"Damn it! How could this happen!" Shen Hao roared inwardly.

His last shred of rationality helped Shen Hao keep his expression steady and suppress the surging True Qi within him. Using a tone almost identical to usual, he ordered everyone in the Interrogation Chamber to leave immediately.

Though puzzled, Shen Hao’s rising influence left no room for dissent. Everyone hurriedly bowed and withdrew.

The moment they were gone, Shen Hao dropped to one knee, clutching his chest. Instantly, a fine sweat broke out across his forehead, as if he were mustering all his strength to resist something.

Appetite!

Shen Hao hadn’t expected that, at such a time, that abnormal hunger—so long absent—would suddenly resurface. And its target was the corpses of Zhao Hesheng and Zhao He Kun, whose heads he’d just severed!

These two were mere ordinary people! Why would this happen?! He’d witnessed plenty of corpses during executions before, many of them cultivators, yet never felt anything like this!

Why?!

Before Shen Hao could ponder further, this wave of hunger surged more fiercely than all past episodes combined. Within mere seconds, he completely lost control over his body—it was urgent!

Feeling closely, Shen Hao realized his body was now being controlled by an "instinct" that didn’t truly belong to him, emanating from the mysterious tattoo on his chest.

"Hiss!!"

Shen Hao lunged at the bamboo basket containing those two heads, leaned in and inhaled sharply. Two visible clouds of dark green mist were drawn from the heads’ mouths and noses, swiftly forming into the shapes of miniature people in mid-air!

What is this?!

Shen Hao’s perception made it clear: these two clouds were souls. But why had they manifested in human form?! This, this...

Before Shen Hao could think, the two soul-shaped apparitions tried to flee! Floating with impressive speed, they shot toward the skylight—almost escaping in the blink of an eye!

"Hiss!" Shen Hao’s body acted again. With another forceful inhale, a powerful, invisible pull locked the souls in place, dragging them back slowly.

Shen Hao’s eyes widened; nothing before him felt real.

Two ordinary people, after death, possessed such formed souls! That’s a trait exclusive to Primordial Pill Realm cultivators! Zhao Hesheng and Zhao He Kun—cultivators of the Primordial Pill Realm? Impossible! Why had their souls become this way? Shen Hao’s only explanation: Blood Steaming Skill.

"The Zhao Brothers were telling the truth. Blood Steaming Skill really can strengthen their souls to this degree! No wonder they maintained clarity despite torture—so that’s the reason..." Now, Shen Hao understood the case better—but new doubts arose.

Souls without consciousness, unless cultivated to Creation, can’t act. If the Zhao Brothers’ souls were unconscious, how could they try to escape?

His mind riddled with questions, but the suction force continued to strengthen, pulling the two souls toward his mouth.

So fragrant! Truly fragrant!

Despite his repulsion toward ingesting such bizarre things, Shen Hao’s body responded honestly. The scent triggered unstoppable saliva.

Slurp!

The taste—like before—a sour plum powder flavor, but even richer, even more savory!

After swallowing one, a clarity radiated from Shen Hao’s stomach throughout his body, circling his meridians and finally settling in his chest, hidden.

As Shen Hao was about to slurp up the remaining soul, an enraged voice transmitted through the soul-shaped apparition directly into his mind:

"You dare, wretch! Touch my Soul Furnace and I’ll ensure your corpse is never found!"

The "voice" thundered inside his mind. Shen Hao instantly felt dazed, his body wavering, nearly losing balance—the terror gripping him! And he suddenly discovered the last missing puzzle piece he’d been searching for in the case!

This... This was the evil cultivator who taught the Zhao Brothers the Blood Steaming Skill?!

Transmission across space, soul-shaking voice! What cultivation is this?!

Terrified and shocked to the core, Shen Hao’s body paid no heed. His lips curled and, without hesitating, he slurped the remaining soul into his mouth—delicious, juicy. The rest? Why care?

In the next moment, the voice roared and vanished swiftly. It hadn’t reached the power to lock onto Shen Hao across great distance—merely communicating via the connection to the Zhao Brothers’ souls. Now their souls were gone, the voice disappeared naturally.

"Whew!"

Shen Hao regained control over his body, though inside he was far from calm. It was the first time, after so many years in this world, he’d tasted the terror of a High-Tier Cultivator. The man’s location remained unknown, yet through a mere fragment of soul could transmit across space. If faced in person—who could stand against it?

What cultivation was he at? Primordial Pill Realm? Surely beyond...

Shen Hao shook off those chaotic thoughts with a deep breath, mood improving. Not because he’d devoured two so-called Soul Furnaces, but because he’d gathered all clues for the case—complete at last.

Let’s review: the Zhao Brothers, stricken by strange illness since youth, destined to die, encountered a mysterious cultivator who taught them a bloody yet life-saving Blood Steaming Skill, and gifted a Mid-grade Blinding Disc to facilitate their deeds. Over a century, the Zhao Brothers slaughtered innocent children to collect blood and save themselves, but were, in fact, being used.

"Soul Furnace"—the name alone suggests nothing good. Combined with the unusually powerful souls of the Zhao Brothers, it’s clear they were preserved for another’s harvest, becoming someone’s "crop" via Blood Steaming Skill. It’s just that their "fruit" was plucked early by Shen Hao.

Therefore, someone truly operated behind the Zhao Brothers—not for Yin-Yang Blood and Qi, but simply for their souls. Or perhaps using blood and qi to cultivate the brothers for harvest.

But... How could he write any of this in the case files?

Impossible. The secret of Shen Hao’s chest tattoo prevented him from telling anyone.

After adjusting his mood, Shen Hao called for the others outside to clean up the bodies.

"According to the instructions, wash these two heads thoroughly—hang them on the tall pole in East Market come sunrise. Post a notice, briefly detailing Zhao Hesheng and Zhao He Kun’s crimes—no arcane details, just the case results and their wrongdoing made public..."

By dusk, Shen Hao left the Garrison as usual, returned home, refused Xia Nu’s late-night snack, and upon entering, activated the Defense Array he’d arranged before—then sat cross-legged and entered his cultivation state.

The moment he calmed his mind, Shen Hao’s face flushed deep red: he sensed a wholly unprecedented energy pouring out from the myriad points in his chest, flooding his entire body and sending his True Qi into violent turmoil. Even his meridians trembled, seeming to expand, and for the first time, Shen Hao could clearly feel his own soul slowly growing stronger!