Chapter 93: Final Nail in the Coffin

Dawn broke over Mirravele City.

But for Mirravele City, the night had never truly ended.

The bustling commercial districts that usually came alive with cheerful haggling were eerily subdued.

And on every single street corner, in every teahouse, tavern, and pavilion, the conversations all revolved around the same, singular, earth-shattering topic.

"Did you hear? Last night, Jarek Solari killed an Ashvele elder right outside the Mirravele Auction House!"

"It’s complete madness! I saw it with my own eyes! Blood everywhere! The Solari and Ashvele experts started slaughtering each other right on the main street!"

"I thought Jarek was just a useless degenerate! How the hell did he kill a Level 3 Spirit Manifestation expert?"

"That’s not even the worst of it! After killing Matthias, that madman went on a rampage through the entire western district! He hit five Ashvele pill shops in a single night! Slaughtered every guard and left only one survivor each time to deliver a message!"

"What message?"

"He said the Solari Clan’s era of rule has arrived. That the Ashvele Clan must bow... or be wiped from Mirravele City."

"That lunatic... He’s dragged the entire city into a bloodbath."

The whispers were relentless, spreading like an unstoppable plague through every level of society.

But as shocking as Jarek’s rampage had been, it was merely the spark that lit the inferno.

What came next shook Mirravele City to its very foundation.

Hours after the auction house bloodbath, a figure had descended a few miles from the Solari Clan’s main gates.

Hayden.

One of the three Core Formation expert of the Ashvele Clan!

According to the terrified onlookers, Hayden had casually tossed a mutilated corpse in the street like throwing trash.

It was Jarek Solari.

Pinned to his chest by a thin iron needle was a small strip of parchment.

"Keep your Solari dogs chained, or they will be killed." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

It’s said that the moment the Head Enforcer saw his only son’s corpse, he went entirely berserk! He personally led a team of a dozen peak Spirit Manifestation Realm experts and another Core Formation Realm elder, and they marched straight to the Ashvele Clan estate!

Both sides suffered heavy casualties.

The situation had escalated so perilously, in the end, the overlord of the city had to intervene.

Lord Cassian Valdris.

A Core Formation Realm Level 7 expert.

The undisputed, solitary ruler of Mirravele City.

Under his overwhelming power, both clan leaders were forced to cease hostilities and retreat to their respective estates.

But anyone with half a brain knew the truth.

The City Lord absolutely would not be able to stop this war for very long.

Before retreating, Jarek’s father delivered an ultimatum before the gates of Ashvele Clan.

"Hand over Hayden Ashvele in three days!"

"If you don’t give me his head, the Solari Clan will wage a war of total extermination! We won’t rest until the Ashvele Clan is wiped off the map!"

________

In the tranquil courtyard of the Glided Sparrow.

Rhain poured himself a cup of morning tea and took a slow sip.

Across from him, Declan Rowe stood rigid, his arms were crossed tightly over his chest.

"Was it you?" Declan asked with a discomposed voice.

He stared intently at Rhain, finding the very thought completely absurd.

How could he possibly link the chaos that had broken Mirravele City overnight to a mere Essence Condensation Realm boy?

It defied all logic. It was impossible.

But the information he had forced him to believe this absurdity.

Rhain simply gave a calm, indifferent nod.

Declan’s legs felt momentarily weak.

He had suspected it.

But hearing Rhain confirm it with his own mouth, without a shred of hesitation, was something else entirely.

"Why would you do something so insane?" Declan’s voice was trembling.

When Rhain had asked about the three clans, Declan knew that Rhain was upto no good.

But this...this was beyond his wildest dreams.

Rhain met Declan’s gaze without a shred of guilt.

"Because I needed to save the people I care about," Rhain stated, his dark grey eyes turning frighteningly cold. "And I will go to any length, cross any line, and slaughter anyone necessary to ensure their safety."

Declan swallowed hard, the heavy weight of Rhain’s killing intent pressing against his chest.

"Besides," Rhain continued, his tone returning to a calmness, "the scout you sent to Greymist Town must have already reported everything back to you. You should already know why I did it."

Declan froze.

His eyes darted toward Rhain, genuine astonishment flashing across his face. "How did you know I sent someone?"

Rhain let out a faint chuckle.

"I wouldn’t expect anything less from the master of the Gilded Sparrow," Rhain said smoothly. "You are an information broker. A stranger walks into your teahouse carrying your life-debt token, asking extremely dangerous questions about the city’s giants. If you didn’t immediately dispatch a scout to investigate my origins, I would have been deeply disappointed in Fenwick’s judgment."

Declan stared at Rhain for a while.

Then he slowly exhaled, a long, heavy breath that seemed to drain some of the tension from his shoulders.

"You’re right," Declan admitted, straightening up. There was no point in denying it. "I sent my fastest courier the night you arrived. He returned last night."

"They told me everything you did in Greymist Town. Destroying Ironpeak Sect, Slaughtering Barlowe family, including killing Hayden."

There was a brief silence before Declan spoke again.

"But if you think this much would be enough to destroy the Ashvele Clan..." Declan warned, shaking his head. "Then you’re gravely mistaken. They are a titan with centuries of foundation. A clan war will bleed them, but it won’t eradicate them. Brycen Ashvele is a Level 6 Core Formation expert. When he comes out of seclusion, the Solari Clan will eventually be forced to retreat, and the Ashvele Clan will survive!"

"Who said I was trying to destroy them with this?" Rhain sneered.

Declan asked in confusion. "Then what was the point of all this?"

"To buy time," Rhain stated analytically. "The Ashvele Clan lost a Core Formation expert. The moment their Patriarch Brycen leaves seclusion, their first instinct would be to march to Greymist Town and massacre the Azure Cloud Sect to avenge Hayden."

"But now? The Solari Clan and the Ashvele Clan are locked in an irreversible blood feud. They are at each other’s throats. The Ashvele Clan will be forced to mobilize every single expert, every single resource, and every ounce of their focus just to survive the Solari Clan’s wrath. They won’t have the time, manpower, or luxury to spare a single glance at Greymist Town for at least a few months."

Rhain’s eyes darkened.

"And a few months is all I need."

Declan felt a tremor run through his body.

A clan that had stood for three centuries.

A clan with multiple Core Formation Realm experts, hundreds of Spirit Manifestation elders, and economic tendrils woven into every corner of the Outer Frontier.

And this boy — this eighteen-year-old boy sitting across from him, was declaring with utter, unflinching conviction that he would destroy it all within months.

But what truly made Declan’s blood run cold was not his unfathomable confidence, or his monstrous strength.

It was his methods.

It was diabolical. It was absolute, flawless perfection.

Jarek Solari had murdered Matthias Ashvele in front of hundreds of witnesses.

And then, the already-dead Hayden had murdered Jarek Solari and dumped his corpse before the Solari gates.

No one could ask Jarek why he had suddenly gone mad and slaughtered an Ashvele memeber, because Jarek was dead.

And no one could ask Hayden if he had truly killed Jarek in retaliation, because Hayden had been turned to ash days ago!

The Solari Clan would demand Hayden’s head.

The Ashvele Clan would be neither able to admit that Hayden is dead, nor prove that Hayden didn’t kill Jarek.

The Solari Clan would view their inability to hand Hayden over as a blatant refusal and a declaration of war.

Such an evil plan...

As a peak Spirit Manifestation Realm expert who had seen every vile scheme the underworld of Mirravele City had to offer, Declan Rowe stood before the young man and felt something he hadn’t felt in decades.

Genuin Dread.