In Black Ice City, Losta now knew the complete details of Chu Yan's family trial, thanks to insights from the executioner. She was also well aware of the situation involving Connie.
This was indeed a troublesome situation, but Losta had made up her mind.
She had never approved of Veline's hands-off parenting style over the years, believing instead in a strict method of upbringing. At the very least, she wanted her own children to be raised that way.
That Chu Yan had successfully passed the trial at the Dead Sea border had earned him Losta's respect; although the format of the family trial was flawed, many self-demanding dragonborns would not excessively rely on their family's support.
She, along with Veline and others, had been raised under similar expectations.
Although Chu Yan faced considerable challenges, Losta couldn't help but feel regret.
The little guy had such a solid foundation; had he received her supervision all these years, he would likely already be a standout among the dragonborn.
Moreover, she was incensed that that woman, Tiffany, had disregarded their pact and met him in secret, even helping him ease the difficulty of his trial.
Such excessive pampering and assistance would ultimately belittle her own child. Tiffany's interference had tarnished Chu Yan's trial results.
"How can a child raised in a greenhouse face a storm? The world has reached its twilight, and migration is upon us…"
At that moment, there was a knock at the office door. A glacier-like beauty, Losta's trusted secretary, entered the room.
She was more reliable than any of Losta's own kin.
The secretary approached and handed Losta a thick stack of documents.
"Lady Losta, this is the information you requested I investigate."
The files detailed the embezzlement activities of the Ephralin couple over the years. They had siphoned off profits from several small family-owned businesses and secretly redirected orders to themselves, filling their own pockets.
Many operations that once thrived had been forced to shut down due to loss of business, with the missing work mostly ending up in the hands of the Ephralin couple.
In the past, Losta might have turned a blind eye to such matters, but now…
"I propose we make the Ephralin couple part of that child's trial. What do you think?"
The cold beauty of the secretary showed a troubled expression as she replied frankly:
"My lady, a blacksmith knows that being too rigid can lead to breakage; one must balance strength with softness. The Ephralin couple is composed of two formidable individuals renowned across the continent…"
"If the day comes when your child meets you, it might be difficult for him to feel close."
"Let me think…"
Losta fell silent, lost in thought.
Connie's downfall had resulted from the Ephralin couple's indulgence; he had taken to visiting the Dead Sea to indulge himself with injured women!
Had someone else killed Connie, Losta might have felt displeased from a familial perspective, but since it was Chu Yan who had killed him, her mindset was rather—
"Good riddance!"
"It's only a matter of time before the Ephralin couple seeks out Chu Yan, and as a member of the Black Ice Dragonborn, I can't prevent it.
But I can devise a plan. Eve, follow my instructions…"
Losta outlined her scheme in detail. Eve nodded in understanding but still had concerns and needed to clarify some details.
"Shall we have the Ephralin couple act separately?… My lady, Ephralin is a pureblood Black Ice Dragonborn; if she were to fall, it would incite rage within the clan, wouldn't it?"
"But Connie took advantage of elite magical beasts to ambush Chu Yan, nearly costing him his life. Their feelings within the clan are not my concern right now!"
...
Inside the Ephralin couple's castle, a subordinate trembled as he reported news, fearing the anger of his master might turn on him.
Meanwhile, in the reception area, a woman clad in luxurious noble robes sat on a sofa, continuously drinking strong liquor to numb her grief over her lost son.
Her figure was sizzling and seductive, causing envy even among women, but the dark aura surrounding her made the serving maids cautiously lower their heads, avoiding her gaze.
"Two directions? Why do we have reports saying one is heading to the Dead Sea border while the other claims it's going to the Crystal Forest? These are completely opposite directions!"
Ephralin's wine glass was first covered in frost before it shattered into powder in her furious grip.
Rage enveloped her exquisitely beautiful face.
For days, Ephralin had been consumed by thoughts of revenge for her son's death!
Her husband, Lanwei, closed his magic book and decisively stated:
"Ephralin, let's split up and investigate. These two areas are too far apart; I'll head to the Dead Sea border, while you go to the Crystal Forest."
Without further discussion, they immediately boarded different carriages, setting off in opposite directions.
However, Lanwei was acutely aware of why there were reports of two different directions.
His son, Connie, was likely trying to throw people off his trail, pretending to head to the Crystal Forest before circling around to the Dead Sea border.
Lanwei was well aware of Connie's activities at the Dead Sea border over the years.
In fact, he was the root cause of it all.
As an outsider, Lanwei had married into the Black Ice Dragonborn family, and producing dragonborn descendants was the only way for him to elevate his position, gaining more resources to strive for the S-class realm!
Moreover, cultivating Connie into a capable individual would further solidify his status.
It was he who had originally introduced the magical beasts from the exile area to Connie, not realizing it would leave his son with psychological scars.
Lanwei dared not let Ephralin know this truth; if it became known that his son had been ruined by him, the Black Ice Dragonborn would reveal their cold, heartless side!
Thus, when he discovered those impoverished, injured women could help mitigate Connie's fears, Lanwei began secretly contacting the nobles from the Dead Sea border.
To him, those lives were expendable—losing one more or less would not stir up a storm.
He only hoped Connie would overcome his fears soon, without Ephralin ever finding out.
Now, with Connie in trouble, Lanwei was uncertain about the events that had transpired; however, the nobles at the Dead Sea were fully aware of the underlying circumstances and could not leave any witnesses alive. Everyone who knew must die!
He had to eliminate all potential threats before Ephralin learned the truth!
...
**Back to Chu Yan.**
When Chu Yan exited the magical workshop and returned to his room, he was greeted by an unexpected sight: a voluptuous figure clad in tight-fitting pants was sprawled across his bed!
This scene reminded him of his own experience from months ago when he first entered the lord's bedroom.
Upon closer inspection, he recognized the woman on the bed—it was his aunt, Nancy.
She had likely come looking for him upon hearing he was back, but when she found his absence, she decided to lie down and wait.
"Aunt Nancy, do you have any idea where I've been all this time?"
Chu Yan executed a mid-air flip and landed on the bed, questioning the woman in front of him with a hint of annoyance.
Nancy feigned ignorance, a lackadaisical expression on her face suddenly turning innocent and confused:
"I don't know, are you not here in front of me?"
"Let's go to the Dead Sea, or I'll tell Veline on you!" Chu Yan put pressure on her without hesitation.
Nancy feared Veline's piercing gaze more than anything, but she hadn't realized Veline was already aware of the situation.
With a headache, Nancy relented:
"Alright, alright, just don't tell Veline! By the way, didn't you complete your trial already?"
"Another complication arose, but in any case, you still need to wear a maid outfit and accompany me!"