“They say the Spider Shadow’s Twelve Zodiac represents Dark River’s ultimate killing force, but times have changed—every family has now cultivated people capable of defeating you,” Xie Qianji stood on the eaves, watching the battle below with a smile.

Xie Buxie, wielding only the Dragon Fang Blade against two opponents, grew increasingly fierce, maintaining the upper hand. Mu Bai controlled four puppets while fighting three people. Mu Xuwei held two Spider Shadow members at bay with her strange poisons. The fake Taoist Mu Qingyang drew a peach wood sword, smiling at the remaining three: “Since the formation is broken, Brother Xie, why not come down and fight?”

“Breaking the Silent Formation is just the beginning—this manor has many intricate mechanisms I must observe. Brother Qingyang, please proceed on your own,” Xie Qianji replied with a smile.

“Your Xie family only fights two, while we Mu family must face eight?” Mu Qingyang stepped forward with his peach wood sword. “How unfair.”

Meanwhile, Xie Buxie’s Dragon Fang Blade flashed—when it returned to its sheath, both Chen Long and Yin Hu’s swords had fallen, their wrists marked with bleeding cuts.

“What are you doing? Kill them! This isn’t a sparring match—it’s a battle to the death!” Xie Qianji shouted harshly.

“I’m not here to kill. I’m here for Su Muyu,” Xie Buxie ignored him. “Moreover, they’re Xie family members—we know each other.”

“The day they became Spider Shadow members, they ceased being Xie family,” a thin figure suddenly appeared behind Xie Buxie, two long black blades striking at Chen Long and Yin Hu. Weaponless, they could only dodge, but too late.

“Joining Spider Shadow is every Dark River member’s honor,” an aged voice called out as an iron staff intercepted the black blades, deflecting them.

“This staff technique…” Xie Fanhua withdrew his blade, looking up at the suddenly-appeared hunchbacked elder, and whispered, “It is you, Uncle Ke.”

The hunchbacked elder sneered: “They were once the family’s pride—only those acknowledged by the Patriarch could join Spider Shadow, and only the elite Spider Shadow members could wear masks and be named among the Twelve Earthly Branches. But now, the family disowns them and seeks to erase them.”

Yin Hu sighed softly, a sound filled with melancholy. Others felt the same sorrow—years ago, they were their families’ pride, joining Spider Shadow in glory. Now they were hunted by their own kin, their former clansmen seeking their deaths.

“They could choose to return to the family,” Xie Fanhua smiled, looking at Chen Long and Yin Hu. “You were given a choice back then, but you didn’t heed the Family Head. He didn’t want you two to leave, yet you chose to follow Su Muyu.”

Chen Long gritted his teeth: “Were we wrong?”

“Yes. Perhaps Spider Shadow was once Dark River’s pride, but everything changed when the Patriarch gave the Puppet Master position to Su Muyu,” Xie Fanhua said gravely.

“Xie Fanhua.” Yin Hu picked up his fallen blade despite the pain. “Someone like you will never understand.”

“Understand what?” Xie Fanhua asked.

“Understand why Su Muyu is worth our trust and loyalty!” Yin Hu raised his blade to charge, but the hunchbacked elder’s staff held him back.

“No need to rush to your death,” the elder said solemnly.

“Uncle Ke, you nearly lost your life because of the Patriarch years ago,” Xie Fanhua said softly. “After that incident, you should have retired with honor, yet the Patriarch sent you here to guard this empty mansion for all these years.”

“But I survived, didn’t I!” The hunchbacked elder leaped forward, his iron staff whirling with surprising power for his age. Xie Fanhua’s twin Ghost Blades flashed but couldn’t penetrate the staff’s defense, forcing him to repeatedly retreat.

Xie Buxie seized this long-awaited opportunity, using the moment when the hunchbacked elder attacked Xie Fanhua to leap past Chen Long and Yin Hu.

“Don’t let him through!” someone shouted, but when Chen Long and Yin Hu turned to pursue, a blade flash drove them back. This Xie Buxie’s bladework truly surpassed theirs—perhaps he really could challenge Su Muyu.

“Don’t let the Xie family get ahead—didn’t you want to see Su Muyu? Go quickly!” Mu Bai’s fingers danced, his Puppet Killing Art reaching its peak as he rescued Mu Xuwei from between two opponents. Free now, Mu Xuwei leaped after Xie Buxie.

“Without Xie Qianji breaking formations, is rushing forward like this wise?” Mu Xuwei asked the man ahead.

“Breaking formations? Simply cut down everything in sight—isn’t that enough?” As these words fell, Xie Buxie triggered a mechanism, sending over a dozen steel spears shooting up from the ground. He flipped through the air, his blade flashing as he landed—instantly decapitating all the spears.

“Not bad,” Mu Xuwei smiled faintly, surprised at Xie Buxie’s skill. This made her path forward simple—she just needed to follow him.

Su Muyu stood up, gently rotating his umbrella handle: “Will this rain ever stop today?”

Inside the room, Bai Hehuai placed the final silver needle at the center of the Patriarch’s brow.

The Patriarch’s eyes snapped open, filled with intense killing intent. Though Bai Hehuai knew he had lost consciousness of self, she was still startled instinctively. She took a deep breath before looking at the Patriarch and slowly speaking four words:

“Soul Transfer Great Technique.”

A red light flashed in Bai Hehuai’s eyes before she fell backward, while the Patriarch slowly closed his eyes.

Bai Hehuai felt herself falling into darkness, plummeting as if into an endless abyss. She heard screams, sounds of killing, and agonized cries until she felt herself hit bottom and saw a hint of color—looking down, she realized it was blood.

As the darkness receded, Bai Hehuai turned to find herself emerging from a pool of blood filled with corpses. Some had become skeletons, others stared with wide eyes full of unwillingness. There were men and women, elderly in their seventies, and even infants in swaddling clothes.

“So this is the Patriarch’s inner world—calling it hell wouldn’t be an exaggeration.” Though she knew this was an illusion, Bai Hehuai’s hands still trembled slightly.