"Exclusive Blood Servant".

These four words, like a brand, accompanied Xie Chen's cold and possessive declaration, were deeply etched into Su Nian's fate. She was no longer a sacrifice that could be discarded or executed at any time, but rather a "possession" designated by the prince himself, belonging exclusively to him. Her status seemed to have been elevated, but in reality, she had fallen into a more exquisite and inescapable cage.

The faint, sorrowful tremor emanating from the earth's primordial source was like a bucket of ice water, instantly snapping Su Nian out of her reverie about Xie Chen's unusually intense possessiveness in his darker side. She lowered her head, concealing the turbulent emotions in her eyes, and responded in as submissive a tone as possible:

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Xie Chen seemed quite satisfied with her compliance, and the brief disturbance caused by drinking the blood was quickly covered by his suppressed indifference. He released his fingertips from her wrist, but the cold touch seemed to linger.

“Derrick will arrange your new residence and duties.” He turned and walked back to the center of the observatory bathed in the crimson moonlight, his back lofty and aloof. “Remember your duty. Your blood, your existence, all belong to me.”

Soon, the old butler Derrick appeared like a shadow, still with that rigid and expressionless expression, but Su Nian keenly noticed that there was a very subtle scrutiny and... perhaps a complex feeling that was hard to understand in his gaze.

The new residence was arranged in a side hall not far from the Prince's bedroom. The room was much more spacious and luxurious than the "Sleeping Room," with a soft bed, a dressing table, and even a small study area. The windows offered a hazy view of the castle's inner courtyard. However, the doors and windows were still subject to invisible restrictions, and the area where the Prince could move around was strictly limited to a few areas.

Her "duty" was simple: maintain physical and mental health, be ready to respond to the prince's summons at any time, and provide "special" blood. In addition, she was also allowed limited use of the library under Derrick's supervision—perhaps a small convenience in "raising" Xie Chen granted after tasting the "sweetness."

Life after becoming an "exclusive blood servant" appears peaceful on the surface, but undercurrents run deeper.

Su Nian carefully played her new role. She maintained a regular schedule, ate more refined and clearly selected food than before (seemingly with a greater focus on "replenishing blood" and "calming the mind"), and moved her body within a limited range. She no longer needed to fear death at any moment like a sacrifice, but she had to constantly endure the more frequent and subtle, cold gaze coming from the direction of the throne.

Xie Chen didn't summon her often, but each time it was very sudden. Sometimes it was late at night, sometimes it was when he was slightly tired after finishing his official duties. He no longer summoned her through Derrick, but directly through a faint yet irresistible pull at the soul level—it seemed to be a one-way contract formed based on blood ties after she became a "blood servant".

Each visit took place at the same observatory or in the outer room of his palace. The process was almost identical: he sat upright, his gaze fixed on her, scrutinizing and assessing her. Su Nian repeated the first time, using her icy power to cut her wrist and dripping blood into her personal dark red goblet. She steadfastly adhered to the principle of "willing giving," striving to maintain inner "peace" and infusing that concentrated "sincere" intention into her blood.

Xie Chen's reactions became more and more subtle each time.

After he drank the blood, the initial shock and disorientation lingered, even seeming to last longer. The heavy, world-weary, and icy aura surrounding him would develop a tiny crack in the short time following the blood-drinking, as if a warm current had been injected into solid ice—unable to melt it, but causing a subtle change in its structure. His gaze towards Su Nian grew increasingly complex, the probing intent deepening, sometimes even flashing with a hint of…dependence—a dependence he himself hadn't noticed.

Su Nian could sense that he drank her blood not merely to satisfy his appetite or replenish his power, but more like... to draw upon something that could alleviate some kind of "discomfort" deep within his soul. Was it an indirect effect of the primal pain from beneath the earth? Or was there some flaw inherent in his "dark shell" itself?

Meanwhile, Su Nian did not give up her cultivation. After becoming a blood servant, perhaps due to the improved environment and careful "nurturing," or perhaps due to the feedback from the "true" blood, the speed of her soul's repair seemed to have accelerated slightly. Although the power of her Ice Soul was still growing slowly, it was much more solid than before. Her weak connection with the source of the earth had not been severed either. In the dead of night, she could occasionally feel a very faint trace of encouragement and worry coming from the painful fluctuations—that was the information that fragments of Xie Chen's true consciousness were struggling to transmit to her through the gaps in the seal.

