So—what he thought was a luminous pearl wasn’t actually a luminous pearl at all, but instead, Wei Sheng’s life-bound magical tool used to control the corpses?!

Damn it!

It turned out to be such an important thing!

No wonder when he pulled out the magical tool to light up the cave earlier, Wei Sheng’s expression could only be described as “strange.” Now that he thinks about it, it was probably a mix of anger at him for underestimating the tool and anxiety about him discovering its secret.

So that’s how it is…

Mi Lu was both shocked and astonished, but what puzzled him was how HuLü Yan knew how to activate the tool. Shouldn’t this method be something only people from the Medical Hall would know?

Mi Lu quickly scrambled out from under the blankets and leaned over to check. He saw that HuLü Yan had already spread his hand open, and the magical tool was quietly lying in his palm.

However, the magical tool no longer emitted a soft, gentle light. Instead, it seemed as if a strange, eerie mist was swirling inside.

The light in the cave flickered along with the changes in the tool.

The color of the mist deepened, shifting from green to blue, and then from blue to black.

At the same time, that creepy, teeth-grinding rustling sound grew louder and closer.

Mi Lu had a strange feeling and turned his head to look.

And as soon as he looked, he almost had a heart attack.

What was once an empty cave with just him and HuLü Yan was now suddenly crowded with other things—those things being none other than the corpse puppets summoned from the magical tool.

“Shit!” Mi Lu jumped three feet in the air, directly leaping onto HuLü Yan.

HuLü Yan didn’t move an inch, his expression blank as he maintained the posture of holding the magical tool.

Mi Lu clung tightly to HuLü Yan’s shoulders, wishing he could climb onto his head. He shouted in a panic, “HuLü Yan, what the hell are you thinking?! Why would you summon them at a time like this? Did you even consider that we’re still in the cave?!”

Although Mi Lu didn’t dare look in that direction, he couldn’t ignore the overwhelming number of corpse puppets HuLü Yan had summoned. They filled his peripheral vision, casting a dense, dark shadow over everything.

Mi Lu’s heart raced wildly, and he started feeling light-headed.

He couldn’t take it anymore.

He was running out of air.

Those things were just too terrifying!

Mi Lu’s mind was filled with nothing but screams. If this continued, he felt like he might pass out on the spot. Trembling, he buried his face against HuLü Yan’s back, his voice taking on a faint sobbing tone. “Hurry up and make them go away!”

HuLü Yan didn’t respond.

“HuLü Yan!”

Finally, HuLü Yan moved. He slowly raised his other hand and wrapped it around Mi Lu’s waist.

Engulfed in fear, Mi Lu didn’t even notice HuLü Yan’s movement. He was too busy trying to crawl behind HuLü Yan, but HuLü Yan held him firmly. In his desperation, he could only press himself closer to HuLü Yan, muttering angrily and helplessly.

After a while, HuLü Yan closed his fingers around the magical tool.

Instantly, the horde of corpse puppets that had filled the cave vanished, along with that eerie rustling sound.

The magical tool returned to its original state, glowing softly with a faint blue light, illuminating the now-empty cave.

Mi Lu stiffly turned his head. Seeing that the corpse puppets were gone, the breath he had been holding in his throat finally released.

He wiped his face—it was drenched in cold sweat.

Letting go of HuLü Yan’s clothes, Mi Lu stretched his numb legs, only then realizing that HuLü Yan’s hand was still wrapped around his waist.

Thinking back to what HuLü Yan had just done, Mi Lu was so angry that he felt dizzy. He slapped HuLü Yan’s hand. “You nearly scared me to death!”

To his surprise, HuLü Yan’s grip, though gentle in appearance, was firm, and one slap wasn’t enough to break free.

Just as Mi Lu was about to deliver a second slap, HuLü Yan released his hold.

Fuming, Mi Lu exclaimed, “I told you to make them go away, and you took your sweet time doing it! Were you doing that on purpose?”

HuLü Yan stared at Mi Lu with those hollow eyes for a while before extending his hand toward him.

Mi Lu, still catching his breath, glanced at the magical tool in HuLü Yan’s palm and said grumpily, “You don’t need to give it back to me. It’s yours now. Consider it a birthday present.”

