Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

There was no movement at all inside the jade bracelet.

Yu Luoning laughed in exasperation.

Dare to play dead?

Yu Luoning waved his hand.

She and the jade bracelet had already bound themselves to each other through blood, and the rules of that space were her will.

With a flash of light, the mouse, who had been trying to hide in the space like a coward, was pushed out by a powerful force.

It bounced around on the ground a few times, its pink ears drooping, and it seemed momentarily stunned.

When she looked up and saw Yu Luoning's gaze, she shrank back.

He looked like he was about to be interrogated.

Yu Luoning looked at it with a cold gaze and chuckled, "Don't think that just because I've been nice to you these past few months, you've forgotten your place. You've committed serious crimes; you're still a convict in my eyes."

Upon hearing this, the mouse clenched its paws tightly.

I thought I had found a powerful patron, but it turned out I was just a lamb entering a tiger's den.

She's a shrew, very fierce.

The mouse cursed inwardly, but it was also really afraid that Yu Luoning would ignore it and that if the ghost cultivator senior brother found it, it would go back to its dark and hopeless days.

It's better to stay by the side of the shrew and suffer, at least you won't get beaten.

The mouse curled its tail into a ball and put on a fawning smile: "My dear master, what would you like to ask?"

"Do the corpses in the city have anything to do with you?" Yu Luoning asked calmly and directly.

The mouse shuddered.

Yu Luoning slammed her hand on the table, making a loud bang.

Seeing that he wouldn't get through this if he didn't tell the truth, the mouse's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

"It's...it's the ghost cultivator's senior brother. He found me by following the residual aura of the contract on my body."

The air seemed to fall silent for a moment, and Yu Luoning remained silent.

The mouse shrank back, waiting for the storm to come.

Yu Luoning simply looked at him in silence.

"That ghost cultivator is dead, so why do you still have his mark on you?"

"This mark is called the Blood Oath of Master and Servant. Even if the master's body decays and his soul perishes, as long as I am alive, his aura cannot be washed away unless someone with higher cultivation forcibly erases it."

It glanced at Yu Luoning furtively, its eyes darting around, and though it didn't say anything, its meaning was clear.

Who told you to have such low cultivation level? You can't even wash off a mark.

Yu Luoning remained silent.

With her current cultivation level, she indeed cannot see the mark on the soul and primordial spirit.

That damn rat, why didn't you say so earlier?

Why didn't you say so sooner?

"Even if you tell me, you can't erase it."

The mouse buzzed inwardly, thinking: If I told you that you knew the Ghost Cultivator could find me by the mark, you might just throw me away.

I'm a smart mouse.

Yu Luoning chuckled.

"Who told you I can't wash this mark off?"

The mouse was taken aback, a glint of light appearing in its eyes: "You...you have a way?"

Yu Luoning didn't answer, but continued to ask, "When did you find out that the ghost cultivators had entered the city? Is that why you've been unwilling to keep watch these past few nights?"

Mouse nodded, lowering his voice: "I can't stay outside for too long, he'll find me by the mark. That ghost cultivator senior brother is much more powerful than a ghost cultivator; even ghost cultivators have to call him senior brother when they see him."

"What kind of cultivation method does he practice?"

"The Blood Devouring Technique." Rat Rat's voice became soft as he spoke, "Those targeted by him will have their essence slowly devoured, their blood completely drained, and after death, they will become a dried-up corpse. Three days later, the dried-up corpse will revive and become his puppet."

Yu Luoning's expression changed drastically. "Puppets can also devour souls, right?"

"Yes, and those puppets are quite troublesome. They can't be killed by fighting; you can only burn them to death with yang fire imbued with spiritual energy."

That's troublesome, she doesn't know the Yang Fire technique.

Moreover, the wealthy man next door died last night, and a day has passed since then, so there isn't much time left.

She didn't say anything more, her mind racing.

She had previously copied a purification skill onto someone, called Meteor Fall, and it was unknown whether it could be applied to the contract mark on the primordial spirit.

If the mark on this little mouse isn't removed, the ghost cultivator senior brother will eventually find his way here by following its scent.

