Chapter 144: Bad news for the Reapers
A month ago, after fleeing from their collapsed base, the four senior agents had to escape to the only other base that was in the entire Orchid Province.
Now, however, it had become the only Reaper base in the entire province. When the four appeared looking disheveled, the leading figures at that base immediately questioned them.
The atmosphere inside the meeting hall instantly grew oppressive. Spiritual pressure leaked unconsciously from several of the managers, causing the lamps hanging from the ceiling to sway gently. Even experienced King Stage cultivators instinctively lowered their heads, unwilling to become the target of that accumulating fury. The destruction of a provincial base was no small matter—it was a direct challenge to the authority of the Reapers
When they found out that the other base had been destroyed, they were furious.
The atmosphere inside the meeting hall instantly grew oppressive. Spiritual pressure leaked unconsciously from several of the managers, causing the lamps hanging from the ceiling to sway gently. Even experienced King Stage cultivators instinctively lowered their heads, unwilling to become the target of that accumulating fury. The destruction of a provincial base was no small matter—it was a direct challenge to the authority of the Reapers
"Dammit! Who dares?!" A bearded man roared angrily, his voice making the walls tremble. "Was it the royal family? Did they collude with the sect’s?!"
Kael trembled under the man’s gaze, too scared for his life. Still, he gathered his courage and spoke.
"N-No. It was all done by one of our new recruits who we thought was just a natural talent. Unfortunately, he was a monster. He single-handedly crushed every single one of us and forced the rest to flee. I and my comrades here are the only survivors."
The man’s spiritual pressure flared once more, but he forcefully calmed himself.
"And where are your managers?" He asked in a deep voice.
Kael once again trembled, but still answered him. "T-They left the base shortly before the traitor attacked us."
"Hmm..."
Rubbing his beard with a thoughtful expression, the man tried to think of a reason why the managers could have carelessly left the base.
After a moment of silence, he looked at the other figures of equal standing to him, present in the room.
"What do you think?"
The moment her eyes opened, the atmosphere in the room subtly shifted.
They were a mesmerizing shade of crimson, deep and alluring, carrying a dangerous charm that seemed capable of swallowing a person’s consciousness whole. Every movement she made was graceful beyond compare, from the elegant crossing of her legs to the leisurely manner in which she rested her chin upon the back of her hand.
She wasn’t trying to seduce anyone. That was simply her nature.
An almost invisible pink mist drifted around her body before dissolving into the surroundings, tinting the air with a faint floral fragrance that lingered just long enough to unsettle the mind.
The younger Reapers instinctively lowered their gazes, not daring to meet her eyes for longer than necessary. Even several King Stage cultivators felt their hearts beating a little faster despite knowing full well that her charm techniques worked even through the smallest lapse in concentration.
Only the bearded man and the hooded elder remained completely unaffected, their expressions unchanged as though they had long grown accustomed to her overwhelming presence.
Then, with a smile that could make kingdoms crumble, she finally spoke.
"It seems things are going terribly wrong, after all~"
Her voice was soft and sultry, causing Kael’s ears to twitch in discomfort. It was as if her tongue was wiggling in the interior of his ears.
Not minding his discomfort, she continued. "Care to tell me who this traitor is? And what level of the Emperor Stage was he?"
All the other males except the bearded man were struggling under the effect of her voice, so they could not answer.
The responsibility naturally fell on the woman who had been responsible for controlling the crazed granny.
She was the most incensed among everyone because not only did she lose the entire base, she had lost her slave. It had taken her a great deal of effort and help to capture and enslave that old woman who was actually an ancestor of an old clan.
To think that while escaping, the woman had actually broken free of her control and escaped. She wanted to curse Seraph to death!
"Hideous woman, do you not hear me?"
Her entire being froze up when she realized she had been too immersed in her own thoughts, that she had forgotten someone was questioning her.
Her already ugly face rotted when she realized the woman called her hideous, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit of anger and bitterness.
For as long as she could remember, she had never regretted that decision.
To the Reapers, appearance was meaningless. Loyalty was everything.
The day she had willingly scarred her own face, she had cast aside vanity, pride, and every lingering attachment to her former self. It had been her declaration that she belonged solely to the organization.
