The Virtuous Dark Witch

Chapter 55

Flowers dropped from the sky? Black crows filled the sky, carrying flowers and dropping them from high above, mixed with saliva, mucus, and the stench of bird droppings.

Elara Dessey clicked her tongue. She wanted crow soup, or roasted crow meat would do. Her sister-in-law happened to have plenty of spices. She took a deep breath and held back the urge to slap him.

"Does Duke Austin Corell often appear in public like this?" she asked. "Does he put on such a show too?"

"Not often," Cinderaven moved a little farther away. "Don't you like it?"

Was it not obvious enough? Elara's face turned cold. "I want some peace and quiet. So you stay quiet too."

She had thought about the difference in personalities between Cinderaven and Austin Corell. Besides being forced by the situation, it probably had a lot to do with the incompatibility of the physical body, which limited the soul.

Simply put, Austin Corell's soul was extremely powerful. Even though the black crow had fused a drop of his blood, it still could not bear his mighty soul. To keep the crow's body from being damaged by the soul's power, part of Austin Corell's soul had to be sealed after entering the crow.

"So you don't like it. I thought all Dark Witches loved this kind of entrance," Cinderaven said dejectedly. He had thought for a long time to come up with this brilliant idea, only for it to be killed before it even started.

Elara chuckled lightly. "What gave you that idea?" We Dessey Witches act arrogantly, but we keep very low profiles."

"Selah Dessey," Cinderaven looked at Elara. "When the Moslin Bank and the Andrea Kingdom were founded, Duke Austin Corell appeared last. To highlight his supreme status, Selah summoned countless black crows and black bats to circle the Andrea Capital.

Because of that scene, Lisandra clung to Selah and insisted on becoming her friend.

Elara was wrong. She cleared her throat and wiped the smile off her face. This "trouble" was started by her own ancestor. She decided she would no longer look down on Cinderaven's taste.

"The change of ownership of Anastas City and Luohe Plains has caused a huge stir. Even though Ana Stirling is to blame, since we've benefited, we should know how to keep a low profile."

Really? Cinderaven studied the look on Elara's face. Why was she being so reasonable all of a sudden?

"Besides, my aunt's wedding to Alexandra is approaching. The West Sea Forest must save some face for the Stirling Clan. So we must keep a low profile when we go to Anastas City this time," Elara said, looking thoughtful. "For both sentiment and reason, we shouldn't make a big scene."

It sounded reasonable, but Cinderaven could not just do nothing about the distant past."Fine, we'll keep it low-key. I'll think about it later. Now I have something else to say. "There's something wrong in the forest. Ask the sprites if any Andros have broken in lately."

She was just about to check the forest. Elara's lips curved slightly. She flashed into the black mandala flowers, found the Queen of the Ink-Winged Sprites, and saw her braiding the hair of a blue-winged sprite. She knelt down and asked softly:

"Has the forest been okay while I was gone?"

At her question, the Queen's small hands paused in braiding. She frowned her pretty little brows, her face clearly showing disgust, and her small mouth moved soundlessly:

"It was peaceful the first few days after you left. But five days ago, a group of lost Andros appeared out of nowhere and broke into the forest."

Elara's hands on her knees tightened. "Were those Andros different in any way?"

"They couldn't be killed—ripping out hearts and cutting off skulls did nothing," the Queen of the Ink-Winged Sprites glared at Cinderaven and snapped soundlessly. "What tricks are your Andros pulling?"

Cinderaven saw her yelling at him, but he could not hear her and had no idea what she was saying. He just stared at her, dumbfounded and unconvinced.

"What happened next?" Elara wanted to know how the sprites had killed those Andros.

"We killed them until they stayed dead," the Queen said coldly. She finished braiding the blue-winged sprite's hair with a stern little face and flapped her wings to fly up. "Follow me."

Before her voice faded, she had ridden the wind more than ten yards out of the Ancient Tomb.

Elara and Cinderaven hurried after her. The Queen knew the West Sea Forest like the back of her hand. She waved her glowing wings and weaved through the lush trees.

"Those strange Andros must belong to another branch of the Andros—the Blood Pact."

"How do you know they are not from the eight founding ancestors of the Andros?" Elara walked beside her in the wind.

"Isn't it obvious?" The Queen headed straight east, toward the edge of the forest. "I guessed."

That answer… was just like the Witch Ancestor of the West Sea that she had heard about from Austin Corell. Elara decided to stay silent for now and speak only when they reached their destination.

