Infiltration!

The Monkey-Blood Man could not speak, but since new wounds had appeared on his body, he must have fought someone.

Since that person had not shown themselves, there was no need to search in person and invite unnecessary danger. They might as well burn down this old estate of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

If someone was inside, they would naturally come out. If they had fled, that was fine too. They could not take the estate with them anyway. Let it burn-they would even get a free fireworks show.

Raging flames soared into the sky, illuminating all of Inkstone Village. For the first time, those ink-black stones, unchanged for ten thousand years, reflected the glow of fire.

Thick black fumes became dark clouds overhead, and an entire estate was reduced to ashes.

Xiang Li told Xiang Keshu, "Put up notices in Shrek City's Lower City tomorrow. This Ning Yu is never to show her face in Shrek City again. Anyone who shelters her is making an enemy of our Xiang Family."

Xiang Li shouted, "Move out!"

The Xiang Family's Soul Masters gathered around Xiang Li, while the Monkey-Blood People formed ranks and followed behind them.

Inside the Undead Demiplane, Ji Feng quietly stroked the Dragon Corpse's scales and asked softly, "Little sister, what level does a Soul Master with a blood Martial Soul usually have to reach before they can make blood puppets like these?

"They aren't even using their own blood, but monkey blood. I'm not looking to fight him. I'm just curious how it's done. I'll buy a few myself someday.

"Little sister, do you think I could make them?

"Look, Bone Spirit can absorb blood too, and I can control Bone Spirit, so if you round things off, I can control blood too. If that really works, what sort of Soul Ring should I find to make blood puppets?

"Little sister, talk to me. I'll be staying here for quite a while today. Just cultivating is too boring. I'll suffocate from boredom."

Familiar spiritual power emanated from the Dragon Corpse and enveloped Ji Feng. A cool sensation spread from his temples throughout his body.

"Big brother, I want so badly to love this world."

Huh?

What's that supposed to mean?

Why had she suddenly gone all depressed?

Are you going to write a little essay too, little sister?

The Dragon Corpse's voice trembled, as though she were crying.

No, she really was crying.

Wisps of moisture actually appeared within the Dragon Corpse's closed eyes.

The moisture gathered into droplets and rolled down her scales like tears.

Ji Feng was an old hand at romance. Seeing the Dragon Corpse shed tears, he immediately stepped forward to comfort her. "Little sister, if something's wrong, you can tell me. Why cry over it?"

"Wah... wah..."

The Dragon Corpse sobbed, then continued, "Big brother, your little sister has been stuck here all this time without a single full meal. I'm so hungry I can't stand it.

"Wah... wah... wah... wah... wah... wah... wah... wah... wah... wah..."

The Dragon Corpse turned into a water pump, wailing nonstop.

"Are you a bottomless stomach? You eat every day, and so much too. Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, you ate a whole pile of departed souls. Not long ago, you even ate Ma Chuwen, fresh as could be-I fed him to you right after killing him. And now you're hungry again?" Ji Feng said.

"Wah... wah... wah... wah... wah..."

The Dragon Corpse drew out her wails for another while, then said tearfully, "I know how hard you work, big brother, running around outside every day to earn money for the family. Even if I never know where my next meal is coming from, how would I dare utter a single complaint? Boo-hoo-hoo..."

The girl continued to sniffle.

Ji Feng sighed. "Looks like eating so much last time made your appetite grow. Now just one person can't satisfy you at all. It's my fault for spoiling your palate."

Still tearful, the Dragon Corpse sounded even more aggrieved. "Why do you keep criticizing me, big brother? I've never complained about you, but you keep criticizing me! You keep criticizing me!!"

"Why are you crying? What's there to cry about?" Ji Feng was in a sour mood.

Logically speaking, since he had accepted her as his little sister, he ought to give her something good to eat.

Ji Feng was not short of money now. The rare metals he had extorted from the Scarlet King would keep him fed for a lifetime, with plenty to spare.

She should not have had to go from one uncertain meal to the next, but what the Dragon Corpse ate was no ordinary food. It was souls, and those were not so easy to find.

"Little sister, how about I catch a Monkey-Blood Man for you to eat later? Those Monkey-Blood People are fierce. They even have Martial Souls, and their Soul Power is at the Soul Ancestor level."

Ji Feng took out a syringe of monkey blood he had swiped from the Xiang Family's men.

"Hmph!"

The Dragon Corpse snorted. "Those are just puppets made by Body Martial Soul Masters. They don't even have any spiritual power. How am I supposed to eat them?"

"If you don't like monkey blood, little sister, then I'll bring back some corpses for you to eat," Ji Feng said.

"Hmph. I don't eat corpses."

Ji Feng frowned. "Why won't you eat anything? You're picky every day. How are you going to grow taller? Dragon Core isn't picky at all. She eats those bones with such relish."

"Big brother, don't ever mention that bitch Long Ying again."

Long Ying? Did she mean Dragon Core?

The Dragon Corpse continued, "Big brother only likes that little slut Long Ying. He gives her all the good food and drink and doesn't care whether his own little sister lives or dies. Boo-hoo-hoo..."

"What the hell? Don't slander an innocent man! Those bones and corpses are right there. You can eat them whenever you want!"

"Ptooey!" A clear, crisp sound rang out.

A glob of clear water materialized in midair and landed on Ji Feng's head, leaving him drenched like a drowned rat.

"Big brother, how filthy are you? Corpses are so dirty. How am I supposed to eat them? I don't eat dead bodies, and Long Ying doesn't eat living souls."

Ji Feng lost his temper. "You Curtain Blade, why are you so hard to please?"

"Aaaah! Big brother doesn't love me anymore! He doesn't love me!!"

A wave of heat suddenly appeared, rapidly turning the water on Ji Feng's body into steam.

For a moment, Ji Feng looked like a shrimp scalded red.

Ji Feng fell silent, and the Dragon Corpse made no sound either.

The classic cold-war phase.

Long Ying did not eat living souls, meaning she did not eat anything alive. She ate corpses, medicinal herbs, and Soul Tool equipment without souls.

The Dragon Corpse did not eat corpses, meaning she did not eat dead things, only things with spiritual power, such as souls.

Souls really were hard to get hold of.

Ji Feng had a plan, but it was far too risky and might not succeed.

Xiang Li returned to the Xiang Family Pill Shop and cleared out a cellar used for storing medicine specifically to house the Monkey-Blood People.

More than thirty buckets stood in the cellar, filled with pungent red liquid.

Each Monkey-Blood Man occupied a bucket, sitting cross-legged inside.

The diluted monkey blood in the buckets would be absorbed into their bodies.

After sitting in meditation like this for a day and a night, their combat strength would recover rapidly, and their reserves of monkey blood would return to their peak, allowing them to recover immediately from injuries.

Every so often, a clerk from the pill shop would come to check on them.

Whenever the monkey blood had all been absorbed, they would take out syringes to replenish it.

At 2:30 a.m., one Monkey-Blood Man's body suddenly swelled. Then, with a boom, his abdomen burst open.

Using Martial Soul Possession, Ji Feng stood up out of the tub filled with monkey blood.

Blood would guide the Blood Gate's location. Ji Feng's blood had soaked the Monkey-Blood Man's entire body, so the Blood Gate would naturally open here.

Ji Feng emerged from inside the Monkey-Blood Man. He had now arrived at the Xiang Family Pill Shop.