"That's my Ghost Eye..."
Xuan Yinzi instinctively stared at the crimson eye as if drawn by dark magic. By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.
His eyeballs abruptly burst apart, releasing an agonized howl that tore through the air.
"No... impossible..."
The surrounding blood mist began to thin.
Vision gradually cleared.
"The formation's core!"
Below the building, Ye Bing immediately lashed her whip toward the small pool of blood.
Blood droplets sprayed.
Runes flared.
The blood pool was finally destroyed.
The blood mist dissipated rapidly.
"Aaaaah—"
Blood gushed from Xuan Yinzi's chest like a fountain as he staggered backward.
Lu Fei pressed his advantage, stepping forward to deliver a fierce kick to his chest.
"No..."
Xuan Yinzi fell from the building like a kite with its string cut.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed.
The whole world fell silent.
Xu Bei stood at the edge of the rooftop, glancing downward.
"This evil cultist is too unnatural. Even falling might not kill him. Let's check below!"
The two quickly descended the stairs.
Below the building, Xuan Yinzi's body lay shattered. His flesh, as if corroded by sulfuric acid, rapidly dissolved into a pool of blood before their eyes.
Finally, only his blood-soaked black robe remained.
"The array was destroyed, and the backlash ensured not even a speck of his bones remained."
"Finally, we've eliminated this evil cultist!"
Xu Bei let out a heavy breath and turned to Ye Bing and Gao Xiaofeng.
"Are you both alright?"
"We're fine, Bei-ge! This little dark magic was nothing for me and Bing-jie!" Gao Xiaofeng patted his chest.
Both were unharmed.
However, Hu Zi's condition was far from ideal.
He had shielded Xiao Hei with his own body. While Xiao Hei was unscathed, Hu Zi's skin was now dotted with blood spots, his face ghastly pale.
"Boss, I..."
"Don't speak!"
Xu Feng pressed several acupoints on his body, then used the Yang palm to force out the blood spots.
"Lu Fei, he's out of danger now."
"Thank you, Vice President Xu!" Lu Fei let out a long sigh of relief.
Hu Zi also relaxed. Xiao Hei licked his hand, showing rare affection and concern towards him.
"No need for formalities! Fortunately, you sent the message in time, allowing us to join forces and eliminate this cultist." Xu Bei took out several yellow talismans, lit them, and threw them onto the blood-soaked black Taoist robe to burn it.
"However, with Xuan Yinzi dying by our hands, the Blood Guiding Palace behind him probably won't let this go."
"Blood Guiding Palace?" Lu Fei looked surprised.
"This is a very mysterious evil sect. They have few members and rarely appear in the martial world. It seems they've been operating secretly all along. That underground casino was likely their tool for amassing wealth." Xu Bei pondered.
"Xuan Yinzi alone was hard enough to deal with, and now there's an entire sect behind him." Lu Fei felt somewhat frustrated.
"But don't worry too much. Our Lingyin Society isn't weak either."
Xu Bei patted Lu Fei's shoulder.
"I'll send out orders for everyone to stay alert and monitor any movement from the Blood Guiding Palace."
"Much appreciated." Lu Fei nodded.
Given the circumstances, this was the best they could do.
Eliminating the threat of Xuan Yinzi was already a significant achievement. Moreover, with no witnesses at the scene, the Blood Guiding Palace might not even know their connection to Xuan Yinzi's death.
"By the way, Lu Fei, we came in such a hurry today without bringing anything. I'll have someone send you some healing elixirs later."
Xu Bei smiled again.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Lu Fei's face lit up with pleasant surprise.
What he needed most right now were healing supplies.
After everyone quickly packed up, they retreated and left.
"Brother Bei, elixirs are so precious. Why give them away for no reason?"
In the car, Gao Xiaofeng asked unhappily.
"Today's defeat of Xuanyinzi was largely due to Lu Fei's efforts. Though young, his temperament and abilities are extraordinary. He'll undoubtedly become a pillar of the Lingyin Society in the future. You should learn from him."
Xu Bei glanced at him.
"What's there to learn from him? He just relies on his family's treasures. What kind of skill is that?" Gao Xiaofeng scoffed.
"Acquiring those treasures is his greatest skill! In such a short time since joining the Society, his capabilities have improved significantly. Compared to him now, you probably don't stand much chance."
"Brother Bei, what's so good about this guy? You always praise outsiders while dampening our own morale! Let him fight me - if he can take three punches from me, I'll admit defeat!" Gao Xiaofeng shouted, clenching his fist.
"Stay disciplined and avoid trouble!"
Xu Bei shook his head.
Antique Street.
"Hu Zi, good work. Rest early today!"
Lu Fei rushed home to examine the black umbrella.
The umbrella had given him a tremendous surprise, awakening just in time.
He opened the black umbrella and peered inside.
Among blooming crimson flowers, inky black hair coiled around a gently closed red eye.
Like a beautiful woman's face nestled in scarlet blossoms.
More enchanting, more eerily magnificent.
"When the Ghost Pupil opens, no one can meet its gaze or their eyes will burst. Those with weak cultivation might have their minds destroyed on the spot!" Lu Fei stroked the black umbrella, exhilarated.
The jujube wood staff was an excellent tool against ghosts and evil spirits.
This black umbrella is a formidable weapon against other cultivators.
In the future, there's no need to fear encountering any evil cultivators or malevolent practitioners.
After admiring it fondly for a long while, Lu Fei suddenly remembered something. He opened the wardrobe and looked at the Yin Gathering Basin.
Only a faint wisp of yin energy remained in the basin.
"I'll replenish your storage tomorrow."
Lu Fei patted the black umbrella.
He washed up and rested.
The next day.
Ye Bing delivered two bottles of healing elixirs. Lu Fei directly gave one bottle to Hu Zi.
Although Xu Bei had helped Hu Zi expel the blood spots from his body yesterday, internal injuries still remained unhealed.
"Thank you, Boss!"
Hu Zi grinned from ear to ear and swallowed two pills.
Soon, he felt refreshed and much more comfortable, as if his internal organs had received therapeutic treatment.
"These pills really work. It would be great if we could get more bottles."
Each bottle only contained six pills. Hu Zi couldn't bear to use more and carefully stored them close to his body.
Xiao Hei wagged its tail beside his feet.
After yesterday's ordeal, the relationship between these two brothers had improved significantly. Last night, Xiao Hei had even slept alongside Hu Zi.
"Do you think these are candy beans? You can't just get as many as you want! These are made from precious medicinal ingredients."
Lu Fei himself took one pill.
The two spent the entire day resting at Sinisterium Pawnshop.
As dusk approached, Lu Fei picked up the Juyin Basin and was about to leave when a deathly pale-faced man tumbled into Sinisterium Pawnshop in a panic.
"Brother Hu! Brother Hu! Save me!"
"Who are you? Xiaoqiang?"
Hu Zi jumped in fright and hid behind Lu Fei.
The man's face was caked with thick white greasepaint, his eyes heavily outlined in black with red eyeshadow at the corners.
It resembled theatrical makeup.
Hu Zi peered closer and recognized his young acquaintance Wang Xiaoqiang who worked with the opera troupe.
"Brother Hu, I don't want to die..."
Wang Xiaoqiang choked back sobs as tears streamed down his face, carving deep tracks through the makeup that made his visage appear even more grotesque and eerie.
Hu Zi and Lu Fei exchanged glances.
Could this be caused by that cursed theatrical costume?