When he entered the Quan Family Manor master's room, Quan Yi spoke in a leisurely tone. "Write what I dictate."
"I understand."
"Um... The matter is proceeding as the chief instructed. There are no special movements from the Yan Family, but several sects within Mingzhu are frequently being wiped out. The Dark Black Lotus is also watching this, so if we move..."
Mingzhu was a place neither the Dark Black Lotus nor the Righteous Alliance could freely enter.
There was an agreement to prevent the Yan Family from going crazy.
Could the Dark Black Lotus be entering Mingzhu?
With a startled expression, Xu Yun wrote down what Quan Yi dictated.
After describing the current situation in Mingzhu and all potentially problematic matters, Quan Yi grumbled while looking at the letter as Xu Yun put down his brush.
"Write more neatly."
"I apologize."
"Fine. You may go."
After all that writing, instead of praise, he just found fault.
Xu Yun ground his teeth where Quan Yi couldn't see and went outside.
"Still... sects being wiped out. Why? There's no war these days..."
Mingzhu was a place where small factions and forces constantly fought.
But it was extremely rare for a force to be wiped out completely.
It was strange, but nothing would change just because he thought it was strange.
And it had no real meaning for Xu Yun, a servant disguised as a disciple.
"Not my problem..."
Returning to the dining hall, Xu Yun grumbled seeing his food had been cleared away and went back to his room.
Quan Zhu seemed to have already left, so he'd spend the remaining time training.
It was supposedly the Quan Family Manor's secret inner cultivation method, but no matter how he looked at it, the Sudden Enlightenment Technique was just a third-rate cultivation method.
He'd been practicing it for over four years but had only built up about one year's worth of internal energy.
He honestly doubted if this was even a real martial art.
But what could he do?
"This is all I've got..."
Even the five years of internal energy that was the starting point for third-rate martial artists barely qualified to be called martial artists—you couldn't build it without a proper breathing method.
"...Sigh."
How nice would it be if he could at least properly learn the Three Disasters Mind Technique?
But without a penny to his name, he could only desperately practice the Sudden Enlightenment Technique that Quan Yi had arrogantly bestowed.
He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and calmed his mind.
He silently recited the short formula of the Sudden Enlightenment Technique.
Be calm and bitter.
Cling persistently.
Rely on heaven.
Accept everything.
While Xu Yun concentrated on slowly breathing in and out and circulating his energy, it got noisy outside.
"What's that?"
There was one reason Xu Yun could believe the Sudden Enlightenment Technique wasn't a scam.
During energy circulation, he could concentrate well and ignore most disturbances.
But a commotion loud enough to interrupt his practice?
Getting up, Xu Yun was about to go outside when he was horrified by the scent of blood visible through the door crack.
"What on earth...?"
The Quan Family Manor martial artists were being slaughtered.
Seeing black-clothed men who'd scaled the manor walls entering and fighting the martial artists, Xu Yun panicked.
"An attack!?"
He had to run.
He had to flee to somewhere safe at minimum.
Thinking that and stepping outside, Xu Yun ran into Quan Yi.
Holding a small iron box, he shouted with a rigid face. "Where's Quan Zhu!"
"H-he left this morning!"
"Damn it! You know where he went, right!?"
"Yes? Yes, I-I do, but."
With a dismayed expression, he spewed curses and handed Xu Yun the box. "Deliver this to Quan Zhu! You must deliver it!"
"Master! What is this about...?"
"Go quickly!"
The Quan Family Manor martial artists were being pushed back.
As more climbed over the walls, Quan Yi ground his teeth.
"How dare they attack Quan Family Manor! Unforgivable! Haah!"
With a fierce shout, Quan Yi's fist struck a black-masked man's head.
Quan Yi had enough power to be called a first-rate martial artist in the martial world.
The black-masked man's head shattered under his fist, and watching this, Xu Yun trembled.
But the truly terrifying thing happened next.
The black-clothed man's body with a shattered head was still alive and moving.
"No way...!? A zombie!? Why would the Yan Family!?"
One of the black-clothed men shouted, seeing the Quan Family Manor servants and maids scatter and flee. "Don't let a single one escape."
