As they journeyed northward, the name of the Arrogant Corpse Mercenary Group spread like wildfire among all mercenaries after three days. It became widely known that the Arrogant Corpse Mercenary Group was a formidable force—a Grade F mercenary group consisting of five members. They had a ninth-tier swordsman as their leader, known as "Blood," and a Saint-level powerhouse accompanying them. There was also another member whose strength was unknown but certainly not weak, as well as two individuals at around the seventh-tier.
Their journey had been peaceful so far. The appearance and attire of the Arrogant Corpse Mercenary Group had spread ahead, causing all mercenaries and some wandering swordsmen to keep their distance. They feared provoking the wrath of the leader of the Arrogant Corpse Mercenary Group and facing dire consequences.
This situation made the journey of Ye Han and his companions quite comfortable. No one came to cause trouble, and Ye Han was content with that. After several days, Ziluo and Blanqui recovered from their injuries, and Blanqui's innocence and cheerfulness returned.
"Brother Blood, why do you always seem so aloof?" Their journey proceeded at a moderate pace, and they took their time. Under the night sky, Ye Han and his group sat around a campfire, roasting the meat of magical beasts, its tantalizing aroma filling the air.
"I'm not aloof. I would have died a long time ago if I were," Ye Han replied while turning the meat skewer in his hand, a hint of coldness in his eyes.
"But why have you never smiled?" Blanqui rested her chin on her arm, her big, watery eyes filled with curiosity as she gazed at Ye Han across the campfire.
Ziluo noticed her sister's increasing interest in Ye Han during this period of interaction, and it began to worry her.
"I don't smile because I don't know how to. And I don't need to," Ye Han replied. The experiences of two lifetimes had long erased any concept of happiness from his mind. In this life, he had killed his own mother, and Xiaoya had fallen into a permanent slumber to save him. How could he still find reasons to smile when he had slaughtered millions of lives? Ye Han's heart had turned as cold as stone, devoid of joy or sorrow.
"Alright." Ye Han took the roasted meat off the skewer and handed it to Ziluo and Blanqui. He himself ate as well, even though he no longer needed to eat after becoming an undead. However, his human consciousness had grown accustomed to it.
The three of them quickly finished the meat, and the moon rose high in the sky. "Blood, come here. I need to talk to you," Ziluo said after finishing her meal, her brows occasionally furrowing in thought.
Ye Han stood up slowly and walked towards Ziluo. "Ivelin, kill anyone who gets close," he instructed before disappearing into the dense forest with Ziluo.
"..." Ye Han and Ziluo stood about ten feet apart, and Ye Han resumed his usual cold demeanor.
"Should I call you Ye Han or He Lian Wuji?" Ziluo's aristocratic demeanor was now fully on display.
"Ye Han." Ye Han wasn't surprised that his true identity had been exposed. He had been closely monitoring Ziluo's every move during the entire journey, and when he saw her reaction on the Great Plains of Kran, he realized she knew who he was. In the eyes of the continent, the name Blood Shura Ye Han was synonymous with fear.
"I never expected that the one stirring up the winds and clouds on the continent would be able to stay unscathed by my side for so long," Ziluo said with a shiver in her soul. The infamous Blood Shura Ye Han was now a name that struck terror into the hearts of everyone on the continent.
"Do I really make you all that afraid?" Ye Han gazed at the moon, allowing the frigid energy to slowly enter his body. It had been a long time since he had been able to cultivate in such tranquility.
"Afraid? Haha, it's more than just fear. It's terror," Ziluo said, emphasizing the word "terror."
"Haha, I want everyone on this continent to feel that terror when they see me," Ye Han laughed maniacally, and his once-black hair gradually turned white, becoming as white as snow.
"Why are you doing this?" Ziluo looked at Ye Han, her voice trembling slightly, but her expression remained calm.
"Why is it that you forced me into all of this? Forced me to kill my own mother, forced Xiaoya into eternal slumber," Ye Han said with a grim and deliberate tone, his eyes tinged with a faint red glow.
"Alright, you've said all of this. Why did you save me and make my sister believe in you? It can't be because of my sister," someone as bloodthirsty and ruthless as Ye Han wouldn't save people unrelated to him just because of a woman.
"Because she reminded me of Xiaoya," Ye Han's tone softened instantly when he spoke of Xiaoya. He could never be indifferent when it came to her.
Although Blanqui's personality was similar to Xiaoya's—innocent and pure—Ye Han felt that Blanqui lacked the same elegance that Xiaoya had.
"Reminded you of her?" Ziluo looked at Ye Han with some confusion. There were hardly any rumors about Xiaoya's association with Ye Han, only mentioning that the white-haired Ye Han, accompanied by a girl named Xiaoya, had slaughtered hundreds of thousands and destroyed the city of Miya.
"She is as innocent and pure as Xiaoya. What about your true identity?" Ye Han looked at Ziluo under the moonlight. Having spent more than a decade in the second-rate Heliang Clan, he recognized the noble aura emanating from her, something that couldn't be cultivated by an ordinary family.
"The Hua Moon Empire, Seventeenth Prince," Ziluo declared her identity with an air of regal authority.
"Haha, the Hua Moon Empire?" Ye Han knew very little about the empire, which was known for its economic prowess among the three major empires. However, due to its relatively weak military strength compared to the other two empires, the Hua Moon Empire rarely interfered in the affairs of the continent. In the year-long pursuit of Ye Han by various powerful individuals on the continent, none from the Hua Moon Empire had come forward.
"Is it strange?" Ziluo had long calmed her heart, standing before Ye Han without fear, only reverence.
"A bit. You, a prince, why would you lower your status to wander among mercenaries?" Ye Han was surprised when he saw Ziluo's current expression. Ye Han's reputation as a bloodthirsty killer had already deeply engraved itself in the souls of the people on the continent. He had killed millions of people in a year, including over a hundred Saint-level individuals and more than ten Dragonkin powerhouses.
"For you," Ziluo looked directly at Ye Han, unafraid, and revealed her true intention.
"For me? Ha-ha, so you plan to kill me?" Suddenly, the temperature in the surroundings dropped significantly. Ye Han looked at Ziluo with a chilling gaze.
"Kill you? Ha-ha, let alone the Saint-level powerhouse behind you, your own strength is beyond my reach. Moreover, I don't want to draw your wrath onto my Hua Moon Empire," Ziluo remained completely unaffected by the changes in her surroundings, displaying the calm she had honed from her years in the imperial family.
"State your purpose," Ye Han retracted his aura and asked calmly.
"A year ago, your name began to spread among some major families and powers on the continent, including the Hua Moon Empire, of course. Everything you've shown is an irresistible temptation to every cultivator and mage. Naturally, the Hua Moon Empire is no exception," Ziluo had gained some understanding of Ye Han over the past few days. His bloodthirstiness, brutality, and the fact that he never showed mercy were all characteristics of a solitary individual. Ye Han's penchant for killing and brutality stemmed from his tragic past—the greed of people on the continent had led to him accidentally killing his own mother, and the women around him died trying to save him. Everyone who had genuinely cared for him had perished. That's why Ye Han directed his anger at the people of the continent, leading to his fearsome reputation.
As a royal heir, Ziluo had a deep understanding of how to gain people's favor, so when she arrived in the Windfrost Empire, she learned more about Ye Han. Her perception had changed.
"Do you think you can get what everyone desires from me?"
"No," Ziluo replied firmly.
"Then what do you mean by 'trade'?"