Chapter 25: The Blood Demon

"Who exactly are you?" Brother Leopard asked, his face shadowed with anger.

To see someone so effortlessly take down five men clad in riot gear and armed with blades was not beyond his experience, but the man before him was so young that it defied all expectations.

"If you came here to deal with me, shouldn't you at least know who I am?" Qin Xuan replied with a faint, careless laugh, glancing indifferently at Brother Leopard.

"Fine, very well. Consider me blind this time. I’ll remember this grudge and settle it with you next time," Brother Leopard said, a hint of unease in his voice. Glancing at his men lying motionless on the ground, he hurriedly left. Qin Xuan’s display of strength made it clear he was no match.

Qin Xuan cast a glance at the fallen henchmen, then turned to leave as well.

"Li Shihao is not a simple man, yet he still underestimated me... Black Wolf Gang, huh? I wonder what connection Li Shihao has with the underworld?" Qin Xuan pondered deeply but found no answers. It seemed he would have to ask Zhao Long for clarity.

As he walked back towards the villa, he took out the iPhone 5 he had acquired from Tenglong International and called Zhao Long.

"Hello? Senior Brother Zhao?"

"Haha, Junior Brother Qin, what brings you to call me?"

"I have something to ask you about."

"Just say the word, no need to stand on ceremony."

Qin Xuan organized his thoughts and asked, "I'd like to know about the backgrounds of Su Muqing and Li Shihao."

"What's going on? How do you know those two?" Zhao Long’s tone became more serious at the mention of their names.

"Well, Su Muqing is my class advisor. I saved her once not long after arriving in Jinling, so we became acquainted. As for Li Shihao... likely because of Su Muqing, he just sent some Black Wolf Gang thugs after me."

"I see. Right now in Jinling, there are three major commercial families: the Zhao family—my family—the Su family, and the Li family. I didn't expect that within a few days, you would already know people from all three."

"Oh?" Qin Xuan was surprised. So all three had similar status; he had thought Li Shihao was just a gangster.

"Junior Brother Qin, I don't mean to boast, but among the three, my Zhao family is currently the most powerful. That brat Li Shihao has been pursuing Su Muqing, hoping to form an alliance with the Su family. As for the Black Wolf Gang, that's one of the Li family's forces. They have some influence in Jinling, but they shouldn't be a problem for you. I'll keep an eye out for them and make sure they don't pose a threat to Dongfang Qingwan."

"Alright," Qin Xuan agreed.

"Also, Li Shihao is very cunning, and his uncle is the top official in Jinling. Be careful—knowing his character, he won't let this go."

"Don't worry, Senior Brother, I'll be cautious."

"Enough about that. Tell me about your dealings with Su Muqing."

Qin Xuan recounted his encounters with Su Muqing, which had Zhao Long laughing heartily.

"Haha, Junior Brother Qin, now I really have to admire you. Keep it up and win Su Muqing over! I’ve heard our master’s reputation for romance is legendary in the cultivation world. As his only successor, you mustn’t let him down!" Zhao Long’s usually hearty voice took on a mischievous edge.

"Senior Brother, please don’t tease me," Qin Xuan chuckled. "Our master is one thing; I can’t be compared to him. If what you say is true, won't I be dragged into the struggles among your three families?"

"That’s not the right way to look at it. The pursuit of beauty is only natural. Junior Brother Qin, I don't believe you could meet such a beauty and remain unmoved."

"Being moved is one thing. But tell me, Senior Brother, since you’ve met her, haven’t you been tempted? Why didn’t you make a move?"

"Heh, I have my reasons. But you, Junior Brother, have no such concerns—go ahead and give it your all..."

After talking with Zhao Long for a while, without much result, Qin Xuan soon arrived in front of the villa.

Hanging up, he frowned slightly.

"Strange, why is there a scent of blood..."

Standing at the villa entrance, Qin Xuan detected a faint trace of blood in the air—especially distinct in the quiet, secluded surroundings.

"Has something happened?"

He quickly opened the villa door, crossed the hall in a few strides, and entered the back garden.

The scent grew stronger, but it wasn’t coming from the garden itself. Qin Xuan looked up at the hill behind the villa, a jolt running through him.

"Is it coming from the mountain?"

Scanning the area, he soon spotted the delicate white flower he’d noticed before.

The tiny white blossom was huddled in a corner of the back garden, trembling. It too seemed to sense the far-off scent of blood with clarity.

"Don’t be afraid; nothing will happen," Qin Xuan softly reassured it, then solemnly opened the sandalwood sword case on his back.

With a metallic ring, a silver glow flashed.

He grasped a slender silver scabbard, its hilt adorned with an intricate taiji diagram that gleamed with dazzling silver light.

Even just the revealed scabbard exuded a biting chill.

"Such a thick scent of blood must come from something extraordinary..."

Holding the scabbard, Qin Xuan tossed the sandalwood case into the garden, then with a light step, swiftly ascended the hill behind the villa.

The trembling white flower in the garden relaxed a little, watching as Qin Xuan, like a dragon gliding through deep seas, disappeared into the distance—leaving only a trail of silver in the darkness.

"The scent is getting stronger..."

The closer Qin Xuan drew, the heavier his heart became.

Was the source of the blood a demon, a fiend?

In this world, demons, ghosts, and monsters truly existed. Yet as the spiritual energy of Earth waned, both righteous and demonic cultivators rarely revealed themselves to the mundane world. There were countless pacts between the cultivation world and mortal society, and none dared act recklessly.

"That is..."

As Qin Xuan approached, a headache quickly creased his brow.

"Damn, why is it you? Look out!"

A graceful girl in red, her back to him, was hurled violently toward him. Qin Xuan rushed forward, catching her in his arms and holding her tightly.

Before the girl, a humanoid figure formed entirely of congealed crimson blood was becoming more and more distinct. It was this very creature that had just struck the girl in red.

"A blood fiend?" Qin Xuan frowned, feeling the soft, limp form of the girl in his arms. "Enough, Liu Qianqian, stop pretending. Where did this blood fiend come from?"

"Hehe, little Qin Xuan, you’re still so devoid of romance," the girl in red teased, slipping lightly out of his embrace. Her brows arched like a crescent moon, her eyes sparkled like stars. Her pale cheeks were smooth and delicate, her skin flawless as cream, and a single ponytail swung casually behind her, a mischievous glint in her gaze.

"Little girl, today letting me out was your greatest mistake!" boomed the blood fiend with a guttural voice, drawing both their attention.