The two Turner family guards, initially bewildered by the cart's contents, now wore expressions of shock and disbelief, as if they had just witnessed a ghostly apparition for the first time in their lives.
"Are those not the uniforms worn by Lord's personal guards?" one of the Turner family guards stammered, his voice trembling, as he pointed a quivering finger at the lifeless bodies on the cart.
The other guard's face contorted with concern as he spoke, his voice equally shaky, "So, does this mean these are the Lord's personal guards? I saw them accompanying the Lord this morning. What in the world has transpired?"
Their expressions soured further as their eyes locked onto two specific corpses on the slightly larger cart: one resembling a portly figure adorned in extravagant clothing and the other an elderly man dressed as a butler.
"Oh dear God! Isn't that our Lord and old Butler Geoffrey...?" one of the guards gasped in horror as they recognized the two lifeless figures.
"Who could have done this to them?" The other guard muttered in disbelief, his voice barely above a whisper.
The Monore family soldiers observed the reactions of the Turner family guards and couldn't help but wear smug smiles on their faces.
One of the entrance guards turned to the other and urged, "Quick, inform Madam Haley about this."
"Understood," the other guard nodded and promptly rushed off to deliver the grave news.
'Hahaha! This is the consequence of offending the future husband of Miss Rose. After all, he, along with his wives, singlehandedly exterminated the monsters that attacked the village not long ago,' the Monore family soldiers thought to themselves with a hint of satisfaction.
As the Monore family soldiers were preparing to depart, they were halted by a shout from the Turner family's guard.
"Wait!"
One of the Monore family soldiers turned around and inquired, "What is it? Make it quick."
The Turner family guard requested that the Monore family soldiers wait for a moment to provide an explanation to Madam Haley Turner about the situation.
The Monore family soldiers readily complied, wearing broad grins on their faces. After all, they had no qualms about witnessing the Turner family's discomfort, given the troubles that family had caused the villagers.
Meanwhile, a Turner family guard hurriedly entered the back garden where Haley Turner was seated. She had been gazing at the garden's beautiful flowers, lost in thought and reminiscing about her firstborn, Henry.
Startled by the guard's sudden intrusion, she stood up from her wooden chair and questioned him with eager anticipation, "Tell me, what happened? Did Harrison find the killer of my beloved son? Give me all the details."
Regrettably, the guard's next words would shatter her excitement and replace it with mourning.
"I'm sorry, Madam, but it's not about Young Lord Henry. It concerns My Lord... My Lord is dead. Someone has killed him, along with the soldiers who accompanied him. The Monore family's soldiers are here to deliver the corpses of the soldiers who went with My Lord earlier, along with My Lord's and Butler Geoffrey's lifeless bodies."
Madam Haley sank back into the wooden chair, her face blank, as she processed the shocking news. The guard's report left her in a state of bewilderment.
'Wasn't he a peak fifth-circle mage about to step into the sixth-circle? And over 30 soldiers accompanying him? How could this have happened?' Haley Turner's thoughts whirled in a moment of stunned silence.
'Useless! Despite his strength, he couldn't even find our son's killer and ended up dead himself. What a useless man I married! If it weren't for his influence and strength, I would never have agreed to marry that repugnant pig,' Haley inwardly cursed her late husband.
As thoughts of the Monore family filled her mind, her face flushed with anger. When her temper finally reached its boiling point, she unleashed a furious roar, "DAMN THAT MONORE FAMILY!"
"Not only did they take away my beloved son, but now they've killed my husband as well!" Haley vented her anger, her voice echoing in the garden.
The guard had anticipated this sort of reaction, so he remained unfazed by her outburst, even though he couldn't offer much consolation in his position as a lowly guard.
A minute later, as Haley regained her composure, she instructed the guard, "Inform everyone in the family about Harrison's death and prepare everything necessary for the ceremony later."
"Understood, My Lady. I will inform everyone and make the necessary arrangements. Is there anything else you would like me to do?"
"Oh, I almost forgot, are the guards from that wretched family still within our manor?"
"My Lady, before I came to inform you, my colleague was speaking to them, so I believe they're still waiting outside."
"Very well. You may go. I shall meet with them."
