第31章 邪祟的印记

Jiang Feng's two demands could be considered quite excessive.

If it were any ordinary woman, she would certainly never have agreed to such rude conditions. Jiang Feng himself felt that the likelihood of the other party nodding in agreement was slim.

Yet, he never expected that Liu Ruyan would blush and give a gentle nod.

"My benefactor saved my life, and now you are willing to help me once more. These two demands... are not excessive. I am willing."

She paused, then asked with caution,

"It is just that there is one thing I do not understand. Are you not worried that those Sun family bullies might return? Should we move to a different place to live?"

Jiang Feng waved his hand dismissively, his tone firm and casual:

"You need not worry about that; I will handle it properly. Since you have already agreed, you shall continue to stay in this cellar tonight."

Jiang Feng had originally intended to say more, but the moment the words left his lips, his expression suddenly turned ghastly.

"Remember my previous demands. I have other matters to attend to now, so I am leaving."

With that, he snatched up the manual and hurried out of the cellar without looking back.

The sky had turned completely dark by now. Outside the cellar, the Mute remained crouched in the same spot, waiting for him obediently.

Jiang Feng did not even glance at the thin dog, rushing straight into the main room and slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

He tore off his shirt as quickly as he could. Looking into a bronze mirror, he saw the strange, pitch-black markings on his chest writhing frantically, as if some living creature were trying to break out from beneath his skin.

The piercing pain made him clench his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging. He had been forcing himself to endure it back in the cellar; had he stayed a moment longer, he feared he would have shown weakness in front of Liu Ruyan.

Before he could figure out the woman's true background, maintaining a strong image was the safest choice.

The pain showed no signs of subsiding. Jiang Feng did not hesitate; he sat cross-legged and channeled the Exquisite Breathing Method with all his might, attempting to mobilize all the blood-qi in his body to suppress the agony through cultivation.

On the other side, inside the cellar.

The moment Jiang Feng's figure vanished from the ladder, the pitiful, delicate look on Liu Ruyan's face melted away like a thin layer of ice.

Replacing it was a cold and arrogant expression. Those peach-blossom eyes, which had been brimming with tears just moments ago, were now filled with nothing but indifferent scrutiny.

"It seems the Sun Brothers must have died at the hands of this young man.

What utter trash. One at the eighth level of the Blood-Moving Realm and two at the fifth level, yet they couldn't even handle someone at the seventh level.

They deserved to die."

The disdain in her eyes flashed and vanished, and she immediately returned to her calm, unruffled demeanor. She spoke as if to herself, or perhaps as if calculating something:

"Still, it is not a bad thing that it turned out to be this boy. The obsession in his eyes when he looks at me is impossible to hide; he should be very easy to manipulate."

At this point, she frowned slightly, her tone tinged with a hint of regret and impatience:

"It is just a pity that he is marked by an evil spirit; I fear he will not live long. Once he dies, I will have to scout for new eyes and ears. What a nuisance.

Mortals are truly too fragile."

At midnight, Jiang Feng finished his cultivation right on time.

He opened his eyes slowly, his first act being to look down at his chest. The strange, pitch-black markings had finally gone quiet, no longer writhing, lying dormant beneath his skin like a patch of dead vines.

Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief.

He rose and pulled open the door, casting a glance toward the cellar.

The night was deep, the trapdoor remained undisturbed, and no abnormal sounds could be heard from the surroundings. After confirming everything was in order, he closed the door again.

Indeed, he still did not fully trust Liu Ruyan.

He had intentionally left the cellar unlocked earlier just to see if she would be obedient, or if she would take advantage of the dead of night to do something suspicious.

Judging by the results, the woman was at least cooperative for now.

Jiang Feng stopped overthinking and immediately opened his status panel.

The daily settlement had refreshed.

[Slew a Martial Apprentice at the eighth level of the Blood-Moving Realm, slew one Chang Ghost.]

[Yesterday's Rating: Superior!]

[Rewards: Exquisite Breathing Method proficiency +125, Iron Stake Technique proficiency +50, Primary Cultivation Enhancement Aura (24 hours), Enhancement Point +1]

[Name: Jiang Feng]

[Realm: Blood-Moving Realm, 7th Level (35/100)]

[Profession: Alchemist, 1st Level (11/100)]

[Techniques:

Iron Stake Technique (Great Success 153/300)

Exquisite Breathing Method (Minor Success 175/200)]

[Skills:

Herb Identification Art (Great Success 129/300)

Bedchamber Arts (Entry 5/100)

Blood-Qi Pill (Minor Success 10/100)]

"This settlement not only extended the aura but also rewarded me with an attribute point!"

Jiang Feng stared at the panel, the exhaustion in his eyes swept away. He was quite satisfied with these rewards.

Yesterday had truly been a brush with death. Whether facing that desperate thug Sun Bowei at the eighth level of the Blood-Moving Realm or the Chang Ghost possessing Fan Qingyang's corpse, he had not been entirely certain of victory.

Had even one link in the chain of events been missing, it would be questionable whether he could even be standing here now.

The harvest was well worth the effort.

"I must plan the use of this attribute point carefully this time; I cannot be as casual as I was last time."

He suppressed the excitement in his heart, forcing himself to calm down, yet his thoughts drifted involuntarily to the strange markings on his chest.

"If only this one attribute point could wipe that thing off me entirely...

But what exactly is it? Can increasing my strength suppress it completely?"

He was unsure of this hypothesis, as his knowledge of evil spirits was far too limited.

Having held a low position at the Medicine Hall, he had never been exposed to these secrets related to the martial path. Only after suffering a setback did he realize just how far behind he was.

After much deliberation, he concluded that to access information at this level, he would eventually have to go through the Medicine Hall.

After a moment of silence, his gaze gradually grew firm.

"If that is the case, then I shall take another risk."

Having made up his mind, Jiang Feng stopped dwelling on it, collapsed onto his bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

Whether it was due to the massive exertion of the previous day or the strange mark on his chest, Jiang Feng slept until the sun was high in the sky.

He could have continued sleeping, but a peculiar fragrance kept drilling into his nose, forcibly dragging him out of his deep slumber.

"So fragrant... what is that smell?"

He frowned, rolled out of bed, and followed the scent to open the door. The moment he stepped out of the main room, he froze in his tracks.

On the wooden table in the small courtyard, a full spread of dishes was laid out. Every dish was a feast for the eyes and nose; the presentation alone was enough to make one's mouth water.

He had been quite satisfied with the meal he'd had at the town tavern yesterday, but compared to the spread before him, it was like heaven and earth.

The thin dog, Mute, was pacing anxiously around the table, drool hanging in thin threads from its mouth. Several times, its front paws had rested on the edge of the table, as if it were about to jump up and feast at any moment.

"Benefactor, you have woken at just the right time. Breakfast is ready; you may enjoy it whenever you wish."

A charming, melodious voice came from the side, followed by a faint, fragrant breeze as she approached him lightly.

Jiang Feng turned to look. Liu Ruyan was carrying a freshly cooked dish, walking out of the kitchen with a beaming smile.

She had changed her attire today.

It was no longer the plain white dress from yesterday, but a set of coarse cloth garments washed until they were pale. The indigo dye had faded unevenly, the cuffs and hem were visibly frayed, and there were even two patches on the cloth belt tied around her waist.

This outfit was simple to the extreme, even bordering on shabby, yet worn by her, it only served to make her face look all the more bewitchingly beautiful.

She was like a dust-covered pearl; the more inconspicuous she appeared, the more one couldn't help but look twice, wanting to see what kind of radiance was hidden beneath that gray, dusty veil.