Panic spread throughout Qing Shi City.
Streets were filled with people carrying bags and leading their families, their faces distraught, their steps hurried, as if pursued by demons.
City Lord Xu stood at the city gate, his voice already hoarse from repeatedly trying to persuade and reassure them.
"My fellow townsfolk, with Miaoyin Sect's Leng Xianzi overseeing the city, it's a hundred times safer here than outside!"
But the people paid no heed, each one like a startled bird, only focused on hurrying along.
"City Lord Xu, please let us go! We'd rather die on the road than turn into those monsters!"
Xu Zhen sighed deeply and had no choice but to dispatch city guards to organize the fleeing citizens into groups and escort them.
Leng Yueshuang stood atop the city wall, watching the receding groups, her plain white skirt fluttering in the wind.
After this incident, Leng Yueshuang no longer dared to leave the city casually, fearing the emergence of more demonized individuals within.
After all, the mastermind behind this could cause people to become demonized without anyone knowing, a truly unpredictable method.
None of them understood how that person managed to do it!
Leng Yueshuang couldn't figure it out and could only look to the thoughtful Lin Luochen for help.
"Luo... LuoChen, do you have any ideas?"
Lin Luochen startled from his contemplation and softly said, "I always feel that the timing of the citizens becoming demonized is too coincidental, it's like..."
He paused, "...like they deliberately interrupted our investigation, deliberately tying us down in the city."
Leng Yueshuang furrowed her delicate brows and said, annoyed, "But we didn't find anything at the time!"
Lin Luochen pondered for a moment and said, "How about you stay in the city, and I'll go out again!"
He still had the Yuhua Talisman, and no matter how strong the demonized individuals were, they couldn't fly, so he was confident he could protect himself.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Leng Yueshuang and Murong Qiuzhi exclaimed in unison, "No!"
The two women exchanged glances, sparks seemingly flying in the air, then simultaneously turned their faces away.
Leng Yueshuang gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and softly said, "That person's methods are bizarre and unpredictable; it's too dangerous for you to go out alone."
At this moment, Xu Zhen, who had just walked up to the city wall, hurriedly said, "Leng Xianzi, I am willing to accompany Lin Gongzi..."
Before he could finish, Leng Yueshuang gave him a look, the meaning in her eyes self-evident.
You can't even handle demonized individuals, where do you get your confidence?
Xu Zhen awkwardly closed his mouth, while Leng Yueshuang looked at Lin Luochen, her gaze instantly softening.
"LuoChen, it's better not to venture out rashly. How about we wait until tonight to see the results?"
Xu Zhen was fed a mouthful of 'dog food' and almost cried out.
Different people, different fates!
In this world, being good-looking truly allows one to do as they please.
Lin Luochen thought of the victims and the bodies of the demonized still in the city, and he nodded.
Although he hadn't completely offended the Heavenly Devil Saint Body, who knew if he would make a move?
The group gathered the bodies of the demonized in the City Lord's Residence, quietly waiting for nightfall.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the city.
An invisible black smoke appeared in a room, condensing into a blurry black shadow.
The man in the room hastily rose and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency..."
He seemed to hesitate, and a woman's voice came from the black shadow: "Say whatever you want to say!"
The man hesitantly said, "Your Excellency, why did you suddenly act early? Didn't you say to wait until tonight?"
The black shadow said somewhat angrily, "I wanted to lure them out of the city, but that kid had a rat beside him, which almost ruined my plans."
"A rat?"
The man looked incredulous. You can't deal with the Miaoyin Sect's demoness, and you're afraid of a rat too?
At this moment, he began to doubt his choice.
The black shadow sensed his wavering and snorted coldly, "That's no ordinary rat!"
"It can resist the invasion of my demonic energy. It's very likely a powerful demon race expert who, like me, shed its old body and re-cultivated!"
The man heard this and said nervously, "Then... will it affect our plan?"
The black shadow said indifferently, "No, although I can't do anything to it, you can kill it with ease."
"But for now, don't act rashly. The priority is to get that Miaoyin Sect's demoness to leave!"
