Chương 18: Wooden Corpse (Part IV)

Wang Chen trembled like a leaf, watching Lucian dissolve one man after another. Part of him was horrified by the act itself, but Wang Chen had seen the darker side of mankind, and especially of cultivators, more than once. Inwardly, he ignored Bai Xiaomeng's question about Lucian speaking the common language and was more concerned about the fact that he had forgotten to bring the last bandit's body!

The more he saw Lucian's actions, the more he feared that his mistakes would cost his life, and worse, Bai Xiaomeng's life! While Wang Chen silently despaired about how Lucian might deal with him and Bai Xiaomeng, the last bandit in their camp crumbled into ashes. Lucian stood there frowning, rubbing his forehead and feeling a mild headache. This will not do, he thought. I must strengthen my body with Blood Essence, or it will not endure the other runes.

Just this lesser activation of the Rune of Gluttony is causing me trouble. He sighed and turned toward Wang Chen and Bai Xiaomeng.

"Bring the remaining corpse here," he ordered. Then he nodded toward Bai Xiaomeng.

"And you, listen closely. You may disobey, as you are not my servant. But do not ignore me again. This isn't a request." Both of them nodded, their faces pale as paper. With a trembling voice, Wang Chen stammered, "Can Little Meng come with me?" Lucian stared at Wang Chen's shaking eyes for a moment and then nodded. As Wang Chen and Bai Xiaomeng hurried past him, both heard Lucian speak again in the common language.

"Blood each month, heart each year, and find me every decade. Do not forget the rules." Wang Chen shivered but pretended not to hear. He grabbed Bai Xiaomeng by the wrist and pulled her away at a faster pace. Lucian no longer paid attention to them. He deactivated both the Rune of Lust within his brain and the Rune of Gluttony on his tongue, the sigils dissipating. With heavy steps and a sweat-covered body, he walked toward the silver box.

Next, he placed the lid above it, lifted the puppet, now nothing more than a wooden torso with a head and a robe, and threw it inside. At last, he climbed in and closed the lid. It is time to digest, he thought, closing his eyes and organizing the fragments of knowledge and memories he had taken from the three mortals. Regretfully, devouring three mortals was enough to awaken the Curse. As the thought crossed his mind, a strange symbol appeared upon his tongue.

It was not the usual crimson rune but a dark, black mark shaped like two fangs, without the usual sigils. Curse of Gluttony Lucian's existence revolved around consuming blood, converting it into Blood Essence, strengthening his body, and avoiding the activation of Curses whenever possible. The lack of knowledge is a sin in itself, he thought, and gritted his teeth as pain flooded his body. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

It felt as if worms were burrowing through his flesh, devouring muscle and bone. My last change... When did it happen? It should be more than a millennium ago, he thought, trying to distract himself. Unlike when he had used the Rune of Lust on Xin Pang, infecting the cultivator's mind with illusions while exchanging fragments of knowledge, this time Lucian had used the Rune of Gluttony to seize the mortals' knowledge directly.

In doing so, he strained his body more than he could currently handle, causing the Curse of Gluttony to activate. Lucian's muscles trembled violently, and the bones of his face cracked. The pain forced his eyes open, and he bit his lip to keep from screaming. Blood Essence moved on its own, beyond his control, circulating through his body and cleansing every wound, from his shoulder to his hand. No scars remained, yet this healing only signaled that the Curse had reached its peak.

With a scream, Lucian's eyes turned crimson and his fangs elongated beyond his will. He thrashed inside the sealed box until the agony finally subsided and the dark sigil upon his tongue faded away. Drenched in sweat and with a body so sore that every breath caused pain, Lucian ran his hands over himself, feeling the changes. After checking his body, he touched his face, slowly allowing the sensation in his fingers to return as he examined every small alteration.

A slightly smaller nose, facial features closer to those of eastern humans, and thinner lips, he analyzed. Besides that, I lost weight and became shorter. Finishing the thought, he chuckled weakly and took a slow breath before closing his eyes once more. Sleep will help me heal and digest the knowledge. Relaxing his body and steadying his breathing, Lucian slipped into a strange stupor, a sleep in which he still retained a faint awareness of his surroundings.

While he slept, Wang Chen and Bai Xiaomeng were deep in the forest, arguing.

"Young Master Wang, we can't go! You could die!"

"Little Meng, he did not simply kill them," Wang Chen said, glancing between the distant camp and the forest ahead.

"He tortured those bandits and left nothing of their bodies. Please, we must leave."

"If we leave, you could die," Bai Xiaomeng insisted.

"You are now a jiangshi. Your body has changed. And if we flee, even if he doesn't hunt us—""He is a Demonic Cultivator, Little Meng," Wang Chen interrupted.

"Even the bastards who killed our fathers and friends were not as barbaric as him." Bai Xiaomeng fell silent, her expression turning somber. Noticing his mistake, Wang Chen grabbed her shoulders.

"I mean their attacks. They were bastards and acted like barbarians, and it is good that half of them are dead. I will light incense for our families and give them the good news," he said, taking a deep breath.

"But Bai Xiaomeng, they did not devour people. They were rogue cultivators. That is not the same as a merciless Demonic Cultivator."

"…You need him," she muttered quietly. Wang Chen chuckled and took her hand.

"Who knows if that is true? And even if it is, well, ten years is enough." Bai Xiaomeng looked into his eyes. She knew he was speaking about revenge, and she also knew he wanted to flee to protect her. Still, she had other concerns.

"I want to follow you," she said softly.

"But Young Master Wang, have you thought this through? It is still a full day to reach the nearest village. At least half a day to leave the Azure Magpie Forest. Can we travel alone? Or do you plan to take the map and some supplies?" Wang Chen frowned, his tongue moving as he searched for an answer. Seeing the hesitation, Bai Xiaomeng pressed further.

"What if we follow him to the village? Then we ask him for some gold. We can say we need to buy supplies. After that, we take two horses and travel to Long River Town." Wang Chen was about to refuse when Bai Xiaomeng looked at him with wide, tearful eyes.

"Please. Just one more day." Entranced by that look, he could only nod.

"Okay," he said, slightly dazed.

"Then let us pick up the corpse and return." Wang Chen nodded again, though he continued staring at her. Blushing, Bai Xiaomeng lowered her head.

"Young Master Wang, I do not know where the corpse is. Please lead the way." And so the two of them walked through the dark forest, searching for the body they needed to bring back to the Vampire Ancestor they believed to be a Demonic Cultivator.