Chapter 35

"Mon... monster?"

The two men stared wide-eyed, trembling all over, their faces twisted with terror.

They thought the shadow was the Heart-Plucking Monster.

Poor Chen Ju had already been drained dry and was utterly dead.

No cultivator here could drain every last drop of blood from someone's body.

Much less turn a corpse into such a ghastly, terrifying sight.

So the killer couldn't possibly be human!

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

That voice...

"It's you!"

The brothers heard the voice and felt their hearts jolt. They were shocked, astonished, and utterly incredulous.

It was the little bastard who should have been lying on the ground, being drained of his blood!

Wang Long hurriedly raised the fire striker in his hand and stretched it forward. Its dim yellow light immediately illuminated the shadow's figure and face.

It really was that little bastard!

"Chen Ju... was it you... who killed him?"

Wang Long's voice began to betray him. Like his body, it trembled violently.

He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the dagger.

Beside him, Wang Hu endured the agonizing pain in his hands and feet and quietly began gathering his strength.

Though both brothers were injured and their fighting ability greatly diminished, if they risked their lives and fought side by side, they could surely break through.

"Do you think I'm capable of that?"

The figure standing behind the door spoke again.

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

At this, Wang Long and Wang Hu froze, confusion spreading across their faces.

"Then..."

Wang Long was about to speak when the figure in the firelight suddenly raised his head and looked behind them. Without another word, he quickly opened the door, slipped out of the room, and even closed it for them on his way out.

A bone-chilling cold instantly shot up the brothers' spines!

"What was that?"

Their hearts jumped, and they hurriedly turned to look.

The corner behind them was pitch-black. They couldn't see a thing, only the faint outline of Chen Ju's motionless, emaciated corpse on the floor.

The overpowering stench of blood in the air, the grotesque corpse on the ground, the deathly silence and darkness in the room, and the figure's sudden, strange behavior moments ago sent the brothers' fear soaring to its peak!

"Get out of here!"

Wang Long couldn't help shuddering. Enduring the pain in his foot, he hurried toward the door.

Wang Hu, trembling with fear, followed close behind!

"Creak..."

Wang Long reached the door first and flung it open.

But the instant it swung wide, a fist already brimming with power shot out of the darkness beyond! Like a heavy hammer, it slammed viciously into his chest!

"Thud!"

A muffled impact rang out, followed by the crack of breaking bones.

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

Chest to back, the brothers tumbled awkwardly to the floor.

The unexpected blow left them briefly unable to fight back.

Before either of them could get up, the figure outside flashed into the room. A cold glint flickered in his hand, and with a soft "pfft," the dagger plunged into Wang Long's throat.

Wang Long's eyes went wide. He reached out with both hands, trying to grab the dagger.

But the moment it pierced his throat, the dagger was pulled free. Then it plunged viciously into Wang Hu's throat beneath him.

Wang Hu was already dazed from the impact, and pinned beneath his brother, he couldn't move. He was pierced through the throat without the slightest chance to resist.

The brothers lay stacked atop each other, eyes wide, both hands clutching their necks as blood gushed out. Their open mouths let out dying, rasping gasps, and their terrified eyes brimmed with unwillingness.

At that moment, they looked a little dazed.

Perhaps even as they died, they never imagined that tonight's prey would turn out to be the two of them.

"Swish!"

To preserve as much blood as possible, Luo Qingchen brought his dagger down and stabbed it into both their hearts. He twisted it hard, and they died for good.

Then he pressed both hands against them!

100%!

120%!

160%!

190%!

230%!

280%!

Only when his second Blood Bar shot up from 90% to 280% did he let go.

The two men, who had looked so powerfully built moments ago, were now little more than skin and bones. Their bodies had shrunk, and even their muscles had withered.

Their faces looked even more terrifying!

At that moment, Luo Qingchen clearly felt the blood inside him surge, hot and rushing.

Like a great river, with waves roaring within!

He didn't dare linger. He immediately searched the two men for silver, then slipped away into the darkness.

He returned to the third room.

After quickly locking the doors and windows, he lit the oil lamp on the table and carefully checked his whole body for bloodstains.

Fortunately, the Blood Sucking Skill seemed to be able to clean every trace of blood from his body.

Then he took out the silver he had collected from the three men and poured it all onto the table.

"Clatter..."

The crisp chime of the silver pieces striking one another sounded like pleasant little bells, lifting his spirits to the utmost.

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

"There's a full one hundred and twenty taels of silver here!"

A moment later, he finished counting it all.

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

He carefully considered what he could do with the silver.

It wasn't enough to redeem the Soul Contract from the pawnshop, but he could repay A-Yun the twelve taels first, and use the rest to buy meat.

Meat would replenish his body's energy and help him cultivate faster.

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

He already had 280% of reserve blood in his body, but he couldn't be sure it would last until he cultivated to the Blood Changing Realm.

With this silver, his chances were much better!

Once he cultivated to the Blood Changing Realm, he could finally escape his identity as Blood Medicine, whose life and death were at anyone's mercy.

Then he would officially become a disciple of the Demon Controlling Sect.

By then, there would be room to renegotiate the Soul Contract.

And there would be more ways to make money, so he could help his younger sister repair the Ten-Soul Banner with better materials!

Now, holding the silver stained with "blood," he dreamed of a bright future, his heart brimming with hope.

But he soon came back to reality.

Three cultivators had died in a single night. It would surely send shock waves through the Town Guard Bureau, and might even draw the attention of those above.

After all, all three cultivators had masters.

He had to prepare carefully, down to the smallest detail. He absolutely couldn't let himself be exposed.

Otherwise, all his hard work and hopes would vanish like bubbles.

After a moment's thought, a ruthless, resolute glint appeared in his eyes. He took out his dagger and gently sliced open the wound on his wrist.

Blood quickly welled out.

He lowered his head and drank it straight down.