Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

They circled the city several times, confirming that no one was following them.

They returned quietly.

I will report everything I have seen and heard to Dongfang Weiwo in detail.

"The Blood Cult?"

Dongfang Weiwo frowned slightly.

He grew up in the capital, but he had heard of this name before. It was a top-tier demonic force in the northwest of the Xuan Tian Dynasty. It was said to be headed by an old demon at the Grandmaster level. They were secretive and ruthless. Even the imperial court was reluctant to provoke them.

How could such a behemoth appear in a small place like Qinghe City?

"What else did they say?"

"The child leader mentioned that the Blood Dark Cult 'cannot be exposed.' It seems they are plotting something in secret."

Furthermore, they had sent assassins to kill the young master, but they seemed unaware of his true identity.

Dongfang Weiwo pondered for a moment.

The Blood Cult sent people to assassinate him, the reason for which is unknown. However, judging from their conversation, it seems that it wasn't aimed at the Dongfang family, but rather because he was "in the way" or "in the way."

"The vast mountain range."

He murmured.

There must be something there that has attracted the attention of the Blood Demon Cult.

"Young master, I am incompetent and failed to capture the enemy alive," Zhao Banshan said apologetically.

"It's alright."

He waved his hand.

"You fought three against one and still managed to kill one of them, which has exceeded my expectations. Besides, knowing that the other party is the Blood Demon Cult is important intelligence in itself."

He paused for a moment.

"Go and rest first. Keep an eye on the movements at the ruined temple tomorrow. They've lost people, so they won't let this go easily. But there shouldn't be any major moves in the short term."

"Yes."

After Zhao Banshan left, Dongfang Weiwo sat alone in the room.

Lightly tap the table with your fingers.

Blood Demon Cult...

It seems that the waters of Qinghe City are deeper than he imagined.

The next day.

The news somehow spread.

Some say a fierce battle took place last night at the dilapidated temple in the south of the city. Others claim to have witnessed a dark figure leaping across rooftops. Still others say it was a clash between two gangs of martial arts practitioners, resulting in one death.

Various rumors are rampant.

The truth, however, remains unknown.

Inside the mountain god temple.

The old ghost sat cross-legged, surrounded by a faint black mist.

The middle-aged woman stood to one side, her expression respectful.

"Were the Blood Cult members attacked?"

The old man opened his eyes. A glint of light flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"Yes."

The middle-aged woman said.

"A guy named Ghost Hand died. He was supposedly killed by a master of hidden weapons."

"A master of concealed weapons..."

The old man pondered.

"When did such a person arrive in Qinghe City?"

"I don't know. But I heard that the Blood Demon Cult has already sent people to investigate."

The old man gave a cold laugh.

"Let them investigate. Perfect, the more they cause trouble, the less attention they'll pay to us. In a few days, my soul will be mostly recovered. Then—"

A burning desire flashed in his eyes.

"That thing is ours now."

Qinghe City, County Government Office.

Sun Liangyu sat behind his desk, a black jade chess piece in his hand, but he didn't place it. On the chessboard in front of him, the black and white pieces were locked in a fierce battle in the middle game, the situation at a stalemate. But his mind was clearly not on the game.

In the corner of the study, a dark figure stood silently.

"The Black Serpent is dead. The Blood Demon Cult has also suffered casualties."

Sun Liangyu spoke, her tone as if she were talking about a trivial matter that had nothing to do with her.

"A mid-stage Blood Exchange Realm cultivator had his throat shattered by a single punch from a peak Body Refinement Realm youth. What do you think?"

The shadowy figure remained silent for a moment.

"Either he possesses a powerful treasure, or he has a master protecting him in secret. Either way, this Dongfang Weiwo is no ordinary person."

"Yes, it's not simple." Sun Liangyu sat in his study, listening to his subordinate's report.

The corners of his mouth rose slightly.

Sun Liangyu placed the black jade chess piece on the chessboard, making a crisp, light sound.

"A collateral descendant sent to Qinghe City by the Thousand Households. Fifteen years old, peak Body Refinement Realm. With such a resume, he seems like an insignificant nobody."

But this insignificant character, only a few days after arriving, was assassinated by the group in the dilapidated temple. Then, the assassin died. He lived.

I lifted my eyelids and looked at the dark figure in the corner.

"Did you spot any other people around him?"

"no."

