In the end, Julius didn't bring the cannon.
He wasn't sure if it was because the indiscriminate bombing could accidentally kill many of the surrounding police and soldiers.
This would drag down his recently gained popularity.
In any case, he had put up the right appearance; if Arabella couldn't be caught, it was all the fault of the police and military not doing their jobs properly.
While establishing the new government, he could take this opportunity to cleanse the stubborn factions within the military and police.
Without the threat of artillery fire, and with the help of the local expert, Taras, Arabella and her companions moved through the mountain's hidden passages with ease, undeterred and unimpeded.
Gradually, the tightening encirclement began to grow distant. When they emerged from another part of the mountain, it was already a quiet, deserted path.
No wonder Taras could come and go unscathed.
Some secret passages are known only to those street thugs and rogues who roam the mountains and the underworld.
In the face of defeat, they often scatter in all directions to escape. Without some skill in fleeing, one truly couldn't survive in the underworld.
Having temporarily escaped the encirclement, Arabella smiled and pointed back at the mountain, asking, "Did you lose every fight back then?"
Taras wasn't ashamed, raising his head with a hint of pride, "If you can't win, run. Escaping is much better than fighting."
Arabella nodded, patted his shoulder, and stated a fact, "Then you'll always be running, because you can't beat Julius."
At the mention of Julius, Taras sighed deeply, "I can't believe I misjudged him. Damn, what bad luck. By the way, when you killed his family, how did you let him go?"
"I didn't touch his family of four."
Arabella's simple words made Taras gasp.
He had thought of Julius as merely a wolf in sheep's clothing, but to his surprise, he turned out to be the kind of ruthless man capable of not only killing his own family but wiping them all out without mercy.
It seemed that, as Arabella had said, Julius was indeed a ruthless character. He could never outplay the schemes of such a black-hearted person.
Seeing Arabella and Taras walking ahead, chatting and laughing, Ferdinand became unhappy.
Ferdinand quickly walked a few steps ahead, coming up beside Arabella, and spoke, "Escaping for the time being is fine, but now that all the coastlines are sealed off, how do we proceed?"
Arabella slightly turned her face, the light flickering over her smile, but there was no trace of warmth in it.
"Where are we going?"
Ferdinand froze for a moment, not understanding Arabella's meaning, "Shouldn't we hurry back?"
"The base should already be under police control. I'm just waiting to walk into the trap."
Ferdinand was taken aback. While Arabella's stronghold couldn't be called impregnable, it was at least as formidable as a wall of iron and steel.
Moreover, the Utschs government was in constant turmoil and was in no position to attack Arabella's base, unless there were inside connections.
As this thought crossed his mind, a sudden realization dawned upon him.
He always felt that the Arabella he saw today was somewhat different.
Though a smile lingered at the corner of his mouth, it was cold and chilling, as if it carried with it a sharp, biting frost.
Her gaze was fixed, devoid of any warmth or light.
Ferdinand suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. People like them, with hardened hearts, never easily softened or moved.
But now, looking at the calm and composed Arabella, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
Yes.
Arabella was an evil person, and so was he.
So, he cared for Arabella. Why would he care about the lives of others? He only cared about the one person on his mind.
He held back his hand, but halfway through, Arabella stopped him.
She smiled slyly, lowering her head, and teasingly asked, "What? You want to hold my hand? Take me home?"
He nodded desperately, his eyes slightly red. "Let's go back to Spanka first, okay? We'll make long-term plans, lay low, and take it back later."
Arabella let out a soft laugh, and in her eyes, flames flickered, burning with a blood-red intensity. Each word she spoke was deliberate, as she said, "I no longer want this base."
*
When the locator hadn't moved, Nicholas knew that Arabella had discovered the little secret of the amulet.
In a good mood, he casually tossed aside his handheld computer, imagining the expression on Arabella's face when she held the amulet.
She must have been gritting her teeth, wishing she could tear him apart.
The thought alone made him thrilled.
