The name of the Jiangshi alone was descriptive enough.

It was a specialized creation, requiring careful manipulation of both form and function. The transformation of the head alone demanded precision needing fusion between beast parts and human parts. And the internal structures needed to support its feeding mechanisms made it even more complex.

Few within the sect bothered with such designs anymore.

The elders who could make something like that had little interest in dealing with Master Swamp Leech, and their relationships with him were far from amicable.

Han Yu, on the other hand, had no such reservations.

If the price was right, he worked.

And the price had been more than right.

Master Swamp Leech had paid generously, without attempting to bargain or exploit. For all his unsettling appearance, he conducted transactions with a level of clarity that Han Yu appreciated.

’At least he pays properly,’ Han Yu thought. ’He’s not a leech in matters of money thankfully.’

That alone placed him above many others.

Master Swamp Leech approached the array, his movements accompanied by faint, almost imperceptible sounds, like something wet shifting beneath his skin. The scanning process repeated, confirming his identity before allowing him entry.

He stepped through.

And once again, the connection ended.

Han Yu leaned back slightly, his thoughts aligning.

Three had arrived.

Daoist Snake Face.

Daoist Blood Pool.

Master Swamp Leech.

That matched part of his earlier estimation.

Which meant only one remained. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Han Yu’s gaze shifted slightly, though his expression did not change.

Mistress Love Wine.

He exhaled slowly.

’This is going to be troublesome.’

And somewhere beyond the walls of the mansion, Lady Rot Rose continued to watch, waiting for all the pieces to fall into place.

That evening, as the faint crimson hue of dusk settled over the outskirts of Good Well Town, Han Yu felt a subtle disturbance ripple through the perimeter of his hidden Jiangshi network. It was not violent or abrupt, but rather deliberate, controlled, and accompanied by a presence that seemed to bend attention toward itself.

He opened his eyes slowly, already knowing what he would see.

"The final guest," he murmured under his breath.

Through the perception of his concealed Jiangshi, he observed the approaching group.

Mistress Love Wine had arrived.

Unlike Daoist Snake Face, and Master Swamp Leech who came alone, and Daoist Blood Pool, who brought only a modest group, Mistress Love Wine made her entrance as though she were attending a grand festival rather than a secretive gathering.

There were nearly thirty individuals accompanying her.

All of them were women.

And all of them were beautiful.

Yet even among such a gathering, none could draw the eye away from the woman at the center.

Mistress Love Wine.

Han Yu’s gaze lingered for a moment longer than he intended, even though he was merely observing through a proxy. It was an instinctive reaction, something that even his cultivated mind could not entirely suppress.

Her beauty was not ordinary.

It was not something that could be described simply through features or proportions.

It was... overwhelming.

Her face carried a symmetry that seemed unreal, as if it had been sculpted not by nature but by a will that understood perfection. Her skin held a faint glow under the ambient light, and her long purple hair flowed behind her like a living silk banner, shifting with the slightest movement of air.

Ornaments adorned her.

Each piece complemented her form, from the delicate chains woven into her hair to the subtle adornments resting against her collarbone and wrists. None of them seemed out of place. Instead, they enhanced the impression that she was not merely a cultivator, but a work of art.

Han Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.

’No wonder...’

She was called the number one beauty of the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect.

It was not an exaggeration.

Even he, who had long trained himself to maintain control over his thoughts and emotions, found it difficult to look away during their first meeting. That memory surfaced briefly, accompanied by a faint sense of caution.

Beauty like this was never simple.

It came with power and most of all it came with danger.

Mistress Love Wine had another title as well.

The Divine Beauty who could make even the Moon Bleed.

Han Yu had once dismissed it as poetic exaggeration.

He no longer did.

Her cultivation path was evident in every aspect of her presence. It was a path that revolved around allure, influence, and control. Her peak, the Love Peak, was located close to the Womb Peak, a detail that spoke volumes about the nature of her techniques.

Han Yu did not allow his thoughts to wander further.

He continued observing.

Her entourage moved in harmony, maintaining a formation that emphasized her position without crowding her. Each of the women carried themselves with grace, though their eyes remained sharp, scanning their surroundings with disciplined awareness.

They reached the boundary of the array.

The probing force emerged once more, scanning the entire group. For a brief moment, the air seemed to hold its breath.

Then the array recognized them.

The barrier parted.

Mistress Love Wine stepped forward.

And just like the others before her, she disappeared from Han Yu’s perception the moment she entered the mansion.

Han Yu exhaled slowly, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest of his chair.

’All have arrived.’

There was no need to speculate further.

The gathering would begin soon.

He did not have to wait long.

A few hours passed in quiet stillness, the mansion enveloped in a calm that felt almost artificial. The night deepened, and the faint sounds of the outside world faded into nothing.

Then, at precisely midnight, there was a knock on his door.

Han Yu opened his eyes.

He did not need to check who it was.

"Enter," he said calmly.

The door opened, and the same two individuals who had greeted him upon arrival stepped inside. Their expressions were neutral, their movements synchronized to an unsettling degree.

"The gathering will begin now," they said in unison.