Cinderaven spoke up. "When Little Dessey and I went looking for Austin Corell's body, we ran into a group of Andros with extraordinary bloodlines. Their flesh and blood seemed alive. Even if they were blown to pieces by Dark Nether Fire Burst Bombs, they quickly recondensed and regained their fighting power."

"They must be from the same faction as the strange Andros that broke into the West Sea Forest," the Queen's face darkened. "But they aren't unkillable—just hard to kill. You have to drain all the life force contained in their flesh and blood."

It was too tiring to flap his wings and stare at the little demon snake's mouth at the same time. Cinderaven glanced at Elara, then boldly landed on her shoulder. He counted silently in his heart. When she did not chase him away, he felt relieved. He turned back to the snake.

"How did you kill them?"

Hadn't she just told him? He asked again even though he could not hear her. The Queen pretended not to hear.

Cinderaven blinked and did not care about her attitude. "Did you know that Anastas City and Luohe Plains now belong to the West Sea Forest?"

"We already know," the Queen said proudly. "Our Dessey Witches' home will be even bigger now."

She excitedly flew ahead, backward facing Elara. "You need to make time soon to forge Boundary Stones."

Elara nodded. "I'll prepare them."

Boundary Stones were similar to modern boundary markers, except they had two extra layers of defense. On the Mal Continent, only the Witch Clan used them to enclose land. The barrier outside the West Sea Forest was connected by one hundred and eight Boundary Stones.

They traveled quickly through the forest for nearly an hour and finally reached the spot. The soil here was softer than elsewhere, clearly recently turned over.

The Queen pouted and muttered soundlessly. The buried flesh and broken bones were unearthed, all rotten and stinking horribly.

Cinderaven held his breath and said in disgust: "No need to look. It's the Blood Pact."

Even though the strange life force in the flesh and bones had been drained, the mutation in their blood was almost identical to the Andros who had died at the bottom of the Blazing Sun Pit.

Elara glanced at the countless small pieces of flesh and broken bones on the ground and came to a conclusion.

"It seems the life force from the seeds of the Saporaya Mother Tree cannot regenerate inside the Andros. As that strange life force is drained, their combat power weakens too."

"That's right," the Queen said seriously. "When Shaenlily and I realized this, we immediately told our friends to capture those Andros alive first. Then we cut off their flesh and stripped their bones piece by piece, draining their life force. Finally, we killed all the invaders."

"Well done," Elara did not think the sprites were cruel. Anyone who was not a Dessey Witch could not enter the West Sea Forest without permission. This rule had existed since the forest was first enclosed. If they broke the rules, they deserved to die.

The Queen reburied the rotten flesh and bones. "Little Elara, you mentioned the seeds of the Saporaya Mother Tree just now?"

"Yes," Elara did not hide from her sprites. "The Blood Pact wants to capture forest sprites to revive the Saporaya Mother Tree Grove."

"Those fools?" The Queen sucked her finger and said disdainfully. "After Selah was cursed by the Twin Spirit Curse, she researched the seeds of the Saporaya Mother Tree. She was so smart, and she spent nearly ten years but couldn't make a single seed c***k open. The Blood Pact doesn't stand a chance."

Wait—what did she just hear? Elara blinked lightly and looked up at the Queen. "The Witch Ancestor of the West Sea had seeds of the Saporaya Mother Tree?" Even Austin Corell didn't seem to."

"She did," the Queen's drooped at the mention of it. "Less than a year after the Twin Spirit Curse took hold, the curse's effects became obvious. To resist it, Selah set her sights on the Saporaya Mother Tree. "

Elara was confused. "Why the Saporaya Mother Tree?"

"The Saporaya Mother Tree is also known as the Life Mother Goddess Tree," the Queen sat on Elara's empty left shoulder. "All curses ultimately drain life force. When the lost life exceeds what you gain from cultivation, the curse's effects become clear."

"To save herself, Selah needed to replenish enough life force quickly." She learned from Lisandra about a vampire who had left the Saporaya Mother Tree Grove with the Andros ancestors. She sought them out and found the seeds."

The Queen's voice held sorrow and regret. "Unfortunately, before the seeds could c***k open, Goddess Selena sent a dream omen." Selah gave up reviving the tree and focused on researching the Twin Spirit Curse."

"Where are the seeds now?" Elara asked. "Are any left?"

“Yes. They're buried in Selah's tomb," the Queen lay down instead of sitting. She was sad and did not want to fly anymore."Let's go back. I want to go to the tomb and stay with Selah."

After night fell, lights lit up in Anastas City, but much dimmer than before. Pedestrians on the main streets were sparse, and shops on both sides were even quieter.

The City Lord's Mansion had no master, and the white castle no longer emitted holy fluorescence. Everything felt desolate.

