Ghoul Blood Hall!

Morning patrol.

Zhang Qing did not pick any fights. Even when he spotted Thousand-Blood Specters, he did not go after them.

Instead, he chatted with Guan Yutian.

By probing indirectly, he gleaned some information about Ghoul Blood Hall.

It turned out...

Ghoul Blood Hall was where spirit pills were refined.

Nearly all the spirit medicines within Razor were refined by Ghoul Blood Hall.

Ghoul Blood Hall gathered a great many talents—talents of all kinds.

Those Healing Martial Artists, for instance, belonged to Ghoul Blood Hall.

And the reason it was called Ghoul Blood Hall...

Was because they liked collecting the blood of Specters.

Like the heartblood of that Bewitching Ghoul yesterday.

It had been exchanged for quite a bit of Military Merit.

Otherwise, the Military Merit from five Specters would never have been enough for everyone to exchange for spirit pills.

And then...

There was no then.

Guan Yutian only knew this much because he had been with Razor for a long time.

Though his strength was only at the fourth rank of Glimmer.

He had worked at Razor for nearly a year already.

A bona fide veteran employee.

Zhang Qing smacked his lips.

That's all the information?

Doesn't seem very useful.

Guan Yutian also did not know how to join Ghoul Blood Hall.

Fine.

You old bastards of the Chuan Family.

Do your part yourselves.

I've already tried my best.

But the time just isn't right.

Zhang Qing gave up and lay flat.

Join Ghoul Blood Hall?

No problem.

Just carry me in.

There's nothing I can do!

At noon.

The team returned to the cafeteria for lunch.

As usual, Zhang Qing swept his gaze around.

Hmm...

He was just curious.

Thousand-Blood Martial Artists occasionally appeared in this cafeteria.

You never knew whether they were actually Specters.

Zhang Qing felt that as long as there were no Thousand-Blood ones near him, it was fine.

That way, when he transformed, he would not get splattered with blood.

Lunch was a spirit meal, and Zhang Qing had been looking forward to it.

But then...

It was useless now.

Fine, he had advanced to the third rank of Glimmer.

The spirit meal no longer did anything for him.

One fewer Attribute Point. He was unhappy.

Still, the delicious spirit meal comforted Zhang Qing.

After eating, Guan Yutian was about to lead the team out on another patrol.

But unexpectedly, someone stopped him.

After whispering a few words into his ear.

Guan Yutian shot Zhang Qing a stunned look, then nodded.

Then.

He walked over.

"Zhang Qing, the higher-ups have transferred you to Ghoul Blood Hall. Go with him."

Guan Yutian said this with a very strange expression.

Zhang Qing was stunned.

Huh?

Did those old bastards of the Chuan Family really pull through?

They actually carried me straight into Ghoul Blood Hall?

They've got some skills.

Hmm.

Time to assess the danger.

Ghoul Blood Hall refined spirit pills, so its security had to be tight.

And it had its own squads.

His situation looked like a simple transfer.

If they wanted to kill him, they could have just attacked him on the street.

So, he could go.

"Then, Captain, I..."

"Go. Be careful."

"Mm!"

Zhang Qing left with that person.

He glanced at the man's health bar.

Yu Deng; 673/673!

A member of the Yu Family.

Was Ghoul Blood Hall an important stronghold of the Yu Family?

Hmm, that was highly likely.

After all, spirit pills were an important means of winning over Razor's lower-ranking members.

Very soon.

Zhang Qing and Yu Deng arrived at Ghoul Blood Hall.

It was located within Razor Hall.

It did not have the heavily guarded feel he had imagined, with sentries every few steps.

"We're here!"

Yu Deng stopped in front of a courtyard and said.

"Apothecary Yang is inside. From now on, you'll work under her."

Zhang Qing nodded.

Then he pushed open the door and entered.

The first thing he saw was Yang Man processing medicinal herbs.

Yang Man; 1540/1540!

Her health bar had not changed. It was still that high.

"Physician Yang, I've been transferred here to assist you!" Zhang Qing said, cupping his hands.

Healing Martial Artists were called physicians. Their combat ability was extremely weak.

Because of their Cultivation Techniques, they generally took on supporting professions.

Physicians and researchers were popular choices for them.

Yang Man looked at Zhang Qing, slightly stunned, before speaking softly. Her voice remained as gentle as ever.

"Then I'll have to trouble you from now on!"

"Oh, come here and let me take your pulse. Your strength has improved too quickly."

"There may be residual spirit pills in your body."

Zhang Qing's heart stirred slightly.

It seemed...

Yang Man's image did not quite match what he had expected.

She was a little... a little too affected, as though she were hiding something.

But relying on his judgment of a physician's combat ability, Zhang Qing still stepped forward.

Yang Man placed her fingers on Zhang Qing's wrist.

Her fingers were slightly cool and soft.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, she let out a soft sound of surprise.

"There are actually no traces of spirit pill residue in your body!"

"But you swallowed spirit pills with your own mouth in the inner hall!"

"Could it be..."

She looked at Zhang Qing with the gaze of a hunter who had discovered rare prey.

Zhang Qing became alert.

He took a step back.

He was even prepared to forcibly add Attribute Points and break through to the next realm.

"Physician Yang, what are you..."

Yang Man looked at Zhang Qing, pondered for a moment, and said.

"The rules of Ghoul Blood Hall are stricter than you imagine."

"Actually, Yu An gave you to me."

"Hmm... I believe the Chuan Family has given you a similar task as well!"

"Zhang Qing, it seems you've... fallen into a net!"

Yang Man lost her affected demeanor.

The dagger had finally been revealed.

Zhang Qing stared at her, ready to strike at any moment.

Yang Man was a Healing Martial Artist, with practically no combat ability.

If he took her hostage, he should have no problem getting out.

"Physician Yang, what are you talking about? I don't understand."

Zhang Qing said, trying to muddy the waters.

"Enough, don't be nervous!" Yang Man said.

"Your talent saved you!"

"You are actually immune to the erosion of spirit pills."

"Then... you are very valuable!"

Yang Man's demeanor changed.

She went from seeming soft and frail to a patient venomous snake.

From her words.

It seemed she did not intend to completely fall out with him.

Or perhaps...

She was wary of his combat ability and was trying to keep him steady for now?

"Physician Yang, what are you..."

Zhang Qing narrowed his eyes.

He was preparing to erupt.

"Enough, stop pretending. You're a smart man," Yang Man said.

"Now, you are the only squad member under my command."

"I'll grant you a captain's authority."

"You will have the right to act independently."

"And I'll prepare a large number of spirit pills for you to break through your realm."

A pie in the sky?

This woman knew how to sell one too.

And damn, it was pretty tempting.

"Then what do I need to give in return?"

"Help me find some special Specters and take their heart's blood!"

"Like that Bewitching Ghoul today?"

"Yes!"

"Is this a deal?"

"Yes!"

"Can I leave now?"

"Of course. But I think you need me to see you part of the way. That way, you'll feel more at ease!"

"..."

Has Yang Man got me figured out?

Zhang Qing thought to himself.

Within a city, all kinds of relationships were incredibly complicated.

The countless analyses of family ties on forums in his previous life had not been forced speculation; such connections truly existed.

Zhang Qing was currently threading his way through the cracks, trying to gain the greatest possible benefit.

And it was inevitable that he would be drawn into the vortex as well.

There was no avoiding it.

This was the Dark Realm!

Yang Man had not shown any hostility so far.

Perhaps she had her own purpose.

However—

His way to break the deadlock was to rapidly grow stronger while playing both sides.

If there were benefits to be had here, there was no harm in cooperating with her.