Chương 4: Bai Clan (Part III)

Xin Fang hastily attempted to force his mind back into clarity, thinking Lucian had thrown a spiritual attack without the strength to back it up. He resumed forming his Qi Gathering technique and was about to mock his opponent for the failed attempt when a sound caught his attention. Turning to his left, Xin Fang's eyes bulged the moment he saw the figure there, and for the second time that night, he interrupted his technique.

His meridians strained violently, and blood spilled from his mouth and nose, but he did not care.

"No… How…" he muttered, swallowing the blood threatening to leak from his mouth. At his side stood a crimson version of Lucian. This one emitted an overwhelming Qi pressure, far beyond what Xin Fang could endure. And in each hand, the crimson Lucian held a person. Huoxing Shen and Zhou Ren. Xin Fang's Third and Fourth Brothers. Both had their arms and legs severed, fresh blood dripping from the stumps, and no more Qi emanated from them.

"This—" Xin Fang stood dazed as his mind refused to function, the entire scene deepening in crimson.

"This demon was playing with me!" He tried desperately to fill the gaps, to understand how the being he had been fighting moments ago now stood holding his dead brothers.

"Maybe it is a cloning technique… or he moved so fast I could not perceive it… or—" Xin Fang did not realize he was speaking his thoughts aloud. His inner self and reality had begun to overlap, blending into something indistinguishable.

"Little Zhou Ren, your Big Brother is sorry you never married," he muttered in a daze, tears spilling down his face as a faint red glow flickered in his eyes.

"Huoxing Shen! This useless Big Brother of yours will soon die, so no one will ever know your family's secret. No one will know you are the true heir of Peacock Mountain! And that Chief Huoxing is your father, not your Great-Uncle!" He spoke of things he had sworn never to reveal, secrets meant to die with him. Xin Fang's gaze drifted toward the dried corpse of Pan Xunmeng, which now seemed to stare back at him with a mocking smile.

"Second Brother Pan Xunmeng! On heavens, do not worry. No one will ever know you murdered your way out of the army. No one. Not even this vampire—" The final word fractured something inside him, and his face went blank.

"Wait, what is a vampire?" The crimson glow vanished from his eyes, but before he could react, he felt powerlessness. Visions of his Third and Fourth Brothers dissolved into crimson mist as his legs gave way.

"What is happening?" he questioned, still in a daze. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. Next, his eyes closed, and with a final breath, Xin Fang was dead. Draining no more blood, Lucian withdrew his fangs from Xin Fang's neck and let the cultivator's mummified corpse collapse to the ground. Then, keeping his mouth open, he expelled a mixture of blood and Qi onto the body.

So this energy is called Qi, Lucian thought, categorizing the knowledge extracted from Xin Fang through the Rune of Lust. Unfortunately, my Blood Essence was nearly depleted, and this Qi seems to offer some degree of mental resistance, or I could have taken more of his knowledge. Shaking his head, Lucian searched Xin Fang's robes and retrieved the two remaining pouches. One contained twenty Gray Spirit Stones, while the other held a single Jade Spirit Stone. They should prove useful, Lucian thought.

Knowing the rest of the goods had either been left among the wagons or been taken by the fleeing duo, Lucian retraced his steps toward the ruined camp. I have much to consider, he thought, recalling the fight and the Qi technique used by the Xin Fang. If he had attacked me by surprise, or if they had fought together, or even if he possessed greater resistance to mental interference, I would have lost. The thought, though concerning, drew a faint smile to his lips.

"What an interesting place," he muttered, noticing the flames of the wagons beginning to weaken. Approaching the area where the four cultivators had previously gathered, he observed that most of the jewels, gold, and weapons remained scattered among the corpses and the unconscious woman.

"That is a relief," he said softly.

"The fire has not reached them yet." Without delay, he extended his right hand toward the pile of corpses. A crimson rune flashed across his palm, depicting a hand plucking out an eye, surrounded by shifting sigils. Devilish Arts: Boon of Greed – Blinded by Power With this activation, the remainder of his Blood Essence was drained, and the Rune of Lust within his mind vanished. Moments later, blood began to seep from the seven orifices of half a dozen corpses, rising into the air.

This blood flow gathered before the rune, swirling and condensing into a crimson eyeball. Then, thin strands separated from the mass and flowed into Lucian's mouth, where they were absorbed and refined into Blood Essence, entering the Rune of Greed in his palm. When the pile of corpses shriveled into mummified husks, he moved between the wagons, carefully avoiding the lingering flames. As he passed the unconscious woman, he felt a subtle tug from the floating eye.

The technique demanded more Blood Essence, urging him to drain the living. Complying, Lucian extracted a single drop from her body to test her nature. Not a cultivator, he concluded after tasting it, and promptly turned his attention to the rest of the camp. I need her alive. While the crimson eye continued drawing blood from the battlefield, Lucian searched for preserved corpses and, preferably, other living beings.

He had heightened senses, and through the technique, he was able to detect the presence of living beings. Yet after sweeping through the camp, he found nothing. Minutes later, Lucian ended the technique. Then, he opened his mouth and drew the remaining blood inward, his body refining it into Blood Essence. Finishing the main task, Lucian walked to the single living woman and crouched before her. Aware of his current limitations, he used his Blood Essence to condense another crimson rune within his brain.

It resembled a neck gripped by four fingers, with sigils surrounding it. Devilish Arts: Boon of Lust – Out of Touch Although he had learned a few words by invading Xin Fang's mind, his grasp of the language was no better than that of a two-year-old child. Lucian empowered the rune just enough to ensure that intent could flow between them for communication. Gazing at her and sensing the modest reserves of Blood Essence within himself, he thought, I can't be wasteful. Then he spoke calmly, "Wake up."

When she did not respond, he leaned closer, bringing his mouth to her ear, his breath caressing her neck.

"Wake up," he repeated, this time reinforcing it as a command. The intent struck at her consciousness, his devilish voice sounding alluring and otherworldly. It also triggered her survival instincts, almost as if a predator was breathing down her neck. Without suspense, the woman opened her eyes, fully awake.