A gentle breeze rustled through the woods, sending a few withered leaves spinning around Victor’s fallen body.

Murphy stood motionless, a drop of blood slowly dripping from the tip of his Knight’s Sword to stain the withered grass a deep, dark red.

The faint sound of footsteps approached from a distance, and Margaret’s figure emerged from the deep shade of the forest.

She was still dressed in her Maid’s uniform. The gray, woolen long dress looked out of place in the woods, but it did nothing to diminish her innate noble air.

Her long, black hair fluttered gently in the autumn wind, and her dark green eyes shimmered with a complex light under the dappled sunlight.

She stopped a few paces away from Murphy. Her gaze swept over Victor’s lifeless body on the ground, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly. "Master, everything has been taken care of. I have the two Wizard Apprentices who fled to the northwest under my control."

SHING!

Murphy slowly sheathed his sword, the blade scraping against the scabbard with a crisp sound.

He turned around, his voice calm. "Is everything confirmed?"

"Of the five targets, you eliminated three, Master, and Maggie captured two alive," Margaret said with a slight nod. "I had people patrol the other routes as well. No suspicious tracks have been found for now."

Murphy’s gaze lingered on Victor’s corpse for a moment.

The reason he hadn’t controlled his enemy like Margaret was because this enemy’s Spiritual Power was far greater than the other Wizard Apprentices.

’If I had rashly used [Control Human], I might have been countered.’

’In a life-or-death battle, I can’t afford any accidents.’

’After all, any Magic can be broken. [Control Human] is far from invincible.’

The huge commotion he had deliberately caused in the castle corridor was also part of his carefully designed strategy.

On one hand, it was to awe the territory with the might of a Great Knight.

On the other, it was also to drive the cowardly Wizard Apprentices out of the castle, preventing them from causing further damage if they remained undiscovered.

Just as he expected, these Wizard Apprentices, hunted everywhere by the Church Court and the Shepherd Headquarter District, had fled in a panic the moment they heard the noise.

Murphy then continued with his psychological tactics. He first made noise as if in pursuit, only to suddenly unleash his Black Light Mana at the last moment while activating the [Shadow Ring] to advance stealthily.

He ended up blocking the strongest Wizard Apprentice’s escape route, catching him completely by surprise. He used a secondary effect of [Control Human] just enough to stun the man for an instant, then killed him.

BZZZT!

Just then, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him.

Murphy’s body swayed almost imperceptibly, and he instinctively reached out to steady himself against a nearby tree trunk.

The rough bark dug into his palm as countless foreign pieces of knowledge flooded his mind like a tidal wave.

[Celestial Craftsmanship - Initial Glimpse]

The term surfaced in the depths of his consciousness, followed by a series of profound and mysterious Artifact Refining Techniques.

Control of the Refining True Flame, identification and tempering of Spiritual Materials, the secrets of inscribing Dao Patterns...

All sorts of Artifact Refining arts from the Cultivation Realm poured into his mind like a river of stars flowing in reverse.

"Master?" Margaret, keenly sensing something was wrong, immediately stepped forward to support his arm. A flash of genuine concern crossed her now-pitch-black eyes. "What’s wrong? Are you injured?"

Murphy closed his eyes to focus, taking a deep breath.

The fresh forest air, filled with the scent of earth and decaying leaves, filled his lungs, slightly alleviating the dizziness.

He could feel the newly acquired knowledge of Artifact Refining slowly settling in his consciousness. Countless Artifact Refining Techniques, Spiritual Materials Atlases, and Dao Pattern Atlases were weaving themselves into a complex network of information in his mind.

"It’s nothing," he said, slowly opening his eyes. His voice was as calm as ever.

He gently pulled away from Margaret’s supporting grip and straightened up. "I was just thinking about something. Those two... are you sure you have them under control?"

Margaret studied his face carefully. "Completely under my control," she replied softly, her tone confident. "They’re like marionettes now. They can’t even blink without my permission. Would you like to interrogate them now, Master?"

Murphy shook his head, his gaze becoming clear once more.

He glanced around, surveying the forest environment, while subconsciously beginning to analyze the Knight’s Sword in his hand with his new Artifact Refining knowledge.

’The metal’s grain, forging flaws, blockages in its Spirituality conduction...’ These judgments surfaced in his mind naturally.

"How are the wedding guests?" he asked.

Margaret answered, "The commotion in the castle has died down, and the guests have been pacified. I told them that it was Lord Melfield who took action."

Murphy nodded slightly, approving of this solution.

