Gathering Wives with a System Chapter 435: Yang Energy, Corruption?

Gusts of wind screamed across the valley.

Isaac and Alice advanced cautiously along the slim trail squeezed between sheer cliffs. Towering barren rock faces soared upward on either side, creating a natural channel that whipped the winds into savage bursts. Even wrapped in their heavy cloaks, chilling drafts still pierced through, yanking at the cloth.

Gravel and loose rocks ground under their boots with each step.

Silence hung between them for some time.

They waited patiently.

Based on the intel Avery had deliberately leaked, two Ladder of Heaven members bearing crucial secrets were heading to a kingdom tied to the Moon Dragons. This rumor had been whispered through networks the Sword Empress’s spies were sure to pick up.

Should Isaac’s plan unfold as intended, agents from her forces would swoop in to seize them.

Alice shattered the quiet at last. "How long do you think it will take before they show up?"

Isaac scanned the encircling cliffs before replying. "They’ve probably been watching us for a while already."

Alice cocked her head a bit, eyeing the mountaintops.

"I thought so. This valley feels too quiet," she said.

Fiercer winds howled once more, kicking up dust clouds in the sky.

Suddenly, Isaac sprang into action.

His hand lashed out, seizing Alice’s wrist.

"Move."

Simultaneously, he yanked her back and leaped from their previous position.

A huge slash ripped open the earth.

Rocks shattered as though an unseen blade had cleaved right through. The fissure stretched meters wide over the stony trail, profoundly sharp and precise.

Dust and pebbles clouded the air briefly.

Alice eyed the ruined terrain, then peered up at the cliffs.

A nonchalant voice rang out from overhead.

"Oh, you dodged it?"

Isaac raised his gaze.

A silhouette leaped from the high cliff and touched down softly ahead of them. The drop from such altitude produced scarcely a whisper.

The figure rose straight as gusts toyed with his lengthy green locks, bound in a casual ponytail at his rear.

Isaac identified him at once.

Gael.

A disciple of the Sword Empress and now serving as a vice general in her ranks.

Gael appeared human initially, yet scrutiny uncovered the anomalies. Four arms graced his form rather than two, and his eyes held an eerie cast—black sclera encircling vivid blue irises that faintly shimmered.

His face stayed loose, nearly playful.

Isaac’s eyes darted subtly.

Additional shadows emerged atop the ridges.

Troops positioned themselves along the valley’s cliffs on both flanks. Bows gripped some, while others conjured magical arrays with luminous runes hovering nearby. None had guns, logical given Moon Dragons’ monopoly on cutting-edge combat tech.

All arms trained on Isaac and Alice.

Gael tracked Isaac’s look and let out a laugh.

"You two don’t look surprised," he said.

"We expected this. In fact, we were hoping that you would capture us," Isaac replied calmly.

Reactions erupted instantly.

Soldiers perched above went rigid.

Weapons twitched as fighters refined their sights, mages bolstering their incantations. Gazes swept the nearby cliffs and valley base with heightened vigilance.

Should a ambush lurk, they refused to drop their guard.

Gael kept his laid-back grin regardless.

"Why were you hoping for that?" he asked.

Isaac held his tongue momentarily.

He observed Gael in silence.

That casual stance could deceive the naive, yet Isaac saw through it. Gael’s poise stemmed from genuine power.

Weaker than Avery he might be, but far from feeble. Gael remained an Overlord of an Apex rank species.

At length, Isaac responded. "Do you know what kind of special intelligence we have?"

Gael arched a brow.

Rather than reply, he waved one hand casually.

"Go on."

Isaac flicked a quick look at the cliffside soldiers. "Can you send the troops away first? If they hear the news, it could become problematic."

Gael burst into laughter.

"Send away the troops? What kind of trap is this? Only children would fall for something like that."

"So you’re not sending them away. You must be worried that you’ll be taken out if you stay here with us alone," he said. "I understand." Isaac nodded to himself.

Gael just grinned back.

The lure dangled far too blatantly. Only kids would bite. Yet Gael’s displayed temperament suggested he’d accept, viewing it as a slight to his might.

Yet within Gael’s thoughts, matters differed sharply.

Behind his calm smile, Gael’s mind raced, dissecting every detail.

He’d tracked these pair since their entry into the wind valley.

Orders for intel on them had gone out too.

Reports pegged Isaac as an Officer, Alice a Team Leader in the Ladder of Heaven.

Issue was, their power levels clashed wildly with those titles.

Gael eyed Isaac intently.

’That man is definitely only Adept rank.’

Still, his aura felt off.

’He can fight Elites. No... he can fight Masters. Masters belonging to Apex rank species. If he has hidden abilities, he might even be able to fight Champions.’

The female posed another puzzle.

Gael shifted his gaze to Alice.

She lingered serene by Isaac’s side, unfazed by the barrage of aimed weapons.

’She isn’t normal either.’

Energy emanated from her, detectable to Gael.

Yang energy.

Yang energy embodied power, clarity, resolve, and the like. Bearers tended toward upright, direct natures.

Alice’s version, though, proved complex.

’There’s something even purer hidden deeper inside her yang energy. And beneath that purity... something feels wrong. It’s almost as if the root of her being is corrupted.’

A faint murkiness, a corruption lurked inside. Gael couldn’t pinpoint it fully.

He’d spotted these traits before, during surveillance.

This deepened the mystery.

Strong as they were, these two couldn’t overpower Sword Empress’s troops in open clash. If vital secrets burdened them, why journey solo?

Isaac broke in once more. "Are you wondering why we were sent by ourselves if we have special intelligence?"

Gael blinked.

A subtle smile curved his lips.

"Am I?"

He sidestepped a straight answer.

Isaac stayed unruffled.

"We showed them some of our abilities. Once they saw that we could defend ourselves, they agreed to let us handle the journey alone," he said calmly.

A glint flashed in Gael’s eyes.

For long moments, he appraised Isaac, pondering options inwardly.

Eventually, his smile returned.

"Alright. Let’s see what you have to talk about. If it’s nothing interesting or if you are lying, we can just imprison you and torture you for the truth," he said.

His voice stayed breezy, like chatting about rain.

The soldiers overhead, though, radiated tension.

Gael raised an arm, signaling.

Ridge-top forces wavered.

Exchanges of glances passed among several. Mages sustained their glowing circles, archers kept strings taut. Not one relished abandoning their vice general to two enigmas.