I built a safe house in the eerie night.

The graceful woman walked slowly to the center of the hall. The dim light outlined half of her beautiful profile, while the other half remained hidden in shadow, adding to her mystique.

Her voice was soft and charming, but her words were as sharp as needles.

"Last time there was an accident, and we weren't able to clean it up properly in time. The City Lord is quite displeased. Patriarch Jiang, will there be no more accidents this time?"

Sitting in the main seat, Jiang Changshan remained silent, but his tiger-like eyes were fixed on the woman in the hall, with suppressed anger surging deep in his pupils.

Jiang Yun, who was standing to the side, stepped forward, his voice cold and hard:

"Liu Baiyin, go back and tell Zhao Huan that after tonight, he will be fully recovered and will get what he wants. Also, remember your promise, and don't break it!"

Liu Baiyin covered her lips and chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling:

"That's for sure. If this succeeds, both our families will benefit greatly, our family foundations will be strengthened, and we'll have a better chance of moving to the prefectural capital in the future..."

She changed the subject slightly.

"However, with Changyin Mountain now isolated from the outside world and the strange moon phenomenon imminent, how can you be so certain that Jiang Ning is doomed? What if he escapes again, like last time..."

"Won't!"

Jiang Yun interrupted decisively, his tone chilling.

"The 'Tuta' placed within the clan has appeared, and the altar in Baiye Village went out this morning. Without the protection of the altar, no one in Baiye Village will survive tonight. Come again at this time tomorrow and take his 'Soul Lamp'!"

Liu Baiyin's smile deepened.

"Oh, that's perfect. It seems... the ambush last time worked. Without the Holy Blood to maintain the altar, it's truly a dead end."

"Hmph!" Jiang Changshan finally spoke, his voice filled with the anger of someone who had been tricked.

"Even without your clumsy ambush, the altar would have been useless to maintain; my Jiang family had already tampered with that batch of holy blood!"

Liu Baiyin bowed slightly.

"It was Baiyin who misspoke. My young master is young and not as thoughtful or far-sighted as Patriarch Jiang and the Jiang family. This will save us a lot of trouble later and also shut up the gossip of some people in Danhua City."

"Hmph!" Jiang Changshan snorted coldly again, his gaze sharp as a knife as he swept over Liu Baiyin.

"In addition to the conditions agreed upon beforehand, my Jiang family has another request: once Zhao Huan has stabilized his foundation and truly mastered alchemy, he must refine the high-grade pills needed by my Jiang family."

"My son, Jiang Changshan's son, even if he's useless, still has his value!"

Liu Baiyin remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "This matter... Baiyin cannot make the decision herself. I need to go back and inform the young master before I can give an answer."

"Then go and report!" Jiang Changshan waved his hand dismissively, his imposing manner suddenly intensifying.

"And remember this: if your Liu family dares to scheme against my Jiang family's bloodline again, don't blame me for flipping the table, and none of us will get away with it!"

Liu Baiyin's smile remained unchanged as she bowed slightly once more.

"In that case, Baiyin will take her leave and await good news tomorrow..."

"Wait!" Jiang Changshan called out coldly, stopping her as she was about to turn around.

"Tomorrow, I will bring you that ridiculous marriage certificate with Jiang Ning. I will tear it up in public and announce to the whole city that it is my Jiang family that is divorcing your Liu family, and divorcing you, Liu Baiyin."

"From this day forward, you, Liu Baiyin, have no right to set foot in my Jiang family again!"

Liu Baiyin raised her hands and cupped them in front of her, which perfectly shielded her beautiful face from the shadows.

No one could see the sudden darkness in her eyes.

She lowered her head, her voice devoid of emotion: "As Patriarch Jiang says, this humble woman... takes her leave."

The graceful figure silently retreated into the darkness outside the hall, her footsteps fading into the distance.

The hall fell silent again, with only the father and son remaining.

Jiang Yun's anger hadn't subsided: "Father, if word gets out of what we've done, or if other members of the clan..."

