Chapter1994
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Atthatmoment,infrontoftheQuillestate’sgrandentrance,Rainahurried
alongwith herfather,Jake.Thesoundsoflivelychatterandlaughterdrifted
fromanearby building,heightening hersenseofurgency.
“Darnit,wemusthavemissedMs.Yuna’sperformance,”Rainaexclaimed,her
anxietypalpable.AsadevotedfanofYuna,shehadeagerly anticipatedthis
event.However,withtheFletcherfamilynowatoddswiththeQuillfamily,
Yunahadn’tsent heraspecialinvitation.Hadshenotaccompaniedher
father,she likelywouldn’thavedaredtocomeatall.
Jakeshotherasternglare,silencinghercomplaints.TheFletcherfamilyhad
chosentoalignitselfwithEmmanuel,creatinganinsurmountablerift
betweenthemandtheQuillfamily.WithYunafirmlypositionedalongsidethe
Quills,she becametheir enemy.Facedwithsuchasignificantdivide,Jakefelt
amixofirritationandconcernregardinghisdaughter’sinfatuationwithYuna.
Itwasonethingforamantobecaptivated,butwhatwasthepointofa
womanobsessing overanotherwoman?
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Chapter1994TheWhole CityAgainstHim
HisgazeshiftedtowardtheQuillestate’sgate,whereDenisandhisdaughter,
Sonia,hadarrivedeven earlier.Besidethemwasachubbylittlecreature,
Shane,whoclungaffectionatelytoSonia’sside.
“Richard,Mr.Fletcher,welcome!Ididn’texpectyouboth toshowup,”theQuill
family’selderlybutlerannounced,asinistersmirkplayingonhislips.Tohim,
theuninvitedpresenceoftheTomaandFletcherfamiliesfeltlikean
audaciousplungeintoacarefullylaidtrap–an unwelcomeventureinto
darknesswhenapathtosafetyremainedopen.
“Ifwe’retrulywelcome,thenwhyaresomanyofyourpeopleonguard
againstus?”Denis,known forhisbluntness,repliedwitha coldretort.They
werewellawareofthebanquet’struenature–itwasacunningsetupaimed
atEmmanuel.
HavingpledgedtheirloyaltytotheQuillfamily,howcouldtheydemonstrate
sincerityiftheydidn’tfollow Emmanuelintothisgathering?Asheadsof
prominentfamilies,bothmenpossessedalevel ofcourageandstrategic
foresightnecessaryforhigh–stakes situations.Thiswas agamble,awager
ontheirfates.Regardlessoftheoutcome,they hadtostandalongside
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Chapter1994TheWholeCityAgainstHim
Emmanueland fightfortheircause.
“Haha,you’reoverthinkingthings.Please,comein,”theoldbutlerreplied
cheerfully,fullyintendingtoensnarethemall.Withthenight’s end,Eldoria
wouldfallcompletelyundertheQuillfamily’scontrol.
甘
Whattheold manfailedtorealizewasthatwhilethetwofamilyheadswere
preoccupied,atop–tierexperthadalreadymanagedtoinfiltratetheQuill
Residence.
The sevenmembersof theTomaandFletcherfamiliesswiftlymade their
wayto thebanquethall,arrivingjustintimetowitnessthecrowd’shostile
glaresdirectedat Emmanuel.Amidstthetension,Yunaapproachedhimwith
aradiantsmile. “Iwonderwhatyouthinkofmy performance.”
“Itwasalright,”Emmanuelrepliedmatter–of–factly.
Suchalukewarmevaluationnaturallyincitedtheireofmostintheaudience.
Theyrevered Yunaasifshewereagoddess,practicallyworshippingather
feetanddreamingofkissingtheverygroundshe walkedupon.Yethere
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Chapter1994TheWholeCityAgainstHim
stoodamanwhodaredtolabelherbreathtakingporformanceasmerely
“alright.”Howarrogant! Howconcoltod!Howutterlyinsufferable!
Yunablinkedinslightsurprisebutquicklycomposedherself,chucklingasshe
responded,“Thankyouforyourkindwords,Mr.Lowe.However,Iwonderifyou
haveanyspecificsuggestionsonhowImightimprovemyperformance.”
Manyintheaudienceexchangedbewilderedglances.WhydidYunavalue
Emmanuelsohighly?Wasn’thejustalive–inson–in–law fromNuthana?
Gwainandhiscompanionssneered,convincedthatYunawasquitethe
manipulator.Sheclearlyknew howtoexploitmen’semotionsandjealousy,
andthemore attentionshelavishedonEmmanuel,theworsehisfatewould
“Well,sinceyou’reasking,I dohaveonesuggestion,”Emmanuelreplied,not
botheringtohold back. Afterall,everyone knewthetruepurposeoftoday’s
gathering.YunaaimedtohelptheQuillfamilyeliminatehim,butheintended
toturnthetables,bringingherdownalongwiththefamilyand rescuing his
sisterattheearliestopportunity.
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Chapter1994TheWholeCityAgainstHim
“Please,Mr. Lowe,goahead,”Yunagesturedgracefullywithherjade–like
hand,invitinghimtocontinue.
BothRainaandSoniawereastonished.CouldthismanbesofamiliarwithMs.
Yuna?Afterall,her twoauntswereworld–renownedMaestros.
Emmanuelmerely producedabullet,holdingitinhispalmwithacoldsmile.
