Lord Shenxiu

The stillness of the night outside the window was serene.

Zhong Shenxiu's thoughts, however, were far from calm for a long time.

"Su Daoshi's luck, is it really bad, or is it good? To think he communicated with such an existence, and then suffered possession... He was the legendary Heisting Count who dared to expand his territory following the collapse of the Yan Han Empire, and he actually succeeded in the first generation."

Using the memories from just now, he gained a deeper understanding of that period in history.

"The Fufeng Protectorate Mansion originally belonged to the territory of Heisting County... After establishing the country, the first Earl did indeed have the thought to pray to a great existence..."

"He came from the boundless chaos, a True God... Although it is unclear how the sacrificial rites turned out, that being apparently had no interest in protecting the Heisting County, watching its downfall... However, whether it influenced those who performed the rituals is another story."

Humans do not care about ants, nor do they concern themselves with the ants' pleas.

It might be that the ants merely prayed for strength, but a human could carelessly drop some crumbs down.

Or perhaps the ants begged for a morsel, but a human foot came crushing down, eliminating many ants.

Zhong Shenxiu deduced that the Earl of Heisting might be in a similar situation.

The True God did not protect his country but seemed to have influenced him somehow, causing him to become an undying resentful spirit after death, existing all the way to the present!

"Although... he seems to have lost his sanity."

"Thus, we can draw some patterns: that True God unconsciously responds to the rituals without necessarily aligning with the believers' prayers, and the power gained always comes with a terrible cost..."

Zhong Shenxiu shook his head, "Why am I trying to figure this out? I don't want to pray to that great existence from the boundless chaos... Besides, I don't even know the rituals."

The memory of the Earl is fragmented, especially regarding the rituals, runes, and even the name of that being—it was all very vague.

Moreover, there was an extraordinarily dangerous feeling.

This made Zhong Shenxiu realize that if he were to persistently seek the name and power of that deity, the first-generation Earl within him served as the best example.

"Speaking of which... did this Earl really receive divine favor? Why do I feel, it's more like a curse?"

Zhong Shenxiu continued to attempt Daoist practices.

This time, amidst the blur, he seemed to see a tall and thin figure.

Dressed in a black velvet suit, with double rows of gold buttons, black deer leather boots…

Long limbs, pale skin…

And most crucially… headless!

The Headless Earl!

Zhong Shenxiu did not realize that while he was attempting Daoist practices, strange changes were also happening in the room.

Drip-drop! Drip-drop!

Drops of dark red blood, emerging from nowhere, began to drip down from the bed.

Thin mist started to spread outwards, even slowly enveloping the small village.

Beneath the double moons, the entire village was shrouded in a thin mist, the buildings appeared ethereal and hazy, and not a single sound was made.

If it had been daytime, this would have caused panic, but it was deep into the night.

Within the hazy mist, a figure emerged and wandered about.

He was dressed in luxurious attire, like a gentleman attending an evening party.

The only difference was the lack of a head!

The Headless Earl!

What was even more eerie, from outside the village, everything seemed completely normal.

...

"According to the military report, this is the place."

"It seems that this squad of men indeed suffered greatly during the day and couldn't return to camp, so they had to rest within the village..."

Tian Bufen changed into a different set of clothes, discarding everything that could link him to the squad leader of Black Mountain Castle.

Xue San's severed hand, deaths in the squad, naturally called for reinforcements from the army.

Unfortunately for them, Tian Bufen intercepted the call and suppressed it.

Furthermore, he personally came to claim Su Daoshi's life.

"How fortunate for me... encountering a monster in the Black Fog, it wouldn't be unusual for the whole squad to be wiped out..."

As a squad leader, Tian Bufen's martial skills might not have reached Innate, but he was already at the pinnacle of Acquired Martial Artists, and to deal with Su Daoshi, even with other companions, was as simple as snapping fingers.

His knowledge was limited, only understanding the division between Acquired Martial Artists and Innate Experts.

But to practice the Dao, one would directly enter as an Innate.

Beyond that, within the Second Yan Han Empire, there were many foreign methods with a detailed ranking system.

With a touch of arrogance, Tian Bufen strode into the village.

One step taken, and the world changed.

The small village, which Tian Bufen initially saw as quiet and safe, was suddenly engulfed in fog, with blurry buildings and numerous figures.

"What's going on? Has the village already been swallowed by the Black Fog? What about the pre-arranged protective Array?"

With a thought as quick as lightning, Tian Bufen tapped his toes, intending to leave the village's bounds.

But the next moment, he found himself on a flat ground, seemingly the village's threshing floor.

Because of the action to 'exit,' he ended up becoming more entrenched and wandering deeper into the village!

Cold sweat appeared on Tian Bufen's forehead.

He vaguely understood that he was in terrible danger, with Acquired Martial Artists being no different from ordinary people in such a bizarre predicament.

Probably, only Innate Experts, or even real Cultivators, could resolve all of this.

Tap-tap!

Footsteps came from the mist, the tall and slim silhouette looming, gradually solidifying.

It was a... headless figure!

"Ah!"

Tian Bufen screamed and crashed through a household's door.

Inside, not a single figure was present, as if the villagers had all vanished.

In the darkness, Tian Bufen suddenly grasped a hand!

Cold like ice, rigid as if made of iron!

With his strength, he couldn't break free.

Moreover, Tian Bufen found himself unable to move, not even blink, only to watch as the Headless Earl emerged from the darkness, seizing his neck...

Snap!

Before long, a dead body fell to the ground.

...

Zhong Shenxiu jolted awake, with a slightly bewildered look as he gazed at his palms.

He turned to a bronze mirror and suddenly felt as though he saw that headless earl, but after rubbing his eyes, he found only his reflection.

Outside the window, the years were serene, with occasional barking echoing.

But Zhong Shenxiu knew that something bad had certainly happened.