Chapter 289 - Trapped in a Manly Mess

"What do you plan to do?" Saint Feinan raised an eyebrow. He hadn't been interested in such matters in the past, but since his youth had returned to him, he was more open to trying new things. Feng Liusi also looked over in curiosity.

Cassius smiled and pulled a silver coin from the inner pocket of his suit. One side had the number fifty, and the other had a portrait. It didn't resemble modern currency but looked more like an antique coin from a past kingdom era. Yet, its surface gleamed, as if it had been coated with a layer of silver.

Cassius flicked the coin upward with his thumb. It spun in the air, reflecting a faint light before landing between his fingers.

"It's simple. Mercury weakens and repulses dark creatures. While it's not incredibly effective, it can easily force them to reveal their abnormal nature."

A mischievous smile appeared on Cassius's face.

Feng Liusi remained silent for a moment before looking up. "So, this was why you had me call the Blood Vulture organization on our first day in East Sea City to prepare a batch of mercury-coated coins for this purpose?"

Usually calm, even Feng Liusi couldn't help but show a hint of speechlessness.

"Of course not."

Cassius pulled out a handful of coins, counting them one by one as he continued, "During our previous battle with the Blood Spirit Society, I tested the effects of mercury. It affects parasitized dark creatures more than corporeal ones. These mercury coins can even affect Undying-Rank Dead Blood. It's like someone who dislikes spicy food accidentally eating chili; they'll instinctively show discomfort."

"After the test, I had some coins left over. So I figured, why waste them? Let's give the Blood Spirit Society a little fun." Cassius smirked.

At that moment, Feng Liusi suddenly saw a new, devious side to Cassius.

"I'm going to take another look around. I'll come back later to check on this Spiral-Eye Sword." Cassius held a coin in his hand and walked away.

Meanwhile...

A white-haired elderly man was adjusting his tie in a back office of the Tulip Antique Exhibition. He was dressed in a brown suit. Despite his aged appearance, he had a robust physique and a powerful aura.

A middle-aged man quietly waited next to him. After hesitating for a while, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Instructor, are you sure you want to personally tour the antique exhibition hall? These things could easily be handled by us disciples."

"Handled by you?" The old man shook his head at the mirror leaning against the wall. "Then what happened yesterday? I can sense the undercurrents in Kura City stirring. Several forces are clashing in the shadows. There's even someone in the Blood Spirit Society who can defeat me. You all aren't ready for this. Only my appearance will make any difference."

The old man's voice was low. "By tomorrow, the sect master will finish handling the matters at the main headquarters and arrive in Kura City. Then it'll be more or less settled. The exhibition will proceed safely as planned, and the Blood Spirit Society will be dealt with."

The old man turned around after tying his tie. Sunlight from the French windows outside bathed half of his body, radiating a warm glow.

"Instructor Oro, your injury..." The middle-aged man asked cautiously.

"It's nothing. I’ve had a week of rest, so it's much better. Let's go, I'll take a look at the hall." The elderly man named Oro opened the door and disappeared down the hallway with the middle-aged man.

***

The Tulip Antique Exhibition Hall had always been well-designed, so it looked spacious and bright. One side was lined with large French windows, allowing natural sunlight to stream inside.

The marble floor gleamed, and soft brown carpets covered certain corners. The two main halls, East and West, were connected by a long corridor, with visitors occasionally walking back and forth. Around the main halls were several side rooms, numbered from 01 to 10.

A brief description of the antique’s history and its estimated value was next to each antique. The antiques were also protected by a glass cover.

"Three hundred thousand to five hundred thousand Hongli Federation dollars. Oh my god, how can a piece of stone be so expensive?" A young girl's somewhat naive voice exclaimed.

"There's an explanation next to it. It's not just a stone, but the broken tip of a spear used by Count Frank during the empire's reign five hundred years ago. It's just heavily rusted, and completely worn down, so it looks like a weathered, dull chunk of metal."

