Chapter 324: Live for a Hundred More Years

“Do you know where Renee is?” Jared asked.

“She was captured and taken to Phantom Monastery. I’ll rescue her after I bury Erasmus,” Leonidas replied.

He gently gathered Erasmus’s lifeless body into his arms and started to carry it to the backyard for burial. Jared stopped him. “Abbot Leonidas, let others handle Abbot Erasmus’s funeral. Bring me to Phantom Monastery immediately. Renee is in grave danger!”

Leonidas paused, then nodded. “All right, I’ll take you there at once.” He carefully placed Erasmus’s body on the ground. “Mr. Grange, Mr. Lowe, we’ll leave the rest to you,” Jared called to the other men.

“Take care, Mr. Chance,” Walter replied.

Jared and Leonidas immediately set out to save Renee. Phantom Monastery was perched atop a treacherous, sparsely populated mountain, a stark contrast to its famous counterpart, Lagrange Monastery.

By dawn, with Leonidas leading the way, they reached the mountain’s base. Jared gazed at the towering mountain and the dense forest, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent. Thick fog, a remnant of the previous night’s heavy rain, shrouded the mountaintop, but it didn’t deter them. They plunged into the white mist.

Meanwhile, at Phantom Monastery, several ferocious-looking monks were sluggishly cleaning. Beneath their deceptive robes were ruthless murderers who had fled to the mountains to escape the law. They had made the monastery their haven.

Diomedes, the monastery’s prior and the traitor Leonidas had mentioned, stood in the main hall. Falcon was his disciple. It was time for the morning sermon, but Diomedes was distracted, eavesdropping near the back wall.

In a secret room, Dorieus, a man well past seventy, leered at Renee. Curled in a fetal position on the bed, Renee tried to avoid his lecherous gaze. Dread filled her eyes as she stared at him.

The previous night, after dinner, Renee had heard a commotion outside her room—a scuffle. Curiosity piqued, she opened her door and was immediately knocked unconscious. She awoke in the unfamiliar room.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk… Your skin is as white as ivory. I can even see the delicate veins! How befitting someone with your… constitution! I may have lost the Starry Compass, but I’ve gained something far more precious. What a bargain!” Dorieus ogled her, his weathered face beaming.

“W-Who are you? Why did you kidnap me?” Renee asked, her voice trembling despite her attempt at calm.

“Oh, my dear, don’t worry. I won’t kill you. You just need to stay with me forever! Thanks to your… constitution, I can live a hundred more years if we merge!”

Dorieus licked his lips. The lust in his eyes made Renee scramble away.

“D-Don’t come near me, or my father will never forgive you. He’ll kill you!”

Renee was still unaware of Erasmus’s death.

“Your father? Killing me? What a joke!” Dorieus laughed raucously. “He’s a corpse. How will he kill me? With his spirit? Even if his ghost haunts me, I’ll vanquish it!”

Renee was shocked. “You murdered my father?”

“Well, how else do you think I got you here?” Dorieus sneered.

Overwhelmed, Renee momentarily fell into a stupor, but quickly recovered. Vengeance filled her. “I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you…” she vowed, her eyes burning with fury.

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