Volume 2, Chapter 63 – The Anloxi Family Banquet

“How is this possible?”

In the outskirts of the trading city of Lihua, within the Anloxi family estate, a distinguished man with a long blue braid asked with a furrowed brow.

Facing this question, Coburn, the head of the Anloxi family, whose nose was swollen and currently receiving treatment, impatiently pushed away the nurse treating him and glared at his eldest son.

“Taival, do you think I would joke about something like this?”

Sensing his father’s displeasure, Taival quickly lowered his head.

“I wouldn’t dare. It’s just… I can barely believe it. Isn’t Lianna’s power less than third tier? How was she able to injure you, Father? With just one move… Lianna was never skilled in physical combat.”

“Hmph, she wasn’t skilled before. After eight years in the Veiled Domain, it seems her abilities in that area have improved considerably.”

“Is that so…”

Taival nodded thoughtfully, his aqua blue eyes still filled with disbelief.

“She dared to defy your wishes, and even raised her hand against you? Could it be that the Lingyuan family has helped her remove the chip from her heart?”

“Impossible.”

Without hesitation, the red-nosed elder shook his head in denial.

“That’s a control chip we produced using Paradise Manor technology. Though the Lingyuan family is powerful, they couldn’t possibly possess the technology to remove the chip. That chip is connected to Lianna’s life—once removed, Lianna would certainly die! It cannot be removed, absolutely impossible!”

Coburn stated with absolute certainty.

Over twenty years ago, after successfully creating Lianna, he personally performed the surgery to implant the chip into the infant Lianna’s heart.

With that chip’s existence, he was the absolute controller of Lianna.

No matter how powerful that girl became, even if she became the renowned Divine-Graced Maiden, she would have to obey his commands. If he ordered her to eliminate his enemies, she would have to do so! If he ordered her to bear children, she would have to bear them!

Even if he ordered her to die! She could not possibly defy him!

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She could not possibly defy him!

Thinking of this, Coburn clenched his fists tightly.

Looking at his stubborn father, Taival sighed with complicated feelings.

“But Father… don’t forget, this isn’t the first time Lianna has defied your orders.”

“What??”

“When you originally ordered Lianna to marry Luo Fei-Lingyuan. Wasn’t your intention to find an opportunity to eliminate the head of the Lingyuan family, and then take advantage to seize the Lingyuan family’s assets and power, making our Anloxi family the dominant force in the Westivian Covenant? But later, Lady Lianna didn’t make a move at all… previously you suspected Lianna couldn’t find an opportunity, given Luo Fei’s formidable strength. But now it seems… the Lingyuan family might have truly helped her remove the control. Don’t forget, Luo Fei’s father, Xi Xuan-West, is also a figure from a thousand years ago. Who knows what special Shenluo Empire technology he might possess.”

Coburn, calming down a bit after Taival’s words, seemed to acknowledge the possibility of this conjecture.

“Even if that’s possible… Lianna shouldn’t have the courage to do this to me, right? Even if they could remove the chip… her body, inherently flawed, cannot survive without us.”

Tapping his fingers on his scepter, Coburn’s expression gradually became grave.

“That’s true.”

On this point, Taival nodded noncommittally.

When the family created his sister, the safeguards they installed weren’t limited to just that chip—Lianna’s entire body was designed with flaws.

Without regular supplements of the special medicine created by the Anloxi family, within half a year, Lianna would suffer both physical and mental collapse, resulting in a miserable death.

If not for this double insurance of the chip and medicine, plus the fact that Lianna had always been completely obedient to them in the past, Father would never have allowed her to act independently, much less leave the Sacred Stone in her possession.

“She stayed in the Veiled Domain for eight years. How did she survive until now without the medicine for eight years? Could it be that she found medicine to suppress her body’s collapse in those Shenluo Empire ruins?”

“Heh, I’d like to know that too,” Coburn said irritably.

Understanding how Lianna managed to survive until now was one of Coburn’s objectives when he went to Wishaven.

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“Forget about this for now. Once we retrieve Lianna, we can interrogate her properly!”

