"That talking squirrel… it's as if she has settled deep within the sea of my consciousness,"
Snehwal said in a low voice.
"I don't know what she wants — all I know is that she needs a dead body… and that too, of a young man."
Saying this, he lowered his gaze slightly.
Lily took a deep breath and said,
"You could've told me all this earlier, Snehwal."
Snehwal replied softly,
"I didn't know myself… I only realized it when I reached the Third Stage."
Looking into his eyes, Lily asked,
"Is there anything else… something you're forgetting?"
Snehwal shrugged and said,
"What else?"
He gently moved Lily's hand from his shoulder and lay down on the bed, his legs hanging off the edge.
Stretching his arms, he said,
"But she's the one who brought me this far… maybe she's been kind to me all along."
Lily's expression hardened.
In a calm yet firm tone, she said,
"You don't know, Snehwal… she was a Seventh Stage practitioner."
Snehwal instantly sat up straight.
"What? She… she was a Seventh Stage practitioner?"
Lily looked into his eyes and said slowly,
"Yes… she was a Seventh Stage practitioner."
Before Snehwal could say anything more, there was a sudden knock at the door — it was Lily's elder sister, Ignisa, standing there in a wounded state.
"Sister… help me…" she said weakly.
Lily quickly turned around and shouted,
"Elder sister! What happened to you? Who did this?"
Ignisa's entire body was drenched in blood.
One glance was enough to tell — this was the work of a Sixth Stage practitioner.
In a trembling, fading voice, Ignisa whispered,
"The Shon Yakshini… she…"
Before she could finish her words, she collapsed unconscious on the floor.
Lily rushed forward, caught her in her arms, and gently laid her down on the bed.
"Will she be okay?"
Snehwal asked in a worried voice.
Lily replied briefly, "Yes."
She began healing her sister — a bright light of spiritual energy flowed from her palms, slowly closing Ignisa's deep wounds.
Snehwal stood nearby, watching everything carefully.
Then, in a low voice, he said,
"Shon Yakshini… yes, the one who's ranked third among the Yakshinis."
Lily nodded slightly, confirming his words.
Snehwal placed his hand under his chin, thinking deeply.
"Did she do this on purpose? Did she know we were here?" he asked.
Lily took a deep breath and replied,
"Yes, that must be the reason. She knows Ignisa is my sister… and that I'm staying here.
This isn't an attack — it's a warning."
Snehwal asked,
"So what should we do now?"
Lily answered firmly,
"There's nothing to be afraid of. We'll settle this soon."
Within moments, Ignisa sat up — she looked much better now.
Lily told her to lie back and rest, but Ignisa said softly,
"She must be at the first level of the Sixth Stage… about as strong as you."
Hearing that, confidence returned to Lily's eyes.
She stood up, took a deep breath, and said with determination,
"Then that's good… she started this, and we'll be the ones to finish it."
Ignisa immediately said, "No, there's no point in fighting her. Tomorrow, the city auction will be held — she pressured me to show her all the items that will be presented there. When I refused… she attacked me."
Lily frowned. "Still, that's pure arrogance."
Ignisa sighed. "I know… but tomorrow, we'll defeat her in the auction. Whatever she wants — we'll buy it first."
Lily's eyes lit up with determination.
Hearing this, Snehwal nodded and said,
"That sounds like the right plan."
At that moment, Liora entered the room quickly — her breathing was slightly heavy.
As soon as she stepped in, she said hurriedly,
"The Shon Yakshini… and her host — both are in this city!
I found out that they've come to buy items from the city auction.
She wants to purchase some special objects for her host."
Snehwal and Lily looked at each other and shared a faint smile.
Liora then glanced at Ignisa, who was sitting on the bed.
From their expressions, she immediately understood — they already knew about it.
Lily turned to her sister and said,
"Don't worry, sister. Tomorrow, all of us together — we'll pool our money and resources, and easily defeat her."
Ignisa nodded and said,
"Yes, we must be fully prepared for tomorrow."
Meanwhile, Snehwal was thinking to himself,
"I'll see her host with my own eyes… let's see what he's like."
Only one night remained.
What was about to happen tomorrow would likely not end well for either side.
Even if someone won the auction, a confrontation was inevitable — such things were common on this land.