Chapter 11

Chloe Bennett’s smile remained frozen on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark figure flash by in the distance. Her expression changed dramatically. Without saying a word to Ethan Moore, she pushed him aside and rushed into the depths of the forest, moving as fast as the wind.

Ethan Moore frowned deeply, his heart ringing with alarm. That shadow must be part of Leo Harrison’s scheme. Chloe Bennett’s reaction clearly indicated that they had planned this together all along! What kind of scheme had Leo Harrison devised? This wasn’t a place to stay long. He had to leave immediately!

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a cacophony of footsteps came from all directions. A crowd of people approached, led by the heads of various noble families. Each of them had a serious expression on their faces and stared at Ethan Moore with hostile eyes, surrounding him completely.

Ethan Moore felt his heart sink. Suppressing the panic in his chest, he spoke in a calm voice, “Dear elders, I’m not sure why you’ve surrounded me. Just now, Master Shen hosted a banquet. I simply felt unwell and came here to get some fresh air. I meant no offense.”

As soon as those words were spoken, the head of the Zhao family stepped forward abruptly. He grabbed Ethan Moore by the arm with such force that it seemed like his bones might be broken. His voice was filled with rage, loud enough to echo throughout the entire garden: “You arrogant brat! The Harrison family kindly hosted a banquet for all the families. How dare you secretly poison us? Hand over the antidote now!”

“A antidote?” Ethan Moore jerked his hand away, his face filled with confusion. “What antidote? What do you mean, senior? I don’t understand!”

The Zhao family head snorted coldly, his eyes filled with disdain and anger. “Hmph, trying to act innocent? You poisoned the drinks in the hall with a slow-acting poison. We just realized that our spiritual energy was disrupted and our bodies felt weak. Who else could have done this, if not you, the outsider?”

“Poisoning?!” Ethan Moore was stunned as if struck by lightning. He immediately realized—that he had once again fallen into Leo Harrison’s trap! Leo Harrison had deliberately tricked Chloe Bennett into leading him here. Then, he secretly poisoned the heads of various families, framing Ethan in the process. All this was so that Leo could use those families to get rid of Ethan and reclaim the Yin-Yang Pearl!

The heads of several families nearby also realized what had happened. Their expressions of confusion instantly turned into furious anger. Each of them pointed at Ethan Moore and shouted angrily, “You wretched brat! How dare you attempt to murder us? You really have the audacity of a bear with the heart of a leopard!”

“Hand over the antidote right now! Otherwise, today we will crush your bones and scatter your ashes. The Muir family will pay with their lives for your sins!”

The noise was deafening. The heads of each family glared angrily, with their spiritual energy surging outward. A overwhelming sense of pressure enveloped Ethan Moore. He was filled with frustration, cursing himself for underestimating his opponent. He had fallen for Leo Harrison’s crude tactics. Now, there was no way to prove his innocence. If he couldn’t clear himself, certain death awaited him today.

“Everyone, this certainly isn’t my doing! It’s Leo Harrison! Leo Harrison framed me!” Ethan Moore hurriedly pleaded, his voice tinged with urgency. “Chloe Bennett led me here earlier. Leo Harrison must have secretly poisoned everyone while I wasn’t there, with the goal of framing me!”

“A misunderstanding? I think you’ll only cry when you see the coffin!” An old man with white hair shouted angrily. His spiritual energy surged around him. “At this point, how dare you still try to deny it? If I don’t capture you today, I’ll never be able to relieve the hatred in our hearts!”

As soon as the old man finished speaking, the crowd rushed forward. At that critical moment, Leo Harrison stepped forward from among the crowd, wearing an expression of “impartiality and fairness” on his face, though his eyes concealed a barely detectable cruelty.

“Lord Harrison!” Upon seeing this, the heads of the various families stopped what they were doing and rushed forward to pay their respects. Zhao’s family head even pleaded with a pitiful expression, “Lord Harrison, thank you for coming! Ethan Moore poisoned our drinks and tried to kill us. Please help us settle this matter!”

Leo Harrison glanced at Ethan Moore, who was surrounded by a crowd. A barely noticeable cold smile appeared on his lips. Then, in a deliberately calm voice, he said, “Please, everyone, calm down and let him go.”

“Let him go?” The clan leaders were all stunned, their faces full of confusion. “Harrison, this boy poisoned us. How can we possibly let him go so easily?”

“I am the head of the Harrison family. Since I’ve promised to take care of matters on everyone’s behalf, I certainly won’t let him get away with his crimes.” Leo Harrison spoke in a calm tone, yet with an undeniable authority. “Let him go. I’ll handle this myself.”

Although the other clan leaders were reluctant, they had no choice but to step back reluctantly due to the Harrison family’s power. They stared intently at Ethan Moore, making sure he wouldn’t take the opportunity to escape.

Ethan Moore didn’t dare relax his vigilance for a moment. His entire body was tense, and his eyes were fixed intently on Leo Harrison. Everything was far too suspicious. Leo Harrison couldn’t possibly be so kind-hearted. His true intentions were likely still hidden somewhere. While keeping an eye on Leo Harrison, Ethan frantically searched for a way to escape. But with experts from various families everywhere, escaping would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

Leo Harrison said nothing more. He turned around and walked away from the garden, his steps slow yet carrying an eerie sense of pressure. The other household heads exchanged glances, too afraid to stop him. They could only watch helplessly as he left.

