This time, he did not rush forward blindly. He spread both sleeves wide, and the folds of his robe trembled as if countless living things were writhing underneath. A faint, sour smell spread into the courtyard, making several Lancasters instinctively cover their noses.Hissss! Hissss! Hissss!The next attack came like a flood.Venomous vipers shot out from both sleeves in crossing patterns, some aiming high, some low, some curving sideways in midair as though guided by invisible threads. They did not merely attack from one direction. They surrounded Elijah’s space, cutting off the left, the right, the retreat behind him, and even the ground near his feet.Elijah moved swiftly.Swoosh!His body shifted backward, but two serpents curved instantly and followed the line of his movement. He tilted his upper body to avoid one, lowered his shoulder to let another pass overhead, then stepped sideways just as a third viper struck at

For several long seconds, no one in the courtyard dared to move.The living mound of poisonous creatures remained pressed against the wall where Elijah Langston had disappeared beneath it. A writhing black mass of insects, serpents, scorpions, centipedes, and venom mist.Andrew Lancaster was the first to find his voice. “Is he… dead now?”The question came out low, almost cautious, as though even the patriarch himself did not fully dare to believe what his eyes were seeing.Anthony Lancaster burst into laughter immediately.“Hahaha! How could he not be dead?!” he shouted, pointing at the living mound with a face twisted in vicious pleasure. Blood still stained his mouth and chin, but the pain of his missing teeth could not compete with the satisfaction burning in his eyes. “Who can survive something like that? Who?! He was swallowed whole! That bastard is finished!”The other Lancasters swallowed hard, their eyes fixed on th

“What is your order?” Nightbane choked, his voice broken by the pressure on his throat. “Who are your leaders?”In his mind, only someone from the East could stand before a high member of the poisonous order this way. He was definitely not from Brooklyn Heights at all. Perhaps he had offended an elder disguised as a junior. No, impossible. This man was too young to be a high member of any true poisonous order. An entry disciple at best, if judged by age.But then how?Even as Nightbane asked, his eyes remained fixed on Elijah, and his will secretly reached toward the vipers that had attacked the afterimages. The snakes immediately changed direction, sliding across the courtyard stones in perfect silence before launching from behind Elijah’s back.Hissss!Elijah turned his head slightly, and his free hand swept backward.Slash!The heads of the vipers were cut off midair by the force of his hand alone. Their bodies d

Elijah clenched his fist slightly and turned away from her, putting the courtyard back in his line of sight instead of her face.A small pout appeared on Tessa’s lips, like a spoilt child. She folded her arms and said slowly, “Husband, are you mad at me…?”He looked toward the main courtyard for a moment before turning back to her. “You shouldn’t be here, Tessa. We agreed to meet tomorrow.”Seeing her earlier that evening had never been part of his plans. Though she had helped him stop the gold transport, and he had been grateful enough for that, sending her off for the night was supposed to have been the end of it. How could he have guessed it wasn’t enough? How could he have guessed she would show up here, of all places? His last stop of the night, and the one stop that was never going to go cleanly.Everything else had fallen within his calculations. Only the Seven Calamities of the East remained the single unknown piece in his entire arrangement. He could allow Tessa anywhere els

Outside the great hall of the Stonewell Family, the Seven Calamities of the East moved in a steady, wordless pattern around the closed door. Left, then right, then back again. Their white martial robes shifted with each turn, and the staffs in their hands carried the engraved numbers one through seven in clear order. Their heads were held high as always, and their bare feet were silent on the floor.The door to the great hall was pushed open.Lila Stonewell stepped out, and the seven men paused their patrol as one, turning to look at her.“Have any of you seen a teenage girl around this area?” Her voice was direct. “One of the Blackwood grandchildren has gone missing from inside.”The seven men looked at each other briefly before One answered for all of them. “We have not seen any girl, Madam.”Lila’s expression tightened. “Keep your eyes open. And stay sharp. Elijah Langston will show his face here tonight.” She looked at each of them in turn. “Be ready.”She turned and went back in