“How should I use it?”

This question made Ace nearly laugh madly, but he was excellent at hiding his emotions.

Still, he didn’t dare to be careless in front of this wily fox, or she might suspect something, and all his efforts would go to the drain, and he might have to run as well.

So, he kept his head lower in a respectful position as he replied, “I don’t know its correct use since I’m still incompetent. But it all started after my blood touched it. Then it merged with my body.”

‘What a waste of such treasure.’ Winter felt disdain as she perked her finger and dropped her blood on the dark token.

However, nothing happened, which made Winter frown slightly as she looked at Feng with a hint of killing intent.

Ace felt chills. ‘She wanted to kill me to get rid of the ownership? And here she was, just promised treasures and a bright future, but now? She’s really ruthless!’ he cussed.

Feng quickly said, “Mistress, my connection with it vanished! I think you should try to prob it with your Qi now. Since the blood got absorbed, I think it’s already yours.”

Winter finally moved her eyes from Feng to the token again, and she thought what he said made sense. So, she released her Qi!

The very next moment, the dark token finally activated, turning into a dark streak, and bolted toward her forehead!

Winter didn’t feel anything amiss and tried to catch the dark streak, but she was astonished when it completely ignored her physical interference and entered her forehead!

“This is really…”

However, before she could celebrate, a strange voice sounded in her head, and a peculiar dark projection appeared before her eyes, which alarmed her!

[Welcome to Thief House]

[Rules & Regulations of Thief House]

0. Any violation of Thief House Rules & Regulations will result in Absolute Death!

1. The house members cannot betray, scheme, sabotage, or hold malicious intentions against Thief House or its members.

2. …

…

…

8. If any member fails the House Mission or House Leader (Ace White) Mission, the house points will be deducted, followed by a punishment based on the importance of that mission!

[Continue?]

_______

“Thief house?” She mumbled as she quickly glanced at the writing. It was in the beast language. The language she was most familiar with.

Her expression eventually changed as she saw the name of the house leader and finally looked at Feng with a hint of trepidation.

Feng had a broad smile on his face at this moment, as he said, “Hehe, as Goddess said, welcome to thief house… Mistress!”

“Scoundrel, you tricked me!” She quickly saw through Feng’s mockery and released her full might on Feng!

But she didn’t take extreme action. Because she was still uncertain about what precisely happened, she noticed what Ace said. ‘Goddess’, so she was still cautious.

Now, she also noticed Feng didn’t seem to be in her control!

“Oh, you didn’t show killing intent? Well, it would save you some pain, I guess.” Feng grinned, which made Winter even more shocked because he was absolutely fine under her pressure!

But her shock turned to horror when Ace suddenly snapped his fingers, and she coughed up blood!

“Y-you… how did you break my soul brand?!” She quickly pulled distance between them as she looked at Ace with wariness.

She knew if Ace wanted to break free from her soul brand; he had to be at least in a quasi-law awareness realm, but even then, he won’t be able to do it in an instant.

Her heart raced as she looked at the demon who was smiling at her as if she had already fallen into the abyss!

At this moment, she thought of something, and her eyes widened slightly, “It was you who alerted those demons!?”

She finally understood how those demons reached there so quickly and why they knew about the layout of the hidden space. It was only possible with the internal breach, and she guessed it was Feng all along since everything started after he appeared!

Feng chuckled, “Took you long enough to figure it out. But it was indeed me, sorry for that, but as you can see I was in a parlous situation, put by you. So, I’ve taken such action and look. I’m free now!”

“Scoundrel! What have you done?!” Winter gnashed her teeth as she finally showed killing intent.

Ace sighed, “And here we go again.”

However, the notification was different, and both of them heard it at the same time.

=====

[A Soul Remnant has been hiding within the House Member, Winter Fox’s Knowledge Sea!]

[Starting the extinguishing process!]

=====

Winter was shocked as her soul suddenly shuddered, and her expression turned extremely sinister!

Ace looked at her with astonishment. It was the first time he hears this kind of notification.

Thereupon, he saw dark mist begin to rise from Winter’s head, as it gave Ace a feeling of desolation!

Winter felt as if her soul was being torn apart, and she started to quiver as the Dark Mist continued to rise.

She suddenly transformed into her beast form, but it wasn’t the end, her size started to decrease, her three tails turned into two tails, and the beautiful luster on her fur also faded.

She now looked like the patriarch of the fox clan and wasn’t unique anymore, except for her pink color!

“NOOO!” she howled as everything was taken away from her.

Even Ace was somewhat baffled about this situation. He can now feel her aura was only at the peak of the diamond soul realm, not unnoticeable as before!

An ancient hoarse voice rang from that dark mist at this moment, “Who dares to interrupt the resurrection of this matron?!”

Winter suddenly trembled when she heard this voice and couldn’t help but look toward the dark mist with disbelief and fright!

She said in a weak voice, “Y-you’re not dead?!”

The same voice sounded again. “Little fox, you dare to scheme against me after I gave you my clan’s entire inheritance?!”

Winter’s expression was extremely pale as she understood something. “You want to possess me?! That’s why you gave me the inheritance and then pretended to be dead?”

“Little fox, since you dare to betray me… where is the Corpse King?! YOU…”

However, before that mist could clamor, it suddenly shuddered. “NO, how could someone be capable of destroying my soul in this place?!”

It suddenly jolted and tried to fly toward the horizon, but it completely struck in its place, and no matter how much it struggled, it won’t get free.

If finally took notice of Ace in the distance and quickly said in a pleading tone, “Fellow Cultivator, I was wrong. Please let me go, and I’ll give you my treasures and won’t seek revenge!”

Ace pretends as if he heard nothing. He could tell this thing wasn’t something he could deal with, nor he can let it go or who knows what it might do.

Screams rang from the mist before it started to fade.

It left one last sinister sentence before it completely faded away.

“Bastard, you dare to kill me. My brother will know…”

Ace’s heart palpitated. ‘There’s a brother as well?’

Suddenly, when the smoke vanished, something fell on the ground beside Winter, who was now completely listless and filled with despair.

Ace ignored the fox and pick-pocketed the small thing, which fell after the smoke vanished.

It was a crystal bead; it was two inches in size and had black patterns on it.

If it hasn’t dropped from that back mist. He would’ve thought it was just some random treasure.

He asked the system, “System, what is this?”

=======

-Soul Treasure: Soul Resurrection Bead (??? Grade)

-Description: ???

=======

Ace’s eyebrow raised in surprise, ‘Another treasure not from the first heaven? Furthermore, with such a name. it can’t be normal. That remnant soul was hiding in Winter’s knowledge sea, probably because of this bead’s help.’

Since he didn’t have use for it, he stowed it away.

‘Then could that soul also be from higher heaven? It’s possible as well, and there’s still this brother. Only she can shine some light on this.’ Ace looked at Winter, who almost lost her will to live.

He sighed as he moved in front of her and said, “What, are you just going to lay there and wait for your death now?”

She looked at Ace with myriad emotions and replied resentfully, “Scoundrel, it’s all happened because of you!”

Although he just saved her from a disaster, he also took away her entire fortune with it!

Ace smiled, “Well, I’m also the greatest thing that happened to you as well. Just look at what I gave you, and then you can judge it yourself.”

Some luster finally returned to her eyes, as she remembered how that mysterious voice effortlessly got rid of that mist like it was nothing, and she then thought about what Feng called that mysterious voice.

‘Can it really be a god?!’