, so she mocked him with a light, mocking tone.
The others had originally intended to offer a polite greeting, assuming he was a relative.
But the moment they heard Lan Qingyou's tone, they knew there was bad blood between them.
The group silently retreated behind Lan Qingyou to watch the drama unfold.
“How can you speak to me like that? Your aunt is doing just fine,” Liu Yongfu said, glaring at Lan Qingyou with a reproachful look that revealed his yellowing teeth.
To be honest, he had come here specifically to see if the famous ‘Lan Qingyou’ was the same one he knew.
Initially, he hadn't wanted to come.
After all, the round-trip teleportation fees weren't cheap.
But in the end, he couldn't withstand the nagging of his wife, mother, and children.
Since he didn't have a ticket, he couldn't enter the auction venue, so he had been squatting by the entrance, waiting to catch a glimpse of her.
He had nearly fallen asleep during the hours of waiting.
If he hadn't bumped his head while dozing off, waking himself up just as Lan Qingyou and the others stepped out, he might have missed this meeting entirely.
He didn't know how she was flying or why she was even alive—let alone living so well—but those legs that never touched the ground allowed him to identify his niece instantly.
“So, Uncle, what are you doing here?”
Lan Qingyou remained in the air, simply looking down at the wildman from above.
“Nothing, nothing. I just wanted to see that you’re doing well,” Liu Yongfu laughed awkwardly.
He wasn't even sure why he had spoken up and called out to Lan Qingyou just as she was about to leave.
After all, his only task this time was to confirm if she was the niece they knew.
Now that he had called her out and stopped her, all that was left was awkwardness.
He remembered very well how his family had taken Lan Qingyou's treatment funds and compensation money at the hospital over a year ago.
As for how she had survived afterward, he had no idea.
In his heart, he couldn't help but marvel at how truly difficult this girl was to kill.
“Is that so? Since you have no business with me, I’ll be on my way. I’m busy.”
With that, Lan Qingyou turned to leave.
Although she wanted to kill this savage right then and there, now was not the time.
First of all, this was her territory, and she had just finished hosting a major event. Killing someone here would be bad for business.
To be honest, based on the concept of ‘equivalent exchange,’ she didn't think this savage was worth the trouble of making a scene.
Secondly, she needed him to take some news back with him.
“By the way, since you’re here, Uncle, why don't you pass a message to my aunt and grandmother for me? Tell them that Huang Xingming, the chairman of the Huang Group, and his son Huang Wei are dead.”
“I’m sure you know them. After all, you were the ones who negotiated the compensation with them back then.”
The Huang father and son were dead!
Upon hearing this news, Liu Yongfu felt as if his chest had been struck by a sledgehammer, making it difficult to breathe.
He knew exactly who those two were.
He had been present during the negotiations.
But now, hearing about their deaths from his niece's mouth...
“I killed them!”
Lan Qingyou turned her head slightly, and seeing the colors shifting on Liu Yongfu’s face, she spoke with ‘affectionate’ clarity. She even took out two Soul Crystals and waved them at him.
“See? Right here. Their souls.”
“Ah!”
“Aaahhhh!!!”
He had initially thought they were simply dead. He figured that since it wasn't him who died, he just needed to be careful in the future. Although he was afraid Lan Qingyou might kill him here, it hadn't reached the level of true terror.
But the moment he saw the two Soul Crystals in her hand, his last shred of composure snapped.
His fear instantly escalated into pure, unadulterated terror.
Rate on N.U.