Yet...
Standing before this woman, those buried emotions resurfaced like poisonous weeds.
The seductive manager possessed everything she had abandoned—flawless skin, captivating beauty, and a charm capable of enthralling even seasoned cultivators with nothing more than a few spoken words.
Worst of all, no one questioned that beauty. No one accused her of divided loyalty, and no one demanded she sacrifice her appearance to prove her devotion.
’Why...?’
The hideous woman’s fingers curled ever so slightly inside her sleeves.
She quickly suppressed the dangerous thought.
Questioning the organization was equivalent to questioning her own beliefs. If those convictions crumbled, then every sacrifice she had made throughout her life would become meaningless.
So she lowered her gaze, swallowed the bitterness in her heart, and buried those emotions once more beneath unwavering obedience.
Hiding her bitterness, she answered. "His original name is Seraph. I do not know of his background, but he is in the Core King Stage Cultivation."
Hearing this, the seductive woman’s smile froze, and a trace of anger crossed her expression.
"Brat. Are you toying with me?"
The hideous woman shook her head and replied earnestly. "I dare not lie, senior. He truly is a Core King Stage cultivator."
The bearded man’s eyes narrowed, and he looked at the group threateningly.
"Does that mean you four intentionally abandoned the base?"
Kael snapped out of his daze and hurriedly shook his head.
"No, that’s not right! He forced us to escape! He was too powerful!"
Immediately after his words, he noticed a dampness in his trousers and couldn’t help but curse. Just from that woman’s voice alone, he had actually...
’This is why I hate those who specialize in charming people. They’re really annoying.’
A flicker of irritation crossed his eyes, unnoticed by anyone in the room. He still had to keep a low profile, after all.
The woman was unaware of his thoughts, so she continued to ask. "Then how? Don’t tell me a mere Core King brat was able to force four Peak King Stage cultivators to flee?"
Kael almost choked with a self-deprecating laugh, but he resisted and nodded.
"Actually, we were six. But two of us died. If it hadn’t been for an Emperor Stage slave that this hideous woman here had, perhaps none of us would have escaped."
The room fell into a deathly silence, and the hideous woman’s expression darkened further. Kael’s words only served to remind her that her slave was gone, probably never to be seen again.
"Sigh..."
The last person who had yet to speak among the seniors in the room sighed. He was dressed in a hooded cloak that covered his whole body, making him seem like a grim reaper.
"So it’s like this..." He sighed again, then continued. "It’s probably a Divine Body. What a surprise. After so many years, another Divine Body has appeared."
The bearded man and the seductive woman were shocked by his words, and although they wanted to argue, there was no other logical explanation for whatever had happened.
"If that is the case, then we need to erase him. Divine Body carriers are always too much trouble for us. Let us erase him before he fully matures."
Hearing the bearded man’s voice, Kael lowered his head further, carefully masking the murderous glint that had surfaced in his eyes.
’How troublesome...’
He had expected the destruction of the base to attract attention, but he hadn’t anticipated these old monsters arriving at that kind of conclusion so quickly. A Divine Body... the mere mention of those two words had instantly turned Seraph from an insignificant traitor into a target worthy of the organization’s full attention.
That was the last thing he wanted.
If Seraph died now, years of careful planning would amount to nothing.
Still, he couldn’t reveal himself here.
Not when several Emperor Stage cultivators were gathered in one place. He silently exhaled, forcing every trace of killing intent back into the depths of his heart.
’For now... keep acting afraid.’
His trembling hands, uneven breathing, and lowered gaze were no longer signs of fear.
They had become the perfect disguise.
As long as no one grew suspicious of him, there would still be an opportunity to interfere when the time came.
Just then, the door was knocked softly, and a stiff voice came from the outside.
"Managers, urgent information has been sent from the HQ."
The bearded man’s eyes narrowed, and he said. "Speak."
"Two of the three managers of our neighboring base have been killed, and connection with the last manager has been lost. The HQ now calls for an urgent meeting in the central plains."
The atmosphere in the room froze, and the seductive woman’s eyes widened.
"What... did you say?"
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