He hadn’t originally planned to give HuLü Yan a birthday gift, but since this tool seemed to be fated for him, it made sense to let him have it.

He had to admit, HuLü Yan really lived up to his role as the sole male protagonist in an upgrade-cultivation novel. Even in a rundown cave, he managed to find a treasure on his birthday.

What luck!

However, Mi Lu was curious about something.

“How did you know this was a tool to summon corpse puppets? And how did you do that just now?”

HuLü Yan lowered his hand holding the tool and silently stared at Mi Lu.

Mi Lu waited for a while, but seeing that HuLü Yan wasn’t going to answer, he gave up.

Shivering, he rubbed his arms and hurried back under the covers.

Thanks to HuLü Yan’s antics, he no longer felt sleepy. With nothing else to do, he decided to start cultivating under the blankets.

Before that, though, he didn’t forget to warn HuLü Yan, “No more summoning corpse puppets, okay? Or else I’ll…”

He “I’ll” for a long time but couldn’t come up with anything.

Upon thinking it through, he realized he had no real way to threaten HuLü Yan. If anything, when HuLü Yan decided to control him, it was like playing with a puppet on strings.

Mi Lu: “…”

He let out a defeated sigh.

I’m totally at his mercy, aren’t I?

When Mi Lu cultivated, he was always focused. By the time he opened his eyes again, daylight had already poured into the cave from outside.

The warm, golden winter sunlight illuminated the snow-covered ground, slightly lessening the cold of winter.

Mi Lu crawled out of his blankets and saw HuLü Yan sitting cross-legged on the bedding. His thin eyelids covered his hollow eye sockets, making him look like a lifeless block of wood, as if his soul had been drained away.

But he still held the magical tool in his hand, his thumb slowly rubbing its surface.

Noticing this small gesture, Mi Lu guessed that HuLü Yan had spent the whole night thinking about the tool without sleeping.

After getting up and dressing, Mi Lu used a cleansing spell to clean both himself and HuLü Yan. Then he put away the bedding and pillows into his storage bag.

The bedding and pillows were dirty, but unfortunately, he only knew the cleansing spell, which only worked on people. Even if he knew the cleaning spell, it wouldn’t be very useful; the bedding and pillows were low-level magical tools that had to be sent to a specialized shop in a village or town for cleaning.

Speaking of villages and towns, Mi Lu had already given up hope.

Given their current situation, it was better to just accept living like wild people for now.

Once Mi Lu finished packing, HuLü Yan was still standing motionless in the corner of the cave.

Mi Lu walked over to him and said, “We’ll continue heading northwest. If you want to stop and rest, just let me know.”

HuLü Yan, eyes closed, gave no indication that he heard Mi Lu.

Mi Lu glanced at the magical tool in HuLü Yan’s hand, thinking that maybe HuLü Yan needed more time to process everything. So, he added, “Or we can stay in this cave for a few more days. Once you’ve figured out the tool’s function, we can move on.”

HuLü Yan remained as wooden as ever, neither nodding nor shaking his head.

Just as Mi Lu was about to assume HuLü Yan agreed to stay, HuLü Yan suddenly started walking deeper into the cave.

Mi Lu: “…”

He clenched his fists, biting back his frustration. Eventually, he managed to swallow his anger.

This rude little brat! Not only did he cling to him like glue, but he also treated him like he was invisible.

Great job.

Just wait until the plot changes. Let’s see who’ll care about this brat then!

By that time, I’ll be long gone, as far as possible!

Mi Lu grumbled as he walked out of the cave, only to find HuLü Yan waiting at the entrance for him.

HuLü Yan always seemed to sense his presence accurately. Before Mi Lu could even get close, HuLü Yan had already reached out and grabbed his wrist.

Mi Lu tried to shake his hand off, but it didn’t budge.

That brat’s grip was like a pair of pliers.

Mi Lu thought, fine, and reversed the hold, taking HuLü Yan’s hand as he led him forward through the soft snow.

HuLü Yan had no place to store the magical tool, so he had to carry it in his hand. They walked for an entire day and night, and HuLü Yan held it the whole time.

Eventually, Mi Lu couldn’t stand it anymore, so he emptied the contents of the Qi Sha Hundred Silk Pouch and gave it to HuLü Yan.

