Because of the Pantanal Voodoo Society poisoning the Count a few days ago, there were Ring術士 from the Church present at this banquet, so Xia De wasn't particularly worried, even though he had heard news of the Truth Society and Cultists a few hours earlier.
He timed it perfectly, preparing to go to the manor's courtyard around nine o'clock to return the pair of earrings to Princess Margaret.
It just so happened that Mr. Bernhardt had nothing to do, so he decided to go with Xia De; after all, leaving the banquet hall alone would be a bit conspicuous.
Although the banquet was indoors due to the weather, some people were indeed gathered in small groups in the courtyard, holding wine glasses and “admiring the Moonlight.”
Of course, whether secret talks or deeper exchanges between young people would occur while admiring the Moonlight was hard to say.
Xia De and Mr. Bernhardt arrived in the courtyard, chatting and laughing.
They both looked up at the moon almost simultaneously, then smiled in unison.
Xia De felt refreshed bathing in the Moonlight, and the Vampire also felt the fatigue from the noisy banquet dissipate as he bathed in the Moonlight.
Behind them was the somewhat muffled sound of music; entering the quiet courtyard felt like stepping into another world.
Seeing that the princess's maid had not yet arrived, Xia De invited Mr. Bernhardt to take a stroll, and Mr. Bernhardt was, of course, happy for a moment of peace.
In this early Winter season, most of the plants in the courtyard, except for a few evergreens, had withered.
Still, in the hands of the Royal family's outstanding florists and gardeners, the tranquil Moonlight courtyard remained beautiful.
Looking at the grand manor's courtyard, Xia De inevitably recalled the first large banquet he attended after coming to this world: the Lakeview Manor banquet.
He heard many things and met many people at that banquet, until, at the end of the banquet, he delivered that kick under the Moonlight.
Thinking about it now, that experience still felt incredibly unbelievable.
“As soon as Winter begins, the night weather in Huntington is even better than in Summer.”
Mr. Bernhardt, beside him, said as they walked together to the knight fountain in the courtyard.
The gurgling water added a sense of loneliness to the quiet night.
“Yes, I didn’t expect to see such a pretty starry sky and moon from the city.”
Both of them possessed Miracles related to the “moon,” so once they started talking, they found a lot to discuss.
For example, Xia De's “Moonlight Slash” is a relatively basic Moonlight series Miracle.
It can be used not only with the silver moon but also with the yellow moon and Red Moon.
However, corresponding to the three moons, the Moonlight Slash of the silver moon leans towards combating evil, possessing a “holy” attribute; the Moonlight Slash of the Red Moon leans towards flesh destruction, having a very strong effect on physical damage; and the Moonlight Slash of the yellow moon does not have prominent attribute characteristics, which instead allows the purest destructive effect of spirit and energy to be fully unleashed.
Mr. Bernhardt was a Seven-Ring Arcanist, and his experience was very enlightening for Xia De.
And Xia De possessed the “silver moon” and “yellow moon,” which Mr. Bernhardt did not, so his experience was also of great value to the Vampire.
When sharing his experience with “Moonlight Slash,” Xia De naturally also mentioned the three forms he developed for this Miracle: the most basic slash, the slower but extremely powerful slash that leaves intersecting light arcs in the air, and the slash after quickly casting and drawing an arc by clapping both hands together.
“You truly have a great talent for the moon.”
Mr. Bernhardt said sincerely:
“Now that you possess the power of the yellow moon and silver moon, if you also acquire the Red Moon, perhaps all of your Moonlight Miracles will undergo a qualitative change.”
In fact, Xia De's Four Ring already had a “Red Moon” Ling Rune, which was the power of blasphemy.
But to save the twin Red Butterfly, the Red Moon was temporarily sealed, and he had not yet found a suitable method to restore the power of this Ling Rune.
“For ‘Moonlight Slash,’ I don’t have your talent to develop so many forms.”
Mr. Bernhardt said softly, looking left and right to confirm that there were no young couples secretly meeting in the nearby bushes:
“My family, oh, I don’t mean the Bernhardt family, but the Vampire clan, we have more usage techniques for this ability.”
