"Contradiction?"
As the gargoyle uttered these words, Wu Ying was momentarily stunned. The masked man immediately drew a long sword and placed it at Wu Ying's throat.
If the gargoyle declared Wu Ying a traitor, he would not hesitate to strike!
"Calm, calm down."
Feeling the chill against his neck, Wu Ying quickly spoke to the masked man, fearing that if the masked man's hand trembled, he would lose his head!
"Duke, you are wrongly accusing us. We are loyal to our master and would never betray him. There must be some mistake!"
Seeing the dire situation, the Sixth-Rank Evil Spirit beside Wu Ying also quickly knelt before the gargoyle, desperately defending himself.
Duke Huiling was second only to the Heavenly Net Ghost King in the Heavenly Net Ghost City. He possessed an eighth-rank cultivation and mastered a secret art of soul manipulation, capable of inflicting extreme pain!
If one were targeted by Duke Huiling, life would be worse than death!
The gargoyles at the entrance of the ancient castle were personally crafted by Duke Huiling. Both possessed a portion of Duke Huiling's power and were highly sensitive to matters of the soul.
Therefore, the extraordinary individuals of the Heavenly Net Ghost City would report their situations before Duke Huiling's mansion upon their return.
The masked man remained unmoved by Wu Ying and the Sixth-Rank Evil Spirit's pleas, merely gazing at the gargoyle, awaiting its final judgment.
As long as Duke Huiling deemed these two to have committed acts of betrayal, he would intervene.
"This guy... his perception is that sharp?"
Ye Ling stood in the distance, observing Wu Ying and the Sixth-Rank Evil Spirit kneeling, his brow furrowed slightly.
However, Ye Ling had anticipated this.
As long as a soul had been tampered with, regardless of how skilled the memory modification technique was, it would inevitably leave traces within the soul.
After all, Ye Ling had only altered a segment of memory.
Wu Ying's psychological state and thoughts during that period would fluctuate due to his own personality, past experiences, and sudden inspirations.
Even if Ye Ling's modified memories were perfected, they were ultimately false and could not compare to the genuine article.
And individuals whose memories had been altered, if they encountered a master with extremely keen soul perception, their fabricated memories would be exposed.
"It seems the imprints in these fellows' souls were made by that Duke."
Ye Ling murmured, realizing Wu Ying was no longer useful. He immediately activated the spiritual energy seed he had planted within Wu Ying, controlling his muscles and directing him to attack the masked man!
*Chii!*
As soon as Ye Ling manipulated Wu Ying to attack, the masked man ruthlessly severed Wu Ying's head.
Blood splattered, and the head flew off.
The Sixth-Rank Evil Spirit beside him was even more terrified. Just as it was about to explain, the masked man pierced its mouth with his sword.
"Wuwuwu..."
The Sixth-Rank Evil Spirit cried out in despair, but it could no longer speak. It was physically "superceded" and utterly annihilated.
Effortlessly dispatching Wu Ying and the Sixth-Rank Evil Spirit, the masked man sheathed his long sword and bowed to the gargoyle, "My Duke, the traitor has been eliminated."
The gargoyle had intended to question Wu Ying further to confirm whether he was a traitor or had his memory altered.
However, Wu Ying's sudden attack led Tian Yi to kill him, so it could only abandon the matter. "Very well, clean up the body and the bloodstains. Inform the Heavenly Net Ghost King that I have matters to attend to tonight and will not be attending his banquet."
As the voice faded, the gargoyle flew back to its stone pillar, reverting to stone.
"Yes."
Tian Yi respectfully saluted the gargoyle before quietly attending to Wu Ying's corpse, even personally wiping away the bloodstains at the entrance.
After completing these tasks, Tian Yi departed.
Ye Ling, watching Tian Yi leave from a distance, no longer concealed himself and proceeded into the ancient castle ahead.
His purpose in coming here, besides investigating the Heavenly Net Ghost King, was to understand the sacrificial array.
Furthermore, Ye Ling was very curious as to how a Western Duke had become entangled with the Heavenly Net Ghost King.
Upon entering the ancient castle, the surrounding temperature dropped by more than ten degrees, becoming extremely chilly.
The vast ancient castle was illuminated only by candles and chandeliers, casting a dim and particularly eerie atmosphere.
Calling it a haunted house would be entirely appropriate.
Ye Ling did not see a single living person in the castle. However, he noticed that the suits of armor lining the corridors contained decaying corpses, and the air was filled with a sickening stench of decay.
Witnessing the environment within the castle, Ye Ling's brow furrowed slightly, and he found Duke Huiling's macabre taste highly displeasing.
The people within those suits of armor had starved to death.
It was evident that they had been imprisoned within by Duke Huiling before their deaths, rendering them unable to struggle or move, left only to await death in despair.
Walking along the corridor, Ye Ling saw no less than a hundred suits of armor, each containing a not-yet-fully-decayed corpse, making the resentment within the castle a hundred times more potent than outside.
Ye Ling quickened his pace to the end of the corridor and reached a large door. He pushed it open.
A strong smell of disinfectant assailed his nostrils.
The room was filled with bottles and jars, containing various biological specimens, including human organs.
An old man wearing glasses and a white coat stood with his back to Ye Ling, dissecting a woman's corpse.
The old man appeared extremely frail, as if a single punch from an ordinary adult male could knock him down.
However, Ye Ling could sense that this frail old man possessed an eighth-rank cultivation!
Ye Ling glanced around the room and saw over a dozen newly prepared specimens of eyes, ears, and noses on a table by the door. The labels indicated they were the organs of the people killed by the Sixth-Rank Evil Spirit at the airport.
Ye Ling's expression remained unchanged. He walked into the room and calmly closed the door behind him.
"Are you that Duke?" Ye Ling asked the old man as he surveyed the surroundings.
"Please wait a moment, esteemed guest. Let me finish my work."
Duke Huiling showed no surprise at Ye Ling's appearance, continuing his task without even turning his head.
The ancient castle was permeated with his soul tendrils, allowing him to sense any disturbance within.
Ye Ling had not concealed his presence, so the Duke had sensed him the moment he stepped into the castle.
Although Duke Huiling was surprised by Ye Ling's ability to infiltrate the Heavenly Net Ghost City so stealthily, he understood everything upon recalling Wu Ying, who had been killed by Tian Yi earlier.
Ye Ling did not truly interrupt Duke Huiling's dissection, instead, he busied himself examining the items in the room.
"Esteemed guest, you are welcome to look around, but please refrain from touching the specimens. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Certainly."
Ye Ling acted as if he were genuinely visiting the Duke's chambers, not touching anything and remaining quiet throughout. He was exceptionally polite, showing no indication of intending to kill anyone.
After a considerable time, Duke Huiling put down his scalpel, removed his gloves, sterilized them thoroughly, and discarded them in the trash.
He turned to face Ye Ling, squinted, and smiled, "Esteemed guest, I am finished."
Ye Ling stopped and looked at Duke Huiling, squinting and smiling, "Can we begin fighting now?"
"Of course."