Just as Leo Harrison was about to disappear around the corner, something unexpected happened! The head of the Huang family suddenly flashed into motion, transforming into a phantom. In an instant, he rushed toward Ethan Moore and slammed a palm hard against his chest!

“Bang!”

Ethan Moore was caught off guard. He was knocked to the ground with a single palm strike. Severe pain rushed through his chest, and his energy became chaotic. The Huang family head stepped forward immediately, grabbing him by the collar. A cold, sinister energy spread throughout his body, instantly sealing his spiritual power and leaving him powerless to struggle.

“We must not spare this kid! He dared to poison us. Today, he must pay for his crimes!” The Huang family head shouted loudly, his voice filled with murderous intent.

Seeing this, the other masters rushed forward in a swarm. Their eyes were fierce as they wanted to teach Ethan Moore a lesson. In a moment of panic, Ethan Moore ignored the severe pain in his body. He held his breath and quickly recited the spells. Dozens of talismans appeared in his hands, which he then threw out violently!

“Pop, crack, bang—”

The talismans exploded in the air, emitting a harsh noise and dazzling light. The clan leaders were startled and immediately stopped in their tracks, instinctively stepping back to avoid the attack, thinking that Ethan Moore was about to launch an assault. But when the light faded, they realized that these talismans were completely ineffective and posed no real threat at all.

“Hahaha, so it was just bluffing after all!” Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing mockery. They rushed at Ethan Moore once again. “You little brat, let’s see how you’ll act this time!”

Ethan Moore snorted coldly, a sharp glint in his eyes. “Since you refuse to drink when offered, don’t blame me for being rude!” He clasped his hands together and quickly recited the spell in a firm, resonant voice: “All things grow, chaos gives rise to order. May all things in heaven and earth aid me!”

As soon as the words were spoken, countless phantom figures appeared in the air around them. These figures had various shapes and terrifying appearances. Floating in the air, they emitted a strong sense of evilness. They were the spirits summoned by Ethan Moore using yin-yang magic.

Seeing this, the owners of those houses immediately changed in expression, filled with panic. They stopped in their tracks and tried to dodge around. But those evil spirits were extremely fast. In an instant, they reached the owners, extending their sharp claws and starting to tear at them frantically.

“Ah! Help me!”

“Run away! These things are terrifying!”

Cries of pain and screams for help echoed everywhere. The household masters were torn to shreds by the evil spirits, leaving them terrified beyond measure. With no time to think of Ethan Moore, they fled the garden in panic. In moments, they were gone, leaving no trace.

Ethan Moore slowly stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes. His face showed no expression, his gaze as cold as that of a demon from hell. In his eyes, those people were nothing more than a bunch of foolish clowns who could be easily destroyed.

He sneered, then transformed into a phantom and vanished from the garden in an instant. He wanted to get away from this troublesome place as soon as possible and find out Leo Harrison’s true intentions. What he didn’t know was that, on a nearby tree, Leo Harrison watched the entire scene thoughtfully, a strange smile playing on his lips. Then, with a flash, he silently followed behind.

Ethan Moore kept running, fleeing down several streets. His strength was gradually failing. He leaned against a wall, gasping for breath. The severe pain in his chest made it hard for him to stand straight. Just then, Leo Harrison’s voice came from behind him, with a hint of mockery, “Moore, running so fast? Are you scared?”

Ethan Moore turned around abruptly, his face freezing with anger. He glared at Leo Harrison, his voice filled with fury: “Leo Harrison, you wretched scoundrel! How dare you frame me? Today, I’ll make you pay for this!”

Leo Harrison snorted dismissively. He crouched down, his gaze fierce as he stared at Ethan Moore. “Despicable? In this world where the weak are preyed upon by the strong, only the victors have the right to speak. If I can get my hands on the Yin-Yang Pearl and become powerful, who cares if people call me despicable?”

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice slightly, with a hint of certainty in his tone: “Just admit it. It was you who stole the Yin-Yang Pearl. No one else in the Harrison family has the courage or the ability to steal it.”

Ethan Moore was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Leo Harrison to actually guess that the Yin-Yang Pearl was in his possession. He secretly admired Leo Harrison’s insight, but on his face, he pretended to be dismissive: “If I say it’s not there, then it’s not there. Leo Harrison, stop making false accusations!”

He’s not stupid. Whether Leo Harrison really knows or is just guessing, he absolutely cannot admit it. If he does, Leo Harrison will surely try everything in his power to get hold of the Yin-Yang Pearl. In that case, he’ll be in even greater danger.

Leo Harrison watched his stubborn expression and, instead of getting angry, burst into laughter. “Don’t admit it? No problem. I’ve got ways to make you admit it.”

As he spoke, Leo Harrison formed seals with his hands and muttered incantations. The already dim sky grew even darker, with dark clouds gathering everywhere. Wind howled, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled. A vast amount of malevolent energy erupted from his body, spreading throughout the surroundings. A storm was about to break. Ethan Moore felt a sense of dread in his heart, knowing that a fierce battle was inevitable.