Alex was instantly exhilarated when he heard that. “What? Are you sure? Did you see clearly?” “She was quite far away, but she did look very familiar.” The man in black dared not confirm what he saw.
“I can’t believe Anne is really here…” The look in Alex’s eyes turned frosty. “Bring a few men with you and intercept them. I want Princess Anne alive. You must not harm her. As for the rest, kill on sight!”
“Understood,” replied the man in black with a nod before he left.
Alex’s face revealed a sinister smile. Harold had ordered Alex to kill Anne, but the latter wanted to capture Anne alive. It seemed like he had his own ulterior motive for doing so.
At that moment, Jared and company were unaware of the impending attack and were continuing their journey toward the summit. There was a possibility that the entrance to the ancient ruins was at the summit of this snow mountain.
“How long further do we have to walk?” Anne asked breathlessly as she glanced up, trying to look for the summit that was nowhere in sight.
She was the weakest among everyone in the group. Hence, after long hours of climbing nonstop coupled with harsh weather conditions, her stamina was depleting.
“Why don’t you rest here for a while? We’ll come back for you once we find the ancient ruins and the King of Herbs.”
Jared knew that with Anne’s current strength, it was difficult for her to continue the hike. If she were to push herself and follow them, not only would she not be of any help, but she would also become their burden.
Anne nodded in agreement. She was aware of her limitations and knew that she could no longer summon the energy to continue climbing up.
“The rest of the team will be counting on you, Jared,” said Anne. “Don’t worry. Andrew will stay and take care of you.”
Jared produced some supplies from the Storage Ring and handed them to Anne before making sure she would be fine. With that, he continued the climb with the rest of the group.
Andrew found a safe spot for Anne to rest and said to the lady, “Princess Anne, please get some rest.”
Anne merely nodded in response, for she was too exhausted to say anything. As soon as she snuggled into the sleeping bag, she fell into a slumber.
At the same time, Joel and company were making their way up to the summit through another route.
There was a look of bewilderment and anger on Danny’s face. Seemingly sensing Danny’s fury, Joel said, “Danny, you seem to be mad at me.”
“Mr. Joel, salvation has always been the core principle of Flaming Sect. But why did you use violence earlier and force people to their deaths?”
Danny was completely baffled. What had happened earlier was entirely different from the teachings he had received when he joined Flaming Sect back then.
“Danny, stop being naïve. The society we live in now is ruled by the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak. So get rid of that compassionate heart of yours. Now that Alex has infiltrated the royal family, I fear he will take over Flaming Sect and exterminate all of us!” Joel explained the cruel reality to Danny.
“Since the pope has sent us to search for the ancient ruins, let’s make this opportunity work. If we can find the ancient ruins and the legendary sacred sword, we’ll be able to
eradicate Alex. With him gone, Flaming Sect need not show respect for the royal family. As long as you stay loyal to me, you can succeed me as the head priest and inherit everything I possess.” Joel kept persuading Danny to believe in his cause.
Danny did not say anything further, but he still could not comprehend Joel’s reasoning. Soon after, a thick fog appeared and blocked their path.
Something was amiss about the fog. It was as if it specially appeared there to get in their way.
“Mr. Joel, look. There’s suddenly fog,” said Danny, looking at the fog before them. “I know!” Joel answered with furrowed brows while giving his bronze handbell a light shake.
The sound waves disappeared in the blink of an eye when they reached the fog. What a strange fog… Joel’s frown deepened.
