Li Haitang suddenly stopped at the entrance of a shop specializing in women's underwear, almost causing Ning Beichen, who was following her with bags of goods, to bump into her.
"Haitang, what's wrong?" Ning Beichen asked.
"There's a trace of witchcraft here." Haitang looked around, sniffing the air, and said to Ning Beichen.
Ning Beichen also imitated her, looking and sniffing. However, besides the scent of perfume from Haitang, he smelled nothing else and was almost mistaken for a pervert.
"No need to sniff, this is the ability of us Miao witches," Li Haitang said to Ning Beichen with a wry smile.
"It must be that Western witch. Haitang, is she here?" Ning Beichen's spirits immediately lifted, his expression full of murderous intent.
"Let me sense it." Li Haitang closed her eyes and began to concentrate. After a while, she opened them and said to Ning Beichen.
"The trace left behind is from a few days ago. She must have come to this shop to buy something." Li Haitang informed Ning Beichen.
"Then I'll find a way to ask them for the surveillance footage," Ning Beichen immediately suggested.
"There's no need. Tonight at midnight, I will find her, as long as she's still in this city," Li Haitang said confidently.
Meanwhile, Tara had not left Haizhou New City. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but rather that she couldn't. Although she wasn't dead, she was far from well. Recently, she had secretly killed several people, using their vital energy and blood to reverse her aging. However, this only managed to halt the progression of her aging and offered no significant help for her injuries. Moreover, her secret killings could not be kept hidden forever. People were already investigating the matter, which prevented her from even going to a hospital. She could only hide in the home of one of the people she had killed.
However, her senior brother was arriving today to help her. Once her senior brother arrived, all her problems would be solved because her senior brother was much more powerful than her. And as for that Ning Beichen, she had to make him die! No, even death would not quell her hatred; she wanted to make Ning Beichen wish he had never been born!
Tara looked at her gradually aging face in the mirror, which fueled her intense hatred for Ning Beichen. To regain her youth, she needed to kill many more people for nourishment. But the atmosphere outside was tense, and many strangers had appeared in the area recently, making her hesitant to act. She could only wait for her senior brother's arrival.
Her senior brother had said he would return tonight, but it was already past nine in the evening, and she still hadn't seen him, which was making her anxious. Fortunately, around ten o'clock, she sensed a familiar aura from within her room. Her face lit up, and she hurried to open the door, revealing a man in a black hat standing outside.
"Senior brother, you're finally here." Tara excitedly rushed to embrace the man.
"Tara, I can feel your life force rapidly draining. What happened to you?" The man's vocal cords seemed to have an issue, and his voice was hoarse, like the noise produced by a metal band.
Tara recounted everything that had happened to her, not daring to hide anything. It was evident that she was in awe of her senior brother, not merely afraid.
"Tara, you were too reckless, daring to use forbidden arts." The man admonished her in a reprimanding tone.
"Senior brother, I know I was wrong. I originally intended to bring you the skull of Wuzu, but that Ning Beichen was too detestable and gravely wounded me. If I hadn't used forbidden arts at that time, I might never have seen you again." Tara explained to her senior brother with a look that evoked pity.
"Hmph! I will help you kill this Ning Beichen and avenge you. But your condition is critical right now, so I'll heal your injuries first," said Alva, Tara's senior brother.
"Thank you, senior brother." Tara was overjoyed.
"Sit down, I'll start treating you now." Alva had Tara sit down. Then, he extended his withered, tree-like arm, making gestures in the air and chanting some mysterious incantations.
At this moment, people living in the same building as Tara appeared to be possessed, foaming at the mouth, collapsing to the ground, and convulsing. An invisible life force was continuously being drawn out from their bodies and pouring into Tara's. One could see the wrinkles on Tara's face, which had been deeply creased, rapidly disappearing. Her rough skin was regaining its former smoothness. In a short time, the residents of the building were reduced to shriveled husks with no life force, their vital essence all absorbed by Tara.
Now, Tara had transformed back into the stunningly beautiful and deadly Scorpion Woman she once was.
"Thank you, senior brother," Tara said emotionally to Alva. With Alva's help, she had not only regained her youthful appearance but also healed her injuries.
Alva nodded and, looking somewhat tired, commanded her, "I'm weary, attend to me."
"Yes, senior brother." Tara obediently went to serve him. Not long after, a cry, whether of pain or pleasure, was heard from Tara.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ning Beichen saw Li Haitang dancing in an open space. He wasn't mistaken; however, Li Haitang wasn't performing an ordinary dance, nor was she entertaining herself or dancing for Ning Beichen. It was a witch dance of the Miao. To Ning Beichen, she resembled someone worshipping the moon.
Just moments ago, as Tara absorbed a large amount of life essence to restore her youth, Li Haitang had immediately detected it.
"I've found her, follow me." Li Haitang stopped her witch dance and said to Ning Beichen.
"Feng Wu, protect Liu Yilin." Ning Beichen hurried to follow, informing Feng Wu to protect Liu Yilin. He then quickly got into the car and drove away from Liu Yilin's home with Li Haitang.
"Turn left." Li Haitang, sitting in the car, gave Ning Beichen instructions from time to time, and he followed them as he drove. Soon, under Li Haitang's guidance, Ning Beichen drove to an old redevelopment area. This area was one of the oldest districts, with narrow streets, a filthy environment, and a complex population, considered to have the largest number of migrant residents. Ning Beichen's subordinates had searched this place before but had found nothing.