One might call him the Number One Expert of the Mortal World, but with Shangyang Jiuli stationed here—and the unfathomable depths hidden behind the easy smiles of the two tigers before him—he would be a fool to imagine himself the strongest in all the Northern Lands.
“Let’s talk somewhere else,” Xiao Hongye suggested.
The three of them shifted swiftly into another room. No one mentioned Ling Feng’s death again. Behind them, once the door was shut, the corpse collapsed into a heap of black ash in the blink of an eye.
Ling Feng had been at least of Double-Vein Level. When Lu Sheng’s palm struck, he had felt something slick—like scales—sliding under his hand. Without hesitation, he forced the Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies Skill into Ling Feng’s body, unleashing both the Tremor effect and Blood Web to lock him down entirely.
Most experts, once caught in that grip, had no chance of escaping. With both major effects triggered, even seasoned cultivators were rendered helpless.
That was how Ling Feng met his end. Lu Sheng seized the opening and ended him with a single palm before the man could activate any of his abilities.
On the surface, it looked as though his head had simply been crushed. In truth, his body had already been stuffed full of the Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies Skill’s Blood Web. One could never kill a Bind realm being with brute force alone—not without inner Qi. Only a fusion of strength and Yang-attribute inner Qi could truly wound and destroy such an existence.
The room they now entered resembled a cluttered storeroom. Sculptures of flowers, birds, insects, and fish filled the shelves—oddly shaped, yet uncannily lifelike, each carved from wood.
“Hohoho… collecting is my only hobby. Please don’t laugh at me,” Xiao Hongye chuckled, covering his mouth with his fan.
“Of course not. Squire Xiao’s taste is truly unique. I had no idea you were skilled in wood sculpture,” Lu Sheng praised. The strange elegance of Xiao Hongye’s pieces spoke for themselves. From the fresh edges and uniform carving technique, it was clear they had all been made recently—and all by the same hand. It wasn’t difficult to infer who the craftsman was.
“Sect Master Lu flatters me,” Xiao Hongye replied, grinning widely. With a casual wave, he dismissed the servants. Only after they had fully withdrawn did he close the windows and motion for his two guests to take their seats.
“To be honest, I called you both here today to discuss the upcoming Ritual Offering,” he said, wearing his usual fox-like smile.
“Ritual Offering?” Taoist Bai Feng’s brows knitted together. “So soon? Isn’t it held once every decade?”
“Precisely why I’m bringing it up ahead of time,” Xiao Hongye answered lightly before turning to Lu Sheng. “Sect Master Lu, this matter requires your complete cooperation. You’ll be the first step in our preparations. Do you have any plans in mind?”
Ritual Offering?
Lu Sheng maintained a calm mask despite knowing absolutely nothing. Whatever this Ritual Offering was, Noblemen seemed to treat it as the most basic of common knowledge—so common that even questioning it would raise suspicion.
“What plans could I possibly have? Everything depends on what the two of you intend,” he replied smoothly, keeping his answer vague as his thoughts raced.
“There are still six months before Ashoka Manor’s Ritual Offering, so there’s no need to hurry,” Xiao Hongye continued with another sharp smile. “We suffered heavy losses during the Blood Offering of the Scarlet Dragon Tribulation, and my Family Head revealed far too much of his power. So for this matter, we must rely on the two of you. It must be handled discreetly. As compensation, Ashoka Manor will provide one hundred Artificial Silver Pills.”
“Artificial Silver Pills!” Taoist Bai Feng exclaimed in shock. “That’s an enormous offer. The Manor Lord is truly generous.”
Lu Sheng had no idea what an Artificial Silver Pill was, yet he did not hesitate to mirror their astonishment.
Apparently satisfied with their reactions, Xiao Hongye’s smile widened. “This time, we need at least ten people born without any whites in their fingernails—any age is acceptable—along with a hundred ordinary living creatures. Most importantly, it must all be done discreetly.”
“That’s standard quantity. This Taoist has no objections,” Bai Feng replied, his tone indicating the court had no issues with the arrangement.
Xiao Hongye’s gaze slid toward Lu Sheng.
Lu Sheng had already formed several guesses, but after a moment’s thought, he chose to ask a seemingly unrelated question.
“What do you mean by ‘any age is acceptable’?”
Xiao Hongye gave a light laugh. “Oh, that simply means both the elderly and children can be used. We only require a drop of their heart essence blood, so their age doesn’t matter.”
Understanding crashed into Lu Sheng.
Ashoka Manor was demanding living sacrifices. This was outright slaughter—mass murder disguised as ritual practice. Heart essence blood… there was only one way to obtain it: by taking lives.
He glanced at Xiao Hongye and Taoist Bai Feng. Both men wore expressions of calm normalcy, as though they were discussing menu choices rather than human lives—as though the people they spoke of were nothing more than livestock awaiting slaughter.
“Previously, I captured a hundred people from Yun Province,” Xiao Hongye continued casually. “But they were intercepted by some pests midway, or else I wouldn’t need to gather more here. So I’m afraid we must trouble Sect Master Lu for this task…”
“Would inmates on death row or serious criminals suffice?” Lu Sheng asked, probing.
“Of course. They’re ideal—they don’t attract attention. But people without whites in their fingernails are harder to find,” Taoist Bai Feng said with a smile.
“Very well, Sect Master Lu, give us a clear answer. You’ll be the one doing most of the work, so how about seventy Artificial Silver Pills?” Xiao Hongye urged.
Lu Sheng exhaled slowly. He was no saint and never pretended to be. But taking lives without cause, simply to fulfill some so-called Ritual Offering, was something he could not tolerate so easily.
