Thinking of Hu Lai and Hu Yuan having chased someone all the way out of the Capital City, Xia Mian couldn’t help but overthink. Were these two truly deceived by someone else’s Blinding Technique and chased out of the Capital City, or did that man actually have accomplices running out of the city?
As Xia Mian’s thoughts drifted, Lu Zhenqing’s car changed direction again, heading toward a small town in a certain city of H Province.
Xia Mian gripped the steering wheel tightly, following closely behind Lu Zhenqing’s car.
Finally, after driving through one winding mountain road after another, Lu Zhenqing’s car stopped in front of a cave.
Seeing this scene, Xia Mian couldn’t help but narrow her eyes deeply.
Was that man frightened out of his wits, or had he returned to ancient ways?
Xia Mian took out two Concealing Talismans, slapping one on herself, the other on Lu Zechuan.
Only after Lu Zhenqing entered the cave did the two of them get out of the car and follow.
The cave was very dark, with water constantly seeping from the cave walls, dripping onto the uneven ground, making a crisp sound.
Lu Zhenqing had been drinking, feeling somewhat tipsy, but in order to safely deliver his son’s blood packet, he had deliberately taken sobering medicine.
But now, in this eerie environment, he somewhat regretted taking the sobering medicine.
Alcohol boosts a coward’s courage. When drunk, he dared to walk boldly inside, but now, feeling somewhat sober, he couldn’t move his feet.
Just as Lu Zhenqing was having second thoughts and didn’t dare take another step forward, footsteps echoed behind him.
Lu Zhenqing shivered, gathering courage to turn around, but saw nothing like a ghost!
Frightened, he lowered his head, yet saw two blurry shadows in the water’s reflection on the cave floor!!
The hairs on Lu Zhenqing’s body stood on end. Screaming "Mamma Mia," he began to run forward.
Lu Zhenqing ran fast, nearly bumping his head on the cave roof several times, but he dared not stop.
There was a ghost at the cave entrance, and he was so scared that all his hair stood on end.
Xia Mian and Lu Zechuan watched Lu Zhenqing sprint toward the depths of the cave as if injected with adrenaline, glancing at each other in surprise.
"Did you scare him?" Xia Mian whispered.
Lu Zechuan said nothing, only gave a speechless glance toward the direction where Lu Zhenqing’s figure vanished, "Let’s chase him, don’t lose track."
Xia Mian responded with an "Hmm," and the two of them clasped hands once more and pursued.
The cave twisted and turned, and at the end, there was a large open space.
The open space was clean, crisp, starkly contrasting with the eerie coldness along the way.
There were flickering candle flames on the open space, with eighteen lamps forming a circle, resembling a fiery lotus.
In the center of this fiery lotus of eighteen lamps lay a makeshift stretcher, on which someone was lying down.
In front of the open space, there was a slightly elevated platform, and sitting cross-legged on it was the man who previously fled in terror from Xia Mian.
There was another person standing behind the man, and it was Master Xie, whom Xia Mian had met before.
Xia Mian squinted slightly, today, she intended to capture them all in one fell swoop!
As soon as Lu Zhenqing appeared, the man sitting on the platform opened his eyes, scanning Lu Zhenqing with a glance, then displaying a wary expression, "You brought others!"
Lu Zhenqing was startled, hastily turning back to look, "There’s no one else!"
The man frowned, then slightly sniffed, "Where’s the stuff?"
Lu Zhenqing cautiously pulled out a small vial from his sleeve, containing about 10 milliliters of blood.
Seeing the vial in Lu Zhenqing’s hand, the man’s expression became somewhat complicated, "You really are his biological father!"
This amount of blood was insufficient to prolong Shen Man’s life!
Confused, Lu Zhenqing handed over the vial, "Isn’t it enough? It took me quite some effort to get this much blood!"
The man, uninterested in arguing with Lu Zhenqing, motioned for Master Xie to take the vial.
Better than nothing; with this much blood, Shen Man could live a few more months.
Master Xie descended from the platform, took the vial from Lu Zhenqing, and respectfully handed it to the man.
The man accepted the vial, yet his wary expression did not dissipate, and he frowned again, "No, there’s definitely someone here!"
From the moment Lu Zhenqing entered, he’d smelled a bloody scent. Initially, he assumed it emanated from the blood Lu Zhenqing brought, but now that the vial was in his hand, he could still smell it!
"Who’s there!?" The man’s eyes flashed sharply, his gaze fixed on the passageway leading to the open space.
The man’s eyes narrowed again as he slowly stood up.
This was a crucial moment for prolonging Shen Man’s life; no interruptions could be allowed!
He had to nip any surprises in the bud!
The man advanced toward the passageway step by step, while Lu Zhenqing trembled behind Master Xie.
"Dad, when I entered the cave earlier, I did seem to see something filthy..." Seeing the man’s posture, Lu Zhenqing dared not hide anymore and confessed seeing shadows in the reflection in the puddle.
Upon hearing this, the man’s expression changed instantly. Mumbling to himself, he threw a talisman towards the passage’s exit!
The talisman flared with golden light in the air, then turned to ashes, scattering in the cave.
The man’s expression turned extremely serious. Normally, if someone were using a Concealing Talisman in front of him, his talisman should expose them.
But now, his talisman turned to ashes!
The man’s brow furrowed tightly; this was a situation he’d never encountered before!
"Who’s there!? Show yourself!" The man roared into the air.
The open space was vast, and the man’s roaring echoed throughout, causing small rocky crags on the cave’s ceiling to fall.
"Master, is your teacher crazy?" Lu Zhenqing, hiding behind Master Xie, eyes flickering, "There’s no one there..."
Master Xie didn’t even glance at Lu Zhenqing, his face equally filled with vigilance, as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Shut up!" Master Xie’s tone was harsh, "You brought a tail inside, and still have the nerve to whine!"
Lu Zhenqing protested, "What tail did I bring in? I didn’t see a single ghost on my way here! What did I bring in!?"
Perhaps Lu Zhenqing spoke so confidently that even the man momentarily doubted if he had overreacted?
The man retracted his gaze and slowly walked toward the eighteen candle stands, "Xie Teng, help me guard. Let’s save your junior sister first."
His altar was ready, all that was missing was the blood Lu Zhenqing brought. If he could successfully transfer Lu Zechuan’s life to Shen Man, her future would be one of immense wealth!
The man began walking in circles around the eighteen candle stands, muttering incantations as he went.
Though there was no wind, the candle flames began to flicker under the man’s ceaseless incantation, all focusing toward the center.