Near the street, at Hank's Gem Shop, the white-bearded shopkeeper hunched his back and saw off a Rozin woman. He turned back, smiled, and shook his head at the empty shop, and walked to the counter to count the day's profits and losses.

"Grandpa, business is so slow. Why are you still smiling?" Siro, the shopkeeper's grandson, frowned. "We only made seven deals in half a month."

The Rozin woman had looked for a long time. He and his grandfather had both tried, but she bought nothing. At this rate, the royal family would abandon them.

"Don't worry. Everything will get better," the old man took out the ledger. There was not much to count—only seven customers had come in, and no sales had been made. But he was not worried. Looking at the blank pages, his cloudy eyes were calm.

Anastas City would soon be different. No—it already was different. Its master had changed; it was no longer the Andros.

He carefully pulled out a smooth wooden box from his pocket, opened it, and a blood-red rose glass card lay quietly on white silk.

Who could have imagined that the little girl who had sold him this card twenty years ago, and stood up for him against Rocky Anastas, would one day become the Lord of Anastas City?

He had worked at Hank's Gem Shop his whole life. He was not stuck here because he could not leave. He stayed because he believed in that clever, kind little girl from back then.

Siro saw his grandpa wiping his treasure again and shrugged helplessly. He knew what the old man was remembering. Unfortunately, he and his brother were too young to remember much about Lord Elara, who had saved their family.

A deerskin boot stepped over the threshold, followed by a flash of silver. The shopkeeper immediately hid the blood rose glass card, walked out from behind the counter, and bowed low.

"Honored guest—" Black mandalas. Had he just seen black mandalas?

"Shopkeeper," Elara said. After twenty years, she was surprised the white-bearded man was still there. He had aged a lot, but she recognized him at once. "Business in the city seems quite slow lately?"

The old man slowly lifted his head and looked at the beautiful young woman who had entered. Her features had changed, but the silver-stamen black mandala on her head did not lie. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"How may I serve you?"

Siro, behind the glass cabinet, froze. His grandfather had actually waited for the honored Lord Elara. He did not know what to do, so he rubbed the cabinet hard with a cloth to make it spotless.

"I was just passing by and came in to look." Elara's gaze swept over the shop's decorations and the ornaments in the cabinet. She twisted her Life Ring lightly.

"Twenty years, and this shop is still the same." Only business was far worse than before."At nine tomorrow morning, the West Sea Forest will officially take over Anastas City and Luohe Plains."

"Yes," the old man nodded solemnly. "To celebrate the West Sea Forest taking over Anastas City, Hank's Gem Shop will offer all displayed ornaments at a 10% discount for the next month."

Siro's legs went weak and he almost fell into the cabinet. What was his grandpa saying? Did he not need to report such a big decision to the main family in the capital?

"Thank you," Elara was surprised by this gesture. "I wish you prosperous business."

She glanced back at the empty street."There probably won't be more customers today. Close early and open early tomorrow."

"Very well."

The shopkeeper saw Elara out and watched her carriage head toward East Street, standing motionless for a long time. Siro saw the tears in his grandpa's eyes and held back his questions. He handed over a handkerchief.

"Wipe your face." Giving up a 10% profit—how would they explain it to the main family?

"Siro," the old man took the handkerchief and dabbed his eyes. "It's time to hand over Hank's Gem Shop. After tomorrow, go with your father to buy two new shops. Our family will settle in Anastas City."

Why give up the shop he had run his whole life? Siro disagreed and tried to argue. "Grandpa—"

But the old man raised a hand to stop him. "Trust Grandpa. It's the right choice."

The little girl from back then had not changed. Cold as she seemed, her eyes were clear and upright.

As soon as the carriage entered East Street, Elara sensed something unusual. She stepped out of the carriage and saw Benelli Larissa in white robes walking slowly toward her from the end of the street.

She had been looking for him, and now he appeared. Elara smiled faintly, ignored him, and flashed to her own shop. She tore down the notice on the door, withdrew the witch power protecting it, and the black mandalas rooted in the walls still looked healthy. She pushed open the door and went inside.

Cinderaven flew onto the counter behind her. "Why is Benelli Larissa always sneaking around? Nothing like the other Larissa Witches, who bring deer everywhere."

"Don't you think that's nice?"

Elara had just stood behind the counter when Benelli walked into the Dessey Shop and smiled warmly. "Congratulations. You've gained two cities, and all the wealth you deserve is in your hands."

"Thank you." Elara leaned on the counter. "You didn't come to Anastas City just to congratulate me, did you?"

