Realm of Infinity-Chapter 115: Assassins

The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the Aurelion family's modest estate. The courtyard, once a place of quiet decay, now buzzed with a subtle undercurrent of energy. Arthur's transformation had infused the air with hope, but Noah knew better than to let his guard down. The Prince's spies could be anywhere, and a single slip could unravel everything.

Arthur clapped Noah on the shoulder, his grip firm and reassuring. "Leave the preparations to me, boy. I've got a few old tricks up my sleeve." With a wink, he vanished into the house, moving with the grace of a man half his apparent age. Noah watched him go, marveling at the Grade 6 pill's potency. It wasn't just an antidote; it was a rebirth elixir, restoring not only health but vitality lost to time.

Noah turned his attention inward, checking his system inventory. The trades from the previous night had yielded an abundance beyond his wildest expectations.

The 25,000 Grade 1 High-Purity Qi Refining Pills shimmered in his mental interface like stars in a night sky. The 25 Grade 4 Dragon-Vein Qi Refining Pills pulsed with draconic energy, promising rapid breakthroughs.

And the Grade 5 Marrow-Rebirth Cleansing Pill had already worked its magic on him, purging impurities and fortifying his foundation. His body now felt like a tempered blade, ready to cut through the realms of cultivation.

But power without caution was folly. Noah decided to distribute some resources discreetly. He called for Ron, who appeared moments later, his eyes bright with newfound determination. The boy had absorbed the Body Cleansing Pill overnight, and already, his aura had shifted. He was no longer the frail servant; faint traces of Qi circulated through his meridians.

"Young Master," Ron said, bowing low. "The pill... it was incredible. I feel like I could run for days without tiring."

"Good," Noah replied. "Take these." He handed over a small pouch containing 500 Grade 1 High-Purity Qi Refining Pills a fraction of his stock, but enough to propel Ron to the peak of Body Tempering. "Continue your training. And remember, discretion is key. No one outside this family must know."

Ron's eyes widened. "I swear on my life, Young Master."

As Ron departed, Noah's thoughts drifted to the silver-haired girl. She had been unconscious since her arrival, cradled in Elina's arms like a fragile treasure. What was her story? The spirit beasts' fear suggested she wielded an innate power, perhaps a bloodline ability or a forbidden art.

In this world, children like her were either pawns in grand schemes or harbingers of chaos. Noah resolved to investigate, but first, the family needed this night of respite.

Inside the house, Elina moved with quiet efficiency, tending to the girl in the spare room. The child's breathing had steadied, but her skin remained unnaturally cool to the touch.

Elina had wrapped her in extra blankets, yet frost occasionally formed on the fabric where her fingers rested. "Poor thing," Elina murmured, brushing a strand of pearlescent hair from the girl's face. "What horrors have you seen?"

A soft knock interrupted her. Alen entered, carrying a tray of herbal tea. "How is she?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Still sleeping," Elina replied. "But her color is better. Whatever power she has, it's protecting her."

Alen nodded, setting the tray down. "Father's planning a celebration tonight. He says it's time we remembered what joy feels like."

Elina's eyes softened. "After all these years... yes, we deserve it." She glanced at the girl. "Should we wake her? She might be hungry."

"Not yet," Alen cautioned. "Noah thinks she's no ordinary child. Let's let her rest."

As evening approached, Arthur's "tricks" began to unfold. He had slipped out earlier, cloaked in a concealment technique that dulled his aura to that of a feeble elder. To any observer, he was just an old man shuffling through the back alleys of the city. But in truth, he moved like a shadow, drawing on old contacts from his days as a general.

His first stop was a hidden warehouse on the outskirts, run by a former comrade-in-arms named Garrick. The man, now a grizzled merchant dealing in black-market goods, greeted Arthur with wide eyes. "General Aurelion? By the heavens, you look... alive!"

Arthur chuckled, dropping the concealment just enough to reveal his true form. "More than alive, old friend. But that's a story for another time. I need supplies discreetly."

Garrick raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"A family feast. Spiritual venison, aged spirit wine, fresh spirit fruits. Enough for a small gathering, but nothing that screams luxury."

Garrick whistled. "That's not cheap, even for me. And with the Prince's eyes everywhere..."

