The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1817

With the formation at Granville Village now dispelled, all the female spirits were free to journey to the afterlife. As for the cultivators, they still had to leave the village to use the teleportation formation. Raleigh, though, appeared to have been bitten as his arm bled uncontrollably.

Wynter pondered about the situation in the real world. Since entering the formation, she had been blind to everything unfolding outside. Yet, one thing was certain—the Sacrificial Human Formation had stopped expanding. That was a relief for the ordinary citizens as no more lives would be lost.

However, Wynter couldn't help feeling worried. After all, the Southern Cascadia Chamber of Commerce might face challenges during her absence. She had only just taken charge, but there was still so much to handle.

That said, she had started to piece things together as time passed. It would seem that the mastermind behind the Sacrificial Human Formation was Isidore Camron, Mt. Lunther's sage.

Every formation Wynter stepped into traced back to Isidore pulling the strings. While possessing Clyde, he manipulated the Winston family against the Quinnells.

Initially, Wynter had believed Isidore was after the Quinnell family's fortune. His motive was reasonable, considering how thriving business areas had always drawn crowds since ancient times.

However, Wynter soon realized Isidore's ambition went far beyond riches—he sought absolute power. If he had ever seized control of the Southern Cascadia Chamber of Commerce, he would've achieved his goals by now. In a position of ultimate authority, every decision would be shaped solely by his will.

It was much like the sects within the formation. Though they had been eradicating demons in the name of justice, true justice was nowhere to be found. None of the villagers met a peaceful end.

It reminded Wynter of the story "Three Monkeys". In the tale, Humatiel and his group set out from Dasparia to retrieve the holy scriptures. But as they drew closer to the gods, the demons plaguing the people only grew stronger.

Even the priests had their own demands. When Humatiel refused to offer any, they faced the final trial, during which the holy scriptures fell into the water. Upon learning of the incident, the god Vethos criticized Humatiel and his group instead of rebuking the greedy priests.

Vethos believed they should've offered more, criticizing them for failing to manage their interpersonal relationships.

In the same way, the injustice became more apparent as one neared the cultivation world. It was far from coincidental. More importantly, Wynter recognized Isidore from the previous formations.

Back when Cascadia was in the midst of war, Isidore had betrayed his homeland for his own ambitions. He created an Arcane diagram to help the Foplyans, a treacherous act considered so dishonorable in the cultivation world that even the most deceitful mediums wouldn't dare to commit it.

Such a betrayal marked Isidore as unworthy of being called human. However, Wynter had only encountered him while he was inhabiting another's body back then. She had never faced him in person until now.

Wynter glanced at Raleigh, fixing her gaze on his bleeding arm.

Dalton, now an adult like his counterpart in the real world, noticed her gaze. Holding the parasol, he stepped aside slightly, as if waiting for Wynter to approach. Unfortunately, she was too lost in her thoughts.

If Isidore had intended to possess Logan, he must have begun his schemes during that time. The grim spirits had mentioned seeking a rare constitution for the statue, and Logan's horoscope was indeed unique—unless someone with Tobias' constitution existed.

However, both Tobias and Elliot were Wynter's fellow disciples within the formation.

Given Ailithir's protective nature, the statue would never have been able to reach Tobias, known as Michan, in the formation. Even if Isidore attempted to get close to Michan, Ailithir would've seen through the deception.

For Isidore, working his scheme at Mt. Lunther was much easier, especially when Raleigh was his own disciple. Taking that into account, Wynter couldn't casually dismiss Raleigh's wound. Typically, most contracts were sealed in blood.

Raleigh walked ahead, carrying both Jaylene and Carlton. Without hesitation, Wynter took out an elixir and handed it to him.

"Treat your arms first, or it'll get worse," she urged. She couldn't afford any accidents, particularly with the possibility of bumping into Isidore after the teleportation formation was activated.

Yet, Dalton saw the interaction in a completely different light. Since Wynter entered the formation, he had witnessed many sides of her—languid, passionate, and even defiant. But not once had he seen her so genuinely concerned or anxious.

As Wynter was too focused on tending to Raleigh's wound, she didn't notice Dalton's expression. The sight was unbearable for him, as if a blade pierced through his eyes. Watching from the side, he couldn't help but blurt out in a surprisingly bitter tone, "You're so nice to the others."

Wynter was surprised and puzzled by his comment. "We're all fellow disciples. Shouldn't we look out for each other? What's wrong with that?"

She couldn't possibly tell him that she knew Logan in the real world. Despite her average skills, she knew better than revealing certain secrets.

Upon entering a formation, the cultivator must prevent the beings from recognizing that they were either from the past or mere attachments. Otherwise, it would lead to unwanted troubles.

Besides, Dalton had always been different from the norm. Moreover, he had grown from a young man into an adult in the blink of an eye. It was clear he was no mere mortal.

Wynter was highly alerted to such anomalies. If anything did go astray, she would claim possession as the cause. After all, it was a more plausible explanation than admitting that she had entered a formation.

Dalton turned away, not wanting Wynter to catch sight of his glum expression. "Nothing," he said indifferently.

But deep inside, a surge of emotion refused to subside. A voice urged him to make Wynter realize the cost of her deception. No cultivators dared make fun of the heavens—no one but her.

Amidst the shifting light and shadow, Dalton stood tall, holding the parasol. Though his handsome face betrayed no displeasure, his lips subtly quirked, carrying an unspoken obsession.

Wynter better be the woman he believed her to be, or he would deal with her in his own way. Such was the notion buried deep within Dalton's gaze.

No one should ever pry into the heavenly laws.