The pouch was only the size of a small bag, as light as a leaf, and weighed practically nothing. It could be tucked into the front of one’s robes, where it wouldn’t fall out or slip away.

Unless the owner took it out themselves, or someone with a higher cultivation used spiritual energy to remove it, the pouch would stay secure.

Mi Lu lifted the restriction on the pouch and placed it against HuLü Yan’s chest. Patting the spot lightly through HuLü Yan’s clothing, he reminded him, “Don’t take out something as important as that magical tool casually. The wilderness doesn’t follow the rules of the cities. If someone else sees it, they might try to steal it.”

HuLü Yan was silent for a moment, then lifted his hand to press down on Mi Lu’s hand.

The sudden cold touch startled Mi Lu, and he instinctively tried to pull his hand back, only to find HuLü Yan holding it tightly.

Realizing what Mi Lu was trying to do, HuLü Yan didn’t loosen his grip. Instead, he interlaced their fingers, pressing his palm tightly against Mi Lu’s hand.

Mi Lu winced in pain, letting out a hiss. “HuLü Yan, let go.”

HuLü Yan didn’t move.

“HuLü Yan!” Mi Lu shouted in anger, “If you keep this up, I’m going to leave you behind!”

Of course, this kind of threat was completely empty. It had no effect on HuLü Yan whatsoever. Not only was Mi Lu determined to change the plot, so he couldn’t actually abandon HuLü Yan, but HuLü Yan also had control over his heart. That alone made it clear that Mi Lu’s words were just angry bluffs.

Naturally, HuLü Yan knew this too.

But what Mi Lu didn’t expect was that, as soon as he finished speaking, HuLü Yan suddenly let go of his hand.

For a moment, Mi Lu was too stunned to react. He looked at HuLü Yan in confusion.

Then, it hit him—he had to look up to see HuLü Yan now?!

He had to look up!

That meant HuLü Yan was taller than him now!

But just a few months ago, when he rescued HuLü Yan from the Han Tu Abyss, HuLü Yan was still a small, short kid. Back then, HuLü Yan wasn’t even close to his height and was so skinny that Mi Lu, who had been sickly at the time, could carry him for miles.

And now, just a few months later, HuLü Yan had grown taller than him by a whole head.

The eighteen-year-old Mi Lu, who was four years older than HuLü Yan, clutched his broken heart and stumbled back a few steps. Once he steadied himself, he looked HuLü Yan up and down several times.

Sure enough, he had grown quite a bit since a few months ago, and he wasn’t as skinny anymore.

It was as if HuLü Yan had suddenly grown into himself. Even the contours of his face had become sharper and more defined. Only his expression remained the same—cold, indifferent, as though nothing in the world mattered to him.

Having just turned fourteen, HuLü Yan now had the vague look of a young man. He was no longer the little kid Mi Lu could casually pick up or carry on his back.

Mi Lu had mixed feelings about it.

He hadn’t expected time to fly by so quickly, nor had he expected HuLü Yan to grow so fast.

Maybe it wouldn’t be long before HuLü Yan looked just like Mi Lu remembered—the familiar figure from his memories. By then, HuLü Yan wouldn’t just ignore him when he was in a bad mood. He could destroy an entire sect with just a change in his mood.

Mi Lu sighed inwardly, thinking it was time to retrieve what rightfully belonged to HuLü Yan from the Medical Hall’s master.

After walking for another three days and nights, they finally arrived near Jiu Yao County, close to the Medical Hall.

Mi Lu didn’t dare rush straight into the county. Instead, he hid outside, trying to find an opportunity to sneak in and gather information about the Medical Hall.

But before he could find an opportunity, HuLü Yan suddenly, as if drawn by some invisible force, began walking straight into the county.

Mi Lu panicked and rushed to grab HuLü Yan.

However, HuLü Yan was determined to move forward, and Mi Lu couldn’t hold him back.

“HuLü Yan, wait!” Mi Lu’s face turned pale with fear. He anxiously said, “The Medical Hall has so many people, and it’s just the two of us. If we go in like this, we’ll be walking into a trap! Calm down, let’s think about it and come up with a plan first!”

HuLü Yan didn’t listen to a word Mi Lu said and only picked up his pace.

