Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

Listening to this twisted logic, Su Ling’er felt only pain, despair, and helplessness.

’I can’t understand their train of thought at all!’

’Are you trying to kill me, or not?’

’If you want to bury me, can’t you just make it quick?’

’Do you have to torment me like this, even giving me a ghost bride as a funerary sacrifice? How do your brains even work?!’

She screamed wildly in her heart, but couldn’t help but feel a wave of sorrow.

’Besides, weren’t you here to give me a funeral?’

’How did it turn into escorting a bride halfway through?’

’Where’s your professional integrity?!’

As Su Ling’er was trapped in endless fear and internal snarking, the procession traveled an unknown distance before the thick fog ahead gradually began to dissipate.

At the edge of the desolate wilderness, the silhouette of a massive mansion suddenly appeared before everyone.

It was an extremely ancient estate, with upturned eaves and ornate rafters that hinted at its former grandeur.

Now, however, it was bathed in the ghastly moonlight, looking utterly dilapidated.

It was like a great beast lurking in the darkness, silently waiting for its prey to arrive.

The courtyard walls, their plaster peeling, were covered in dead vines.

Two large words were written on the mansion’s plaque.

Li Manor.

...

「Meanwhile.」

Thanks to everyone’s "courtesy," Wang Xiedi proceeded unimpeded and soon arrived at a strange place with a plaque that read "Breeding Center."

Confident in his "superb" stealth techniques, Wang Xiedi slipped inside.

It felt like a massive workshop with an assembly-line-like operation.

Hundred Illusion Monkeys of all different forms sat beside a conveyor belt. In front of them was a constantly moving silk ribbon, upon which sheets of talisman paper were placed.

Their fingers stained with cinnabar, the Hundred Illusion Monkeys rapidly drew talismans on the paper. Their movements were so practiced they seemed to have been repeated countless times.

Wang Xiedi watched, startled.

’Are the spirit beasts here all this intelligent?’

’They can even inscribe talismans!’

’And there are so many of them?!’

He ventured deeper and saw all sorts of Spirit Beast Eggs.

Newborn hatchlings were immediately placed into a detection Array.

Hatchlings with good test results were sent to the "Breeding Room";

those with poor results were tossed into the "Spirit Servant Training" area.

Just then, a hatchling of a sub-dragon species was placed on it.

Soon, the test results appeared on a screen of light—

[Test Result: Little Flame Beast]

[Spirit Power: Level Three!]

’Spirit Power... Level Three?!’

Wang Xiedi was shocked. ’What kind of unit of measurement is that?’

After a more detailed inspection, the screen showed that the Little Flame Beast, rated "Level Three Spirit Power," seemed to possess an innate demonic Divine Technique that allowed it to grow by consuming all kinds of flames!

Although its "Spirit Power" was only Level Three, its potential was rated as extremely high because its Divine Technique had room for growth!

Wang Xiedi heard the disciples discussing it.

"With this aptitude, Eldest Senior Brother will probably like it."

"How about... we name this Little Flame Beast ’Anti-Inflammatory’?"

"Hahaha, ’Anti-Inflammatory’! Perfect! That name suits it!"

"Then let’s name its Divine Technique ’Burning Skill’!"

And so, the fire-attribute sub-dragon hatchling was officially named "Anti-Inflammatory" and sent to the "Breeding Room" to be raised as a priority battle pet.

Wang Xiedi watched this scene, dumbfounded.

’Are they... using artificial intervention for selective breeding?!’

He then saw some inscriptions to the side, which seemed to contain information about "bloodline fusion" and "bloodline branching."

’Could it be... that Jade-faced Mantis maiden was the product of one of these bloodline fusion experiments?!’

’I really made the right choice coming to the Beast Taming House!’

’The hidden depths of this demonic sect are truly unfathomable!’

Then, he heard one of the disciples stretch and say:

"I didn’t expect to get a decent one in this batch of hatchlings. It might be pretty useful as a battle pet!"

"And if we implant this ’Anti-Inflammatory’ Little Flame Beast with a human bloodline, I wonder if it’ll be able to talk, to speak human words.

If it can, then the next time something happens, we can just have it shout, ’Thirty years the river flows east, thirty years it flows west—never bully the young for being poor!’

Hahaha, that would be hilarious!"

"Totally! So hilarious!"

"It’s a shame... that insect-type demon beast from before had its bloodline essence drained, so it’s worthless now. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Senior Brother Wang Xian happened to mention that his Grievance Beast has a poor appetite, and the potted plant next to it isn’t looking too lively either, so we’re just treating it as waste material and using it as fertilizer for the Grievance Beast."

’Insect-type demon beast? Waste material? Fertilizer?’

Wang Xiedi’s mind BUZZED, and a strong sense of unease rose in his heart.

But he couldn’t be sure, because they hadn’t specified who they were talking about.

’It... it couldn’t be the Jade-faced Mantis maiden, right?’

’No way...’

He suppressed the worry in his heart and continued to sneak deeper inside.

But as Wang Xiedi left, the two disciples turned their gazes in the direction he had gone.

"Say, we’re dressed so securely. We shouldn’t be affected by Wang Xiedi, right?"

"Probably not... right?"

"But that Jade-faced Mantis he kissed before really was turned into fertilizer. He won’t mind, will he?"

"Who knows. It’s just an insect. If it’s fertilizer, it’s fertilizer. What’s the big deal?"

"It’s not like we’re going to get a repeat of that meme where the Bread Demoniun shows up only to get clubbed to death by the ghost girl, right?"

"You’ve gotta be kidding, right?"

"Alright, alright, stop thinking about it. Let’s see if we can research some more interesting spirit beasts!"

"Wait! I’m so bored. Let’s play some music here in the Beast Taming House in a bit."

"Holy shit, why that song? We’re not about to get a Yuan Hua meme in here, are we?!!"

"No way, no way! Just play it, don’t worry about it. You’re totally overthinking things!!!"

...

「Meanwhile, at Li Manor.」

The plaque had long since rotted, and it swayed precariously in the ghastly wind.

It looked as though it could fall from the lintel at any moment, letting out a CREAKING groan.

Despite the scene of utter desolation, two brand-new, large red lanterns hung on either side of the dilapidated entrance.

Inside the gate, stone lions that had long been weathered beyond recognition were illuminated by the lanterns’ glow, making them look as if they were weeping blood.

Split by light and shadow, one half of the stone lions was cast in an eerie, blood-red color, while the other half was submerged in a darkness as deep as an endless abyss.

On the vermilion-lacquered main gate was a huge, red paper-cut of the "Double Happiness" character.

The red had long since faded, and its edges were oozing dark red spots that could have been either cinnabar or dried blood.

The main gate was ajar. Faint whispers and the ashen smell of burnt-out incense and candles drifted out from the gap.

The wedding procession stopped before the ancient residence.

The ghost matchmaker floated lightly to the gate, and in a pinched voice, she called out:

"The bride is here! Welcome the bride!"

The moment her voice fell, the vermilion-lacquered gate CREAKED open on its own, though there was no wind.

An even denser, sinister aura surged wildly from within the gate.

Lying in her coffin, Su Ling’er shuddered all over.

She could feel two auras lurking deep within the manor, so powerful they were suffocating!