How foul, such a strong scent of blood!

Xiao Mu frowned, his gaze landing on the Spirit Iron in He Jianchang's hands, looking at the thumbprint left on the Spirit Iron stained with blood.

Within the bloodstain of the thumbprint, Xiao Mu detected an intense smell of blood, accompanied by an ancient and decayed scent, giving him the feeling that the blood had been there for thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of years. The age of the bloodstain was so ancient that it exuded a pungent odor along with the reek of blood.

Zhu Bingshen, who was not born into the practice of Taoist Law, obviously did not notice anything unusual about the bloodstain left on the Spirit Iron. After taking a closer look at the thumbprint on the Spirit Iron, he looked towards He Jianchang, "Well, it seems your father truly has become a Mutated Being."

"But his mental derangement may just be a coincidence. Don't overthink it, this has nothing to do with becoming a Mutated Being. Becoming a Mutated Being is very safe. Hmm, bury your father well, and if you need any help, talk to Xu Yi, the Alliance will try its best to assist you."

"Thank you, Elder Zhu, thank you!"

He Jianchang was somewhat frightened, apologizing to Zhu Bingshen with unease.

"Xiao Xu, take Xiao He back, and by the way, call Yuan Wei over and ask him to construct a Temple and Sculpted Image for Elder Wu De." Zhu Bingshen waved his hand, instructing Xu Yi to take He Jianchang back home.

"Yes, Elder Zhu."

Xu Yi bowed slightly and then called out to He Jianchang, "Xiao He, come with me, I'll take you home."

"No need, I can walk by myself, I wouldn't dare to trouble Mr. Xu."

He Jianchang responded in a panic, though Xu Yi only had the strength of the Fourth Stage of Mortal Realm, he held a considerably high status in the eyes of ordinary people, and He Jianchang did not dare to inconvenience him.

At that moment, Xiao Mu suddenly said, "Elder Zhu, how about I take Mr. Xiao He back instead?"

"Xiao Xiao, you want to take Xiao He back?"

Zhu Bingshen looked at Xiao Mu in surprise, a hint of puzzlement in his expression as if he couldn't figure out why Xiao Mu would offer to take He Jianchang back home.

Zhu Bingshen did not want to refuse Xiao Mu, and since Xiao Mu's suggestion did not cause him any trouble, he smiled and said, "Since Xiao Xiao, you have offered to take Xiao He back, then please do so, I have no objections. Xiao Xu, go and invite Yuan Wei, and have him explain the situation regarding the construction of Elder Wu De's Temple."

"Yes, Elder Zhu."

Xu Yi agreed and looked at Xiao Mu with a strange face before turning to call Yuan Wei. He and Zhu Bingshen, like Zhu Bingshen, could not guess why Xiao Mu wanted to take He Jianchang back home, but he did not care to ask.

"Mr. He, please go ahead!"

Xiao Mu gestured to He Jianchang, signaling him to proceed.

"I apologize, I am not worthy!"

He Jianchang responded to Xiao Mu in a flustered and restrained manner, walking ahead and leading the way, "Mr. Xiao, please follow me!"

As the two of them left the scene, a designated driver pulled up in a car in front of them and stopped. Xiao Mu opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, then turned back to call to He Jianchang, "Mr. He, please get in the car, I would like to see your father's body."

"Okay, Mr. Xiao, I'll take you there." He Jianchang, the honest man, had no idea why Xiao Mu wanted to see his father's body but did not dare to refuse. In fact, he did not want to refuse.

In his view, there was something suspicious about the death of his father, He Qingjun, and he would welcome the presence of a strong member of the Alliance at his home.

After He Jianchang got in the car, the driver started it and headed straight for the He Family home, which took about an hour and a half to reach.

A faint sound of women and children crying came from the secluded He Family courtyard.

"That's my mother, and my wife, and my child. They are all very sad because my father passed away suddenly," He Jianchang explained to Xiao Mu, pain evident between his brows.

After the World Mutation, the world became larger, making visits to relatives and friends difficult. He Qingjun passed away last night, and it was impossible for his friends and relatives to arrive in such a short time.

Xiao Mu nodded slightly, sniffing lightly. The thick ancient decayed scent in the air seemed to grow stronger, even more so than on the Spirit Iron in He Jianchang's hands.

