Blackstone Manor.
Alan Sothos sat at his desk, writing down the secrets he had gathered during this period in Chinese:
[Stage One: Unburned—Breathing Method, Meditation Method, Unburned Ritual]
[Speculation: Sharpen oneself like a monk to awaken the spirit of darkness?]
[Stage Two: Children of the Flame (Middle Level of the Sect), Training Method Unknown]
[Stage Three: Dark Chasers (Representatives: High Priests, High-Level Members of the Sect)]
These were the pieces of information he had gathered by eavesdropping and peeking around in Black Sun Town. They should mostly be true.
It took a lot of time, but Alan felt it was entirely worth it.
He paused for a moment and continued writing:
[Based on various clues and traces, the High Priest must be plotting something, perhaps using the Unburned as sacrifices, or... it has something to do with the 'Eclipse Ritual' and significant achievements...]
After writing this, Alan let out a long breath: "In that crazy world, how could there be any saints? The so-called savior is probably just a lie!"
He could fully imagine how desperate the scavengers would be when the truth was revealed.
Alan put away his notebook, stood up, and walked to the window, exhaling a breath that immediately turned into frost.
At this moment, the entire manor was covered in a blanket of white, indicating a heavy snowfall.
He rarely donned a cloak, stepped out of the villa, leaving a long trail of footprints in the snow.
'I've almost figured out the cultivation method of the Unburned. Maybe I should give it a try... awaken my own spirit...'
As Alan pondered, he picked up a handful of snow and molded it into a snowball.
"Master!"
At this moment, a chubby young man in a gray scholar's gown ran towards him, holding a letter with his face flushed.
"What's going on, my Scholar Albert?"
Alan asked with a smile.
This was a student recommended by the castle's scholar, the second son of a knight's family who had studied grammar and etiquette for ten years and was somewhat knowledgeable in herbal medicine. He now served as the scholar and steward of Blackstone Manor.
"Huff, huff..."
Albert was not physically strong, only chubby. He panted, "A letter from Sothos Fort, Lady Silvia is pregnant."
"That's good news."
Alan said casually, but suddenly felt something was off: "When did she conceive?"
"Based on the months, it was in the month of her wedding." Albert replied.
"Oh, then there's no problem."
Alan nodded.
He had strict control over his subordinates, and no one dared to offend Silvia. Hence, he was 90% sure it was Colin's child, not the bloodline of the marauders.
But how Colin himself would feel about this was quite intriguing.
Moreover, Lady Sonia, who would only add fuel to the fire, was in the castle, so the scene would surely be very lively...
...
Sothos Fort.
"Did you hear? Lady Silvia is pregnant..."
"This is truly the Grandmother's blessing!"
"I heard from a scholar's servant that the lady's pregnancy is a bit strange... Maybe she conceived on the way when she was taken."
"Are you courting death? Let the Winter Wolves catch you, saying such things!"
A group of servants gathered, whispering, when they suddenly saw something and scattered like frightened birds.
From a high window, Colin, dressed in noble attire, looked out, his face dark.
At first, he was very happy to hear about his wife's pregnancy, but at some point, rumors started circulating within the castle.
This made Colin's heart feel like it was being cut by a knife. After all, he knew his bride was unfaithful on their wedding night. Fortunately, the Greenwoods did not care much about this.
But such rumors were intolerable to him!
"Can't get angry, can't get angry!"
"I know very well that this is Lady Sonia's trap. It is highly likely that she spread it herself. I must not fall into the trap."
Colin took a deep breath but returned to the room, looking at Silvia Davis, who was embroidering. Especially seeing her slightly protruding belly made his nameless anger surge.
Silvia's face carried a gentle smile, a maternal glow. When she saw Colin's expression, she was startled: "Dear, what's the matter?"
"Alan... What do you think of my brother Alan?" Colin suppressed his anger and asked probingly.
"Your brother, Alan... is a very contradictory person, both cruel and gentlemanly."
Silvia said involuntarily, although she knew he was the one who had stormed the castle, she couldn't deny that he had ordered the soldiers to stop the atrocities and treated her kindly during her capture.
In other words, if not for him, she might have died in the castle, and not have the life she had now.
When mentioning Alan, Silvia's thoughts were complicated.
"Gentleman? Gentleman!"
Colin was like an enraged lion, grabbing the ceramic pot on the table and smashing it on the ground.
Crash!
Ceramic shards scattered, clear water flowed all over, half-reflecting Silvia's pale face: "You... What are you doing?"
"Tell me, whose child is in your belly?"
Colin's eyes were red, breathing heavily, almost ready to draw his sword and point it at Silvia.
"By our shared faith, I swear, Colin, this is your bloodline."
Silvia muttered, suddenly understanding: "Alan... he didn't do anything to me."
But she didn't realize that the more she explained, the worse it sounded.
Hearing this name, Colin was already furious and ready to kill.
"Ahhh!"
He roared, overturning the table.
In the midst of the intense argument, Silvia's stubborn and sorrowful voice came out:
"If you don't believe me, I've heard the scholar in the castle can make herbal teas with potent effects. You can try it and see if you really want to kill your own child..."
...
Bang!
Even from a distance, Ginny could hear the commotion, and she frowned, then gently picked up her teacup and took a sip.
Nearby, Lady Sonia smugly said to her daughter, "See... Colin is a fool. Anyone with eyes can see the truth, but he can't or refuses to see, torturing himself. All this stems from his jealousy and fear of that person! My daughter, remember, jealousy and fear can destroy a person more than sword and blade!"
"Will Colin really order the scholar to make the abortion tea?" Ginny asked worriedly.
"He won't!" Lady Sonia replied confidently, "Colin is not a decisive person, and the Earl knows everything; he wouldn't let Colin do such a thing..."
Suddenly, she smiled like a fox: "The Earl urgently needs a child that combines both bloodlines to secure his rule, even if the rumors are true, it doesn't matter. After all, it's still his grandson, his bloodline..."
"If this child is no more, it would be a cause for celebration. If he's born, it would be a constant reminder to Colin of today's events, reopening his shameful scars. Guess what would happen if this goes on for long?"