Young people today, always resorting to violence at the slightest provocation.
Wouldn't harmonious coexistence be better?
Watching the holy light coalesce into a sword blade, Chen Yu pushed open the castle door without looking back. Sona, gazing at his retreating form, couldn't help but reveal a trace of a smile in her eyes as she slowly followed him in.
Pushing open the ancient castle's gate.
The air was somber.
A thick, pervasive deathly aura washed over them, causing Sona's brows to furrow instantly.
"Such an evil aura is truly nauseating."
"You can sense it?" Chen Yu glanced sideways, then chuckled again. "Indeed, you are an angel who grew up bathed in holy light. This entire courtyard filled with skeletons must be quite unsettling for you. I wonder where Xiao Lan has gone. If he were here, he could eliminate all these bones."
Xiao Lan was Chen Yu's skeleton warrior.
Because his eyes always blazed with blue flames, Chen Yu had bestowed upon him this resplendent name.
Lan Bafu.
He had accompanied Chen Yu to the city-state, but after entering the city, he had wandered off. Chen Yu surmised he had gone to devour something he smelled, so he didn't pay it much mind.
Unexpectedly, Sona frowned and shook her head slightly.
"No!"
With tightly furrowed brows, she surveyed the castle courtyard. From her gaze, it was clear that her concern was not the piles of bleached white bones scattered everywhere.
"Just the skeletal remains of some undead. I'm not so delicate as to be unable to tolerate such an aura."
Chen Yu's expression shifted slightly at this.
"You mean..."
"I have a very bad feeling about this place. I don't like it here." Sona's brow was deeply furrowed. Chen Yu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and murmur, "Sona, there's a very strange mural inside the castle. Want to go take a look?"
"A mural?"
"Yes, it's like some kind of arcane symbol. You'll know when you see it."
Recalling his experience inside the castle previously, a chill unceasingly crept up his spine.
Sona nodded slightly.
With her arms crossed, she walked slowly behind Chen Yu. The moment Chen Yu pushed open the castle door, the intense deathly aura that rushed towards them caused her to instantly conjure a holy sword blade in her hand.
"It's over there~"
Standing at the entrance, Chen Yu gestured with his chin towards the mural nestled between the pillars.
Sona's gaze sharpened as she looked.
"Such a potent evil aura," Sona couldn't help but frown. Chen Yu, observing, whispered, "It's quite sinister. It scared me then; I felt like someone was following me. Do you recognize this mural?"
"No!"
Sona shook her head.
"Perhaps Barbara would recognize this kind of mural. Chen Yu, I truly dislike the atmosphere here. Can we please leave?"
The thick deathly aura made Sona feel thoroughly uncomfortable.
If she were at her peak, while she might detest such an evil place, she wouldn't be bothered by it. The source of all fear stemmed from insufficient power. She had only just coalesced her form, her cultivation level a mere fraction of her peak. Encountering such an environment had a significant impact on her.
Sensing Sona's discomfort, Chen Yu quickly closed the door.
He pulled Sona and ran out of the castle.
Several minutes later—
In a familiar spot, whereas before Chen Yu had been squatting alone, he was now accompanied by Sona, whose ample bosom was a prominent feature.
"This spot gets plenty of sunlight, so I can recuperate."
"You have sharp eyes. This is indeed the spot with the most sunlight in the vicinity." Sona smiled and nodded. Chen Yu grinned. "Naturally."
"Chen Yu~"
Sona, squatting with her knees hugged to her chest, murmured after a moment of contemplation.
Chen Yu turned his head, a look of confusion in his eyes.
"This ancient castle is by no means a place of good fortune. If you intend to make it your Lord's Manor, I would not recommend it." Sona's expression was filled with seriousness.
"I accept."
Let alone Sona's recommendation, even without it, Chen Yu had no intention of living in such an environment.
Moreover—
The camp was his true stronghold.
"Actually, I had intended to establish the camp within this city-state as the Lord's Manor."
"That's a good idea."
Sona agreed with a nod.
"But I don't believe you intend to settle down here. Considering your vision for the future, this place probably isn't suitable, is it?"
"Exactly," Chen Yu shrugged. "The location of this city-state is too poor. It could serve as a branch base, but as a main city, it's absolutely impossible."
"I knew it," Sona's eyes lit up with a smile.
Even though Chen Yu had never explicitly stated what kind of environment he desired for his camp, Sona was certain it wouldn't be the current area.
Chen Yu's prolonged stay here was purely because he had matters to attend to.
For instance, auctions and sieges.
If not for these affairs, he would likely still be exploring the underground caves, searching for suitable territory. Even though he had now seized this city-state, once it was somewhat stabilized, he would return to explore the cave regions.
"So, what do you plan to do now?"
"The camp will still need to be situated within the city-state for the time being," Chen Yu murmured. "With the camp and the city-state in separate locations, I won't have the surplus energy to manage both. The city-state also requires phased construction, so we'll establish the camp in a desolate area. When we leave, it won't affect the city-state's development progress."
"That sounds reasonable."
Sona murmured softly, then glanced back at the ancient castle behind them.
"Was this ancient castle the former Lord's Manor?"
"Yes," Chen Yu nodded. "This is the Lord's Manor, where the necromancer resided. I'm quite certain. You should know about it too; Sune mentioned it to us that night."
"Uh..."
Sona suddenly chuckled with a hint of awkwardness.
"I was asleep."
She felt quite embarrassed, truly.
After all, she was a guest residing with Chen Yu. Chen Yu had ventured into the Black City that night, which was so perilous, yet she had slept soundly without a care for her host's well-being.
It was somewhat inexcusable.
"..."
"You arrived too late that day, and my condition was quite poor. I needed ample rest," Sona said with a soft, sweet smile.
With her having explained it that far, Chen Yu found it difficult to say anything else and could only purse his lips.
"This is the Lord's Manor. The strong deathly aura, I can somewhat understand; a necromancer's residence would naturally have some of that."
"Chen Yu, you're mistaken," Sona unexpectedly said, shaking her head. "I've interacted with many necromancers. In truth, they tend to have a darker demeanor, but that doesn't necessarily mean their hearts are dark or that they prefer dark residences. At least, among the necromancers I know, most actually yearn for conventional living spaces."
"Oh?"
Chen Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I even suspect this ancient castle was not built by a necromancer, but rather it existed beforehand, and a necromancer simply made it their residence." Sona analyzed.
"Is that so."
Chen Yu murmured. Sona also said softly.
"Don't you have the city-state's Lord's Seal? Activate it and check the details; then you'll know. In any case, I feel this ancient castle is not as simple as it appears."