I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense

—

“You’ve met me before?”

“No.”

“Then why did you say you’ve seen me?”

“I was just trying to get friendly with you.”

Xu Shen was speechless as he glanced at Dong Tianming, who appeared serious yet somehow seemed to enjoy teasing him. At some point, Xu Wei had left the room, leaving Xu Shen and Dong Tianming alone in the large observation chamber.

“Got any questions?” Dong Tianming asked after a moment of silence, unable to hold back his curiosity.

“I heard the Blood Ape King almost made a move but was forced back by the Guide?” Xu Shen asked casually, trying to piece together what had happened.

Dong Tianming nodded slightly, a self-deprecating smile on his face. “That’s right. For a moment, I thought I was going to die here.”

“Are ghoul emperors really that strong?” Xu Shen asked, studying Dong Tianming closely. Although it was his first time meeting him, he could sense a similar aura to Wu Yun and Jiang Youyi—clearly, Dong Tianming was a Tongyou Realm expert.

“A ghoul emperor is equivalent to a human Yinshen Realm cultivator,” Dong Tianming explained. “At that level, they’re beyond what mortals can comprehend. Legends of moving mountains and overturning seas? That’s the kind of power we’re talking about.”

Xu Shen’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had imagined Yinshen Realm cultivators to be powerful, but this… this was on a whole other level! Moving mountains and seas—those were feats attributed to mythical figures in ancient tales!

“So the Guide… Yinshen Realm cultivators… they’re really that strong?” Xu Shen muttered, recalling Jiang Ruyue’s overwhelming presence. He hadn’t realized she was on par with such legends.

“But wait,” Xu Shen interjected, remembering something he had read. “The books say the Blood Ape King was so powerful that two Yinshen experts teamed up to kill it, and even then, one of them almost died. How could a single Guide make it retreat?”

Dong Tianming chuckled knowingly, as if expecting this question. “That was a long time ago. Things are different now. Humanity’s progress has far surpassed their expectations.”

His words were cryptic, carrying an undertone of something deeper.

“Xu Shen, have you heard of the Dark Pact?” Dong Tianming asked suddenly.

Xu Shen’s mind flashed back to what Liu Ling had mentioned earlier about an agreement. “No idea. Why don’t you tell me?”

Dong Tianming smiled faintly and waved his hand. Two steaming cups of tea appeared before them.

Xu Shen glanced at the tea and realized this conversation was about to get serious.

—

“In the early days, humanity was weak. The path of cultivation had only just begun,” Dong Tianming began. “But even then, ghoul emperors emerged, threatening to annihilate Xia Nation entirely.”

“However, some geniuses rose rapidly through cultivation,” he continued. “In just two years, they pushed themselves to the peak of Tongyou Realm, disregarding the backlash from burning their runes, souls, and bodies to ascend into Yinshen Realm.”

“These pioneers sacrificed themselves to kill newly ascended ghoul emperors.”

“Though they perished, their actions inspired countless others to follow suit. Even those who couldn’t kill ghoul emperors inflicted massive damage on their clans.”

“And so… these creatures became afraid,” Dong Tianming said, his voice calm yet tinged with a chilling edge.

Xu Shen could vividly imagine the horrors of that era—an age of darkness where humanity fought desperately against extinction. Countless lives burned away like fleeting candles in a storm, leaving behind tales of heroism and sacrifice.

It was both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking.

—

“Seeing humanity’s fearless determination, the ghouls sought a truce,” Dong Tianming continued. “They united and approached Xia Nation’s strongest cultivators to establish an agreement.”

“This agreement… is what defines today’s battlefields.”

“Soldiers fight soldiers; generals fight generals. Yinshen cultivators do not intervene.”

“Although ghouls still outnumber us by a wide margin… this is the best outcome we could achieve.”

“While it’s unclear whether ghoul emperors qualify as living beings, one thing is certain—they value their clans and power structures.”

Dong Tianming took a sip of tea before adding, “That’s why the Blood Ape King didn’t intervene when you killed its offspring. And why no third-tier corpse apes appeared.”

Xu Shen nodded thoughtfully. “So while we’re outnumbered, our high-level combat power is evenly matched?”

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“Exactly,” Dong Tianming confirmed. “If it came down to an all-out fight, we might lose one or two Yinshen experts… but they would lose all their ghoul emperors.”

“They can’t afford that risk. That’s why they agreed to the Dark Pact—to settle territorial disputes through battlefields instead of all-out war.”

