The night was hazy.
It was already late at night.
A bright moon hung in the sky, its cold moonlight quietly spilling down.
In the darkness, a shadowy figure opened a window and leapt down from the third floor.
"The whole family is gathered. Time to act."
Henderson, blond and blue-eyed, landed lightly on the lawn, heading outside the estate with his phone still connected.
He reached the front gate of the manor and yanked open the iron gate.
There, five tall figures stood, their bodies wrapped in huge black robes that hid their faces completely.
"Master Lin from Seacrest—are you sure he's inside?"
The leader's voice was hoarse. As he spoke, he glanced up at the Zheng family villa in front of him.
"Confirmed. He came back with me, and I've kept my power hidden, so he hasn't noticed anything off. We've been chatting just fine." Henderson's eyes flashed with contempt. "I really don't get how Roderic Locke could've died at his hands."
"After watching him these past few days, that so-called Master Lin from Seacrest is just an ordinary student. I really can't understand why we need so many people from the Dark Sacred Court to deal with someone like him."
He sounded annoyed: "If you guys weren't so cautious, I could've snapped his neck myself by now."
"That's the Holy Lord's will. Why are you whining?"
At these words, the leader's eyes—hidden beneath his black robe—turned cold as he glanced at Henderson. "Roderic was the Holy Lord's most cherished junior. He died here. That's a fact."
"Anyone who dares to oppose our Blood Clan should be ready to die!"
As he spoke, the man stretched out a hand—withered and pale, with a blood-red gem in his palm.
He tossed the gem.
The gem shot into the air and soon hovered above the Zheng family villa.
Moonlight shone on the gem, which immediately radiated beams of red light, forming a dome over the whole area.
The gem shifted and changed, and under the moonlight, it looked even more like a blood-red moon.
"Blood Moon Gem."
Henderson saw the gem and his face changed. Then he narrowed his eyes, fangs showing at his lips, red light flickering in his gaze. "Is the Holy Lord really overreacting this much?"
"With the Blood Moon Gem covering us, not only does it seal off all aura inside, it also massively boosts our Blood Clan's power. And tonight, it's just to deal with one Master Lin from Seacrest? If word gets out, the other Holy Lords will laugh at us for being incompetent!"
"This is the East, after all. We're outsiders. We need to move fast and keep it perfectly clean."
The leader's voice was cold: "Twenty minutes. Everyone inside the house—kill them all."
"We'll offer them as a sacrifice, so Roderic's soul can rest."
He finished speaking, said nothing more, and started forward.
"Let's get started then. Such a waste, burning up a Blood Moon Gem just like this."
Henderson shook his head.
The six turned and walked toward the villa.
The eyes of the figures under those black robes glowed with layers of red light.
They'd only taken a few steps.
"Who's there!"
The leader suddenly barked out a sharp command.
Only then did the group notice that a young man was standing in front of them, though none of them had seen him arrive.
"If someone's waiting outside a house at midnight, they're obviously here to send you on your way."
Evan Lin shook his head slightly. "You only brought this few?"
"Where's the Dark Sacred Court Holy Lord? Which one of you? Step out and show yourself."
"There's no need for the Holy Lord to come in person to deal with a small fry like you." Henderson snorted, then explained to the others, "That's Master Lin from Seacrest."