Ye Xiu was completely confused. "What’s going on?"

Du Long said, "The Second and Third Brothers and I all saw Jiao Fuping sever his own meridians and die. I checked him myself; he had no pulse. But just ten minutes ago, he suddenly came back to life and stood up."

After hearing this, Ye Xiu thought of an incredible possibility. "Use a knife to cut Jiao Fuping," he said. "See if the wound heals on its own. Record the process and send it to me."

"Okay!" Du Long replied. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

In just two minutes, Du Long sent over a video.

Ye Xiu opened it and saw Du Long use a dagger to make a ten-centimeter-long, one-centimeter-deep cut on Jiao Fuping’s buttocks.

Then, the wound healed at a rate visible to the naked eye, leaving not even a scar behind.

Jiao Fuping is indeed a Totem Inheritor. It seems this kind of Totem only awakens after death. Once it does, the Totem Inheritor possesses near-immortality and the ability to rapidly heal from any injury.

Ye Xiu’s eyes blazed with excitement.

Jiao Fuping’s Totem Power is too overpowered, too tempting! In reality, all living things—humans, animals, and plants—possess the ability to self-heal. For example, if you cut your finger, the wound will eventually close on its own, even without treatment. Surgical incisions heal over time, and there are no issues once the stitches are removed. Even a gash on a tree trunk will eventually heal. However, without exception, the healing process for humans, animals, and plants is very slow, and they almost always leave behind scars. When I treat people, most of the time I’m just stimulating the body’s natural regenerative abilities to accelerate healing. But Jiao Fuping’s Totem Power is something else entirely! Not only can his injuries heal rapidly without a trace, but he can even come back to life after being killed. What an enticing ability!

In his twenty-six years of life, this was the first time Ye Xiu had ever felt true greed.

He immediately sent a text back to Du Long: "Keep a close eye on Jiao Fuping. I’m on my way."

"Okay!" Du Long responded.

Ye Xiu got up to leave the Long Family Manor. As he stepped out of the villa, he saw Nangong Yue running toward him, practically bouncing with joy.

"Big Brother Ye..."

Nangong Yue ran over and flung herself into Ye Xiu’s arms.

Ye Xiu was baffled. What on earth has gotten into this girl? Why the sudden embrace?

He pushed Nangong Yue away and asked, "It’s summer. What’s with the lovesick expression?"

"Big Brother Ye, you’re so mean! You’re still playing dumb after what you did to me."

"What did I do to you?" Ye Xiu asked, perplexed.

"Oh, must you make me say it out loud? It’s so embarrassing," Nangong Yue said coyly.

Damn it, if you don’t say it, how the hell am I supposed to know... Ye Xiu complained internally, but he said aloud, "If you don’t want to say it, then don’t. I have to go out for a bit. We can talk about whatever it is when I get back."

"No, you can’t!"

Nangong Yue grabbed Ye Xiu’s arm and said, "The Clan Leader asked me to give you a message. You are not to go anywhere tonight."

Oh? The Dragon Master must be worried that I already know he’s seen through my disguise, so he’s using Nangong Yue to test me. If I insist on leaving the Long Family Manor, he’ll assume I’m aware he knows my true identity. At that point, he probably wouldn’t hesitate to move against me. Crafty old man!

"I’ll go speak to the Dragon Master," Ye Xiu said.

As Ye Xiu headed toward the villa where the Dragon Master resided, Nangong Yue trotted happily behind him.

Just then, the Dragon Master happened to step out of the villa with a knife in his hand.

"Dragon Master, I need to step out for a bit," Ye Xiu said.

The Dragon Master was taken aback. He had come out with the knife because he was worried Ye Xiu might try to force his way out of the Long Family Manor. He hadn’t expected Ye Xiu to proactively come and ask for permission to leave.

Does he know I’ve figured him out, or not?

The Dragon Master was momentarily unsure. He forced a benevolent smile and asked, "Is there something so urgent that you must leave at this hour?"

"I have a meeting with the test subjects from Fire Seed Company tonight. It was scheduled yesterday," Ye Xiu replied, giving a reason the Dragon Master couldn’t refuse.

Just as I expected. The Dragon Master frowned. He indeed could not turn down this request. If he did, Ye Xiu would become suspicious.

He said with great earnestness, "I’m not trying to restrict your freedom, but the Nangong Family has spotted many people from Medicine King Valley in Guoyang. I’m worried it will be dangerous for you to go out alone."

"A man must be trustworthy, and a leader, even more so, must be true to their word. Since I already promised to hold this meeting tonight, my credibility with the test subjects will be damaged if I don’t show up," Ye Xiu stated.

"This..."

The Dragon Master couldn’t find any other reason to stop Ye Xiu. After a moment’s thought, he said, "In that case, I will assign some bodyguards to protect you."

"Fine!" Ye Xiu readily agreed.

The Dragon Master then summoned all the Second Realm War Gods from the thirteen external families residing in the Long Family Manor. A total of seven arrived.

Ye Xiu did a quick mental calculation. When he first arrived at the Long Family Manor, there had been fifteen Second Realm War Gods in total: the group of fourteen including Long Yifei and the thirteen external families, plus Tang Bo. Now, three from the Xing and Wei families had been killed by Jiang Linglong, and three from the Xing Family had been captured by his men that very afternoon. With Long Yifei also crippled, eight should have remained.

But now, only seven were left.

"Where’s Tang Bo?" the Dragon Master asked, noticing his absence.

The others shook their heads, indicating they didn’t know.

The Dragon Master was momentarily speechless. "You will all accompany Ye Liangchen," he instructed. "Remember, you must guarantee his safety and bring him back before dawn. If I don’t see Ye Liangchen by then, every single one of your clansmen will be executed."

He didn’t tell the seven that Ye Liangchen was actually Ye Xiu, but he was confident that, for the sake of their families, they would drag Ye Xiu back if they had to.

"Clan Leader, rest assured. We will definitely protect Big Brother Ye," Nangong Yue promised.

Gu Meng and the others also gave their assurances. In their minds, the Dragon Master was only threatening their families’ lives because he was deeply concerned for Ye Xiu’s safety.

"Let’s go!" Ye Xiu called out.

The seven immediately followed Ye Xiu toward the parking lot.

Just then, a large truck rumbled into the Long Family Manor.

The food delivery had arrived.

Instantly, the four hundred or so residents of the manor came running out with bowls and chopsticks, ready to eat.

"Wait!"

The Dragon Master stopped them and asked the driver, "Is it the same as breakfast and lunch? Meals for 487 people?"

"Yes!" the driver nodded.

The Dragon Master frowned in thought, then turned to the members of the eleven external families waiting for their food. "Wait until all the War Gods and the masters above the War God realm from the Long Family and the thirteen external families have arrived. The Long Family members will eat first. You can have the leftovers."

Having not gone far, Ye Xiu overheard the Dragon Master and almost laughed out loud. The greatest taboo for a leader is being unclear about rewards and punishments. The Dragon Master is practically forcing the thirteen external families to betray him.