For a moment, Mi Lu considered turning around and abandoning HuLü Yan.

But just before he could let go, a series of images flashed through his mind, and he ultimately missed the chance. Reluctantly, he followed HuLü Yan into Jiu Yao County.

Jiu Yao County was called a county, but it was no smaller than the other cities Mi Lu and HuLü Yan had passed through.

Thanks to the Medical Hall’s protection, the people here rarely suffered from attacks by the surrounding beasts. With Kunlun Mountain to the left, the county often saw disciples from various sects and wandering cultivators passing through on their training journeys, making Jiu Yao County livelier and more prosperous than other villages and towns in the northwest.

The streets were crowded with people, and the vendors’ shouts filled the air.

HuLü Yan bulldozed his way through the crowd, walking straight ahead without a care, bumping into several people along the way.

The people he bumped into turned to curse at him.

HuLü Yan stayed completely oblivious, not even glancing back as he continued forward.

One of the men he bumped into tried to catch up, but HuLü Yan moved too quickly and disappeared into the crowd in the blink of an eye.

The man, furious, spat on the ground. “Is that kid blind? How can he not see a grown man standing here?”

“What’s the point of getting worked up over a young man? Maybe he was in a hurry,” said a tall man next to him. Then, with a sudden change in tone, he added, “By the way, have you noticed anything strange going on at the Medical Hall lately? Why have they sent so many people out all of a sudden?”

“What could be happening at the Medical Hall?” The first man didn’t seem to care. Apparently, he was more concerned with something else. “Sword Drawing Day is coming. Are you ready?”

“So soon?”

“Yes, and I expect even more people to head to the Capital City this time.” The man sighed. “Everyone dreams of becoming the chosen one for the Seven Star Kunlun Sword, but unfortunately, there’s only one HuLü Wan.”

At the mention of the famous HuLü Wan, the tall man couldn’t help but show a look of admiration. “Do you think HuLü Wan is still alive?”

“Who knows? It’s been so long without any news. Maybe she’s dead. Besides, the HuLü family seems to be avoiding any mention of HuLü Wan, which doesn’t exactly suggest she’s still alive.” At this point, the man suddenly remembered something and motioned for the tall man to come closer.

The tall man caught on and leaned in.

“Do you remember that child the HuLü family found earlier? The one who was sent to the sacrificial altar?” The man whispered, “I heard a rumor from someone at the Medical Hall. They said that child was HuLü Wan’s.”

“What?!”

The man quickly made a shushing gesture.

The tall man fell silent, staring at the first man in shock.

After a while, once he had processed the information, the tall man asked in a hushed voice, “Who’s the father of the child?”

“That, I don’t know.” The man shrugged. “Could be someone from the HuLü family, or maybe someone else.”

After a pause, the man added regretfully, “If the rumor is true, then only that child could draw the Seven Star Kunlun Sword from the Capital City.”

The tall man replied, “That child’s dead. What’s the point of drawing the sword?”

“It’s just a rumor. It might not even be true. Who knows, maybe the child was actually HuLü Xing and Situ Wenwan’s eldest son?”

Both men fell into silence after that.

Even if the rumor was true, who would actually believe it?

If that child had really been HuLü Xing and Situ Wenwan’s son, how could they have been so cruel to him? Even if the child was a rare elixir body, few parents would be so heartless as to treat their child so brutally.

Especially considering how HuLü Xing and Situ Wenwan doted on their younger son, HuLü Lan, as if he were the center of the universe. The contrast was glaring.

Meanwhile, Ming De Yi stood by the window, suddenly swinging his arm. Several vases on the shelf crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.

“Useless! All of you are useless!” Ming De Yi pointed at the people kneeling on the ground, his face red with rage. “You can’t even find two people! What use do I have for you?”

The people kneeling trembled like leaves in the wind. The leader spoke nervously, “Master, we’ve been thoroughly searching house to house, but the area is too vast. Finding two people is like searching for a needle in a haystack. A few days simply isn’t enough…”

Before he could finish speaking, Ming De Yi raised his hand and made a grabbing motion in the air.

The man’s expression instantly twisted in pain. He clutched his throat, his body slumping to the ground, and soon vomited a mouthful of blood.

