The Shining Star Above The Heaven

Chapter 518: The Trouble in the Buddhist Sect Territory

Chapter 518: The Trouble in the Buddhist Sect TerritoryThe news circulating across the Buddhist sect territory is unsettling, as many people have died at the hands of an unknown assailant. Some monasteries, villages, and even small towns have already been drenched in blood. The Buddhist sect has even dispatched two of the Seven Arhats to catch the perpetrator.

However, even after several days, the perpetrator has not been caught, showing that the assailant is not an ordinary man.

At this time, a group of monks from the Buddhist sect arrived at the scene where they had received a report of a slaughtered village with hundreds of victims. When they reached the location, what they saw was truly a terrible sight—many body parts were scattered everywhere. There was no distinction between women or men, old or young, even children. All of them had died gruesome deaths.

Some of the monks could not endure the scene in front of them and immediately vomited upon seeing it.

The leader of this group of monks is a middle-aged monk with a burly body. Although he has a huge build and looks quite intimidating, his presence is like calm water. There is no aura, nothing that makes others feel uneasy—aside from his imposing physique.

Beside him is another monk with a slightly older face and a normal-sized build. He carries a long staff tied to his back. Like the burly monk beside him, he exudes no aura and remains as calm as still water.

However, those who are familiar with the members of the Buddhist sect hold these two in high regard. They are two of the Seven Arhats—the grand elders of the Buddhist sect. Buddhist cultivators who have attained profound comprehension and enlightenment. All of them are emperor-stage cultivators, and exceptionally powerful ones at that.

"Amitabha, may you reincarnate to a better life," the monk with the staff said as he looked at the gruesome scene in front of him.

"It’s the same as the others. The sword wounds and clean cuts show that the perpetrator is a swordmaster," the burly monk said as he examined the scene.

"The clues we have point to the perpetrator acting alone, and he is likely an emperor-stage cultivator. What is this figure trying to achieve with such indiscriminate slaughter? This person is truly cruel—there are no better words. He is a devil," he added.

"Well, perhaps the perpetrator really is a devil. We only need to find this devil’s pattern. So far, we haven’t understood why he kills. Who is his real target? Does he simply enjoy slaughter, or is there a hidden clue behind these massacres?" the other monk replied.

"If he is only creating chaos and killing without a clear purpose, then we can narrow the

The two Arhats and their group investigated the place for some time before deciding to "clean" the scene. These poor souls may not have found peace when their lives ended, but at the very least, they deserved to be laid to rest in a more respectable manner.

All of the victims were buried near the village, with many tombstone left behind to mark them as victims of the massacre. This place became one of many that this group of monks had cleansed after such tragedies.

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While the group of monks continued searching for the assailant, Sylphia and the others remained inside Dongtian City. At this time, Sylphia was with Evin as they appeared to be taking a stroll and enjoying their time together. Unbeknownst to them, the Fifth Finger followed silently, guarding them with her stealth technique.

Sylphia and Evin looked happy as they walked side by side. Sylphia enjoyed having Evin with her on strolls through the city—she made the walks feel more lively.

She truly liked how sweet and obedient Evin was, which made her grow even more fond of the child. But deep inside, she pitied the girl’s fate—forced to face the harsh reality that her father was gone and that she had no one but her mother.

Sylphia sighed inwardly as she looked at the child beside her. She had already spoken to Vera about what she wanted to do in the future. She had no one left in the Atria empire. The Vicanton family no longer existed, having been one of the noble houses wiped out by Prince Wilmar during the civil war.

If they returned to the Atria Empire, they would have to start from scratch, which Sylphia knew would be a struggle—not only for Vera but also for Evin. With her elven features, Vera would undoubtedly attract attention and would have to conceal them.

If news of an elf being sighted in the Atria Empire spread, it could attract the attention of the elves from the Ivory Empire. It was even possible that the Valerin family would make the connection to Vera, as they still searched for her after all these years. This only showed how much the Valerin family had focused their attention on Vera.

If Vera were found by the Valerin family, she would truly be in trouble. No one knew what the Valerin family might do to her, especially since she had already given birth to Evin, a child of mixed blood.

Sylphia wasn’t confident that the Valerin family, particularly Duke Valerin with his conservative views, would accept Evin.

However, Sylphia was confident she could protect Evin if Duke Valerin lost his mind and tried to harm her. Her status as a princess would serve as a deterrent, and she could take Evin under her wing. She could simply declare that Evin was under her protection, and the Valerin family would not dare to touch her.

But the situation with Vera was more complex. As the daughter of Duke Valerin, who had escaped her family to marry a human, the burden would fall largely on her shoulders. The Valerin family would undoubtedly be affected by her actions. Sylphia knew she couldn’t interfere too much with the internal matters of the Valerin family.

It wouldn’t be wise for the imperial family to meddle in the affairs of another noble family, after all.

They could punish Vera harshly, something Sylphia didn’t want, as it would undoubtedly affect Evin as well. The poor child, who only had her mother, would surely be heartbroken if something happened to Vera.

Sylphia was determined to help Vera achieve the best possible outcome: a life where she and Evin could live in peace. That was what she and Vera had been discussing over the past few days—finding a way for them to live a peaceful life.

Sylphia couldn’t help but smile as she watched the happy Evin and continued walking beside her. They chose the road that led to an area filled with food stalls, a left turn just ahead of them.

However, unbeknownst to them, a robed figure passed by them on the opposite side of the road, walking behind them. The figure suddenly stopped and turned to look in the direction where Sylphia had just passed. She had already disappeared into the bustling street, having turned onto a road lined with food stalls.

The robed figure then looked at the rooftop, where it seemed empty. However, the Fifth Finger was actually there! Unaware that she was being watched as she continued guarding Sylphia.

But the robed figure seemed unconcerned and continued walking in the opposite direction, eventually disappearing into the busy crowd.