Chapter 378: The Path Narrows

Xun Ancai’s expression was slightly strained, though it was difficult to discern in the darkness.

In her heart, she believed she should care for her own man. However, as the clan chief, she couldn’t use the Dog Clan’s resources to support him. After careful consideration, Xu Sanyan’s proposal seemed reasonable.

“…Alright,” Xun Ancai finally relented to reality.

Xu Sanyan smiled faintly. This exchange of benefits was far more reliable than relying on emotional bonds. He could obtain returns dozens, even hundreds of times greater than his investment, without incurring significant costs.

To him, the items he offered—magic artifacts and food—were practically worthless, far less valuable than the blessing he would receive.

“Let’s go,” Xu Sanyan said, rising and stroking Xun Ancai’s hair. “Let’s go give the blessing.”

Xun Ancai nodded and stood up. She turned her back to Xu Sanyan, hesitated briefly, as if weighing something, then positioned herself to block his view.

Working quickly out of his sight, she manipulated something near the corner of the wall. A crack suddenly appeared, and she swiftly retrieved several items, tucking them into her robes—likely the Earth Vein Stone and Divine Blood required for the blessing.

Xu Sanyan lowered his gaze, sighing inwardly.

Ancai, Ancai, your path is growing narrower by the day…

The pair arrived at Heroic Soul Mountain. The Dog God statue loomed indistinctly in the darkness. Xu Sanyan squinted, scrutinizing it closely, and noticed a faint glow emanating from the statue’s pupils.

Xun Ancai retrieved the Divine Blood and poured it over the statue’s head. A pungent, metallic stench filled the air. She then pressed her palms together, knelt, and activated the Earth Vein Stone. A dim light shot directly from the stone toward the statue.

Rather than the Earth Vein Stone’s energy flowing into the statue, it seemed the statue was absorbing the stone’s power.

However, Xun Ancai was guiding this energy. As it passed through the statue, some property within it was altered, making it absorbable by ordinary humans.

Suddenly, the statue’s eyes blazed with an intense, fluorescent light. The Divine Blood slowly seeped into the stone, tinging the platinum glow with a faint crimson hue.

The piercing light from the statue’s eyes struck Xu Sanyan, and the heart-wrenching pain surged through him once more.

“Ahhh!”

This time, the pain was far more intense than before, likely due to the Divine Blood. He felt a peculiar force clinging to his flesh, causing even his internal organs to undergo transformation.

“Hah… hah…”

Xu Sanyan strained his neck, veins bulging with blood. His once handsome face twisted into a grotesque grimace.

Xu Sanyan clawed at the ground with all ten fingers, mindlessly grabbing handfuls of sand and soil as he desperately fought to stay conscious.

His mind could no longer hold any other thoughts, only the grim determination to maintain the last shred of clarity.

Xun Ancai watched this scene with a pang of pity, yet she knew there was nothing she could do. This was an inevitable part of the blessing ritual, the same for everyone.

“Hah…”

A final, hoarse gasp escaped his throat as Xu Sanyan collapsed completely, his bare skin still twitching, as if the flesh beneath were convulsing.

Xun Ancai rose, hoisted him onto her back, and strode down the mountain.

As she carried him, Xun Ancai glanced at the unconscious Xu Sanyan several times, her expression shifting from conflict to resolve. Finally, she took a deep breath, shook her head, and pushed the thoughts aside.

She had already guessed that Xu Sanyan was likely responsible for the deaths of the clan elders. The thought had even crossed her mind to kill him while he was vulnerable, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Sentimentality was her greatest weakness. Had she been one of the previous clan chiefs, they would have executed Xu Sanyan without hesitation.

“Sigh…”

With Xun Ancai’s sigh, the sharp spikes that had materialized in the void slowly dissipated.

Inside the mountain cave,

Xu Sanyan opened his eyes. The searing pain coursing through his body served as a constant reminder that he was still alive.

Now, he could barely move a finger, relying solely on his physical constitution for slow recovery.

Normally, it would take seven or eight days to fully recover, but he wouldn’t need that long. Once he returned to the outside world and regained his spiritual power, he could use it to nourish his body and restore himself in moments.

Unable to distinguish day from night, he estimated that the time was nearly up. He would stay for three days again.

Woof!

The six-headed dog lay before him, its heads stretching forward. Seeing him awake, it nuzzled closer and licked his face.

Xu Sanyan had learned his lesson this time and kept his mouth shut, the memory of their last tongue kiss still vivid in his mind.

Before long, Xun Ancai returned and started a fire to roast meat. “Half the long night has passed, and our food is running low. If nothing goes wrong, we should just barely make it.”

Xu Sanyan glanced at her, understanding her unspoken request: she wanted him to find more food.

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do. You know how precious food is, so I can only promise to try my best.”

“Hmm…”

Xun Ancai lowered her head, staring at the fire with a nasal hum.

Unaware of the situation outside, she didn’t doubt Xu Sanyan’s words. In her world, food was indeed precious—more valuable than weapons.

Suddenly, Xun Ancai whispered, “They’ve found us.”

Xu Sanyan was taken aback at first, then quickly realized that by “them,” she must mean the five clan elders. He asked with concern,

“It’s good they were found. They’re not dead, are they?”

“They’re dead. We only found some bones, and it looks like they were killed by wild beasts.”

Xun Ancai had examined the remains earlier. Even piecing together all five sets of bones wouldn’t form a complete skeleton. The bones were shattered by animal bites, and the elders were identified only by fragments of torn animal hides and lingering scents.

“Dead?” Xu Sanyan asked in surprise. “All five of them?”

Xun Ancai frowned slightly, a seed of doubt taking root in her mind. Could he not have been the one who killed them?

She currently only suspected Xu Sanyan, lacking any concrete evidence. She knew his methods were strange but limited; he could only use them two or three times each visit before collapsing into unconsciousness.

She had witnessed this firsthand during the ambush on the Snake Clan. After using his abilities twice, Xu Sanyan had been too weak to even stand.

Yet this time, there were five victims. How could he have managed it?

In Xun Ancai’s understanding, the concept of breaking through one’s cultivation level didn’t exist, making it impossible for her to consider that possibility.

“Mm,” Xun Ancai replied, unwilling to elaborate further as she silently continued roasting the meat.

Xu Sanyan could sense a growing distance between them after that night. Her love for him no longer burned with its former intensity.

Xun Shitou’s death had torn a rift in Anmei’s silken fabric, and each time she recalled it, the tear widened.

“Once the long night passes, I plan to choose my successor,” Xun Ancai said, handing him a piece of meat.

Xu Sanyan took it, sniffed it, and detected a slightly odd smell. He lacked the courage to take a bite and casually set it aside.

“Who are you considering?”

“Xun Ye.”

Xu Sanyan shook his head, unfamiliar with the name.

“The son of the previous clan chief,” Xun Ancai explained.

Xun Baicao’s son?

He’d have to meet him sometime. Perhaps they could become good friends.

(End of the Chapter)