Ma Lihua led the woman to the guest room, then turned and left; she had no interest in spending time with her.

After Shangguan Wenyan finished preparing the meal, he invited Ma Lihua and the others to eat, and then went to his guest room alone.

"Young Master, my father has collected all the death energy, and we are just waiting for you to check it," the woman said cautiously.

"Xingyue, I want you to put the death energy into that sinkhole in Kyoto. Go back and tell Xingtu to release it in three days." Shangguan Wenyan's face revealed a sinister expression, making Xingyue tremble involuntarily.

"Yes, I understand."

"Then you can go."

Xingyue: "…………………………"

Since she's already here, why not invite her to have a meal? And didn't you see how beautifully she's dressed today?

There was no other way; the young master ordered us to leave, so we had to go.

"Roar roar roar..."

A roar caught her attention, but she didn't investigate and left the mountains early.

Tiezhu (a panda, also known as the iron-eating beast that eats meat) looked at the woman who wasn't fooled and was bored. The duck that was about to be eaten had flown away. Looking at the chimney emitting blue smoke, he looked worried. When will this end?

When Shangguan Wenyan returned, she found that the food had not been touched. She looked up at Ma Linghua and Ma Hehua in surprise.

“What are you looking at? It’s the New Year, we know how to be polite. You didn’t even come, how can we eat first? No matter what, you’ve done a lot, right?” Ma Hehua said it very clearly.

Shangguan Wenyan's lips twitched, and he sneered inwardly. Etiquette? Are you sure you have that kind of thing?

He was too embarrassed to say it, but out of respect for Lihua, he didn't want to make a scene.

This was a rare New Year's meal for the four of them. Shangguan Wenyan ate very slowly, only eating half a bowl before stopping. They were all used to it; this man was really easy to please!

After finishing their meal, the group decided to do something, but after glancing at each other, they decided against it. They simply took out their phones, lay back in their chairs, scrolled through their phones, ate snacks, and cracked sunflower seeds. Life couldn't be better.

Shangguan Wenyan quietly closed the door and walked alone into the depths of the Ailao Mountains.

Under the cover of night, the Ailao Mountains resemble a sleeping behemoth, exuding a chilling aura.

The surrounding silence was suffocating, as if the whole world had fallen into an endless slumber, broken only by the occasional cry of an owl.

Stepping into this pitch-black world, where you can't see your hand in front of your face, the thick darkness swallows everything like ink.

Even the moonlight seemed to shy away from this dense forest, reluctant to cast a single ray of light.

In the forest, the tall trees stand like silent giants, their branches and leaves intertwined to form a complex web.

A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, creating an eerie whispering sound, as if they were telling untold secrets.

With each step Shangguan Wenyan took, the withered branches and fallen leaves beneath his feet emitted a chilling cracking sound, exceptionally clear in the silence, as if they were groaning in pain.

In the darkness, the twisted tree trunks seemed ready to come alive at any moment, stretching out their menacing branches to tightly entangle people.

Unidentified small animals darted through the grass, making rustling sounds that made one's heart race, unsure what might suddenly leap out at any moment.

Occasionally, a wisp of mist rises from the ground, slowly spreading through the forest, adding a touch of mystery to this eerie woodland.

In the hazy light, the faint shadows of the trees seemed like ghosts hidden in the darkness.

In the deep darkness of the night, the eerie silence of the Ailao Mountains is like an invisible net, tightly binding people's hearts and making them feel endless loneliness and fear.

It's as if once you're trapped in it, you can never find a way out and will be swallowed up by this darkness forever.

Shangguan Wenyan walked step by step into the endless depths of darkness, the thick darkness seeming to engulf him entirely. There was not a single ray of light here; the darkness was so oppressive and terrifying.

He slowly took off his clothes, one piece after another, until his bare upper body was exposed to the cold darkness.

At that moment, a chilling sight appeared: black scales began to sprout from his back, arms, waist, and even neck.

The scales shimmered with an eerie light, like the marks of a demon.

Each piece seemed to possess its own life, slowly growing and spreading. Shangguan Wenyan's body began to twist, as if an evil force was controlling him.

His back gradually bulged, forming jagged ridges, as if something terrifying was about to grow out of it.

The scales on his arms became increasingly dense, making a teeth-grinding sound when they rubbed against each other.

The scales on his waist clung tightly to his skin like snakeskin, exuding a cold aura.

The most terrifying feature was the scales around his neck, which encircled his throat as if they could tighten at any moment, suffocating him to death.

Shangguan Wenyan's face was also contorted with pain, and his eyes revealed a look of suppressed suffering.

In the darkness, these black scales seemed to absorb the surrounding dark energy, making them appear even more sinister and terrifying.

Shangguan Wenyan lay on the withered leaves, feeling the changes in himself, but he found that his body was completely out of his control.

As the scales continued to grow, he could feel a powerful force surging within him, a force filled with evil and rage.

His breathing became rapid and heavy, and his heartbeat was exceptionally clear in the silent darkness, like the drumbeat of a demon, striking a rhythm of fear.

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