Nicholas's eyes, alluring yet tinged with danger, narrowed slightly as he glanced at his reflection in the nearby mirror.
Those eyes, so much like Cyrus's, were the ones he used to deceive Arabella.
The thought that he had to rely on others to attract Arabella filled Nicholas with an unnamed rage. He reached out and smashed the mirror to the ground, then, unable to contain his frustration, stomped on it.
The pager rang at that moment. Nicholas took a deep breath and answered the phone.
"Arabella has broken out of the encirclement." The voice on the other end was tinged with some delight, as if Arabella escaping was something to be happy about.
"What's this, Julius? Have you softened up? Can't bring yourself to do it?" Nicholas mocked ruthlessly.
"I never thought she'd go in to save anyone. That Raven really deserves to die!" Julius's voice became cold and murderous when he spoke of the person who annoyed him.
"Hmph, he's just a dog by Arabella's side. Before you kill the dog, shouldn't you first control the master?" Nicholas sneered.
"That's why I'm giving you the chance to perform," Julius responded coldly.
"After she finds the tracker, she won't come back. She doesn't waste time on useless things." Speaking of this fact he hated, Nicholas's eyes grew sharp and pathological.
"Didn't you claim you could control the person who would make her come back obediently? I'm curious, would someone like Arabella ever be controlled by anyone?"
Nicholas's eyes gleamed with a mischievous, triumphant light, "I'll draw her in, but don't let her escape again."
"Don't worry. What's happening here in Pujivang is just an appetizer. The main course is still to come."
After the two had discussed their plots and schemes, Nicholas once again inspected the base.
All traces of the bloodshed had been erased. Those who needed to be killed had been killed, and those who needed to be captured had been taken.
The only one missing was Albatross.
He was probably hiding in some corner, waiting for the right moment to act.
The mouse had to be drawn out, so that it could return to its master and send a signal.
Nicholas's eyes gleamed as a plan formed in his mind.
After quietly withdrawing all the guards from the perimeter, Nicholas waited for Albatross's appearance.
He knew that Albatross couldn't be hidden for long. He was worried about Arabella, and once the opportunity arose, he would surely rush out to seek help.
However, after two days passed, there was still no sign of Albatross, nor did he make any attempt to escape and seek help.
Nicholas was puzzled. He understood Arabella perfectly, but he couldn't figure out what Albatross was plotting.
It wasn't until the dead of night, when he sensed someone slipping into the room, that he realized Albatross intended to take them both down together.
Nicholas casually shrugged off his robe, revealing his muscular build.
"You think you can kill me?"
Albatross panted slightly, the gun he had been holding already kicked out of his hand by Nicholas.
He hadn't expected Nicholas to be so skilled. He had let his guard down.
Thinking about how the other had deceived him and Arabella, rage surged from the bottom of his heart.
"I told you! If you deceive me, I won't let you off."
Nicholas sneered, his laugh wild and unrestrained.
"Your master can't even defeat me, let alone you. Since you've helped me, I'll spare your life. Run while you can."
Albatross spat on the ground, sneering, "Who do you think you are, comparing yourself to Arabella? I won't run. My life is reserved for killing you."
No more words were needed. The two men clashed, knives drawn.
In terms of hand-to-hand combat, Albatross was confident that he wasn't weak.
His skills had been taught to him by Arabella. Although later on, Raven surpassed him, he was still no slouch.
He didn't regard most experts as anything special.
However, to his surprise, Nicholas didn't seem to be just any ordinary expert.
After dozens of rounds, Albatross began to show signs of weakness.
"Who the hell are you?"
When asked again about who he was, a hidden hatred flashed in Nicholas's eyes.
If Albatross asked who he was, for all these years, he had always wanted to ask Arabella if she still remembered him.
Back then, he had been so infatuated with Arabella's invincible fierceness—flawless, with no weaknesses.
But why, then, was there a Cyrus?
In his mind, the perfect goddess was not allowed to have any weaknesses.