Ming De Yi coldly looked down at the struggling man on the floor, his gaze devoid of any emotion, as if he were watching a mere insect.

“I don’t want excuses. I want results.” Ming De Yi’s voice was as cold as his expression.

The man, hearing this, struggled to his feet, blood still dripping from his mouth. He kept kneeling and squeezed out a few words with great difficulty, “Master, please spare me. Give me a little more time, and I’ll find them…”

Ming De Yi snorted dismissively and lowered his hand.

The man’s tense body slowly relaxed, as if he had narrowly escaped death.

“You have ten days at most. I want to see them. If you don’t find them by then, don’t bother coming back to see me.”

The man practically pressed his face to the ground. “Understood.”

“That’s enough,” Ming De Yi waved his hand. “Get out.”

“Yes.”

After the group quietly left, Ming De Yi was alone in the large room.

He gazed down at the bustling street below, his brows furrowing deeper.

He had given up the opportunity to strengthen his ties with other sects and noble families at the HuLü family’s birthday banquet, rushing back to confirm his suspicions.

He wanted to know if what happened that night had anything to do with HuLü Yan.

HuLü Yan had no cultivation, not even enough to step into the world of cultivation. By all logic, he couldn’t have caused such a significant disturbance.

But aside from HuLü Yan, who else had such a unique constitution?

So—

What exactly happened that night?

How did Wei Sheng and the others die?

Losing one of his key allies, Wei Sheng, was a great loss for Ming De Yi. Moreover, Wei Sheng had been carrying a Corpse Transformation Pearl.

The entire Medical Hall had only two Corpse Transformation Pearls—one with him and one with Wei Sheng.

If someone else had found that pearl, even if they didn’t know what it was, it could still cause considerable trouble for the Medical Hall.

Wei Sheng was dead, and the pearl needed to be recovered as soon as possible.

Ming De Yi’s face darkened, his expression growing colder. He muttered to himself, “HuLü Yan, no matter where you are, I will find you.”

Since you are an elixir, you should fulfill your purpose as one.

That is your fate.

With that thought, Ming De Yi cleared his mind and prepared to use a voice transmission talisman to contact his son, who was also in Jiu Yao County.

Ever since his son had fallen for a demonic cultivator in Jiu Yao County, he had been following them around every day, refusing to return to the sect, and even denying Ming De Yi as his father. Furious, Ming De Yi had decided to come personally and drag that ungrateful son back.

Just as Ming De Yi took out the voice transmission talisman, there was a sudden knock on the door.

“Master Ming,” a clear and pleasant male voice called from outside. “Are you in there?”

Ming De Yi froze, his body tensing. Warily, he looked toward the door. “Who’s there?”

The person outside didn’t answer his question, instead saying, “Open the door, and you’ll find out.”

The recent commotion caused by the Medical Hall’s search for someone had drawn much attention, and many were unhappy about it. Ming De Yi had been keeping a low profile to avoid gossip and had only stationed two subordinates outside the door.

Even so, with those two keeping watch, it shouldn’t have been easy for just anyone to approach his door.

A sense of unease crept into Ming De Yi’s heart. He reached out to probe the cultivation level of the person outside.

Mid-stage Qi Refinement?

Strange.

Ming De Yi’s frown deepened.

How could someone at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement avoid his two subordinates and knock on his door?

Despite his doubts, he reminded himself that a mere mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator was as insignificant as an ant to him. There was no need to be afraid.

The unease in Ming De Yi’s heart quickly vanished. With a cold expression, he walked to the door.

When he opened it, there stood a delicate-looking boy. The boy was dressed in white, his skin as fair as snow. He raised his pair of bright, almond-shaped eyes and looked at Ming De Yi, greeting him softly, “Master Ming.”

Ming De Yi felt the boy looked familiar, but he couldn’t immediately recall where he had seen him before.

“Who are you?” Ming De Yi asked. “What do you want with me?”

The boy replied, “Who I am isn’t important, and I’m not the one looking for you.”

Ming De Yi was confused. “What do you mean?”

The boy pointed behind him. “He’s the one looking for you.”

“Who?”

“The person behind you.”

Author’s Note:

Wei Sheng: This scene feels awfully familiar…