The wooden house.

Wen Jiu lifted the lotus leaf covering the bowl as usual and started eating. But as he ate, he couldn't shake the feeling that his sister, Wen Ya, seemed distracted today.

"Jie, how are things at the Xu family?"

No response.

Only when Wen Jiu called her again did Wen Ya snap out of her daze as if waking from a dream. "Ah… What did you say?"

Seeing her reaction, Wen Jiu put down his chopsticks and pressed further. "Jie, are they bullying you at the Xu family?"

"No, no," Wen Ya quickly shook her head and forced a smile, but the thoughts in her mind only felt more unsettling the more she dwelled on them. Those three people were probably not her brother's friends at all—more likely, they were his enemies.

"Jie, if you don't tell me... then I won't eat." Wen Jiu spoke firmly.

Wen Ya hesitated, debating whether to tell him or not. But Wen Jiu, watching her intently, asked warily, "Jie, if it's not the Xu family, then is it someone else? The Night Patrol Division? Or… the corpse buriers?"

The moment those six words—Night Patrol Division, corpse buriers—were spoken, Wen Jiu got the answer he was looking for.

Because at that moment, a flicker of surprise flashed across Wen Ya's face.

Subtle.

Fleeting.

But he caught it.

Wen Ya realized that her brother had noticed and nodded hurriedly, confirming her suspicions.

It seemed those three were up to no good.

Not good people at all.

Without delay, Wen Ya told Wen Jiu everything that had happened earlier outside, along with her concerns about those three's intentions.

Wen Jiu suddenly understood.

A chill settled in his heart.

They dared to lay a hand on his sister.

Courting death.

"Jie, don't worry. I'll take care of it." Wen Jiu reassured the slightly anxious Wen Ya.

"Don't act recklessly."

Wen Ya warned him.

Wen Jiu nodded.

Reckless?

Of course not.

But some troubles, if left unresolved, will always remain troubles.

—

Early the next morning, Wen Jiu arrived at the Land of Dismembered Corpses.

He had planned to act as if nothing had happened, lying in wait for the right moment. But the moment he arrived, people surrounded him, greeting him warmly as if the events of the past few days had never occurred.

Just as he was about to ask about it, Wang Nian arrived in a hurry and pulled him aside.

"You brat… Why didn't you listen? Are you really planning to join Juyi Hall?"

Wen Jiu was confused. "Brother Wang, when did I ever say I wanted to join Juyi Hall?"

Wang Nian's expression darkened. "The rumor going around is that your sister is planning to join Juyi Hall. The Xu family steward has a grudge against Juyi Hall—if this reaches the Xu family, your sister's situation might…"

"That's absolute nonsense."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Wen Jiu's face turned cold.

But he didn't immediately turn to confront Fang Zheng and his group.

It seemed they were trying to force him into a dead end. If this rumor spread to the Xu family, there was no telling how they would react.

But at the very least, his sister wouldn't escape punishment.

Hearing Wen Jiu's response, Wang Nian also realized what was happening. "Looks like the Juyi Hall people did this on purpose… Be careful. I've already reached out to a senior, and I plan to visit him in a few days. If he's willing to speak on your behalf, even though you practice an unorthodox path, you could still become a disciple-in-training. As for your sister, I'll go explain the situation to the Xu family matriarch."

"Thank you, Brother Wang."

Wen Jiu didn't ask further.

But he was deeply grateful.

This favor—he would repay it tenfold.

"Go on, then."

With that, Wang Nian prepared to leave.

Wen Jiu quickly spoke up, "Brother Wang, could you lend me a bit more silver? I want to buy twenty or thirty jin of beast meat."

Since he already owed a favor, he might as well owe a little more.

He needed to quickly enhance his body refinement.

Once he became a disciple of Dead Man Peak, repaying the debt wouldn't be too late.

—

Midnight.

Wen Jiu lay awake, unable to sleep.

Frustration churned in his chest.

"I can't sleep—no way I can sleep!"

He got up at once, stepping into the night, heading straight for the Land of Dismembered Corpses.

Moments later.

One man, one ghoul.

Vanished into the darkness.

Like a ghostly figure, he rushed straight toward the wooden houses.

But he wasn't heading home.

