Chapter 35

"Mon... monster?"

The two men's eyes widened, their bodies trembling violently as expressions of sheer terror washed over their faces.

They assumed this dark shadow was the Heart-Plucking Monster.

After all, poor Chen Ju had been drained dry, his life completely extinguished.

No cultivator here could possibly extract every last drop of blood from another person's body, leaving nothing behind.

It was even less possible to reduce a corpse to such a hideous, ghastly state.

Therefore, the killer was definitely not human!

But the next second, the shadow behind the door suddenly spoke: "Are you here to collect blood?"

This voice...

"It's you!"

Hearing that voice, the two brothers felt their hearts skip a beat, struck by a mixture of shock, astonishment, and disbelief.

It was that little bastard who was supposed to be lying on the ground, waiting to have his blood drained!

Wang Long hurriedly raised the tinderstick in his hand and reached forward; the dim, yellowish light immediately illuminated the figure and face of the shadow.

It really was that little bastard!

"Chen Ju... was it you... did you kill him?"

Wang Long's voice began to tremble uncontrollably, just as violently as his body.

He gritted his teeth in secret, gripping the dagger in his hand with all his might.

Standing beside him, Wang Hu also endured the sharp pain in his hands and feet, beginning to secretly gather his strength.

Although both brothers were injured and their combat effectiveness was greatly reduced, as long as they risked their lives and fought side by side, they would surely be able to break out.

"Do you think I have that kind of ability?"

At this moment, the figure standing behind the door spoke again.

"To kill Chen Ju, who is at the same cultivation level, in such a short time, and to drain every drop of blood from his body—I'm afraid even Head Zhang couldn't do that, could he?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Long and Wang Hu were stunned, confusion appearing on their faces.

"Then..."

Wang Long was about to speak, but he saw the figure illuminated by the firelight suddenly lift his head, cast a glance behind them, and then, without another word, quickly open the door, retreat from the room, and even helpfully close the door behind them.

A bone-chilling coldness instantly shot up the spines of the two brothers!

"What is it?"

Their hearts leaped, and they hurriedly turned their heads to look.

The corner behind them was pitch black, revealing nothing; they could only vaguely see the motionless, withered corpse of Chen Ju on the floor.

The thick stench of blood in the air, the hideous corpse on the ground, the deathly silence and darkness of the room, and the strange, sudden behavior of that figure just now instantly pushed the fear in the brothers' hearts to its peak!

"Run!"

Wang Long couldn't help but shiver, hurriedly enduring the pain in his feet as he fled toward the door.

Wang Hu, terrified out of his wits, followed closely behind!

"Creak..."

Wang Long reached the door first and threw it open.

Who would have thought that the moment the door opened, a fist already coiled with power would suddenly fly out from the darkness outside! Like a heavy hammer, it smashed viciously into his chest!

"Bang!"

A muffled thud rang out, accompanied by the sound of breaking bones.

Wang Long was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into Wang Hu behind him.

With their chests and backs pressed together, they tumbled into the room in a pathetic heap.

This unexpected strike instantly robbed the two brothers of their ability to resist.

Before they could scramble up from the floor, the figure from outside flashed in like lightning. A cold glint flickered in his hand, and with a "pfft," it pierced Wang Long's throat.

Wang Long's eyes bulged as he reached out with both hands, trying to grab the dagger.

Yet, the moment the blade pierced his throat, it was pulled out, and then, it was viciously plunged into the throat of Wang Hu, who was pinned beneath him.

Dazed from the collision and unable to move while pinned down, Wang Hu had almost no power to resist and was run through the throat by the dagger.

The two brothers lay stacked together, eyes wide, hands clutching their rapidly bleeding necks. Their gaping mouths emitted a dying "hissing" sound, their terrified eyes filled with unwillingness.

At this moment, they looked somewhat bewildered.

It was likely that until this very moment of death, they had never imagined that the prey of the night would turn out to be the two of them.

"Swish!"

To preserve as much blood as possible, Luo Qingchen raised his dagger and plunged it into the hearts of the two men, twisting it with force until they were completely dead.

He then pressed both hands onto their bodies!

100%!

120%!

160%!

190%!

230%!

280%!

Only when the second blood bar had rapidly surged from 90% to 280% did he release his hands.

The two men, who had looked robust just moments ago, were now nothing but skin and bone; not only had their frames shrunk, but their muscles had withered away entirely.

Their faces looked even more terrifying now!

At this moment, Luo Qingchen clearly felt the scalding heat and rushing flow of blood within his body.

It was like a great river, with the faint sound of crashing waves!

He dared not linger, immediately looting the silver from their bodies before slipping away into the darkness.

He returned to the third room.

He quickly locked the doors and windows, lit the oil lamp on the table, and carefully inspected his entire body to see if any bloodstains remained.

Fortunately, the blood-sucking skill seemed to cleanse all bloodstains from his person.

He then took out the silver he had scavenged from the three men and dumped it all onto the table.

"Clatter..."

The crisp sound of the silver shards colliding was like the pleasant ringing of bells, bringing his mood to the peak of delight.

Luo Qingchen had no time to enjoy this music and immediately began weighing the pieces one by one.

"This silver adds up to a full one hundred and twenty taels!"

A moment later, he finished counting all the silver.

The three men had hidden a total of one hundred and twenty taels; it wasn't actually much, but to him, it was already a massive fortune.

He carefully pondered the use of the one hundred and twenty taels.

This silver was not enough to redeem his Soul Contract from the pawnshop, but he could first repay the twelve taels he owed A-Yun, and use the rest to buy meat.

With meat to replenish his body's energy, his cultivation speed would be much faster.

When necessary, he could even use it to buy blood.

He currently had 280% of backup blood in his body, but he couldn't be certain if it would be enough to sustain him until he reached the Blood Changing Realm.

With this silver, his hopes were much greater!

Once he reached the Blood Changing Realm, he could finally cast off this status as a Blood Medicine, whose life and death were controlled by others at will.

At that time, he would officially become a disciple of the Demon Controlling Sect.

When that day came, the Soul Contract could naturally be renegotiated.

Furthermore, he would have more ways to earn money, allowing him to help his sister repair the Ten-Soul Banner with better materials!

Clutching the silver stained with "fresh blood," he envisioned a bright future, his heart filled with hope.

But he quickly sobered up to reality.

Three cultivators dying in one night would surely cause a stir at the Town Guard Bureau and might even alert those in higher positions.

After all, these three cultivators all had masters.

He had to be cautious and well-prepared, leaving no detail overlooked; he absolutely could not be exposed.

Otherwise, all his efforts and hopes would vanish like bubbles.

After a moment of thought, a flash of ruthlessness and resolve appeared in his eyes. He took out his dagger and gently sliced open the wound on his wrist.

Fresh blood gushed out rapidly.

He lowered his head and drank it directly.