Chapter 333: 108. Despicable Blood Thief
After hearing what Heidi Lin said, Emhart, who was standing on Fisher’s shoulder and had only one eye and one mouth on his face, suddenly wore an extremely abstract expression. He turned his head to glance at the captivating Heidi Lin in front of him, then quickly turned to look at Fisher beside him, observing that he seemed to be contemplating something as if he were very tempted by Heidi Lin’s proposal.
Emhart shot Fisher a look of disdain and flew to the windowsill, standing there early to avoid being thrown out like last time on Pat Sulshen Island.
This time, he absolutely would not go outside!
“Well, have you thought it over, Mr. Fisher?”
Her fingers, which were resting on Fisher’s chest, slowly moved upward. An invisible flame spread along the trace her fingers left on Fisher’s white shirt, quickly igniting his internal organs with her alluring fragrance. Fisher held his breath, fearing that the scent would ignite his heart, his final line of defense, once it entered his lungs.
Suddenly, he reached out and clasped her mischievous wrist, then raised it, wrapping it around a circle of her long black hair fixed in place by her hairpin, turning her body to face backward.
“Ah!”
She bit her lip, letting out a surprised gasp deep from her throat, only to be pushed against the wall by the searing heat of Fisher, rendered immobile. She managed to slightly turn her head out of Fisher’s grip, breathing hot air against his cheek, and with her other hand, she grasped Fisher’s collar, gesturing toward the door.
“Mr. Fisher, the door is still open?”
Fisher remained unmoved by her temptation, maintaining control over her movements. He suddenly turned his head to the doorway and calmly said, “Miss Valentina, you see—”
Heidi Lin’s charming expression abruptly froze, and her alluring pink color faded into a panicky pale. Ignoring her restrained arm, she quickly turned to look toward the door but only saw two large bags of magic materials—where was Valentina sitting in her wheelchair? This realization relieved her, but it also ignited a surge of anger within her.
“Are you playing me?”
“And aren’t you doing the same, Miss Heidi Lin?”
Fisher tightened his control over her movements, causing her brow to furrow in pain, softening in front of him. He suddenly raised his hand, extending the Fluid Sword like a whip from his sleeve to pull back the two bags of magic materials from the door and then grasped the doorknob. With a light click, the entire room was sealed.
Emhart, sitting dumbfounded on the windowsill, instinctively turned to check if the window was open. If this continued, he truly wouldn’t be able to bear it. Fortunately, Fisher’s next move was to speak rather than bite at Heidi Lin’s neck and lips; otherwise, he really would have to jump out the window.
“It seems that since I boarded the ship, you have not hesitated to speculate about me with the utmost malice. What exactly is the reason? You seem to detest my closeness to Miss Valentina very much. From the moment I boarded, your flirty glances towards me were a trap. If I had acted then—even if I hadn’t laid a hand on you—Miss Valentina would have been the first to know, right?”
“I didn’t fall for the first trap, and the second time you pretended to be a maid who had served Miss Valentina for a long time, warning me how difficult it is to interact with her due to her disability, wanting me to keep my distance. I ignored your words. Now you pretend to acquiesce to my closeness with Valentina, all while deliberately dressing up so beautifully—it’s just repeating the first story.”
“Miss Heidi Lin, I just want to ask, what exactly have I, Fisher Benavides, done to make you distrust me so much, to the point that you have been targeting me since I boarded the ship?”
Heidi Lin was slightly stunned after hearing Fisher’s words and then released her clenched lips, glaring at him as she spoke.
“Hmph, rather than saying I don’t trust you, it’s more accurate to say I trust you too much. But it’s not trust in your private life; it’s trust in your ability to take Valentina to the Frost Parasol Tree. You really surprised me. Less than a month after boarding, you already obtained three marks for Valentina. How could I let you be… Ouch!”
Emhart quickly flew onto Fisher’s shoulder, shouting at him, “Wow, so this woman is a traitor! The human heart is so treacherous; I never expected that the maid who serves that wheelchair girl day and night would be the biggest double-crosser on your team!”
“Bah, what wheelchair girl, you rude, flat-headed, ugly toilet paper! Shut up!”