Arthur slid a pouch of gold across the table part of the remaining funds from Alen's Lubelious trip. "Make it happen. And throw in some illusion arrays to mask any Qi fluctuations."

Garrick pocketed the gold. "For you, General? Consider it done."

By dusk, crates arrived at the Aurelion estate under the cover of mundane deliveries hay for the stables, cloth for repairs. But inside were treasures: tender cuts of Grade 2 spiritual venison, infused with earth essence for vitality; bottles of Crimson Lotus Wine, a brew that warmed the meridians without intoxicating the mind; and baskets of Azure Spirit Berries, plump and glowing with faint blue light.

Arthur oversaw the setup in the inner courtyard, where a low table was arranged under a canopy of woven vines. He activated the illusion arrays, small jade tokens that created a bubble of normalcy around the area. To outsiders, it would look like a simple family dinner with plain fare. Inside, the air shimmered with opulence.

As the family gathered, Noah arrived last, his senses heightened from a brief meditation session. He had consumed a handful of Grade 1 High-Purity Qi Refining Pills, pushing his cultivation to the late stage of Body Tempering. One more push, and he'd break into Qi Condensation.

The table was laden with steaming dishes: venison roasted with herbs that released aromatic Qi, stir-fried vegetables from spirit gardens, and rice infused with essence water. The wine glowed softly in crystal goblets.

Arthur raised his glass first. "To the Aurelion family," he toasted, his voice steady. "We have endured the storm. Tonight, we reclaim our fire."

Glasses clinked, and for a moment, laughter filled the air. Alen shared tales from his Lubelious journey, embellishing the dangers with humorous flair. Elina smiled warmly, her worries momentarily set aside. Noah listened, his mind half on the conversation, half on the system's notifications pinging in his head.

Noah put food on Ron's plate himself.

And his system uograded the food too.

Noah mentally accepted, and subtly, the food on his plate transformed in his perception. The venison became Grade 4 Dragonheart Meat, boosting his internal energy with each bite. The wine turned to Nectar, purifying his Qi channels.

But as the night deepened, a faint groan echoed from the house. Elina excused herself, hurrying to the spare room. The silver-haired girl was stirring.

Noah followed, sensing a shift in the air. The girl's eyes fluttered open, eyes that weren't human. They were a piercing silver, with vertical slits like a cat's, glowing faintly in the dim light.

"Where... am I?" she whispered, her voice like tinkling ice.

Elina knelt beside her. "You're safe, child. We found you in the forest."

The girl's gaze locked onto Noah, and a wave of cold Qi washed over the room. Frost crept along the walls. "You... you're different," she said, sitting up slowly. Her presence was overwhelming, as if she carried a winter storm within her tiny frame.

Noah remained calm. "What's your name?"

"Liora," she replied, her tone wary. "Liora Frostveil."

The name sent a ripple through Noah's knowledge. Frostveil, a legendary bloodline from the northern empires, said to command ice and snow. But why was she here, in the beast-infested forests of the south?

Before he could probe further, alarms blared in his mind.

[Ding! Hostile intent detected nearby.]

Noah's enhanced senses picked up movement outside the illusion barrier. Shadows flitted along the estate walls, assassins, cloaked in darkness.

"Father, Grandpa—trouble," Noah said urgently, bursting back into the courtyard.

Arthur's eyes narrowed, his youthful vigor hidden but ready. "How many?"

"Five, at least. Qi Condensation realm."

Alen stood, drawing a concealed dagger. "The Prince's men?"

"Likely," Noah replied. "They must have trailed the deliveries."

The family moved as one, years of hardship forging their unity. Elina ushered Liora deeper into the house, while Ron appeared from the shadows, his Body Tempering strength itching for a test.

Arthur deactivated the illusion arrays, revealing the estate's true defenses, ancient formations etched into the courtyard stones, dormant but potent.

The assassins struck swiftly, leaping over the walls with poisoned blades gleaming. They were clad in black, faces masked, auras suppressed to avoid detection.

"Die, Aurelion scum!" one snarled, lunging at Arthur.

But the old man, no longer old, moved like lightning. His fist connected with the assassin's chest, sending him flying into a wall with a sickening crunch. Mid-Void Realm power erupted, shattering the night.

Boom! The explosion lit the courtyard, disorienting the attackers.

Within minutes, the fight was over. Four assassins lay dead or incapacitated.