Benelli liked smart people. He waved his sleeve to close the door and stepped closer to the counter. "Since Lord Elara asks, I'll be straightforward. I went to Rodley Valley. I found Roxane Mullin unconscious, and I caught up with Windis Larissa, who lost an arm."

So what? Did that have anything to do with her? Elara looked at him calmly. "Rodley Valley… that should be Fisher's hidden soul place before he woke up. Why was Roxane there?"

She would never admit any connection to Austin Corell.

Benelli was not annoyed, as expected. He spoke casually. "I killed Windis Larissa. Don't you think I've cleared up a lot of trouble for you?"

He knew what was hidden in Rodley Valley, as did the old monsters of the Larissa Clan—and so did Elara. Whether Austin Corell lived or died was none of his business, but too many factions cared.

Elara saw no point in beating around the bush. "I want you to investigate something for me."

Straight to the point. Benelli also stated his purpose. "I heard that after the Witch Ancestor of the West Sea was cursed by the Twin Spirit Curse, she devoted herself to finding a way to break it?"

"Who told you that?" It's quite accurate." Elara chuckled and looked down to tease Cinderaven. "Don't ask for too much. I can tell you how to slow the curse's erosion on those affected."

Benelli's eyes lit up. He had made the right trip."Then rest assured. I swear by my mother's life and the sun god Apollo: if your method really slows the curse on my mother, I will move heaven and earth to find out whatever you want."

"No need to be so serious." Elara smiled at him. "I want to know how the Larissa Clan forced the fusion of twins back then."

This was the origin of the Twin Spirit Curse. She had to find out. Otherwise, even if "love" was the way to break it, she would not know how to use it.

Benelli fell silent at the question. He had chased the origin of the curse for three years but achieved nothing."The Larissa Clan erased all records of the Twin Witches from their clan history, probably to cover something up."

As expected, Elara said, "It's difficult—that's why it's a fair trade."

"Before I turned seven, no one ever told me I was a Twin Witch." It wasn't until my mother could no longer hold on and begged Boyle that Monrali, that old ghost, agreed to let her see me."

Benelli's hands at his sides tightened until his knuckles cracked, suppressing his hatred. His pale yellow eyes were cold. "My mother told me the truth."

He had been too young to control his emotions and had foolishly confronted Boyle. But Boyle had said his mother hated him and wanted him dead. Only when he sensed the Twin Spirit Curse did they stop lying.

Elara was confused. "What are you trying to say?"

Benelli looked troubled. "I've been investigating what you asked for three years. I can't even find the place where they performed the ritual to fuse the unborn twins. So you have to give me time."

Seeing Elara's silence, he brazenly made his request. "I'll keep looking until I find out. But my mother doesn't have much time. Can you tell me how to temporarily stop the curse first?"

"Yes," Elara said. "As partners, we must trust each other. I'll be honest with you: stop looking for the Saporaya Mother Tree seeds. They're useless. The Witch Ancestor of the West Sea had already tried."

Benelli was not surprised. Dark spirits were everywhere. The Dessey Witches lived deep in the West Sea Forest, but knew everything under the sky.

"To stop the curse from eroding the soul and body, you must separate the soul from the body." Elara saw his grave expression. She understood."With your current realm, separating your mother's soul shouldn't be hard—if you prepare carefully."

Benelli had not expected this method. He was reluctant, but he knew he had no better choice. He pulled out a blood-red rose glass card and pushed it toward Elara.

"I want one Dark Soul Cord. This is a deposit. Half a month later, I'll bring the materials to the Andrea Capital for Count Alexandra's wedding."

Elara took it without hesitation. "Fisher isn't completely dead. You're right to be careful."

As an honest merchant, she would keep her word after taking payment."Pluck seven of your mother's hairs by the roots, take her blood, and mix the blood into the hairs."

She flipped her right hand. "Put them in this Little Nether Box."

The Light Witches cultivated by absorbing sunlight, but their souls were yin. Materials for forging the Dark Soul Cord could never be stored in a Sunlight Box.

"Thank you." Benelli took the box. "I have business to attend to and must leave Anastas City. My mother asked me to thank you on her behalf."

Elara shook her head. "Say it to her face. My mother will wake up, and your mother will be fine with you around."

Benelli smiled. Elara continued, "I believe they will meet again one day."

"Yes, they will," Benelli said sincerely. "You're the first person who truly wishes my mother well."

Not someone from the Larissa Clan, their own bloodline. That was the difference his mother had spoken of.

After Benelli left, Elara sighed softly to herself. "The damned don't die, and the innocent suffer one after another under fate. Who is really to blame?"