East Courtyard.
Only a short while had passed.
A surging wave erupted from the stream.
Water splashed down on either side, soaking the smooth pebbles along both banks.
"Master, I'm here!!" Old Softshell's voice arrived before he even entered Jiang Ning's sight.
The surging waves bursting from the stream further showed just how swiftly Old Softshell had come.
An instant later.
Old Softshell appeared in the lake.
"Catch!" Two drops of blood flew from Jiang Ning's hand, tracing an arc through the air.
Old Softshell instantly leaped from the lake, stretching out his neck.
With two swishes.
The two drops of blood were swallowed into Old Softshell's belly.
"Go back and refine them! Remember to protect them well!" Jiang Ning said.
"Yes, Master!" Old Softshell replied.
He came quickly, and he left quickly too!
Having received Jiang Ning's instructions, he swiftly departed.
Having lost three drops of blood in such a short time, Jiang Ning could feel a subtle abnormality in his body as well.
"Losing three to five drops of blood a day is harmless, but any more than that will, over time, have a certain impact on me!"
"Old Softshell and Linglong still need to be nurtured. As demons, judging from the experiments these past few days, they absorb my blood most efficiently. Once they become my retainers, they will also be able to protect my family well."
The blazing sun slowly rose.
Although sunlight enveloped all of Dongling City, the city lay amid mountains and hills. It was still early, and the temperature had not yet risen. The morning breeze still carried the damp chill of the mountain winds.
After washing up, Jiang Ning sat in the courtyard, leafing through a book.
"Young Master, tea!" Lü Yi brewed a pot of hot tea beside him and brought