Logan Barrett turned his head at the sound and saw Owen Fletcher standing by the window on the second floor, looking down.

He followed Owen Fletcher's gaze and saw that beneath the Qiwuyuan, countless earth dragons were churning and surging straight toward them. Amid the flying dust, mud, and thick fog, there was also a person stumbling after the demons, rushing forward.

Logan Barrett was stunned for a moment. “Is that Ethan Brooks? Why is he—”

Owen Fletcher said in a low voice, “Pilgrimage.”

It was said that, at night when the foul aura was at its heaviest, if a powerful person invaded, the demons on Peach Blossom Isle would uncontrollably be drawn toward the strong.

That was the demons’ irrepressible nature.

Chapter 9: Murder

Usually, before Ethan Brooks went into seclusion, he would set up some wards in Qiwuyuan to prevent anyone from accidentally intruding and disturbing him.

Ordinary disciples certainly knew the rules, but there was always the chance that a newcomer might not, not to mention the madman Aiden who wandered around Peach Blossom Isle causing chaos.

At this moment, those wards were still effective, so the demons underground were blocked in front of the small building, unable to move an inch.

When everything else stopped moving, the only one who could move became especially conspicuous.

Ethan Brooks was that “only one.”

Nearly a thousand Hua family disciples chased over, then suddenly stopped in their tracks, faces full of terror as they stared at Ethan Brooks.

“What’s going on?”

“Isn’t sir supposed to be in seclusion?!”

“Yeah!”

“Then why is he here, mixed in with the demons?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place fell silent.

Because everyone knew the answer—Ethan Brooks’s stumbling, impatient rush into the building was all too obvious.

He wasn’t mixed in with the demons; he was one of them.

Just like those buried underground, drawn by some powerful force, he had run all night across Peach Blossom Isle.

The Hua family disciples never expected this outcome and froze in place, at a loss for what to do.

Only one person lost his footing and tumbled out of the crowd.

“Careful—”

Amid cries of alarm, that person fell into the churning mud among the demons. He screamed madly, rolling and crawling in an attempt to escape.

It was none other than the madman Aiden.

“Aiden!”

“Aiden, come back—”

The disciples in front were about to pull him back, but saw Ethan Brooks suddenly turn his head.

His body didn’t move, but his neck twisted in a way no living person could manage.

“Aiden...”

“Aiden ah...”

Ethan Brooks called out twice in a sighing tone, then his fingers suddenly curled—

Aiden, who was crawling on the ground, seemed to be grabbed by an invisible force and was instantly dragged in front of Ethan Brooks.

Ethan Brooks clamped his hand around his neck and dragged him into the house.

“Aiden!!”

“Sir—”

The disciples all raised their swords, the sword intent of nearly a thousand people surging like a violent wind, but none of them struck.

Some of them were taught by Ethan Brooks, some had been healed by him. Even if neither, they had at least drunk the body-strengthening and energy-nourishing soup he concocted.

Even though at this moment their teacher was neither human nor ghost, they couldn’t bring themselves to attack.

But if they didn’t, Aiden was finished!

Because demons were always hungry, and when hungry, they ate. They fed on the flesh and souls of the living.

And Ethan Brooks had been in seclusion for days—he was already starving.

***

Aiden kicked and punched, struggling constantly.

He was gripped by the neck, unable to make a sound, only a hoarse “heh heh” coming from his throat.

The sword energy on his body flew wildly, striking all over the room, instantly leaving the place in shambles.

Ethan Brooks was slashed by the sword energy in many places, blood oozing out, but he seemed completely unaware. He just lifted Aiden up and leaned in to sniff the scent of a living person.

Purple-blue veins bulged on the back of his hand, making his skin look as thin as a membrane.

“Heh...heh...” Aiden’s neck turned red and purple, his eyes struggling to focus as he stared hard at Ethan Brooks.

Ethan Brooks’s expression was numb, letting him look, while his other hand pressed down on Aiden’s head.

In the next instant, Aiden suddenly went rigid, his whole body trembling violently.

That was the reaction of spirit and flesh being drawn out bit by bit. Even though he was a madman, he could clearly feel the terror.

He finally let out a hoarse cry, clutching Ethan Brooks’s hand.

Amid overwhelming fear, he finally squeezed out a word: “Shi—”

Ethan Brooks froze.

He heard that word, and his fingers twitched twice.

As if some remnant consciousness was trying to push aside the demon’s instincts.

But there was too little left.

He struggled a few times, opened his mouth, but before he could say “Yao,” his fingers had already tightened.

“Ahhh—”

Aiden screamed in agony.

Suddenly!

The whole room flashed with a blinding light, making Ethan Brooks shrink back.

In the next moment, a giant sword’s phantom shot straight down from the second floor, crashing down fiercely and stabbing into the ground in front of Ethan Brooks.

Ethan Brooks abruptly let go!

He was knocked aside by the chilling sword intent, slammed hard into a wooden pillar, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

When he looked up again, Owen Fletcher and Logan Barrett were already in front of him.

Aiden lay on the ground, coughing violently.

He tried to run but his limbs were weak. After struggling for a moment, he simply rolled over, collapsed on the ground, and gasped for breath.

“Will this little madman survive?” Logan Barrett bent down to check Aiden’s breathing.