“Your mother, Baemon’s insults aren’t even as bad as yours, you foul-mouthed poison woman!”
Fisher wordlessly tossed the self-righteous Emhart onto the bed behind him to prevent this guy from using his face to violently slam against Heidi Lin. However, he did not think that Heidi Lin had betrayed Valentina; there must be other reasons for her actions. Still, keeping up appearances, he continued to mock Heidi Lin based on Emhart’s words.
“You betrayed Valentina, who trusts you so much, preventing her from accessing the Parasol Tree. Don’t you know the hereditary disease on her is likely to lead to her not living past twenty years? She is about to die, and facing the only opportunity to save her, you have been secretly causing harm. You are putting her life at risk.”
Heidi Lin’s face suddenly became somewhat grotesque at the simple phrase “putting her life at risk,” and she disregarded her controlled pain as she turned to Fisher, saying,
“I harm Valentina? What do you know?! Hereditary disease, hereditary disease—there’s no hereditary disease here, only the sins committed by the Turan Family! Do you know why true members of the Turan Family have been unable to leave the Snowflake Fortress at the northernmost tip of the Northern Region for generations?”
“Because once they leave the Snowflake Fortress, Turan Family members will face a reckoning more tragic than the Six Races. Those beasts hiding in the fortress entrusted the mission of saving the family to the barely eighteen-year-old Valentina. The so-called mission is a load of nonsense; they only want to sacrifice Valentina to the Parasol Tree in exchange for the family’s safety!”
“Don’t think I don’t know what happened that night when you and Valentina went to see the Glacial Ice alone, just the two of you. She bears an unprecedented strong Phoenix bloodline within the entire family history, or why else could she sense the call of the Frost Parasol Tree and wield the Moon Princess’s sword? But you can’t be thinking the Turan Family is the legendary descendants of the Phoenix, right?”
“They are the most despicable scoundrels in the Northern Region. After the Phoenix’s disappearance, they actually captured the hybrid offspring born from the Moon Princess and other races, the last surviving Phoenix, and snatched the Moon Princess’s sword from her!”
“They tried to use the noble blood of the Phoenix to create glory for their family, but they can’t do it. No matter how much they desecrate the last surviving Phoenix, humans and Phoenixes can never produce offspring. Thus, they shamelessly traded with a demon at a terrible cost, using the lives of most of their kin and the last Phoenix in exchange for the bloodline of the Phoenix to continue in their family.”
Heidi Lin became increasingly hysterical as she spoke, and after having her mask unveiled by Fisher, a flood of anxiety surged from within her, breaking through her psychological dam.
“The Turan Family indeed created miracles with this method. During the years when the Phoenix disappeared and the Six Races were searching for the truth behind the Parasol Tree, the thin Phoenix bloodline granted them the ability to see glimpses of the future. They foresaw the rise of human kingdoms and the buried mines beneath the earth, fabricating a hypocritical myth of the Frost Phoenix and becoming the de facto behemoths of the Northern Region. But those despicable blood thieves never anticipated that the Phoenix bloodline would not only bring them glorious light but also an eternal curse like a festering wound.”
“Until the bloodline of Turan members began to die one after another, becoming deformed and losing the ability to see the future, until the night representing slaughter began to butcher those of the bloodline, they realized that the Phoenix’s blood was already tainted, and they knew why they, as humans, could capture the descendants of the Phoenix. They understood that whatever exists within the Parasol Tree was also hunting the last Phoenix.”
“If I hadn’t accidentally overheard the Turan Family head and the elders discussing this, I wouldn’t have known any of this and wouldn’t have done so much. I wouldn’t be living in torment every day.”
Fisher gently released his grip on Heidi Lin’s wrist and took a step back, while Heidi Lin cradled her tear-streaked face, crumpling to the ground and sobbing.
“The scoundrels in the family deceived Valentina. They fully understood how the curse, passed down through generations, originated in the family. After so many years, the Turan Family finally bore blood that could rival the true descendants of the Moon Princess. They wished to return the stolen Phoenix blood to the Parasol Tree, placing all the family’s hope on this.”
