Dark Currents Rising

Jinyan Province, Shining City.

As the central city of the barony, Shining City is even more prosperous than many viscount territories.

Among the seven baronies of Jinyan Province, the Shining Lands of the Anes-t family indisputably rank first.

Whether in territory size or economic strength, it is not much inferior to a viscount territory.

Unfortunately, this has also attracted the covetous eyes of influential figures, causing the baron position to easily slip from one’s grasp.

Inner Fortress, Bedroom.

Dressed with the help of a young and beautiful maid, Owen Anes-t then proceeded to the dining room, where, just as he sat down to sip warm milk, he saw the secretary walking in hurriedly.

“Lord Baron,” the secretary bowed in greeting.

Owen nodded and said, “You look like you’re in a rush. What urgent matter has come up?”

“There are a few things to report to you, sire.”

“Speak.”

Owen was concise, not pausing his elegant eating motions.

Since ‘inheriting’ the baron position, he had been paying more attention to noble etiquette and working hard to integrate into the circle of noble lords.

And through his efforts, and more importantly with the support of the Jinyan Marquis, many noble lords have shown goodwill towards him.

In time, his status in the noble lord circles will only become more solidified.

Once everything settles down, it will be the moment to thoroughly resolve all future worries.

“Lord Zorf sent a message stating he will attend this year’s harvest festival in Shining City,” the secretary said.

Hearing this, Owen paused slightly, a knowing smile appearing on his slightly chubby face.

“It seems Zorf has finally realized the situation. Very well. What about Norwood and Daewin?”

“They haven’t agreed yet, but they haven’t explicitly refused either. They’re likely still observing.”

Owen’s eyes flashed with disdain, “Observing… Hmph, do they think those two younglings can return to Shining City? Ridiculous notion.”

The secretary flattered, “You’re right, my lord. The two lords will eventually realize you are the true master of the Shining Lands!”

‘The true master of the Shining Lands.’

This title eased Owen’s demeanor, lifting his mood considerably.

“Speaking of which, what are my two nephews up to recently?”

The secretary hesitated a moment before saying, “I’ve heard they plan to restart the Blackstone Mine.”

“Blackstone Mine?” Owen was slightly taken aback.

He had heard of the events in Blackstone City from the past and was naturally aware of the situation at the Blackstone Mine, showing a puzzled expression.

“Do they have a way to deal with the monsters in the mines?”

“I’m not sure about that,” the secretary cautiously explained after glancing at Owen, “Blackstone City has the mine sealed off, so my people can’t ascertain the situation there.”

Seeing Owen frown, he quickly added, “Rest assured, my lord, if the Blackstone Mine is indeed restarted, my people will certainly find out.”

Owen thought the same, choosing not to pursue the matter further, and instead asked, “Is there anything else?”

The secretary quickly added, “One more thing, just yesterday, Count Storm was attacked by the Starfire Sect while hunting and suffered serious injuries. The Storm Lands are in complete chaos now.”

Clang!

The crisp sound of knife and fork hitting a porcelain plate resonated.

Upon hearing the news, Owen’s earlier elegant demeanor vanished, as he laid down his knife and fork, standing up with a solemn expression, “Serious injuries? How severe?”

The secretary hesitated, “He has been unconscious for a day and night and still hasn’t woken up.”

Owen’s expression changed slightly.

By the looks of it, Count Storm’s situation was dire indeed.

Owen sat back in his chair, his expression wavering.

He didn’t care about Count Storm’s fate, but rather about the subsequent impact of this affair.

Count Storm was one of the two most powerful counts in Jinyan Province, second only to Marquis Jinyan.

Unlike Earl Winterfrost, who had close ties with Marquis Jinyan, Count Storm was always somewhat distant from the marquis, if not outright cold.

To Marquis Jinyan, who sought to control the entire Jinyan Province, Count Storm’s existence was a thorn in the side.

Others may not realize it, but Owen knew well that Marquis Jinyan’s relationship with the Starfire Sect was not simple.

The fact that he could seize the Shining Barony had the Starfire Sect’s backing as well.

The attack on Count Storm might just have Marquis Jinyan’s fingerprints all over it.

After a moment of silence, Owen said, “Keep an eye on the situation in the Storm Lands. Report any intelligence to me immediately. Also, send Farid to patrol the borders of Norwood and Daewin’s territories under the guise of eradicating bandits.”

Jinyan Province grows increasingly restless, and Owen no longer intends to wait.

He must assert full control over the Shining Lands as soon as possible.

If Norwood and Daewin remain non-compliant, they can’t blame him for employing other methods!

Time passed quickly, and it was already the month of Awakening (March).

It had been over ten days since the discovery of Anger McLean’s laboratory.

Brother Ke Yi sold the black iron from the warehouse through a covert channel, obtaining nearly seven thousand gold coins.

Apart from setting aside some funds for acquiring military equipment and improving the territory, the remainder was all put into the reconstruction of the Blackstone Mine.

Everything was progressing smoothly.

Su Nan did not concern himself with these matters.

Upon returning to Blackstone City, he, as always, immersed himself in studying and training, paying little attention to external affairs.

After reading the books brought back from the laboratory, Su Nan successfully triggered the learning progress for 【Puppet Crafting】.

Compared to Biological Modification and Potion Making, Puppet Crafting encompasses a broader scope and has a higher threshold.

This skill not only includes enchanting knowledge but also incorporates parts of Biological Modification and magic item crafting.

As a result, the learning progress of Puppet Crafting improved more slowly.

Even with the boost from the Lesser Elixir of Activity, the progress had only reached just over 10% after ten days.

Su Nan estimated that it would be until the month of Firestream (July) before he could fully master the Puppet Crafting skill.

On the other hand, his meditation training was progressing very smoothly.

After returning from the Blackstone Mine, Su Nan used the Synthesis Cube that same day to fuse three pieces of Yin Ling Grass.

【Star-marked Yin Ling Grass, purity 15.33%, consuming this will significantly increase mental power, with the specific effect depending on the user’s mental power. The higher the mental power, the weaker the effect. Ineffective for those with 20 or more mental power (inclusive).】

As expected, the effect of the Star-marked Yin Ling Grass synthesized using the Synthesis Cube was even stronger than the simple addition of three pieces of Yin Ling Grass.

After consuming the Star-marked Yin Ling Grass, Su Nan’s mental power skyrocketed by 1.87.

This was roughly equivalent to two months of meditation results.

Thanks to this boon, his mental power soared to 5.77.

The increase in mental power naturally enhanced the efficiency of the Star Ring Meditation Technique.

Meditating increases mental power, and increased mental power, in turn, enhances meditation efficiency.

The two are indeed complementary.

Currently, Su Nan’s meditation for a single day can increase the proficiency of the Star Ring Meditation Technique by about 10 to 12 points.

At this rate, in seven to eight months, he should be able to construct the second Star Ring.

“However, it can actually be even faster.”

“With less financial pressure in Blackstone City, more gold coins can be drawn to purchase materials for crafting more Lesser Elixirs of Activity, which I can then synthesize into more effective potions.”

“This way, meditation efficiency can be further improved.”