Versatile Mage

3011 The Red Cardinal

A cry of help rang throughout the quiet outskirts of the city.

The skinny figure stumbled on his way as he fled in panic.

Behind him was a lady with long, wavy tawny-blonde hair. She quickened her pace as she chased after the man with strange irises like a fearless warrior.

Her graceful pace was much faster than the man who staggered. The man with strange irises climbed up like a monkey. He ran quickly through the trees, windowsills, and polls. He was as fast as lightning.

However, regardless of how many kilometers he ran, when he turned around, he always saw Parina’s upright figure on the intersection of the road. She stared at him icily. She was intimidating.

Bam!

The man with strange irises was as frightened as a street rat. He hit a garbage truck on the corner of the street before crawling backward in the middle of the garbage.

“I-I never kill people. I didn’t kill any women. I stole women’s bodies from the hospital. They were supposed to be cremated. My job is to… I confess I am a cremator!” The man with strange irises tried to show her his professional documents. But he realized he hadn’t brought anything with him.

“Who gave you the permission to hunt people?” Parina questioned him again.

“You’re the first one I approached. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I know you have assigned the Nyx Goddess to stop me from embarking on a criminal path. Thank you so much.” The man with strange irises got up, then he fell on his knees before Parina in the middle of the garbage.

“If you don’t answer my question, I’ll show you the Creator’s Power from an Execution Sage!” Parina walked up to him and stepped on the back of his head.

The man’s nose was broken. Blood streamed down his face. He let out a cry. He was so scared that he trembled.

“He’s a Black Druggist. He sent me some… dead bodies. He knew about my skill, so he threatened me to do things as per his orders,” said the trembling man.

“Did he come here alone?” asked Parina.

“He came with an Eastern woman. The Eastern woman wore a red robe.” When he mentioned the woman, his face changed. He looked as if he was certain he would die now that he had exposed the woman.

“Where did you meet them?” asked Parina.

“Inside a private mansion.”

“Take me there.”

“I…”

“You don’t have a choice!”

…

They passed by bustling streets. The fragrance of olives filled the city. Parina took the man in chains as they went to a residential area where wealthy men lived.

The roads were spotless. The green forest was neatly trimmed. It looked like an ancient, noble manor filled with Greek majesty. The residence located halfway up the mountain was in sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city.

They arrived at a luxurious mansion. It was a large vintage house. The clean and exquisite French windows did not affect its overall style. In fact, it brought out its nobility and grandeur.

“You better think carefully. Are you sure this is where you met up with them?” Parina tugged at the shackles and pulled at the man.

The man got up from the floor and said firmly, “There’s a bronze statue inside. You can see it once you enter through the door.”

Parina took a few steps forward. She indeed saw a majestic bronze statue. It was the statue of the bust of a Tyrant Titan.

“Don’t play tricks with me. This is the Tulce family’s property. Are you taking advantage of the Tulce family’s downfall by shifting the blame on them?!” said Parina furiously.

“Why would I try to trick you? I met them here. They even provided a craft room for me. There are still some flakes of human skin left inside the staircase on the first floor.”

“Did the Tulce family provide that to you?” Parina asked in disbelief.

“I’m not sure if it was really the Tulce family, but this is where I worked,” said the man cautiously.

Parina looked solemn.

She could not conclude that the Tulce family was involved in this case based on his words alone. She had to go inside the craft room and see for herself. She wanted to see if the remnants of the flakes of human skin were really there.

“We’ll sneak inside. If there’s nothing there, I’ll use you as my raw material and craft an urn following your way!” said Parina coldly.

“No! My craft doesn’t make anyone feel pain. You don’t know how to avoid inflicting pain on them. You’ll only torture me instead.”

“I didn’t say I particularly like crafting.”

…

The vintage mansion did not have foolproof security. Parina sneaked in effortlessly. When she reached inside the staircase as mentioned by the man, she saw a craft room. There were dozens of carving knives, polishers, and small drills of different scales and precision on the table…

The smell of blood was strong. Although the place looked clean, Parina sensed that it was as filthy and brutal as a slaughterhouse.

“There are some strands of hair here. They seem to belong to a man with a strong figure.”

“I suppose so… I also don’t know who he is.”

“Dust. No, I mean, they are not dust. They are finely ground bone powder.”

The man with strange irises showed Parina the traces of his crime one by one.

“Were they still alive when you did this?” Parina frowned. She noticed a lot of blood stains on the machine.

“They were dead.”

“Are you sure?!”

“I…”

“I give you one last chance. Were they still alive when they were brought in here? Tell me now!” Parina could not quite contain her anger.

This looked like torture! This was brutal!

“Some of them… were still alive.” The man with strange irises finally spoke the truth.

Upon hearing this, Parina felt like she couldn’t breathe properly.

What kind of hatred led to doing something like this? A quick death seemed like a luxury in the face of such a thing.

“No pain. I guarantee you that they didn’t feel even the slightest bit of pain. My handiwork will only bring them happiness,” the man with strange irises said with great conviction.

“Shut up!” Parina wished she could stomp on his head and crush it.

The man with strange irises dared not say anything more.

Parina instructed him to collect all the crime evidence. She was aware that the matter was serious. She had to inform Ye Xinxia as soon as possible. She also had to inform the Hall Mother…

“It’s the Red Cardinal. Did you see her face?!” asked Parina.

“I did not dare to look at her. Perhaps, you can—” said the man with strange irises.

“What are you talking about?” Parina was stunned.

“She’s upstairs.”

Parina stood on the staircase. She was about to take a step but abruptly came to a halt. She felt as if she had been frozen by a certain power.

The woman was inside the house!

She was the Red Cardinal!