The First Summoner - Chapter 71
“You’re looking for the eldest young lady?” The Shen guards exchanged complicated looks. When the mysterious visitors nodded, they immediately reported the matter to the family head.
He received them in person.
Among the group was a girl of fifteen or sixteen who strongly resembled Shen Xue. The sight made his heart tremble.
“Where is Shen Xue?” the girl asked coldly.
Guilt weighed upon the family head. He nevertheless told them Shen Xue had died and laid every fault at Shen Yan’s feet.
“Shen Yan severed ties with our family long ago. She always resented our affection for Xue’er. Once she became stronger, she used a challenge as an excuse to murder her. My Xue’er…”
His eyes reddened.
The girl sneered. “Give us Shen Xue’s corpse.”
The family head froze. None of them showed the slightest grief.
“What was Shen Xue to you?”
“My older half sister, born to a concubine. Her promiscuous mother was cast out by my father years ago and returned to this miserable place. But because Shen Xue was still his daughter, Father sent us to bring her home. A pity she wasn’t blessed enough to enjoy it.”
The family head’s face darkened. Hearing his beloved woman called promiscuous angered him.
“Hand over the corpse. As for this Shen Yan, the Huo family will naturally send people to hunt her down.”
The girl’s tone allowed no refusal.
The Huo family?
“Who exactly are you?”
She snorted arrogantly. “I am Huo Bao’er, daughter of the Huo family of Biyun Kingdom. Surely even this ruined little place has heard of Biyun Kingdom?”
The family head’s expression changed dramatically.
Biyun was one of the stronger kingdoms in the Pingze Western Region. Nanxiao did not even qualify for comparison.
Huo Bao’er folded her arms. “I know of the Shen family. Didn’t your clan produce the top genius Shen Huai? Unfortunately, he’s missing and may already be dead.”
The family head’s pupils contracted. He had known nothing of this.
“Missing? What do you mean?”
Huo Bao’er merely smiled. She sent her people into the estate to seize Shen Xue’s corpse, then left without another word.
The family head stood stunned.
Had something happened to Huai’er?
No. Impossible!
The Shen family still depended on him to rise.
“Huai’er must be alive,” he muttered, then urgently dispatched people to Western Region Academy for information.
…
The Huo party boarded a spirit vessel with Shen Xue’s body and returned toward Biyun Kingdom.
“How unlucky.” Huo Bao’er looked at the wrapped corpse with disgust. “If this delays my application to Western Region Academy, I won’t spare even her dead body!”
“You will certainly enter the academy, Miss!”
Huo Bao’er smiled confidently. “My older brother is waiting there. Of course I’ll pass. And Shen Huai’s disappearance is good for him. The title of foremost Summoner should have belonged to my brother, not that impoverished Shen Huai.”
“It is indeed fortunate that the eldest young master has lost the thorn in his side,” the servants flattered.
…
Elsewhere, after flying some distance, Shen Yan ordered the black roc to land in an open place.
Whoosh!
It settled steadily upon a mountaintop.
Hongri and Yinyue climbed down with pale faces. Their legs buckled, and Shen Yan caught them before they fell.
“Miss…”
They looked at her gratefully.
Shen Yan wiped away their tears.
“Hongri, Yinyue, I’m sorry. I failed to consider everything and allowed you to be harmed.”
Hongri shook her head through her sobs. “Don’t say that, Miss. We’re already so happy that you came to save us.”
Their injuries made Shen Yan’s heart ache.
“Come. I’ll treat your wounds.”
After cleaning, applying medicine, and bandaging them, she produced two second-grade pills and gave them one each.
“Miss, these are too precious!”
They stared in shock. A single second-grade pill was worth three thousand taels of gold.
“Eat them.”
When they tried to refuse, Shen Yan pinched open their mouths and put the pills inside.
Tears streamed down their faces. They had never taken any medicinal pill, much less one of the second grade.
Their mistress treated them far too well.
“From today, both of you are free.”
Hongri panicked. “You don’t want us anymore?”
“I have matters of my own and must leave. From now on, go wherever you wish and do whatever you want. Isn’t that good?”
Shen Yan returned their indenture contracts.
“But we can’t bear to leave you…”
“We’ll meet again.”
She divided the money she had prepared, offering each two thousand taels.
They refused such an enormous sum and, after much argument, accepted only one thousand each.
“Miss, take care of yourself.”
“Please don’t forget us.”
“You both have such lovely names and such good hearts—how could I forget you? I’ll remember you forever.”
They cried harder and threw themselves into her arms.
Shen Yan patted their backs.
They were truly good young women. Unfortunately, everyone had their own road. Only those who shared the same path or purpose could remain together; otherwise, people would meet and part as life carried them.
…
Shen Yan escorted them somewhere safe, then prepared to leave for Western Region Academy.
Before departing, she thought of Jiang Xianyue.
Xianyue had probably already left for the academy.
Shen Yan summoned the black roc, climbed onto its back, and named it Xiaohei.
Then she unfolded her map of the Pingze Western Region.
Western Region Academy lay inside Western Region City, far from the border. How many days would the journey require?
“Xiaohei, keep flying west.”
The roc disliked its new name. It took off resentfully, snorting two jets of air from its nostrils. Had it been capable of speech, it would surely have protested.
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