Instead, he moved toward the other end of the area, closer to the market.

That was where Fang Zheng and his two companions lived.

He rode the wind as he traveled, moving so swiftly that even the gravedigger relieving himself at midnight failed to notice anything unusual.

Before long, Wen Jiu saw their residence.

Unlike the ordinary wooden huts the gravediggers lived in, Fang Zheng and his companions resided in a small courtyard with blue-tiled roofs and red-painted doors.

Though not spacious, it had everything one could need.

Standing beneath the courtyard wall, Wen Jiu could hear the three discussing their cultivation. With the concealment effect of the Three Rivers Ghost Veil, he looked up and saw them sitting in the courtyard under the glow of a lantern, engrossed in their discussion.

"I'm absorbing Qi too slowly. It takes me a whole night just to gather a sliver of spiritual energy in my dantian. How about you two?"

"Same here. I'm slightly better, but not by much… At this rate, even after a year, we might not reach the first level of Qi Refining. Thinking back, that bastard Wen Jiu really had a terrifying talent for those heretical techniques—he reached the first level in just a month."

"So what if he's fast? Those who follow heretical paths die just as quickly… But speaking of his sister, she's got quite the figure. If I could enjoy her for a night… Hahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Wen Jiu's killing intent surged.

You little bastard… you're courting death!

Wen Jiu shot a glance at the black ghoul beside him. In the next moment, the black ghoul revealed its true form, shrouded in thick, swirling ghostly energy, and charged into the courtyard.

Killing three ordinary people? That was child's play for a black ghoul.

However, the moment it crossed the courtyard walls, a yellow talisman hanging from the eaves suddenly radiated golden light.

Boom—

A wave of golden light erupted, crashing down upon the black ghoul.

The three men were startled.

"A ghost!"

Fang Zheng immediately retreated.

The other two followed suit, shouting, "Brother Li! Brother Li!"

As their voices echoed, the door of a nearby house swung open with force.

A disciple of the Night Patrol Division, already at the first level of Qi Refining, rushed out.

But the instant he appeared, the black ghoul had already struck. One of the three was sent flying, and another was crushed underfoot as the ghoul leapt high, stomping him into the ground.

Fang Zheng tried to escape, but the swirling ghostly energy engulfed him before he could get far.

"Aaaah—!"

His agonized scream tore through the night. In an instant, his body was drained dry, reduced to a shriveled husk.

All three were dead.

The Night Patrol disciple saw that the situation was dire and immediately tried to flee.

But Wen Jiu had no intention of letting him escape.

The black ghoul lunged forward.

First, it used Blood Transformation to block an incoming spell. Then, with a fierce movement, it delivered a Black Tiger Heart Strike, piercing the man's chest and tearing out his heart.

With everything settled, Wen Jiu didn't bother looting the corpses.

Under the cover of the Three Rivers Ghost Veil, he swiftly departed.

The black ghoul returned to its lair among the remains of the dead.

He, on the other hand, went home.

One man, one ghoul.

Vanishing into the night.

All that remained were four corpses—

And an overwhelming aura of ghostly energy.

A short while later, candles and lanterns flickered to life in every household.

People gathered, making their way toward Fang Zheng's residence.

The Night Patrol Division quickly arrived.

When they saw the four corpses and the dense ghostly energy lingering in the air, their expressions turned grim.

Because the presence of ghost cultivators near Side Peak Market was no trivial matter.

Meanwhile—

Wen Jiu lay on his bed, unable to calm his thoughts for a long time.

To be honest—

If Fang Zheng and his friends hadn't set their sights on his sister, he wouldn't have wanted to deal with them so soon.

Even though the Three Rivers Ghost Veil could disguise the black ghoul as a ghost cultivator, their deaths would undoubtedly prompt Li Ye's investigation.

No matter what—

He would be scrutinized.

But Wen Jiu didn't regret it.

As he always said—

If trouble isn't dealt with, it remains trouble.

Besides, those three had already begun spreading rumors. If he had waited any longer, who knew what other problems might have arisen?

"Whatever, time to sleep."

"Tomorrow is going to be lively."

Muttering to himself, Wen Jiu closed his eyes and drifted into deep slumber.

The trouble was gone.

And sleep had never felt better.