Vol 4. Chapter 178: Attempted Arrest

"Sister! Sister! Please, save us! Our village was attacked by forest bandits! Please, save us! Otherwise, we'll all be killed!"

"Sister, Sister! Thank you! Thank you so much! Not only did you save us, but you even gave us so much food!"

"Sister, you're practically an angel! I, Tala, will definitely repay your kindness someday!"

"Sister! Sister..."

...

——

When Yumo first arrived in the Crimson Leaf Empire, the Black Rose Family's convoy had been traveling along a road when a little boy dressed in tattered clothes, with disheveled hair and wounds covering his entire body, had recklessly blocked the carriage's path and begged the convoy for help.

The boy's name was Tala, and he was a child from a nearby village. Their village had been attacked by forest bandits, and the villagers had suffered terrible losses. He had barely managed to escape and was desperately seeking help.

Originally, Yumo had no intention of getting too involved in human affairs. However, seeing that the person asking for help was a child, and wanting to set a good example for little Yuan'er in her arms, Miss Yumo had decided to intervene in the robbery.

Yumo had subdued the forest bandits with ease. She could still vividly remember the excitement and gratitude in Tala's eyes at the time, and the little boy's grateful words seemed to still echo in her ears.

However,

Why?

Why had this child's attitude changed so drastically when they met again...?

...

"Yes! It's her! She's that witch! Hurry! Aren't you law enforcement officers?! Hurry up and arrest her!!"

Upon seeing the black-haired girl's breathtakingly beautiful face, the gratitude and admiration that had once filled his brown eyes had completely vanished, replaced by intense uneasiness and hatred.

It was as though Yumo wasn't the benefactor who had saved his life, but some monstrous creature despised by heaven and earth.

After pointing at Yumo and making accusation after accusation, Tala tugged at the armored skirt of Bo'an's uniform.

"Hey, General, I've told you the truth, so I can leave now, right? Also, you said you'd give me 500 Origin Stone Coins for cooperating and testifying. When are you going to pay me?!"

...

And just like that, right in front of Yumo, Tala began questioning Bo'an and his gray-haired assistant about his reward money.

As these words reached her ears, Yumo's expression gradually darkened.

Back then, after witnessing the forest bandits' utterly inhumane acts of slaughter, Yumo had been so disgusted that she transformed their spirit beasts into Abyss Demons, allowing those beasts to devour the bandits and make them die in agony.

But hadn't the surviving villagers already been taken away when she did all that?

How did this guy know that I...

She couldn't understand how Tala had learned that she had transformed the spirit beasts into Abyss Demons.

And beyond her confusion,

What Yumo felt most was disappointment.

Glancing at the brown-haired boy hiding behind Bo'an, a faint crimson glow gradually emerged within Yumo's azure-blue eyes.

I was the one who saved you back then. I'm your benefactor. At the time, you kept calling me "Sister" with such affection and excitement.

And today, after seeing me again, you actually call me an "old witch"? You even accuse me right to my face, all for money...

As expected,

Not every child knows how to repay kindness like Xiao and the others...

I've been reminded of that once again...

This feels...

"So irritating..."

...

——

Meanwhile,

On the other side, General Bo'an, who was responsible for carrying out this operation, was extremely satisfied with Tala's testimony.

When he saw the young lady of the Black Rose Family fall silent after hearing the witness's accusations, the corners of Bo'an's mouth couldn't help rising slightly.

Judging from his many years of experience handling cases, this young lady had already run out of excuses.

After verifying the witness's memories and completing the examination of the physical evidence, they had almost confirmed that Miss Yu was connected to two separate Abyss Demon attacks.

Bo'an had dispatched someone to relay this information to the empire's higher authorities and His Highness Prince Anmutu, then hurriedly assembled the Secret Investigation Department's special operations team to arrest this young lady.

After all,

If she really possessed the technique to transform other living beings into Abyss Demons, as they suspected, then perhaps Miss Yu had come to the imperial capital, to Yexinlian Academy, precisely to create Abyss Demons, provoke chaos, and undermine the empire's stability!

Perhaps she was even planning to make her move during a grand event like today's ceremony?

Such a dangerous individual had to be brought under control as soon as possible.

And now that Tala had testified against her, all the conditions required for the Secret Investigation Department to arrest an important foreign figure had been fulfilled.

Previously, they had merely been trying to intimidate her. But if she resisted now, Bo'an would attack without holding anything back!

With that thought, Bo'an signaled his subordinates with his eyes to take the little boy away.

Then he once again pointed his sword directly between the black-haired girl's eyebrows.

"Miss Yu, do you have anything left to say in your defense? If you want physical evidence, we can also show you some of our analysis results."

"..."

The black-haired girl showed little reaction to Bo'an's questioning. Instead, she seemed lost in thought, her strange eyes remaining fixed on the little boy in the distance.

Was she upset with the witness because he had testified against her?

Heh.

