He tore open the buffalo’s belly. Blood and entrails poured out in a cascade. He plunged his hand inside and pulled out a liver, dropping it onto the table with a wet, bloody slap!

*Thwap.*

Blood spattered across the white lace of the brides’ gowns.

“Taste it,” he said, baring his teeth in a cold, savage smile — non-human fangs still draped with bloody strips of raw flesh. “It’s the finest part.”

The women at the table sat frozen in terrified silence, not one daring to move!

Bai Youwei closed her eyes briefly, the disgust on her face entirely unconcealed.

“Why aren’t you eating?” The cold smile on the Duke’s face slowly faded. The beast-like gold of his pupils contracted simultaneously. “Don’t you love me?! You women! You liars!!!”

He slammed his fists on the table in fury. The tableware clattered and crashed to the floor with the violent shaking — even the blood-soaked buffalo shuddered as though it might lurch back to life!

Zhao Lanfen was the first to crack. She let out a scream of terror, sprang up, and bolted!

“Get back here!” Yu Yaqing roared.

The Duke grew even more enraged, bellowing as he gave chase!

Zhao Lanfen had completely fallen apart. She ran and sobbed at the same time, screaming, “Monster! Monster!!!”

Fear is contagious.

The moment Zhao Lanfen broke and ran, Cheng Qian couldn’t hold herself together either. She made her way, trembling, to Yu Yaqing’s side, face drained of color. “Go — let’s go quickly—”

“AAAAAH!!!”

A piercing, agonized shriek suddenly rang through the entire dining room!

Zhao Lanfen had been tripped by her long wedding gown. Bluebeard closed the distance in a few strides and seized her by the hair!

She seemed to sense the coming of her own death — even after being caught, she screamed and screamed without stopping! She thrashed with everything she had! Her scalp was pulled and stretched until it was mangled and bleeding, her cries unceasing, yet utterly without effect!

She was like a fish entangled in a white net — desperate, harrowing.

Bluebeard grabbed Zhao Lanfen by the hair and dragged her, hauling her across the floor out of the dining room —

Su Man bent down, snatched a sword from beneath the table, and gave chase!

Yu Yaqing, seeing this, took up her own sword and followed Su Man.

Hu Ya and Zhu Shu hesitated for a few seconds, then grabbed their weapons and ran as well.

Only Cheng Qian remained. She stared at her companions raising iron swords against Bluebeard, the blood draining completely from her face, her voice quivering: “Are you… are you all insane? How could you possibly be a match for him…”

As she spoke, she saw Bai Youwei rolling forward in her wheelchair too, and was immediately stunned into a cry: “You’re going too?! Have you all lost your minds?! The Duke has been enraged — you’ll be killed! He’ll kill you!!!”

Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, glanced at her, then turned her gaze coldly away and continued forward.

Cheng Qian was petrified with fear, but she was even more afraid of being left alone. With the dining room emptying around her, only she remained — and even the Inspector was nowhere to be seen. The water buffalo on the table bled in slow trickles, pooling across the floor, thick and sickeningly metallic. The buffalo’s head lay with crimson eyes staring at her…

Tears welled and spilled from her eyes. She bit her lip, forced her trembling legs to move, and ran to catch up with Bai Youwei ahead —

The women had already reached the spiral staircase in the great hall.

Su Man and Yu Yaqing attacked from both sides, their glinting iron swords driving into Bluebeard’s back! But that back was as hard as solid stone — the blades sank in three parts and then could not go deeper!

Bluebeard let out a roar of fury, turned, and seized the sword blades with his bare hands, yanking them free with brute force!

The wounds, which had not been large to begin with, were torn wider and deeper by his violent pulling!

Bright red blood soaked through his thick, dense fur. The sight of blood sent him into greater savagery. He howled, and with his other arm sent Yu Yaqing, who had come at him from the side with her sword raised, hurtling into the wall!

Yu Yaqing coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Su Man had lost her sword. She pulled the riding crop from her waist.

Zhu Shu grabbed her from behind and pulled her back, digging out two beads, which she hurled with all her strength at Bluebeard!

*BOOM!*

One bead detonated beside Bluebeard’s ear!

—