Chapter 117: A Hand in the Darkness

Grey Wolf Milz and Geranton’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Even if the ring had been a fake, the sheer power required to grind it into iron powder with nothing but fingers was terrifying.

"You... are you a monster?"

All three of them had crossed blades with Ye Ran and remembered his strength all too well. Ignoring them, Ye Ran turned to Grey Wolf and asked, "Where is that cloak of yours?"

"It's at home. You don't think..."

"Go get it. I don't believe that one is real, either."

Just as Ye Ran suspected, the red cloak that Grey Wolf and Lois had seized was no vampire treasure. Before Ye Ran could even make a move, Milz tore it into strips of fabric with a few quick tugs.

The three of them stood stunned, their hearts sinking as they exchanged grim looks, a storm of realization rising within them.

"The vampire treasures are fakes," Grey Wolf muttered.

Geranton added, "But the conflicts between the various factions in the Yibo Evil Lands—the casualties and the bloodshed—those are very real."

"Is someone deliberately using fake treasures to incite conflict between the factions, only to fish in troubled waters while they fight?" Lois mused.

It was a grand performance, and the thought that someone had been playing them all like puppets was chilling.

Ye Ran shook his head. "It goes beyond that. News of the vampire treasures spread long before I even entered the Yibo Evil Lands. If someone were merely trying to stir up infighting to profit from the chaos, why go through the trouble of luring all these experts here in the first place?"

The three nodded,