"Not saying anything? Well, that's understandable. With both witness testimony and physical evidence against you, I imagine there's nothing left for you to argue."

Bo'an shook his head and sneered coldly.

"In that case, cooperate with us and come along quietly!"

As hostile gazes locked onto the black-haired girl from every direction, Yumo, who had remained silent for so long, finally shifted her attention to the general named 'Bo'an.'

With a complicated look in her eyes, Yumo tilted her head and asked softly,

"And what if I refuse to cooperate?"

"Refuse to cooperate? Hehe..."

The moment his words fell,

The powerful Seventh-Tier steel-attributed battle aura within Bo'an suddenly erupted, enveloping his entire body.

The burly, bearded man appeared to have been covered in a layer of steel armor. His physical body turned silver-gray, and his physical capabilities increased dramatically in an instant.

The overwhelming battle aura surged toward the black-haired girl with seemingly unstoppable force.

The violent impact directly blew the hairpin from her head, scattering her carefully arranged hairstyle. Her beautiful black hair came loose and cascaded over her snow-white shoulders.

As Bo'an unleashed his power,

The dozens of mages stationed around the perimeter immediately responded as though receiving an order. They cast their spells, completely sealing the girl within layer upon layer of barriers while simultaneously applying enhancement magic to Bo'an.

At the same time, the weakening magic formation that had already been arranged outside the apartment building specifically to target the black-haired girl continued operating.

An enormous purple magic formation suddenly appeared beneath the black-haired girl's feet. Waves of purple mist billowed out of the formation, completely surrounding her.

Seeing that the Saint-Class suppression spell, the 'Robonaen Binding Grand Formation,' had successfully activated and perfectly 'suppressed' the black-haired girl, Bo'an couldn't help revealing a confident smile.

Considering that this young lady of the Black Rose Family not only possessed a mysterious secret technique capable of transforming living beings into Abyss Demons, but also possessed formidable Seventh-Tier strength herself, Bo'an had naturally made thorough preparations before deciding to launch the operation and arrest her.

Every member of his team had received blessings and was equipped with anti-corrosion items. A suppression barrier specifically designed to restrict the girl's power had also been established near the apartment building.

After that, he would personally lead his elite troops to arrest this 'terrorist' on the spot.

If she resisted and he couldn't suppress her, the Seventh-Tier Governor-General of the Secret Investigation Department, who was hiding nearby to prevent her escape, would intervene.

In short,

With two Seventh-Tier powerhouses, five Sixth-Tier powerhouses, dozens of Fourth- and Fifth-Tier soldiers arranged in formation, and such thorough preparations, successfully arresting this Seventh-Tier young lady of the Black Rose Family should pose absolutely no problem.

Filled with confidence, Bo'an issued his final ultimatum.

"If you refuse to cooperate, then don't blame us for showing no mercy just because you're a beautiful woman!"

However, the black-haired girl did not respond to this final warning.

Instead, she slowly raised her head and cast an indifferent glance at Bo'an.

"..."

Although she said nothing, Bo'an clearly understood the meaning behind her gaze.

The rugged man revealed an expression of regret.

"You brought this upon yourself."

Shaking his head helplessly, Bo'an said nothing more and suddenly pushed off the ground with both legs!!

Under the force of his tremendous strength, the earth shook violently, and an enormous crater suddenly split open beneath him.

Propelled by that powerful force, Bo'an instantly transformed into a silver-gray meteor, charging straight toward Yumo.

As an experienced general who had fought against the Sadik Empire and the Black Rose Family for over thirty years, Bo'an knew very well just how sinister and cunning the people of the Black Rose Family could be.

He showed no mercy whatsoever because of Yumo's flawless appearance.

His sharp sword thrust toward the black-haired girl's abdomen without the slightest reservation, aiming directly at the location of her mana core!

If her mana core were destroyed, this young lady, who was a Seventh-Tier Magic Saint, would completely lose her ability to resist.

As the sharp sword rapidly approached,

Under Bo'an's murderous gaze, the black-haired girl's expression changed slightly.

As the sword grew larger and larger in her eyes, the indifference on her face disappeared, and a look of astonishment and shock gradually surfaced in her azure-blue eyes.

Witnessing this 'entirely expected' reaction, the corners of Bo'an's mouth couldn't help rising slightly.

As expected,

"So you're afraid after all?"

Seeing the young lady of the Black Rose Family lose her composure before him, Bo'an, who had suffered setbacks at the hands of the Black Rose Family time and again, couldn't help feeling a surge of pleasure.

It was almost as though he were finally about to avenge his long-standing grievances.

...

However,

At this moment, the Mid Seventh-Tier general had failed to realize one very serious problem.

And that was,

The reason the black-haired girl had suddenly revealed such an astonished and shocked expression was not because of his 'overwhelming' attack.

It was because of certain beings that had suddenly appeared behind him...

...

Hey,

Tell me,

My dearest Mother,

"Even the filthy insects have started attacking you, so why... are you still standing there in a daze?"