Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Just then, an extremely faint murmur, seemingly resounding directly into the depths of his soul, began to linger in his ears. The voice was neither male nor female, neither old nor young, carrying an empty echo, like a dream, or a curse, repeatedly and stubbornly chanting the same name:

“Lu Mingfei…Lu Mingfei…Lu Mingfei…”

Zhu Liao was not entirely unfamiliar with such whispers; he occasionally heard similar murmurs when practicing certain forbidden techniques or attempting to communicate with indescribable beings. But this time, it was the first time they had been so clear and so persistently directed at a specific person!

The divination indicates that Lu Mingfei is the key, and the whispers in my ear keep repeating this name.

Zhu Liao's wrinkles spread out like a swarm of wriggling worms. He first chuckled softly, his voice hoarse like the cry of an owl. Then his laughter grew louder and more unrestrained, filled with ecstasy and scheming.

"Hahaha, fate! It really is fate!" He stood up, his wide robe sleeves fluttering even without wind. "Dragon Clan Ruins, the secret to immortality, Lu Mingfei! So the key was right before my eyes! Right on my Zhu family's territory!"

He paced to the edge of the stone chamber, looking at the flickering eerie green flames on the wall, his eyes gleaming with a venomous light.

"That brat Zhu Ming's antics have ironically brought this key to my doorstep. No matter who you are or what secrets you hold, since you are connected to my grand plan for immortality, you are destined to become my stepping stone to eternity!"

The muttering continued in his ears; the name "Lu Mingfei" was like a curse, constantly reinforcing his belief and greed.

“It seems I can’t let these juniors play house anymore.” Zhu Liao turned around, his gaze returning to the enormous Bagua plate and the blurry hexagram of Lu Mingfei in the center. “I need to find a way to make this key obediently and completely fall into my hands. The relics of the Dragon Clan, eternal life. I, Zhu Liao, have arrived! Hahaha!”

Chapter 264 Sudden Death

Deep within the Zhu family mansion lies a small courtyard. The courtyard is filled with orchids and bamboo, a gentle breeze carrying their rustling sounds and delicate, cool fragrance.

Inside the study of Xiaozhu, the windows were bright and the desks were clean, with wisps of fine sandalwood incense wafting out. Zhu Ling'er sat upright behind the desk, holding a yellowed ancient book, engrossed in reading.

Her personal maid, Yun'er, quietly tidied the bookshelf beside her.

Suddenly, a very faint "knock" sound came from outside the window, like a bird's beak pecking at the window frame, with a peculiar rhythm of three long and two short sounds.

Zhu Ling'er paused slightly as she turned the pages of the book, her eyes remaining closed as she softly said, "Yun'er."

"Yes, Miss." Yun'er immediately understood, put down her work, and quickly walked to the window, opening it a crack.

A gray figure darted in as nimbly as a raccoon dog, landing silently. It was a man dressed in a gray short-sleeved shirt, thin and with an ordinary face. He knelt on one knee in Zhu Ling'er's direction, head bowed, offering a small bamboo tube sealed with sealing wax.

“Shadow Guard C17 greets Miss Ling’er. This is a briefing on matters requiring attention in the city today. Inside is an urgent secret report from a Group B scout, marked ‘abnormal.’ Please take a look, Miss.” The man’s voice was deep and flat, like a machine.

Zhu Ling'er then put down the book, her gaze falling on the bamboo tube, and nodded: "Thank you for your hard work, you may leave now."

"Yes." Shadow Guard C17 didn't hesitate for a moment. With a flicker, he disappeared from the window again, as if he had never been there. Yun'er gently closed the window, separating the inside from the outside.

This was one of Zhu Ling'er's channels for obtaining information. Although she disliked vying for power, she knew that in a dangerous place like the Zhu family, being isolated from information was tantamount to suicide. Relying on some opportunities in her early years and favors she had shown to some of the shadow guards, she quietly established her own secret information network. It was not to spy on family secrets, but simply to protect herself and understand the true movements of the outside world.

Yun'er picked up the bamboo tube, skillfully scraped off the sealing wax with a special knife, took out the tightly rolled strip of paper inside, and handed it to Zhu Ling'er with both hands.

Zhu Ling'er unfolded the note; the handwriting was small but clear, written in a secret method known only to her and a few trusted confidants. The first few entries concerned routine movements of other forces in the city, which she glanced over quickly. But when she saw the last entry, her brow furrowed slightly.

