Chapter 189: The Storm Temporarily Subsides

Chapter 189: The Storm Subsides

The grand spectacle at Wushan Castle had come to an end. Nobles, great and small, as if bound by unspoken agreement, began their gradual departures back to their respective domains.

Before Blanch departed, Rulans personally met with her, offering his blessings and entrusting her with a letter for His Majesty Bruno.

As for the departures of other nobles, he merely made a token appearance.

Though Rulans wore a greatcoat and a hooded cloak, outsiders could still perceive the change in his physical bearing—he looked older now.

Clearly, yesterday’s battle had taken a heavy toll on him.

Yet, no matter what, the Marquis still stood firmly where he was, his true combat strength remaining unknown.

Meanwhile, the rash Osun could barely mount his carriage—he was carried by others—and rumors even circulated that he had been utterly crippled.

Even a dying camel is still larger than a horse; Osun had paid dearly for his arrogance.

“Ronin, I hope we shall meet again before long.”

On the back of a griffin, Blanch waved farewell to Ronin.

“It won’t be long,” Ronin replied with a smile, bowing respectfully to Broel and Knight Misi as he bid them farewell. “The journey is long—please look after Her Highness.”

“It is my duty,” Misi replied, performing a knight’s salute.

Broel nodded. “Please also convey my farewell to Lord Rulans.”

With that, he gave a signal to depart.

Instantly, the griffins let out joyous cries, flapping their wings and stirring a fierce wind as they soared into the sky, vanishing at breakneck speed.

“Let’s go too,” said Hesus to his subordinate Ramsay, giving a perfunctory wave toward the nobles of Wushan Domain before mounting his griffin and departing.

From above, he gazed down at the castle below, his eyes gleaming with displeasure at the failure of his plan.

Hesus had come here in collusion with Osun, his primary aim being to uncover Rulans’s true strength and to find an opportunity for Osun—also a Starflow Knight—to challenge him.

In their expectations, Rulans, weakened by illness and suppression, should have been unable to unleash his full Starflow power.

Once Osun defeated Rulans, the latter, grievously wounded, would inevitably suffer a backlash from his old injuries.

Thus, even if they failed to kill Rulans, his lifespan would be drastically shortened—perhaps dying within one or two years, or even sooner.

With Rulans dead, Wushan Domain would descend into chaos, creating the perfect opportunity for them to exploit the turmoil.

But he had never anticipated such an outcome.

Hesus had privately met Osun. He had never imagined Rulans could manipulate that peculiar energy—capable of dismantling a Starflow Knight from within.

Even Ramsay, his own subordinate, had been deeply shaken upon hearing it.

Ramsay’s strength surpassed Osun’s, yet he could not guarantee he would emerge unscathed in a confrontation with Rulans.

If, carelessly, Rulans infused him with that mysterious black energy, would he too be rendered useless?

To have a Starflow Knight with a brilliant future crippled by an elderly man—this was unacceptable.

After this encounter, they had abandoned the idea of using elite warriors to strike at Rulans—such a move would be too costly.

After all, Rulans rarely acted, and Wushan Domain was far from unified; other methods could still be employed.

Moreover, judging from Rulans’s condition today, his remaining days were likely few.

As for Ronin, Hesus did not take the young man seriously.

Though he acknowledged Ronin’s strength and talent were unexpectedly impressive, the current troubles of Wushan Domain could not be resolved merely by the emergence of a promising heir.

Wushan Domain faced not only the Black Gold Brotherhood and the Polant Raiders—both backed by powerful patrons.

Hesus spurred his griffin forward until he rode level with Ramsay.

“Once we return, prepare our people. Stockpile supplies, and ready ourselves for the coming conflict.”

“Also, initiate operations against Stonehold. I believe the time has come.”

Ramsay nodded. “Understood, Father. We’ve indeed been too passive.”

The territory of Moonlight Valley was too small to suit the dignity of the Hesus royal line.

Of course, they would not intervene directly.

The kingdom still forbade great nobles from launching wars without justification.

Even if they were to act, they would first need a perfectly plausible excuse.

In the square of Wushan Castle, as Princess Blanch, Hesus, Osun, and others departed, the carriages of other nobles followed in succession.

Viscount Marven had intended to return with Ronin, but upon learning Ronin would remain in Wushan Castle for several more days, he chose not to wait.

With the nobles gone, the bustling, lively Wushan Castle finally fell silent after more than ten days of revelry.

The servants, once constantly rushing about, sighed in relief—they could finally rest without constant tension.

For the next several days, Ronin spent most of his time in cultivation, aside from minor errands. Occasionally, he sat with Rulans, strolled through the grounds, or sparred with Bretton—far more relaxed than the previous days.

Five days later, on the seventh of January, Ronin departed under the escort of a twelve-knight detachment led by Galil.

Sending Galil was twofold: to ensure Ronin’s safety, and because he carried a mission.

Raisen of Sein Domain remained imprisoned, awaiting trial.

Interrogations had continued for days, yet this man’s tongue proved astonishingly tight.

He admitted only to plundering the resources of Mountainwood Village and conspiring with Prinst to frame Ronin—nothing more.

He denied any connection to the Skull Order, and categorically rejected any involvement in orchestrating the assassination attempt on Princess Blanch, insisting it was Ronin’s slander.

Ronin did not know whether Raisen was aware of the arena assassination, but his ties to the Skull Order were undeniable.

Thus, the key witness—the “Shadow” assassin captured by Ronin—still needed to be transported from Mountainwood Village to Wushan Castle.

Though inconvenient, stripping a noble of title and lands was no trivial matter. Even if merely for the sake of appearances to other vassals, the proper procedures must be meticulously followed.

Yet Ronin knew that even if the Shadow arrived at Wushan Castle, Raisen might still refuse to confess.

After all, the Shadow had received his assassination order directly from the Skull Order’s leader—he might never have even met Raisen.

But that did not mean there were no other witnesses.

Though Joffrey, who had sworn fealty to Ronin, lacked such intelligence, Sein Domain was now within Ronin’s grasp—he refused to believe no one else knew anything.

Take, for instance, Knight Filliton, stationed by Raisen to guard the Blacktribe Clan.

Filliton was a vassal of Sein Domain, Raisen’s most trusted subordinate, privy to far more information than newcomers like Joffrey.

And now, Filliton was likely a prisoner of Riedar. Interrogating him might yield further intelligence on the Skull Order and Raisen.

Therefore, Galil’s mission to Mountainwood Village included not only escorting Ronin and transporting the Shadow, but also bringing Raisen’s closest subordinates and family members to face trial.

(End of Chapter)