No matter what choice he made, refusing would mean offending Ashoka Manor. And judging from Bai Feng’s casual attitude, this was simply routine among Noble Families—an unavoidable practice woven into their world.
Just then, Lu Sheng caught a flicker of suspicion in the eyes of both Xiao Hongye and Bai Feng. Realizing he had paused for too long and risked arousing further doubt, he finally spoke. “In that case, while I can’t guarantee they’ll all be people without whites in their fingernails, I can provide the full hundred-person quota.” In truth, he planned to fill the numbers using criminals—death row inmates and the worst offenders. It shouldn’t be difficult to gather a hundred from such groups.
“That works as well,” Xiao Hongye said, withdrawing his scrutinizing gaze. “So we’ll follow this arrangement every decade from now on?”
“This Taoist has no objections, as long as Ashoka Manor remembers its compensation,” Bai Feng added with a chuckle.
Lu Sheng gave a polite smile. “Of course. But the price may not always remain the same.”
“Naturally,” Xiao Hongye laughed. “How much time will Sect Master Lu need? My Manor must hold the Ritual Offering in two months.”
“I’ll make it as quick as possible,” Lu Sheng replied. “Squire Xiao only needs to prepare the Artificial Silver Pills.”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry.”
With their agreement settled, the three continued conversing. As usual, Xiao Hongye and Bai Feng dominated the discussion while Lu Sheng listened, speaking only when asked.
Gradually, he pieced together the truth behind the Ritual Offering.
In essence, it was a mandatory ceremony performed once every decade by all Noble Families. Human lives were sacrificed as offerings to the Divine Weapon enshrined by the Family. If the offering was not made, the Family’s Noblemen would suffer a decline in power and strength.
With a bit more probing, Lu Sheng learned something else—every Noble Family that had consecrated a Divine Weapon or Devil’s Blade was bound to perform this Ritual Offering. Without exception.
Thus, whether they belonged to Noble Families or demonic factions, all of them worked tirelessly to preserve the prosperity of the territories under their control. A growing population meant an abundant supply of bodies for future Ritual Offerings.
Even the criteria for the offerings changed from time to time.
After learning all this, Lu Sheng finally saw the world for what it truly was.
Noble Families were nothing less than demons wrapped in human skin. To them, ordinary mortals were no different from livestock—perhaps treated only marginally better.
The three continued their conversation for a while until Taoist Bai Feng excused himself, leaving Lu Sheng alone with Xiao Hongye.
Xiao Hongye soon summoned a troupe of beautiful women. Sitting beside Lu Sheng in the hall, he watched the dancers sway to the music, his hand already slipping beneath the garment of one performer.
The melody that filled the hall was soft and languid, yet strangely suggestive. Lu Sheng couldn’t even identify the instrument; to his ears, it sounded like the breathy moan of a girl lost in intimate pleasure.
A voluptuous woman leaned gently against him, but despite the sensual atmosphere, Lu Sheng felt nothing—not even the slightest stir of desire. He remained distant, cold.
“Brother Lu, all these lovely servant girls have been personally ‘treated’ by me. If any catches your eye, feel free to take your pick,” Xiao Hongye said with a broad, generous wave.
“You jest, Brother. I’ve no interest in such things. My lifelong pursuit is the Dao of martial arts. Everything else is fleeting to me,” Lu Sheng replied, his tone flat.
He still didn’t know precisely what “treated” meant, but from the girls’ sparkling, vacant eyes and their puppet-like obedience, he could guess.
“In times like these, a simple man like you is rare indeed, Brother. No wonder you reached the Three-Vein Level at such a young age,” Xiao Hongye sighed, lifting his cup.
“You flatter me,” Lu Sheng answered, raising his own cup.
“To be honest, I kept you behind because there’s an important matter I must discuss with you,” Xiao Hongye said, his expression turning grave.
“Please, speak freely,” Lu Sheng replied. He had already sensed there was unfinished business.
Xiao Hongye waved the nearby guards away, leaving only the dancers and the woman seated beside him.
“You may not know this, Brother, but a rogue wanted by Ashoka Manor has recently fled into the Northern Lands. He’s gathered a few fugitives from Yun Province and seems to be doing quite well for himself.”
“Oh? With the strength of your Manor, you still can’t handle him?” Lu Sheng asked with a faint smile.
“That man is far too cunning. He never confronts us head-on—always flitting about, hiding in the shadows. He’s become a real thorn in our side. So I must ask a favor of you, Brother Lu. Please keep an eye out for him. If you discover anything, inform me at the earliest opportunity,” Xiao Hongye said earnestly. “Once the matter is resolved, we’ll reward you with an Ashoka Flower from Ashoka Manor.”
“Ashoka Flower?” Lu Sheng repeated. He had no idea what it was, but anything offered so solemnly had to be valuable.
“As long as your body isn’t damaged beyond fifty percent, consuming one will restore you fully. You’ve never used one, have you?” Xiao Hongye smiled knowingly. “We only produce a small amount each year, and we seldom give them away. But Brother, you’re different. You and I see eye to eye. This is nothing worth mentioning.”
“Then my thanks to Brother,” Lu Sheng said, clasping his hands.
His mind drifted back to the battles he had witnessed. Zhen Yi, whose head had been split almost in half—yet he survived and healed instantly. The umbrella girl, the same. Ling Feng, however, had been annihilated by a single strike.
All three were of the Bind realm, yet the first two were nearly indestructible while Ling Feng had crumbled easily. This disparity had puzzled him greatly.
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