Touching his nose that had been severely injured by Lianna, Coburn’s eyes grew increasingly cold and sinister.

Hmph, bastard child, not even knowing gratitude… daring to raise a hand against me?

Lianna… this old man will make you pay the price.

“How’s the gathering of personnel going?”

“It’s basically complete,” Taival respectfully replied.

“Except for a few family members whose positions are too important to leave, everyone else has returned. But Father, do you really intend to forcibly take her from the Lingyuan family? Though Luo Fei has returned to the Northmarch… I’ve heard that the monster Xi Xuan is stationed in Wishaven?”

Taival’s words revealed a trace of worry.

At this, Coburn snorted with contempt.

“Of course we must retrieve her! But don’t be afraid, we’re not the main force. Lord Moande has us gather our people not to be responsible for the main attack. What we need to do is simply to restrain the Lingyuan family’s private soldiers when necessary.”

Have him fight Xi Xuan?

Coburn wasn’t foolish enough to attempt a suicide attack.

“The main force, naturally, will be those lords from Paradise Manor.”

As he said this, Coburn’s lips curled into a particularly cold and cruel smile.

“People from Paradise Manor?”

“Yes. At this time, they should be arriving about now…”

Glancing at the wall clock, Coburn said thoughtfully.

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As if exactly as Coburn had predicted, just as he cast his gaze at the clock, the hall doors silently opened, and an Anloxi family bodyguard walked in, respectfully bowing to Coburn.

“Lord Coburn, the people from Paradise Manor have arrived.”

At these words, Coburn immediately concealed the coldness on his face and looked seriously at his eldest son.

“We’ll discuss this matter later. First, come with me to welcome them.”

“Yes, Father.”

Meanwhile, at the Anloxi family estate’s main gate, accompanied by a gust of wind, a huge helicopter slowly descended. As dozens of maids and attendants bowed respectfully in welcome, the helicopter doors slowly opened, and a heavily made-up, extraordinarily seductive man, surrounded by several attendants, slowly walked down from the helicopter.

“Welcome, Lord Brak. It is truly a blessing for our Anloxi family to have such an esteemed guest from Paradise Manor visit.”

A middle-aged woman in charge of the reception said respectfully.

Faced with the Anloxi family’s greeting, Brak did not immediately respond, but instead looked around with an air of superiority, taking in everything around him.

After a moment of silence, this high-ranking official from Paradise Manor playfully offered praise:

“For a third-rate family, you’ve decorated this courtyard passably well~ especially those flowers, not bad.”

Although it was praise, the words still seemed to contain a hint of contempt.

The air of superiority was unmistakable.

At this, although the middle-aged woman felt displeased, she dared not show it, and could only nod submissively.

“We’re glad Lord Brak is pleased.”

“Those red flowers are quite vibrant, matching my temperament. Help me pick some and make a wreath for me~”

While painting his nails with nail polish, Brak said coldly.

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“Uh?”

Hearing this, the middle-aged woman was startled, a trace of strange emotion flashing almost imperceptibly in her eyes.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, no problem. I’ll arrange for a gardener to make it for you right away.”

The woman shook her head repeatedly, then made an ‘inviting’ gesture to Brak.

“Please proceed to the central courtyard. Lord Coburn has prepared a banquet for you, and hopes you will do us the honor.”

“Fine, lead the way.”

“Yes.”

Soon, guided by several attendants, Brak slowly walked toward the central courtyard. However, the middle-aged woman did not leave immediately, but looked around the flower beds with puzzlement.

After seeing the conspicuously red flowers among the various blossoms, the middle-aged woman frowned in confusion.

There really are red flowers?

Since when did Falling Snow Lotus come in red?

Strange, I don’t think I’ve seen them before…

The woman pondered in confusion. But confusion aside, busy serving the esteemed guest from Paradise Manor, she didn’t have time to dwell on it. After scratching her head in puzzlement, she quickly rejoined the group.

Perhaps because she was in a hurry, the woman didn’t notice…

Just as she turned to leave, those blood-colored flowers all turned toward the departing group. Even more eerie, at the center of t

hose red flowers were not beautiful flower cores… but hollow, blood-colored eyes…