Cold winds that filled mortal souls with chill swept through the Scavenger plains. Like waves, they broke apart against luxurious white walls. There amongst the bright green grass stood a great pale manor. While it was called a manor it rivaled a proper castle in size. The outside walls of the manor were decorated with skeletal knights that guarded each and every corner while beards of bone were porched upon the roof as they vigilantly kept watch over the surroundings. The main door of the manor resembled the jaws of some ancient beast ready to devour anyone that dared to step inside.

From the distance, the manor looked like an incredible work of a master craftsman that brought eerie life to a pristine marble, but only upon a closer inspection, the shocking truth revealed itself. With a single touch, it would be possible to tell that the manor didn't simply look like bone, it was carved from it. For only this kind of dwelling would be worthy of the lord of Scavenger plains.

Currently, the majority of the numerous hallways all over the manor stood empty while the inhabitants of the manor fearfully hid in their rooms as the Lord of bones called for his council.  Around 30 cultivators of whom the large majority already were at the 1st realm had gathered in a single large hall. Many of them wore luxurious robes, had exquisite armor, or held magnificent weapons, but most notably many of them were injured. Scarred faces and bandages were common while few even had missing limbs. All of these people were cultivators and many of them wished to air their grievances yet words died in their throats and they were forced to stare at their feet in shame and fear.

The source of their fear sat on a large decorative throne made out of jade bones. A handsome middle-aged man silently wept into his hand. He wore a luxurious blue robe with gray armor underneath. As the man silently mumbled in an incoherent manner, His hair elongated one moment and shrunk the next. 

The whole hall was entirely silent except for the soft cries of two men. One of them sat on the throne while the other was pinned to the ceiling. The second man was a youth that usually wore a scornful expression on his face, Shen Lang. Currently, his face was a twisted visage of pain, fear, and torment. Two curved blades of bone pierced his palms and pinned him to the ceiling while his belly was cut open while his intestines hanged from his body for all to see. Still alive he wept and begged for mercy, " Please have mercy, master! It wasn't my fault. "

The man on the throned stopped sobbing and his hair shrunk until it was shoulder length. He breathed out and looked up. " Whose fault is it then, whose fault it is that my sun set and my moon disappeared, who is it that took my children away? "

Shen Lang screamed until his throat was sore, " It was that corpse, master! He absorbed the soul of the young master and deceived the young lady. It was his fault, not mine. I would never lie to the Lord of bones. " Bao Lung, the Lord of Bones, leader of the Skeleton manor, looked at his loyal subordinates, " Do you believe him, do you believe that Shen Lang is telling the truth? "

Everyone kept quiet and fearfully hung their heads low, except for a single woman with curly short hair.  She wore tight-fitting blue armor and had a white sword strapped on her back. Impressively she was a 2nd realm cultivator. She bowed and faced Lord of bones without fear, " My lord, reports from the survivors indicate that there truly was a suspicious individual complicit in the destruction of the facility. Initially, it was believed that he was a low ranked undead, and was captured as a vessel for the young master. But later on, said individual managed to face dozens of nascent cultivators on his is own, and even managed to kill Mo Wan afterward. His current whereabouts are unknown.  "

Bao Lung erratically noded as his visage turned older and his hair grew longer. " My Li Lai, my good Li Lai. I knew that I can always count on you. " Tears streamed from Bao Lung's eyes while his face suddenly turned older, " This cannot stand.  That thief took something from us. FROM US! How dare he steal from the skeleton manor! I want him brought here dead or alive!  " Li Lai closed her eyes and bowed again. " It will be done."

" As for you, " Bao Lung pointed at the young man as gradually calmed down.. " You spoke the truth, Shen Lang. You deserve a reward from that ." Relief washed over the youth and he even managed to smile. " Thank you, master. Thank you very much." Yet the next moment his expression turned blank as the bone blades that pinned to the ceiling dislodged from his palms and let him fall. It was a 20 meter trip to the ground and once he arrived he went splat like a overripe fruit. His body ruptured upon impact and the floor was stained with his innards. The surrounding cultivators were splashed with fresh blood but they didn't even flinch, they stood as still as statues to afraid to move.    The only thing still intact was his head. It still stared with that same blank expression. 

The only part of Shen Lang that remained intact was his head, It still stared with the same dumb, blank expression. But that wasn't a problem to the lord of bones that spoke as if Shen Lang was still alive. Bao Lung aged even more as he spoke with a warm smile on his face, " No need to thank me, you are a good kid. You shall suffer on this wretched world no longer. " The old man absentmindedly sat on his throne for a while, but then he remembered something and he faced his female subordinate. " Hey, do you know where my chalice is? "

The woman bitterly answered. " We haven't been able to locate the artifact since the fire. " The elderly Bao Lung didn't say a thing as two of his bone blades floated in front of him. His body surged with ghastly white Qi as the bone blades grew in size. 2 meters, 6 meters, 8 meters. Once his weapons got to the length of 8 meters he innocently smiled.

The greatest masters of the skeleton manor trembled in fear as they felt death breath on their necks. Li Lai quickly shouted, " It's that corpse, master, the one that took your children, he also has your chalice. We will find him and bring him to you. "

Bao Lung didn't say a thing he just sat with a dumb smile on his face. After a while, his hair shrunk and he grew younger with every second that passed. Once he returned to his thirties the smile on his face faded and he ordered, " Get on with it then. "

The group of cultivators breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the woman with eyes full of gratitude.Li Lai either didn't notice or didn't care as she thought to herself,  " We must find that corpse! "