Aftermath [2]

Over an hour later.

Inside the Xue family cellar.

The scene had been cordoned off, and all police officers had withdrawn, leaving only twenty-six skeletons lying quietly where they were, maintaining their original postures without a single one being moved an inch.

Under the dim light, two figures stood in silence—a man and a woman.

However, compared to ordinary people, both of their physiques were far beyond the norm.

Their postures were upright, and their muscle definition rose and fell like mountain ranges in the gloomy light, silently radiating an oppressive aura.

At this moment, the woman in the black leather jacket crouched down, her gaze falling upon the ground beneath the ghastly white bones.

On the floor, dried, blackened bloodstains twisted and snaked together, forming a bizarre flame pattern that exuded an indescribable, sinister air.

"This is a blood sacrifice cultivation method from the Old Arts."

Her voice was low.

"Judging by the style of the runes, it should be a mark left by the Pure Fire Sect."

"The Pure Fire Sect? The one wiped out forty years ago?"

The man beside her frowned upon hearing this.

"Correct."

The woman nodded.

"The Pure Fire Sect was one of the few Old Art sects that wasn't completely eradicated after the War of Extinguished Arts back then."

She paused, her tone carrying a hint of chill.

"If this were the past, it might still pose some threat.

But today, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has long since withered. Aside from those evil arts that rely on blood sacrifice and lifespan to be cast, most Old Arts have already lost their efficacy.

Even those who practice the Old Arts will gradually weaken, eventually becoming no different from ordinary people."

The man was silent for a moment before speaking: "In that case, we must find that person as soon as possible. It is highly likely he obtained the Old Arts left behind by the Pure Fire Sect."

"Things aren't that simple."

The woman stood up, her expression grave.

"It is highly probable that the perpetrator is also a member of the Pure Fire Sect."

"Furthermore, the fact that the Pure Fire Sect survived the joint siege by the major clans back then was no accident.

Even those evil arts with severe side effects are extremely troublesome for us to deal with once we get involved; that is the terrifying nature of the Old Arts.

This matter has far-reaching implications. We had better report it first and not risk ourselves."

The man nodded, saying no more.

The nature of the incident at Wulin Village was extremely heinous, rapidly attracting widespread attention.

The murder of Xue Hai's family was not the most horrifying aspect of the event.

What truly shocked people was the contrast between their facade of kindness and the litany of bestial crimes they committed in secret.

Investigations revealed that they had long used various means to abduct young women and children, imprisoning, abusing, and eventually brutally murdering them; this behavior appeared to be part of some cult ritual.

The cruelty of their methods and the depravity of their actions were hair-raising.

Had this case not come to light, no one would know when these crimes might have been exposed.

Or, most likely, they would never have been revealed at all.

Within a single day, the news spread everywhere, with numerous media outlets scrambling to report it.

However, shortly thereafter, related coverage seemed to be deliberately suppressed, and the public fervor began to cool.

Beyond that, there was another reason.

The police had quickly locked onto a suspect: a long-time fugitive with a history of heinous crimes.

After all, according to the villagers' descriptions, the perpetrator had not made any effort to conceal his tracks at the time, and many villagers had seen him.

Therefore, it was no surprise that the police had quickly tracked the case to him.

Only the fugitive, hiding in some unknown location, knew the truth.

He knew just how massive a grievance he was suffering.

Unfortunately, no matter how great his injustice, he could not show himself to defend his name.

Because his own criminal record dictated that once he was exposed, even if he proved he didn't do this, he would be immediately executed by firing squad.

Thus, he could only sullenly shoulder this heavy burden of blame.

Since the outcome would be the same anyway, in a way, it was like a flea-ridden dog not fearing one more bite.

Cloud City, the night was as dark as ink.

As the most peripheral city of the Yu State.

It had always been a gathering place for all sorts of people; smuggling and black-market trading ran rampant, and the city appeared even more chaotic at night.

"Wait a bit, brother will make you feel like you're in heaven."

"Oh, you're so annoying, what's the rush~"

"Hee hee!"

In the dim alleyway, the suggestive banter sounded particularly jarring.

A man with dyed yellow hair and a floral shirt, with a heavily made-up woman on each arm, swayed as they walked toward a cheap hotel at the end of the alley.

Thud, thud.

Dull footsteps echoed through the alley.

Just then, a man in a black trench coat and a baseball cap walked toward them from the front.

Due to the lighting, only his cold, sharp jawline was visible.

At the very moment the two parties were about to pass each other.

Puchi!

The sound of a sharp blade slicing through flesh rang out abruptly.

In that instant, all sound came to an abrupt halt.

The bodies of the yellow-haired man and the two women stiffened, their eyes wide with extreme terror.

The next second, their bodies seemed to be torn apart by an invisible, massive force, splitting cleanly with edges as smooth as mirrors, and blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly staining the filthy ground red.

The man in the black trench coat did not stop his pace and continued forward.

Just then.

Screech—!

A sharp whistle of air being torn apart suddenly pierced the silence.

The man's figure paused, and his hands, which had been hanging at his sides, suddenly emerged from his wide sleeves, fingers slightly spread.

The next instant.

A cluster of sparks exploded in his palm.

Clang.

A dull metallic thud echoed as something hit the ground.

A twisted, deformed bullet casing rolled onto the floor.

Between the man's fingers, several nearly transparent threads coiled and moved like living creatures, glinting with a chilling, cold light.

Then, the threads quietly retracted into his sleeves, as if they had never appeared at all.

He slowly raised his face.

A slightly gaunt countenance was revealed in the dim light.

Most striking was the white flame pattern on his forehead, which exuded a strange and dangerous aura.

His gaze shifted to the side.

Atop a gray utility pole, a slender figure had appeared at some point, holding a gun in her hand.

"Bai Ling, are you looking for death?"

The man spoke, his voice icy.

"Just a joke, don't be so serious."

The woman named Bai Ling chuckled.

She wore a white mask, and her skin was deathly pale.

She put away her handgun.

Her figure leaped down, moving as lightly as a civet cat, without making a single sound.

Her gaze swept over the three corpses nearby.

"The world is filthy; relying on such slaughter treats the symptoms but not the root cause. Besides, aren't you afraid of being discovered by those people for killing ordinary folks so casually?"

"I don't need you to teach me how to do things!"

The man said coldly.

"If there is a next time, I will kill you."

"Alright, Tail Fire, I came to find you this time for serious business."

Sensing the killing intent rising from him, she put away her smile, her tone becoming more earnest, for she knew this madman would truly strike at her.

Although she wasn't afraid, there were important matters that could not be delayed.

"The woman who stole the Green Bag Fragment has been found. The Cult Leader has ordered us to retrieve it."

As she spoke, she pulled out a black token and tossed it over.

"The Cult Leader?"

The man in black, Tail Fire, shifted his gaze and reached out to catch the token from Bai Ling's hand.

He felt the powerful aura emanating from it.

A flicker of profound wariness crossed his previously calm eyes.

"Since it is the Cult Leader's command, I shall naturally obey."

As his voice faded.

A gust of night wind blew, and the two figures, along with the twisted, deformed bullet on the ground, all vanished.

Only a pile of mangled flesh remained on the ground, with the scent of blood spreading through the air.