One person: Orochi, starting with Feng Baobao's Eight Heroes.

"I am not a member of the Tsuchimikado family."

The wise elder remained calm and composed.

"It was I who summoned you with the talisman."

Shuten-dōji's smile faded slightly as he tilted his head to examine Zenki.

"Oh? Then who are you? And why are you able to use the Tsuchimikado family's talisman?"

"It does not matter."

Shanqi straightened his back.

“I command you to come out and kill someone.”

The air inside the tomb suddenly froze.

The smile on Shuten-dōji's face vanished, replaced by a chilling calm.

He stared intently at Shanqi, a bloodshot glint appearing deep within his clear eyes.

"Kill who?"

The two simple words caused the temperature in the tomb to drop sharply.

Shanqi felt a chill run down his spine, but he could not back down.

“A man named Chen Qi is very likely guarding outside the imperial tomb.”

Shuten-dōji did not respond immediately, but slowly stood up from the coffin.

He was tall and slender, with elegant movements like a nobleman, yet he possessed an inhuman and eerie quality.

"interesting..."

Shuten-dōji said softly.

"Do you know what happened to the last person who gave me orders?"

Shanqi gripped the imperial edict tightly.

"Sealed in this coffin for hundreds of years?"

Shuten-dōji suddenly burst into laughter, a clear and melodious laugh that caused bricks and stones on the tomb walls to fall off in a rustling sound.

"clever!"

He clapped his hands in praise, then his smile vanished.

"But you're wrong. I ate that guy, not even leaving a bone."

Upon hearing this, Shanqi's son's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.

Shanqi, however, remained unfazed.

"This body was modified from my ancestor's body, making it stronger than your original one. You should be even stronger now than before, right?"

Shuten-dōji narrowed his eyes.

"Have you ever seen me at my peak (Wang's Zhao)?"

No, but—

Shanqi's words came to an abrupt end.

Suddenly, a fleshy lump appeared on Shuten-dōji's face. The lump quickly expanded and then burst open with a "pop," revealing countless scarlet eyes inside.

All those eyes turned at the same time, turning to look at Shan Qi.

"Then how do you know... I'm not at my peak right now?"

Shuten-dōji's voice became low and hoarse.

Shanqi broke out in a cold sweat, but he knew he couldn't show weakness at this moment.

He held up the talisman, and the blood-stained symbols on it began to glow.

"Don't forget, if I can summon you, I can also send you back!"

Chapter 241 The Emperor's Fate

The tumor and eyes on Shuten-dōji's face suddenly disappeared, and he returned to his handsome youthful appearance.

He sighed softly.

"Why are you so nervous? I was just joking."

He walked slowly toward Shanqi, each step causing a thin layer of frost to form on the ground.

"You want me to kill Chen Qi? Fine."

But what's the cost?

"what do you want?"

The wise elder asked cautiously.

Shuten-dōji stopped in front of Zenki, so close that he could smell the blood on the other's body.

He reached out and gently stroked Shanqi's cheek, a gentle touch that made Shanqi stiffen all over.

"Your destiny is quite interesting..."

"Shuten-dōji said softly."

"An emperor's destiny, mixed with the aura of a dragon vein. How about this—I'll help you kill Chen Qi, and you give me half of your destiny?"

The patient's pupils suddenly contracted.

How did you know I—

"Shh..."

Shuten-dōji pressed his index finger against Zenki's lips.

　607 “I can smell it. The scent of destiny is sweeter than fresh blood.”

Shanqi took a step back, breaking free from the other person's touch.

"Impossible! Once the destiny is divided, the effect is greatly reduced!"

"Then one-third?"

Shuten-dōji tilted his head, like a child haggling over a price.

"One-tenth, no more than that!"

The venerable one gritted his teeth and said.

Shuten-dōji suddenly burst into laughter, and the tomb chamber shook violently with his laughter.

"Deal! But..."

He flashed and instantly appeared in front of Shanqi's son, his pale fingers gripping the man's throat.

"Shall we keep this lovely child as a deposit?"

"Father! Save me—"

The son's cries for help came to an abrupt halt.

The elder's eyes were wide with rage.

"stop!"

But it was too late (agdj).

Shuten-dōji opened his mouth—a mouth that stretched all the way to his ears, revealing layers upon layers of sharp teeth inside.

He bit down on the shoulder of Shanqi's son, tearing off a large chunk of flesh.

"Ahhh!"

The son let out a piercing scream.

"tasty."

Shuten-dōji licked the blood off his lips.

"It carries your bloodline."

Shanqi roared, and the talisman in his hand burst forth with dazzling blood light.

"Let him go! Or I'll send you back to your coffin right now!"

Shuten-dōji pursed his lips and let go of her hand.

Shanqi's son collapsed to the ground, his shoulder a bloody mess, but his life was not in danger.

"How stingy."

Shuten-dōji complained.

"But since you care so much about this little guy..."

He suddenly turned around and looked in the direction of the tomb's exit.

"I sense someone coming from outside. The aura is very strong... It should be Chen Qi, the one you mentioned, right?"

Shanqi felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

"So fast?"

Shuten-dōji stretched, and the hem of his kimono lifted with the movement, revealing what were not human legs at all, but bizarre limbs made up of countless tiny tentacles.

"It's time to get to work."

He turned back and winked at Shanqi.

"Remember our agreement. If I kill Chen Qi, you owe me one-tenth of your life. If I can't kill him..."

His facial skin suddenly cracked, revealing the blood-red muscles underneath.

"Then I'll come and get it myself."

Before he finished speaking, Shuten-dōji's figure had already disappeared from the spot, leaving only a biting cold wind.

Shanqi quickly helped his son up and yelled at his two men who had just woken up.

"Hurry! While the Ghost King is engaged with Chen Qi, let's leave immediately!"

The four staggered and ran toward the passage on the other side of the tomb.

A deafening explosion came from behind, and the entire imperial mausoleum trembled.

"Father...that monster..."

The son said weakly.

"Do not talk!"

The venerable elder shouted sternly.

"Save our lives first!"

At the end of the passage was a rusty iron gate.

Shanqi kicked it open, revealing a steep mountain path outside.

In the wind and snow, two figures could be vaguely seen fighting fiercely in the distance.

One was a boy in red, and the other was...

"Chen Qi!"

The elder gritted his teeth.

Even from this distance, he could feel that familiar yet dangerous aura.

Without hesitation, Shanqi led the three of them and ran wildly in the opposite direction.

The wind and snow grew stronger, almost completely obscuring visibility.

Shanqi looked back and saw dark clouds rolling and lightning flashing above the imperial tomb.

Shuten-dōji's maniacal laughter and Chen Qi's furious shouts mingled together, shaking the mountains and fields.