She began experimenting. Each time she provided blood to Xie Chen's dark side, besides infusing it with the warm intention of "sincerity," she also tried to subtly mix a trace of extremely small, disguised icy chill into the blood, like pheromones. She didn't know if this could reach the underground, but it was an attempt, an attempt to establish a secret connection between two powerful figures.

That day, accompanied by Derrick with tacit approval, Su Nian returned to the library. With a clear goal in mind, she headed straight for the secluded corner where the dark gold scroll was kept. She wanted to examine the scroll more closely, hoping to find more clues about the nature of soul contracts, seals, or blood servant contracts.

However, when she walked up to that bookshelf, her heart sank.

The crystal box containing the dark gold scroll has disappeared.

There was an empty space on the top shelf, and the dust marks indicated that it had been removed some time ago.

Did Xie Chen take it? Did he really notice the scroll's unusual nature? Or was Derrick ordered to take it away?

Suppressing her unease, Su Nian calmly continued browsing the nearby bookshelves, hoping to find a replacement document. Just as she pulled out a thick tome about an ancient covenant, a folded, unusually textured black sheet of paper fluttered down from the pages.

A chill ran through her, and she quickly picked it up. The paper was cool and smooth to the touch, and on it was written a short message in an invisible ink that required specific energy to appear. She subtly activated a wisp of her Ice Soul power, and the words appeared before her eyes:

"The Blood Servant Pact is not a master-servant agreement, but rather the original intention of the soul shackles. The master absorbs 'nourishment' and will also be corrupted by its 'characteristics'. The shackles can also be a bridge, but a key is needed. The true form may be revealed at the leyline nodes when the moon is setting in the west."

There was no signature.

Su Nian's heart pounded. Who left this message? Was it from the person behind the maid who gave her the silver leaf? Or was it some hidden meaning within the library itself? This message was incredibly informative!

It explicitly states that the essence of the "Blood Servant Contract" is a soul shackle, but interestingly, it mentions that while the master (Xie Chen) is absorbing her blood (nutrients), he will also be influenced by the "qualities" in her blood (her sincerity? Ice Soul Power?)! This perfectly explains the subtle changes she observed in Xie Chen!

More importantly, it suggests that the castle's "geological nodes" may reveal their true form at "the time when the moon is setting in the west" (a specific point in time), which may be the key to understanding the seal and even finding the "key"!

The ley line node… she instantly thought of that abandoned prayer room! That was one of the nodes closest to the core of the seal!

Su Nian calmly annihilated the black paper with her Ice Soul Power, then casually flipped through the books for a while before leaving the library under Derrick's watchful gaze.

Back in her side room, her heart remained unsettled. The new information brought new hope, but also greater risks. When was "when the moon begins to set"? She needed to observe, she needed to calculate. And going to the prayer room again was far more risky than before, because her current identity was sensitive, and she was under much closer surveillance.

A few days later, late one night, Su Nian was in a light sleep when suddenly, that familiar soul-drawing feeling from Xie Chen's dark side came again, carrying a stronger sense of need than before, and even a hint of... anxiety?

She immediately got up, tidied her clothes, and followed the lead to his bedroom.

He seemed different tonight. Instead of sitting in his usual spot, he stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the eternal red moon outside. His back looked somewhat...lonely? Hearing Su Nian's footsteps, he slowly turned around.

Su Nian's heart skipped a beat. His face seemed even paler than usual, and beneath the world-weariness and indifference in his bloodshot eyes surged an overwhelming, deep weariness and...pain? Was the pain from the source beneath the earth intensifying?

He didn't say anything, he just reached out his hand to her.

Su Nian stepped forward as instructed, took out the dark red wine glass she carried with her (which was permitted), and prepared to repeat the process as before.

However, this time, just as she cut her wrist and before the blood could drip, Xie Chen suddenly reached out and grabbed her bleeding wrist!

His hands were cold and strong, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

Su Nian looked up in astonishment, meeting his eyes, which were now filled with chaotic emotions. He no longer looked at the wound on her wrist, but stared intently into her eyes, as if trying to see through her pupils to the deepest secrets of her soul.

He leaned closer, his cold breath brushing against her cheek, his voice low and hoarse, carrying a sense of near-loss of control:

"What...is in your blood? Why...can I sense it..."

He paused, seemingly unable to find the right words, his bloodshot eyes filled with confusion and a longing he himself could not understand.

"……Quiet."