“But why do they need territory? Don’t ghouls just want to devour life?” Xu Shen asked with a frown.

“That… even I don’t know,” Dong Tianming admitted with a sigh.

—

“Do other nations have similar agreements?” Xu Shen asked.

“For the most part, yes,” Dong Tianming replied. “Aside from weaker nations that have been wiped out, those that survive today have all established similar pacts.”

“But none are as stable as Xia Nation’s. Since the Dark Pact was established here, there hasn’t been a single instance of a ghoul emperor breaking it.”

Xu Shen nodded silently.

“What exactly are ghoul emperors?” he asked after a moment. The books he had read only provided vague descriptions.

Dong Tianming seemed prepared for this question. “Based on observations of known ghoul emperors, Xia Nation’s researchers believe they aren’t simply ghouls that cultivated over time.”

“It’s more likely they’re ancient corpses or entities buried deep underground that awakened when spiritual energy returned.”

“So most ghouls can’t evolve or ascend?” Xu Shen asked, picking up on the implications.

“Correct,” Dong Tianming confirmed. “For the majority of ghouls, their strength is fixed from the moment they appear.”

“But some exceptions exist—special ghouls like the Little Blood Ape King,” he added.

Xu Shen recalled how the Little Blood Ape King’s eyes had turned red during their fight, unleashing terrifying power. “What about ghoul emperors? Can they grow stronger?”

Dong Tianming fell silent for a long moment before answering in a grave tone: “Yes.”

“And that brings me to something important I need to tell you,” he continued. “Many years ago, a team of Tongyou Realm experts ventured deep into Shennongjia to investigate a newly awakened ghoul emperor.”

“The mission ended in disaster—three died, one barely survived to deliver a message.”

“What was the message?” Xu Shen asked.

“The ghoul emperor… was worshiping the moon,” Dong Tianming said solemnly.

Xu Shen’s eyes widened in shock as his heart raced.

“It sounds absurd, doesn’t it? The idea of ghouls worshiping the moon—something straight out of ancient myths,” Dong Tianming said with a bitter smile.

“What happened to the fifth member of the team?” Xu Shen asked, remembering that such teams usually consisted of five people.

“The fifth member… is where things get interesting,” Dong Tianming replied. “His name was Qu Lin. After witnessing the moon worship ritual, something changed within him.”

“He began collaborating with ghouls and claimed humanity’s next stage of evolution should mirror theirs—integrating their strange energies.”

“Since then, Xia Nation—and the entire world—has been plagued by an infamous organization known as…”

“The Moon Cult.”

—

Xu Shen frowned deeply. He had never heard of this Moon Cult before. Had he really been slacking off in his studies?

Seeing his confusion, Dong Tianming chuckled. “It’s normal that you don’t know about them. Information on the Moon Cult is restricted to Xinhuo Guard members and university students.”

“They recruit geniuses wherever they go—forcing them into monstrous transformations or killing them if they refuse.”

“Their corpses are then used to create new ghouls,” Dong Tianming added grimly.

“So if you refuse them, you die and become a ghoul. If you agree, you turn into some abomination anyway?” Xu Shen asked incredulously.

Dong Tianming nodded.

“That’s pure evil! What kind of nonsense is this?!” Xu Shen cursed before suddenly realizing something. He turned sharply toward Dong Tianming.

“Are you saying… they might target me?”

“Yes,” Dong Tianming admitted. “Even though your records have been erased by the Guide and Xinhuo Guard headquarters—even though today’s footage has been classified as top secret—the Moon Cult has its ways.”

“In fact… their members could be anywhere,” he added ominously.

Xu Shen ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He wasn’t too worried about himself but feared for his family’s safety. If the Moon Cult discovered his connections…

His eyes reddened as he glared at Dong Tianming. “You’ve told me all this for a reason. What do you want from me?”

Dong Tianming smiled faintly and snapped his fingers.

“It’s simple—I want you to meet someone from Xinhuo Guard,” he said calmly. “Trust me—Xinhuo Guard will never harm you.”

As he spoke, the room darkened until it was pitch black. From within the void emerged a flickering black flame—strangely visible despite blending into the darkness.

The flame grew larger until it took on the shape of an elderly man.

“Greetings, Xu Shen,” the figure said with a warm smile. “I am Ye Xiaoxin, current leader of Xinhuo Guard.”

“You may also call me Commander.”