I Contracted Myself

For the next few days, Zhang Ping spent his days at Iron Soul learning about mining from Qiu Qiang, and his early nights at the Beast King Boxing School practicing boxing with Wang Jieming.

In the late hours, he donned a black trench coat he had bought, shrouded himself in Nether Mist, and wandered the streets of Mingzhu City. Drunkards and vagrants who encountered him by chance always provided him with a good dose of fear.

He didn't intentionally scare people; he was searching for traitors hidden in Mingzhu City.

The Sweep Team had the entire city under surveillance, yet they hadn't detected anything unusual, which in itself was the biggest anomaly.

Zhang Ping was certain that if the descendants of the Zhu Family of Beast Tamers were plotting something, now would be the best opportunity.

With the Tianchang Fox stationed at the City Lord's mansion, Situ Shibai wouldn't dare to act rashly. However, the Tianchang Fox was also being countered by the Sweep Team, rendering it effectively blind.

The Zhu Family of Beast Tamers only needed to evade the Sweep Team's surveillance, and whatever they planned would go unnoticed.

Zhang Ping didn't know how these people managed to avoid detection, nor did he know their objectives, but he was determined to find them and teach them a harsh lesson.

Midnight.

The autumn wind was a bit chilly.

Under the pale moonlight, Zhang Ping was shrouded in Nether Mist, his face transforming into the ever-changing Face of Death, a terrifying and gruesome sight.

However, he couldn't see his own face, so he didn't find it scary.

"Hey, wake up."

He patrolled the streets and saw an adventurer passed out on the roadside. He walked over and patted the person's shoulder, his voice becoming ethereal and hollow through the mist.

The drunkard, after being patted a few times, opened his eyes with a frown. Before he could start cursing, he saw Zhang Ping's face, his eyes bulged, and the next moment he fainted.

The quality of fear was quite good!

Zhang Ping, satisfied, picked up the drunkard and placed him in a safer spot.

Although Mingzhu City had the Sweep Team for protection, no one could guarantee that a Mutated Beast wouldn't sneak into the city. After all, he had previously encountered an Armored Poison Tail Rat in a small park.

A dead-drunk person, no matter how strong when sober, was no different from an ordinary person when unconscious.

Even the weakest Mutated Beast would pose a significant danger.

After settling the drunkard, Zhang Ping continued his night patrol of Mingzhu City.

...

Within Mingzhu City, the roads crisscrossed in all directions.

Due to irregular construction, many buildings were erected by Awakeners themselves, defying architectural principles. Yet, these buildings not only stood firm but had also endured for centuries, unaffected by earthquakes or floods.

These peculiar buildings divided many roads in Mingzhu City, creating a maze-like layout.

Anyone unfamiliar with Mingzhu City could easily get lost in these areas.

At this moment, three men wearing copper rings and carrying green lanterns emerged from a house, silently weaving through the alleys until they reached a mansion.

"Are you sure the person is inside?" one of the men asked.

This man, nearing forty, had an unremarkable appearance, except for his crimson eyes.

"Master, although Chen Xueli hid her well, today is her 14th birthday. I can guarantee with my life that she is inside today," his subordinate affirmed.

The man nodded. "Prepare to act. Place the Dragon Suppression Stones. Go!"

His two subordinates quickly dispersed, setting up around the mansion.

Not far away, Zhang Ping, who happened to be patrolling the area, leaned against a wall, silently observing the three men.

Once they dispersed, he quietly activated his Appraisal Skill, but it failed repeatedly. Determining that he couldn't appraise them, he retrieved the badge Situ Shibai had given him from the Golden Treasury.

This badge could only contact Situ Shibai and Liu Sishan.

"Sister Sisi, I'm at No. 13 Tianhuo Road. I found three suspicious people who seem to be plotting against someone in a mansion," Zhang Ping contacted Liu Sishan instead of Situ Shibai.

Outside the city, Liu Sishan, surrounded by a dense flow of water whips, was slaughtering Mutated Bats in the air. Holding the badge, she calmly said, "Got it. I'll ask Man Ni. Hold on."

She then contacted Man Ni to inquire about the surveillance on Tianhuo Road.

"Sister Sisi, there's nothing unusual on Tianhuo Road. We haven't detected anyone," Man Ni quickly replied.

Both she and Chen Luowei had checked, and theoretically, nothing within the Illusory Light Sky should escape their notice. But this time was peculiar; not only did they fail to find the people Zhang Ping mentioned, but they also couldn't detect Zhang Ping himself.

Liu Sishan immediately sensed something was wrong.

She cut off contact with Man Ni and reconnected with Zhang Ping, saying, "Don't act rashly. Wait for me."

After speaking, she ended the communication and looked up at the Mutated Bats flying all over the sky.

...

Zhang Ping put away the badge and continued observing the three men not far away.

The three wore identical headbands, which seemed to be some special equipment, though he didn't know their abilities.

The green lanterns they carried were also suspicious. He guessed one of these items was used to deceive the heavens and cross the sea, evading the Sweep Team's surveillance, and the other to resist the Appraisal Skill.

After some thought, Zhang Ping transformed his body into a Pure Water Body and then into a snake.

Under the cover of Nether Mist, he resembled a large black python.

