novelzi to the Capital,Wolven
to the Capital,Wolven
Step. Step.
Walking toward the wooden door, Yuan's mind raced, analyzing everything he knew about the spoiled girl and the scheming elder.
Emilia,the spoiled girl.
She likely knew nothing about any hidden schemes. Probably.
After all, she was foolish,so foolish that she would guaranteed die a dog's death if left to her own devices.
But the real problem was her grandfather.
Elder Viktor.
An old man, nearly a hundred years old, already with one foot in the grave.
He had no hope of advancing to the Meridian Awakening Stage,he was simply too old.
Without miraculous medicine or rare elixirs, his cultivation had long since stagnated.
But his experience made him dangerous.
He had once been an outer disciple in a low-ranking sect, one that had long since ceased to exist.
According to his own words, the sect had been at war,a war they were doomed to lose.
The enemy was far stronger, and when his sect was destroyed, the surviving leaders were slaughtered.
The victors did not stop there,they hunted down every last disciple, turning the remnants of the sect into a massacre.
At least two thousand died.
Only the strongest survived.
Only those who could run escaped.
Just from that story alone, Yuan understood the kind of man Elder Viktor was.
Cunning. Ruthless. A survivor.
To survive the annihilation of a sect was a feat few could claim.
Even the most talented cultivators often fell in such battles.
Yet Elder Viktor had fled the bloodbath, evaded pursuit, and stayed alive to this day.
That meant one thing.
He was an expert at escaping death.
But so was Yuan.
Elder Viktor had plenty of experience, but he would never suspect what kind of monster Yuan truly was.
After all,who would ever believe that a twelve-year-old child could fight a Meridian Awakening cultivator?
No one.
If Yuan made such a claim, he would be laughed at and called a fool.
And yet,it was the truth.
Yuan could kill a Meridian Awakening cultivator.
He could even fight a Bone Forging cultivator.
But there was a limit.
He couldn't defeat them in one strike.
Against a Blood Purification cultivator, his Azure Basilisk Flames were instant death.
But against a Meridian Awakening cultivator?
His attacks were slow,too slow.
But once his flames landed…
They wouldn't survive.
A Meridian Awakening cultivator could endure the flames for only a few seconds before perishing.
Only a Bone Forging cultivator could withstand the Azure Basilisk Flames,but even they would suffer.
The flames would burn them continuously, inflicting pain with every passing second.
It wouldn't kill them, but it would torment them.
With all these thoughts running through his mind, Yuan could only hope that Elder Viktor didn't have a powerful protective artifact.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the wooden door.
The morning sun shone against his outstretched hand, its warmth pleasant yet meaningless to him.
Above, the sky was clear,a perfect day for travel.
His gaze swept across the surroundings,
These thoughts lingered in his mind as time passed.
No matter how closely he observed them, neither Elder Viktor nor Emilia acted any differently.
They were exactly the same as before.
Eventually, the carriage arrived at the mortal capital, Wolven.
And by then, with countless thoughts running through his mind, something strange had begun to happen.
His perception of the grandfather and granddaughter pair… slowly began to change.
Over the course of the journey, there were moments when he no longer needed to act.
Moments when he let his guard down, even slightly.
Moments when he even enjoyed the time he spent with Elder Viktor.
Even so, deep within his heart, he remained cautious.
No matter how comfortable he became, he was always prepared for danger.
But still, a new thought emerged.
Maybe…
Just maybe…
Could he actually become friends with the spoiled brat?
After all, she was just a child, not an adult.
With a little guidance, a little effort, perhaps he could reeducate this rotten, spoiled child.
Perhaps, instead of seeing her as a nuisance, he could turn her into someone useful.
Time would tell.
As the capital of Wolven finally came into view, the spoiled child, Emilia, could barely contain her excitement.
Her eyes sparkled like shining stars, completely captivated by the sight of the grand city.
Seeing her childlike wonder, Yuan couldn't help but be amused.
A small chuckle escaped him.
But the sound of his laughter snapped Emilia out of her daze.
She turned toward him, pouting in annoyance.
"What's so funny?" she demanded.
Yuan simply shook his head, his expression calm.
"Nothing. It's just a beautiful scene… looking at the capital."
Of course, the capital wasn't special at all.
To a cultivator, it was no more than a primitive village.
Compared to the grand, towering structures of the powerful sects and clans Basilisk had seen in his past life, mortal buildings held no interest for him.
As they approached the capital, Elder Viktor spoke up.
"We'll stop here for the night and enter the capital by lunchtime tomorrow."
It wasn't a request,it was a decision.
Yuan, having no say in the matter, simply nodded without care.
After all, the area around the capital was safe.
There were no monsters, no unintelligent demonic beasts lurking nearby.
The only possible threat was bandits.
But no powerful bandit group would be foolish enough to operate near the capital.
That would be suicide.
So, with no real danger present, they set up camp for the night.
As night fell, they ate as usual, sharing a meal prepared by Elder Viktor.
Yuan took his portion, eating without suspicion.
But the moment he took a bite, something felt… off.
A faint, familiar spice coated his tongue.
It wasn't present in any of their previous meals.
The realization hit him like a hammer.
This wasn't just an ordinary spice.
It was the spice of betrayal.