The Devil’s Cage

As the meatballs rolled on the ground, the soundly asleep Frost Wolf pup picked up their scent with its sniffing nose.

A moment later, it opened its eyes and dashed up to the meatballs, eating one after another. It didn’t swallow but stored them in its mouth.

“Wasting food is a bad habit.”

Kieran smiled at the Frost Wolf pup before saying this to the stunned Maxim and Celty.

After that, before the Raven Sect duo could reply, Kieran went back to his room, swiftly followed by Frost Wolf pup with its meatball-filled mouth.

“Perry Kaner, I have something to ask you.”

Perry Kaner was still having second thoughts behind Kieran but after Kieran said that, she too quickly followed.

Bang.

The noise of the door shutting knocked Celty and Maxim back to their senses. Both of them looked at each other.

Almost half a decade later, Celty spoke in a stutter. “I think I saw a wolf pup? Am I seeing things?”

“If you are seeing things, then I am seeing things as well,” Maxim replied to his friend with a bitter smile.

The Raven Sect duo then fell into silence.

20 seconds later, Celty took a deep breath.

“Seems like things are much more complicated than we thought,” he said slowly. “Not just complicated but… troublesome! Think about the reaction from the others! We should quickly…”

Maxim wanted to say something but he stopped when the words were just at the tip of his tongue.

Maxim had chosen sides not long ago, and it was too late for him to bail out now.

“Sigh.” The ever hesitant Maxim sighed once again but Celty wasn’t as sadistic as his friend.

“We should make a move faster. Raven Sect’s Crown Raven, Wolf Sect’s White Wolf, if both are the same person, other than trouble, it is also an opportunity! At least some fence-sitters will choose more carefully now!” he said.

“I guess that will have to do!” Maxim didn’t refute.

It was the best solution for now.

After exchanging another gaze, both of them quickly moved out.

…

The conversation between the Raven Sect duo, of course, didn’t escape Kieran’s ears despite him being in his own room.

As for the so-called Wolf Sect, Kieran read about it before in “Word of Sects” and it did mention how extraordinary the sect was from the others. It especially placed emphasis on the one man, one sect and associating oneself with the wolves.

The book even tagged Wolf Sect with a “half-disappeared” status.

Compared to Dragon Sect and Tiger Sect that vanished in the long river of history, the difference in the Wolf Sect was that someone saw tracks of wolves in the grasslands covered by snowy, tall mountains.

These tracks were the last of the Wolf Sect.

As for more?

“Word of Sects” didn’t mention anything, just like how it didn’t mention how secretive the other branches of Viper Sect were.

After all, it was just a summary book; it was quite considerate for it to even have introductions to sect lore.

Sitting down in his chair, Kieran carried the Frost Wolf pup, which had fallen asleep again.

The Frost Wolf pup’s strength had surpassed a common beast’s. Even if it encountered a real tiger or leopard, it could put up a fight but that wouldn’t change the fact that it was still a puppy.

A whole day of surveilling exhausted the pup more than ever.

Kieran carefully caressed its back, tucking it into a more comfortable sleeping position.

The pup would moan from time to time, stating that Kieran did a good job in putting it to sleep.

After another touch on the Frost Wolf’s fine, smooth fur, Kieran looked up at Perry Kaner, who stood in front of him.

“I think you should inform me about something,” Kieran said.

Following his words, the smile on his face faded, the usual cold and dull expression returning.

It wasn’t the first time Perry Kaner saw that face, but no matter which time she saw it, it never shook her heart as fiercely as it did now.

“I swear on my name and blood that I will keep your identity as the White Wolf of Wolf Sect a secret,” Perry Kaner said solemnly.

“Wolf Sect’s White Wolf? No, no, no. I am talking about Viper Sect and the reason why you followed me.” Kieran shook his head.

As for the so-called Wolf Sect, he knew that the lady before him was mistaken about something.

Kieran wasn’t going to waste his energy in explaining the mistake though. What he wanted to know was more about the secret of Viper Sect.

“You are asking about… the eight-headed single-tail and two-tails? They are two of the eight branches of the Viper Sect, the weakest ones. The strongest among the eight is the eight-headed, eight tailed viper leader. But no matter which branch, all of them serve the Prime Viper.”

Perry Kaner rolled up her sleeves as she spoke, revealing the five-headed viper on her right arm.

“I don’t want to know this, I want to know who they are.” Kieran shook his head again.

He didn’t want this kind of information that he could find out easily himself by a little research, what he wanted to know was what the “hidden Viper Sect” was doing or what they did.

“I don’t know who they truly are. I followed because I want to seize the chance to avenge my comrades but… what I saw was a fact that I cannot accept.” Perry Kaner then showed a saddened smile.

It was the kind of despairing smile when one faced the cruelest reality.

Falling into despair, Perry Kaner looked down and muttered to herself.

“In fact, I am just a pawn piece. No, I should say an abandoned piece. The elimination of Viper Sect back then was a big, fat joke! The real powerful members hid away like true snakes, leaving behind a bunch of idiots that thought they could revive the Viper Sect. So when these hidden vipers came out and bared their fangs, us idiots had no use anymore, thus we got eaten. After all, it is these idiots who are “destroying” Viper Sect’s reputation.”

Tears gushed out of Perry Kaner’s eyes uncontrollably, rolling down her cheeks and falling on the floor.

She didn’t wipe them though, nor did she feel embarrassed because nothing was important to her anymore at this exact moment, including death.

“Kill me.”

Suddenly, Perry Kaner looked up to Kieran, voicing out her intention.

A moment ago, she was still making vows to stay alive but now, she didn’t care anymore.

Waking up from the continuous shocks, the clever Perry Kaner quickly deduced what was going on.

And when she was greeted by the most outrageous truth, the beliefs that she held onto so tightly for so long crumbled just like that.

Kieran saw how depressed Perry Kaner was, but he didn’t care about her feelings. What he first did was determine whether she had lied or not.

It wasn’t cold of him, but habitual vigilance.

Kieran slowly walked up to her. Perry Kaner closed her eyes, fully at ease. She was ready.

Then, she was grabbed by the collar and thrown out of the room by Kieran.

Bang!

As the door shut behind her, Perry Kaner opened her eyes in astonishment.

“You are too weak, not worthy for me to kill.” Kieran’s voice came from inside the room.

It was a cold, hard fact.

Kieran wasn’t interested in killing a target who might not even drop a Magic rank item, but when the words fell into Perry Kaner’s ears, it meant something else.

“Weak, weak… Power is the root of everything? Only the powerful can gain everything?”

Falling on the ground, Perry Kaner hugged herself, shrinking before the door, muttering to herself.

“That isn’t real power, that is ego!”

A pleasant female voice came. Mary walked over along the corridor. She placed her hand over Perry Kaner’s head, looking at her. She showed a smile and pointed at the door.

“It’s what 2567 told me.”