He quickly climbed onto a building and reverted to human form on the roof, looking down at the mansion.

The mansion's walls were about three meters high, and the interior was a blur, obscured from view. But after about fifteen minutes, the scene suddenly cleared, revealing a courtyard with a pond.

The courtyard was filled with well-tended flowers and plants.

"So that's it. The stones they placed can break the mansion's barrier."

After observing, Zhang Ping's gaze fell on the stones placed outside the walls. He decided to use his Appraisal Skill.

After three failed attempts, he succeeded.

[Dragon Suppression Stone (East): When four Dragon Suppression Stones are placed in corresponding positions, they form a Dragon Suppression Barrier, capable of covering most barriers.]

The next moment, Zhang Ping saw the process of making the Dragon Suppression Stones.

A rotating millstone.

The screams of Awakeners.

Drops of blood falling, passing through a funnel-shaped special equipment, turning into black liquid.

The black liquid was then integrated into the Dragon Suppression Stones using another special equipment resembling a Holy Mother's Tear Candelabrum. The eyes of the black dragon on the stone gradually lit up, turning blood-red...

After watching, Zhang Ping's face darkened.

As expected, the manufacturing process of most special equipment and items was extremely evil, bloody, and inhumane.

Zhang Ping took a deep breath, his eyes growing resolute.

In this world, besides eliminating all the Tianchang Foxes, he now had another goal.

He absolutely couldn't let the Zhu Family of Beast Tamers rise again!

...

Ahead.

After setting up the anti-barrier, the three men stopped beneath the wall.

The leader took out three potions, handed two to his subordinates, and after drinking them, they immediately climbed over the wall into the mansion.

The owner of this house was very powerful.

Even though the person was resting, the three could still feel the overwhelming aura like a coiled dragon.

Chen Xueli, the son of Old Scholar Chen, a top-level Awakener at 55 and the head of Hanhai Academy, was resting in this mansion.

Their target was Chen Xueli's granddaughter, Chen Junting!

They didn't intend to use Chen Junting to threaten Chen Xueli; rather, Chen Junting was also an Awakener, and her awakened ability was crucial to their plan, perhaps even the most critical part.

Based on Chen Xueli's bedroom location, they quickly deduced the location of the women's quarters.

They cautiously approached the women's quarters, and one of them used telekinesis to open the door.

"Not her."

The red-eyed man glanced at the middle-aged woman inside and shook his head.

They checked room by room, and Zhang Ping, from afar, could tell they were looking for someone.

But Zhang Ping didn't know who they were looking for, so he patiently observed. Only by identifying their target could he deduce their purpose.

These remnants of the Beast Tamer family were undoubtedly brewing some grand conspiracy, and he couldn't let them succeed!

Outside the city, Liu Sishan finally finished off all the Mutated Bats. Her body was enveloped in pure water, and she quickly moved towards the city.

Her movements were soon detected by hidden figures, and several black-clothed persons swiftly retreated into the shadows, sending a warning to the three men in the Chen family's mansion.

The red-eyed man received the alert, was momentarily stunned, then looked around but didn't spot Zhang Ping.

"Master, what's wrong?" his subordinate asked softly.

The red-eyed man whispered, "We've been discovered. Ten more seconds. If we don't find her, we'll abort the mission."

They sped up their actions, and when one room's window was opened with telekinesis, the red-eyed man's eyes lit up. "It's her. Take her and prepare to retreat."

The telekinetic subordinate immediately lifted the girl from the room and carried her outside. Another subordinate lightly tapped her temple, causing her to go limp, clearly unconscious.

The three men, carrying the girl, climbed over the wall and fled westward, opposite to Liu Sishan's direction.

"Damn, they're escaping."

Zhang Ping immediately followed and used his Appraisal Skill on the unconscious girl.

Moments later, the appraisal succeeded.

[Appraisal Successful]

[Name: Chen Junting]

[Race: Human]

[Faction: Hanhai Academy]

[Potential: ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆]

[Lifespan: 120]

[Rank: Intermediate Awakener]

[Level: 13]

[Talent]

[Holy Mother's Blood: The blood in her body has the power to convert all life. Those who drink the holy blood will be unable to use their abilities and will suffer continuous misfortune.]

[Advanced Skills]

[Intermediate - Holy Mother's Aura: Activates the Holy Mother's power in her blood, forming a halo of holy light behind her. Affinity will greatly increase, and all living beings have a chance to be converted, becoming your fervent followers.]

...

This girl's potential was the highest he had seen so far.

But potential was just potential. Until it translated into actual power, it didn't mean much.

Her ability was unique, but...

After reading the appraisal results, Zhang Ping frowned. He couldn't figure out the purpose of these three men.

If they intended to use Chen Junting's ability, the problem was that Chen Junting was only an Intermediate Awakener. Her ability could at most affect Awakeners below the intermediate level. What use was that?

Wait!

Zhang Ping suddenly realized that his understanding of the Holy Mother and the Holy Mother in this world might not be the same.

Holy Mother's Blood...

Could it be that Chen Junting's bloodline truly came from an ancestral Holy Mother?

Could it be that, like the Nether Mist, Chen Junting's ability also possessed power beyond its rank?