The note read: "'Viper' and his three core henchmen died suddenly at the West City stronghold. The manner of their deaths was extremely bizarre, not caused by ordinary injuries or diseases. According to observations, the four had experienced prolonged periods of extreme pain before their deaths, with varying symptoms, including suffocation and struggle, vomiting foreign objects, self-mutilation, loss of limb control, and gradual loss of the five senses. There were no signs of external intrusion at the scene, nor were there any clear traces of magic. Their last notably abnormal targets were Lu Mingfei and Frilian. This matter has been reported to the family's punishment hall and is tentatively classified as 'sudden death of unknown cause,' and has been filed and sealed."

These few lines of text convey a chilling message.

"'Viper,' is that the leader of the group that Zhu Ming hired a few days ago to cause trouble for Mr. Lu Mingfei and Miss Frillie?" Yun'er also came over to look and couldn't help but cover her mouth and exclaim, "They're all dead? And they died so tragically?"

Zhu Ling'er didn't answer immediately. Her fingertips tapped lightly on the table as her gaze swept over the keywords again: "extremely bizarre death," "various symptoms," "no clear traces of magic," and "last targets were Lu Mingfei and Frilian." She quickly connected the clues in her mind.

The conflict had occurred shortly before. Lu Mingfei had used his superb martial arts skills to knock the men unconscious, but had not killed them. Half a day later, these men died painfully in various inexplicable ways within the stronghold. There were no signs of intrusion, nor were there any traces of common elemental energy, such as fire, frost, or mental impact.

This was no ordinary vendetta, nor was it Lu Mingfei's style of direct physical attacks.

A thought, like a faint light flashing in the darkness, suddenly appeared in Zhu Ling'er's mind—Gu poison!

Only those mysterious Gu techniques that are invisible and intangible, slow to take effect, have ever-changing symptoms, and are extremely difficult to trace their source, can cause such bizarre and terrifying deaths.

"Yun'er," Zhu Ling'er stood up, her voice cold, "get ready, we're going out for a bit."

"Miss, where are we going?" Yun'er asked, puzzled.

“Go and see the scene where ‘Viper’ and the others died,” Zhu Ling’er said calmly, yet with an undeniable determination.

Yun'er was startled: "Ah? Miss, that kind of place is filthy, and the family's punishment hall has already dealt with it. Wouldn't it be dangerous for us to go there?"

“It’s precisely because they’ve already dealt with it that I need to go and see for myself.” Zhu Ling’er interrupted her, a glint of wisdom flashing in her eyes. “The Punishment Hall’s characterization of it as ‘sudden death from unknown causes’ clearly indicates that they haven’t found out the reason, or they don’t want to investigate further. But I need to know what the consequences will be if we take action against Lu Mingfei and Miss Frilian. This is related to our future stance.”

She paused, then looked at Yun'er: "Are you scared?"

Yun'er was stunned for a moment, then straightened her chest: "If Miss isn't afraid, then Yun'er isn't afraid either! Yun'er will follow Miss!"

A faint smile appeared on Zhu Ling'er's face, fleeting as it was: "Then let's go. Change into something inconspicuous."

Half an hour later, Zhu Ling'er and Yun'er, disguised as ordinary rich young ladies and accompanied by their maids, arrived at the chaotic area where the incident occurred in a car without any family markings.

Following the specific address provided in the secret report, the car stopped at the entrance of the alley. The driver, an elderly man trusted by Zhu Ling'er, silently stood guard beside the car.

Zhu Ling'er and Yun'er got out of the carriage. Yun'er couldn't help but cover her nose with a handkerchief, her face a little pale. Zhu Ling'er, however, remained calm, her gaze even more composed. She scanned the surroundings and confirmed the half-open, particularly dilapidated door deep in the alley.

"That's it," Zhu Ling'er whispered, taking the lead into the alley. Yun'er quickly followed, nervously looking left and right.

Pushing open the creaking wooden door, an indescribable stench assaulted my senses, a mixture of the smell of blood, the sour stench of vomit, and the unique fishy odor of something rotting and decaying.

Yun'er felt a churning in her stomach and managed to hold it in.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few rays of sunlight streaming in through the cracks in the dilapidated window frames, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. The space was small, and the furnishings were simple and dilapidated, but at this moment, it resembled an execution ground where torture had just ended.

Although the body had been removed by the executioners, the scene had not been thoroughly cleaned and still bore the gruesome marks of the death. The ground was a mess, with drag marks, dried and blackened bloodstains, splattered dark green stains, and a large number of torn strips of cloth and flesh fragments, all stained with blood. Dark scratch marks could even be seen on the walls, as if someone had desperately dug at the wound with their fingernails.

Chapter 265 People You Can't Offend

Zhu Ling'er's eyes were sharp as she carefully scanned every corner of the scene. She ignored the nauseating smell and sight, focusing entirely on the unusual details.

