Western Continent, before the secret altar of the Dark Hut's Ji Province branch.
Branch Master Chen Qingzhi gave the founding patriarch, Demon Lord Xuanyin, a detailed account of how he had summoned the "otherworldly demon lord," Raphael.
Chen Qingzhi, however, did not know this "demon lord's" name, nor did he know that the visitor was actually only a Sequence 8 Beyonder.
When Demon Lord Xuanyin, a wisp of whose divine sense was attached to the jade memorial tablet, heard the "otherworldly demon lord's" method for maintaining his condition, he murmured, "Align my behavior with 'blood'..."
Then Demon Lord Xuanyin seemed to have an epiphany. "I understand!"
Previously, he had always suppressed his craving for blood and bodily fluids, believing it to be an inner demon born of cultivation that he had to keep firmly under control.
But this "otherworldly demon lord" seemed to mean that there was no need to keep suppressing this desire. He should allow himself some contact with blood.
Although he had yet to try it, he was a powerful cultivator in the middle stage of the Void Refinement Realm, equivalent to a Sequence 2 existence. His immense spirituality had already told him that this method would definitely work.
Hearing the founding patriarch's apparent revelation, Branch Master Chen Qingzhi sighed inwardly. So I failed to grasp its profundity because my cultivation realm was too low after all. Only Void Refinement Realm cultivators can instantly understand this method, whose brilliance lies in its apparent simplicity.
Demon Lord Xuanyin, still attached to the jade memorial tablet, asked, "Where is the 'otherworldly demon lord' now?"
Chen Qingzhi answered respectfully, "The body subjected to 'Soul Seizure' could not sustain that demon lord's divine sense for very long, so contact has already been broken.
"I have ordered someone to infuse the body with magical power again. When the time is right, we will summon that 'demon lord' once more."
Demon Lord Xuanyin hummed in acknowledgment, then said, "When you summon him again, ask whether his world has any better cultivation methods for consuming Inner Cores."
Some two or three hundred years ago, he had begun to sense vaguely that there was still room to improve the Blood Sect's cultivation methods.
Demon Lord Xuanyin had gone into seclusion several times for that very reason, but had never found a direction for improvement.
As for the other schools, most Blood Sect cultivators at the Void Refinement Realm were mindless monsters, while the Qi Sect attached little importance to this matter. He could not count on them at all.
Perhaps another world had better cultivation methods.
Chen Qingzhi replied with the utmost respect, "As you command."
Northern Continent, Backlund Bridge Borough.
The mafia's headquarters occupied a spacious shop on Caven Street. There was no sign outside, only a pair of black gloves hanging by the entrance.
Audrey, wearing a thick false beard, stepped out of the carriage and looked around the shop with some curiosity.
The shop had three rooms in total. The outermost was the largest, furnished with sofas and numerous tables and chairs. Many mafia members were already there, smoking and chatting.
When Raphael entered, they rose almost in unison, greeting him as "boss" or "chief."
Then their eyes fell on the bearded face behind their boss. Somehow, they found the bearded newcomer strikingly attractive. A few of them seemed to realize something. No wonder the boss doesn't like streetwalkers. So this is his type.
Raphael waved casually and entered one of the inner rooms.
The room was laid out rather like a study, with two rows of bookshelves. Instead of books, however, the shelves held weapons and firearms, along with cigarette cases, several bottles of wine, a skull, and assorted other clutter. There was not a single book.
There was also a cat house in the room. An orange tabby emerged lazily from it and meowed at Raphael.
Raphael sat behind the desk. Just as he was about to discuss the ransom with Audrey, a subordinate suddenly came in to report, "Boss, a grain merchant named Duke would like your help."
In fact, Duke had already come by an hour earlier. After learning that Mr. Raphael had not yet arrived at the shop, he had lingered outside.
Just now, Duke had spotted Raphael entering from a distance and hurried over to ask for help.
Raphael nodded slightly and told the subordinate, "Let him in."
Since he had to pretend that everything was normal, he naturally had to receive those who came seeking help, just as he usually did.
As he spoke, Raphael beckoned to the orange tabby. The cat opened its mouth in a yawn, trotted over, and jumped onto his lap.
The transmigrator who called himself the godfather stroked the cat, listening to its purring, and smiled with a touch of mischievous amusement.
Before long, a middle-aged man with a mustache and a respectable formal suit appeared at the doorway, holding a bowler hat in both hands and looking rather ill at ease.
He was understandably nervous. This was a gang's headquarters, after all.
Raphael pointed to the seat across the desk. "Have a seat."
"Yes, yes, of course." The grain merchant named Duke hurried forward a couple of steps and sat on the stool.
Standing to one side with his arms folded, Carter watched the middle-aged man seeking help with a cold gaze.
Audrey, meanwhile, was curious. Why would a grain merchant ask a gang leader for help?
She observed quietly, hoping to see how Backlund's gangs operated.
Still stroking the cat, Raphael Collins asked, "My subordinate tells me you would like my help?"
"Yes, Your Excellency Collins." Duke clutched his hat and took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing. "I always believed Loen was a country with a good reputation, where people generally honored their contracts, and any business disagreements were settled through fair and honest competition.
"But all those rosy assumptions were shattered two months ago.
"For the past few years, I have had a competitor named Holm. As I said earlier, I have always competed with him fairly and honestly, but he has resorted to underhanded methods.
"Not long ago, a business associate named Logan suddenly approached me with an enticing proposal. I invested 1,200 pounds in one go!
"But soon afterward, my grain company was offered a major deal that required a considerable sum of money, so I approached Logan, hoping to withdraw from that investment.
"Only then did I learn that my investment had been frozen for some ridiculous reason! I could do nothing but watch Holm snatch that major deal away from me."
By this point, Duke had lost his initial reserve. "Even the greatest fool could tell that something was wrong with that investment.
"I asked a friend to investigate and, sure enough, discovered that Logan and Holm had planned it together. So, like any law-abiding citizen of Loen, I took Logan and Holm to court, only to lose the case for lack of evidence..."
Audrey, who had been observing attentively all along, frowned. This was the first time she had encountered a situation like this. There were lies in the grain merchant's account, yet she found herself unable to say with confidence exactly where he had lied.
Finally, Duke said, "I stood in the courtroom like an idiot. When I came to my senses, I told my secretary, 'Only His Excellency Collins can see justice done for us.'"
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