A boy familiar with history read the basic information next to the antique and added a few details. Seven or eight students dressed in school uniforms were gathered at the entrance to Room 04, located on the edge of the East Hall. Room 04 was dedicated to landscape paintings. The students were curiously examining everything, with some even pulling out notebooks to take notes. It seemed like a school assignment.

They were accompanied by a male and a female teacher. The teachers were chatting, occasionally casting a glance at some scholarly visitors passing by and offering polite greetings. The two teachers had unknowingly distanced themselves from the group of students.

A group of sixteen to seventeen-year-old teens entered, their faces full of curiosity. They were too young to appreciate other types of antiques and had only come for the novelty. But the beautiful landscape paintings could be appreciated directly. Some art students were also present. The introductions to each painting were engaging, drawing praise from the group.

A brightly colored oil painting hung at the entrance to Room 04. It was the work of a renowned painter, and depicted a twilight sky, its hues gradually shifting in layers, from red to purple to yellow. The lower half of the painting showed the river reflecting the same colors, shimmering with a sense of beauty.

At first glance, it conveyed a sense of awe.

"Antonio Hopkins, a famous oil painter of the Hongli Federation, born in Wenxia County, lived from Federal Year 48 to 75..."

A student read the information next to the painting aloud.

"Only twenty-seven years old? What a shame, such a shooting star of a genius..." a girl sighed.

As the group gathered around the painting, a man walked in. He blended in perfectly with the usual visitors. He walked to stand behind the students, and seemingly scanned Room 04 from right to left. But in reality, his eyes were fixated on the group of naive students with a predatory gaze.

His eyes contained three parts desire, three parts hunger, and four parts caution.

What delicious lambs. The younger and more innocent they are, the purer their fear will be when they're terrified.

The man thought darkly.

If not for the powerful force behind the exhibition and the numerous security personnel inside and outside, he would've already acted. Over the past few days, the Blood Spirit Society had experienced serious turmoil, with the upper echelons barely suppressing a series of terrible events. They repeatedly emphasized not to cause trouble or reveal their identities for the time being.

There was a mysterious force targeting them, and they were warned not to expose themselves. However, inwardly, the man scoffed at such warnings. The Blood Spirit Society had never feared anyone before.

But it was an order from his superiors, so he had no choice but to comply. Thus, no matter how much he itched to act, he could only use his eyes to devour the soft, tender students while secretly swallowing his saliva.

Dark creatures like the Dead Blood had an innate beast-like instinct. The man quickly averted his gaze, fearing he might lose control. Before the students could notice anything, he looked away and pretended to study a painting on the right.

But out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone watching him.

He glanced over. A young man with golden hair, dressed in a sharp black suit, was standing tall on the carpet. He held a cup of hot tea he had taken from a nearby waiter in his left hand. His right hand casually flipped a coin. When he sensed the man's gaze, the young man met his eyes and smiled warmly.

The man froze for a moment. He forced a smile in return, directed at his "prey".

Feeling a bit uneasy, the man turned away. Just as he was about to step forward, he felt a sudden chill on his neck. Something cold seemed to slip down his shirt, sliding all the way down to his lower back.

"What the–" The man glanced up at the ceiling.

It was smooth and clean, with nothing falling from it. He was puzzled and instinctively raised his hand, but the thing that had fallen down his shirt felt searing hot, like a branding iron. A shiver ran down his spine as a wave of disgust and discomfort surged within him. Goosebumps erupted all over his body, and his breathing became labored.

"Ugh... damn it!"

His throat spasmed as he wheezed. Whatever it was, it wasn't dangerous in itself; it simply agitated the blood spirit within him, as though it had been intensely provoked.

"I can't control it!"

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

His heart skipped a beat as his eyes turned blood-red. Blood began streaming uncontrollably from his eyes, mouth, nostrils, and ears, hanging like ribbons in the air.

His body convulsed, and he involuntarily grew red fur. The bristly hair was tough and twisted, easily tearing through the fabric of his suit like steel needles.

"What... what's happening, sir?"

A girl wearing glasses, standing at the back of the group of students, noticed the man's abnormal condition and kindly approached to ask.

