31: Chapter 31 The tea has gone cold, and the person is gone.

The world behind the door was not brightly lit and bustling as he had expected.

A thick, impenetrable cold wind rushed toward him, mixed with the smells of corpse wax, inferior incense, and... the sweet, fishy scent of fresh blood.

These three odors twisted into a single, nauseating stench that seemed determined to burrow into the very marrow of his bones.

[Distance to Target: 48 meters, Threat Level: SS, Environmental Suppression: Mild]

The system's icy prompt flickered in his vision, but Chen Fan's attention was completely seized by the scene before him.

The courtyard of the mortuary was even more deathly silent than he had imagined.

The moonlight was ghastly white, pouring down like spilled mercury, coating every blade of grass and tree in the courtyard with a layer of frost.

In the center of the yard was an ancient, long-dry well. Dark green moss clung to the edge of the opening, and on the well's rim, a pool of pale golden blood that hadn't yet solidified reflected an eerie sheen under the moonlight—it was Su Shuang's blood!

The trail of blood snaked away, pointing toward the main house at the back of the courtyard, the only place with light.

It was a signpost paved with life.

Chen Fan's breathing suddenly grew heavy; the rage churning in his chest threatened to incinerate his reason.

The lingering bell on his wrist hummed with a soft tremor, as if comforting him, or perhaps resonating with him.

He didn't immediately rush forward; his fury had not stripped him of a hunter's vigilance.

His gaze swept the entire courtyard like a hawk's. In the corners of the courtyard walls, several stretchers covered with white cloth were piled up. Scattered nearby were muddy shovels and tools—everything looked so 'normal,' a normality that was utterly bizarre.

Suddenly, from the shadows on both the left and right, two black figures burst forth like phantoms!

They also wore cold iron masks, but they held not executioner's blades, but two short swords nearly a foot and a half long. The edges shimmered with a faint blue, poisonous light, silently stabbing toward Chen Fan's back and neck from two extremely tricky angles.

This was a probe, and also a killing blow!

For any ordinary person, facing such a swift pincer attack while consumed by rage and anxiety, death would have been certain.

But Chen Fan was not ordinary.

[Critical Hit Check in progress... Check successful! 42% Critical Hit Rate triggered!]

In a flash of lightning, Chen Fan didn't even turn his head.

He stomped his left foot forcefully backward, and the bluestone slab beneath him cracked instantly!

"Bang!"

An invisible wave of air exploded outward with him at the center. The masked man attacking from the left felt a giant force like a mountain flood slam into his chest. The short sword instantly flew from his grip, and his entire body shot backward like a kite with a broken string, smashing violently against the distant courtyard wall. As he slid down, the iron mask on his chest shattered into pieces, revealing a face contorted by extreme pain, blood oozing from his mouth and nose—he was clearly not going to survive.

The man on the right, however, was jolted by the air wave, causing his movement to momentarily halt.

It was this instant of hesitation that decided his life or death.

Chen Fan spun around abruptly, the opponent's astonished gaze reflected in his crimson pupils.

He didn't use any flashy techniques, just simply, and at extreme speed, thrust out his right hand and clamped down on the man's throat!

"Crack!"

The crisp sound of bone breaking was exceptionally clear in the dead silence of the courtyard.

The masked man let out a gurgling 'huk huk' sound as air leaked from his throat, and his body went limp, collapsing to the ground.

From the attack to the counter-kill, it took only a short two seconds.

[Kill Confirmed: Hall of Punishment Scout x2, Gained a small amount of Emotional Energy.]

Chen Fan released his hand, letting the corpse slide to the ground.

He glanced at the poisoned short sword that had fallen to the ground, and the killing intent in his heart only intensified.

These people from the Hall of Punishment were ruthless and utterly without scruples, even resorting to poison that could seal death with a single cut.

He lingered no longer, following the pale golden trail of blood, striding purposefully toward the main house where the light was still on.

The closer he got, the stronger the smell of blood in the air became.

Simultaneously, a faint, almost imperceptible murmuring sound, as if countless wronged souls were whispering, began to echo in his ears.

"...Blood unclean... Soul cannot ascend..."

This voice gradually overlapped with the chanting sound from the illusion in his mind!

The wooden door of the main house was ajar, allowing dim candlelight to leak through the gap, stretching his shadow long across the ground.

Inside the room, the chanting grew clearer, carrying a rhythm that was both fanatical and cold, as if some evil sacrifice was taking place.

Chen Fan took a deep breath. The energy within his body circulated at an unprecedented speed. The lingering bell on his wrist vibrated more violently, causing his heartbeat to pound like a war drum.

[Mission Countdown: 2 hours 41 minutes]

[Warning: High-energy formation fluctuation detected ahead, Threat Level increased!]

He ignored the system's warning and slowly placed his right hand on the door panel.

A cold sensation met his touch. He could clearly feel the aura of the woman behind the door—powerful, chilling, like a venomous snake coiled in its lair.

And Su Shuang's aura was faint to the extreme, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

He couldn't wait any longer!

"Who gave you permission... to touch her?"

He growled each word deliberately, the voice not loud, yet seeming to contain the force of a thousand thunders.

Before his words had even finished falling, he violently shoved the door open!

The moment the door opened, the scene before him was not the bloody sacrificial site he had imagined.

What met his eyes was a long, narrow, and deep corridor.

On both sides of the corridor were rows of closed doors. Each door had a number written on it in cinnabar, extending from 'Morgue Number One' to the end of the corridor—roughly dozens of rooms.

Cold iron chains hung down from the high roof beams, emitting a light 'clanging' sound as the opening of the door stirred the cold wind, like the rattling of the chains of wandering souls.

The pale golden bloodstain on the ground did not stop, but pointed straight toward the deepest part of the corridor.

And that fanatical chanting sound was indeed coming from the far end, traveling through layers of space with an echo, making it even more bizarre and ominous.

"...In the name of the Hall of Punishment, I sentence you... to eternal perdition!"

As the final verdict was pronounced, a visible, blood-red malevolent aura suddenly shot up from the end of the corridor. It was suppressed by some invisible force, transforming into a thick mist of blood that churned incessantly in that area.

Chen Fan's pupils contracted sharply. He could feel that the flame of Su Shuang's life had dimmed another fraction the moment that blood mist took shape!

The ritual... had already begun!

His heart felt as if it were tightly clenched by an invisible giant hand. The numbers on the critical hit system panel jumped wildly, finally settling on an unprecedented value.

[Critical Hit Rate temporarily increased to 48%!]

Chen Fan hesitated not at all, taking one step forward. His figure merged like a phantom into that dim, vast space permeated by the scent of blood and death.