Ring術士 have never been an isolated transcendent profession.
Priest Augustus once said long ago that Ring術士 are actually more like scholars; sometimes, someone else's notebook is more useful than a month of dedicated self-study:
“Moonlight Slash can not only be cast with the hands; theoretically, any part of one’s body can cast it, as long as it is a part of oneself.”
Saying that, the gentleman lightly kicked forward, and Xia De saw a crimson blade of light sweep along the ground.
Because the power was deliberately controlled, the light trace disappeared upon touching the fountain base.
“I’ve tried doing that too.”
Xia De nodded; the kick he delivered under the Moonlight was an application of using 【Moonlight Slash】 with his foot:
“But besides hands and feet, other parts are very difficult to cast with.
I can only do this right now—”
After he finished speaking, he opened his mouth, and with a slight flick of his tongue, a small silver light trace flew out.
Xia De had never shown this move to anyone after learning it because it had no practical use, was too weak, and too embarrassing.
Mr. Bernhardt, however, didn’t feel anything amiss; they were engaged in pure academic discussion:
“Yes, it’s truly difficult.
Our race has the talent to transform into bats, so in bat form, we cast using our wings.
As for using the tongue like you, some have tried it, but the power is very poor.
After all, the tongue itself is not an offensive organ.”
Then he suddenly smiled again:
“Since I have time today, I’ll show you a special 【Moonlight Slash】 technique, which the clan developed from the Vampire talent.”
The two walked from the central path of the courtyard to a smaller path within the courtyard.
After confirming they were far enough from the main house—
“Hmph!”
Mr. Bernhardt clenched both fists under the Moonlight, raising both arms high to the upper left and upper right respectively:
“Ha!”
He pulled his arms back, crossing them in front of his chest while keeping his fists clenched:
“Moonlight Slash!”
With a low shout, the middle-aged Vampire actually transformed into a dazzling red arc of light and charged forward, but without hitting any target, he transformed back, panting.
He gasped for breath and explained to Xia De:
“Among our race's inherited Miracles, there is a ‘Blood Blade Incarnation’ related to the 【Blood】 Ling Rune, which uses one’s own blood to slash down opponents.
The form change of 【Moonlight Slash】 utilizes a similar principle, allowing oneself to transform into Moonlight to attack enemies.
But the weakness is also obvious.”
Mr. Bernhardt looked very exhausted:
“You can tell by my appearance the consumption of this move.
Additionally, if the Moonlight Slash is interrupted by an enemy during the attack, one will suffer considerable damage.
Moreover, this form change is essentially just an application of the Miracle; there’s no specific learning method, one can only feel it out on their own.
This not only requires a high affinity for the moon but also an affinity for light itself.
Below High-Ring Sorcerer, very few people can directly master it.”
At this point, Mr. Bernhardt looked somewhat smug, and Xia De also sincerely praised:
“It is indeed very powerful; this can be said to be the ultimate form change of the 【Moonlight Slash】 Miracle.”
【Moonlight Slash】 is, after all, a Miracle that can be learned at Low-Ring.
After developing three forms, Xia De understood that the Miracle's variations had reached their limit.
He planned to develop one final form for this Miracle in the last ring of Low Four Ring.
After advancing to Middle-Ring, he could then seek other Moonlight attack Miracles.
The two did not go far but continued to chat where they could see the manor's main house.
However, before Princess Margaret appeared, a light suddenly flashed in the garden behind the manor.
The light was exceptionally noticeable in the deep night; not only did Xia De and Mr. Bernhardt see it, but anyone in the manor looking out a window would surely have seen it.
“Light Spell?”
Mr. Bernhardt hesitated:
“Using a Light Spell here, aren’t they afraid of attracting the Church’s Ring術士?”
“Perhaps it’s precisely to attract the Church’s Ring術士, and those Ring術士 will have no choice but to send some people to investigate the situation.”
The knowledgeable Xia De said softly.
The two were quiet for a while, looking together towards the back of the mansion, but for a long time, there was no other movement.
So, Xia De looked towards the entrance of the mansion not far away:
“Why hasn’t Princess Margaret’s maid arrived yet?”
