Prologue

In the dimly lit dungeon, a ragged man was bound and hung against the wall. His body was drenched in blood, making it difficult to discern the exact source of his wounds or the path of the blood. 

Outside the cage, several elegant women stood, with the leader blocking Mu Li's face, though her intense gaze remained fixed on the man inside. She was listening to his labored breathing, which grew longer and weaker with each moment. Her hand tightened as she rasped, "Go in and collect the blood." Her voice, harsh and grating, betrayed her age.

"Leader..." one of the women hesitated, "We've already collected blood today. The next collection is scheduled for noon tomorrow..."

Before she could finish, the leader struck the maid across the face with a resounding slap.

"Can’t you see he’s going to die tonight?" Mu Li’s eyes were cold as she glared at the maid now crumpled on the ground. "If you wait until noon tomorrow, all my efforts will be for nothing!"

The maid cried out in anguish, her wails growing louder and more desperate. Her face, where the leader had struck her, was now a grotesque mess of blood and rotting flesh, exposing the bone beneath. Her cries eventually faded, and she lay still, lifeless.

"Does anyone else have something to say?" The women remained silent, each washing their hands and opening the prison door to enter the cage.

One woman retrieved a golden brocade box containing a writhing silkworm-like creature. Another wiped the blood from near the man's heart, while a third used a golden knife to make a small incision. Fresh blood began to flow, attracting the insect, which twisted and turned with fervor.

The maid placed the box on the man's chest, and the creature eagerly began to feed, its pale body turning a deep crimson. When it was nearly full, the maid attempted to brush the insect back into the box but turned pale with horror.

"Master," she said, her voice trembling. "The jade silkworm’s head has crawled into the wound and won't come out."

The leader rushed in, but by the time she arrived, the insect had vanished from the man’s chest. 

The dungeon fell silent as the man, tied up for ninety-nine days, began to stir. The women gasped as they noticed his wound starting to heal. The leader, touched by success, couldn't contain her joy. 

"Success," she murmured with a satisfied smile. "My Gu Master has finally succeeded!"

But suddenly, the man’s eyes, now filled with a blood-red fury, snapped open. With a violent force, he broke the chains binding him, embedding them into the wall. 

When the man opened his eyes, they were a deep, unsettling red, resembling those of a wild beast. Despite his delicate features, his appearance was chilling. The woman watched him with a twisted smile, saying, "Good child, today you are the treasure of my Lingchang Sect! With you, I will soon return to Southern Xinjiang!" Before she could finish, the man reached out and grabbed her neck.

His grip tightened, and her face quickly turned purple. "Let go... child... let go... I am your master," she pleaded. 

Ignoring her, he flung her against the wall with brutal force, creating a massive hole. He roared like a beast, and blood splattered across the dungeon. Hours later, as dawn approached, he stumbled out of the dungeon, disoriented, and wandered into the woods. The waning moonlight revealed his bloodied, sticky body, marked with a fiery red symbol that extended to his neck, cheek, and eye.

An intense pain seemed to tear at his soul. He clenched his teeth, enduring the agony. As he exited the forest, he lost his footing and tumbled down a slope. The northern dawn was bitterly cold. He collapsed on the frosted wasteland, feeling his muscles tremble and his bones ache as if they were being crushed. Gradually, his tall form shrank until he was a child.

The dawn light cast its pale glow over the desolate northern land. He heard distant horse hooves and the scent of iron and blood grew stronger. Exhausted, he could only close his eyes. 

"General..." a rough voice said, "There seems to be a child over there." The horse stopped beside him, and someone dismounted. Though he struggled to open his eyes, he saw the faint outline of a woman in red and silver armor. 

A woman... General?

Too weak to keep his eyes open, he shut them again. Two other armored figures stood by. Deputy General Luo Teng remarked, "This child is covered in blood—how terrifying!" 

Another deputy general, Qin Lan, noted indifferently, "General, there’s a mark on the child’s chest."

"The flame pattern is beautiful," the female general observed, her cool fingers tracing the symbol on his chest. Her touch sent a shiver through him, awakening a feral hunger deep within. He felt a scorching heat and an unbearable thirst as the scent of blood filled his senses. 

The woman’s fingers lingered on his lips, and he could not control his violent reaction. When she touched him again, he bit her fingers savagely. Her skin broke, and the taste of blood flooded his mouth, igniting a burning sensation that raced through him. 

"General!" the two men rushed forward. One pinched his jaw, but he clung on, driven by an uncontrollable need. 

The other man cursed angrily, "You little beast, I’ll break your jaw!" 

The woman, though, calmly ordered, "Luo Teng, stop!" She pried his hand open with a hint of disgust and noted, "If you had come, you’d have crushed his head."

The small amount of blood had calmed his restlessness, though it was far from enough. 

"General," Qin Lan said with concern, "Your hand..."

"He’s strong, it’s just a scratch," she replied, still holding him. She placed him on a horse and mounted behind him. "Let’s return to the camp."

Luo Teng protested, "General, you want to take this little savage back?"

Li Shuang, cradling him gently, replied, "It’s just a child. When I was young, I was like a wild wolf too. My father picked me up." 

With that, they rode off, leaving no further objections.

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