"A harvest, an absolute bumper harvest!" Su Hao's previous disappointment from the lottery draw was completely swept away. Now with his strength at the 7th level of the Human Realm, he could consider upgrading the Fierce Flame Brahma Technique once he had enough skill points.
The Brahma Fierce Flame Technique, a Su family heirloom skill, could cultivate fierce flame energy. With one palm strike, it could unleash a fierce flame of Brahma, possessing extremely strong destructive power.
However, with the blood-sucking vine feeding him blood energy, his blood power was now different from ordinary people, making him very suitable for external techniques. Below the Earth Realm, he could dominate.
In the Su family living room, the death guard informed Su Ming about the day's events.
Su Ming's expression turned grave. An unknown blood-colored vine had suddenly sprung from the ground, devouring a 5th level Earth Realm expert from the Yin Corpse Sect into white bones, even consuming the yin corpse worms in their body.
This immediately puzzled Su Ming. The silver hairpin in Lan Yue's throat earlier, and now this blood-colored vine, both seemed to appear to protect Su Hao when they emerged.
"Could this be related to Hao'er?" Su Ming wondered, his eyes flashing with a gleam of insight.
"Don't speak of this matter to anyone. Since you've already revealed yourselves, from now on, stay by Hao'er's side and protect him. You've done well in protecting your master this time. Go to the secret vault first and take some secret medicines to recover from your injuries," Su Ming instructed.
"Yes, sir!" The two bowed and retreated, their faces showing a hint of joy. Previously, they were the kind of death guards who couldn't be seen in public, but after protecting Su Hao, they were no longer mere death guards.
If they obtained Su Hao's permission, they could even be granted the Su surname, marry and have children, continuing their lineage.
The two bowed and retreated.
"Perhaps I won't need to manage Hao'er's affairs in the future. I should let him venture out on his own," Su Ming muttered to himself.
Connecting these two incidents, he didn't believe it was a coincidence.
In the prison of the Pacification Office in the Northwest Prefecture:
The air was dark and damp, with a stench of decay permeating the cells.
A prison guard about 30 years old was slowly patrolling the prison with a lantern. After completing his rounds, he slowly approached one particular cell.
Inside this cell was a middle-aged man around 50 years old. The man had disheveled hair and exuded an aura of death. He sat cross-legged in the corner of the cell.
The guard opened the cell door and entered.
The cross-legged man suddenly raised his head, a flash of light passing through his eyes before disappearing. He then lowered his head again.
"Wasn't it said that you shouldn't come to see me unless it's important?" The middle-aged man's voice carried a hint of coldness and reproach.
"Foster father, our plan has failed. The Su family obtained the antidote for the Black Blood Poison from the black market and cured the young lord's poison!"
"Now the Northwest branch is under joint attack from the Weeping Blood Marquis and the Su family. Many of our pawns embedded in the Northwest Prefecture have been uprooted."
The man holding the lantern said gravely.
"The antidote for the Black Blood Poison appeared on the black market? Can you find out who released the antidote? How did Su Wu obtain it?" The long-haired man frowned as he spoke.
This long-haired man was Duan Mu Ming, the most mysterious branch leader of the Blood Cult in the Northwest Prefecture. The man holding the lantern was his foster son, Duan Mu Chen.
"We couldn't infiltrate personnel into the black market of the Northwest Prefecture, so we have no way to investigate. We also don't know how Su Wu obtained it," the man with the lantern replied, shaking his head.
"If that's the case, there's no need to investigate further. I should be able to come out of seclusion in about a month. At that time, I'll personally meet the Weeping Blood Marquis. I think he will agree to our terms."
"What about the Su family? They killed Yue'er."
The man with the lantern asked solemnly.
"The Su family killed Yue'er?" Immediately, the disheveled man raised his head, his eyes filled with an incredibly sharp light as he looked at the man with the lantern.
A cold, gloomy air instantly spread throughout the cell.
"After learning that the Su family had disrupted foster father's plan, Yue'er intended to kill the Su family's third young master to let the Su family know the consequences of daring to interfere with our Blood Cult. However, unexpectedly, that Su family's third young master had a powerful protector by his side, and Yue'er was killed!"
The man with the lantern spoke, his body shivering under the cold aura.
"We can't move against the Su family for now. After all, that Su Wu is about to become the commander of the Northwest Pacification Office. We need to give face to that commander from the Western Liang Empire. However, the Su family's third young master doesn't need to live. You handle this matter. As for the Su family, we'll deal with them after I come out of seclusion!"
After speaking, the long-haired man quickly retracted the cold air emanating from his body, then lowered his head and closed his eyes, seemingly falling asleep in the cell.
"I understand, father!"
The man with the lantern knelt and bowed to the long-haired man, then retreated from the cell with a bow.
No one would have thought that the mysterious branch leader of the Blood Cult in the Northwest Prefecture would be hidden in the prison of the Northwest Prefecture's Pacification Office.
After leaving this cell, the man with the lantern continued to patrol the other cells, as if going about his regular work.
Nightfall The man with the lantern left the prison and returned home. His home was in the poorest street on the northwest edge of the prefectural city, which suited his identity as an ordinary prison guard.
A somewhat dilapidated small courtyard.
The man with the lantern changed out of his prison uniform and put on an exquisite blood-red robe. He walked to a small room next to the main house that stored miscellaneous items and gently moved a brick on the wall.
A set of stairs appeared before him, and he quietly walked down them.
The surroundings of the stairs were lit by firelight. After walking for an unknown length of time, he appeared in a secret chamber.
In the middle of this chamber was a large burning brazier. Around the brazier sat five people wearing robes with blood-colored patterns.
The five people, one woman and four men, all stood up when they saw the person appear.
These five, plus the man who had just arrived and the deceased Lan Yue, were the seven foster sons and daughters of the Northwest branch leader of the Blood Cult. They managed the entire Northwest branch of the Blood Cult when Duan Mu Ming was not present.
"Big brother, what arrangements did foster father make? Are we going to move against the Su family?" A burly man among them asked in a deep voice.
"Third brother, Su Wu is about to become the commander of the Northwest Pacification Office. If we move against the Su family, we'd be opposing the Pacification Office of the Western Liang Empire. We don't have that kind of power before foster father comes out," said a man next to him, about 5'11" tall, thin, with a gloomy face.
"Are we not going to avenge our little sister?" The burly man questioned the speaker.
"Third brother, how could we not avenge her? It's just not the right time now. Let's hear what big brother has to say first," said a woman with heavy makeup and a flat figure on his other side, looking at the newcomer with eyes full of admiration.
"Foster father's intention is to deal with the Su family after he comes out of seclusion, but we can't do nothing after they killed Yue'er!"
"We'll deal with that Su third young master first, as a warning to the Su family. Third brother and fourth brother, go to Fu City and bring back Su Hao's head!"
Duan Mu Chen ordered coldly.
"Understood!" The two immediately accepted the mission.
"Don't underestimate the Su family. After all, they are a major clan in the Northwest Prefecture," Duan Mu Chen said gravely after the two accepted their orders.