Cultivating with souls was destined to be an unorthodox path.
Feng Ninghe had never even heard of such a dark art.
She bit her lip lightly, "If it's a dark art, then there must be repercussions, right?"
"Everything has its pros and cons, especially something as insidious and cunning as a dark art,"
Si Jianye said dismissively, his words growing colder with each syllable. "But at least there have been no repercussions yet, and many more will likely die before any backlash occurs."
He didn't care about the lives of those uninvolved.
However, he disdained using dark arts to achieve his goals.
As the male voice reached her ears, Feng Ninghe secretly clenched her delicate fists, a flicker of light flashing through her eyes.
Ji Binyu brought the gourd bottle to his nose, greedily inhaling. A more sinister expression grew on his cheeks.
Several wisps of souls were drawn into his nostrils through the gourd bottle. A dark mist seemed to swirl around his face, making his entire complexion appear ashen.
"Not good."
Si Jianye's sword-like eyebrows furrowed, his piercing gaze filled with a chilling coldness. "He's absorbing souls. If we don't stop him, all these souls will be absorbed by him alone."
Feng Ninghe stood up abruptly. "Lin Country cannot tolerate these demons and strange entities wreaking havoc. They are human, yet their hearts are so cruel. I will not let them off lightly."
As the Empress of Lin Country, she had the responsibility and obligation to protect her people.
Furthermore, taking souls was inherently a dark art, an act that defied heavenly principles.
*Swish!*
An arrow shot fiercely towards the bottle in Ji Binyu's hand.
The gourd bottle clattered to the ground.
Even though the bottle had fallen, the souls within did not have a chance to escape. Masses of dark mist crowded the opening of the bottle, vying to get out.
Ji Binyu suddenly looked up towards where the arrow had come from. "Who's in the shadows?"
Lin Yuran's expression tensed, her hand already gripping a long sword, her sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.
*Swish!*
Another arrow flew.
This time, it was aimed at Lin Yuran.
She quickly dodged, not having time to think, and the gourd bottle in her hand fell to the ground.
Lin Yuran raised her long sword and swiftly dashed into the distance. "Binyu, we must capture this person. No survivors!"
Anyone who could discover their secret could not be allowed to live.
Ji Binyu's face turned cold, his gloomy eyes filled with ferocity. He quickly followed.
The black-clad figure, who had been hiding by the window, leaped out and transformed into a gust of wind, fleeing rapidly.
The spacious room was instantly empty.
On the eaves, Feng Ninghe and Si Jianye remained hidden in the shadows.
"Someone else was acting in the shadows, and I didn't even sense them."
Feng Ninghe narrowed her eyes, a faint glow flashing from the darkness.
To be so unperceived by her meant the person in hiding had a cultivation far from ordinary.
Si Jianye turned to look at her, his cool male voice slowly uttered, "That person arrived before us."
Hearing his words, she raised an eyebrow. "You knew someone was already in the shadows?"
Facing her question, the man's expression did not change much. "That person's aura is hidden extremely well. Even I only sensed a faint trace and couldn't be sure. Their cultivation is above yours."
The strong, resonant male voice caused Feng Ninghe's expression to become thoughtful.
Throughout the entire continent, there were not many people whose cultivation surpassed hers.
She wondered if this person was friend or foe.
After a moment, she withdrew her gaze and leaped into the room. "That person shot arrows at Ji Binyu, so at least for now, they bear no ill will towards us. The priority is to attend to the important matters."
Ji Binyu and Lin Yuran were chasing after the person, and the gourd bottles they held had all rolled to the ground, giving them no chance to pick them up.
Feng Ninghe casually picked up two gourd bottles, her red lips curving upwards, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes. "This person behind the scenes appeared at the perfect time. We've reaped a windfall."
If she had fought with all her might, she might not have been able to deal with Ji Binyu and Lin Yuran.
Since someone had intervened, she didn't mind playing the role of the fisherman.
Feng Ninghe put away the gourd bottles and calmly looked at the man beside her. "Our goal for this year has been achieved. We can go back and rest."
Si Jianye's ink-black eyes turned to her, his deep, wooden male voice slowly falling. "How do you intend to handle these two gourd bottles?"
Feng Ninghe casually took out a gourd bottle, opened the lid, and unleashed a powerful surge of spiritual energy towards it.
The souls blocked at the bottle's opening seemed to sense it and rushed out of the bottle one after another!
In just a moment, all the souls inside the bottle had rushed out.
The gourd bottle was now empty.
After doing this, Feng Ninghe put away the empty gourd bottle. "It's not time to release the souls in the other bottle yet. The young ladies in the yamen have already taken the medicine I gave them. Their bodies will be fine, and they won't die anytime soon."
Si Jianye's thin lips curved upwards imperceptibly, a flicker of light appearing in his eyes.
He now understood what Feng Ninghe intended to do.
At this moment, he felt a surge of interest, wanting to see what would happen next.
In a deserted forest.
A dark shadow hurried past in the distance.
Ji Binyu and Lin Yuran desperately pursued the man from behind.
The dark shadow suddenly stopped. A black robe completely concealed his face, making it impossible to discern his features.
"Who are you?"
Ji Binyu looked at him with full vigilance, his eyes fixed on the black-clad figure.
Lin Yuran stood beside Ji Binyu, her hand gripping her long sword, ready to strike at any moment.
The black-clad figure raised his eyes. The bright moonlight shone upon him. The man sneered, his voice laced with intense disdain. "I am here to take your lives."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuran seemed to hear a great joke and chuckled dismissively. "Do you know what you're saying? You actually want to take my life?"
Lin Country would eventually fall into her hands.
At that time, she would become the woman of the highest status in all of Lin Country.
She feared no one, not even the sects of Jinling.
Ji Binyu drew his long sword and pointed it at the black-clad figure, his face filled with gloom. "I'd like to see who can take whose life!"
He suddenly raised his long sword and thrust it at the black-clad figure, his entire being radiating powerful spiritual energy fluctuations.
The expression on the black-clad figure's face did not change much. He calmly watched everything unfold before him.
Only when the sword was close did the black-clad figure sidestep, easily dodging the attack.
He suddenly moved to the side behind him, his figure appearing behind Ji Binyu.
"Binyu, be careful!"
Everything that happened before her eyes caused Lin Yuran's delicate eyebrows to knit instantly. She quickly raised her long sword and moved to help him.
The relationship of mutual benefit between her and Ji Binyu was incredibly complex, far beyond what others could imagine.
To ascend to the position of Empress, she needed Ji Binyu's assistance by her side.
Therefore, she had to protect his safety.