Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Daisy said this in a very flat tone.

It was so flat, like retelling a story that had been told many times and had lost its warmth.

But Celen noticed a detail—Daisys said "accidentally."

"Unintentionally" means that the illness came on suddenly and progressed quickly.

A healthy middle-aged maid who was busy in the kitchen every day suddenly contracted an unknown disease and died after a few days.

Then, a few years later, her daughter also contracted a virus of unknown origin.

coincidence?

Siren did not believe in coincidences.

Or rather, during his time living in the North District, he had learned to stop believing in any seemingly reasonable coincidences.

The fourth line: Fowles.

Mr. Fowles of the Daewoo Dojo has dealings with Risa—this information comes from casual conversation at a Ironblood Society gathering.

What is the relationship between him and Risa?

Ordinary social interaction?

Or something else?

If there was an improper relationship between Fowles and Risa, then Risa would have a second motive to murder her husband.

The first motivation was power. Her husband was bedridden, and her eldest son, David, was in actual power, but the nominal patriarch was still old man Link.

As long as the old man lives, Risa's position in the family will always be subject to her husband's existence.

The second motivation was affection; if there was indeed something between her and Fowles, then her long-term bedridden husband became the biggest obstacle.

Two motives, both leading to the same result.

But these are all speculations, without any evidence.

Xilun closed the window and sat down on the edge of the bed.

He took out a purifying incense stick from his luggage and lit it.

Wisps of smoke rose, twisting and unfurling in the candlelight, like a transparent snake shedding its skin in the air.

He needs to calm down.

We must not let speculation cloud our judgment.

Healing is the top priority—Chief Link must live.

At the very least, he shouldn't die during his treatment.

As for who the real culprit is—

He has five days.

For five days, he received treatment while being observed.

The killer couldn't possibly hide all traces perfectly. Especially since he had already discovered Virus Number One—they were bound to take action.

Should we accelerate or slow down?

Was it a frame-up, or a cover-up?

Each choice reveals more clues.

All Xilun needs to do is wait and see.

Like staking out prey in the rainy night in the North District—patient, calm, and precise.

He drank a bottle of tranquilizing potion. The slightly bitter taste of the liquid spread across the back of his tongue, and his tense nerves, like strings being soaked in warm water, slowly relaxed.

The candlelight flickered twice.

Xilun lay on the bed with his eyes closed.

His breathing gradually became long and even.

The Great Thunder Sound Breathing Method and the Mysterious Yin Breathing Method were operating simultaneously at low power within the body, one hot and one cold, maintaining a delicate balance in the blood vessels.

I fall asleep very quickly.

Before his consciousness sank into darkness, the last image that flashed through his mind was that of a small, thin figure crouching beside a flowerbed in the twilight.

Susie.

Holding a cookie, I stared blankly at the rose in front of me.

They weren't eating, they were just watching.

……

The next day.

The morning sunlight peeked through the gaps in the curtains, drawing a narrow band of light on the carpet.

Xilun woke up at 5:00 AM.

This is a habit he developed in the North District—no matter how tired he is, his body's biological clock will wake him up at this time.

He opened his eyes and first checked the black mark on his right wrist.

It remained dormant, without making any unusual moves.

Then he got up, washed up, and changed into a clean shirt and coat.

He kept his pistol and Soul-Suppressing Nails well hidden—even in the manor, he never let his guard down.

When I opened the door, the hallway was empty.

The manor is quieter in the early morning than at night.

The maids hadn't even started cleaning yet, and the gaslights had already been turned off. Only the natural light streaming in through the skylight illuminated the corridor, making it feel cool and spacious.

Xilun walked along the corridor toward the south wing dining hall.

He slowed down as he rounded a corner.

In the corridor in front of me, a person was standing against the wall.

It's David.

He looked like he hadn't slept all night.

His eyes were sunken, with two dark circles under them, and his lips were chapped and peeling due to dryness.

He was wearing the same dark gray coat as yesterday; the collar was a little wrinkled, but the top button was still fastened.

Seeing Xilun approaching, he straightened up by leaning against the wall.

"Mr. Celen."

His voice was hoarse.

"Good morning." Xiren stopped in front of him.

"I've been waiting here for a while," David said. "I wanted to talk to you about a few things."

