"Su Ping is dead? Damn that Blood Demon Cult! The Third Young Master will be devastated when he wakes up," Gu Huai exclaimed, his face contorted with rage upon hearing the news of Su Ping's death.
Su Ping had served Su Hao for many years, and Su Hao would undoubtedly be shocked to learn of his passing.
"You may all leave now. I'll watch over the Third Young Master," Gu Huai said.
Just then, a figure appeared in the room as if by magic. It was Su Ming, still carrying Butler Han. He set Han aside and approached Su Hao's bedside.
After examining Su Hao's condition, Su Ming muttered, "His spirit and energy are severely depleted, and his meridians show signs of rupture."
A stream of green energy flowed from Su Ming's hand into Su Hao's body, repairing the damaged meridians. However, the depletion of spirit and energy could only be remedied through rest and recuperation.
"Arrange for the young master to be taken back to the manor," Su Ming instructed Han.
"Yes, Master," Han replied, lifting Su Hao from the bed. He turned to Gu Huai and said, "Young Master Gu, please arrange a comfortable carriage. I'll take the young master back to the Su manor."
"Steward, quickly make the arrangements!" Gu Huai ordered.
"Young Gu, where's Su Ping?" Su Ming asked sternly.
"Uncle, Su Ping has died from poisoning. His body, along with two others, is laid out outside. I'll arrange for them to be sent to the Su manor," Gu Huai replied.
"Do you know who was behind this?" Su Ming's voice was quiet but filled with suppressed anger.
"Uncle, when our steward arrived, Su Ping was shouting 'Blood Demon Cult.' It seems they were responsible," Gu Huai informed Su Ming.
"The Blood Demon Cult, you say?" Su Ming mused. "I'll be leaving now. Thank your family for their help, and please convey my gratitude to your father."
Su Ming was aware that Gu Xi'er had also been seriously injured, and that the Gu family patriarch was currently in her room. However, his concern for Su Hao had brought him here first.
"Uncle, I won't see you out then. I need to check on my cousin; her injuries are quite severe," Gu Huai said.
"Go ahead," Su Ming nodded, gently lifting Su Hao into his arms. His primary concern was Su Hao's life; Gu Xi'er's fate was not his immediate priority.
In the carriage, Su Hao slowly regained consciousness. He tried to sit up but felt a tightness in his chest, and his head was too heavy to lift. It felt as if he had been pummeled with a hammer.
"You've expended too much energy. Rest more," Su Ming said softly from beside him.
"Where are Xi'er and Su Ping?" Su Hao asked. After killing Lan Yue, he had collapsed and hadn't been able to check on their condition.
"Su Ping is dead. Gu Xi'er should be fine. Don't worry about her now; just rest," Su Ming replied gently.
"Su Ping is dead!" Su Hao's eyes filled with sorrow upon hearing this. He had inherited all the previous Su Hao's memories and emotions. Su Ping had served him since he was ten years old, and now he was gone.
"Blood Demon Cult, I'll make you pay!" Su Hao growled, but his weakened state caused him to black out and lose consciousness again.
"Master!" Han exclaimed.
"Let him sleep for now," Su Ming said gravely.
"Brother, is Hao'er alright?" Su Wu asked as he entered the carriage, looking concerned.
"He's exhausted his energy severely. He should be fine after some rest and recuperation at home. I've brought back the body of the attacker. If it's indeed the Blood Demon Cult, we won't hold back in our response," Su Ming said coldly.
Su Ming had initially wanted to avoid an all-out conflict with the Blood Demon Cult, but now that they had targeted a member of the Su family, it could not be tolerated.
"Understood," Su Wu nodded, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He wanted to show the consequences of messing with the Su family.
The next morning, Su Hao woke to the sensation of something cool on his face. He opened his eyes to see his mother wiping his face.
"Hao'er, you're awake! I was so worried," his mother said, her red-rimmed eyes showing a hint of a smile.
She had been crying all night, despite Su Ming's assurances that Su Hao would be fine.
"Mother, I'm alright," Su Hao said softly, his heart aching at the sight of his mother's red eyes.
"Here, drink this lingzhi tonic I made for you. It will help restore your blood and spirit," she said, carefully feeding him the broth.
After finishing a bowl, Su Hao felt his energy returning slightly. "Mother, you should go rest now. I'm fine," he said.
"I'll stay with you a bit longer," she protested.
"Mother, you haven't slept all night. You're making me upset. Xiao Die, please take Madam back to rest," Su Hao said, feigning displeasure.
"Alright, but you must rest well. The physician said you need plenty of rest and shouldn't move around too much," his mother relented, leaving with the maid.
"Blood Demon Cult, I will have my revenge," Su Hao's face twisted with anger after his mother left.
He knew the blue-robed woman from yesterday was Lan Yue, the adopted daughter of the mysterious leader of the Blood Demon Cult's Northwest branch.
"I completed two tasks yesterday. I wonder what rewards I've received, and what abilities I've gained from using Li Xunhuan's possession card," Su Hao thought, checking his status.
[Name]: Su Hao [Realm]: Human Realm Level 4 [Check-in Value]: 800 [Skill Points]: 35 [Inventory]: 13 Bronze Draw Cards, 1 Lower Ninja 3-Man Squad Card (13 days remaining), Half Bottle of Truth Serum
[Skills]: Golden Bell Shield: Level 2 (Can be upgraded to Level 3 for 100 skill points, increasing strength by 1000 jin and doubling physical resilience, able to withstand ordinary staff attacks) Great Strength Stone Splitting Hand: Level 2 (When used with Golden Bell Shield, palm force reaches 1000 jin. Can be upgraded to Level 3 for 50 skill points, increasing to 2000 jin) Brahma Raging Flame Technique: (Beginner) (Can be upgraded to Level 1 for 20 skill points) Consciousness Perception: 10-meter range (Can be upgraded to 50-meter range for 100 skill points)
[Host, 10 Bronze Draw Cards can be combined into 1 Silver Draw Card.]
"Combine into a Silver Draw Card!" Su Hao decided after some thought, curious about what a Silver Card might yield.
[Host's first Silver Draw Card combination. Bonus: Card rank-up. Silver Draw Card upgraded to Gold Draw Card. Does the host wish to use the Gold Draw Card?]
"What? A Gold Draw Card!" Su Hao's eyes lit up with excitement, but he started coughing due to his weakened state.
"Use it," Su Hao said after calming himself.
[Using Gold Draw Card. Obtained one Blood-Devouring Demon Vine. Item added to inventory.]
"Blood-Devouring Demon Vine?" Su Hao quickly opened his system inventory to check the item's information.
[Blood-Devouring Demon Vine]: A vine from the demon realm with powerful vitality. It can devour all flesh and blood, growing rapidly. The stronger the flesh it consumes, the faster it grows. It can also nourish the host, enhancing their blood essence.