Emergency Alert

At Zhao Hu's residence.

The rain was still falling.

Hearing that the Monster Strain boy had left because something more pressing had come up, Xie An grew even more uneasy.

"Don't panic, Mingxi. Let's return to the Xie Residence and work out a plan!" Uncle Shui reassured him. Then he turned to Li Dao and Chen Mo. "You two are involved now. Sooner or later, that Monster Strain will target you too. Tell no one about this. Come back to the residence with me."

Li Dao and Chen Mo agreed and followed Uncle Shui toward the gate of the Zhao Residence.

They had barely stepped outside when a burly swordsman in fitted black clothes came up to them. "Uncle Shui."

He was probably one of the men who had accompanied Uncle Shui earlier.

Uncle Shui scanned both ends of Sheep-Dung Alley, then looked into the torrential rain. At last, he frowned. "A San, guard the gate. Don't go in, and don't let anyone else in."

With that arranged, Uncle Shui took Xie An to a carriage parked nearby.

Li Dao sat on the driver's bench and drove through the rain. Chen Mo had meant to sit outside with her, but Uncle Shui called her into the carriage.

Chen Mo sat alone on one side of the carriage. Rain had soaked her clothes, which clung to her skin and traced her slender curves. Drops still fell from her hair, sliding down her fair skin, over her neck and chest... lending her an extra touch of womanly allure.

Chen Mo was beautiful, with a full bust, a narrow waist, and long legs. Years of martial arts training had also given her remarkably straight posture.

Especially since she had entered the internal school and developed Inner Force. Inner Force could preserve a youthful appearance and make the skin softer and smoother.

But Xie An had no mind to admire her. The Monster Strain boy's parting words kept echoing in his head: Hee-hee... Have you paid your Grave Tax?

The atmosphere inside the carriage was stifling.

Only the wind outside and the patter of rain against the carriage broke the silence.

At last, Uncle Shui spoke. "Instructor Chen, has your father been well lately?"

Chen Mo tucked her wet hair behind her ear. "Thanks to the master's care, my father is in good health. Lately, he's often been sparring with the senior martial artists on Drill Ground Street."

Uncle Shui nodded slightly. "Lu Tang has a gift for martial arts. He reached Dark Force at only fifty, and his reserved nature suits his love of studying martial arts. He may yet glimpse a higher realm in his lifetime."

Chen Mo answered cautiously. "My father only gained a foothold on Drill Ground Street thanks to the protection of the master and you, Uncle Shui. He merely fumbles around with martial arts. His talent can't compare to that of a master like you."

Uncle Shui gave a short laugh. "We're only chatting, Instructor Chen. There's no need to be so modest. What happened at the Zhao Residence today was sudden. Until we understand it, I'm afraid I must trouble you to stay at the Xie Residence. I'll have someone inform your father. We'll say Mingxi has become absorbed in martial arts and specially invited you to train with him day and night."

Chen Mo gritted her teeth, but in the end she did not dare defy Uncle Shui. "As you wish, Uncle Shui."

Before long, they reached the gate of the Xie Residence.

Uncle Shui hurried out of the carriage and called to the gatekeeper. "Find Cai Xia. Go all the way around the courtyard wall and hang a White Goddess Shrine lantern every seven zhang."

Then Uncle Shui looked gravely at Xie An. "Mingxi, take Chen Mo and Li Dao to the West Courtyard. Don't leave. I'll come find you after I've seen the master."

With that, Uncle Shui turned and charged through the curtain of rain. In a few breaths, he had vanished.

The gatekeeper seemed to have heard a terrifying order. He immediately ran toward the central courtyard, clanging a gong to find Cai Xia, the senior maid. Before long, the servants throughout the residence were bustling about.

Yellow lanterns bearing the words "Xie Clan White Shrine" were hung high, one every twenty meters, encircling the entire Xie Residence.

The whole residence seemed gripped by the urgency of an emergency alert.

Xie An did not know what "Xie Clan White Shrine" meant. It reminded him of the "Dragon King's Blessing" lanterns that had hung above every household's door in Li Family Village.

They were probably much the same sort of thing.

Chen Mo clearly knew something about it. Brow furrowed, she said, "Young Master Mingxi, let's get to the West Courtyard."

Xie An nodded and led them there.

Qiu Lan was still heating water in the West Courtyard kitchen, preparing a medicinal bath for Xie An. When she saw him return soaked to the skin, she rushed out. "Young master, how did you get caught in the rain? I've just heated some water. It's ready for your medicinal bath."

"Find Chen Mo and Li Dao some clothes that fit." Xie An left her with that instruction and strode into the main room.

Once Qiu Lan had filled the bath barrel behind the screen with hot water and added a dose of Tiger-Bone Essence Decoction, Xie An dismissed her, undressed, and lowered himself into the bath.

The medicine seeped through his pores and gathered in the bones throughout his body, tempering them. A tingling numbness spread through his bones.

This was Xie An's fourth day bathing in Tiger-Bone Essence Decoction, but there was still no sign he was about to break through the Bone Tempering barrier.

The bathwater was hot, but Xie An's heart was cold.

Everything that had happened at the Zhao Residence tonight replayed in his mind.

Zhao Hu, who had followed him for six years, had died not long after leaving Li Family Village a month ago. Today, even his corpse had been devoured down to the last bone.

And there was the gentle, refined Liu Fu...

And what the Monster Strain boy had said to him before leaving...

That nightmare...

Countless images flashed through Xie An's mind, weighing on him until he could scarcely breathe.

Once he had the next nightmare, he would probably follow in Zhao Hu's footsteps... He did not know whether his father had a way to stop it.

He truly was afraid.

But he was unwilling to accept it, too.

I finally got to cross into another world. I have a comfortable fortune, a loving father, I'm a devoted son, my little sister is adorable, my second mother is kind... We're a happy family, and I even have a cheat ability...

My life has only just begun. I can't die!

At that thought, Xie An pushed aside his tangled thoughts and opened the panel.

[Ten-Thousand Questions Martial Arts Model Lv1]

[Qi and Blood: 1.9]

[Spirit: 1.9]

[Martial Arts Realm: Muscle-Tendon Tempering]

[Talents: Spirit Sight (Qi-Gazing), Withered Abyss (awaiting activation)]

[Martial Arts: Taishan Fist (perfected), Five Animal True Form Diagram (perfected)]

Activating the Qi-Gazing talent last time had consumed a full 1.2 units of qi and blood. Xie An did not dare activate this one outright, lest he run short and knock himself unconscious.

The situation at the Zhao Residence was out of control and could easily spread to the Xie Residence.

At a time like this, I can't pass out.

"Ten Thousand Questions, estimate how much qi and blood it will take to activate the Withered Abyss talent."

[Estimating...]

[Estimate complete: Activating the Withered Abyss talent requires 1.8 units of qi and blood]

Xie An breathed a sigh of relief.

Good. Just within range.

The Withered Abyss talent might have come from a Specter or demon, and he had no idea whether transplanting it into his body would cause some unforeseen change.

But looked at another way, couldn't it give me a way to fight demons and Specters?

Even Uncle Shui, who had reached Dark Force, could do nothing against that Monster Strain boy.

Could only demons and Specters fight demons and Specters?

Besides, transplanting a demonic talent would not kill him. At worst, it would cause some unforeseen changes.

The potential reward still seemed worth the risk.

After weighing it all, Xie An decided to take the gamble:

"Activate Withered Abyss for me. Thanks!"