Bang!
With a muffled thud, crimson instantly splattered the entire rockery secret chamber.
Countless blood rains fell from the sky, accompanied by bits of shredded flesh and bone.
A foul stench filled the entire secret chamber.
Yun Ze still stood in place, breathing deeply despite the acrid stench in the air.
That one move had almost drained all the profound energy within him.
The vortex of energy within his body was now spinning rapidly, frantically absorbing the profound energy from the air to replenish the previous loss.
As for He Laichao…
He was already as dead as he could possibly be!
Yun Ze had wanted to ask him some questions, but there was no one left to answer them.
There was no other way.
If he had delayed for even another second, that child would have been swallowed by He Laichao.
With its gaping maw, the child would have been torn to shreds in less than a second.
Between a living life and a question with a ready answer, Yun Ze chose the former.
"Hoo…"
Yun Ze exhaled a long breath, looked at the surviving children around him, and sighed again: "Alas."
From the moment he began fighting He Laichao, these children had not screamed or cried out, nor had they even moved from their positions. They were clearly in shock.
Now that He Laichao was dead, they still showed no reaction. Perhaps this was how they would remain for the rest of their lives.
These were all children the He family had found from mountain villages.
Some were bought, others were kidnapped.
In the current era, even if they were returned to their parents, they would likely be sold again, or worse, become victims of cannibalism, especially the girls.
Who knew how many would be sent to the flower boats on Wanqing Lake.
Only a very small number of children would return to their parents' embrace, but if they remained in this state, what kind of life could they have upon returning?
"Immortal Yun!"
Just as Yun Ze was contemplating, the waiter approached, a smile he could not conceal on his face: "He's dead! He Laichao is dead, right!"
"...Right."
Yun Ze replied, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. "Take these children out first, clean them up, and settle them properly. I still have some matters to attend to."
With that, he looked at the steward who was about to flee from the entrance of the secret chamber and casually manipulated a stream of blood to intercept him.
"Where is the steward going?"
"Immortal... Immortal master."
The steward quickly turned around, a wry smile creasing his wrinkled face. "You see, you were looking for Young Master He, and I've found him for you. As for what happens next..."
"He Laichao is dead, so what happens next is naturally for you to handle."
Yun Ze said, then strode forward several steps, quickly reaching the steward!
The moment the smell of blood on Yun Ze's body entered his nostrils and throat, the steward immediately knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing. "Immortal master! Please spare my life! This was all the idea of that beast He Laichao!
I, I was merely threatened. If I didn't comply, my entire family would have perished!"
"Don't be nervous. I just have a few questions for you."
Yun Ze placed his hand on the steward's shoulder and squeezed his shoulder with force.
Thinking that this was the person who had grabbed Young Master He and crushed him, the steward's knees went weak again, and he collapsed to the ground.
This was exactly the effect Yun Ze wanted. He turned to the waiter and said, "You take them out first."
"Alright!"
The waiter responded, quickly untying the children and sending them out one by one.
To say he sent them out was merely a gesture, a wave of his hand, and then telling them they could leave.
The children walked out with vacant eyes, not even reacting as they passed by Yun Ze, who was covered in blood.
They were like walking corpses.
Who knew what He Laichao had done to make them like this!
The waiter hurried forward and was about to speak to Yun Ze when he was interrupted.
"You go out and watch them for now. We'll talk about the rest after I come out."
"Okay!"
After the waiter had also circled out of the rockery, Yun Ze squatted in front of the steward, wiped away some of the bloodstains on his face, and then asked, "You know I came from Hanshan Village. Do you know where my parents are?"
"Your... your parents?"
"The Yun family of Hanshan Village, who were escorts."
"Oh! I know! I know... No! I don't know!"
The steward had started to say he knew, but then changed his mind, clearly hiding something.
Yun Ze's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing more. He merely manipulated the blood within the steward's body through the skin.
After the battle just now, his connection to the Immortal Jade seemed to have become even closer.
Now, he didn't need to touch the liquid; even through a layer of skin, he could still control the blood within someone's body.
The steward's heart trembled, vaguely guessing something. He quickly knelt and kowtowed. "Immortal master! Immortal master, spare my life! It's not that I'm unwilling to speak, but... but... another immortal master has placed a death curse on me. If I speak, I will surely die!"
"Another immortal master?"
A figure flashed in Yun Ze's mind, and he inwardly felt a sense of dread.
How did this involve another immortal master?
That was right, when He Laichao wanted to seize the Immortal Jade, hadn't he listened to that immortal master?
Given the current situation, this steward didn't seem to be lying. Could it be... his parents were still alive!
Even if there was only a sliver of a chance, Yun Ze was unwilling to consider the worst-case scenario.
What if! What if!
"Yes!"
The steward felt his blood flow return to normal and quickly raised his head to continue. "When that immortal master learned of the Immortal Jade's location, he brought your father and mother into this secret chamber. I was the one who personally brought them in, but I dare not, and cannot, say what specifically happened.
I can only tell you that your parents are still in that immortal master's hands. As for whether they are alive or dead... hmm."
At this point, the steward slowly shook his head, not daring to say any more.
Yun Ze frowned at this, silently observing the steward's expression.
He couldn't be sure if this fellow was telling the truth, or perhaps... this was just a stratagem to pit him against another enemy.
"Kid, you did well."
Just as Yun Ze was contemplating, a voice came from behind him.
Yun Ze turned his head and saw the old beggar and Bu Bu simultaneously appear outside the secret chamber. "Senior? Bu Bu! How did you..."
The old beggar walked into the secret chamber, looking around. His gaze swept over the children. "How should I put it? You're quite lucky, kid. If it weren't for the might of the Immortal Jade, you'd be the one splattered on the ground right now."
Yun Ze didn't respond to the old beggar's words. Instead, he stood in front of Bu Bu, trying his best to shield her from the bloody scene. "Bu Bu, why don't you go out for a bit? We'll be out in a moment, okay?"
"What? Getting shy now? Killing isn't like defecating or urinating, something others can't bear to see. What's there to avoid?"
The old beggar said, then came to Yun Ze's side and placed his hand on the steward's head. "Kid, you want answers, don't you?
Come, come, old man will help you!"
As soon as he spoke, a wisp of something ethereal was drawn out from the steward's head.
That was... a soul?!