Mo Qian had deliberately withheld warning about the numerous mechanisms scattered throughout the backyard.The ringing bells would likely alert Wei Yutian, forcing him to pause his ritual—buying Mo Qian precious additional time to reach and rescue Xiao Yu.The faint chiming from the backyard carried down into the hidden chamber, startling Bai Ai, who stood guard at the ritual room's entrance."I'll check outside! Stay here!"Channeling her internal energy, Bai Ai leapt up the steps.Pei Qing watched her go, a flicker of tension crossing her expression.The moment Bai Ai emerged from the hidden opening, she caught not only the scattered bell-ringing but also screams echoing from the front courtyard.Her eyes turned cold, irritation flaring at Su Di, who should have been standing guard at the side chamber door—why hadn't she reacted to such an obvious disturbance?Bai Ai rushed toward the side chamber entrance. The night wind howled past, but no trace of Su Di remained—only her fallen l

At that moment, the blood at Wei Yutian's shoulder wound suddenly coiled and swirled, weaving together endlessly. The wound healed with visible speed, and a new arm began growing from the stump.Yet this new limb appeared pale, soft, and undersized—almost gelatinous in texture.Wei Yutian's eyes had grown glassy and unfocused. Advanced practitioners of the Filthy Blood arts could theoretically achieve near-immortality through this regenerative capability. However, his own cultivation had only reached the second tier, and his reserves were nearly exhausted. Had he been at full strength, the regrowth would have occurred far more swiftly and completely.But invoking the Filthy Blood arts consumed one's own blood as fuel—making the quality and purity of one's cultivated blood absolutely critical to the practice.Advancing in this path required consuming the blood of virgin sacrifices specifically. Ordinary human blood provided only temporary sustenance; only virgin blood could genuinely r

At this hour, deep in the night, the temple keeper had been drifting into sleep when a sudden urge jolted him awake. He squinted, reaching beneath the bed, fumbling for a moment before remembering—he'd broken his chamber pot that morning while washing it, and hadn't yet bought a replacement."Ugh."Muttering to himself, he pulled the blanket back over his shoulders and tried to settle back to sleep. But the chamber pot being broken, and the bitter cold of the winter moon outside, made lingering in bed unappealing for long.Still, the pressure in his bladder wouldn't ease. Reluctantly, the temple keeper threw off the blanket, pulled on a padded coat, and stepped outside, making his way to the small vegetable patch in the corner of the courtyard, fumbling with his waistband...Just as he began relieving himself, a shadow suddenly leapt into the courtyard from outside."Who's there?" the temple keeper demanded, still holding his pants.The shadow coughed. "It's me."The temple keeper's e

All three combatants unleashed the full extent of their Filthy Blood techniques, and soon Luan Jingfu's arm was severed cleanly.He managed to seal the wound using the technique's regenerative power, but lacked the strength remaining to regrow the limb entirely. Having already expended enormous energy, his face had turned deathly pale.Yu Lieting, having severed Luan Jingfu's arm with his hammer, found himself equally exhausted, sweat beading thickly across his forehead. He hadn't anticipated Luan Jingfu proving quite this formidable an opponent!"He truly is a fearsome warrior!"Despite his missing arm and pallid complexion, Luan Jingfu still gripped his steel mace fiercely, eyes burning with defiance. "Are the two of you from the Jiuchong County branch?"Something flickered in Yu Lieting's eyes—he was, in fact, the branch leader there—but he deliberately avoided answering directly. "Luan Jingfu, we act tonight to cleanse the ranks for Ruan Fengshan's sake. You've been exposed, and y

As Mo Qian entered and prepared to offer formal greetings, Shen Yanliu waved him off. "No need for formalities—sit."Mo Qian settled respectfully into a chair positioned lower than Shen Yanliu's seat."Bring another bowl of bird's nest soup," Shen Yanliu called out.Shortly after, an attractive maid arrived carrying a bowl on a wooden tray, setting it down on the small table beside Mo Qian.Shen Yanliu said, "Master Mo Qian, try this freshly stewed bird's nest.""Thank you, Magistrate." Mo Qian lifted a silver spoon and tasted a mouthful. A rich, fragrant flavor spread across his tongue.The soup was genuinely delicious, though in Shen Yanliu's presence, Mo Qian maintained careful composure, eating slowly and with deliberate refinement.Shen Yanliu said, "Based on the timeline, you've known Su Di for nearly half a year now."Having already anticipated this line of questioning, Mo Qian set down his spoon and replied, "Yes, a little over half a year."Shen Yanliu studied him carefully.