“Even Valentina’s parents deceived her in this regard. As they departed, they complied with the family’s wishes, urging Valentina to seek that damn Parasol Tree! I don’t dare to tell Valentina this, because her most trusted parents and that person she relies on, Haldor, also know about it!”
“They believe Valentina is nearing the end of her life. Instead of suffering a painful death from the Phoenix bloodline, it’s better to go to the Frost Parasol Tree to resolve the family’s difficulties that have lasted for thousands of years. But they have no idea what lies within the Parasol Tree. Valentina going there will definitely not end well; it will be a suffering a thousand times worse than dying from her disease!”
Fisher’s expression grew slightly cold, and even Emhart, who had previously been cursing Heidi Lin, flew onto Fisher’s shoulder, looking like he wanted to say something but held back.
“Oh my, these despicable human beasts! They even dare to covet the Phoenix blood! No wonder that damn Snowflake Fortress is guarded so tightly. I’ve been to the Abyss yet couldn’t break into their fortress. We should see what exactly they have done; it’s simply self-inflicted!”
After listening to Heidi Lin’s words, many of the previous doubts were resolved. Fisher had already known that the Moon Princess was the gentlest among all the Phoenix races, emphasizing harmony and equality in dealing with life. Even her partner was chosen from outside the Phoenix race, which resulted in her giving birth to a non-pureblood Phoenix. This also explained why her child escaped calamity when the Parasol Tree summoned the Phoenix, including the Moon Princess.
However, even though the child had evaded the turmoil involving all the Phoenixes connected to the Parasol Tree, it could not escape the greed of the humans protected by her mother, the Moon Princess. The Turan Family captured the Moon Princess’s descendants, coveting the noble blood of the Phoenix, but due to the disparity in reproductive ranks, they could never give birth to offspring. Consequently, they struck a deal with a demon from the Abyss at a severe cost to inherit the Phoenix bloodline, gaining their ability to foresee the future through Glacial Ice.
And this also answered another question: the turmoil within the Parasol Tree concerned all Phoenixes, and that horrifying curse was birthed after the Phoenix races dissipated, determinedly searching for the last surviving Phoenix bloodline and punishing the Six Races. Now most of the issues in the Northern Region were clear, but only what had happened within the Parasol Tree remained unknown.
“I’m sorry; I was too harsh. I shouldn’t have doubted your loyalty to Valentina. I’m just curious. When the Nali people came earlier, it was your best opportunity; you could have helped them send me far away from Valentina and return to Nali, never to assist her again.”
From what Valentina had told him, Heidi Lin had been responsible for delivering orders and messages from Snowflake Fortress. Caught in between, she had to ensure the progress toward the Parasol Tree was as smooth as possible for the Turan Family, at least on the surface. In regard to Valentina, she had to hide potential secrets that could shatter that poor young lady’s worldview deep within her heart, preventing her from reaching the Parasol Tree.
Therefore, in light of Fisher’s contribution to storing Glacial Ice scrolls on the island in the Southern Ocean, and since he joined the team and brought a Cangniao tribe scroll, Heidi Lin had worked hard to concoct ways to eliminate Fisher from this team.
Hearing Fisher’s words, Heidi Lin looked up at him with tears in her eyes, filled with resentment.
“I should have done that, but I don’t want to harm your life. I can see the Nali people have ulterior motives towards you. If you go back to Nali, it will not end well for you, which is why I didn’t say anything earlier. But don’t misunderstand; I’d rather you keep a hundred thousand miles away from Valentina and never return, even if it means using my body as bait.”
Fisher sighed and rubbed his temples. He genuinely didn’t expect the depths of the Turan Family’s schemes to be this deep. Although Heidi Lin’s words were already concise, anyone who thought about it would realize that the Turan Family was more cold-blooded and profit-seeking than those slimes. It must be said, the Turan Family was even more outrageous than the Exploration Company, to the extent that Fisher, being a Nali person, felt a little ashamed.
“You woman, although your intelligence may not be the best, having someone like you by Valentina’s side is truly a stroke of luck for her, isn’t it?”
He extended his hand toward Heidi Lin, who, having had her mask unveiled, no longer bore her previous enticing expression. She cautiously glanced at Fisher and, after a second, tentatively took his warm hand, standing up awkwardly.