At his cry, more black-clothed men began entering.
"Why is the Yan Family doing this! We swore loyalty to the Yan Family... Gaaaah!"
The zombie with a shattered head attacked Quan Yi's abdomen.
Watching its hand pierce through Quan Yi's stomach, Xu Yun didn't think any further.
If he couldn't easily handle even one zombie, and the other black-clothed men were zombies too?
Staying here meant certain death.
"Haa... ugh..."
Commoners were powerless against martial artists' battles.
Especially during attacks like this, they'd kill everyone mercilessly to hide their tracks.
Xu Yun desperately headed for his personal escape hole at Quan Family Manor.
Slipping through a small hole in the old wall, he hurriedly hid in nearby bushes and looked around.
Was the attack coming here too?
Paralyzed with fear, Xu Yun swallowed and held his breath.
Fortunately, no one had entered here yet.
"...What's this supposed to be...?"
Just an iron box.
He tried to open it, but it wouldn't open easily.
"What is this thing..."
For now, he'd do as Quan Yi said.
Heading to Bright Cloud Pavilion to find Quan Zhu, Xu Yun was horrified by the deep scent of blood.
"No way?"
The area near Bright Cloud Pavilion was already covered in blood.
People who appeared to be ordinary citizens had their hearts pierced or their arms and legs torn off.
Despite the horrific scene, Xu Yun felt more puzzlement than fear.
No matter how much martial artists fought, this was too much.
There was no reason to go this far.
"Why on earth?"
Pondering the question while looking at Bright Cloud Pavilion, Xu Yun quickly hid when he saw people coming down.
Hiding in nearby bushes, he was horrified again.
He saw two people being dragged out by three men dressed like those who'd attacked Quan Family Manor.
Lan Rou, daughter of the Black Tiger Sect Master.
And Quan Zhu from Quan Family Manor.
They didn't seem dead yet, but they'd been badly beaten.
'Should I step in?'
Xu Yun dismissed the thought that arose without hesitation.
Why should he step in?
Even if he did, there was nothing he could do.
Besides, he had no obligation to do anything for that punk Quan Zhu.
In that case...
Xu Yun gripped the iron box tightly.
"Kyaaah!"
Silently watching them from the bushes, Xu Yun watched until the end as a man lifted the fallen Quan Zhu and thrust his hand into his chest.
Extracting a heart from a living person.
As Xu Yun trembled with fear, the man who'd extracted Quan Zhu's heart handed it to the man behind him.
"Good Lord..."
He ate the heart.
Watching the person behind him ravenously chew the heart, Xu Yun couldn't endure any longer and fled.
...
Only after reaching a crowded street did Xu Yun grasp the severity of the situation.
'Guys who eat hearts... man-eaters? Is the Yan Family a minion of the Demon Cult? Then what do I do with this? Who should I tell?'
If the Demon Cult was rising again, this was no ordinary matter.
The rule was that if you discovered traces of the Demon Cult, you should report it to either the Righteous Alliance or Dark Black Lotus, but Mingzhu had neither.
Thinking hard, Xu Yun clenched his fist.
'This is an opportunity.'
If he discovered traces of the Demon Cult and reported it.
Either the Righteous Alliance or Dark Black Lotus would have justification to enter Mingzhu.
Because the Demon Cult was the public enemy of both righteous and evil sects.
If he reported it, he'd surely receive a reward, and even if it was third-rate, he could learn martial arts much better than the Sudden Enlightenment Technique.
"...Then I've got to do it."
Xu Yun swallowed hard and hid in the crowd.
The first thing he had to do was leave Mingzhu.
Conveniently, there was word that the Mingzhu Escort Agency was making a delivery to the Righteous Alliance in Henan, so he could use that.
"But first."
He looked down at the iron box Quan Yi had desperately tried to pass to his son.
"Let's open this iron box."
Quan Yi dearly loved his son.
So it must be something important if he left it in a crisis situation.
Quan Zhu was already dead, so it was an ownerless item.
In that case.
"I'll consider it severance pay. Master."
Xu Yun smiled coldly at the box.