The night gradually darkened, shrouding the silent town.
Outside the town, a white barrier of light rose into the air, enveloping the entire town and protecting all the common folk within.
At the northwestern corner of the town stood a secluded residence. At that moment, it was brightly lit.
Fang Mu and the others drank wine, ate pastries, and listened as Jiang Tao recounted all kinds of strange and bizarre tales.
Sun Hou did not touch the pastries. Instead, he drank quite a bit of wine, and whenever his eyes inadvertently met Jiang Tao's, both of them revealed meaningful smiles.
Fang Mu ate pastries and drank fine wine. He could sense that there was nothing wrong with either the pastries or the wine, but once mixed together, they produced a medicinal effect.
The effect was colorless and tasteless, seemingly aimed at the physical body. It could paralyze the body and leave the muscles and bones limp.
Jiang Tao's plan was nothing more than to make Fang Mu's entire body go weak and limp as mud.
By then, even if he possessed peerless cultivation, without his physical body to rely on, a limp sword strike would not have as much force as an embroidery needle wielded by a young girl.
"Fang Mu! Be careful! There's something wrong with these things. I—I can't exert any strength!"
At that moment, Qi Zhu cried out in alarm, overturning the pastries and wine on the table as she anxiously warned Fang Mu.
Fang Mu was somewhat speechless. Are you an idiot? Even if it's true, couldn't you have given me a hint?
Now that you've made such a scene, they don't even need to hide it anymore. You've put everything out in the open.
And you only noticed now. Don't you think that's a little late?
"Hmph! Miss Qi Zhu, you'd better not talk nonsense. We treated you with sincerity, yet you've actually slandered us with vicious words."
Jiang Tao had long been simmering with anger. Upon hearing Qi Zhu's words, he immediately slammed the table and stood, challenging her.
"Enough with the act. That brat Fang Mu has been eating and drinking for so long that he's already poisoned. Besides, with me here, taking him down will be a piece of cake."
At that moment, Sun Hou suddenly stood up and spoke to Jiang Tao with a face full of smiles.
"Sun Hou! What are you trying to do?"
Qi Zhu's expression changed drastically as she retreated to Fang Mu's side. Feeling that she could not exert any strength, she shouted in alarm.
"Hahaha! What am I trying to do? Miss Qi Zhu, your beautiful face and graceful figure have had your subordinate thinking of you day and night."
"That brat Tu Qing has the heart of a thief but not the guts. This time, I'll be the one to enjoy the benefit."
"Sun Hou! Don't you dare act recklessly. Tu Qing is your master. Aren't you afraid that if he finds out, he'll tear you limb from limb?"
Qi Zhu's face was full of anger and bashfulness as she scolded and threatened Sun Hou.
"You needn't trouble yourself over that, Miss Qi Zhu. You should worry more about yourself!"
"Hahaha, today Brother Sun Hou and I will share the beauty between us and savor what it feels like to enjoy one."
Sun Hou walked toward Qi Zhu with a face full of smiles, while Jiang Tao laughed wantonly, his heated gaze sizing up Fang Jing's exquisite figure.
"Boy! You'd better not move recklessly. I might consider sparing your life and letting you admire this grandpa's figure swaying in the wind."
Hearing Jiang Tao's threat and watching him approach, Fang Mu revealed a meaningful smile.
"Ah! There are ghosts!"
Several screams suddenly rang out from outside the house. They belonged to several ruffians who had left the room.
"A few years ago, you killed a young girl here."
"She died so unjustly, so horribly. All of you men tortured her to death and dumped her body in the barren forest outside the town."
"The ground in that barren forest was so icy and cold."
"The women you killed one after another were hung from the icy Blood Sophora trees. Their blood seeped into the Blood Sophoras. Though their corpses rotted, their resentment did not fade."
"They're inside this room, hiding in the shadows and watching you."
"Look, they're wearing blood-red wedding dresses. How beautiful. They look just like brides about to be married."
Fang Mu's hollow gaze and eerie words rang out. Jiang Tao, who had been approaching, felt his scalp go numb and retreated two steps in shock.
He stared at Fang Mu uncertainly, unable to understand how Fang Mu knew these secrets.
"Gulp!"
Sun Hou swallowed nervously in terror. Suddenly, he saw a bloody figure reflected on the window paper outside.
The bloody figure was crouched before the window, peering inside at him through a small hole that had somehow been rubbed open.
Looking at those hollow eyes and the blood shadow formed from congealed blood, even Sun Hou, who had captured countless monsters and demons, could not help feeling a chill creep up his spine.
With two muffled thuds, Fang Mu suddenly struck out and knocked Qi Zhu and Fang Jing unconscious.
There might be some bloody and frightening scenes later, and he was afraid the two of them would be frightened.
"Gentlemen, the auspicious hour has arrived. I've already knocked them out. Come, come and enjoy yourselves!"
Hearing Fang Mu's eerie words, and seeing him rise with a smile while waving enthusiastically like a madam soliciting customers, Sun Hou instead warily took a step back.
"Damn you, stop trying to scare me with this ghost nonsense!"
Jiang Tao roared, suppressing the terror in his heart as he suddenly drew his blade and slashed at Fang Mu's neck.
The blade went in white and came out red. Jiang Tao had held nothing back, cutting straight across Fang Mu's neck.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, splattering the floor and staining Fang Mu's clothes red.
"Oh dear! The blood's coming out! What a pity."
Fang Mu's hoarse voice suddenly rang out, yet there was not the slightest trace of pain on his face.
Under Sun Hou and Jiang Tao's horrified gazes, Fang Mu held his own head and spun it several times before directly twisting it off.
Then, holding his head as blood sprayed from it, he stared at the two of them before placing the head back onto his neck.
"Clang."
"A ghost!"
Jiang Tao stared at Fang Mu in horror. His legs trembled violently, and he felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head.
The long blade in his hand shook and fell to the ground.
Sun Hou was likewise so frightened that he cried out and retreated repeatedly, staring at Fang Mu in utter shock.
Could Fang Mu be some strange evil spirit? Or has he been possessed? Sun Hou wondered in terror.
"Don't look back. Trust me, you won't like seeing the horrifying faces of the young ladies behind you."
Fang Mu's hoarse voice rang out, seemingly warning Sun Hou and Jiang Tao.
"Fuck your grandmother! You're spinning your head around for fun, and you expect us to be less scared?"
Sun Hou cursed inwardly with trembling legs. Feeling the wisps of coldness behind him, his hair stood on end as he glanced back.
"Ah!"
Sun Hou and Jiang Tao turned around at nearly the same time, only to be swallowed by countless bloody figures.
Amid two terrified screams, a black shadow flashed past. Two thunderous impacts rang out as violent fist force directly shattered the two men's hearts.
The black shadow dispersed, revealing Fang Mu's figure.
Looking at Sun Hou and Jiang Tao's corpses, Fang Mu's expression was perfectly calm.
He could actually have done this without going to such trouble. There had been no need to use a clone in place of his true body.
As long as he made a move, Sun Hou or Jiang Tao—either of them would have died without a doubt.
But letting the two of them die that easily would have been far too lenient.
Especially Jiang Tao. After committing every evil under the sun, even in death, he deserved to be frightened before being sent on his way.
Controlling the Vital Energy, Fang Mu stitched together the severed section of the clone's neck. After making him swallow several Essence Blood Pills,
Fang Mu grabbed the corpses of Sun Hou and Jiang Tao and came beneath the Blood Sophora tree outside the courtyard.
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