"Let's go," Siren said. "Let's go to the cafeteria and talk while we eat."

The two walked side by side through the courtyard.

The courtyard was filled with the scent of dew and earth in the early morning. Water droplets clung to the roses in the flowerbed, shimmering in the rising sunlight.

Several early-rising servants passed by in the distance and, seeing David and Siron walking together, bowed their heads in greeting and quickly left.

There weren't many people in the cafeteria.

The two sat down by the window, and a waitress quickly brought them bread, fried eggs, coffee, and a small dish of pickled olives.

Xilen took a bite of bread, waiting for David to speak.

David held the coffee cup in both hands, but didn't drink it.

He stared at the dark brown liquid in the glass and remained silent for a long time.

"I checked the warehouse records last night."

He finally spoke up.

Xilen stopped chewing and looked at him.

"Records show that no one has extracted the No. 1 virus in the past month."

Xilun's brow twitched slightly.

"Nobody here?"

"No." David's voice was low, as if he were saying something he himself didn't want to believe.

"The warehouse's entry and exit records are complete, and the key usage traces are all normal. The last time someone took dangerous items from the warehouse was three months ago, when Elder Hern took a batch of special medicines intended for field missions."

He paused for a moment.

"In other words—if Virus Number One was indeed injected into Father's body, then it either wasn't taken from the warehouse..."

"Either someone can bypass the recording system," Xilun continued.

David nodded.

His fingers traced lightly along the rim of the glass, and his voice became even softer.

"There aren't many people who can do that."

The two exchanged a glance.

None of them gave a specific name.

Some things don't need to be said.

They all knew that anyone who could bypass the warehouse records, obtain the first virus, and leave no trace would have to meet three conditions simultaneously:

First, have sufficient permissions.

Second, familiarize yourself with the warehouse's security system.

Third, there is a long-term opportunity to get close to the clan leader.

No more than five people in the entire Link family meet all three conditions.

"I plan to start the first cleanse today." Celen put down his bread, picked up his coffee and took a sip. "First, I need to suppress the parasite's activity to buy time for detoxification later."

David immediately perked up.

"What do you need me to prepare?"

"Clear everyone out of the chieftain's bedroom," Siren said. "During your treatment, no one except you is allowed to enter. Including your mother."

David hesitated for a moment.

Xilun looked at him, his tone calm but uncompromising.

"I don't care what your mother thinks. But if someone comes in and disturbs me during treatment, affecting my concentration—your father will die."

David's lips were pressed into a thin line.

Three seconds later, he nodded.

"I'll arrange it."

"There's one more thing," Celen said, setting down his coffee cup. "I need to review your family's detailed information on Virus One. Composition, characteristics, solutions—all the relevant literature. I need to see it by this afternoon."

David did not hesitate.

"I'll retrieve it from the confidential files."

"Are there records of access to the confidential files?"

"have."

"Then transfer it in your name," Siren said. "Without any intermediaries."

David glanced at Celen.

He suddenly gave a bitter smile.

"You are more cautious than I thought."

"None of the people who survived in the North District were careless," Celen said calmly.

David stood up.

"I'll get on it right now."

He took two steps, then stopped and looked back at Xilun.

"Mr. Celen—"

There's something very complex in his voice.

"I heard about what happened with Luo Wei last night."

Xilun was peeling a fried egg when he heard this and raised his eyelids slightly.

"I've grounded him for three days and suspended his patrol privileges," David said. "If you think that's not enough—"

"That's enough," Xilun interrupted him.

He stuffed the whole fried egg into his mouth, chewed it twice, and swallowed it.

"He's just not quite right in the head."

David paused for a moment.

Then he nodded, turned around, and quickly walked out of the cafeteria.

Xilun sat alone by the window, slowly finishing the rest of his coffee.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a warm yellow square on the table.

He turned his gaze to the manor outside the window.

People were already moving around in the courtyard—several gardeners were trimming the flowerbeds, and two maids were carrying basins of water and hurrying through the corridor.

Everything looked orderly, peaceful and serene.

It was as if nothing had ever happened at this manor.

But Xilun knew—

Undercurrents never leave a trace on the water's surface.

It will silently erode the riverbed underwater until one day, the entire river channel collapses.

He put down his cup and stood up.

There are many things to do today.

