At the same time, within the outer sect outpost, a creeping sense of danger clung to Anna like a festering parasite, driving her to reexamine every corner for possible flaws.
She first drifted silently toward the patch of freshly turned soil outside the courtyard.
One glance—and her heart sank.
Though secluded, it wasn't far from the path leading into the yard. The color of the soil also differed slightly from its surroundings.
Will it be discovered?
A thought flashed through her mind: move the body—rebury it somewhere more remote.
But she dismissed it immediately.
In broad daylight, transporting dismembered remains?
That would only draw attention.
And at night… Voss and his men would be stationed here. She wouldn't be able to move at all.
Forcing herself to look away, she stopped staring at the burial spot lest she attract suspicion, and turned back toward the courtyard as if nothing were wrong.
Other risks…
Her thoughts shifted to the bedroom.
The bloodstain on her sleeve that morning had nearly stopped her heart. The outer robe had been washed—but what about the bed?
After a night of deep sleep, it was entirely possible she had stained it.
Steadying herself, she hurried toward the room, preparing to eliminate this potential evidence.
Just as she reached the doorway, she nearly collided with someone.
Elena.
She was carrying a large bundle of freshly washed and wrung bedding, almost blocking her view. Seeing Anna, she peeked out from behind the pile with a bright, untroubled smile.
"Senior Sister? I was just looking for you. The weather's nice today, so I washed and aired all the bedding. I took yours along with mine!"
Anna froze, staring at the indigo quilt in her arms—her quilt.
For a moment, she was speechless.
"…Alright," she heard herself reply evenly. "Then thank you, Junior Sister."
"No need to be polite!" Elena said cheerfully as she brushed past, heading toward the courtyard to hang them out.
Anna remained where she stood, watching that slender yet steady figure walk away. The calm in her eyes gradually gave way to rising suspicion.
Such a coincidence?
Just as she thought of the bedding, it had already been handled?
"Indeed. What a coincidence," Van Helsing's voice echoed faintly in her mind, tinged with unmistakable amusement.
Anna said nothing, but the tension in her chest tightened further.
She pushed open the door and stepped into the bedroom.
Inside, the sight made her pause again.
The windows were wide open. Morning air flowed freely, sweeping away all stagnant traces.
On the table where she usually kept miscellaneous items, a simple sachet had appeared at some unknown time, releasing a faint herbal fragrance that calmed the mind—and masked any lingering, suspicious scent.
Once might be coincidence.
Twice?
Even Anna wasn't slow enough to ignore it.
She strode to the window and looked down, quickly spotting Elena in the courtyard, skillfully hanging the bedding.
Sunlight bathed the girl. Her movements were efficient, her expression focused. To anyone else, she would seem like nothing more than a diligent and considerate junior.
But Anna's gaze was sharp as a hawk now—colder and more cautious than ever before.
Did she notice something?
How much does she know?
Why is she helping me cover this up?
Is this kindness… or a more sophisticated form of control?
Questions clashed violently in her mind, threatening to reignite the panic she had barely suppressed.
"Tch. There you go again, overthinking things you'll never figure out," Van Helsing cut in impatiently, like a bucket of cold water. "Instead of wasting your brain on questions with no answers, recognize one thing: for now, at least in her actions, she's on your side. That's enough."
…Is it?
Anna closed her eyes, inhaled the faint herbal scent, then slowly exhaled.
Van Helsing was right.
At least for now, these "coincidences" worked in her favor. Obsessing over motives would only drain her.
What mattered most—was strength.
Her Blood Core had been restored. A powerful enemy stood before her. Voss was at Baron rank, an inner sect disciple, backed by an enforcement squad. With her current late-stage servant cultivation, if she were forced into a fight, she would stand no chance.
She had to break through—fast.
Casting aside all distractions, she returned to her room and shut the door behind her.
From her storage bag and ring, she took out the pills and spirit stones "inherited" from the Black Baron—high quality, abundant enough to support a luxurious period of secluded cultivation.
Sitting cross-legged, she held a mid-grade spirit stone in each hand. Pure spiritual energy began to flow into her newly restored meridians and dantian, which thirsted for nourishment.
Feeling the power within her gradually fill—more vibrant and solid than before her injury—a cold, complicated smile curved her lips.
In that case… thank you for your generosity, Black Baron.
Several hours passed in intense focus.
When Anna finally exhaled a long breath and stabilized the circulation of spiritual energy within her body, the sky outside had fallen completely into darkness. The outpost was silent, save for the faint whisper of the night wind brushing past the eaves.
The results of an afternoon's cultivation were clear.
Her once-shriveled meridians, damaged by her broken Blood Core, were now replenished and elastic once more. Her late-stage Qi Refining realm had fully stabilized, even faintly brushing against the threshold of Baron rank.
Still… true breakthrough remained just out of reach, requiring either time or opportunity.
She listened carefully.
There was no sign of large forces entering the outpost.
Did they go somewhere else? Not coming back?
The thought was like a sliver of light in darkness. Her nerves, taut all day, loosened at last.
Perhaps… the danger had quietly passed with the night.
"Oh? Just finished cultivating? With a Blood Core shattered like that, and you're still trying? Such diligence is truly… 'touching.'"
The flippant, smiling voice pierced the silence like an icy needle—without warning, stabbing straight into her briefly relaxed mind.
Anna's body stiffened. A chill shot down her spine.
She hadn't even heard his approach.
She spun around.
Voss was already there—leaning casually against the pillar outside her door, arms crossed, watching her with leisure. The smile on his lips looked especially sharp in the dim light.
With a single sentence, he shattered all the mental defenses she had built over the past hours.
Suppressing the sudden chaos in her heartbeat, she frowned ever so slightly before smoothing her expression, forcing out a mix of helplessness and stubbornness befitting a "cripple."
"I have to… try again," she said evenly. "What if there's still a chance?"
"Try?" Voss let out a mocking laugh as he stepped closer, his gaze sweeping over her like he was inspecting a defective product. "Don't waste your effort. A damaged Blood Core is like a cup with a broken bottom. No matter how much spiritual power you pour in, it all leaks out. Some things, once broken, stay broken. Accept it."
His tone was mocking, certain—like a dull blade slowly carving flesh.
Inside her sleeve, Anna's hand clenched into a fist, nails digging deep into her palm, using the pain to maintain her composure.
The secret of her restored Blood Core was her greatest trump card—one she absolutely could not reveal.
Voss, however, seemed uninterested in wasting time on a "cripple's" cultivation prospects. His tone shifted abruptly, gaze already moving past her toward the dark, silent courtyard.
"Where's that old Black bastard?" he asked casually. "At this hour, is his… 'refined hobby' still not finished?"