The identity of Giant Tree Academy and involvement in the incident facilitated the capture process smoothly.

The defendant, defense lawyer, and even the presiding judge were listed as suspects and searched. While the city guards were searching the jury, news came from the police station: the defense lawyer died from a curse during transportation.

They unexpectedly encountered the dark side of Midnight City.

Claire's task in this event ended here, and the subsequent developments no longer concerned Lu Li and Claire. Once the Knights Order intervened and the dithering city guard officers and police chief were quickly investigated, it was only a matter of time before the roots were exposed.

"It won't be long, they're just a bunch of rats hiding from the light."

Claire's status shielded her from any pressure from the upper echelons, but as for Lu Li? Those rats should be grateful he didn't pursue them.

"Let's go back and wait for news then."

Claire stretched lazily, unwinding broken bandages encircling runes of dark red brimming with some strange power, then re-covering them with fresh bandages.

Their return journey passed along King's Boulevard, which was cordoned off near an intersection, preventing public passage.

Claire's bandaged hand tightened and relaxed; the blockade wasn't for them, the entire King's Boulevard was temporarily sealed.

She looked towards the city center: "The Midnight Church or the royal family outing?"

Soon, from the whispers of the surrounding crowd, Claire got the answer: one of the competing factions in the top ten tournament, the Bloodline Family Alliance, had arrived in Midnight City.

In the direction beyond their line of sight towards the outer city, a series of carriages slowly approached.

Chestnut-red horses bore luxurious carriages emblazoned with family crests. More than the carriages themselves or their unseen passengers, the pure and untainted horses elicited amazement from the crowd.

Breeding pure horses is time-consuming, labor-intensive, pointless, and costly, but precisely what a family of true noble blood would do.

As the leading knights and carriages passed by, the people's attention shifted to the riding figures within the carriage convoy.

These young nobles exhibited a proud yet elegant demeanor, their attire impeccable, their features handsome. They were likely the contestants from the Bloodline Family Alliance.

As impressive family crests passed by, nearing the end of the convoy, Claire beside him suddenly tensed her body.

Simultaneously, Lu Li experienced an indescribable wave of nausea and revulsion.

"Release the Cursed Title! Attack the Exorcist... suicidal."

The echo lingered in the air only to be shattered by an explosion. Claire transformed into a blur, crashing into the convoy, sending the city guards spinning like paper dolls.

A fist-shadow dropped; a gale lifted her cloak, revealing a face twisted with residual malice.

Boom——

The horse's wail ceased abruptly, and the figure's legs turned into indistinct pulpy masses, splattering the pavement, walls, and city guard armor.

"Who are you...!?"

The young man whose legs were lost fell into a graffiti-like pool of blood, gritting his teeth and roaring, like a trapped beast intent on invoking the Bloodline Curse, then suddenly noticed the silhouette of the approaching black robe with a faint light of a young tree emerging behind.

"A Controller!" The wary young man froze.

More importantly, he remembered Claire's cold shout as she rushed forward.

Exorcist...

"Go ahead and curse, you'll be the first to die."

Claire coldly whispered, her beast-like pupils locked onto the young man posing in the pool of blood.

Pure strength could be considered nearly invincible to some extent, but its advantages and drawbacks were equally glaring.

When faced with rituals, corruption, and curses, such power differed little from ordinary people—yet Claire's Alchemist mother compensated for her shortcomings.

However, upon realizing who the enemy was, the young man no longer wanted to retaliate; his pale face endured the intense pain and waited.

Clop—— clop—— clop——

A perfectly white stallion, without a speck of hue, barged into the conflict.

"Exorcist... Lu Li, correct?" Calm Alexis Monsk gazed down at Lu Li: "Long have I heard your name. I am Alexis Monsk, son of the current Clan Leader of the Monsk Family."

The convoy in front continued moving, forcing the one behind to halt, as some gazes cast upon them. Compared to the uniform "shock" and "yearning" of the crowd and city guards behind, these looks bore ridicule, appreciation, indifference, and curiosity.

Alexis Monsk then glanced at Claire, recognizing her identity from the pure strength she exhibited: "Daughter of the Mother Dragon... why harm members of the Monsk Family."

"You should ask your family members what they did."

"Saud."

Alexis Monsk slightly tilted his head.

The young man with severed legs, sweating profusely in pain, whispered, "They ruined my business... left a trace, I didn't know it was Lu Li and the daughter of the Mother Dragon."

"Seems it's your fault then..." Alexis Monsk returned his gaze to Lu Li and Claire, his tranquil eyes skimming past the dissipating young tree and tender sprouts bursting from stone crevices behind Lu Li.

"The Monsk Family will not cover for criminals, we will punish Saud—"

"Trying to take away a human traitor who attacked an Exorcist?" Claire rudely interrupted. She knew what these families were thinking from her childhood interactions with Bloodline Families—to maintain the prestige of Bloodline Families.

Any punishment outside the family is a lynching, an affront to family dignity.

But this time was different; the opposition was Lu Li, the daughter of Chris.

After a brief silence, Alexis Monsk displayed a gentle smile: "Then how about handing him over to the Knights Order? I believe they will judge fairly."

Claire looked at Lu Li, nodding softly: "Okay."

The Honor Knight Order knights waiting for the result approached, providing aid to the unconscious Saud due to blood loss.

Alexis Monsk allowed the Knights Order to take Saud, who had become a family disgrace, away, his deep blue eyes fixed on Lu Li.

"Exorcist, we'll see you at the March tournament."

The young noble elegantly lifted the reins, returning to lead his family's convoy forward.

"Those self-proclaimed noble but foolish families," Claire referred to the convoy gradually moving away: "They are like parasites, never assuming responsibility, only endlessly consuming."

Yet such a view brims with bias—the Bloodline Families have always been at the forefront of combating the bizarre.

Although their pride is indeed hard to appreciate.

"Even in their eyes, you're just a nouveau riche like an upstart, isn't that ironic?" Claire had grown up hearing tales of Lu Li, knowing that his reputation among the Bloodline Families wasn't held in as high esteem as among the general populace.

"I thought the ancient Bloodline Families would have basic manners and etiquette." Lu Li withdrew his gaze, his eyes slightly lowered towards the blood-clad street.

"Well, not all of them are entirely bad people." Claire shrugged, following Lu Li's gaze to the bloodied trail left by the carriages: "Did you notice something?"

"The horses are innocent."

"What?"

"Next time, directly target the culprit."

"Got it!"

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