Edward Grant subconsciously stroked the black jade pendant with his hand, but in the next instant, a flash of black light appeared before his eyes, and Edward Grant found himself in a pitch-black space.

There were no buildings in this space; both the sky and the ground were shrouded in darkness. Only one thing existed here—the monster with a heart-shaped head that had just appeared!

When the monster saw Edward Grant, it actually hopped and skipped toward Edward Grant, its movements oddly ugly yet somewhat cute.

Seeing this, Edward Grant turned and ran, but it seemed as if this space was centered around him—no matter how he ran, he always remained in the same spot.

The monster quickly leaped onto him. Just as Edward Grant was wondering whether he should bite it again, the monster merely rubbed its heart-shaped head against Edward Grant, behaving as docilely as a pet.

Seeing that the monster no longer showed hostility, Edward Grant picked it up and set it aside, frowning as he said, “What is this thing?”

Edward Grant didn’t expect the monster to speak; he was just talking to himself.

But the monster seemed to understand. It shook its heart-shaped head, and a mist of blood sprayed from its blood vessels, transforming into an image, accompanied by sound.

It was a bedroom, but much more luxurious than the one Edward Grant was in.

A woman in her early forties, beautiful but with sharp, mean features, stood there. She turned to a nearby Daoist priest dressed in blood-red robes, who was thin, shriveled, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, and asked, “Can’t you hurry up? Why are you so slow?”

Edward Grant frowned slightly. He recognized this woman from his memory—she was his second uncle’s wife, The Bolton Family, his aunt.

The Bolton Family was usually sharp-tongued and mean, and didn’t treat him well.

However, the current head of the Gu family was his grandmother, Old Madam Grant, who doted on her eldest grandson, Edward Grant, so The Bolton Family didn’t dare to do anything to Edward Grant openly.

The Daoist fiddled with a few strands of hair in his hand and, hearing her, curled his lips and said, “What’s the rush, madam? Good work takes time.

To be honest, if it weren’t for the fact that your mother’s brother’s friend’s second uncle is my junior brother, I wouldn’t even bother with your job.

There are countless hounds of the Jingye Division in the capital. If they find out, I’ll be in big trouble.

The Jingye Division’s Black Prison is no place for people—bah! Not even ghosts want to stay there!

Five thousand taels, non-negotiable. Pay first, ritual later. Fair to all, honest to both people and ghosts, satisfaction guaranteed.”

Upon hearing this, The Bolton Family immediately shrieked, “Five thousand taels! Didn’t you say three thousand before?”

The sharp-faced Daoist said blandly, “I did say three thousand for myself, but my junior brother wants a thousand, and my junior brother’s nephew—your brother’s friend—wants a thousand too. Ever heard of a referral fee?”

The Bolton Family gritted her teeth and pulled out a five-thousand-tael banknote. “Here! But I want to see that little bastard die today!

The old lady is so biased!

All these years, it’s been my branch of the family managing the household. In the entire marquis’s residence, only my husband serves as an official outside. Why should the old lady pass the title to that little bastard!?

If we don’t kill him, in a couple of months, when that little bastard comes of age, the old lady will ask the court to officially pass the title to him!”

The Daoist took the banknote, shook his head slightly, and muttered, “A woman’s heart is the most venomous.”

“What did you say?”

The Daoist grinned, “Nothing, madam. Your money’s here, and I’ll get the job done. Just watch.”

As he spoke, the Daoist quickly wove the strands of hair into a thread, formed a hand seal, and, strangely, his shriveled body began to swell.

Something the size of a human head surged from his chest and abdomen into his throat, swelling his face, his mouth splitting into a terrifying arc, and finally he spat out a heart-shaped monster the size of a human head!

The Bolton Family was so terrified by this gruesome scene that her face turned pale. She covered her mouth, barely suppressing a scream.

Although she vaguely knew there were such evil arts in the martial world, and her own family had dealings with such people, this was her first time witnessing it in person.

The Daoist said proudly, “Don’t be afraid, madam. This is the Five-Viscera Temple Ghost I’ve refined. The heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys are all connected to both spirits and ghosts. Using them as a temple to worship and raise ghosts, it kills without shedding blood.

After the heart ghost kills, there are no external wounds, but it causes death by heartache. The coroner will never find anything unusual, and will only think the person died of a sudden illness.”

As he spoke, the Daoist fed the woven hair to the heart ghost. With a wave of his hand, the heart ghost vanished.

“Go, kill the owner of that hair!”

A moment later, a strange look appeared in the Daoist’s eyes. He muttered, “Why is there still no movement? That shouldn’t be. Even a strong, healthy man couldn’t last this long.”

At that moment, the Daoist suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and screamed, “My heart!”

Chapter Two: A Terrible Beginning

The image ended as the Daoist spat blood, clearly indicating that the heart ghost had already been swallowed by Edward Grant and brought here.

Staring at the pitch-black space around him, Edward Grant was at a loss for words.

What a terrible start this was.

That The Bolton Family clearly wished she could kill him immediately. To be precise, the ‘Edward Grant’ of this life had already died once.