The Last Drop of Blood

"Uncle-Master Zhao, has an important treasure gone missing?"

Yang Jian observed his expression and had already guessed most of it; he was just short of shouting out the Dragon Binding Rope himself.

"Uh... how could that be?"

Zhao Gongming glanced at Yang Jian, admitting frankly that this matter made him feel quite disgraced.

"How did you know?"

Almost simultaneously, Lady Yunxiao also spoke.

Zhao Gongming's face flushed, and he quickly tried to cover up: "Heh heh... how could it be an important treasure? It's just a Dragon Binding Rope!"

Yang Jian completely ignored Zhao Gongming's petty thoughts. His peripheral vision swept over Nine Heavens Profound Maiden and Nine Nether Pure Maiden, and he replied to Lady Yunxiao with a respectful and formal demeanor: "Uncle-Master Yunxiao, to be frank, my Sky-Howling Dog has also mysteriously disappeared. After investigating, I've pinpointed its location nearby. The dispute you just witnessed between myself and these two fellow Daoists was about this matter."

"Ah, Yang Jian, so you suspect me of stealing your damn dog? What do you think your dog is? I wouldn't want it even if it were given to me for free," Nine Heavens Profound Maiden exploded beside him.

Even the usually good-tempered Nine Nether Pure Maiden couldn't help but scold: "Yang Jian, don't attribute the petty thoughts of a villain to a gentleman. What does your lost dog have to do with us sisters? If you don't explain this clearly today, we'll have to go to True Man Yu Ding to demand an explanation."

This Nine Nether Pure Maiden usually kept quiet, but when she got angry, her words were like a barrage of cannons, leaving Yang Jian no chance to interject.

After the woman finished speaking, Yang Jian glanced at her heaving chest, as if confirming there was a small dog inside. He then sneered and said, "Fellow Daoists, stubbornness is useless. Three Ladies, Uncle-Master Zhao, I have the essence blood of the Sky-Howling Dog here. Through a secret technique, I can determine if it's truly here. Perhaps the four seniors can bear witness. If the Sky-Howling Dog is found, then Uncle-Master Zhao's Dragon Binding Rope should also be recovered with the culprit!"

"Good, Nephew, perform the secret technique immediately!"

Zhao Gongming, being well-traveled and knowledgeable, naturally knew of such secret techniques. He also felt that what Yang Jian said made some sense and immediately nodded, urging him on.

The loss of the Dragon Binding Rope was already extremely strange, and he couldn't sense the treasure's specific location. He had only vaguely sensed it within Chaoge City, but now there wasn't even a trace of a connection.

This suggested that his Dragon Binding Rope, and even Lady Yunxiao's Golden Flood Dragon Scissors, had been stolen using mystical means and placed within a spatial treasure that could block sensory perception.

Such spatial treasures had immense elasticity; adding a Sky-Howling Dog might not be a problem at all.

As Yang Jian sneered, he began to perform the secret technique.

Inside the crowd, Di Xin couldn't help but feel a surge of panic. Was he about to be caught red-handed?

He wanted to leave, but he feared causing a commotion that would make it obvious he was trying to hide something. Moreover, he had developed some trust in the System and believed that if he were truly in danger, the System would offer him options.

Since the System remained silent, it should be fine, right?

While he hesitated, Yang Jian had already used Samadhi True Fire to burn the essence blood of the Sky-Howling Dog. The blood essence transformed into a solid little white dog that wagged its tail and swayed its head before Yang Jian, lifelike and vivid, as if it were real.

If Di Xin hadn't seen with his own eyes that the White Puppy was formed from blood essence, he would have definitely mistaken it for the Sky-Howling Dog escaping from the System's space!

"Esteemed Uncle-Masters, please look. The essence blood of the Sky-Howling Dog has transformed into a solid canine phantom, indicating that this dog is within a radius of ten zhang. As for who has it, it's self-evident."

As the phantom dog appeared, Yang Jian narrowed his eyes and looked at Nine Heavens Profound Maiden and Nine Nether Pure Maiden.

Following this, Zhao Gongming and the Three Ladies also looked at Nine Heavens Profound Maiden and Nine Nether Pure Maiden. The Three Ladies slowly moved their bodies, forming a pincer formation around the two disciples of Goddess Nuwa.

Nine Heavens Profound Maiden flicked the black Mysterious Sky Halberd in her hand and snorted, "If you truly want to fight, bring it on. However, within ten zhang, look around and see how many people are here. If you insist on pinning this on us sisters, don't blame us for being impolite."

Nine Nether Pure Maiden also moved her hand without hesitation, and a gleaming treasure sword appeared in her hand, looking as if she were ready for a fight.

The surrounding commoners, seeing these cultivators about to fight, began to retreat, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

However, Lady Qiongxiao, one of the Three Ladies, moved her body and sternly shouted, "No one is allowed to leave, or you will be treated as a thief. Remain in your places, and the innocent will be protected by this Daoist."

Di Xin had also intended to slip away with the crowd amidst the chaos, but everyone was stopped. Helplessly, he had to abandon that thought.

It's fine to stay here, Di Xin thought, feeling a sense of relief.

Fortunately, I didn't leave earlier. If I had, these two beautiful women, one red and one white, might have cleared their names, and I would have lost this perfect scapegoat.

Zhao Gongming surveyed the surrounding crowd, then looked at Yang Jian: "Nephew, you could invite these two female Daoists to move away from here, to a place without others, and extract another drop of essence blood for verification. That way, the result can be determined."

"Why only target us sisters for inspection? If you can just manipulate us, wouldn't that be a profound humiliation?"

Before Yang Jian could speak, Nine Heavens Profound Maiden's willow-leaf eyebrows shot up as she flew into a rage.

Zhao Gongming sighed slightly and said, "Two fellow Daoists, this matter involves a great deal. Not only has my Dragon Binding Rope gone missing, but even Sister Yunxiao's Golden Flood Dragon Scissors have mysteriously disappeared. After investigation, both treasures are within Chaoge. You two sisters must cooperate with Yang Jian to prove your innocence; this is the only way."

At this point, Nine Heavens Profound Maiden realized that the Golden Flood Dragon Scissors were also in trouble. If she revealed her identity and mentioned that Goddess Nuwa's Soul Summoning Banner had suffered the same fate, perhaps the matter could be explained.

However, Goddess Nuwa considered this matter too embarrassing and did not want more people to know. She had only instructed her two beloved disciples to investigate quietly and not to cause a stir.

Especially since Zhao Gongming and the Three Ladies, despite their great reputations, were still a generation younger than Goddess Nuwa. They could afford to be embarrassed, but Goddess Nuwa could not.

Now, with Zhao Gongming using the guise of clearing their names, Nine Heavens Profound Maiden couldn't help but be tempted. She knew that if she didn't provide an explanation, a greater misunderstanding might arise.

After exchanging a glance with Nine Nether Pure Maiden, she nodded: "The pure will remain pure, and the impure will remain impure. We sisters can cooperate with you fellow Daoists, but if it proves we are innocent, Yang Jian... how will you apologize?"

Zhao Gongming and the Three Ladies both looked at Yang Jian. Nine Heavens Profound Maiden's condition was very reasonable. One couldn't simply prove someone innocent and then act as if nothing happened and walk away, right?

"This, esteemed Uncle-Masters, actually... Yang Jian no longer has the essence blood of the Sky-Howling Dog. The remaining three drops have all been used up," Yang Jian said, his lips twitching slightly as he sighed helplessly.