“NexttimeIwatchyoudance,couldyoutrynottosnipeatme?Itreallykills
themood.”
“What?!”Themomentthosewordslefthislips,chaoseruptedintheroom.
Someexchangedpuzzledglances,whileothersstaredintentlyatthebulletin
Emmanuel’shand.Yunafeignedsurprise,hervoicetremblingassheasked,
“Mr.Lowe,whatareyoutalkingabout?Howcouldthathave anythingtodo
withme?”
Agroupofmen immediatelybeganhurling insultsat Emmanuel.“You’rea
liar!Howdare you accuseher?”
“Someonereallytriedtosnipeyou?Andyou’restillalive?Ridiculous!”
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Chapter1994TheWholeCity AgainstHim
“Hemustbeparanoid!”
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Yunaloweredhergaze,concealingthesatisfactionswellinginherheart.She
knewthatthemurmursandrumorswouldsoonoverwhelmEmmanuel,
suffocatinghim undertheir weight.Afterall,shewasoneofthefourbeauties,
havingbewitchednearlyeverymanpresentwithhergracefuldance.
“TherehadbeenrumorsthattheQuillenfamilywas attacked,with
speculationpointingtothe TannerfamilyinZovince.Lookslikethatwasall
slander,huh?”onemaninterjected.
“TheQuillenfamily istreacherous,andEmmanuel’sno better,”another
added, fuelingthegrowing animosityintheroom.
“Icanturn ablindeyetotheQuillenfamily massacre,butslanderingMiss
Yunainthismannerandbullyingher?Iwillbethefirsttoobject!”
“That’sright!ApologizetoMs.Yund,oryouwillregretit!”
Thethreats directedtowardEmmanuelbegantoswell,castingatense
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shadowovertheballroom.
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Sage’skeeneyesdarted around,fullyalert.Heunderstoodthatthe
commander’sstrengthwasunmatched,yetitremainedhisdutytoprotect
him.WiththecommanderneedingtosplithisfocustokeepaneyeonYuna,
anymomentofdistractioncouldproveperilous,
Emmanuelstoodstoically,flickingthebulletawayasifitwerenothingmore
thanaspeckofdust.
“Ahhh!”
Abloodcurdlingscreampiercedtheairasasnipertoppledfromhishidden
positionatthesideoftheballroom,hispresenceextinguishedinaninstant.
Thecrowdgasped,frozenindisbelief.
ThosewhohadjusthurledangryaccusationsatEmmanuelfor defaming
Yunanowfellsilent,theirvoicesswallowedbytheweightofthe moment.
Withaslightsmirk,Emmanuelbrokethetension.“Ifyoudoubtme,goahead
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Chapter1994TheWholeCityAgainstHim
anddismantlehissniperrifle.You’llseethatthebulletsmatch.”
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Uneasyglancespassedamongtheonlookersastheyprocessedhiswords,
theirgazeshiftingtoward theQuillenfamily,thetruehostsoftheevening.
“Hmph!You’vegonetoofar!”
BeforeDeangelocouldgatherhisthoughts,Xandereruptedwithindignation.
Heslammedhisfistonthetable,pointingafiercefingeratEmmanuel.“You
darecomeintomyhouse andtakelivesatwill!Doyouthinkweareeasy
prey?Men,gather!”
At once,acadreofelitefightersemergedfromtheballroom,theirsteely
gazesandcommandingpresenceunmistakable.Theywerenoordinary
men.
Someone inthecrowdgaspedin astonishment.“That’sthemartiallegend
fromZovince,Mr.Gregory–he’sundefeatedthroughouttheentireregion!”
“Ohno,look!That’stherenownedMr.Zorrick,theSoaringCrane–hislightness
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Chapter1994TheWholeCityAgainstHim
skillis unparalleled,andrumorssayhecanevenfly!”
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“Andoverthere,that’stheTwin–BladeCeline–her swordsmanshipisnothing
short ofextraordinary.Whenhergodsonwaskidnapped,she
single–handedlydispatchedhundredsofkidnappers!”
Asthesewhisperedtalesdriftedthroughthecrowd,Soniafeltaswellof
concernforEmmanuel.
Being fromEldoria,shewasnostrangertothenamesandreputationsthat
filled theair–eachoneamasteroftheircraft.Itseemed thattheywereall
preparingtojoinforcesagainstEmmanuel andhissolitarycompanion.
“Shane,whatarewegoingtodo?”
AnxietygrippedSoniaasshepinchedShane,knowingthather family’sfate
wasnowintertwinedwithEmmanuel’s.Ifhefell,herfamilywouldsurelyface
devastation.
“Ouch!”
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Shanewinced,thepain elicitingan instinctivereaction.
ED
Yet,asSoniareleasedhergrip,he feltapangofregret.Afterall,being
scolded and pinchedbyherhad alwaysbeenaformofaffection.What
wouldhedo ifshestopped?
Still,heshruggedoffhis discomfortand replied,“Whatcan wedo?We’lljust
havetowatchandseehowEmmanuelhandlesthis.Ifthreepeoplecould
bringhimdown,hewouldn’thavedared tocome hereinthe firstplace.”
“Thatmakessense,butlookoverthere-”
Rainasuddenly pointed,hereyeswidewithalarm.
Soniagasped,“OhmyGod!It’snotjustthethreemasters–halfthe
competitorsfromtheZovinceMartialArtsTournament areheretoo!We’re
doomed!Absolutelydoomed!”