The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1809

Dalton wondered if Wynter truly saw him as a tool. Besides, why did she have to save anyone and everyone?

Dalton lifted his eyes slightly. Whenever he looked at people like this, he always exuded a cold, aloof pride.

Desiree watched him cautiously, not daring to speak. She couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

Wynter, on the other hand, moved closer to him. When she spoke, her breath brushed against his jawline. "Mr. Glaisne's thunder tribulation came unexpectedly.

"Although cultivators who fail to ascend must indeed face such trials, the sheer number of evil causes hanging over Mt. Nyxvarn clearly indicates that someone has been shifting their own misdeeds onto us."

Dalton listened quietly, saying nothing. The parasol he had been holding earlier was now set aside. The only thing he felt was how close Wynter was to him. Normally, he would have moved away, but for some reason, he didn't this time.

He allowed her hair and breath to gradually brush against him. It felt as if she might lean into his embrace at any moment when she spoke to him like this.

Unconsciously, Dalton recalled the Sablemare that had tried to tempt him earlier. His eyes darkened, inscrutable, as if he were thinking of something else.

His gaze, however, inadvertently fell on her lips. They were pale, but their very paleness seemed to evoke an inexplicable desire. It made him want to reach out and rub them until they turned red.

Dalton's eyes suddenly became as dark as the depths of the underworld despite his neutral expression.

Wynter didn't notice the change in him and continued with her speculation. "That sage of mine has been missing for years after getting kicked out from the sect. It's said that he perished, but no one has seen his body. I suspect he—"

Before Wynter could finish, a mournful scream echoed from outside.

The other four reacted immediately. "That sounds like the people from Mt. Lunther!"

Feradach turned to Dalton. "Didn't you see them when you came in?"

Logically, they should have run into each other.

Dalton didn't respond. He couldn't exactly tell them that he had indeed encountered them but had chosen to pretend he hadn't. The grim spirits that avoided him had mostly gone to the place where the Mt. Lunther's members had sent their distress signal.

Wynter wouldn't have cared if it weren't for the fact that Logan was among them. Not only was his constitution special, but his presence both inside and outside the formation suggested deeper connections.

"We'll leave it at that first. You'll come with us. We're leaving now," Wynter said to Desiree.

Wynter acted decisively. They needed to leave before dawn while also obtaining the Soul-Returning Herb. Moreover, judging by the screams, those people wouldn't last much longer.

Desiree glanced at Dalton again. Seeing no objection from him, she quietly slipped into the purple sugilite pendant Wynter carried with her.

She had initially wanted to hide in the parasol, as being closer to Dalton meant the heavenly law would bind her less. But she was too afraid of his gaze, and there was something warm about Wynter that made her feel a sense of security.

Wynter, however, seemed accustomed to it. It wasn't like she hadn't kept malevolent spirits with her before. Besides, Desiree was a witness.

She pushed the door open and walked out. Strangely, although the village's prosperity had vanished, there were no grim spirits in sight. They seemed to have disappeared, and even the earlier screams felt like they had never happened.

The four of them were also puzzled. "Where did the grim spirits go?"

Desiree, hiding in the purple sugilite pendant, didn't speak. She figured that the grim spirits wouldn't act as they had before with Dalton present. But the current situation was something she had rarely encountered.

Desiree narrowed her eyes before asking, "Is there someone with a rare constitution among the people who entered this time?"

"Rare constitution? What does that mean?" Feradach and the others didn't understand.

Wynter, however, seemed to recall something and nodded. "There is."

"Then, we're in trouble!" Desiree's expression shifted.

Some things here were within her control, but others were not. For example, what was happening now was beyond her influence. These grim spirits had been here for too long, and their resentment had grown beyond her control.

On the surface, they seemed to fear her and didn't dare enter her house. But in reality, they were constantly watching her.

Every year, there were one or two days when they would revert to their living forms. They were at their most sinister during these times. Normally, she would hide during these periods.

This time, their transformation was undoubtedly due to the rare constitution.

Desiree had always wondered if their behavior was also connected to the sacred statue.

Just as she was about to say something, a large crowd had already gathered outside the house, surrounding them in layers. The tremendous number of people staring at Wynter and the others created an eerie atmosphere.

But they looked too much like living souls—not just in appearance but also in energy. As cultivators, they couldn't attack ordinary people. The other four exchanged glances and whispered, "What do we do?"

