Lin Yi is Fostered, Jiang Mingsi Lays a Trap.

"Sandalwood Moon Shadow Sword Art... Are they from the Everlight Sword Palace?"

"Can't afford to provoke them, definitely can't."

Jiang Mingsi sprinted wildly while clutching the child. As a textbook example of a demonic cultivator, he possessed the two virtues typical of his kind: exterminating all witnesses and knowing exactly when to flee.

In common parlance, he didn't take unnecessary risks.

The moment there was the slightest sign of trouble, he would immediately withdraw and vanish; this was the secret to his survival thus far.

"Evil scum!" A crisp, cold reprimand rang out from behind. Jiang Mingsi glanced sideways to see Xu Shuangshuang pushing her True Qi to the limit, pursuing him on her flying sword.

"Damn it! Sword flight via True Qi—she's at least a Sixth Grade!"

"A Sixth Grade sword cultivator... tsk, tsk, tsk!"

Feeling the sharp, piercing sword light mere dozens of meters behind him, Jiang Mingsi couldn't help but shudder.

The path of the sword focused on slaughter, and its offensive methods were notoriously fierce.

Xu Shuangshuang's gaze turned icy. She raised her hand and launched a sword talisman, which slammed violently into the ground behind Jiang Mingsi.

She had held back her full strength, fearing she might harm the child.

"Ugh!" Jiang Mingsi let out a muffled groan as a sweet, metallic taste filled his throat. His expression turned vicious. "Bitch!"

He bit down hard on the tip of his tongue. In an instant, the black hair on his half-shaven head turned ash-white at a speed visible to the naked eye, while his speed surged several times over. With a single leap, he vanished nearly a hundred miles away.

"A technique of the Blood Refining Path!" Xu Shuangshuang frowned.

Fortunately, that sword talisman had left a trace of aura locked onto him; there was no way this evil cultivator would escape today.

At this moment, on the outskirts of Jiaqing County in the Great Yan, a luxurious mansion bore the plaque "Lin Family Escort Agency." However, the estate was now drenched in blood, devoid of any sign of life.

Several black shadows darted through the courtyard, and after a few breaths, they gathered beneath a camphor tree.

Standing there was a figure in black robes with a plain white mask covering his face—clearly the leader of the group.

"My lord, all three hundred and sixty-four members of the Lin Clan have been executed. However, the cargo mentioned in the orders has yet to be found."

The white-masked man in black robes replied indifferently, "Understood. Let's go." The group of black-robed figures then withdrew.

Half an hour later, a floor tile in a corner of the inner courtyard shifted slightly.

A young man in his twenties crawled slowly out from a hidden tunnel.

He had a plain, unremarkable appearance; he was Lin Hua, the eldest son of the Lin Family Escort Agency.

Gazing at the scene of carnage, where blood flowed like a river and corpses lay scattered everywhere, Lin Hua's legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Big brother, big brother! Is it safe outside?" A youthful voice, trembling with anxiety, came from the tunnel. Soon, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy with delicate features crawled out. Upon seeing the horrific sight, his body went limp, and he too collapsed to his knees.

"Brother... our family is gone..." the boy sobbed.

Lin Hua pulled his younger brother into a tight embrace, resting the boy's head on his shoulder, and choked out, "Brother... you have Grade A Bone Structure. You must cultivate diligently in the future and avenge our parents, our uncle, and our aunt..."

"Mm..."

"Never forget the blood feud of our clan..."

"Mm..."

Before the words could fade, a series of whooshing sounds erupted. The group of masked figures in black robes had returned like ghosts, surrounding the two brothers completely.

"Heh, the lord was right after all. There were survivors in the Lin Clan."

The brothers jolted awake, cold sweat soaking their clothes.

Fear flashed in the eyes of the younger brother, Lin Changgong. After a moment of hesitation, he trembled as he stepped forward, shielding his older brother. "Brother... you've never practiced martial arts. Run, I'll hold them off..."

Before he could finish, a hand clamped onto his throat with lightning speed. The movement was so fast that Lin Changgong couldn't even react.

