Chapter 396: Killing Three Birds with One Stone

“Big brother, don’t rush. The old man is still thinking!” Seeing Rod’s blood-red eyes and terrifying aura, Lucy couldn’t help but take a step back, but soon stepped forward again, looking at Rod with concern. She could understand Rod’s feelings at that moment.

“Fortunately, there’s a precious treasure like the Rainbow Ice Spirit to protect her life and continuously replenish her vitality. Otherwise…” The old man wasn’t angry at Rod’s actions. After pondering for a while, he sighed.

The injuries of the woman before him were by far the most severe he had ever seen. How could an ordinary person have lasted this long? So he was somewhat shocked by such injuries.

“What should we do then?” Hearing the old man’s words, anyone could tell there was still a chance. Rod quickly asked.

“She needs proper recuperation. It’s impossible for her to recover in a short time. It requires long-term care!” After thinking for a while, the old man continued.

“Okay. Tell me what’s needed, and I’ll get it for you!” As if suddenly transported from hell to heaven, Rod said excitedly. As long as Lucy’s life could be saved, anything was negotiable. What was time anyway? They had been apart for years during their cultivation before—so what about now?

“Mm. We’ll definitely find whatever you need!” Viski and the others were also excited. Seeing hope, how could they not be happy?

“I have the materials here. It will take about half a year. I need to take her away. This place isn’t suitable for treatment. We have to go to my place!” Shaking his head, the old man declined Rod and the others’ kindness.

“This…” Hearing the old man’s words, Viski and the others grew anxious first. If they let him take Nightingale away, what if something went wrong? They weren’t confident in this stranger.

“Don’t worry. If I take her away, I’ll definitely cure her. If you don’t trust me, there’s nothing I can do. Leaving her here means certain death. Think it over yourselves!” With a cold expression, the old man said calmly.

Seeing the old man seem slightly angry, the atmosphere around them suddenly became gloomy and silent. Everyone looked anxious. Now, the only hope was this old man. If even he gave up, who else could save Nightingale?

“Okay. Take her away. I’ll come for her in half a year,” Rod said firmly after a long pause.

He knew this old man well; he believed the old man wouldn’t deceive him. For Nightingale’s sake, Rod decided to let the old man take her away. Half a year might seem like a long time, but it could also pass in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, Viski and the others remained silent, agreeing to the old man’s request—after all, it was their only hope.

“There’s no time to lose. I’ll leave right away. Three people can come with me; more won’t be possible!” Seeing Rod agree, the old man breathed a sigh of relief and spoke to Rod.

“I’ll go!” Those words undoubtedly brought hope to everyone. The members of the Reaper Scythe Squad became excited, and even Lucy couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Sail, Sambik, Jem! You three go with him. Nightingale will be free from you!” After some deliberation and weighing the pros and cons, Rod decided to let these three follow the old man. As for the rest, they needed to stay behind to handle other matters. In fact, Rod knew these three wouldn’t be of much use. Since the old man intended to take Nightingale away, he must have a plan. At best, these three could only assist, and sometimes even that wasn’t necessary.

“There’s no time to lose. I’m leaving now. You guys should hurry too—only half a year remains!” Having made up his mind, the old man seemed determined not to delay any longer. He said this to Rod, and perhaps only the two of them understood its true meaning.

Hearing his words, Rod nodded firmly. Everything was going smoothly. If nothing went wrong, they could resolve everything here in less than half a year. Half a year was sufficient for him.

……

After some preparations, the old man took Nightingale and set off. The three who followed left after Rod gave them final instructions. Everyone watched them go, but at this moment, their mood had improved greatly. Worry was inevitable, but it was still better than the despair before.

Once the old man left Water Screen City, everything returned to calm. Looking at himself, Rod smiled bitterly. In just one night, he had gone through so much—only he knew. He didn’t tell anyone about it.

Returning to his room and getting ready, it was already late in the evening. Merek sent someone to tell him to go to his study. Locke said he had returned to Water Screen City.

Without delay, Rod quickly went to the study. Locke, Merek, and several elders of the Scorpion King clan were gathered there. The small study seemed a bit crowded at that moment.

