After I stopped trying, a rich woman trained me into a demon emperor.

This is not cultivation of immortality, this is clearly a demonic path that destroys humanity!

"madman!

A bunch of lunatics!

Chen Guodong, this tough soldier, was so angry that his body was trembling.

Throughout his life, he was a soldier, and what he hated most was this kind of behavior that treated human life as worthless.

Zhou Ran's face showed no anger, but rather a kind of listless disappointment.

"this one?"

He spoke very softly, talking to himself.

"I thought the Song family had some amazing methods up their sleeves, but it turns out it's just this kind of low-level blood sacrifice that's not up to par."

Before he finished speaking, he had already stood up and walked to the limp Song Qingshu.

Zhou Ran stretched out his finger and tapped Song Qingshu's forehead.

puff.

A soft sound.

A black nail, as thin as a cow's hair and gleaming with an eerie light, flew out from behind Song Qingshu's head and embedded itself in the wall behind him, its tail trembling incessantly!

"ah--!"

Song Qingshu let out a scream that was not human, and after his whole body convulsed violently, he collapsed to the ground as if his bones had been pulled out.

He fainted.

Once the Soul-Capturing Nail was removed, the mark that the Song family patriarch had planted deep within his soul was erased.

He suffered a mental and physical injury, but this also saved his life.

"Uncle Chen, this man is yours."

Zhou Ran turned around without even glancing at Song Qingshu on the ground.

"What he knows should be enough to give the Song family a run for their money."

"As for whether this can bring down the Song family, it depends on how determined the higher-ups are."

When Chen Guodong looked at Zhou Ran again, his expression was completely different.

It was a scrutiny mixed with awe and fervor, as if looking at a national treasure!

"Don't worry, Xiao Zhou!"

Chen Guodong straightened his chest and spoke with a firm and resounding voice.

"As long as this kid has a breath left, I'll make him spill every single word he knows!"

"This is no longer a family feud; it's a grave crime that threatens the very foundation of the nation!"

With a wave of his hand, the guards outside rushed in, grabbed the unconscious Song Qingshu from the ground, and dragged him outside.

After dealing with all of this, Zhou Ran's gaze finally fell on the huge water vat in the center of the hall.

There lies the real trouble that needs to be dealt with tonight.

Liu Jianguo.

The governor of Jiangnan remained with his eyes closed, immersed in the dark medicinal liquid.

Although Guiya is dead and the formation is broken, the corpse poison lurking in his body is like a maggot clinging to his bones.

If not eradicated, even if this high-ranking official wakes up, he will become a mindless zombie who only knows how to devour flesh and blood.

"trouble."

Zhou Ran shook his head and walked to the water tank.

He stretched out his right hand, and a glass-colored flame spontaneously ignited at his fingertips.

"go."

The spirit fire left his hand, transforming into a drop of golden water that silently fell into the water tank.

When the spiritual fire entered the water, the originally ink-like liquid immediately boiled violently, but without any heat.

What rose up were plumes of foul-smelling black smoke, which twisted in the air into painful human faces, only to be purified and dissipated by an invisible force.

The spirit fire swam in the water, transforming into a golden koi carp that darted nimbly through the water.

Wherever it goes, it greedily devours all the viscous toxins!

The water in the jar changed from jet black to grayish-brown, and then from grayish-brown to crystal clear.

Liu Jianguo's face, which had been covered in bruises, quickly regained its rosy color.

His brow relaxed, and the rise and fall of his chest became steady and powerful.

"Cough...cough cough cough!"

A series of coughs broke the oppressive atmosphere in the hall.

Liu Jianguo's eyes suddenly snapped open!

He gripped the edge of the tub with both hands, poked his head out of the water, and gasped for breath, as if he were a drowning person who had been given a new lease on life.

His gaze shifted from bewilderment and blankness to clarity within a few seconds.

Finally, the sharpness in his eyes returned, and his majesty arose naturally, like a sword drawn from its sheath!

"Old...Old Liu?!"

Having just been helped to wake up, Madam Liu, seeing her husband regain his senses, disregarded her weakness and stumbled over to him.

"Old Liu, you're finally awake!"

You scared me to death... Waaaaah...

Liu Jianguo gently patted his wife's back, but his gaze went past her shoulder, sweeping over the devastated hall.