The shadowy path.

"He patrolled the garrison headquarters and the city every day, and only came into contact with people from the headquarters. Liu Tie, Zhang Dashan, and Su Wen—these three were his junior officers, and their backgrounds were all clean. Apart from that, no other suspicious persons were found to have contact with him."

"That makes it even more interesting."

Sun Liangyu leaned back in her chair, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the chess box.

"It seems they've realized they've bitten off more than they can chew."

I stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the old locust tree in the courtyard.

"Pass down the order: from this moment forward, all actions targeting Dongfang Weiwo shall cease. No investigation, no movement, no contact."

The figure in the shadows paused slightly, "Sir, you mean...?"

"Let him live."

Sun Liangyu's voice was calm and composed.

After the man in black left, Sun Liangyu got up and walked to the window.

Looking towards the distant, vast mountain range.

"That thing in the vast mountains... the Blood Nether Cult... and that mysterious force that killed Zhou Tie... and now there's another one with an unknown origin, Dongfang Weiwo..."

A meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"This game is getting more and more interesting."

Vast mountain ranges, nameless peaks.

The mountain village has changed dramatically.

In less than ten days, Chen Jialuo transformed this dilapidated mountain stronghold, which originally had only a dozen or so people, into a solid base with more than twenty people.

Sun Laosi was a capable man. Since being recruited, he worked exceptionally hard. He was a seasoned veteran of the Cangmang Mountains and knew the terrain like the back of his hand. Under his leadership, the fortifications of the mountain stronghold were built in an orderly manner.

Wen Tailai was in charge of training the newly recruited men. He was forthright and had fierce martial arts skills, and in just a few days he trained this ragtag group into a respectable force.

"Master!"

Sun Laosi strode into the Hall of Gathering Righteousness.

"We discovered a monster's lair thirty miles to the south. There are at least three monsters at the Blood Transformation Realm inside!"

Chen Jialuo was examining the map when he heard this and looked up: "Three-Headed Blood Transformation Realm?"

"Yes! There are still more than a dozen Body Refinement Realm cultivators."

Excitement flashed in Sun Laosi's eyes.

"If we can destroy this nest, the demon cores and materials alone will be worth a fortune!"

Chen Jialuo pondered for a moment: "No rush. Let's first scout out the terrain and figure out the monsters' activity patterns before we make a move."

"Understood."

After Sun Laosi left, Chen Jialuo got up and walked to the window.

Looking at the distant mountains.

These past few days, he had been secretly investigating the strange runes left at the scene of Zhou Tie's death. Those runes exuded a cold, decaying aura, unlike any righteous method; they seemed more like some kind of demonic secret technique.

"Blood Cult..."

He murmured.

Although he did not see the Blood Nether Cult members in person, judging from the aura of the runes, they were likely related to this demonic force.

"Chief, we've made a discovery!"

A hand stumbled in.

"We found signs of human activity to the south. They weren't ordinary hunters; they were all quite skilled!"

A glint of light flashed in his eyes.

"Let's go take a look."

Zhenfu Branch Office.

Dongfang Weiwo sat in the room and sorted out the intelligence he had gathered.

The Blood Demon Cult has appeared in Qinghe City. Their target is clearly something in the Cangmang Mountains.

The group that killed Zhou Tie used insidious and bizarre runes. They are very likely another demonic force.

Although the county government appears to be indifferent, all indications suggest that Magistrate Sun Liangyu is no ordinary person.

The three parties each harbored their own ulterior motives.

And he, Dongfang Weiwo, has now been drawn into this mess.

"Young master."

Tian Guinong walked in from outside the door.

"Someone outside is requesting an audience, saying they were sent by the Commander-in-Chief."

Flag officer? Zheng Yuanlang?

"Let him in."

The newcomer was a young captain's guard. He cupped his hands and said, "Captain Dongfang, the captain requests your presence. He says there is important business to discuss."

He nodded slightly. He stood up and straightened his clothes.

"lead the way."

As I stepped out of the room, I glanced at the sky.

The sky was overcast. Dark clouds covered the ground.

A storm is coming.

Just like the murky waters of Qinghe City—calm on the surface, but turbulent beneath.

As for Dongfang Weiwo, since he had come, he had no intention of just being a spectator.

Whether it's the Blood Demon Cult or any other force—

Someone is blocking his way.

Just kill them.