After sitting down, there was a brief meeting. Merk took the lead in discussing the current situation in Water Screen City. After the battle last night, the city had been completely pushed back to its original state—its prosperity vanished, replaced by a chill atmosphere. There were only a few pedestrians on the streets, indicating that it would take a considerable amount of time to get things back on track.

Now, the Black Phoenix clan has taken full control of Water Screen City and begun the work of recovery. The main tasks include clearing the debris, especially the former city lord’s mansion, which had been reduced to ruins after the battle. The cleanup effort is enormous. Additionally, there are matters related to maintaining order in the city and integrating smaller clans.

Water Screen City is different from Worry-Free City, as many smaller clans have settled here. These people are local elites who control the city’s economic lifelines and possess significant power. If not appeased, they could become a major threat. The War Party had ruled for a thousand years, maintaining good relations with them—some even joined their ranks due to shared interests. Now that the War Party has been destroyed, these people are naturally anxious, worried that their interests will be harmed.

Appropriate measures must be taken to pacify these forces, offering them certain benefits to keep them stable. They represent both a risk of rebellion and an opportunity—a chance for the Black Phoenix clan to truly establish a foothold in Water Screen City. If these people can be managed, the clan will have a solid base, and they are likely to be willing to assist with the rest of the tasks.

For these merchants, profit is the best way to form alliances. Merk has already proposed a detailed plan, and no one has any objections. Implementation is expected to begin soon.

Next is the matter concerning Locke and his Scorpion King clan. As agreed, Worry-Free City will be handed over to them at the appropriate time. The Scorpion King clan has already sent people to take possession of it, and Locke and his group are naturally excited.

“Hehe, kid, last night was quite eventful! Tsk tsk tsk, I guess the Source of Darkness will go crazy again in a few days. You kid…” Locke said with a wry smile as he looked at Rod, still shaken by the strange events of the previous day. He really couldn’t figure out who this kid was—wherever he went, big things happened, and each one was astonishing.

His words made those present feel embarrassed. Everyone had seen what happened yesterday, and recalling it still turned their faces pale.

“Alright, that little brat Nightingale should be fine now, so you can rest easy!” Everyone already knew about Nightingale’s situation. Seeing Rod’s worried expression, Locke reassured him. Then he recounted what was happening on their side—the most important news was that Gu Xun, who had managed to escape, had actually been captured by the Scorpion King’s clan! This was absolutely great news, instantly exciting everyone present. At the same time, another bad piece of news arrived: the events of last night had caught the attention of the war faction’s troops sent to Wuyou City earlier, and they had turned around and returned to Shuimu City overnight. With nearly ten thousand people in that army, it was undoubtedly a formidable force, led, it was said, by the war faction’s crown prince. This only made the already difficult situation in Shuimu City even worse, causing everyone to frown deeply. “Spread the news that we’ve taken Shuimu City, lift the siege, and announce that Gu Xun is dead!” After pondering for a moment, Rod suddenly wore a strange smile as he spoke calmly, showing no concern at all about the approaching war faction army. His words made the people present hesitate at first, but then their eyes lit up—they understood Rod’s grand plan. At this point, keeping the news secret was pointless; it was better to release it. Lifting the siege was a last resort that might even provoke dissatisfaction among the city’s residents and merchants. This move would prevent them from harboring too much hostility toward them and also served as an olive branch extended to those smaller families. On another front, and most importantly, announcing Gu Xun’s death would surely trigger unrest among the war faction, weakening their morale and strength, thus giving them an advantage. Additionally, the position of the war faction’s patriarch was crucial—all three princes had ambitious plans, with the third prince leading the most powerful group. They were currently stationed outside Dark Moon City, eyeing it covetously, while the crown prince was on his way to Shuimu City and the second prince was in Ice City. They would surely fight among themselves over the patriarch’s position. By then, perhaps they wouldn’t even need to intervene, as the three groups would fight each other. Once the people of Dark Moon City were recalled to Shuimu City, its crisis would be resolved as well—truly a killing three birds with one stone strategy. The people present couldn’t help but marvel at it.