The foul air beneath the earth was cleaved by the icy aura radiating from Lucifer's body. He wrapped his arm around Lin Xi's waist, practically dragging her back along the path they had come. His strides were swift and imbued with an undeniable force. Within Lin Xi, his energy still surged through her, colliding violently with the primordial chaos of another world. Each friction brought a subtle tremor, as if her soul had become the battlefield where the two forces clashed.
They did not return to the surface but turned into another, more hidden passage leading deeper into the royal city. The glow of the fluorite on the walls grew increasingly eerie and green, the air bone-chillingly cold.
"Does Your Majesty know who the 'Sower' is?" Lin Xi couldn't help asking, her voice echoing unusually clear in the narrow passage. She needed information, needed to seize a sliver of initiative in this suffocating grip of control.
Lucifer did not turn back, his military boots clicking rhythmically and coldly on the stone steps. "The energy residue points to a familiar rat hole," his reply evaded the crux, his crimson pupils glowing like burning coals in the dim light. "You'll see soon enough."
At the passage's end stood a heavy metal door engraved with isolation runes. Lucifer didn't pause, raising his hand to press the center of the door. Dark-gold energy flowed through the runes, and the door slid inward silently.
The sight beyond made Lin Xi's breath catch.
It wasn't the gloomy lair she'd imagined, but a circular hall arranged with near-lavish opulence. Soft carpets, a crackling fireplace, and the air thick with the cloying scent of incense. A figure clad in a robe of intricate dark patterns stood with their back to them, bent over a crystal basin filled with a dark liquid. Reflected in the basin were the final shards of the image from the underground energy source Lucifer had just destroyed!
The sound of the door opening made the figure start violently, whirling around with lightning speed.
It was Archon Alden—the wolf elder who had presided over the altar rites, outwardly humble and submissive!
The mask of habitual gentleness shattered completely from his face, revealing only horror and utter disbelief. "Your... Your Majesty?! How could you..."
His eyes darted to Lin Xi, whom Lucifer held in his arms behind him, and instantly narrowed as if witnessing the most terrifying sight imaginable.
"It seems the 'Sower' is surprised." Lucifer released Lin Xi and strode forward, each step carrying the weight of a thousand pounds. His military boots crushed the expensive carpet, silent yet deadly. "Surprised that my 'vessel' not only wasn't consumed, but instead brought me... here."
Alden's face drained of color as he staggered backward, knocking over a silver candlestick beside him. "No... Your Majesty, hear me out... It was the Blood Clan! They forced me! They captured my..."
"Offspring?" Lucifer cut him off, his voice tempered with ice. "Three bastards, raised in the southern territories. You thought you hid them well?"
Alden froze like a chicken with its throat seized, all protesting words halting abruptly as his body shook violently.
Lucifer halted five paces away, his gaze as contemptuous as if observing a filthy insect. "Trading the Wolves' patrol routes and Bone-Eating Grass for your offspring's safety. Quite a bargain, isn't it, Magistrate?"
"I... I was forced!" Alden collapsed to the ground, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Your Majesty, spare me! Consider my years of service to the Wolf Clan..."
Lucifer tilted his head slightly, turning his gaze to Lin Xi, who had stood silently by the doorway. "Advisor," he said, "how do you propose we deal with a traitor?"
Instantly, all eyes focused on her. Alden looked at her imploringly, while Lucifer's scrutiny was cold and probing.
Lin Xi's heart pounded heavily within her chest. She watched the once-lofty elder now sprawled on the floor like mud. The energy of Lucifer within her stirred restlessly, urging slaughter and destruction. But she forced herself to remain calm. This was a test—a test of her loyalty, and a test of her... worth.
She lifted her eyes to meet Lucifer's gaze, her voice clear and composed: "Death is too easy a punishment. If the Blood Clan could control him with what he cherished, why can't we?"
Alden's wails abruptly ceased as he stared at her in terror.
Lucifer's eyebrow lifted slightly, his crimson pupils deepening with interest. "Continue."
"Strip him of his position. Expose his crimes. But his progeny... may 'accidentally' survive. His Majesty may 'graciously' place them under his watchful eye." Lin Xi spoke slowly, each word like a cold blade. "Let him live to witness his own ruin. Let him see his bloodline forever held hostage in His Majesty's grasp. This, more than simple death, will serve as a warning to other potential traitors."
The hall fell deathly silent, broken only by the crackling of flames in the hearth.
Alden's face turned ashen, collapsing completely to the floor, his eyes utterly devoid of light.
Lucifer stared at Lin Xi for a long moment before a cold, satisfied curve slowly formed at the corners of his mouth.
"Very well." He raised his hand, and a dark golden energy, like chains, instantly coiled around Alden, binding him completely. "Proceed as the 'Advisor' suggested."
He walked toward Lin Xi, once again wrapping his arm around her waist, leading her away from this place suffused with betrayal and despair. As they passed Alden, he did not even glance back.
Exiting the chamber, they returned to the cold, desolate passageway. Lucifer halted, pressing Lin Xi against the icy stone wall. His towering form loomed over her.
"You're more useful than I imagined... and more dangerous." He lowered his head, his nose nearly brushing hers as their heated breaths mingled. "I like that."
His kiss descended again—a claim tinged with bloodlust and a hint of barely perceptible appreciation. This time, Lin Xi didn't freeze completely. She raised her hand and grabbed the front of his uniform, not to push him away, but in a response bordering on defiance. Her nails dug into the fabric, sinking into his solid chest.
The collision of two forces within her seemed to reach a critical point in that moment, sending a dizzying shiver through her.
When Lucifer ended the kiss, dark currents churned in the depths of his crimson eyes.
"The traitor is dealt with," he murmured, his thumb tracing her slightly swollen lips. His voice was low. "Next, we prepare to welcome our 'guests'."
"The Blood Clan, the 'Shadows'... and the 'New Moon' they await."