"As you wish, My Lady..." The guard nodded and departed, leaving Haley Turner deep in thought, perplexed by the situation.
'If the Monore family truly killed my husband and the soldiers, why haven't they attacked us yet? My husband's actions against them were without proof; they should have retaliated by now,' Haley pondered. 'Could it be that the Monore family isn't responsible for my husband's and the soldiers' deaths?'
A while later, the soldiers from the Monore family continued waiting for Haley Turner. Unexpectedly, an elegant woman in her forties emerged from the manor – the wife of the late Harrison Turner. However, she appeared far from concerned about her husband's death, which greatly surprised the Monore family soldiers, who had hoped to witness her mourning the loss of her husband.
Outside, Haley Turner regarded the Monore family soldiers coldly and demanded, "Tell me quickly what happened and how my husband and the soldiers came to their deaths. I do not have time to waste on the likes of you."
The soldiers, visibly irked by her attitude, concealed their annoyance. One of them explained to Haley, "It's nothing major, just that Lord Turner offended someone he should never have crossed, and he paid the price for that."
Haley was left astounded by the news. 'Offended someone? Who? Who possesses the power to confront my husband's chosen personal soldiers and kill a mage on the brink of the sixth circle?'
Observing her bewildered expression, the soldiers continued, "Here's a piece of advice from Madam Layla: if you do not wish to meet the same fate as Lord Turner, you should abandon any thoughts of revenge. Attempting revenge will lead to your demise, much like your husband and his soldiers. He eliminated them all effortlessly within minutes, all alone."
"And should you actively seek your own death, feel free to do whatever you please. We've completed our orders and are departing now." With that, the soldier turned away from Haley and left the Turner family's residence along with the others.
Later, at the Monroe family's manor, Yuan and his wives, along with the Monroe family members, sat around a massive dining table enjoying their lunch prepared by the talented chef Ivy.
While Yuan and his wives enthusiastically indulged in the delicious food, Madam Layla and the others from the Monroe family observed the scene with somewhat awkward expressions.
Xi Meili couldn't contain her delight as she exclaimed, "This meat is so delicious!" Her eyes sparkled as she savored a bite of Ivy's delectable cooking.
Yuan, mouth full, nodded in agreement, saying, "Ivy's culinary skills have truly worked wonders on this meat."
Ivy, blushing at the praise, stood nearby, content to see her dishes enjoyed.
James, on the other hand, wore an awkward expression as he watched Yuan's appetite. He couldn't help but think, 'Unbelievable! How can he have such an appetite after taking so many lives? Is he even human?'
Julie and Ava, with slight blushes on their faces, couldn't help but think, 'Everything Yuan does, he looks very handsome and cool, even while eating food.'
Madam Layla noticed her daughters' expressions as they continued to gaze at Yuan and sighed inwardly, 'It seems they're not interested in eating food but something else. I hope Yuan fully accepts them soon, or I'm not sure how long they can hold back.'
As Yuan and his wives continued to devour plate after plate, Madam Layla and her children began to eat too, fearing there would be nothing left for them if they didn't.
After everyone finished eating, Madam Layla turned to Yuan and asked, "Yuan, since you killed Harrison Turner, the head of the Turner family, what are you going to do about the rest of his family? Will you kill them too?"
All eyes in the dining hall turned to Yuan, waiting for his response.
Yuan gazed at Madam Layla calmly and replied, "No, there's no reason to harm them. They haven't done anything against me or my family. My anger was directed solely at Harrison and his son, Henry. However, if anyone from their family tries to harm me or my loved ones, I won't hesitate to defend us."
Anna smiled at her son, proud of his principled response. She knew he wouldn't harm anyone who hadn't wronged him or his wives.
Madam Layla also smiled at Yuan and added, "It's unlikely they'll seek revenge, especially after the head of their family and their strongest soldiers are no more. But I can't be completely certain they won't try."
"They can come if they wish. The outcome will be the same," Grace chimed in, her voice icy and devoid of emotion.
"If they come, I'll be more than happy to turn them to ashes," Xi Meili said with an innocent smile, which prompted a dry laugh from the Monroe family.
After a while, Yuan turned to Ava and Julie and asked, "Are you two ready for our date this evening?"
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