Using cultivation techniques against ordinary people would bring retribution. However, this place was too strange. There were tons of grim spirits just moments ago, yet they had turned into ordinary villagers. And what were these pools of blood on the ground?

Truth be told, the blood was Dalton's doing. But as for the rest, he was also observing. The curve of his lips was cold. It seemed he hadn't expected anyone to dare play tricks in front of him.

The earth's energy in the air felt like a gift from the heavens.

"What's wrong?" Wynter noticed Dalton's unusual demeanor and turned to ask him. "Are they difficult to deal with?"

Dalton didn't respond.

Instead, an elderly man, Julio Gittings, seemingly respected and enthusiastic, walked over. "It's been a long time since outsiders came to Granville Village. Since you're here, you're our guests. Come, join us in the ritual."

As he spoke, he deliberately avoided Dalton, addressing the four sect apprentices instead.

In fact, Julio wouldn't have wanted to approach Dalton at all if they hadn't come out, but he and the other villagers had no choice. They had finally encountered a rare constitution, and they couldn't miss this opportunity.

The deity had said that the entire village would no longer be trapped here as long as they completed the ritual. For years, they had been confined underground, unable to take even a single step outside.

They had long regretted helping Dmitriy and bullying Desiree, but no one listened to their regrets. Hence, they decided to embrace their role as villains.

At that moment, Mt. Lunther's disciples turned their gazes to Carlton.

Gritting his teeth against the piercing pain, Carlton spoke to Wynter and the others. "Fellow cultivators, I will repay you tenfold once we're out if you can save me today."

His words didn't seem insincere.

The four exchanged glances, and Feradach replied, "Carlton, have you forgotten what you guys did earlier? Especially Jaylene. We almost died at the Sablemare's hands because of her."

Jaylene, who had been mentioned, shook her head frantically. "I... I didn't mean to."

In the past, they might have been fooled by her act. For example, whenever she mentioned Mt. Nyxvarn, she would always hesitate, saying things like, "It's fine. Maybe I'm just not likable, and that's why the seniors prefer Wynter."

Or "Wynter arrived at the mountain before me and was raised by Mr. Glaisne himself. Compared to her, I'm just someone picked up along the way. It's not a surprise that I can't learn the sword."

Back then, they had thought Wynter was bullying her. After all, everyone in the sects knew the temperament of Velmoria's princess—she wasn't someone to be trifled with.

Later, when Jaylene revealed her talent, they assumed Wynter was jealous of her. But upon closer reflection, it was clear that Jaylene had deliberately planted these ideas in their minds. This was the case for everyone in the other sects.

Moreover, a little more thought would reveal how impossible this was. What could Wynter, a princess, possibly be jealous of?

Moreover, regardless of Wynter's spiritual roots, her spells and swordsmanship were likely ten times superior to Carlton's, let alone Jaylene's. The one harboring jealousy might have always been Jaylene herself.

The four of them weren't fools anymore and let out cold laughs. "You know better than anyone whether you meant it or not."

Hearing this, Jaylene turned to Carlton. "Carlton, these people have misunderstood me."

In the past, Carlton would always side with Jaylene. After all, she was his dual cultivation partner, and their fates were intertwined. But today was different. This was a matter of life and death, and these villagers were unnaturally sinister.

As a member of the Elias family, he couldn't afford to die here.

Carlton was adept at reading the situation and knew who was in charge here. His gaze fell on Wynter's face. "Wynter, consider our childhood friendship. I'll speak to my sage when we return if you save me this time. You and I are the most suitable for dual cultivation."

Wynter, aside from being baffled, was also speechless. "You really think you're something special, don't you?"

Carlton had never been so bluntly dismissed before. His face turned red. "Wynter! Have you forgotten how you used to chase after me? You even said I was different from your other boy toys and that you would pursue me seriously."

"Oh, I'm a person of fleeting passions. You should just take it as a passing comment." Wynter couldn't even be bothered to roll her eyes. "Right now, you mean nothing to me."

Carlton gasped for breath, as if on the verge of suffocating.

Dalton, however, after hearing Wynter's words, gave her a serious look.

Wynter didn't notice Dalton's gaze because her focus was on "Logan"—or, Raleigh—who was at the center of the fire. Based on the fire's position and the villagers surrounding it, it was clear that Raleigh was the true chosen sacrifice, while the others were merely bait.

Dalton followed her gaze and suddenly froze, his eyes darkening. It was Raleigh again—the man who made Wynter act differently whenever she saw him.