Westminster Bank

Chapter 215: Chapter 142: Who killed Ferdinand?

The army was collecting the bodies of the fallen guards. Just as Yalianlan finished her discussion with the army officers and returned, she was met with an utterly exaggerated cry from Maguire:

"What do you mean, you killed Ferdinand?"

’He killed Ferdinand?’

A flicker of emotion crossed Yalianlan’s eyes. She stepped forward and saw that all the Demon Hunters around L—the ones who had been on the Mundra mission with him—were staring blankly, their faces frozen in shock, as if they had just heard the most incredible thing imaginable.

"Was it that one slash?"

Andre suddenly spoke up.

He had personally witnessed Baron draw his sword to face Ferdinand. The fact that Baron was standing here now, and not Ferdinand, was undeniable proof of his claim.

’From the looks of it, they’re having trouble accepting this. I was too reckless. You have to be careful when you flex; too much, and people get suspicious.’

Baron cleared his throat. "Ferdinand was in a weakened state... It was a narrow victory..."

Seeing the gazes around him shift from astonishment to sheer terror, he swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, it was that one slash."

Silence. Absolute, dead silence.

Everyone gasped. The way they looked at Baron was no longer tinged with surprise that he’d escaped a near-Silver Tier opponent like Ferdinand. It was filled with pure terror.

’Escaping would have been incredible enough... but he actually killed Ferdinand, punching above his own weight class.’

’That was Ferdinand, leader of the Iron Thorn Gang, an opponent on the cusp of Silver Tier! Not some random stray!’

’What did that even imply?’

Though the analogy was extreme, it was like a young wolf, its fangs barely grown, managing to kill an old Wolf King in a life-or-death battle. Even a wounded Wolf King was still a king!

’How was that possible...’

This was the first thought that surfaced in every Demon Hunter’s mind upon hearing the news.

But when they remembered what this supposedly amateur Demon Hunter from Feinan had done in Mundra, in Fude City, and during the Hunting Competition, they had no choice but to accept it.

’If it was L, then maybe... just maybe, he was telling the truth.’

’A Black Iron Tier Demon Hunter killing a near-Silver Tier Undead?’

’What a joke!’

They recalled Andre’s story: of L staying behind to hold the line, drawing his sword to face the enemy alone.

One thing was certain: from this day forward, as news of this event spread, the name Demon Hunter L would resound throughout all of Gillian!

Men are creatures of fantasy. Once they began to imagine themselves living Demon Hunter L’s life...

...all the Demon Hunters couldn’t help but tremble. A tingling sensation crept up their scalps, as if their very blood was flowing in reverse.

’And King Feinan actually exiled a man like this?’

’It’s all that damned King Feinan’s fault!’ the Demon Hunters cursed inwardly.

"L. Now, explain to me why you opened fire on the Director. I need an explanation."

Yalianlan’s voice came from behind Baron.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the somewhat disheveled Baron before falling on the cloaked figure behind him. It was Carmen, in disguise, whom she had briefly met on the streets of Fude City. A subtle ripple disturbed the usual calm of Yalianlan’s eyes.

’If I remember correctly, she’s been at L’s side ever since this mission started, hasn’t she?’

’The person L is supposed to be protecting as part of some deal, I believe?’

’But even if he’s her protector, they don’t need to be joined at the hip. Isn’t he afraid of putting her in harm’s way?’

’And if I recall correctly, when we were searching for L before, this woman wasn’t in our party. But the moment we regrouped with him, she just appeared out of nowhere.’

’Or... does L have a reason he *must* keep her with him?’

Yalianlan, whose figure was even more stunning than Carmen’s, frowned slightly. ’Could Demon Hunter L be like most of the others, lost in the temptations of a pretty face?’

’Otherwise, no sane Demon Hunter would choose to bring a woman along on a mission, not even the client herself.’ ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

’It would be a pity if he let his training fall by the wayside because of this.’

So, before Baron could answer, she added a word of caution. "Watch your health. If you have any... needs, you can come find me for some extra practice."

Baron: "?"

Andre: "?"

The surrounding Demon Hunters: "?"

The cloaked Carmen behind Baron: "?"

Maguire: "!" ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

The mood among the men instantly grew heavy. That included Andre, who had just been wondering how he could repay Baron for holding the line and surviving his ordeal.

’This was Yalianlan! An Imperial Viscount! The Pure-blooded Fierce Tiger! The leader of the Rose Hunting Group of the Continent’s First Commerce Association!’

’She... she... how could she say something like that to some Demon Hunter from Feinan?’

For the Demon Hunters, it felt as if their faith had just crumbled.

Their gazes toward L were no longer filled with shock and awe, but with vigilance—the kind you’d keep on a thief trying to steal the crown jewel of your kingdom.

At the same time, they clenched their jaws, their hearts once again filled with regret.

’They hated that they weren’t L. Sure, L was handsome, powerful, and smart, but this was *Lady Yalianlan*!’

Most of the Bounty Hunters had given up their freelance lives to sign contracts with the Rose Hunting Group not only for its generous pay, but also to follow this legendary Pure-blooded Fierce Tiger—a woman who was second to no man.

And now, this "unattainable flower on a high peak," a woman they all believed could only be admired from a distance, had said something like that to a "mere Demon Hunter from Feinan."

’It’s all fucking King Feinan’s fault!’ the Demon Hunters fumed inwardly.

Perhaps sensing the ambiguity in her words, Yalianlan arched an elegant brow. Her gaze swept over the restless crowd of Demon Hunters, and her expression instantly turned to ice.

She said coldly, "Tonight, everyone reports to the association’s training grounds for extra practice. You’re not done until you’ve exhausted every last drop of your Spiritual Power."

...

After their discussion with Yalianlan, the army escorted Wizard Fei and his party into the city to file their report.