What was that? He only saw a glimpse of it but he's a hundred percent sure that the unknown woman was surrounded by black mana. Not only it was surrounded, but it was also inside her. So it only means, this woman is not being chased by black magic; she's an evil cultivator!

He dashed in her direction, then he saw her turn right. The right corner was the entrance to the banquet hall.

"Vidore," he commanded. A black whip appeared on his hand, it was slightly moving on its own as if it can't wait to whip someone, like a snake waiting to attack. He gripped its handle as Vidore wrapped itself around his arm, under his sleeves. It would stay there until it's ready to attack.

He followed the silhouette, it did enter the hall. Finally, he saw its figure. It was indeed a woman. She's wearing a black cloak with a yellow collar, she was lurking behind the champagne flute.

The banquet hall was full of guests even though some of the nobles already left, a lot of them still stayed until now. Everyone's gaze went to him again as he strides to the champagne flute. But then, someone blocked him. He lost her, he rolled his eyes and intensely looked up, this guy is only inches taller than him but he had to look up to see him.

"Duke Shanle, I suggest you move away," he ordered him in a serious tone, Rouise was quite surprised with the change of tone. His tone while chatting with him a while ago was soft and gentle, Sion's tone was roughly like that- it was harsh.

Sion bit his lips trying to find the woman among the crowd, he didn't even see her face- how would he possibly know what she looks like? She's just wearing a black cloak, that's all.

The heels on his shoes made a clicking sound as he stride, wandering everywhere. He felt Rouise was following him but he chose to ignore him.

"Saint, would you mind to bless-"

He ignored a lady who seems to be from a reputable house.

Where could she be-

"KYAAAAAHHH!" their eyes both shifted when someone screamed, following numerous amounts of glass-breaking sounds, the nobles panicked, making the situation worst.

He ran toward the noise, he was dumbfounded when he saw a noble lady choking mid-air. Her body is floating as she holds her neck tightly, it looks like something out of a horror book.

With a hissing sound, Vidore came out from his sleeves and went berserk; Vidore attacked someone from the crowd as it forced Sion's arms to move rapidly. It is the first time Vidore can't be controlled, it sensed great black energy and went to attack it. It usually obeys him.

Rouise, "This whip..."

He caught the woman in a robe, she went flying in their direction and finally dropped in front of them. Her body was full of whip marks and deep wounds. The noble lady dropped too as she catches her breath.

"This is weird."

Sion thought it was some random guy, but it was Rouise who said that while staring at the woman.

Sion, "What's weird?"

Rouise knelt in front of the woman and examined her body, he lifted her cloak and it revealed more whip marks. The guests gasped as they witnessed how the blood oozed out of her body. Usually, if a magician ever uses black magic or cultivated from it, if someone kills them- they would turn to ash immediately. But in this case, it didn't. Instead, she didn't turn into ashes but is in a critical condition.

This is one of Vidore's specialties. Vidore is not just a normal whip that he cultivated since he was young. It is a whip that emerged with a different kind of mana, if someone is injured by this whip- there is no chance for the wounds to heal. It wouldn't heal even if the most famous and best healers tries to heal these wounds. The only way to heal it is to ask him to, only Sion can heal the injuries created by Vidore.

He noticed something on her neck, it seems that Rouise saw it too.

A black snake encircling a sword with thorns. This is his first time seeing this tattoo.

Vidore wrapped himself below Sion's sleeves again, tightening its grip on him. Rouise stared at his arm as Vidore encircled on it. He must be curious.  Vidore wrapped himself on Sion's arm once more before disappearing. It will appear again once Sion calls it.

He arched his back and faced Rouise, "Oh, and before I forgot, where is the young lady that was strangled just now?"

Rouise pointed to a lady in her 20s, wearing an emerald-green dress. she was gasping her breath while caressing her neck. Sion went over her and knelt so that he could be the same height as her.

"Young lady, would you mind moving your hands away?"

The lady slowly removed her hand, revealing a purple bruise wrapped around her neck. By the looks of it, he bet it hurts a lot. There are also small wounds surrounding her neck, the bruise was reddish and purple with a mixture of blood.

Sion stood up and held her neck carefully, "It won't take long."

"What are doing?" Rouise grabbed his hand, he was too surprised so he glared at him.

Sion, "The duke forgot that I'm a saint."

Rouise, "..."

Sion subconsciously rolled his eyes. He turned back to the woman in front of him and recited a simple healing chant. The wounds disappeared and her bruise lightened up. "Done."

She tilted her head and rotate it repeatedly, then suddenly stood up and embraced him. He was taken off guard when she attacked him with a hug.

"I thought I was going to die!" she cried, Sion felt uncomfortable from her tight embrace so he patted her back in return.

"The saint's power is compelling!"

"The saint saved us! He saved us! Don't forget to donate the Holy Tower!"

Oh, there's no need to do that.

Sion turned to Rouise, "If you won't mind, I have to leave to investigate further about this incident. And, I also want to ask permission to take that woman-" he pointed to the lady who just used black mana, "With me."

The woman with the snake tattoo didn't die, since Vidore is a cursing weapon.  It injures a person and almost kills them to death, but they would remain alive even though they lose a huge amount of blood. Vidore's victims would just wish to be killed rather than live with incurable wounds.

Rouise, "I'll permit you, but how can you travel with her? Do you have an assistant with you?"

"Duke Shanle, teleportation exists."

Rouise, "..."

"Rouise, what happened here?"

Suddenly, Duchess Cessia walked in. Where has she been all this time? Is it possible that she didn't hear everyone panicking? She's also calm and was acting like she has no idea what's going on.

A host that's not even aware of everything is useless.

"Your Grace..." he ended up telling her everything. The duchess understood and let him bring that woman to the Magic Tower.

"And for the other details about her..." He eyed the tied woman. "I'll be sending a letter with an update after the investigation." He said those to Rouise, Rouise just nodded and escorted his mother back.

But there's something suspicious here. To try to assassinate someone in front of a crowd is not something the Dark Org would usually do, and Dark Org has a crow as a tattoo- not a snake. The Dark Org is an organization of former sect members and cultivators who cultivated with black mana or inherited it from their ancestors. They usually attack in secret, not where everyone else can see.

Does it seem that a new group of black mana users is trying to introduce themselves into society?

----------