"A brat who hasn't even broken through the Martial Pass, not even a Ninth Grade, yet you talk big about holding us off?" The black-robed figure sneered. He thrust his hand straight through Lin Changgong's abdomen, instantly shattering his dantian. Lin Changgong's face turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with boundless terror.

"And a genius with Grade A Bone Structure, at that. If we really let you escape, we wouldn't be able to sleep soundly." After saying this, the man twisted his wrist viciously.

Squelch!

Lin Changgong spat out a large mouthful of blood and fell unconscious.

"Brother!" Lin Hua's eyes were bloodshot. He struggled desperately to stand, but was pinned down by the surrounding black-robed men.

He had no bone structure and could not cultivate; at this moment, he could only watch this helpless scene unfold.

A breeze swept through the courtyard, and silence fell instantly.

The next second, with a sharp shredding sound, a spray of hot, bloody liquid splattered across Lin Hua's face. Immediately after, the pressure on his body vanished.

He looked up to see that the black-robed men around him all had thin red lines across their necks. Several heads rolled onto the ground, making a bone-chilling sound.

Clatter—

The headless corpses collapsed one after another, revealing the person who had struck from behind.

An old man with disheveled hair, wearing tattered Taoist robes and possessing a gaunt, withered face, stood there holding a tender infant in his arms.

"Heh heh, there have truly been many strange occurrences lately, and they all happened to pile up on the same day."

The old man chuckled softly.

Jiang Mingsi looked down at his own withered, skeletal palms and sighed in a low voice, "To forcibly use such techniques of the Blood Refining Path without having cultivated it, the effect is truly terrifying. A simple Blood Escape alone nearly exhausted my entire lifespan..."

As he spoke, Jiang Mingsi raised a hand and beckoned to Lin Hua.

Lin Hua scrambled forward, tears and snot streaming down his face, kowtowing incessantly, "I, Lin Hua, thank you for your great kindness, Senior! I am willing to repay this debt for the rest of my life!"

Jiang Mingsi's mouth curled into a grin, "Repay the debt? Very well."

He handed the infant in his arms over, "Help me raise a child..."

At this moment, Lin Yi was still in a deep sleep, and in his dreams, words seemed to emerge:

[Destiny Talisman Coin -10]

[Destiny Talisman Coins exhausted, [Strong Luck] deactivated]

[Successfully survived, obtained ten thousand Destiny Talisman Coins]

The next morning, the dawn sun rose.

Jiang Mingsi sat alone atop a cliff, meditating in silence. He was now gray-haired and pale, his vitality as weak as a flickering candle.

A streak of sword light tore through the sky, stopping directly at his throat.

Xu Shuangshuang's tone was icy, "Where is that child?"

Jiang Mingsi turned his head, his lips curling upward as he wheezed, "Heh heh, Sword Cultivator, lean in closer and I'll tell you..."

Seeing his withered, dying state, Xu Shuangshuang did not harbor much suspicion. After a moment of hesitation, she leaned in slightly.

A faint, airy voice drifted quietly into Xu Shuangshuang's ears, causing her expression to change abruptly.

"You brainless bitch, if you want to know the whereabouts of that brat... wait until your next life!"

As the words fell, Jiang Mingsi thrust his neck forward, actively colliding with the blade.

Instantly, blood gushed out like a fountain, and his life force was severed.

Xu Shuangshuang's pupils shrank, her face turning livid, "Damn it!"

She glared at Jiang Mingsi's corpse with hatred for a long time.

Finally, she raised her hand and unleashed thousands of sword beams, grinding him into dust before transforming into a streak of light and darting into the distance.

At the same time, inside a coffin deep within a desolate grave, a corpse puppet slowly opened its eyes, a complex glint shining within them.

"He died after all... The lifespan of this original body was already nearly non-existent. Fortunately, I cultivate the Corpse Puppet Path; by borrowing this corpse puppet, I can extend my life for another seventeen years through slumber. Seventeen years from now, that young, peerlessly talented body should be fully nurtured. I only hope that the trap I laid in such a rush does not go awry..."

"I truly look forward to waking up next time... Heh heh..."

Jiang Mingsi chuckled softly and sank back into a deep slumber.