Chapter 104 - The Blood Blade Patriarch - Part 1
Within the inner district, just beyond the entrance gate...in the lifeless eyes of the corpses, one could still make out the straw-cloaked figure wielding the massive blade of the Horse Butcher.
Blood droplets quivered and dispersed from the blade’s surface, evaporating into thin red threads of mist.
Li Yuan had no sheath left. The dogs around him didn’t bear leashes.
Amid the bleak autumn rain, the young man tilted the brim of his conical hat lower, rainwater and blood dripping from its edge in a steady patter. Those droplets that fell on him sizzled against his blood veil, turning to steam or crimson wisps that rose and vanished into the damp air.
He swept a wary gaze across the area, looking toward the distant inner district walls and the surrounding alleys. Then he inhaled deeply, sorting out the scents of any living stranger. Having confirmed there were no more survivors here, he turned and strode away, disappearing into the dreary drizzle.
Blood puddled on the ground, gradually thinning as the rain washed it into a broad, watery stain—a slaughterhouse floor rinsed clean.
Under the dull gray sky, the 43 residences of the inner district were silent and still. Not a soul dared risk poking their head out to see what was happening.
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Li Yuan paused to check his home via the ants’ perspective—no issues there. So he quickly herded his demon dogs back into their underground cages in the demon enclosure, locking them in.
Then he removed the straw raincloak and hat and put them back on the corpse he had taken them from. Only after covering his tracks did he dash back to his house. Vaulting the wall, he ducked inside and hurried to the cellar entrance, tapping lightly on the stone slab.
Down below, at the sound of his knock, the three children stiffened and clamped their hands over their mouths. Xue Ning quivered, barely remaining upright, while Yan Yu clutched a dagger in both hands, aiming it toward the cellar door.
“It’s me,” came his familiar voice.