Chapter 625: We’re Leaving

    Although Shen Nianzu had braced himself mentally, the situation began to go downhill fast and in a way much worse than he had expected.

    In the matter of minutes, the bloody scene of Prince Kaivia’s death abruptly spread like a wildfire, taking over the holographic billboards, television channels, even printed out to be distributed to every street and alley across the city. Like a deadly virus, the news continued to spread in a frenzy and uncontrollable manner as though afraid that people would miss the fact that His Royal Highness of the Sea had been brutally murdered.

    Just as Shen Nianzu had surmised, it was mockery, provocation, and a declaration of war.

    It further proved that the culprit had come prepared. The situation progressed far too rapidly and systematically for it to be a crime of passion.

    Regardless of the sirens who disguised themselves among humans or those who had just come ashore, no one would be able to bear such an aggravating grievance—not even those with the strongest willpower. It was an unpardonable offense, a crime worse than violating their corpses and eating their flesh after their death!

    It was their precious little prince, the last royal bloodline, and the hope of the entire siren race.

    How dare... just how dare the humans humiliated him so?!!

    Did the sirens bother to investigate who the real culprit behind this murder was? Unfortunately no—they were already too far gone for that. They only recognized one thing: that their Royal Highness had perished in the human territory. And hence, all humans ought to be held accountable for this.

    They were all responsible for Prince Kaivia’s death!

    With the resolve to drag everyone down with them, the sirens went mad all at once, and their unleashed mental power plunged the land into chaos—humans fell into violent frenzies and killed each other, hover cars collided in midair before crashing to the ground, triggering a chain of explosions across the city. Blood flowed freely on the pavement as screams tore through the smoke-filled city. Some mechanically enhanced people fought back in self-defense and managed to take down a few frenzied sirens, only to further intensify the hostile atmosphere.

    Just like that, the fragile peace between the territories, already hanging by a thin thread, shattered in a blink of an eye. Faster than anyone could react.

    War was coming, like an unstoppable tide.

    While the ordinary sirens wreaked havoc along the streets, the commanders and elders had a different purpose.

    They marched straight to where the Master of the Land, Nasser, resided, only to find out another piece of shocking news: Today was the day when the Land and Sky territory’s young masters were supposed to unite through engagement.

    In fact, they were in the middle of the ceremony right now!

    The shock caused any last traces of prudence and rationality to explode from their minds.

    Killing our young innocent prince was not enough, they still wanted to cooperate with those damn garudas to oppress the sirens?

    The sheer audacity!!!

    Did they think that the sirens were helpless creatures who could only endure when bullied? Good... very good. If they insisted on cutting off the sirens’ path of survival, then be prepared for war! The sirens would never admit defeat until they all perished together in the depths of hell!

    ...And that was how chaos followed all the way to Argentum Tower, where the betrothal ceremony was being held.

    "What?!" Master Nasser’s mask of composure cracked upon hearing the news. "That siren brat... died?! Impossible, haven’t we returned him in one piece? How could he die all of a sudden? How about the Second Young Master? Where the hell is he? He has but one fucking job... and he still messed it up?!" His voice thundered in rage, his expression distorting in a terrifying manner akin to an evil rakshasa.

    Bracing himself for the other person’s wrath, the news bearer continued to relay everything he’d been told to, "The Second Young Master insisted that... the culprit is no ordinary figure. They have extraordinary means to escape by going through the wall. He has been caught off guard as well. But he said he would do his best to catch the culprit..."

    "Ha!" Master Nasser scoffed in anger. "Going through the wall? Is he going to blame a damn ghost for his own negligence?!"

    Not far away stood Master Grinu, whose eyes flickered upon hearing the exchange. The chaos outside was getting louder and louder, and it’s impossible for them to remain here forever. Sooner or later, the sirens were going to force their way inside.

    Making up his mind, he stepped forward to make his presence known.

    "Looks like there have been... unexpected circumstances," he remarked, his tone laden with meaning. He didn’t betray Nasser’s expectations, who was gazing at him with a mixture of doubt and vigilance. "You’d better take care of yourself and your own territory first, Nasser. As for the betrothal between our children, I think we should postpone it for now, don’t you agree?"

    He is backing away from the agreed-upon union! Master Nasser gnashed his teeth in fury, his glare venomous.

    Yet Grinu remained wholly unbothered. The young siren prince had lost his life in the land territory, so it would be a battle between humans and sirens from hereon. What did the garudas have anything to do with it?

    He did not hesitate to clean his hands and retreat as soon as the situation turned unfavorable for him. There was no way he would go through the lengths of helping humans deflect the sirens. It would be best if the two races suffered grievous loss during this war. By then, he could swoop in and harvest the biggest reward, becoming the final winner among the three main territories!

    "Now, if you will excuse me." After dropping that one sentence, Grinu walked away without hesitation, and Master Nasser had no way to stop him despite the boiling rage simmering inside him.

    That was how fragile the relationship between the three territories were—they could betray and turn on each other at the drop of a hat.

    All it took was a single spark to ignite the fuse, and the illusion of cooperation fell apart in an instant.

    Master Grinu found his son in a desolate corner of the chaotic ceremony hall soon after, and he didn’t bother saying anything else aside from a casual order, with a tone that brooked no room for refusal, "Get up, we’re leaving."

    Gu Luoxin, who had just learned of the source of the pandemonium, had his complexion turned pale as soon as he heard that. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

    This was a full-blown war they were talking about. Right here, right at this moment! How could–how could he leave just like that, abandoning Noir and his teammates whom he had yet to meet?!

    "P-Pardon? We’re leaving now? But what, what about the ceremony...?" Panic clawed at his chest as he blurted out the first excuse that came to mind. He was so distraught by the sudden development of events that he forgot that he was supposed to act like Young Master Ares right now—

    Forgot that Young Master Ares was a perfectly obedient son who had never defied his father, let alone question his authority.