The Devil's Cage

In a long green robe and gunny shoes, Guret crossed the second floor of the library and headed for the third floor.

The large and buff body of Guret showed no signs of him being over 60 years old. His brown hair had barely turned gray, and his smooth face, which girls would die for, showed a sense of anger.

Which bloody liar dared to deceive his niece?!

He didn't know where this liar got the teachings of the Gu family, but he knew he had to teach this person a lesson. The Gu family wasn't just any second tier family that some random liar could fool around with.

He must make himself heard and seize the advantage!

Dak Dak Dak!?

Dong Dong Dong!

The heavy footsteps got closer. They sounded like actual footsteps at first, but as they got closer, they became loud like battledrums.

Thud after thud, each step was louder than the previous.

It was deafening, and it caused one to suffocate as though his or her chest was being hammered.

The few readers in the first and second floors got scared by the thundering footsteps, and each and every one of them fled outside the library.

The guard outside the library slightly furrowed his brows at the stairs connecting the second floor to the third; however, he didn't make a move. His duty was to protect the library—as long as the library wasn't under attack, he couldn't do anything.

The guard believed no one would dare to attack the library. What Guret did was already his best.

After all, he wasn't just there for decoration…

FOOOSH!

Just when the guard was about to shift his gaze from Guret, a pressuring aura descended from the sky like Mt. Tai and pressed him down.

His body wobbled and faltered. The guard quickly looked towards the third floor.

There!

When the thought rose, the scene before his eyes changed.

The guard realized he was in a dark and desolate wilderness without a bit of light or warmth.

A cold gale carried a slaughtering aura across the fields.

Anyone who ended up in this dark place would be left with nothing but despair, regardless of whether they were moving forward or stopping.

The nervous library guard saw Guret further ahead of him walking forward. He opened his mouth, trying to call Guret, but the moment he widened his mouth, the cold air entered his throat.

His tongue froze and he shut his mouth right away, but his teeth chattered.

The cold had seeped into his soul, making him curl his body as he fell on the dark land, waiting for his death in torment.

Then…death arrive!

Death stood under the dark sky and looked down at everything with a cold gaze.

All was fair before death; no one was higher, no one was lower.

When the library guard caught the gaze of death, he unconsciously crawled up the ground and bowed down. He confessed about the most regretful and guilty things he did in life.

He hoped for forgiveness from death, but he wasn't answered.

He felt tortured by the pain, and it was getting harder to endure by the second. He screamed out loud.

Much screaming later, the painful screams became cries of agony, his tears and snot covering his face. It lasted for quite a while.

When his tears almost dried up, he suddenly felt peace, and from the peace, he found joy, the joy of being freed.

Amid the joy, he made a swift decision: he ought to leave this place, this place where he had suffered before.

He wanted to return to death's embrace, wanted to achieve immortality there.

He drew his sword and moved it over his neck.

Pak!

Blood gushed out, and the library guard fell on the ground.

Bam!

He fell down, and his forehead hit the stairs.

The pain brought him back from the illusions.

"This… This… was all an illusion?"

The library guard touched his neck. There wasn't blood, and there wasn't looming despair around him, but in his heart, he felt an unknown fear.

His eyes on the third floor changed.

In the end, he stood up, went back to his position, and acted like nothing happened before.

He wasn't a decoration, and he believed the person who could drag people into an illusory realm with just their aura alone would know how to control the situation.

As for Guret?

The library guard prayed for him.

Nothing more would come from the guard because it was the best he could do.

The prayers, however, were useless to Guret.

Guret was in front of the door to the third floor, but he could not even lift his foot… No, it was worse, for he couldn't even move a muscle.

Guret panted heavily as the pressuring aura pressed him down.

Sweat covered his face and rolled down his cheeks like raindrops; his beard and eyebrows were wet. He had no idea what caused the pressuring aura.

A moment ago, he meant to use his own intimidating aura to teach the liar a lesson. The Gu Family was not to be meddled around with. However, at this moment, he couldn't move at all or even catch a glimpse of the liar's face.

Guret couldn't accept it. It wasn't just because the pride in his heart, but also the unusual persistence of the Gu Family.

Gnashing his teeth, he tried to move his foot again. He discarded his initial goal behind him; all he wanted to do now was cross the door before him.

Gaaaaak!

As he moved his foot, his bones screeched.

Despite the screeches, he managed to step up to the last flight of stairs before the door and screeches ultimately became bone-cracking sounds.

Crak!

The cracked bones shook his body, but before he fell down, he controlled his body to lean forward, not backward. Even if he bled, he would step into the third floor!

However, Guret didn't end up smashing his face into the glass door, for the mountain-like pressure suddenly disappeared as quickly as it first appeared.

A pair of gentle hands caught Guret.

"Gutti?!"

Guret was shocked when he saw Gutti helping him up. He had not told his niece that he was going to the library.

He'd even purposely misled his niece so that he could have more time to teach that liar a lesson.

"I am not an idiot, uncle. Your little tricks are too obvious and… 2567 isn't what you think," Gutti emphasized.

Guret opened his mouth but nothing came out. He felt embarrassed and eventually gave a bitter smile.

The facts were placed before his eyes, what else was there to say?

He didn't catch a glimpse of the so-called liar and couldn't even move due to the sheer pressure of the aura. If his niece had not appeared to help him, he would have fallen into a more desperate or dangerous situation.

Guret wasn't some naive teen, nor was he stupid enough to think that the sudden disappearance of the pressuring aura was the liar's mercy. His niece was the key point.

"I will reconsider your suggestion. As for the rest… I won't bother you anymore, but I can't speak for the others."

