While Pan Long fought Sun Tianyou, an old man lit a stick of incense, half black and half white, on the altar in a secret chamber of the Sun Residence. Panic-stricken, he prayed before it in a low voice.
As a column of smoke curled upward, a calm, gentle woman's voice suddenly sounded.
"Greetings, esteemed disciple of the Heart's Delight Sect. How may we help you?"
The old man seized on the voice like a drowning man clutching a straw. "A villain has come to my home to kill my entire family! There's nothing I can do. Please, save us!"
The woman paused slightly, then replied, "First, thank you for your support. Unfortunately, the 'life-saving' service is available only to Heart's Delight Level Five disciples. As a Heart's Delight Level Two disciple, you are not eligible for this service."
"I'll pay! I'll pay right now! Whatever it costs!" the old man said urgently.
"First, thank you for your support. Unfortunately, promotion to a higher disciple level can be completed only after we receive the upgrade fee. Due to limited personnel, we do not currently offer door-to-door collection of upgrade fees. Please visit a nearby branch to pay the fee and receive your upgrade."
The old man's face turned green with anxiety. "There's no time! That fiend is almost here!"
"We are very sorry, but all our rules and regulations have been reviewed and approved by the authorities of the Great Xia Dynasty. The Heart's Delight Sect firmly supports the Great Xia Dynasty and strictly obeys its relevant laws. We will not act on our own authority."
The old man's face flushed red. He could not help roaring, "Then what use are you to me? Are you going to collect my corpse?"
The woman's voice remained calm and gentle. "Esteemed disciple