She crouched down, her fingertips lightly touching the dried, dark green stain through a silk handkerchief, and carefully sniffed it. The strong, fishy stench was mixed with a very faint, bitter smell, similar to rotting plants.

She walked to the corner where the scratches were most concentrated and carefully examined the direction and depth of the marks. The marks were messy and frantic, filled with a sense of despair, and did not seem like a disguise.

Finally, her gaze settled on a relatively clean area in the center of the room, where only some dust had been swept away. According to the intelligence report, this was where "Viper" had fallen. She noticed several very fine, shallow marks on the ground at the edge of that area, which did not appear to be caused by a physical impact.

“Yun’er, look here,” Zhu Ling’er said, pointing to the shallow marks. “And the color and smell of the vomit, and the sheer frenzy of these scratches on the wall.”

Yun'er suppressed her discomfort and leaned closer to look, then shook her head: "Miss, I can't see anything special, it's just very tragic."

Zhu Ling'er stood up, walked to the window, looked at the narrow, dirty sky outside, and slowly said, "Loss of control over limbs and gradual loss of the five senses correspond to the final symptoms of a venomous snake, similar to 'Soul-Stealing Gu' or 'Bone-Corroding Incense,' which can slowly erode the connection between nerves and flesh. Suffocation and struggle may be 'Entangling Silk Gu' or 'Breath-Sealing Worm,' which affects the respiratory system. Vomiting foreign objects, dark green with abnormal movement, is very much like a mixed variant of 'Heart-Rotting Grass' or 'Stomach-Eating Leech.' And the one with the intense itching all over its body and self-mutilating its skin is very consistent with the characteristics of 'Ten Thousand Ants Devouring Heart Gu' or 'Blood Boiling Curse,' which can cause extreme itching or burning sensations, making people unable to control themselves."

With each name and effect of the poison she mentioned, Yun'er's face paled a little more. The names themselves were terrifying.

“Most importantly,” Zhu Ling’er turned around, her eyes sharp, “these symptoms didn’t erupt all at once, but appeared gradually over half a day, depending on individual constitution and tolerance. The onset was slow and painful, designed to torment rather than kill instantly. There were no traces of magic left at the scene, indicating that the caster’s methods were extremely skillful, perfectly concealing the power of the Gu poison, so that it only took effect within the target’s body. Moreover, multiple Gu poisons with different effects acted on different targets simultaneously, demonstrating such precise control.”

She took a deep breath, her conclusion clear: "This is neither accidental nor an ordinary method. It is Gu poison, and a very ancient and insidious one at that. The practitioner has an extraordinary understanding of life and suffering, or rather, an indifference to it."

Yun'er was terrified, her voice trembling slightly: "Miss, are you saying that... that Miss Frillian did all this? But she seems cold, though, she doesn't seem like it."

She wanted to say that he wasn't such a vicious person, but the horrific scene before her made her unable to utter the words.

Zhu Ling'er nodded, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "It's pretty much true. Mr. Lu Mingfei is skilled in physical combat and has a direct style; he wouldn't use such methods. As for Miss Frilian, we know nothing about her, yet she possesses power that we can hardly imagine. Now it seems that she is probably also very knowledgeable about insidious and bizarre techniques like Gu poison, and may even consider them commonplace."

She recalled the few times she had seen Frilian from afar. The silver-haired elf was always expressionless, with clear eyes that seemed to be isolated from all worldly emotions, like an unmelting ice lake on the summit of a snow-capped mountain.

At the time, I only felt that she had a unique temperament, aloof and otherworldly, but I never expected that such aloofness would hide such ruthless and subtle methods.

"You can't judge a book by its cover," Yun'er murmured, her face filled with lingering fear. "She looked so beautiful, like a delicate porcelain doll, yet she was so ruthless! It's practically sorcery!"

"Insidious? Sorcery?" Zhu Ling'er repeated these two words, then shook her head. "Yun'er, in your opinion, is it more despicable to harass and humiliate a thug in the street with malicious intent, or is it more insidious to punish someone who has been harassed in a way that they cannot understand, as a warning to others?"

Yun'er paused for a moment, opened her mouth, but couldn't answer immediately.

Zhu Ling'er continued, "Different perspectives lead to different standards of view. To those thugs and their instigators, Miss Frillian's methods are naturally insidious and ruthless. But for us, or rather, for anyone who doesn't want to be her enemy, this is a clear warning."

She walked to the center of the room, surveying the traces left by this human tragedy. "She was declaring in the most direct and cruel way that those who offended her and her companions would pay a price far beyond imagination. This punishment was not just death, but the long and extreme pain and despair that preceded it. It was a highly effective deterrent."

Yun'er understood somewhat, but still felt a chill run down her spine: "But this is too much."

