Chapter 94

Chapter 9: Unexpected

Gale's mood quickly calmed down. With a wave of his hand, a tall waiter, distinct from the other ordinary waiters, approached, picked up the box and the statue, and carried them into the adjacent side hall. This action immediately made the surrounding guests even more curious about Ye Qi. After all, the two precious items that had made them feel inferior had not been treated with such solemnity...

The young and talented among them became even more anxious after seeing this. Clearly, Gale's special treatment of Ye Qi had made them feel threatened. In a moment, the atmosphere in the hall became tense and oppressive under the envious, jealous, and resentful gazes of the many young people. As the host, Gale did not want the birthday dinner party he was hosting for his daughter to turn into this. Even though he had countless questions he wanted to ask Ye Qi, he had to consider the emotions of the other guests. This was clearly not a problem for Gale, the head of the Northwood family. He smiled, took a glass of wine from the waiter, and raised it to the people around him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our birthday dinner party has just begun. Let's raise a glass to today's guest of honor..." After drawing the attention of the surrounding guests, Gale turned his head and said gently to Ye Qi, "Ye, you must be very tired from your work today. If you want to rest, you can use the small living room upstairs. The dance after the dinner party will be quite long."

"Thank you!"

Glancing at the guests around him who seemed to regard him as a rival for their wives, Ye Qi smiled and nodded. He didn't want to stay here and be treated as a rival by the guests. Taking this appropriate opportunity to leave the sight of everyone was the best choice. Under the guidance of a waiter, he walked to the second floor, where a small living room, adjacent to the game room, was designed in a unique way. A crescent-shaped arched corridor separated it from most of the rooms on the second floor. A row of four large floor-to-ceiling windows provided ample sunlight and lighting. A row of redwood bookshelves was placed by the door, clearly showing the designer's effort. The books on the shelves were neatly categorized, making them easy to find.

On both the east and west walls, a row of sofas was placed, and the floor was thickly covered with many precious furs. The pure cotton cushions and backrests on the sofas made them feel warm and comfortable.

The waiter, who had already sensed the extraordinary nature of the young man from the host's attitude, served him with utmost respect. After placing a freshly brewed cup of milk tea and a golden, crispy cake on Ye Qi's coffee table, he left the room at Ye Qi's gesture. Leaning back on the sofa, Ye Qi gently closed his eyes. Of course, he wasn't going to rest; this was just a more convenient way to communicate with the strange wolf.

"Now, your goal has been achieved! Can you explain to me now?" Ye Qi asked the strange wolf in his mind, not in a good mood—anyone would be uncomfortable being stared at like an enemy, especially when they couldn't retaliate by breaking the other person's nose. For the sake of the strange wolf's goal, Ye Qi had endured a lot and was now pressing for answers: "Tell me, what is the connection between the Northwood family and your seal, and what is that mermaid statue?"

"The Northwood family has nothing to do with me, but the person who sealed me has some connection with the Northwood family!" It was clearly not easy to get the strange wolf to speak the truth honestly. Without any effective pressure, it immediately began to evade the main points and try to placate Ye Qi. Of course, the strange wolf also understood that mere evasion would not be enough for Ye Qi, so to hide the core information, it had to provide enough other information to divert Ye Qi's attention: "The Northwood family appeared at the end of the Dark Age. Although they were originally a commoner noble who gained a baron title through military merit, and even after several generations of effort, they remained a baron, one of the Northwood family's ancestors performed a heroic act of saving a beauty while out of boredom, and ended up marrying the daughter of the Duke of Lanting. This ancestor not only gained a beautiful wife but also a three-level jump in rank, becoming a count, achieving what several generations of the Northwood family had failed to do."

"Moreover, it must be said that this ancestor of the Northwood family was very capable. The Duke of Lanting died from a fall off a horse three months after the marriage, leaving no heirs. The only option was for the ancestor's wife to inherit the ducal position. That mermaid statue is the seal of the duchess! It also represents the emblem of the entire Northwood family! However, it was lost during a war at the beginning of the Blood Age. Although the Northwood family still controls the Bay Area, the seal has disappeared..."

Heroic act of saving a beauty? Fall off a horse? No heirs?

A cold smile appeared on the corner of Ye Qi's mouth—he had always believed that there were no coincidences in the world. If such a coincidence occurred, it was definitely a premeditated arrangement. From the entire event, it was clear that the ancestor of the Northwood family was the biggest beneficiary. Instantly, a plan to gain power and wealth through conspiracy gradually formed in Ye Qi's mind...

"How do you know all this?" Although Ye Qi was attracted by what the strange wolf said, he did not forget his original question: "And who is the person connected to the Northwood family?"

"Even though I was sealed, I still had some influence during the Dark Age and the Blood Age!" Under Ye Qi's questioning, the strange wolf revealed some hidden information to divert Ye Qi's attention: "You must know that my followers had considerable influence around the Bay Area at that time..."

Followers? Worshippers?

Ye Qi was not only startled by these two words—what they represented, as a demon hunter, he naturally understood. But because he understood, it surprised him even more, as it meant that the strange wolf, with whom he had signed a companion contract, was at least worshipped as a god in the Bay Area during those two eras, and had its own followers, temples, and altars...

"Boss, there's trouble at the bar!" Lost in thought about the image of the strange wolf being worshipped in a temple, Ye Qi was startled awake by the sound of the phone. Listening to the words of the mercenary leader, Ye Qi couldn't help but frown. After the bar opened, the Demon Hunter Union had already arranged for a dedicated person to handle relations with various local forces and the government. With the potential influence of the Demon Hunter Union, these issues were not a problem. Therefore, Ye Qi had always been at ease, and even hiring the mercenaries was purely to teach the adopted children. But now, unexpectedly, something had happened. Ye Qi's eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked in a low voice, "What happened?"