After the departure of Ho Chen and Fang Yun, the human-like statue standing between the large pots suddenly moved, and within seconds, transformed into a normal-looking human being.“Damn humans! How dare they touch my body,” he muttered as he cracked his neck from side to side. It was truly torture for him to transform his physical body into a statue, as he had to endure excruciating pain in every part of it.The figure, a middle-aged man, hurried toward the gate. He needed to shut it before any other humans dared to enter.“Those two are such a damn nuisance! Not only did they touch me, but they also broke the lock on this gate!” he cursed, seething with frustration. After closing the gate, the man locked it with a makeshift wooden bar.He kept muttering to himself as he walked away, his steps firm and determined as he headed toward the house. After glancing behind him, he opened the door and entered.His stride halted in front of a room. Two towering, one-eyed figures holding spear

After his soul returned to his body, Ho Chen slowly opened his eyes. Darkness had fallen. Silence cloaked the forest, accompanied only by the sounds of nocturnal animals singing their haunting melodies.Beside him, Fang Yun was fast asleep against the trunk of a tree. The son of Duke Fang An seemed to have grown bored of waiting and eventually succumbed to the weight of his eyelids.Ho Chen remembered the small iron rod given to him by Queen Qiang Hui. He reached into his clothing and pulled out the rod, which felt completely devoid of any energy.He turned to the side when he heard a soft snore coming from Fang Yun’s lips.Ho Chen gently tapped Fang Yun’s arm to wake his friend.“Fang Yun, wake up,” he whispered softly.The son of Duke Fang An opened his eyes and asked, “You’re back? What took you so long?” Fang Yun rubbed his eyes and yawned widely.“It’s a long story. Inside that house, there’s a girl. We have to save her. She’s about to be sacrificed by demons,” Ho Chen replied.F

After shouting a curse, Qiang Mo realized he was utterly powerless. Aside from his transformation into a statue-like form, he had no other abilities left.It was the transformation process—from a demon to a complete human—that had temporarily stripped him of his powers. And if the ritual of the Sacred Virgin's blood sacrifice, which was supposed to reach its climax under tonight's full moon, could be completed successfully, then there would be nothing more to worry about. No matter how powerful a human warrior might be, none would be able—or even possible—to stand against him.Qiang Mo’s eyes stared blankly at the open door. He could see the battle raging outside, and it dashed what little hope he had of surviving. For only the two guardian demons could protect him and secure the success of the final ritual.“Damn it. I should’ve accepted the king’s offer back then,” he muttered regretfully in his heart.Yes. Twelve moons ago, when Qiang Mo declared his desire to become human before t

“Damn it! Why didn’t you tell me there was a girl behind the fence?” Fang Yun whispered sharply.“How should I know?” Ho Chen shrugged his shoulders.“You could’ve sensed her energy!” Fang Yun snapped back.“Couldn’t you do the same?”Fang Yun paused for a moment, then chuckled and smacked his forehead. “No wonder I didn’t feel any energy—she’s not a warrior like us.”“Exactly. Now you get it. Come on, let’s go. I want to ask her something.” Ho Chen walked off without waiting for Fang Yun to reply.Their steps came to a halt near the girl they had just rescued. Ho Chen didn’t speak right away; instead, he stared at her face for a moment. He was still curious about the pure blood running through her veins.“Thank you both for your help. My name is Mei Ling, but you can call me Mei,” she said, introducing herself.“I’m Ho Chen, and this is Fang Yun. May I ask where you’re from? Tomorrow morning, we’ll escort you home.”“My home is in Shuyang village. But it’s no use taking me back,” Mei

 Fang Yun could sense that something was wrong. And when he connected it with the code his father had given earlier in the hall, he felt there must be a connection."Father, is something wrong?" Fang Yun asked. His eyes glanced at Ho Chen, who was also watching him.As a father, Duke Fang An certainly didn’t want to worry his son. He forced a smile onto his lips as best as he could. Though bitter, he had to manage it."There’s nothing, my son. Just a small matter, nothing you need to trouble yourself with. Your father is still more than capable of handling it," he replied."But, Father...""That's enough, Fang Yun. It’s your father's matter, let me handle this little issue," Duke Fang An interjected, stopping his son's words. "Why are you home already? Isn’t the long break still a year away? And who are your two friends?""Star Sword Sect no longer exists, my husband. So our son can’t train there an