His gaze swept over Yu Xing, scrutinizing him.
"Funai Er asked me to stay the night." Yu Xing remained composed. He nodded toward the corpse on the floor and asked calmly, "Why are you killing the cultists?"
Aiven glanced down at the maid's corpse by his feet, then looked back at Yu Xing.
The corner of his mouth curved into a smile devoid of warmth.
"For the ritual," he said. "It is their honor to give their lives to summon my Lord's Divine Kingdom."
After a pause, he added, "What about you? Where were you just now?"
"I was in the guest room, recovering from my injuries. I heard a commotion and came to see what was going on." Yu Xing spoke naturally, showing Aiven the bandage on his shoulder. "Who would've thought a follower of God was killing cultists?"
Aiven stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly smiled.
"Fair enough." He let go of the maid's ankle. The corpse hit the floor with a thud. "Since you're one of us, want to lend a hand? We still need one more leg. Three corpses should be enough."
He pointed to a room at the end of the corridor. "There are two more in there. With this one, we'll have three pairs of arms and three legs. I'm too slow on my own. Give me a hand and we'll finish faster."
Yu Xing's gaze fell on the maid's corpse.
Then he looked at Aiven.
The corridor reeked of blood. The light was dim, and their shadows stretched long across the walls.
The air was so quiet they could hear the wind rustling through the trees outside the manor.
As six o'clock drew nearer, Funai Er stood in a space just like the basement beneath the church, where endless corridors