“Don’t expect me to thank you. If you dare to tell Valentina any of this, I will fight you, I promise.”
“With your body, which is wheezing and gasping for air from crying, you think you can fight me? You might as well just die here and smear my name with your murder accusations; that would be more efficient. You’ve been worried about Valentina and probably haven’t rested properly, right?”
“What does that have to do with you? Anyway, now that you know everything, you wouldn’t want to stay here stubbornly, right? Sending Valentina to the Parasol Tree, the Turan Family won’t thank you; she will only meet a tragic end, and you will suffer retribution for it!”
Heidi Lin’s eyes were still red from crying, and upon hearing Fisher’s words, she tried to shake his hand off, but her strength was so pathetic that she failed. Before she could attempt it a second time, Fisher sighed and released her hand first, saying to her,
“The current issue is that due to the deceit of the Turan Family and those around her, Valentina’s desire to find the Parasol Tree to solve her hereditary disease is stronger than you can imagine. She currently only lacks two marks; do you think I will leave her now?”
“Isn’t all this your fault? If it weren’t for you, how could there be so many more marks suddenly? Just looking at you three slimes that night made me want to die!”
Fisher’s expression was somewhat strange as he looked at the angry Heidi Lin in front of him and suddenly asked, “Is that why your face looked so bad that night? Because we found the Slime Tribe, not because of me and Valentina meeting in secret?”
“What else could it be? All the Slime Tribe left the Northern Region, and I know about it. The family is very troubled by this matter. Who would have thought there were still three neurotic slimes left, and they happened to run into you? What kind of luck do you have?”
Fisher couldn’t help but laugh as he sat on the bed. He said to Heidi Lin, “Calm down for a moment, but what I’m about to say, listen carefully, and don’t interrupt me. Even if it’s likely similar to what Haldor or Valentina’s parents think, we both know the source of the curse plaguing Valentina comes from the Parasol Tree. Even if she doesn’t go to the Parasol Tree, she won’t live past twenty years. If we can resolve the curse within the Parasol Tree, she might live beyond twenty. I believe, regardless of whether it’s Haldor or her parents, they are all gambling on this slim chance.”
“Resolve the curse, based on—”
“Didn’t I solve it once before? Can’t you trust me this once? You clearly trusted me enough before to help Valentina reach the Parasol Tree.”
Looking at the smiling Fisher in front of her, for some reason, Heidi Lin’s face flushed a bit, perhaps just the remnants of her tears causing the rosy hue.
“Hmph, how could I trust you? If you fail, not only will Valentina suffer, you will too.”
“Ah, I’m aware of that.”
Fisher’s smile remained unchanged, and his tone was actually somewhat relaxed as he turned to look outside. The snowstorm in Miya continued, but under the still sunlight, it cast a slight shadow over his uplifted smile, providing a hint of bitterness.
Erwind had to rely on the curse within the Parasol Tree to reach the myth; he must go to resolve both him and the curse. This would not only address the calamity that was Erwind but also help Valentina break the bloodline curse. Even as a last resort, for that long-lost foolish woman, Renee, he had to go, no matter how little the clues were.
As for his own life, he might only consider it after taking that step back and then another step back again.
“There’s no need to worry. Just be sure not to cause me trouble after this.”
Heidi Lin was slightly taken aback, then coldly snorted as she wiped the makeup on her tear-soaked face, afterward decisively walking toward the door. Fisher watched her in silence, prompting him to ask,
“Ms. Heidi Lin, does your silence mean you agree?”
Heidi Lin’s footsteps stopped momentarily at the threshold. After a second’s pause, her voice drifted back,
“Neither you nor Valentina should die because of the Parasol Tree. If Valentina and someone like you die in the Northern Region, I will feel guilty about today’s decision for the rest of my life.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Go to hell.”
Heidi Lin glared at Fisher angrily and spat at him before pushing the door open and stepping out of Fisher’s room.
Leaving behind Fisher, who was lost in thought, and Emhart perched on his shoulder, exchanging glances.
“Should we add her to the list of ex-girlfriends?”
Emhart asked.
“…”
(End of Chapter)
