The thick smell of blood forced its way into Mi Lu’s nose, and he immediately felt his stomach churn, almost retching on the spot.

He rolled out of bed, grabbed the outer robe draped at the foot of his bed, and rushed out of the guest room.

As soon as he opened the door, the intense stench of blood hit him even harder, as if the entire inn had been soaked in it.

Yet, the inn was eerily quiet. Not a single other guest was in sight, nor even the night watchman. Mi Lu wasn’t sure if everyone was simply sleeping too deeply or had fled, terrified by the overwhelming scent of blood.

Either way, it was clear this place was no longer safe.

Mi Lu was about to search for Hulü Yan but noticed the door to Hulü Yan’s room was wide open. The furniture inside was in disarray, chairs and cabinets toppled over, and the bed was empty.

Where was Hulü Yan?

Why wasn’t he there?

Panic gripped Mi Lu’s heart as he hurriedly reached out to feel the bed.

But the messy bed was ice-cold to the touch, devoid of any warmth that would suggest someone had slept in it recently.

Mi Lu straightened up and took a look around the guest room.

Even though there was no lighting, his cultivation at the peak of the Qi Refining Stage allowed him to clearly see the entire room.

And then, he saw it. A shadow silently stood behind the door.

The shadow nearly blended with the wall, and if the person hadn’t made no effort to hide their face, Mi Lu might have mistaken them for just another object in the room.

The moment their eyes met, the shadow moved.

In less than a blink, the figure was in front of Mi Lu, swift as a silent gust of wind.

So fast!

That was Mi Lu’s first thought.

He had rarely fought anyone before, and the sparring matches within his sect were always with fellow disciples at the early stages of Qi Refining. This was the first time he faced someone whose cultivation was entirely beyond his perception, making him truly realize the vast difference between Qi Refining and the stages beyond.

Before he could react, a sharp pain exploded in his chest.

The person’s hand had brutally pierced into his chest, gripping his heart with chilling precision.

If the person applied just a little more pressure, his heart would undoubtedly be crushed.

Gritting his teeth, Mi Lu summoned his Bi You Sword from his storage pouch, forming hand seals and muttering an incantation under his breath.

The sword suspended mid-air, its entire body glowing faintly with a green light. It shot toward the person with killing intent, aiming for their back at an incredibly fast speed.

The figure dodged effortlessly.

Mi Lu clutched the bleeding hole in his chest and staggered back to the bed, collapsing onto it as a gush of blood spewed from his mouth.

Pain!

It hurt so much!

The pain of having his chest torn open was far worse than the pain of Hulü Yan draining his spiritual energy. Compared to this, what he had experienced before seemed trivial.

So this was what Hulü Yan must have felt when his organs were taken.

No—

Hulü Yan must have been in even more pain.

Because Hulü Yan lost more than just one organ.

And half of one of those organs… Mi Lu had eaten it.

Mi Lu’s body convulsed in agony, and he nearly passed out. But the stench of blood in the air and the sticky sensation of blood seeping through his fingers forced him to stay conscious.

He wanted to vomit again.

But he didn’t dare let his guard down. He gripped his Bi You Sword tightly, his eyes fixed on the figure standing a few paces away.

Who was this person?

He had no recollection of ever seeing them before.

Were they here for Hulü Yan?

And this overwhelming stench of blood…

Did something happen to Hulü Yan?

The person made no further move, instead staring at Mi Lu’s Bi You Sword in surprise, as if trying to confirm something.

After a moment, the person finally spoke: “Bi You Sword?”

Narrowing his eyes, the person took a closer look at Mi Lu, sizing him up from head to toe.

Mi Lu, pale from blood loss, quickly swallowed two blood-stopping elixirs. Still feeling it wasn’t enough, he kept popping more elixirs into his mouth.

Meanwhile, the person’s emaciated face broke into an ambiguous smile. “So, it’s the Mi Family’s famed Bi You Sword. And here I was wondering who had the guts to steal it, turns out it’s the Mi Family’s fragile little young master.”

Mi Lu forced down the metallic taste in his mouth, gritting his teeth. “Who are you?”

“Me? I’m just a nobody. How could someone as esteemed as you know who I am?” The person’s grin widened, eyes gleaming with madness, like they had just discovered a treasure. “Forgive me for my ignorance, not recognizing someone as delicate as you, young master, whose beauty surpasses even flowers.”

The person’s gaze was like a slithering snake, creeping from Mi Lu’s ankles upward, making his skin crawl with revulsion.

“Where’s Hulü Yan?” Mi Lu demanded. “Did you kill him?”

“No, how could we bear to kill him?” The person stepped closer to Mi Lu, clearly wary of the Bi You Sword in his hand and seemingly trying to distract him. “He’s such a valuable resource, we treasure him too much for that. Only those fools from the Hulü Family would be dumb enough to toss such a treasure into the Han Tu Abyss…”

Mi Lu interrupted, “Where is he?”

