45: He is still a child.

...

In a tavern in Green Bamboo Market, Ling Yun, dressed in a black robe, sat at a table.

His gaze was fixed on a jade pendant Magical Artifact in his hand, his expression grim.

A crack had clearly appeared on the pristine white jade pendant.

Scarlet blood seemed to seep from it, staining the edges of the jade pendant's crack with a reddish hue.

Ling Yun's eyes were cold as he stared intently at the jade pendant.

This was a Heart-Bonded Jade; he and his younger brother each had one. If one of them died, the other jade pendant would crack.

He who hunts geese all day will eventually be pecked by a goose. It seemed his younger brother, Ling Feng, was likely dead and in grave danger.

He never expected a simple mission from the Talisman Cultivator Alliance would cost a life!

Ling Yun's heart bled internally. His younger brother, Ling Feng, had been raised by him, like a father and brother.

The two had ventured into the Immortal Realm together, experiencing countless hardships and dangers.

Although they were both bandit Cultivators, their hands were stained with the blood of many Cultivators.

But in Ling Yun's eyes, his younger brother was always the best, never a bad person, but now...

"He's still just a child!"

Ling Yun was filled with immense grief. He swore to avenge his younger brother!

"Wu Daoren!"

Squeezing out these few words, Ling Yun wanted to devour this person alive.

Ling Yun stood up and was about to walk out, his body seething with Killing Intent and Evil Qi, startling the surrounding patrons who all looked back.

"Where did this Evil Star come from?"

As everyone pondered in confusion, they saw the black-robed man, who had just been brimming with Killing Intent, suddenly clutch his stomach.

With an extremely comical posture, he stumbled and fell to the ground, his head hitting the table and getting smeared with the wine and dishes on it.

"Pfft..."

A discordant laugh rang out, and everyone looked at the person who had made the sound.

That person quickly waved his hand: "Sorry, I didn't mean to. I just thought of something happy."

Everyone smiled knowingly at his words.

'Isn't that a coincidence? Everyone thought of something happy.'

Ling Yun on the ground paid no mind to his current disheveled appearance. His expression was uncertain.

In that instant, he felt a sharp pain in his five viscera, as if someone was gouging out his heart and lungs.

"This isn't an illusion!"

Ling Yun's expression gradually changed. This wasn't an illusion; someone really was gouging out his heart and lungs!

He inwardly examined his body and could feel his five viscera gradually no longer belonging to him.

The Five Viscera Refinement Demon True Art!

Ling Yun wondered why it felt so familiar. Wasn't this the Cultivation Technique he and his younger brother Cultivated? How could it be...

Only at this moment could Ling Yun no longer maintain his composure.

Fear and panic gradually appeared on his face.

He remembered the countless Cultivators who had been brutally disemboweled and died in agony by their two brothers.

At the time, he didn't think much of it. Those Cultivators were merely Cultivation resources in his and his younger brother's eyes.

But now, with it happening to him, it made him tremble with fear.

What Ling Yun found most incomprehensible was that although this Cultivation Technique required Cultivation while the five viscera still had vitality, it also required dissecting the body to remove the five viscera.

Yet, he was perfectly intact, but his five viscera were dissolving, as if someone was sacrificing him alive!

"It must be Wu Daoren..."

He came!

It must be Wu Daoren who killed his younger brother and obtained this Cultivation Technique.

Now he wants to use this Cultivation Technique to deal with him!

Ling Yun looked around. The tavern was not large, with only a dozen or so Cultivators, all looking at him with mocking eyes.

He also did not find any Cultivator resembling Wu Daoren.

But he couldn't bother to distinguish at this moment. His five viscera were gradually losing vitality.

Once completely refined, even if he was a Qi Refining Stage Ninth Level Cultivator, he would surely not survive!

"Since you're hiding, I'll kill until you come out!"

Ling Yun slapped his Storage Pouch, and a blood-colored single-edged longsword was grasped in his hand.

He glared viciously at the Cultivators present, baring his sharp teeth.

"Keep laughing, all of you!"

...

...

Three hours later.

In the core area of Green Bamboo Market, the Murong Family's territory.

Young Miss Murong Yu, the third Young Miss of the Murong Family, walked into a large hall with a grim expression.

In the hall, there were two other people.

Seated at the head was a middle-aged man with a dignified face and profound aura, whose Cultivation had already reached Qi Refining Great Perfection.

On the left chair was a handsome male Cultivator in his twenties.

"Greetings, Father, Second Brother!"

Murong Yu first respectfully bowed to the middle-aged man at the head, then nodded to the male Cultivator on the left chair.

The one at the head was Murong Xiaoyao, the current Family Head of the Murong Family.

