Chapter 226


    "During the sh of Eight Orders, the Bloodlore Commander showed great interest in vin, and


    even visited his chambers for a private discussion thatsted half an hour. Furthermore, the


    Bloodlore Commander''s granddaughter, E, seems to have taken a fancy to vin, appearing in


    his courtyard several times after midnight. The terms they offered were very tempting. First, the


    Bloodlore Commander would take vin as an Elite Protégé; second, E would be vin''s


    lover; and third, they would help him solve various troubles. At the time, I wondered how vin


    could refuse Bloodlore. Now, thinking about it, it''s very likely that while he appeared loyal to Cobalt


    Strike on the surface, he had already struck a deal with Bloodlore in secret."


    Elder Connas had suspected the Mollen family, but after much consideration, he felt that the Mollen


    family didn''t have the nerve. They were merely a mercantile guild, and not bold enough to massacre


    Cobalt Strike''s Elders and Protégés just for vin. Aside from the Mollen family, the only ones who


    could aid vin and dare confront Cobalt Strike were those of Bloodlore.


    The damned vin was too cunning! No, rather, too clever—he had anticipated that the Grand


    Elder would target the Mallisters.


    They really underestimated vin!


    The Grand Elder''s hands, sped behind his back, slowly tightened into fists. "Garrat has not yet


    returned."


    "Could he also have been in?" Elder Connas looked up in disbelief, then affirmed, "It must be


    Bloodlore, without a doubt."


    "I was careless," admitted the Grand Elder. His ns had been designed to ensure that the


    operation would go smoothly, without fail, dealing with vin and the Mallisters once and for all.


    Once they were dead, even if the Commander would have doubts, he would no longer delve into


    the matter. But the Grand Elder had underestimated vin, who had delivered a resounding p to


    his dignity—Vandill, Garrat, and over seven hundred Protégés, were all lost to vin’s hand.


    “What do we do now? Shall I arrange for someone to take out vin in Stormcast? We were


    careless this time; it won’t happen again.”


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    “The forest provided cover, allowing us to act without restraint, but in Stormcast, killing vin won’t


    be so simple,” the Grand Elder noted. He wasn’t so brazen that he would make it obvious to all that


    he was after vin.


    “So we let it go?”


    “Allow me to think on it.”


    “What about the bodies at Azure Mountain?”


    “I will arrange for other Elders to take control swiftly. Remember, keep this quiet.”


    ...


    In the apothecary of Botanic Haven, Mari detailed the events to the Botanic Haven Elder,


    including the Grand Elder’s dastardly actions, her suspicions of him, and the Chained Spirit within


    vin.


    The Botanic Haven Elder sighed deeply. “The Grand Elder is ambitious. He is preparing to be


    Commander.”


    As a former young Commander, what he least wanted to see was infighting within the Organization


    and factions vying for power, yet the Grand Elder’s current actions were clearly part of a power


    grab, psychologically dismissing the current Commander. This was a taboo, not to be easily


    forgiven.


    “We can’t allow the Grand Elder to continue his reckless behavior. vin has made his position


    clear. If we can help restrain the Grand Elder, he willmunicate with the Chained Spirit within


    him.”


    “We should seize vin and confine him in Botanic Haven.”


    “The matter of the Chained Spirit must be resolved; we cannot keep suppressing it forever. Now is


    our chance. The stronger vin bes, the greater the possibility of controlling it, and the more


    leverage we’ll have in negotiations,” Mari pleaded earnestly. The reason Botanic Haven couldn’t


    kill the Chained Spirit was that its soul was linked to the Death Stones of its tribe. Should its spirit be


    destroyed, the Warrior Tribe of the East’s Death Stones would alert them to its demise. Then,


    should the Warrior Tribe of the East descend upon Cobalt Strike, true destruction would follow.


    She had always worried that Botanic Haven could suppress the Chained Spirit only temporarily, not


    forever. Eventually, the Chained Spirit would perish, and disaster woulde. What then would


    happen if they captured vin? Would they continue to lock him up? Without a better solution, she


    preferred to invest efforts in vin.


    The Botanic Haven Elder remained silent. He understood the logic, but could they pin their hopes


    on vin, a criminal who resented Cobalt Strike? He feared that vin might strike a deal with the


    Chained Spirit, bringing catastrophe to Cobalt Strike.


    “If the Chained Spirit has chosen vin, there must be a reason. I can assure you, vin will not


    betray a favor.”


    “How much do you really know about vin, and what about the incident eight years ago? If vin


    uncovers the truth, his wrath won’t just be aimed at the Grand Elder, but also the Cobalt Strike.”


    At these words, Mari suddenly thought of something, her face paling slightly. “Could it be that


    vin’s parents are involved with the Chained Spirit?”


    “They’re not directly involved with the Chained Spirit, but they are connected to the secrets


    entangled with it.”


    Secrets entangled with the Chained Spirit? Mari was confused.


    The Botanic Haven Elder pondered for a while. “Fine! I can aid in restraining the Grand Elder, but I


    have one condition. You must go to Stormcast and keep a vignt watch over vin for me.”