The shattered floor tiles, the collapsed altar, the bloodstains on the walls, and the gray powder that hadn't been swept away.

He was unconscious, but his consciousness had not faded.

He remembered the boundless terror of having his soul imprisoned, watching helplessly as his body was manipulated and devoured.

"Old Chen?"

Liu Jianguo saw Chen Guodong standing solemnly to the side.

Then, his gaze settled on the young man standing by the water vat, wiping his fingers.

too young.

Yet this young man's calm demeanor made even the seasoned governor feel a kind of existential pressure.

"Old Liu, it was Xiao Zhou who saved you."

Chen Guodong stepped forward, his voice low.

"If it weren't for him, the Liu family, and even the entire Jiangnan region, would be completely transformed today."

Chen Guodong used the most concise language to fully explain Guiya's conspiracy, the Song family's schemes, and Zhou Ran's ruthless methods.

After hearing all this, Liu Jianguo remained silent.

a long time.

He stepped out of the water tank and took the bathrobe his wife handed him, putting it on.

There was no rage, no roaring.

But those who know him well understand that beneath his calm exterior lies a storm brewing that could overturn everything.

"What a family the Song family is."

"What a distinguished family in the capital!"

Liu Jianguo fastened his belt and walked step by step to Zhou Ran.

The next moment, this powerful figure who held sway over Jiangnan took a step back, straightened his robes, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply to Zhou Ran.

"Mr. Zhou, I will never forget your life-saving grace."

"From this day forward, whatever Mr. Zhou needs to do, I, Liu Jianguo, will be the sharpest knife in your hand!"

"In this Jiangnan region, as long as it doesn't violate the law, I will offer Mr. Zhou anything he desires with both hands!"

The weight of this promise is enough to crush any family in Jiangnan!

This is tantamount to handing over half of the power in Jiangnan to Zhou Ran!

Chen Ya, who was standing to the side, watched with a flicker in her eyes, her heart skipping a beat.

Even my own grandfather had never received such a great courtesy from Uncle Liu!

This man...

What exactly is his ceiling?

Zhou Ran took a half step to the side, avoiding the large bow.

"Governor Liu is too kind."

I saved you not out of any expectation of reward.

"It's just that those ants from the Song family got into my eyes, so I just cleaned them up while I was at it."

smoothly?

Clean up ants?

Liu Jianguo's lips moved, his heart trembling violently.

That composure... it's so perfectly natural!

"However, now that Uncle Liu is awake, there's something I need to remind you of."

Zhou Ran toned down his casual attitude and became more serious.

"That old bastard from the Song family meticulously planned this scheme, and now that I've destroyed it, he will never let it go."

"Guiya is dead, Song Qingshu is useless, and all the pawns he planted in Jiangnan have been completely removed by me."

"Those who come from the capital can't be some small fry."

A cold glint flashed in Liu Jianguo's eyes.

"Hmph! This is Jiangnan, not the Song family's backyard!"

"No matter how far he stretches his arm, I'll make sure he never gets out!"

"I'm going upstairs now!"

This call must reach the highest levels of government in Beijing!

I need an explanation for this!

Liu Jianguo turned and walked upstairs, each step making the floor vibrate.

No one is destined to sleep this night.

……

When I left the Liu residence, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

The morning breeze was cool and also dispelled the faint smell of blood on Zhou Ran's body.

As Chen Ya drove, her eyes would occasionally dart towards the man in the passenger seat who was resting with his eyes closed.

"that……

tonight……"

Chen Ya bit her red lips, but still couldn't resist.

"Speak your mind."

Zhou Ran didn't even open his eyes.

"Thank you."

Chen Ya gripped the steering wheel tightly, her voice softening.

"You not only saved Uncle Liu, but you also saved my dad and our Chen family."

This expression of gratitude is heartfelt.

If Liu Jianguo falls, the fate of the Chen family, his staunchest ally, is predictable.

"Verbal thanks are not sincere."

Zhou Ran opened his eyes and let out a lazy yawn.

"what?"

Chen Ya was startled, and her cheeks immediately flushed red, the blush spreading all the way to her ears.

"Then... what do you want?"

As long as I have it…

I'm hungry.

Zhou Ran touched her stomach and said in a serious tone.

"Let's find a place to eat a bowl of hot dry noodles, and remember to add extra sesame paste."

Chen Ya: "..."

Is this what a peerless master truly pursues?

……