Compared to a mysterious method like [Control Human], which might attract the Church Court’s attention, awing the territory with the martial power of a Great Knight was obviously more convincing. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The identity of Melfield was real, and the real Melfield did indeed possess power approaching that of a Great Knight, making the explanation plausible.

As for the difference in appearance, Margaret would naturally take care of that.

Margaret continued, "Mistress Aurora was a bit frightened, but she’s not seriously harmed. I’ve already arranged for Maids to accompany her and ensure her safety. As for the two controlled Wizard Apprentices..."

"Lock them up for now," Murphy interrupted, casting one last, cold glance at Victor’s body. "Clean this place up. Leave no trace. Those two... I will interrogate them myself later."

"Yes, Master," Margaret responded respectfully. She gently raised her hand, and a faint green light glowed at her fingertips. A subtle mist immediately began to rise in the woods.

The mist writhed like a living thing, slowly covering Victor’s corpse and beginning to devour flesh and bone with a faint SIZZLING sound.

As for Murphy, he had already turned and was walking back toward the castle.

...

Sunlight filtered through the stained-glass windows, casting colorful patterns of light and shadow in Aurora’s bedroom.

Murphy gently pushed open the carved wooden door and saw Aurora sitting before her vanity, two Maids arranging the ornaments in her hair.

"Leave us," Murphy said flatly.

The Maids immediately bowed and retreated from the room without a sound, gently closing the door behind them.

Aurora’s attire today was breathtakingly beautiful.

She wore an exquisite silver coronet, its inlaid Sapphires and diamonds arranged in an alternating pattern, resembling snow-capped peaks and crystalline glaciers.

An ivory-white silk wedding gown clung to her slender figure, the collar and cuffs embroidered with the Duval Clan’s sigil of mountains and rivers in silver thread.

The gown’s hem cascaded in layers around her chair, like a waterfall flowing down a mountainside.

Through her thin, white silk stockings, the graceful curve of her legs was faintly visible.

On her feet were a pair of white high heels with silver-thread embroidery. The vamps were adorned with tiny Pearls strung into the shape of Snowball Flowers, shimmering dazzlingly in the midday sun.

"Brother..." Aurora saw Murphy’s reflection in the mirror and turned around gently.

Her golden hair cascaded from beneath the coronet, accentuating the clarity of her azure eyes, which were as pure as an alpine lake.

Her meticulously shaped eyebrows were like distant, mist-shrouded mountains, and the faint rouge on her lips was like a rose blooming in the snow.

Murphy walked up behind her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Were you frightened?" His voice was softer than usual.

Aurora shook her head slightly, her Sapphire earrings swaying with the movement. "With you here, Brother, I’m not afraid of anything." She raised her hand and placed it over the back of his. "I just heard the commotion outside and was a little worried about you."

Murphy bent down, resting his chin gently on the top of her head. The metal of the coronet felt slightly cool, and a faint, clean scent of snow floated from her hair. "It was just a few petty thieves. They’ve been dealt with."

He noticed the slight tremor in her fingertips and took her small, cold hand in his.

"You look beautiful in this," Murphy said softly.

A blush crept onto Aurora’s face. "I chose it myself. I thought it would suit the status of the Duval Clan while also showing the unique character of the Northern Territory."

Murphy’s gaze fell on the Sapphire necklace around her neck.

It was the birthday gift he had given her when she turned eight. The gem was cut into the shape of a mountain peak, and it looked even more brilliant now against her wedding gown.

"Do you remember what you were like the first time you wore this necklace?"

"How could I forget?" A gentle smile bloomed in Aurora’s eyes. "I was too short to reach the mirror back then. I had to make you hold me up just so I could see."

The midday sun streamed through the window, coating the entire room in a layer of gold.

From a distance came the bustling sounds of wedding preparations, and the faint chatter and laughter of the guests below the castle could be heard.

"The wedding is about to begin," Murphy said, his fingers gently combing through her golden hair. "Are you nervous?"

But Aurora tightened her grip on his hand. "I’m fine. But you..." She looked up, her azure eyes full of concern. "You really weren’t hurt just now, were you?"

"Don’t worry," Murphy said with a slight smile. "The person who can hurt me hasn’t been born yet."

Just then, an Attendant’s respectful voice came from outside the door: "My lord, my lady, the wedding ceremony is ready. The guests are all waiting in the grand hall."

Aurora slowly rose to her feet, the silver sigil on her wedding gown shimmering dazzlingly in the sunlight.

She gave her coronet one last adjustment and flashed a radiant smile at Murphy. "Let’s go."

Murphy took her hand and placed a light kiss on the back of her silver glove.

DONG!

The sun was shining brightly as the wedding bells began to ring leisurely across the castle grounds.