First, adjust your mental state to prepare for the first empty blood pressure reading in the afternoon.

Second, obtain detailed information about Virus Number One.

third--

His gaze passed over the central courtyard and landed on the distant south wing.

The training room.

The cold chamber there has an extremely significant effect on enhancing the Xuan Yin Breathing Technique. If he can cultivate there during breaks in treatment, his cold breath condensation level can reach another level.

In this manor, time is not only a window for healing—it is also a window for his self-cultivation.

Five days.

He must make the most of every minute.

Xilun left the dining hall, walked through the central atrium corridor, and headed towards the training area.

The morning light shone on his back, casting a long shadow on the stone pavement.

His shadow moved steadily forward with his footsteps, neither hurried nor slow.

……

The door to the training room closed behind him.

The thick stone walls isolated all sounds from the manor—the footsteps of the maids, the shears of the gardeners, and the occasional neighing from the distant stables.

Everything fell silent.

Xilun sat cross-legged on the stone platform in the center of the cold room and slowly closed his eyes.

The objects in the cold room were embedded in the four walls, like sleeping ice beasts, silently exhaling a thin layer of cold mist.

The temperature was dropping, the air was becoming dry and crisp, and breath condensed into white streaks at the corners of the lips.

He first practiced the Moon Memory Meditation Method.

The spiritual world slowly unfolds in the depths of consciousness—a silent gray field, the sky low and the wind still.

In the center of the field, the sacred bud of prayer stands quietly, its roots penetrating deep into the consciousness, and a warm white luster flowing between its branches and leaves.

After being nurtured in the North District for some time, the buds are much more lush than when we first saw them.

White light seeped from the veins of the leaves, sliding down the branches like dew, gathering at the base to form a faint halo.

Xilun immersed his consciousness in the halo, feeling the pure power slowly flowing through his spiritual world.

Gentle, calm, and unhurried.

Just like the morning stream washing away the silt deposited on the riverbed.

He remained in this state for about twenty minutes, confirming that his mental strength had recovered to more than 85%.

Then he switched his breathing technique.

The moment the Profound Yin Breathing Technique was activated, the objects in the cold room seemed to sense something. A very faint hum came from the walls, and the emitted cold mist suddenly became thicker.

A chilling aura surged from the depths of the dantian, spreading along the meridians to the limbs.

The biting cold no longer caused him the same pain as before—since breaking through to the expert level, the cold breath had transformed from an out-of-control dark river into an icy lake condensed between his bones and blood.

It lies deep within the body, quietly dormant until it is awakened, then it surges forth like an undercurrent beneath the ice, swift and precise.

The external low temperature created by the cold room equipment resonates with the internal coldness.

Two chills, one inside and one outside, collided and merged at the intersection of the meridians, producing a wonderful multiplier effect.

This process would take at least half an hour elsewhere, but here—

Xilun felt the cold lines on his palm become even clearer.

[Completed one breath control exercise, Xuan Yin Breathing Technique experience +1]

[Completed one breath control exercise, Xuan Yin Breathing Technique experience +1]

[Completed one breath control exercise, Xuan Yin Breathing Technique experience +1]

……

Fifteen minutes.

Efficiency has nearly doubled.

He memorized the number.

The quality of the items in the Link family's cold room far exceeded his expectations. If he could make full use of the conditions here in the next five days, he could refine his Xuan Yin Breathing Technique by at least 20%.

The practice continued in silence for nearly an hour.

When Xilun opened his eyes, a thin layer of white frost had formed on the ground around the stone platform.

He exhaled a breath of white air, and the frost slowly melted under his gaze, turning into tiny water droplets that seeped into the cracks in the stone.

He flexed his fingers.

The knuckles made a slight cracking sound, and the cold lines on the palm flashed by in the air.

In good shape.

With abundant mental energy and normal bodily functions, the refinement of his cold breath has taken another small step forward.

Xilun got up, left the stone platform, and pushed open the door to the training room.

The warm breeze from the corridor hit him, and the temperature difference with the cold room behind him gave him goosebumps.

The sun had risen to its zenith.

A large swath of golden light poured down from the skylight in the corridor, illuminating the stone floor until it appeared white.

Siren walked along the corridor toward the east wing.

His pace was neither fast nor slow, exactly the same as it had been in the early morning.