"Mr. Xiao, please come in!"

He Jianchang opened the door and invited Xiao Mu inside.

Xiao Mu entered the He home, first looking around the courtyard.

The He's courtyard was not small, about two to three hundred square meters, planted with more than a dozen trees, among which, surprisingly, were three that had mutated afterward.

At the moment, however, the courtyard was clearly damaged. Not only were there several large pits, but more than half of the trees had also been toppled over.

"That was done after my father became mentally deranged," He Jianchang explained with a wry smile as Xiao Mu noticed the courtyard.

Xiao Mu nodded without saying anything, and He Jianchang led him to the living room, which is also known as the main hall.

In the center of the main hall was a black Coffin.

Below in the main hall, on both sides of the coffin, two women in white linen clothes were kneeling on the ground with two children, intermittently weeping softly.

He Jianchang walked over and said something softly to the two women.

Those two women then stopped crying, immediately stood up, turned their heads to look at Xiao Mu, and followed by nodding in greeting to him before exiting the hall with the children.

"Mr. Xiao, I'm not sure what you want to look at, but please feel free to do so."

Once the two women left, He Jianchang returned to Xiao Mu's side, his demeanor and tone of voice very respectful.

"May I open the coffin to take a look?"

Xiao Mu asked He Jianchang politely.

"It's all right, Mr. Xiao, please take a look!"

He Jianchang agreed without any hesitation.

"Sorry to trouble you."

Xiao Mu nodded apologetically to He Jianchang and strode to the side of the coffin, pressed down on the lid with both hands, and then gently pushed it.

The black coffin was pushed open by Xiao Mu, and a pungent, fishy, ancient smell of decay emanated immediately from the coffin, at least a hundred times stronger than the scent Xiao Mu had smelled at the door.

However, as Xiao Mu lowered his head to look inside the coffin, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

The coffin was empty. The bottom had been stained a disturbing shade of black and red by blood, which seemed to be so corrosive that it had completely eaten through the wooden base of the coffin, leaving a large hole.

"How... How could this be? Where is my father?"

He Jianchang leaned in to look inside the coffin and immediately became petrified.

He stared at the coffin, eyes wide and disbelieving as if he couldn't accept the reality before him.

But immediately after, he let out a loud cry and threw himself towards the coffin.

"Mr. He, don't be impulsive, the blood is corrosive, and it will harm you."

Xiao Mu stopped He Jianchang and, with one hand, lifted the side of the black coffin and moved it to one side.

Beneath the coffin, the black and red blood had further corroded the cement floor, seeping through and entering the ground below.

"How... How could this be? What happened to my father's body?" He Jianchang cried out disconsolately, his eyes fixed on the cement floor.

If Xiao Mu hadn't been restraining him, he might have already thrown himself towards that spot on the floor.

Xiao Mu shook his head; the scene was truly bizarre and beyond his expectations.

It seemed as if He Qingjun's body had been corroded by that ancient blood, dissolving and seeping through the coffin to the earth beneath.

Xiao Mu shared his speculation with He Jianchang.

"Why would this happen? Why?"

He Jianchang yelled repeatedly, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Mr. He, do you know if your father acquired any strange items in the days before he passed?"

Xiao Mu thought for a moment and then asked a question.

As expected, He Qingjun's death should be connected to that ancient blood filled with corrosiveness.

"An item? What item?" He Jianchang had a vacant look, momentarily lacking the ability to think.

Xiao Mu patiently said, "Think carefully, has your father come into possession of anything unusual recently? Perhaps an antique or something similar?"

"An antique? No."

He Jianchang shook his head, then suddenly remembered something, "My dad picked up a black jade square pendant from outside two days ago; does that count?"

Black jade?

Xiao Mu's heart stirred, and he immediately said, "It could be that. Mr. He, may I take a look at the black jade pendant?"

"Please wait a moment, Mr. Xiao."

He Jianchang gathered his spirits and walked out of the hall. Soon after, he returned with a square black jade pendant the size of a fingertip.

"Mr. Xiao, this is the black jade pendant, please take a look."

Saying this, He Jianchang handed the square black jade pendant to Xiao Mu.

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