Upon seeing Eamon Rivers and Eagle Noire flee, the morale of the Noire family and Dragon Order practitioners crumbled instantly.
In less than half an hour, the Emberwood Guards had slaughtered every last one of them.
Seraphina approached, a hint of regret in her tone. “I didn’t expect Eagle Noire and Eamon Rivers to escape.”
Chris reminded her, “I’ve fought Eagle Noire before. He’s not as simple as he seems. He’s hiding his strength-perhaps some sinister scheme lies behind it.”
“Darling!”
“Chris!”
At that moment, Esther and Candace rushed over.
Chris looked at them with a smile. “Are you two okay?”
Esther, visibly annoyed, replied, “Darling, you’ve returned. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Suddenly, the sound of armor clinking broke the moment.
A large group of Vance family guards stormed in. These guards had been stationed outside Emberwood Estate on Caspian’s orders to protect Esther and Candace. Hearing the sounds of battle, they rushed to the scene.
Caspian himself arrived shortly after.
Chris greeted him with a grin. “Mr. Vance, it’s been a while.”
Caspian sighed, his face full of exasperation. Whenever Chris returned to Middleton, trouble inevitably followed.
Looking at the countless corpses strewn across the ground, Caspian sighed deeply. In just one day, Chris’s return had already caused such carnage. He was like a walking disaster.
—
Meanwhile, in the dead of night, two figures sped through the darkness.
Within moments, they reached a remote area on the outskirts of Middleton.
“Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!”
Eamon Rivers could no longer contain himself. Blood gushed from his mouth in torrents as he staggered to a stop.
Eagle Noire approached, concern etched into his face. “What’s wrong?”
Eamon Rivers growled through gritted teeth, his expression twisted in pain. “I never imagined Chris’s strength could be this terrifying. When we return, I’ll make sure my master kills him personally!”
Eagle Noire sighed. “It’s unbelievable. It’s only been a few months since we last saw him, but Chris has grown even stronger.”
Eamon Rivers clenched his fists, his face filled with frustration. “If I hadn’t underestimated him, I could’ve killed Chris!”
Eagle Noire glanced around, scanning the area. “This place is remote-there doesn’t seem to be anyone here.”
Eamon Rivers nodded. “It’s a hidden spot. No one knows about it except me.”
“By the way,” Eagle Noire said casually, “I heard that before Abbot Ethan left, he entrusted you with a fragment of the Dragon Emblem. Is that true?”
Eamon Rivers immediately tensed, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Eagle Noire, why are you asking about that?”
Eagle Noire chuckled. “Oh, come on, Eamon Rivers. You don’t have to tell me. I already know. That place was so dangerous-Ethan Stone must have given the Dragon Emblem fragment to you.”
Eamon Rivers’s voice sharpened. “Eagle Noire, what are you trying to say-”
Before he could finish, Eagle Noire lunged forward, a gleaming dagger in his hand, and stabbed it into Eamon Rivers’s abdomen.
Caught off guard, Eamon Rivers tried to resist. But already gravely injured, he was no match for Eagle Noire’s sudden attack.
With a sickening sound, the blade sank deep into his flesh.
Eamon Rivers glared at Eagle Noire, his eyes wide with shock and fury. “You dare kill me? My master will never let you go!”
Eagle Noire sneered. “Eamon Rivers, oh, Eamon Rivers. Once you’re dead and Ethan Stone is gone, the Dragon Order will be mine alone.”
“You think you can kill me? Dream on! I’ll kill you first!”
Fury contorting his face, Eamon Rivers roared and launched himself at Eagle Noire.
Eagle Noire smirked coldly. “If you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant your wish!”
The two men clashed violently.
Their battle was fierce and brief.
With a final, agonized scream, Eamon Rivers was sent flying backward. He crashed to the ground, a dagger protruding from his chest.
His eyes remained wide open, filled with disbelief and rage, as life drained from his body.
Eamon Rivers, the esteemed disciple of Ethan Stone and the future heir to the Dragon Order, had fallen at the hands of Eagle Noire.
“Pfft!”
Eagle Noire spat out blood, staggering slightly. While Eamon Rivers had already been gravely injured by Chris, his final desperate attack had still inflicted damage.
Glancing at the lifeless body before him, Eagle Noire sneered. “Fool. If you weren’t Ethan Stone’s disciple, you’d never have dared to challenge me. Utter stupidity!”
With a satisfied grin, Eagle Noire knelt and began searching Eamon Rivers’s corpse.
Moments later, he found what he was looking for-a parchment scroll.
It was the Dragon Emblem fragment, a priceless treasure.
“Ha-ha-ha!” Eagle Noire laughed triumphantly, tucking the scroll into his robes before vanishing into the night.
—
The aftermath of the battle left Emberwood Estate in ruins. The fierce clash had turned the estate into a wasteland.
Thousands of practitioners had fought there. If not for the estate’s size, it would have been completely destroyed.
Caspian turned to Chris. “What do you plan to do next?”
Chris smirked coldly. “The Frost family dared to target Emberwood Estate. They must be insane. I’ll let them know I’m back.”
Hearing this, Caspian couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the Frost family. But then again, they had brought this upon themselves.
The Emberwood Estate was a legacy left to Chris by his master, Archer Wintersong.
For the Frost family to try and demolish it in Chris’s absence-how could he let this slide?
Caspian sighed. “Chris, I knew you’d bring trouble the moment you returned to Middleton. You’re about to stir up another storm of blood and chaos.”
News of Chris’s return spread quickly throughout Middleton.
After months of absence, many had assumed Chris was dead. But now, he had returned, and his presence sent shockwaves across the city.
The ten noble families were thrown into panic.
The Frost family learned of Chris’s return immediately, and their patriarch, Leonard Frost, turned pale.
Leonard knew Chris’s temperament all too well.
The last time Leonard had tried to demolish Emberwood Estate, Chris had retaliated fiercely.
Now that Chris was back, Leonard knew he wouldn’t escape unscathed.
Furious, Leonard roared, “Where are Eagle Noire and Eamon Rivers? Find them and bring them to me at once!”
A servant stammered, “Master, we sent people to the Noire family to inquire. Last night, Eagle Noire and Eamon Rivers led their men to Emberwood Estate… but they never returned.”
“What?!”