In an instant, everything slowed down; in an instant, everything returned to normal.

The fierce spirit vanished without a trace. Countless flames splattered around the ancestral hall, the infant spirits ran about frantically, but as soon as their bodies touched the flames, they ignited.

Charles Foster collapsed limply to the ground, and David Bennett rushed over like a madman, scooping him up and rolling toward the corner.

Some burning infant spirits tried to chase and kill them, but William Clark strode forward to block their way.

A few flames danced on the tip of his swift blade; with a flash, the blade light instantly became a mountain of fire.

Suddenly, in the chilling darkness, there was a scorching sun. The cold darkness was endless, the sun roared like a tidal wave—ice and fire coexisted. With a single slash, the Furnace of Creation appeared and absorbed the crimson smoke columns formed from the infant spirits.

The other infant spirits retreated in panic. William Clark's face was as calm as water, his heart as hard as iron. Cold light and blazing flames swept together, and he cut down the infant spirits—already weakened by the fierce spirit's flames—like chopping vegetables, turning them into crimson smoke columns.

The Furnace of Creation appeared one last time and then vanished. William Clark happened to chase the last one to the coffin.

He lowered his head to look inside the coffin; inside was a layer of foul-smelling flesh paste.

The Zhong family would have to prepare a memorial tomb for their clan leader.

He released the sweat-soaked hilt of his saber, and the waist saber fell to the ground, shattering like glass.

The stimulation of ice and fire—this blade couldn't take it!

David Bennett said to him, "Be gentle, Master Foster is asleep."

Looking at Charles Foster, motionless in David Bennett's arms, William Clark felt a deep sorrow in his heart—though it didn't overflow, it was still intense.

He hadn't spent much time with Charles Foster, but Charles Foster had treated him well, even saving his life before dying.

If it hadn't been for the fierce spirit splitting apart and turning into the blazing fire that burned the infant spirits, he might have perished here today.

These infant spirits were terrifying, each one filled with boundless resentment!

And David Bennett had followed Charles Foster for a year; their bond was even deeper.

He slowly walked over and sat beside him in silent company. He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard a dull knocking at the door: "Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In the dark and silent night, the sound was very clear.

It came from inside the door.

Someone was knocking from inside the house!

William Clark grabbed the waist saber Charles Foster had given David Bennett and stood up, his gaze as sharp as a blade sweeping toward the door.

Robert Bell trembled under his gaze.

He breathed a sigh of relief and only then realized that besides the three of them, there was someone else in the ancestral hall.

David Bennett's gaze was also sharp. He said to Robert Bell, "Don't knock on the door, our Master Foster is sleeping. Let him rest for a while."

William Clark patted his shoulder and said, "Don't be like this, be strong."

David Bennett asked, "Be strong for what?"

William Clark said heavily, "Stop lying to yourself. Master Foster is already dead!"

"Master Foster isn't dead, he's just passed out."

David Bennett handed Charles Foster in his arms over to him. At this moment, Charles Foster's face was pale and his breathing weak, but he was indeed still breathing.

He really had just passed out?!

Grief instantly turned to excitement, and William Clark was in the mood to continue handling the case.

He looked at Robert Bell and said, "Clan Leader Zhong, you know better than I do what's going on here, right? You also know what to do about the child in this woman's belly, don't you?"

David Bennett laughed and said, "Why are you talking to a fool?"

William Clark sneered, "Maybe you and I are fools, but he certainly isn't!"

He continued to say to Robert Bell, "The previous clan leader was a formidable figure, so the next clan leader had to be a fool. So you played the fool perfectly. As you wished, you became the current clan leader, which means the next clan leader will have to be a formidable figure again—"

"Your grandson is quite formidable."

"Thinking three steps ahead, living for three generations—Clan Leader Zhong, you are the real formidable one!"

Robert Bell's old face wrinkled even more.

William Clark shouted, "Now you know the inside story of this case better than we do. If I report everything to the court, what do you think the court will do?"

A thorough investigation!

Execution of the entire family!

Extermination of nine generations!

Reincarnation and rebirth is a great evil that goes against the will of heaven and harms human ethics. Even the royal family is forbidden to touch this path.

Yet in this rural backwater, someone had mastered this art. If the court found out, they would surely deal with it in the harshest way.

Now, Robert Bell's face no longer showed its usual simple-mindedness and dullness. He suddenly knelt down and said, "Please, Lord Clark, have mercy. I will deal with the child in this woman's belly tomorrow—no, immediately! Please, Lord Clark, spare my Zhong clan!"

William Clark was silent for a while, then said, "Deal with that monster, and never mention this case again!"

With the case coming to an end, he told David Bennett to open the door; Charles Foster needed a room to rest.

There was no door that David Bennett couldn't kick down. If there was, he'd just kick it again!

As soon as the door opened, David Bennett immediately dodged to the side.

Cold moonlight shone in; there was nothing outside.

William Clark asked, "What's wrong?"

David Bennett grinned sheepishly, "Nothing, I just thought someone outside might splash me with black dog blood again."

He went out, looked down the mountain, and shouted, "Damn it, you Zhong clan really have no guts! Saw a ghost in the ancestral hall and ran away in the middle of the night? Abandoning the ancestral hall, not holding the former clan leader's funeral, and even leaving you, the current clan leader, behind?"