Chapter 586, Ferocious Wraith
Clatter~!
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd…
The skeletons marked with "Patrol Guard" immediately took action, drawing their weapons from their waists and swiftly surrounding the gang members.
The gang members' eyes widened in shock.
The leading beastman kept glancing between the skeletons and the man being detained.
Someone who could command the skeletons of the city lord's manor…
And wasn't a known squad captain… Clearly not an outsider.
One of the gang members immediately knelt down and pleaded, "My lord, I'm sorry!"
The beastman leader also became respectful, speaking in a softer tone, "My lord, who are you?"
Wu Heng looked at him and asked, "Does Rentam City have a law requiring travelers to pay a security deposit?"
"Pay to whom?"
"These gang members."
"There's no such rule. All the roads were built by Lady Wen Mansa. Why would we charge people for using them?" the beastman answered honestly.
The gang members' expressions turned anxious.
They wanted to step forward and explain, but the skeletons blocked them.
From a distance, they shouted, "My lord, this is a misunderstanding!"
"My lord, we're new here and unfamiliar with the rules. Please forgive us just this once!"
"We were wrong!"
Wu Heng glanced at them and said, "Detain them and send them to the city lord's manor."
"Yes, my lord." The beastman responded, then turned to the skeletons and commanded, "Bind them up."
The skeletons immediately tightened the encirclement, swiftly subduing the gang members.
They pulled out ropes and tightly bound them.
"Clear the way! Make room for the road," the beastman leader shouted again in his gruff voice.
The crowd dispersed, opening a path.
Wu Heng twisted the throttle and rode away. As he entered the outer district, the number of people around him began to dwindle.
The rest of the journey remained undisturbed.
It seemed that the outer and inner districts had much better security than the outskirts.
The residents here also seemed to be in better condition.
The road became clearer, allowing the motorcycle to pick up speed.
He headed straight for the city lord's manor.
...…
City Lord's Manor.
The gates opened as Wu Heng stored away his motorcycle and strode inside.
The housekeeper quickly walked out to check.
Upon seeing Wu Heng remove his helmet, she immediately turned around and ran back inside.
Moments later, Wen Mansa emerged, draped in a dark blue coat, one hand supporting her round belly as she walked out with the housekeeper's assistance.
When she saw that it was truly Wu Heng, her eyes filled with delight and joy.
"Master…" Wen Mansa called softly.
The housekeeper beside her also greeted, "My lord."
Wu Heng quickly stepped forward, supporting Wen Mansa from the other side. "Why did you come outside? What if you catch a cold?"
"I'm not that delicate. I take walks outside every day," Wen Mansa let go of the housekeeper's hand and placed her hand on Wu Heng's arm, slowly walking back inside.
"Even so, try to stay indoors and move around inside instead."
"Was your journey smooth, Master?"
"It was fine. Oh, by the way, I ran into White Rock Gang extorting security deposits at the city entrance," Wu Heng said.
Wen Mansa raised an eyebrow but didn't look too surprised.
She replied, "The outer district's population has been growing rapidly lately, so it's become a bit chaotic. Did you pay them?"
"Pay to return to my own home? And let some gang extort money from me? That would be ridiculous. I had the patrol skeletons arrest them. They'll be delivered here soon."
Wen Mansa laughed, "Then I'll make sure to teach them a lesson for you later."
"It's not a big deal. Just make sure these gangs behave themselves."
"Understood."
Back inside the house, warmth from the air conditioning enveloped them.
The housekeeper took Wen Mansa's coat and hung it aside.
Wu Heng sat beside Wen Mansa and gently touched her belly. "Feels like movement inside."
Wen Mansa smiled. "Getting more restless by the day."
"Must be a strong one."
"You've had a tough time."
"Not at all. This is our baby—I'm happy."
Wu Heng gently embraced her, and Wen Mansa leaned obediently against his chest.
...…
They chatted in the living room for a while.
Wu Heng then said, "Alright, take me to see the body."
"It's outside."
The two of them got up, put on their coats, and left the house.
Wen Mansa led him to a storage building in the courtyard, opening the door to reveal various miscellaneous items.
In the corner lay a coffin.
"It was too warm inside, so we stored it here," Wen Mansa explained at the entrance.
"That's fine." Wu Heng stepped into the storeroom, and the skeletons opened the coffin, revealing the body inside.
The skin was pale with a bluish tint, the throat bore a savage horizontal slash, and the expression was frozen in pain and despair.
But it was unmistakably Beni.
His first informant, in name at least.
"Bring it out."
The skeletons lifted the body from the coffin. It was stiff as a wooden board.
Held straight by two skeletons, one gripping the shoulders and the other the feet, they placed it on the ground.
Wu Heng was about to step forward when…
The housekeeper's voice called from behind.
"Madam, the White Rock Gang members have been brought over. They're in the main hall."
Wu Heng turned around, and Wen Mansa smiled. "I'll go handle them first. I'll come back afterward."
"Once you're done, wait for me inside. It's too cold out here."
"Alright," Wen Mansa nodded and left with the housekeeper.
...…
Wu Heng turned back to the corpse.
He laid out ritual materials at specific points on the body.
Holding a wooden staff, he channeled his magic and struck it against the ground.
Whoosh~!
A ritual magic circle slowly spread outward from the corpse.
[Soul Summoning].
A spell that could awaken a soul from a corpse—Wu Heng's latest high-level necromantic spell.
He wasn't sure if it would work as described.
But this was Beni's last hope.
The magic circle took shape, energy gathering toward the corpse.
Wu Heng then pulled out a Demon Soul Urn and placed it within the ritual circle.
The soul inside the urn was drawn out by the ritual.
A vague silhouette of a woman emerged.
The Demon Soul Urn contained one of the three exiled vampires—the only female among them.
Wu Heng wasn't sure if gender would affect the process, but since he had a wraith of the same gender, he decided to use it.
The wraith appeared, looking around in terror.
Even if she didn't recognize the ritual circle on the ground, she knew it was pulling her toward the corpse.
"Necromancer, you can't do this."
"The Blood Clan won't let you go. You will suffer endlessly."
"Wait—wait! Let's talk this through. You're so handsome, you must be from a noble family. Let's negotiate like aristocrats."
"Please, stop the ritual. I don't want to die."
From angry roars to desperate pleas…
Bit by bit, she was dragged into the corpse.
Then, the magic circle pulsed violently.
Magic surged into the corpse like a tidal wave.
The next second…
The magic circle suddenly collapsed.
A ferocious wraith burst out from the corpse's forehead.
Its features were indistinct. It glanced at Wu Heng and the skeletons beside him, let out a deafening roar, then turned and shot through the roof, flying into the sky.
Shit!