“I have a bad feeling.”
Mr. Bernhardt said with some concern, then suggested:
“Let’s go back and check the situation.
Whatever that was just now, it must be related to Ring術士.
Perhaps those lunatics from the Truth Society really dare to act here.”
Xia De also agreed with his opinion, and the two quickly walked back to the mansion entrance, but Xia De pushed the door, and was surprisingly unable to open it:
"Hmm?"
He felt as if he was trying to push a mountain.
Mr. Bernhardt came over to help when he saw this, but he also couldn't open the door. Listening closely to the sounds inside the door, the music was normal, and the conversations and laughter didn't sound fake, as they clearly heard the two people at the door arguing fiercely about sailing:
"Someone locked the door?"
Mr. Bernhardt said in confusion, and Xia De reached out with the 【Key of the Door】 to try to open it. This Miracle did work, but the process of unlocking was like arm-wrestling a dragon; he could open the door, but he had to concentrate and use the Miracle with full attention:
"Mr. Bernhardt, wait a moment, I'm unlocking it."
"The banquet is still proceeding normally. This 'lock' is clearly the power of a Ring Arcanist. The person who set this lock just doesn't want outsiders to enter quickly, and doesn't want to attract more attention. The Five Gods Church directly provides protection to the royal family, and the Truth Society shouldn't directly attack Princess Margaret. What exactly are they doing?"
Mr. Bernhardt analyzed, and after waiting for nearly five minutes, Xia De finally opened the lock. After pushing open the golden door, the two quickly slipped inside. The ball was still going on as usual, with elegantly dressed gentlemen and beautiful ladies still dancing and enjoying themselves. The melodious music was so relaxing, and the two gentlemen at the door arguing about sailing only glanced at them. It seemed no one realized that something unusual was happening.
But Princess Margaret had already disappeared from a corner of the banquet hall sofa. After a brief inquiry, it was learned that someone had called her away not long ago, but when asked who had called the princess away, those ordinary people couldn't explain clearly.
"Something really happened."
Xia De nervously whispered to Mr. Bernhardt:
"I'll go find that witch. With her here, there won't be any problems."
Mr. Bernhardt nodded, but didn't want to go with Xia De:
"I'll go find my kin and ask what happened just now. You and The Lady can come directly to me later; perhaps I'll already know where the princess went."
So the two split up. Xia De prepared his spell materials as he left the banquet hall, following the left corridor to find Miss Sylvia. But after turning the corner in the corridor, he saw a tall man standing in the middle of the empty corridor, as if deliberately waiting for Xia De.
Xia De hadn't seen him at the banquet just now, because on both sides of this man's cheeks, there was a dark green vertical pattern extending downwards from his jaws. His skin was a bit dark, and his eyes were deeply set in their sockets. He was clearly waiting for Xia De:
"Was it you who opened the 'lock' from outside?"
The unfamiliar man spoke with a heavy carson rick accent, his gray eyes scrutinizing Xia De:
"Sir, no matter who you are, tonight's matter has nothing to do with you. If you can pretend not to know about this, I am willing to pay 100 crown."
Xia De was also observing him; the other party was a Low-Ring Arcanist, probably a Three-Ring, so the 'lock' just now wasn't set by him:
"Pantanal Voodoo Society?"
He asked hesitantly, not expecting the man to actually nod:
"Yes, Mr. Delarion. But this matter has nothing to do with the Voodoo Society; we just accepted someone's employment to do some things."
"Who hired you?"
Xia De asked again, but the man just shook his head:
"Do you think I would tell you?"
"I just don't understand, the Truth Society has always looked down on bumpkins like you, why would they be willing to hire you?"
Xia De was just probing, not expecting the burly man's expression to change:
"It seems you really came to protect Margaret Anjou. Don't worry, neither we nor the Truth Society dare to lay hands on members of the royal family; we are just looking for an item."
"Why tell me this?"
"If I can't stop you, I must at least ensure that this operation doesn't trigger the Five Gods Church's Inquisition."