But as soon as she got close, she saw his face covered in bristling fur, making him look like a restless monster.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Never doubt a woman's ability to scream when frightened. Her shrill cry echoed across half the hall. Nearby visitors immediately turned to look in her direction, eyes filled with confusion. The security personnel, dressed in black suits and with strong, imposing physiques, quickly rushed over. They weren't ordinary guards; they were disciples of the Cloud Dog Fist Sect.

They moved swiftly at the first sign of trouble. In an instant, four to five figures dashed toward Exhibit Room 04. The Blood Spirit Society man hadn't even had time to recover from the girl's ear-piercing scream before he looked up and found himself surrounded by several burly men.

"I..."

The man's voice was hoarse, like a beast's growl. He wasn't foolish; he knew this was the territory of the Cloud Dog Fist Sect, and they were not to be trifled with. Instinctively, he wanted to disguise himself.

However, when he saw his blood-red bristly fur and the claws that were growing, stretching, and warping his bones, he was momentarily speechless.

Three words escaped his lips: "For fucks sake!"

Who the hell had thrown that disgusting thing? He was fine just a moment ago, but now he was surrounded by burly men? No, he didn't want to be at their mercy!

His gaze instinctively turned toward the students who were almost frozen in shock. The thought of taking a few of them hostage flashed through his mind.

But his green, predatory eyes were filled by a burly man with a scarred, bald head, who grinned and revealed his yellowing teeth. "What the fuck are you looking at? Brothers, get him!"

The filth of the Blood Spirit Society had long been on their radar! The parasitic dark creatures were too elusive, and they had gone completely to ground after the last attack.

The Cloud Dog Fist Sect had struggled to trace their whereabouts. But today, of all days, a fool had exposed himself.

How could they pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

"Ugh! Ahhhhhhhhh..."

The four muscular men laughed cruelly and charged at him in unison.

A blond youth leisurely sipped his tea outside Exhibit Room 04 as the man’s pained screams echoed. He reached into his coat, pulled out a silver coin, and tossed it lightly in his palm.

Casually, he began walking in another direction. After just a few steps, Cassius sensed another Dead Blood aura. He paused and glanced discreetly in its direction.

To his surprise, he saw a familiar face. A boy in a black vest, dressed like a young master, was standing in the crowd. Unlike others who were drawn by the commotion, he stood at a distance, showing no intention of getting closer to see what was happening.

"Quite the coincidence..."

Cassius smiled, remembering the boy. His gaze then shifted to the woman standing beside the boy.

She struck a striking figure in a red dress and heavy makeup. She seemed to be around thirty years old, and was different from the boy. She had an anxious expression, with a trace of suppressed panic.

Cassius flicked the silver coin with his fingers before shifting his teacup to his other hand and taking a small sip of tea. His eyes scanned the crowd as a few more coins slipped between his fingers.

In the crowd, You An seemed inexplicably calm, his delicate face reflecting a sense of detachment, as if he had seen through the absurdities of the world. The sudden chaos in Exhibit Room 04 didn't pique his interest at all. In fact, he almost found it amusing, as he started thinking about the delicious lunch he was looking forward to. He had quietly matured.

The insatiable curiosity typical of young people had mostly dissipated after that blood-soaked night. Don't look at things you shouldn't see, don't know things you shouldn't know. Stay out of trouble, and keep your distance from danger.

This was the life lesson You An had come to understand during this journey.

Even the old butler had praised him for his growth, acknowledging that his mind had been sharpened. Though the lesson was learned through fear, at least he had grasped the point before it was too late.

You An disregarded the commotion in the exhibition hall and saw his sister, Haiman, standing on her tiptoes, curiously peering forward about five to six meters away. He felt a pang of disdain, and a sense of superiority rose within him. He was no longer like his peers.

Just as he was about to shift his gaze out of boredom, You An heard a wheezing sound beside him. It sounded more like a beast than a human!

He whipped his head around.

Several visitors in the crowd were clutching their faces, trembling and shaking. The tremors grew more intense until tufts of bristly fur began squeezing out between their fingers.

The fur was the color of fresh blood.