Guret straightened his body, waved at Gutti, and limped down the stairs.

Why not meet Kieran though?

Guret has lost the interest for now, but the pain from his body told him why his niece chose this man.

Gutti saw her uncle away as his big, buff body vanished beyond the turning point. She then turned around and pushed the door to the third floor.

At first glance, Gutti saw Kieran behind the study table with tea and pastries before him.

"I'm sorry, 2567. My uncle didn't mean it. It's because of miscommunication…" Gutti said with an apologetic tone.

"It's fine."

Kieran was quite generous to the lady who helped him deal with most of the duties of Branch Leader.

Truth be told, if it weren't for the books on the table, he would not have faced Guret in such a direct way. He might risk exposing part of his plan if Guret met him and saw the books.

"Thank you for your forgiveness, but as the Branch Leader of the Student Council, you should know the library is for reading, not a place for tea and pastries. The tea and pastries here are prepared for readers to read better…"

Gutti bowed and after she straightened her body, she started to correct Kieran's behaviour with a strict look and words.

Kieran finished the tea and swept the pastries clean before standing up, intending to leave the library since he had gotten what he sought. There was no reason for him to stay anymore.

Moreover, Gutti's relentless nagging robbed him of his desire to stay.

Kieran waved at her before vanishing.

After Kieran went off, Gutti stood there with a flushed face.

"Why did I say that?! I didn't mean to nag at him! I was going to invite him for afternoon tea, but why did it come out as nags?!"

The embarrassed lady covered her face and squatted down while muttering to herself.

…

Despite finishing the tea and pastries, Kieran told Agernessa, who could now go out of the library because of the contract, to make him tea again after he returned to the dorm.

Kieran slightly blew the tea leaves in the cup and enjoyed the aroma of the tea. His mind was recalling what he had learned about Arnold Sect.

Unlike the blurry description in The Dead Sects, the third floor had more information on the Arnold Sect but by no means a lot.

Through the books, Kieran got a clearer picture and better knowledge regarding the Arnold Sect.

Firstly, Arnold Sect was indeed established after the chef from the east came to the west. The chef of the east was also from the Aang Sect, but before he ventured off, he was expelled by the sect.

Secondly, the Arnold Sect was skilled in using illusions, and the Godly Speaking Technique was considered as the ultimate of the sect, which was also labeled as a forbidden technique back then.

Lastly and most importantly, in the expedition that caused the Arnold Sect's destruction, it wasn't just the sect alone, but also the Ryde Family that participated. However, unlike the sect, the Ryde Family didn't lose anything in the expedition to the Mystic State. Quite the contrary, the family rose to power after that.

Some books stated the authors' theories about this, like how [Drops of Finest Cream] came into creation. One of the authors related it to the Mystic State expedition.

Of course, most of the people treated it as just a theory, but as long as a minority believed it, it would be enough.

Kieran took a sip of tea before placing the cup down. He contacted Bloody Mary through the special link.

How could the Sil Inner Sect not have a convincing origin?

…

The store owner, who was actually a spy from the Sil Sect, waited patiently after Ude the overseer left.

As a spy, the store owner was used to waiting, but this time, it was different.

He eagerly hoped that the sir from the Sil Inner Sect would come quickly because it would be a chance for them to get into the Sil Inner Sect.

So when the bell rang and 'Lude' in a cap came in, the store owner jumped out of joy.

"Sir!"

The store owner bowed respectfully before he stepped aside, allowing 'Lude' to come in. The store owner then flipped the 'Open' sign to 'Close' before attending 'Lude'.

"Lord Ude has gone to war with the Ryde Family! The lord ordered me to deliver this message: Sil Sect will follow the Inner Sect, and since the Inner Sect decided to fight the Ryde Family, we Sil Sect will follow no matter what! It is either the end of the Ryde Family or the last of the Sil Sect who will die off!"

The store owner delivered the message to 'Lude' as ordered.

"The Sil Sect will not be annihilated this time, once was enough. We came back from the ashes to take revenge against those who set us up, not welcome destruction again,"'Lude' said in a decisive tone.

The way 'Lude' made it sound struck joy in the store owner's heart, for he could tell the changes in his tone. It wasn't the blurry description that sounded estranged anymore, but 'Lude' using the word 'us'!

"The leader is right! Only by contributing our lives will the Inner Sect acknowledge us! But revenge?"

The overjoyed store owner finally realized something.

The Sil Inner Sect had beef with the Ryde Family long ago?

It must be! Only then did it make sense!

Going to war with a family just because of a freshman First Seat? Even for the Inner Sect, it sounded outrageous.

The truth must be that the Sil Inner Sect was set up by the Ryde Family and almost got wiped up, that is why they lost contact with the Inner Sect!

Thought after thought appeared in the store owner's head, and from there, the image of the Sil Inner Sect slowly painted itself.

While the store owner filled in the gaps with his own imagination, 'Lude' suddenly stood up.

"Sir…"

The store owner spoke but was stopped by 'Lude'.

The store owner wasn't an idiot. When he saw how focused 'Lude' was, he quickly reacted to the situation.

Someone was onto them!

The store owner's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't panic.

He had been undercover for so many years, it would be stupid of him if he didn't prepare anything at all.

The store owner signaled 'Lude', but 'Lude' didn't even look at the store owner. He walked out righteously instead.

"Sir?!" The store owner was shocked.

"The Sil Inner Sect will not retreat without a fight, especially against the losers that we once triumphed over!"

'Lude' went out the door after that.

Outside the store, a group of men heavily surrounded the place, and the one who led the men was the heavily bandaged... Garcia!