He put his hand into his pocket, looking deeply at Xia De, as if making some decision:
"I follow the Path of the Wild, and my perception of power is very keen. I can feel how terrifying you are; even if you are not a High-Ring, you are absolutely no less than a High-Ring Sorcerer. I can't stop you, but you won't get past easily either. Those professors who consider themselves civilized people have given us very valuable Knowledge, and we will do our best to help them."
Saying that, he took out something resembling snake skin from his pocket. A strong whisper element immediately surged in all directions, and Xia De heard hissing sounds in his ears.
"relic?"
Xia De was startled, and with a flick of his hand, he unleashed a Moonlight. That Three-Ring Arcanist didn't dodge at all. As the Moonlight precisely almost split him in half from the waist, he swallowed the snake skin into his stomach:
"This is a Document-level relic 【Undying Snake Shedding】. Praise Pantanal! Praise the Undying Snake! So, please die!"
The last few words completely turned into a strange, snake-like language, but Xia De still translated them.
Blood gushed from the man's waist. He had already fallen to the ground due to severe injuries, his entire body trembling, clearly not going to live.
But Xia De's expression changed dramatically, and he kept retreating. As the snake skin was swallowed by the man, the gas lamps in the entire corridor quickly dimmed. The whisper element became even more obvious and clear, and a crack appeared on the head of the man's "corpse." To Xia De's astonished gaze, a black snake, as thick as a man's waist, with crimson eyes and a body covered in mucus, emerged from the corpse.
"Hiss hiss~"
A crimson forked tongue flicked out from the snake's mouth, and mucus flowed over the snake's body, gradually allowing Xia De to clearly see the tapeworm-like patterns on its body.
Its body was larger and longer than the corpse behind it. It turned and swallowed the human corpse, then crawled towards Xia De, leaving wet trails on the carpet as it moved. Even though he had seen many snakes in the Sicar Mountain in Summer, being stared at by this thing still sent a chill down Xia De's spine.
"He swallowed the relic? The relic went out of control?"
This reminded Xia De of the Ring術士 who turned into a merman due to the merman scales losing control.
"It's not out of control. Swallowing that piece of snake skin should be the trigger for the relic's properties."
"That's disgusting."
His right hand pulled the Moonlight Greatsword from the air and charged towards the snake. The massive, slow-moving python also lunged at Xia De, suddenly coiling its body to gather strength, shooting towards Xia De like a flying arrow in the increasingly dim corridor.
Its speed was extremely fast, but it ultimately failed to hit Xia De, instead passing through a large swarm of Red Butterfly.
As the giant python landed, the swarm of butterflies re-gathered. Xia De, holding the "Moonlight Greatsword," turned and swung, the greatsword slashing towards the snake's head, but the greatsword, with its holy silver light, actually passed through the snake's body and struck the floor.
"Illusion?"
It wasn't an illusion, because the giant python whipped its tail, striking Xia De's waist with immense force. Xia De had originally thought this sword strike would at least severely injure the opponent, completely unprepared for his attack to miss, and thus, like a ball struck by a club, he was slammed into the wall by that tail.
"Hiss hiss hiss~"
The corridor light continued to dim, and darkness was descending. The pitch-black giant python turned, its tail supporting its body, its snake mouth opening to reveal sharp fangs, its crimson eyes staring at Xia De, who was getting up, as if wanting to bite off Xia De's head.
The descent of darkness made this snake even more powerful, and at the same time, the darkness was like a thick liquid, making Xia De feel his movements becoming increasingly sluggish. But when it lunged to bite, it also failed to hit Xia De, instead its head heavily struck the wall, breaking through the wall and entering an empty room on the other side.
And Xia De, who had transferred using 【Raglai's Leap】, appeared at the far end of the dark corridor.
The giant snake slithered out of the hole in the wall, flicking its tongue as it observed Xia De, clearly planning a killing blow. And such obvious sounds just now had surprisingly failed to attract anyone's attention, so it seemed this operation was indeed trying every possible way not to attract attention.
Xia De, relying on his dark vision, stared at the giant snake, which was almost integrated with the darkness, in the almost completely dark environment, and at the same time asked in his mind:
"Why can't I attack it, but it can attack me?"