"Too ruthless? Too cruel?" Zhu Ling'er picked up the conversation, sighing, "Perhaps. But you must understand that beings with great power think differently from us. In their eyes, this might just be a matter of course, like brushing off dust. We cannot judge them by worldly moral standards."

She paused, her gaze becoming distant again: "What I'm more concerned about now is the origin and principle of the Gu poison Miss Frilian used. I've read through the family's secret archives about Southern Frontier Gu techniques, Eastern Sea curse Gu, and even some lost shamanic traditions, but I've never heard of a technique like hers, so precise, so concealed, and capable of simultaneously controlling multiple different types of Gu poison. This is no ordinary Gu technique; it's more like something ancient and closer to the origin. Her understanding of 'poison' and 'curse' probably far surpasses that of most so-called masters of poison and sorcerers in the world today."

This analysis deepened Yun'er's apprehension towards Frilian. So her mistress's understanding of Gu poison was so profound that even she was amazed. Just how terrifying must Frilian's methods be?

“Therefore,” Zhu Ling’er concluded, “we need to cultivate a good relationship with Mr. Lu Mingfei, and especially Miss Frillian.”

She looked at Yun'er and earnestly instructed, "Pass on my message to our men: if they happen to encounter these two in the future, they must treat them with courtesy and never show the slightest negligence, and they must not participate in any actions against them. As for Zhu Ming and Zhu Qi, if they persist in their own way, they will suffer the consequences sooner or later. We must stay out of it and express our goodwill when appropriate."

It needs to be cut when it's time to cut it off, otherwise it will become too big to handle and affect you.

Yun'er nodded emphatically: "Yes, Miss! Yun'er understands!"

She now fully understood that those two seemingly ordinary visitors were actually beings even the young lady deeply feared and had to treat with utmost caution. Provoking them could have far more dire consequences than the filth on the ground suggested.

Zhu Ling'er took one last look at the room filled with the aura of death and pain, imprinting this scene deeply into her mind.

"Let's go, there's nothing more to see here."

Chapter 266 Too Heavy a Hit

The night was as still as water, and the cool moonlight shone through the inn's window, illuminating the two people sitting opposite each other. An oil lamp on the table flickered, illuminating Lu Mingfei's slightly hesitant face and Frilian's unchanging, serene countenance across from him.

Lu Mingfei's mind was in complete turmoil, and he was in a terrible mood. He was very uncomfortable with taking human lives.

The daytime commotion and the ensuing incident had passed, but a vague unease lingered in Lu Mingfei's heart. He didn't sympathize with those thugs; their despicable behavior wouldn't have been unjust enough to warrant being beaten to death.

only……

How should I put it? I'm still not used to it.

He hesitated for a moment, then broke the silence: "Frilian, did we go a little too far with those thugs today?"

A lesson is enough; why take their lives?

Frillie raised her emerald green eyes, her clear gaze falling on Lu Mingfei's face. She didn't answer immediately, understanding the meaning behind his question.

Lu Mingfei scratched his head, organizing his thoughts: "What I mean is, they are indeed annoying, foul-mouthed, and their hands are dirty, so they deserved to be beaten. But, in the end, they are just ordinary people, tools that Zhu Ming found to annoy us. A beating, a lesson, and rendering them incapacitated is enough. You used that, um, Gu poison? Isn't that a bit too much? After all, their crimes don't warrant death, especially such a painful way to die."

He recalled the news that Yun'er had secretly passed on about the gruesome deaths of those thugs. Although the details were unclear, the words "painful" and "bizarre" still made him feel uneasy.

He wasn't a saint. At Kassel College, on the Dragon battlefield, he had witnessed far more brutal life and death, and had even ended lives with his own hands. But those were against enemies with whom it was a fight to the death. These thugs today, though despicable, didn't seem to warrant such ruthless methods. This gave him a subtle unease, as if he had lost his sense of proportion in using his power.

Frillie listened quietly, her face showing no displeasure at being questioned, nor did she rush to defend herself. She merely tilted her head slightly, her long, silvery-white hair shimmering with a cool sheen in the moonlight. After a moment's thought, she spoke in her characteristically calm and even tone:

"Lu Mingfei, do you think that potential threats should be eliminated promptly, or should we show unnecessary leniency and wait for them to cause even greater harm?"

Lu Mingfei was taken aback for a moment: "Well, it depends on the situation, right? We can't just kill someone because they might do something wrong."

You can't just kill someone out of the blue because you suspect they're up to something bad; that would be too cruel.

“Then what if we have already seen the first signs of evil, and there is solid evidence that this evil will spread and grow?” Frilian continued to ask, her eyes seeming to pierce through time and see into the distant past.