Chapter 83 - Contemptuous Rivalry (II)
Soon enough, the two figures came into view; one female and one male. The moment they appeared, a scowl emerged from Cynthia's face. Locking her sights on the incoming woman, she was repulsed by her.
"Oh? It's the little bitch Cynthia. It seems your older brothers are no longer here to protect you. What will you do now?" a burst of haughty laughter escaped the woman's mouth as she used her hand to hide her smirk.
"I have no words for the slut of the Shaanti Family. Take you and your unsightly guardian and vanish from my sights, Krystella," a murderous gleam flashed through Cynthia's eyes, her tone turning venomous.
In return, the woman clicked her tongue and ignored Cynthia's words. Instead, her eyes moved between Ashur and Danyul with a small frown, "Tasteless. The men of your family now...they're all obsolete. It's truly saddening… I used to have so much fun."
Meanwhile, Apollo tilted his head puzzled by this interaction, 'Shaanti...Shaanti? AH! That's the name Vren uttered right before I killed him. Does he perhaps originate from this family? But it seems there's bad blood between the Kaisers and them. Why is that so?'
Apollo's ears perked up as he continued to listen to the conversation taking place between them.
"Hoh? You aren't so bad yourself there boy," Krystella's eyes fell upon Apollo. She liked what she saw; be it the cold and piercing violet eyes or the temperament evident from his posture. Not to mention, he bore an odd resemblance of her distant crush.
Meanwhile, Apollo's lip twitched. His gaze examined this woman before him. He was unable to tell her exact age due to the effects of cultivation. One aged extremely slow, however, from the earlier conversation he inferred she was from his aunt's generation. To put it differently, he was being hit on by an aunty.
"Are you insane, you dumb bitch? Do you think I won't rip your disgusting fucking tongue out of your mouth?" Cynthia seethed further, advancing as well as withdrawing her weapon. The malice in her eyes bolstered from Krystella's licentious gaze. Be that as it may, Krystella found this incident amusing at best and released a small chuckle.
Gazing at her up and down, Apollo examined her figure. While not overly curvy, she possessed some shape. However, deep within her eyes, Apollo perceived a conniving spirit. At her core, he could understand this faintly beautiful woman was a poisonous existence—her citrine eyes unable to hide this fact.
Apollo ignored her words and turned toward Cynthia, surprised by her temper. 'When did Aunty's temper become so volatile? It appears she wants to rip this woman to shreds, what type of history do they share? Though I can't say I don't understand her.
Once again, Apollo's eyes fell on Krystella. Only this time, he took note of her loose robes and the weapon tied around her waist, 'A whip? I wonder what her element is. It must be something like poison or darkness. These are the only qualities I can feel from her.'
"How rude. Are you not going to answer me?" Krystella placed a hand on her hip altering her posture. She found Apollo's disregard to be unnerving. Scowling, she turned towards Cynthia, "I see this generation was raised without manners as well."
"No, my nephew just knows better than to respond to a slut," Cynthia retorted before looking back to Danyul, "We're leaving. Gather everyone."
At that moment, the male accompanying Krystella spoke up once again. However, not only did he speak, he emitted his cultivation base. A stifling pressure bore down on everyone present, "Hoh? Am I being disregarded? When did I permit you to leave?"
The likes of Aaron, Axel, and Lily were rendered immobile whereas Cynthia and others frowned. Apollo, on the other hand, tilting his head an apparent curiosity present in his eyes. 'It seems he concealed some of his pressure. I think he's stronger than Aunty.'
Meanwhile, Cynthia's expression soured. Were they being belittled? To understand this, one had to understand the relationship between small noble families.
Oftentimes, they weren't good. In fact, there was a 90% chance of them possessing bad blood due to the fact cultivation required one to plunder. In other words, the noble families were under constant strife birthed from resource competition. Hence, the current situation.
The Shaanti and Kaiser Families originated from the same Zephus Domain as well as the Verdacre area. As a result, run-ins such as these were no odd occurrence. Naturally, this didn't mean they welcomed the disdain.
Meanwhile, Apollo's thoughts were on another topic, 'If he's a Zul Knight...Then what is she,' he craned his head towards Krystella. It seemed the system didn't possess the current ability to tell him the cultivation realms of those above him without confrontation.
"Relinquish your pressure on my kids," barked Cynthia as she tightened the grip on her malleable sword. Furthermore, traces of water began gathering at her feet. She was ready for battle at a moment's notice. She could handle disrespect to a certain extent but involving the youths was intolerable.
"If you wish for me to do so, show me what is in your possession. Also, do not try to deny the fact you hold those items," the male spoke once again. His demeanor was just as rough as his appearance. Clad in soft armor, his scraggly bread and unkept hair increased the dangerous aura pervading the atmosphere around him.
"Tch… Myrin the Shaanti's Executioner. I shouldn't have doubted your instincts," Cynthia frowned, placing her hands on her spatial pouch. Her eyes shifted back and forth, weighing the situation at hand. She was aware of her disadvantage.
On their side, only she was a Zul Knight whereas both of these people before her were in that realm. Additionally, Myrin possessed a title within the Shaanti. Even she wasn't certain of being his match due to her just achieving this level. Releasing a sigh, Cynthia conceded. The safety of everyone took precedence.
At this moment, Ashur interjected, "Wait! What are you asking for?" Unlike the others, he wasn't one who studied the books. He didn't understand the Natural Blessing were each unique. The stronger it became, the larger the implications.
"Not only are you a vermin… but you're also a bird brain who plays dumb? Amusing. Relinquish your possession of the Natural Blessings. You can claim you don't possess any but she bears signs of them. Their unique signature can't be erased within mere moments. They fade with time," Myrin sneered at Ashur's folly.
'Oh? I didn't know such things happen with Natural Blessings. But it seems he's unaware of the exact number. I wonder if Aunty and I are on the same wavelength,' Apollo spared Cynthia a meaningful glance before placing his arms behind himself.
Waving her hands, Cynthia summoned 9 of the Smoldering Spirit Accentuating Fruits. In other words, she only offered a quarter of the amount they collected. As she summoned them, Myrin grinned.
"It seems to be at the Spirit-Rank and mature at that. Very good. Not only do you possess beauty, but your brain is also functional as well. You would make a fine woman. If only…" eyeing the Natural Blessings, Myrin licked his lips as he looked at Cynthia with a covetous gaze.
Her beauty was leagues above the one beside him—Krystella. In his eyes, he never viewed her as a woman and thought she was rather subpar. Cynthia, however, suited his taste. As such, he crossed his arms with an imposing presence.
"I want you. Not only that, but I would also like the rest of these Natural Blessings. I don't mind prying them from your grasps if need be," a cold smirk appeared on Myrin's countenance as he snapped his finger.
Meanwhile, behind her Apollo and Aaron widened their eyes. What in the hell were they witnessing?