Yu Luoning made a hand seal, and specks of starlight emerged from her palms, silently falling onto the treasure-hunting rat and transforming into a flowing green halo.

The treasure-hunting rat felt its soul suddenly lighten, as if something that had been weighing it down for a long time had suddenly been taken away.

It looked down at itself in disbelief, then looked up at Yu Luoning.

"Master...you really removed the contract mark on your primordial spirit?"

"Otherwise what?" Yu Luoning sneered.

The treasure-hunting mouse was stunned for a moment, then suddenly pounced, hopping and jumping in her palm, its voice trembling: "Master! Master, I was wrong! From now on, I will give you everything, you are my second parents, my heaven and earth, my everything..."

"Come on, I don't want to adopt a rat as my son."

Yu Luoning snorted coldly and said to it, "Now you have no marks on you either. You stay here and guard the courtyard well. I'll be right back."

Yu Luoning pushed open the door and went out.

In just one more day, that wealthy man will become a dried-up corpse puppet.

The body should still be lying in the mourning hall. We need to find a way to burn that body and eliminate it completely.

It was late at night, and the streets were deserted, without a single person in sight.

Yu Luoning walked to the wealthy man's house at the alley entrance, only to find the gate tightly closed and white sails hanging from the eaves, fluttering gently in the night breeze.

Yu Luoning leaped lightly and landed in the courtyard.

The mourning hall was set up in the main hall, brightly lit by candles, with white sails hanging to the ground. A mahogany coffin was placed in the main hall, surrounded by burning white candles.

Yu Luoning crept closer, lifted the coffin lid, and looked inside.

But they found the coffin empty.

We're doomed! Wasn't there still one day left?

Just then, a woman emerged from a side room next to the main hall. Upon seeing Yu Luoning, she took a step back and stared at her warily: "Who are you? What are you doing trespassing in my house?"

Yu Luoning didn't have time to explain much, and lowered her voice to say directly, "Where is your master's body? His death is not right. His body will come back to life within three days and become a puppet. It must be burned to ashes immediately to stop it."

The woman's face turned pale, her fingers trembled, and she pointed in a direction: "The body... the body was taken away by the Feng family's external affairs hall, saying they wanted to find out the cause of death."

The Feng family.

Yu Luoning felt a chill run down her spine and sighed inwardly.

She really didn't want to take the initiative to contact the Feng family, but the zombie transformation was imminent. If the puppet were to revive in the External Affairs Hall, the consequences would be unimaginable. There were many people there, and if things got out of control, the whole city would be in chaos.

She didn't want her life, which had finally gotten on track, to be ruined like this.

Yu Luoning turned over and left the courtyard, quickening her pace as she headed towards the Feng family's external affairs hall.

She sped along, passing through the empty night streets, and could see the brightly lit Feng family's external affairs hall in the distance.

Just in case, she changed her aura.

As soon as Yu Luoning approached, she was stopped by the guards at the door.

"Who are you?"

Yu Luoning said, "Tell your superiors that the master's corpse will turn into a zombie within three days and become a puppet of the Bloodthirsty Technique. It's the second day now, and time is running out."

Just as the two were about to report, they heard footsteps coming from inside, and Feng Qiguang had already come out.

Yu Luoning sighed. It really was what she feared most.

When Feng Qiguang saw her, his brows furrowed slightly.

It was that woman.

He glanced at her.

Tonight, she was not the delicate and soft woman she used to be. There was an inexplicable sharpness in her eyes, and she stood there as if she were a completely different person.

Are there really such big differences in personality among people?

"You're saying the rich man's corpse will turn into a zombie?" Feng Qiguang asked.

Yu Luoning skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point: "The Blood Devouring Technique resurrects the dead on the third day, turning them into puppets. The controlled puppets will continue to devour souls, infecting two with each one. If this breaks out in the Foreign Affairs Hall, the entire city will descend into chaos. We must immediately incinerate the corpses."

Feng Qiguang remained silent for a moment, not immediately expressing his opinion, but simply looking at her.

How do you know this?

"I have fought against ghost cultivators and know their methods. Whether you believe it or not, Prince Feng, I have done all I can. I'm leaving now."

She turned around and was about to leave.

Feng Qiguang flashed and blocked her way.