True Tycoon Her Empire, Her Rules

Chapter 171

Chapter 171 The moment Winnie's eyes fell upon the skull, a chill flickered in their depths. It was as if she’d expected it, yet it still caught her by surprise.

The skull in front of her brought back vivid memories of the abandoned school building where Springer and Amber had once faced peril. The image of a skull wrapped in a red cocoon, oozing malevolence and fueled by resentment, was hard to shake off.

The same oppressive aura, the same anger—driven presence. She pondered for a moment, then pulled out her smartphone and dialed the Paranormal Surveillance Department.

A hunch told her that this skull, along with the one from the dilapidated school, didn’t appear by chance. The method of accumulating malevolent energy to affect the fortunes of a place seemed akin to a sinister formation.

If she was right about her hunch, they would definitely need to bring in the authorities.

The contact for the Paranormal Surveillance Department wasn’t available to the public, but there was a special liaison window on the Ghostly app.

That very morning, Winnie had used it to report an incident of someone harnessing dark magic to possess a body.

She quickly relayed the situation and location before hanging up, deciding to set up a protective barrier around the skull before the officials arrived. However, as she bent over to prepare the barrier, the blood-red skull, as if seizing the moment, sprang to

life. From within, a dense web of silken threads shot out, aiming straight for Winnie, intent on enveloping her entirely.

But just as the threads were about to ensnare her, Winnie, seemingly prepared, dodged backward. Her hand flicked, and several Charms flew out, forming an invisible shield that trapped the threads.

Without hesitation, Winnie reached for three more Charms, this time the Thunder Charms infused with the power of a seasoned practitioner’s golden aura — her most potent weapons.

Three Thunder Charms, crackling with electricity, formed a triangle above the skull, 4/4

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enclosing it and its sinister threads within their perimeter.

Her voice was clear and sharp, each word carrying the weight of thunder, “Agents above and below, by the supreme command, | summon the thunderbolt, strike!”

With the final word of power, three bolts of purple lightning, charged with the golden aura, tore through the cloud cover. With the force of a tempest, they cleaved through the woods of Golden Horizon Hills and struck the blood-red skull.

The power of the lightning obliterated all traces of darkness.

In the flash of the lightning, the skull, much like the previous cocoon, was reduced to ash in the blink of an eye. “Boom!” The thunderous roar seemed to shake the entirety of Golden Horizon Hills.

It startled the birds and wildlife and also roused Mae from her slumber. She blinkedText © owned by NôvelDrama.Org.

groggily, noticing a distant flash of lightning outside her window.

By the flickering light, she turned and saw that Winnie’s bed was empty. Mae sat up, looking toward the bathroom, only to see darkness.

In the dead of night, where could Winnie have gone?

In the clearing amidst the woods, Winnie gazed at the pile of ashes that once was a skull, realizing with a bit of a headache that she might have gone overboard.

The Thunder Charms, boosted by the golden aura, had been too powerful; the skull was entirely destroyed, and explaining this to the officials would be challenging.

Nonetheless, Winnie sifted through the ashes and managed to find two small, red fragments. She carefully placed them into a vacuum-sealed bag, put on a Charm, and waited for the officials to arrive.

After more than an hour, someone finally showed up. It was a middle-aged man, his appearance radiating a certain scholarly charm and warmth. His aura was equally gentle. He didn’t seem surprised to see Winnie.

“The new recruits at the EU Supernatural Department are impressive indeed. I've been following your appearances on the show; the future of the Mystical Sects will surely rely on the younger generation.”

Winnie’s ears perked up at his emphasis on “publicity,” and something clicked in her mind. She asked, “I heard that the last episode only passed the censorship because of official intervention. Did you have a hand in that?”

The man smiled and replied, “Not just me. The dean of your department also played a 2/4

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part.”

For too long, the Mystical Sects had remained elusive, leading to a decline in traditions and beliefs. People were losing faith in the existence of the mystical arts.

After deliberation, the Supernatural Association and the government decided to reintroduce the mystical arts to the public gradually.

The recent surge of mystical streamers was a trial; the current mystical reality shows were another. And this season’s “Ghostly Guidance” had shown the officials its unique impact. His personal visit was to reassure Winnie.

“My name is Michel, in charge of the Emerald Bay area. If you encounter anything that requires official assistance, feel free to contact me directly.”

Michel handed Winnie his business card.

Accepting the card, she pondered for a moment before asking, “Michel, do you happen to know a mystic called Master Seven?”

She thought her teacher’s abilities were quite formidable and should be well-known within the Mystical Sects, but Michel seemed slightly puzzled at the name.

“That name would be memorable given its rarity, but...” However, he had never heard of this name.

Winnie’s eyes held a shadow of doubt, yet she offered her thanks with earnest sincerity.

The conversation soon turned back to the matter of the skull. Winnie passed the fragments of the skull she had found to Michel, her expression betraying a hint of guilt.

Michel raised an eyebrow in surprise. Given the skills of someone from the Mystical Sects, turning a skull tainted with dark aura to dust was no mean feat.

No, a regular mystic wouldn’t even possess a single Thunder Charm..

Michel doubted that the talisman was Winnie’s own creation. Instead, he figured it was likely a protective charm left to her by her mentor, known as Master Seven.

With that thought, his curiosity about this Master Seven grew a notch.

As they talked, dawn began to break. To avoid unnecessary trouble from early risers, they made a quick descent down the mountain.

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Michel had driven there, and they got into his car halfway down the hill. As they passed the B&B, he dropped Winnie off and gave her a couple of quick instructions before driving away.

Winnie watched Michel's car disappear into the distance. Glancing at the sky, she feigned the look of someone just returning from a morning jog and headed back to the B&B.

Unbeknownst to her, on the third floor of the B&B, a cell phone stealthily captured her alighting from the car.

Mae peered through the curtain slit at the retreating Range Rover, then sneered sarcastically at the sight of the older man in the driver's seat.

“To think she was some kind of talented master... turns out she’s just side chick kept by some old guy,” she scoffed with a mocking smile.