The figure paused, then sneered, “He’s gone where he’s supposed to go. If you hadn’t woken up and revealed your identity, you’d already be a cold corpse in the room next door.”

Mi Lu tightened his grip on the Bi You Sword, his body tensing as he subtly leaned backward.

Oblivious to Mi Lu’s preparation, the figure continued advancing. “Young master, you should consider yourself lucky. Better to be turned into my puppet and preserve that beauty of yours, don’t you think? I promise you’ll be my finest creation.”

“A dried corpse puppet? So, you’re from the Medical Hall.” Mi Lu scoffed. “But you’ve underestimated me.”

Just as he finished speaking, several slender silver needles shot out of his storage pouch.

Caught off guard, the figure was struck in the chest, letting out a muffled groan as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

These silver needles were enchanted magical artifacts from the Mi Family, imbued with spiritual power. While they weren’t lethal, they would at least buy him some time.

Mi Lu wasted no time. Grabbing his Bi You Sword, he jumped out of the window.

Injured and still bleeding from his chest wound, a height that would usually pose no challenge to him caused him to land clumsily.

Luckily, the figure didn’t pursue him.

Using the sword as a crutch, Mi Lu struggled to his feet and limped toward the woods behind the inn.

But he hadn’t gone far when his heart throbbed with excruciating pain again.

This time, it was pain caused by Hulü Yan’s control.

Hulü Yan was nearby!

But judging by his own condition, Hulü Yan couldn’t be doing much better. In this state, how could he possibly save Hulü Yan? He’d just be throwing himself to his death!

Gritting his teeth, Mi Lu kept running.

With every step, the pain in his heart intensified. After a few more steps, he collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.

Sweat beaded on Mi Lu’s forehead, his face as pale as the moonlight shining down on him. He curled up into a ball, trembling with pain.

After a moment, he shakily got to his feet again, sensing his surroundings carefully before heading south—toward the town center, the opposite direction from the woods.

The further he walked, the less the pain in his heart became.

When he reached the entrance of a dark alley, the pain caused by Hulü Yan’s control finally dissipated.

Mi Lu took a deep breath, gripping his Bi You Sword tightly, and strode into the alley.

But as soon as he entered, a sharp pain shot through the back of his neck.

His vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

•

Mi Lu awoke to a strange sensation. Opening his eyes, he saw a pair of bony hands tugging at his clothes.

What the hell!

Startled, Mi Lu tried to struggle, but his hands and feet were bound tightly with rope, and his Bi You Sword was nowhere to be found.

Even his storage pouch was gone!

“Awake?” The skeletal hand touched his face, the rough fingers brushing across his skin.

Disgusted, Mi Lu shuddered, lifting his gaze to see—

That same face.

It was the same person who had ripped open his chest at the inn.

In the full light of the room, Mi Lu could clearly see the person’s features, including the growing look of excitement in their eyes.

Mi Lu turned his head to avoid the hand, speaking immediately. “Where am I? Where’s Hulü Yan?”

The person withdrew their hand and let out a cold laugh. “You sure ask a lot of questions.”

With that, the person continued tugging at Mi Lu’s clothes.

But Mi Lu’s clothes were already soaked in blood, and the congealed blood made them difficult to remove.

Frustrated, the person glared at Mi Lu before bringing up old grievances. “A few silver needles, and you thought you could stop me? Those needles might be deadly in someone else’s hands, but in yours, a mere pretty face, they couldn’t even scratch me.”

They laughed again. “But no matter, they’ll be a nice bonus. Once you’re dead, your needles, your Bi You Sword, and your storage pouch will all be mine.”

Mi Lu glared coldly at him. “If I die at your hands, the entire Mi Family will hunt you down.”

“Too bad no one will know you died by my hands.” The person’s wrinkled face twisted into a smile so wide it could catch flies. “The Mi Family is still digging everywhere, desperately searching for their precious young master. From what I know, the Mi Family has plenty of enemies. Why would they suspect me?”

As the words left their mouth, Mi Lu’s outer robe was torn with a loud rip.

Just as the person was about to move on to the next step, a knock sounded from the door, followed by another voice.

“Qi Sha, senior brother is here!”

The person, Qi Sha, paused, a flash of irritation crossing their face. But they quickly composed themselves, tossing the torn clothing aside and briskly leaving the room.

Once the door opened and closed, and Mi Lu was sure Qi Sha had left, he began to survey his surroundings.

It seemed to be a small room, with no windows and only a single door behind him.

The room was empty, except for the chair he was tied to—and the blood-soaked figure lying on the ground.

It was Hulü Yan.

Hulü Yan was wearing the new clothes Mi Lu had just bought for him. The once gray-and-white outfit was now drenched in dark red, so deeply stained that it appeared almost black under the light of a magical artifact.

His long black hair was scattered across the floor, covering his face, revealing only a sharp chin and a blood-caked neck.

Hulü Yan lay motionless on the ground, as if lifeless. His outstretched hand, however, was reaching toward Mi Lu.