His Cultivation was only one step away from Foundation Establishment, making him one of the most likely Cultivators in the Murong Family to reach Foundation Establishment.

The male Cultivator below was Murong Haoran, Murong Yu's half-brother.

"Are you done handling it?"

Murong Xiaoyao asked with a calm expression.

"Please punish me, Father. I failed to keep Yun Sha. He... escaped."

Murong Yu's expression was one of defeat.

She had lived in a Foundation Establishment Family since childhood, enjoying a life of luxury and never lacking Cultivation resources.

It was no exaggeration to say she had everything handed to her.

But in just one day, she had witnessed the cruelty of the Immortal Realm.

First, that 'Wu Daoren' powerfully suppressed and killed Feng Sha of the Yun Feng Shuang Sha (Cloud and Wind Double Fiends), then publicly drained the blood essence of several Cultivators.

Later, Yun Sha, the elder brother of the Yun Feng Shuang Sha (Cloud and Wind Double Fiends), wantonly massacred low-level Cultivators in the market.

"Do you know why Yun Sha killed people?"

Murong Xiaoyao picked up the spiritual tea on the table, took a light sip, and then asked.

"According to other Cultivators, Yun Sha's Demonic Technique may have gone out of control, causing him to kill anyone he saw, and then he would take the five viscera of the Cultivators he killed.

However, Yun Sha kept muttering 'Wu Daoren's' name.

I speculate that he was invaded by a Heart Demon due to his younger brother's death, and massacring Cultivators was more for venting his anger."

Murong Yu stated her guess.

"It's that Wu Daoren again. Not long ago, he disregarded our Murong Family's rules.

Not only did he fight in the market, but he also drained the blood of several Cultivators, turning them into dried corpses.

Now he's involved with Yun Sha, causing chaos in the market. I think he doesn't put our Murong Family in his eyes at all!"

Murong Haoran, below, spoke out in displeasure, then stood up and bowed to Murong Xiaoyao.

"Father, that Wu Daoren is even worse than Yun Sha. Draining human blood essence is an act of the Demonic Path. I implore Father to issue an order to hunt down Wu Daoren!"

"Recently, there have been more and more demons and monsters."

Murong Xiaoyao shook his head, completely indifferent to the deaths of those Loose Cultivators, and did not heed Murong Haoran's suggestion.

"Haven't we already investigated that Wu Daoren's matter? It's the trouble caused by those guys from the Talisman Cultivator Alliance and Little Talisman Hall. Let them solve it themselves.

Also, recover the recent losses in the market from them."

Murong Xiaoyao said.

Murong Yu felt somewhat unwilling and quickly said.

"Father, that Wu Daoren has a vengeful personality. He might continue to attack Yu Qing, Tian Hao, and others. If they die, who will pay our Murong Family's offerings!"

Murong Xiaoyao's expression became a bit more serious at her words. He pondered for a long time before speaking.

"You first send people to keep an eye out and see if you can catch Wu Daoren's tracks, but don't act rashly.

That method of draining human blood essence from a long distance is too strange. If possible, it's best not to provoke him."

Murong Xiaoyao had never seen Wu Daoren act, but he had never heard of any Demonic Cultivator having such methods.

It was too unconventional and sinister, making people feel apprehensive.

'If Old Ancestor were here, it would be great.'

Murong Xiaoyao thought to himself.

It wasn't that he didn't want to deal with Wu Daoren, but he was currently powerless.

Too many Cultivators had flooded into the market recently, and the situation was gradually becoming chaotic. Management was already stretched thin, and it was not advisable to create more enemies.

Only when Old Ancestor Murong returned would they have the strength to suppress and settle all the petty villains.

But for now, they could only temporarily retreat.

"Just catch that Zhou Yang then. Didn't Wu Daoren cause all this commotion because of him?"

Murong Haoran felt he had thought of a good idea and quickly spoke.

But what greeted him were the looks of idiocy from his father and sister.

When investigating Wu Daoren, they had already found out Zhou Yang's background.

That Zhou Yang was merely a low-level Cultivator from the southern shantytown before, and only started living a bit better after following Wu Daoren.

So they didn't think catching Zhou Yang could threaten Wu Daoren. The other party was just doing odd jobs for Wu Daoren.

If they did that, not only would the other party immediately abandon Zhou Yang, but they would also truly provoke him.

With his eccentric and ruthless nature, he would surely retaliate against the Murong Family.

"Old Ancestor is not here now, so it's better to be conservative in our actions, but the Murong Family's prestige cannot be lost. Add some bounty to Yun Sha's wanted notice."

"Yes, Father."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Murong Yu's eyes, but she still agreed.