"Master Lin?"
Old Madam Ding's voice trembled as she looked at Evan Lin, her face full of unease.
The Ding family was considered the top clan in Sunrise City, but after witnessing those extraordinary scenes just now, everyone looked at Evan Lin with newfound reverence.
At the end of the day, they were just ordinary people.
Whether it was Elder Mu's Thousand-Wood Massacre or Gavin Cheng's unleashed inner force, shaping energy into a blade—it was all impressive, but still within their realm of understanding.
But what they'd just seen—whether it was the Ding Ancestor's corpse wrapped in human skin, or that blood-red ghostly eye—had already shattered all conventional understanding.
Especially the Daoist and the Ding Ancestor's corpse, both torn apart in an instant, looking like they'd been savagely gnawed by wild beasts—the sight was utterly gruesome.
"Your Ding family is safe for now. As for the corpses and remains, you should clean them up yourselves."
Evan Lin didn't bother to explain further. He simply turned and walked back to the manor.
Shawn Shi and Dongzi hurried after him, not daring to fall behind.
"Old Madam..." Derrick Ding looked at Old Madam Ding, wanting to say something.
Old Madam Ding shook her head and sighed, "Take good care of Master Lin. Whatever he needs, make sure you provide it."
"Old Madam, we just received word—Medicine King Valley wants us to hand over Master Lin... What do you think?" Derrick Ding asked cautiously.
He hadn’t had a chance to tell Old Madam Ding about this during the day, and now, after everything that happened, Derrick Ding was even more uncertain.
"Derrick, how many years have you been the Ding family head?" Old Madam Ding didn’t answer directly, but suddenly asked.
Derrick Ding shuddered all over and bowed his head slightly. "Counting this year, it's been eight years."
"Eight years. In all that time, you still haven't learned to take responsibility or make decisions?" Old Madam Ding sighed. "This time, even if it means offending Medicine King Valley, we must not make an enemy of Master Lin."
"If we fall out with Medicine King Valley, at worst the Ding family will be stuck in Sunrise City. But if we go against Master Lin, after what he's shown these past few days, what do you think he'll do to us?" As soon as she finished, Derrick Ding trembled again, lowering his head and not daring to meet her eyes.
"It's late. Everyone go get some sleep. What happened tonight must not be spread outside."
...
Evan Lin returned to his room, sat cross-legged, and slowly began to restore his spent energy.
"That blood moon in the sky was just an illusion. But what exactly is the 'ghost' the Daoist mentioned at the end?"
Evan Lin's thoughts grew heavy.
From the moment he snatched that divine herb and the blood jade containing the blood corpse at the auction, to arriving in Sunrise City and meeting the Ghost Adept who cultivated yin-fiend power, then today encountering the Ding Ancestor and the Daoist who mastered the Soul-Suppressing Mantra—
Everything is connected to Thornridge Mountain.
He took out the Thornridge Mountain sheepskin scroll from his pocket, spread it on the table, and glanced over it.
"The layout of the mountains and rivers on this scroll all show signs of fierce, ominous energy—and many of the positions are off."
Evan Lin stared at the sheepskin scroll, frowning slightly.
Normally, the formation of mountains, rivers, and terrain depends on many factors. But looking at this scroll with Evan Lin’s eyes, most of the rivers and mountains are broken where they shouldn’t be, or appear where they don’t belong.
In the center of the scroll, several skulls were drawn. Each skull marked a different ominous yin point, and on the far left, crooked writing named a place called Oxhorn Village.
"It's time to explore Thornridge Mountain. Hopefully, I'll find something worthwhile."
Whether it's the lingering divine sense in the withered divine herb or that chilling ghostly eye, all of it is worth investigating.
After devouring the Ding Ancestor and the Daoist, the three maiden spirits returned to the Soul-Sacrifice Beauty Scroll.
Early the next morning, Evan Lin packed his backpack and headed out.
Shawn Shi and Dongzi waited at the door, but Evan Lin left them behind at the Ding family.
...
Thornridge Mountain road.
A winding mountain path stretched out from the forest, complicated and treacherous. Years ago, there were plenty of accidents here.
They say that during the construction of this road, over forty people died just in the building process.
Because of all the mishaps, fewer and fewer people dared to come here—except for thrill-seeking rich kids or people with their own agenda.
The road was rugged and steep.
One side of the mountain was completely scorched black, with only a few patches of new grass poking up through the ground.
A black Hummer and a black Range Rover—Range Rover in front—both with Pu Hai plates, barreled down the road, engines roaring and shattering the mountain's silence.
Inside the Hummer, the driver was a burly man in a black Armani T-shirt, a thick gold chain around his neck and black sunglasses on his face—radiating pure muscle and power.
In the passenger seat sat a petite woman, looking tired and a bit worn out. The bumpy ride had clearly exhausted her.
In the back sat a pale young man in a green cap. He glanced out the window at the Range Rover ahead, his eyes flickering. "Chen, who’s that woman in the car up front? Why’d they bring her? And Wang’s driving her himself—don’t tell me she’s his new girl?"
"Weren’t we supposed to just hang out with our usual crew this time? I mean, this isn’t exactly something you want people to know about. If word gets out, our parents will kill us."
The young man’s eyes darted nervously.
"Liu Bai, don’t say that. I think that woman’s not simple. Wang’s been fooling around for years, swapped plenty of girls, but this is the first time he’s brought someone to hang out with us."
"Besides, for this kind of thing, it’s risky—one wrong move and you could die out here." The woman in the passenger seat leaned her head on her hand and said, "Anyway, let’s just stick to our plan. If you’re into her, go for it. It’s not like you haven’t done that kind of thing before, right Liu Bai?"
"Hey, don’t say that. If Wang brought her, I wouldn’t dare touch her. But I gotta admit, she’s got the kind of looks and body that make you drool. Especially those legs and her vibe—she could squeeze a guy to death."