The man nodded and said, "Although the plan was disrupted, I already have a countermeasure, though it will be a bit troublesome."
"Please proceed with the original plan, Your Excellency, and gather the faint blood energy in the city into the demonic eye."
"But don't make it too obvious, and don't let him become demonized all at once. Let him become demonized within a few days."
The black shadow let out an "Oh" and inquired about the reasons for a few moments before slowly beginning to laugh.
"Although your aptitude is not good, your methods are ruthless enough and you are smart enough. This Venerable One lacks talent like you by my side."
"Work hard, and when this Venerable One is reborn and returns, I will surely bestow upon you an immortal demonic body, making you immortal and undying, to follow me!"
Demonic patterns flashed in the man's eyes, though he was completely unaware, and he said with fervent excitement, "Thank you, Your Excellency!"
The black shadow quickly dissipated, as if it had never appeared.
Night fell.
The moonlight was like refined silver; it was another night with a bright moon and sparse stars.
Lin Luochen and the others gathered in the City Lord's Residence. Leng Yueshuang used the moonlight to observe the entire Qing Shi City through her magic.
The bright moonlight shone on the bodies of the demonized, which were enveloped in a hazy, bloody glow.
This was the residual blood energy in the bodies, made visible to the naked eye by the bright moonlight.
But as time passed, the blood energy showed no significant change.
Leng Yueshuang seemed to discover something, frowned, bit her lip gently, and formed a hand seal.
In an instant, the bright moon in the night sky shone with great brilliance, and the entire Qing Shi City was enveloped in a soft moonlight.
Everyone saw the extremely faint blood energy gathering together under the moonlight.
At this moment, everyone held their breath.
They saw countless strands of blood energy, as fine as hair, rising from all directions, converging in mid-air into a thin, bloody mist, slowly flowing like a living thing.
A hint of excitement flashed in Leng Yueshuang's eyes. She waved her hand, releasing a flying boat, and hurriedly said, "Let's go up and take a look!"
Lin Luochen and the others jumped onto the flying boat, while Xu Zhen also soared into the sky on that green leaf.
"Wait for me!"
From above Qing Shi City, everyone could clearly see the blood energy flowing like ocean currents in a certain direction.
This blood energy was very sparse, but it accumulated. If not for so many people dying today, it would probably be imperceptible.
"Chase!"
Leng Yueshuang took the lead, flying in the direction of the blood energy, but the further they flew, the more solemn everyone's expressions became.
Murong Qiuzhi even said incredulously, "How is this possible?"
Because the direction this blood energy was flowing was precisely the Murong Residence!
Lin Luochen wasn't very surprised, as the Heavenly Devil Saint Body sacrificed clan members and all the city's citizens.
There weren't many families in the city, and even fewer that could cultivate.
He and Leng Yueshuang had checked the Murong Residence and the City Lord's Residence first last night, but unfortunately, they found nothing.
The group followed the surging blood energy and arrived above the Murong Residence, only to see the blood energy forming a huge vortex, continuously pouring into an exquisite pavilion.
"Whose residence is that?"
Leng Yueshuang's voice was cold, while Murong Xiazhu's pretty face turned pale, somewhat incredulous.
"That's... Eldest Uncle's room!"
Everyone exchanged glances. Xu Zhen couldn't help but clench his fists, gritting his teeth and saying, "How could it be him!"
Lin Luochen felt it was somewhat unexpected, yet also seemed logical, but he still felt something was off.
Although he had been suspicious of Murong Dongyue before, he felt that this time it seemed a little too smooth.
"Let's go in and see!"
Seeing that the servants in the residence were alerted, Leng Yueshuang led everyone down. They arrived at the door and pushed it open directly.
Inside the room, Murong Dongyue was weakly leaning against the headboard. Seeing them enter, he sat up in surprise.
"Leng Xianzi, City Lord Xu, cough cough... What is this?"
Leng Yueshuang said nothing, performing a spell with her hands. Moonlight shone into the room, revealing the blood energy surging towards Murong Dongyue's bed.