137: Chapter 137 Demon Core, Cabinet!

The night was deep, and the cold wind howled.

On the official road thirty li outside the city.

A troop of cavalry galloped forward, holding torches aloft.

Leading them was a young general in brocade robes, his expression cold and his gaze as sharp as a blade.

They moved with extreme speed, their Scaled Horses galloping forward.

The surrounding trees and scenery flew past them in a blur.

They were currently on a mission; they were originally supposed to rendezvous with members of the Cabinet who were escorting Ye Wuya.

But now, it was nearly two hours past the appointed time.

Something had definitely gone wrong.

Suddenly, a faint scent of blood drifted through the night wind.

The young general's face darkened, and he cursed inwardly.

He pulled on his reins and made a hand gesture.

"Careful, something's not right."

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

His teammates reacted instantly, raising their weapons and scanning the surroundings with vigilant expressions.

The surroundings were incredibly quiet; upon careful perception, only the sound of the wind accompanied them.

They remained in this tense standoff for several minutes, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Only then did the troop begin to advance slowly.

The young general at the head gripped his long saber tightly, his muscles tensed, ready to face an enemy at any moment.

When the group reached the area where the scent of blood was strongest, everyone froze.

Before them lay a ground covered in corpses and an empty prisoner carriage.

His expression instantly turned grim to the extreme.

"Dammit!"

General Xiao Sha flipped off his horse and walked over to the headless corpse of the old eunuch, inspecting it carefully.

"Killed in a single blow. He didn't even have a chance to resist."

"The one who struck must be at least a third-rank Return to Truth Realm expert."

"How did the Cabinet people provoke such a master..."

General Xiao Sha gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with apprehension.

"Seal off the scene immediately."

"Send someone back to the capital to report this matter."

General Xiao Sha looked at the prisoner carriage. The steel bars on the outside had been torn open by brute force, leaving a gaping hole. Ye Wuya, who should have been imprisoned inside, had vanished into thin air.

"Ye Wuya has been broken out and escaped. This is no small matter; it must be investigated thoroughly!"

At his command, one of the members turned his horse around and sped toward the capital.

...

Meanwhile.

Inside a secluded courtyard in the capital's Outer City.

Chen Ran pushed open the courtyard door, casually took off his outer robe which was stained with a hint of blood, and threw it into a brazier to burn.

Crackle, crackle.

The clothes burned in the fierce flames, the firelight reflecting off his calm face.

He drew a bucket of cold well water and gave himself a quick wash, rinsing away the lingering scent of blood before changing into a clean set of green everyday robes.

Having finished all this, he leisurely sat down on a reclining chair and poured himself a cup of cold tea.

The bloodbath outside the city seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with him, a lowly Jailer.

Although this intervention seemed to take quite some effort, excluding travel time, the actual combat had taken less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Even if those from the Cabinet realized something was wrong, it would be too late by the time they reached the scene.

Chen Ran took a sip of tea and pulled a crimson bead from his robe.

A Rank Four Yao Core.

Information about Yao Cores wasn't public; he had only heard about them by chance.

He only knew that Yao Beasts capable of forming a Yao Core mostly possessed high potential and deep cultivation.

Ordinary Yao Beasts couldn't produce them.

"Ye Wuya is just a human, yet he could form a Yao Core. Perhaps this is the key to the Path of Demonization he follows?"

This thought wasn't without merit.

He had seen Martial Artists capable of demonization before; the prisoner Niu Hong he had guarded while on duty in the Heavenly Prison was one such case.

However, Niu Hong had actively tainted himself with Yao blood in pursuit of a further Breakthrough in strength.

Not only did his strength fail to break through, but his mind was also ruined, leaving him in a state of madness.

Ye Wuya was different; he could maintain his sanity after his demonized transformation, and the price was merely losing his human appearance.

Compared to the temptation of such a power boost, this price was practically negligible.

If word of this really got out, many Martial Artists would probably accept it gladly.

Chen Ran held up the crimson bead under the moonlight.

A strange luster flowed over the bead's surface, faintly emitting an extremely violent surge of Yao Power and blood vitality.

Even just holding it in his hand, he could feel the terrifying energy contained within.

Chen Ran tentatively channeled a sliver of True Qi into it.

Buzz!

The Yao Core shuddered violently, and an incredibly domineering force surged back through his fingertips, carrying a bloodthirsty madness as it tried to invade his Meridians.

"Such domineering power."

Chen Ran's brow twitched slightly. With a flick of True Qi from his fingertips, he forcibly suppressed that surge of Yao Power.

The energy contained in this Yao Core was immense. If an ordinary Martial Artist dared to absorb it directly, their Meridians would likely be instantly destroyed by the violent Yao Power, causing them to explode and die.

However, he had heard that Yao Cores could serve as precious Materials for Alchemy.

Once converted into Medicinal Pills, although the energy would be somewhat weakened, it would be more suitable for Martial Artists to absorb.

"No rush. I'll wait a while and investigate to see if it has other uses."

Chen Ran planned in his heart as he put the Yao Core away.

"Now, it's time for me to see what secrets you're hiding..."

Then, he closed his eyes, and the image of Ye Wuya surfaced in his mind.

[Painted Skin]!

His facial muscles squirmed strangely, and his bones let out faint cracking sounds.

Within a few breaths, Chen Ran had transformed into Ye Wuya's likeness, and even his aura became cold and evil.

Along with the change in appearance, a chaotic flood of memory fragments poured into his mind.

Chen Ran closed his eyes and focused, quickly flipping through these memories.

He saw dark underground secret chambers, countless refugees bound by chains, and the effeminate, greedy smiles of those eunuchs.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a playful arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

"So that's how it is."

"No wonder a cult leader could cause such a stir right under the capital's nose and even get his hands on so many living people for demonization experiments."

Through Ye Wuya's memories, he finally understood the sequence of events.

The financial backers behind Ye Wuya were the eunuch factions within the Cabinet.

To weaken imperial power and control the court, these eunuchs had secretly struck a deal with Ye Wuya.

Using the power in their hands, the eunuchs provided a steady stream of refugees and death row prisoners for Ye Wuya's demonization experiments.

In return, Ye Wuya was responsible for creating a group of fearless and terrifyingly powerful Demonized Death Soldiers for them.

Both sides got what they needed, colluding in their villainy.

Ye Wuya's ambition was immense; he not only wanted to use the eunuchs' resources to restore his strength but even intended to turn the tables and transform those eunuchs into his own demonized Puppets.

Unfortunately, before he could implement this crazy plan, he ran into Chen Ran, an unreasonable cheater.

"Even eunuchs want to rebel. This Great Wei imperial power..."

Chen Ran shook his head, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"It's just dog eat dog."

He wasn't the least bit interested in these courtly partisan struggles and internal friction.

Who became the Emperor or who held the reins of power had nothing to do with him.

Chen Ran dispelled the Painted Skin, returning to his original handsome face.

He stretched and lay down on the bed, falling into a deep sleep.

...