Monkey

The room.

Zhong Shenxiu sat cross-legged and summoned the Heavenly Show System:

[Zither, Go, Calligraphy, and Painting: Third Layer]

[Spiritual Turtle Breathing Technique: Third Layer (Cannot Be Improved)]

[Azure Dragon Probes the Clouds Hand: Third Layer]

[Profound Yin Soul Control Fragment: Second Layer]

[Heavenly Show Points: 2 (32%)]

"Defeating Shangguan in front of everyone and humiliating him has planted no small disaster. It was practically suicide. Sigh, what a familiar taste... I walked this same road of courting death in my previous life."

"But for the sake of Heavenly Show Points, I have no choice. Who told me that improving the arcane arts of the Profound Yin Soul Control Fragment requires two points?"

He took a deep breath and focused his thoughts:

[Consume 2 Heavenly Show Points to improve the Profound Yin Soul Control Fragment?]

"Yes!"

[Profound Yin Soul Control Fragment improved!]

[Profound Yin Soul Control Fragment: Third Layer (Cannot Be Improved)]

All sorts of arcane insights surfaced in Zhong Shenxiu's mind in an instant, letting him know that he had cultivated this incomplete art to its peak.

At this level, he could even faintly sense that the incantation of the arcane art he had obtained was incomplete.

Without the true inheritance, he could advance no further.

"Actually... this is also an illusion. What does 'cannot be improved' mean? It means it cannot be improved normally. This system is habitually ridiculous, otherwise, where did my Xiantian Qi Gong in my previous life come from?"

"But without the subsequent cultivation method, forcibly improving it would require at least ten times as many Heavenly Show Points. For example, a normal advancement costs two points, while breaking through without a path ahead costs twenty! That's impossible in the short term, to say nothing of the fact that fourth-layer arcane arts might not necessarily be able to restrain that Headless Count..."

Zhong Shenxiu suddenly felt somewhat desperate.

The Blood Moon Night was almost upon him, and he truly had no confidence that he could survive it.

He gritted his teeth, illuminated himself once more, and saw that Headless Count again.

As he did so, a ring of dim radiance suddenly spread from around his body, swallowing the light in the surroundings.

In a daze, Zhong Shenxiu seemed to become that first-generation legendary count once more, carrying out countless deeds.

Many of them were trivial chores, such as approving documents and inspecting farmland.

But occasionally, a few secrets were mixed among them.

He seemed to see 'himself' ordering several farmers to bury something in a mountain cave, then drawing a knight's sword and cutting them all down...

He saw 'himself' reading mysterious books in his study, books that recorded evil contents and knowledge...

He saw 'himself' wearing an ornate formal robe and standing in a gloomy basement, conducting some cruel experiments...

Apart from these memories, even more broken and scattered knowledge surged toward him.

Rituals, keys, the Blood Moon... the Gate of Ten Thousand Doors!

Zhong Shenxiu shuddered and abruptly regained consciousness.

"So... this was the Count's plan?"

He had glimpsed another fragment of the Headless Count's memories, slightly improving his occult knowledge. At this moment, he had gained some insight into the other party's preparations for the ritual.

"The birth of the Headless Count ultimately stems from the influence of that existence... Starting from that aspect might not be a way to counter it. It's just extremely risky. But I have no choice now."

Zhong Shenxiu let out a sigh.

At this moment, although the arcane art's advancement to the third layer still could not let him control the Vengeful Spirit within his body, a certain sensation had appeared out of nowhere.

He was slightly startled, then walked out of the room and began patrolling the military camp.

Suddenly, Zhong Shenxiu stopped and looked toward a place ahead.

The buildings ahead were considered quite good even within the Black Mountain Fortress military camp. There was also a separate courtyard. Only those of Company Commander rank or above could hold such status.

Zhong Shenxiu was wondering which Company Commander this was when the courtyard gate ahead creaked and swung open. Several people came out.

Leading them was naturally Company Commander Fisher, followed by two ordinary-looking personal guards.

Zhong Shenxiu stepped aside, and a trace of darkness flashed through his eyes.

With the aura of the Vengeful Spirit within his body, he obtained the effect of spirit vision for a short time.

Within his current field of vision, the original appearance of one of the personal guards behind Fisher became blurred. Though he could not see clearly, the guard should be a woman.

Moreover, her eyes held the deep blue color of the sea.

'A descendant of the Felix Family was hiding in the military camp? This is truly being blind under the lamp! And if this Company Commander wasn't covering for her, I'd stake my life that he is!'

Zhong Shenxiu suddenly felt as if he had hooked a big fish. 'Not only that... something on this woman is resonating with the Headless Count within me... If I hadn't used Eastern arcane arts to spy on her and restrained this Vengeful Spirit, she might have noticed me.'

He had no intention of reporting them directly.

If he reported them now, at most he would earn some merit and have Feng Xi'er bestow a few chapters of the Ten Directions Beast Art upon him. That would do nothing to improve his physical condition.

On the contrary, he might be able to obtain more from these people.

"That person just now..."

After the three of them left, Fisher brought them to a place. Seeing that there was no one else nearby, Dilia lowered her voice and asked, "He didn't look like he was wandering by at random. He seemed to have come specifically for us. Although he concealed it well, I still feel that something is wrong."

"Miss, he's Su Daozhi, merely a convict. He's been in our camp for several years..."

Fisher replied in a low voice, then felt that something was amiss as well. "I hadn't heard much about him before, but recently he's done several remarkable things and made quite a name for himself. He seems to have undergone a drastic change in temperament."

As an infiltrator, he had long since adapted to the lives and speech patterns of the Yan Han people. By now, even his way of thinking had grown more similar to theirs.

Previously, he simply hadn't paid much attention. But after connecting the details, he now sensed something unusual.

"Our presence here is the greatest secret. If he poses any threat, eliminate him as soon as possible." Dilia made her decision without hesitation.

"He's the Colonel's personal guard and doesn't fall under my jurisdiction. That could be troublesome. Besides, he may not know about us."

Fisher thought for a moment before answering, "However... he's offended many people recently. I'll secretly test him."

"Good."

Dilia held her own wrist, her emotions somewhat unsettled.

In truth, the feeling she had experienced the instant she saw that man was even more peculiar.

She vaguely felt that he was extremely attractive.

'Dilia, what are you thinking? You possess the noble bloodline of the Felix Family. Your future partner must possess an equal bloodline as well. How could you possibly take a fancy to an Eastern monkey?'

She reproached herself inwardly, even wondering whether disguising herself so often had muddled her sense of beauty.

How could she possibly be attracted to that yellow-skinned monkey? Although he was admittedly a rather handsome monkey!