Jiang Changshan raised his hand to stop him: "Apart from a few elders who know the truth, no one else knows. Once the storm has passed, we can do some superficial work and then this matter will be considered closed."

"After all, he unfortunately perished in Changyin Mountain. That was indeed his fate. Living would have been of little use to the family."

"But the Liu family, and Zhao Huan, presumptuously plotted against the Jiang family without considering their own interests..."

"That's enough." Jiang Changshan rubbed his temples, looking tired.

"After this matter, it is enough if the family's foundation is enhanced. Keep a close eye on the soul lamp in Jiangning."

"Also, what is the situation at Changyin Mountain? Is it still possible to enter? Is there any news about the people who went to investigate?"

"Father, rest assured. Without the altar, with my sixth brother's meager abilities and those few followers, he won't be able to survive tonight. As for Changyin Mountain... the specific reason for the anomaly is still unclear, but it may indeed be related to the early arrival of the Ghost Moon."

Jiang Yun replied.

Jiang Changshan stood up, walked to the entrance of the hall, and looked at the deep night outside with a complex and sharp gaze:

"People say that even a tiger won't eat its cubs, but for the sake of the Jiang family's legacy, I have no other choice. I hope that when you get to the afterlife... you won't blame me."

His voice was low, and his last sentence became almost inaudible.

......

Changyin Mountain, Baiye Village.

Time passed in an eerily tense calm.

More than an hour has passed since night fell completely.

However, there were still no signs of a large-scale strange tide attacking the mountains and fields outside the village.

Only a few low-level spirits and monsters, as if lost, staggered out of the withered forest and roared as they pounced.

The bone arrows, easily scattered by the forward arrow towers, were pinned to the ground, unable to even touch the first line of defense of the Devouring Flower, let alone threaten the village.

This unusually quiet atmosphere made the people on the viewing platform feel even more uneasy, rather than relaxed.

Not only was Jiang Ning frowning, but even Yu Niu and Er Hu noticed that something was wrong.

Yu Niu scratched his head, his face full of confusion. "Young Master, what's going on tonight? Are those ghostly things afraid of us? Why don't they dare to come?"

Erhu also chimed in, brandishing the gleaming bone spear in his hand:

"They must have known that Brother Niu and I got the divine weapon, and they were so scared they ran away in a panic!"

Wang Fu stepped forward, his face grave, and said in a low voice:

"Young Master, tonight is truly strange. Normally, when the altar goes out, they should swarm in eerily. The previous nights, even with the altar still glowing faintly, they were so violent. But tonight, without the altar, they haven't come at all..."

"This is too strange and abnormal. Could it be related to the ongoing strange phenomena in the mountains, even causing the eerie races... to retreat?"

He shook his head after saying that, finding the idea absurd.

Jiang Ning shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the observation tube. "I don't understand either. Let's wait and see..."

His feelings were complicated at that moment.

The fewer strange occurrences there were, the less direct threat they posed, but the unusual events still weighed heavily on his mind.

Moreover, the absence of the Twisted Tide means no spoils of war and a lack of stable resource income.

Jiang Ning had prepared for a bloody battle all night, but the expected storm did not arrive, and only a few scattered raindrops fell.

The feeling of punching empty air after gathering strength made Jiang Ning feel extremely frustrated and anxious.

"Never mind," Jiang Ning sighed, forcing himself to calm down.

"It's a good thing that there are no strange tides, but we must not let our guard down. Who knows, those things might not play by the rules and might go crazy in the middle of the night."

At this moment, Yu Niu, who had been staring intently at the outside of the village, raised his hand and pointed forward, his voice tinged with excitement:

"Young Master, they're here! They're here again!"

Jiang Ning's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately moved closer to take a look.

But then, from the edge of the withered forest, a dozen or so strange creatures emerged, baring their fangs and claws, emitting intermittent roars, and charging toward the village.

Then--

"Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!"

Several purplish-black bone arrows swept past precisely, easily pinning down this wave of scattered and eerie creatures on their way, without even provoking any further reaction from the Devouring Flower.

Jiang Ning's lips twitched slightly.

That's it?

Are you coming or not? Just give me a straight answer!