As Dulufu’s giant hammer smashed down, a loud boom followed. Dust and a large shockwave spread in all directions.
“Mei, you’ve worked hard. Take care of her and get some rest yourself.”
“Yes, Young Master Man En.”
After settling the unconscious Lai La, he quickly ran to Dulufu’s position.
“How is it? Is it dealt with?”
Dulufu heard this, his expression grave.
A low, deep heartbeat replaced his answer.
“What’s that sound?”
Man En looked at the source of the sound. A giant heart had been smashed into the dirt by Dulufu, yet it still beat rhythmically. This familiar feeling made Man En recall the eerie thing in Lai La’s memories.
“This is… a Blood Demon’s heart…”
“Sir Dulufu, what just happened? What’s the deal with this thing?”
Man En, standing outside the large pit, anxiously asked Dulufu about the current situation.
After all, if any more abnormalities appeared, everyone might really be unable to handle it.
“I’m sorry… I tried.”
“But for some reason, my attacks can’t harm it.”
Dulufu said seriously, his face full of unwillingness.
Considering the current party could no longer bear risks, Man En decided to have Dulufu temporarily retreat. But he didn’t intend to let this thing go easily. Since he had witnessed its terror, he absolutely couldn’t leave a hidden threat for later.
“Geruien.”
“Your subordinate is here. Please give your orders, Holy Son.”
Man En turned his head, looking at the kneeling Geruien beside him, and asked:
“You should recognize this thing, right? Is there any way to dispose of it?”
“This… currently there’s no way.”
“Currently?”
“Yes, simply put, this heart is the Blood Demon’s true body. Only when it’s weakened to a certain degree does it take this form. It’s to store its remaining mana.”
“If we can’t consume its stored mana, forcibly dealing with it becomes very difficult.”
“And given our current situation…”
Geruien didn’t say it outright, but Man En understood what she meant.
“Will this current state pose a threat to us?”
Geruien shook her head firmly.
“It has entered a dormant state. If not activated, it will remain like this.”
“Then I’ll temporarily take custody of this heart.”
After much deliberation, Man En made this decision. No matter how reliable Geruien was, she was still a member of the Heretic God Sect. Entrusting this to her was clearly not wise. Although Dulufu was a Paladin, the Church had many eyes and ears, making it hard to guarantee this thing wouldn’t be coveted. Thus, the only one who could use Holy Light and whom he could trust was himself.
“But there’s one more thing I need you to do.”
“In the name of the Holy Son, stop the Heretic God Sect members heading to support Matthews Territory.”
Geruien lowered her head and placed her right hand over her chest.
“I obey your command.”
“Good, go now.”
As soon as the words fell, only an afterimage remained on the ground.
“Impressive, Lord Man En? How did you get in touch with the Heretic God Sect?”
Dulufu walked slowly toward Man En.
“This person’s mana feels quite powerful. At least much stronger than Wus’s second puppet.”
“How to put it… After you left, many things happened. I’ll explain to everyone later, but for now, we need to hurry back to Matthews Territory.”
Dulufu heard this and felt a bit confused.
“Why do you say that? Over at the territory, aren’t there the Imperial Princess and the Viscount’s army? Dealing with the Heretic God Sect should be much simpler than what we had here.”
“Actually, after seeing the Blood Demon’s memories, I can’t shake the feeling that something is off about this whole thing. If I don’t go back early, I really can’t rest easy.”
“Now that you mention it… that is true.”
The two recalled the various anomalies of their trip to Campbell and fell into a tacit silence.
“Lord Dulufu.”
A knight in charge of logistics walked toward them.
“Excuse me, how should this thing be handled?”
Man En looked at the heart and got straight to the point.
“I’ll take temporary custody of this thing. Is that okay, Sir Dulufu?”
“If you really intend to do that, that’s great! It saves me from reporting this thing to the old men at the Church.”
Man En took the item and immediately applied Holy Light to it. Instantly, the heart became more active. But soon after, it completely stopped. Its originally bright red surface turned gray, and almost no magic fluctuation could be felt. Then, he put it away.
“Don’t mention this to anyone.”
“Also, I’ll leave Lai La to you. Take her to the Church for care. If she has any issues, it’s okay to restrain her.”
Dulufu looked in the direction of Man En’s gaze and sighed helplessly.
“I have to say, Lord Man En, you really know how to order people around.”
“Don’t worry, leave this to me.”
“Thank you… really…”
Being trusted gave Man En an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
“Let’s start moving now, and meet up at Matthews Territory.”
After saying that, Man En extended his fist toward Dulufu. The two fist-bumped in tacit understanding.
“Then, see you at Matthews Territory!”
Watching Dulufu’s retreating back, Man En also turned and walked toward where his father was. There were some things he needed to confirm in advance.
“Mei, that’s enough. We’re about to head back.”
He called Mei back, and the two walked together toward the Viscount.
Not far away, Viscount Matthews was still directing his men. It seemed they were about to set off back to the territory.
“Father.”
“Are you alright?”
Although he wasn’t looking at him, Man En could still feel his concern.
“Thanks to you, I’m just a bit tired…”
“Then go rest first.”
“No, actually there are some things I want to ask you.”
Upon hearing this, the Viscount turned to look at Man En and said:
“Mm, we’re about to set off…”
“Oh well, let’s talk in the carriage.”
Under his lead, father and son boarded the lead carriage.
“Father, about my marriage alliance, please tell me what you know.”
“Why are you suddenly asking about this?”
“Don’t you think it’s strange? Right after you went to deal with the cult uprising, I was taken away for a marriage alliance. And coincidentally, we were ambushed by the Heretic God Sect on the road. Can it really be that coincidental?”
“You mean… all of this was premeditated?”
Man En nodded, confirming Viscount Matthews’s speculation.
“Viscount Campbell is in poor health, his child died unexpectedly, and only his young daughter remains at home. So he hopes one of your children can go for a marriage alliance, thereby preserving his territory and viscount title.”
“You and Viscount Campbell were already on good terms, and on top of that, you were the one gaining from this, so you didn’t look into it too deeply. Am I right?”
“Yes, the situation is roughly as you say.”
“Then I’ll continue my guess.”
Man En paused briefly, hesitating over how to express his thoughts. In the end, he decided to be straightforward.
“The main driving force behind this decision should be your current wife.”
“Did you see her when you went back this time?”