Chương 6: Jiangshi (Part I)

Lucian and Bai Xiaomeng stood side by side amid the ruined camp. In her hands, she held a charred scroll, its characters written vertically in sharp shapes. An incomplete illustration depicted a greenish soldier battling an undetermined monster.

"And by order of the Jade Emperor, the West Guardian summoned thousands of Bean Soldiers to repel the Chained Spirits invoked by the Invader," she finished reading before turning to Lucian.

"Grand Cultivator, I promise I am literate. There is no need to keep testing me with children's tales, is there?" Under normal circumstances, Bai Xiaomeng would never question a cultivator. But given the circumstances, she had no choice but to voice some of her thoughts. After all, instead of wasting time, they could be rescuing her Young Master Bai! Both she and Lucian stood near a small bonfire, which served as a light source for her reading.

Earlier, they had spent considerable time sorting the scattered goods into four distinct piles. One contained weapons, while another held jewels, silver, gold, and other valuables. The third gathered food, beverages, and salvageable daily supplies, while the final and smallest pile consisted of scrolls, parchments, diaries, and pamphlets. After she had organized everything, Lucian's next command was for her to read aloud, much to her surprise.

She had assumed he wanted trade records or perhaps the caravan's logbook. Instead, he had dismissed such materials as they were filled with numbers and asked for written texts. Thus began what felt like endless reading. Bai Xiaomeng read diaries, grocery lists, and children's tales. Whenever they found pages with maps or drawings, Lucian would study them closely before storing those he deemed useful within his robe, seemingly at random to her.

Worse still, when she had timidly suggested it might be faster if they both read separately, Lucian had replied that an illiterate person would be of no assistance. Because of this, she thought this was all a test to prove she could read! Having no choice in the matter, she obeyed at first, and only after finishing the tenth scroll of children's stories did she finally voice her frustration. Lucian hummed in acknowledgment and turned his gaze toward the wagons, now reduced to dim embers.

"You may stop," he said.

"We shall retrieve your friend and have him read for me as well."

"… Young Master Bai, he—" She nearly protested that subjecting her Young Master to reading such trivial tales would dishonor his status, but remembering she stood before a cultivator, she swallowed her words. Not that her concerns would matter, as Lucian had ceased listening anyway. Walking toward the center of the ruined camp, he reflected on what he had learned. This language bears no resemblance to anything I recall, he noted.

While the people here resemble those of the Eastern Region, the similarity is merely physical. He had hoped to gain knowledge quickly by understanding this new language, but ended up with more questions. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

Though fragments of useful information had surfaced among Bai Xiaomeng's readings, the language itself remained the greatest obstacle, as the meaning behind the words would change along with their intonation and order in the sentence. Lucian required someone to read for him to have a better grasp of the language, because words in a paper would have no intent for him to interpret through the Rune of Lust.

If a text concealed hidden messages or subtle nuances, Lucian would perceive only what the reader understood, so he wanted to know more about the written language so as not to depend on others' brains. Should I attempt to use the Rune of Gluttony? It may cause certain physical alterations, and there are too many variables to consider, but I don't think I have another choice. Ordinarily, Lucian's age afforded him patience, but the weakness brought on by his depleted Blood Essence unsettled him.

From Bai Xiaoming's perspective, however, he appeared indifferent and frustratingly slow, delaying her Young Master's rescue. That's why she felt a flicker of relief mixed with anxiety when he finally moved. Next, she threw the scroll back onto the pile and hurried after him. After walking in silence for several moments, they arrived before the largest wreckage, which had once been the most ornate and luxurious wagon, previously drawn by four horses.

Now, it was a little more than charred timber surrounded by mummified and burned corpses. The horses had fled long ago, and the remaining metal fittings were smeared with ash and scorch marks. Lucian stopped before it. Bai Xiaomeng stood a few steps behind, nervously glancing at him. After a stretch of silence, Lucian waved his hand.

"You may begin."

"…I'm sorry?" Bai Xiaoming asked, startled.

"Clear the rubble and retrieve the box," he commanded through the Rune of Lust.

"This Lord shall intervene if there is danger." Momentarily stunned, she gave a slow nod and approached the wreckage. However, as she drew closer, heat radiating from the smoldering wood forced her to pull her hands back. She glanced at Lucian, who showed no reaction, and, s uppressing a sigh, she braced herself to endure the heat.

"I'm waiting." Lucian's voice sounded behind her.

"I—I am sorry, Grand Cultivator. I will begin immediately," she stammered with a flinch. Turning back toward the wreckage, Bai Xiaomeng inhaled deeply, moving her bare hands. Then she felt a pressure on her shoulder. Her stomach dropped, and her heart raced. Instinctively, she shoved the person behind her and screamed, "Stop!" Sweat beaded on her face as her pulse thundered wildly. For a fleeting moment, Pan Xunmeng's face overlapped with Lucian's in her mind, and fury overtook her senses.

As her fingers rose to claw at the face before her, Lucian's otherworldly voice cut through her thoughts.

"Behave." The illusion shattered instantly, and she found herself staring into Lucian's dark eyes, realization crashing down upon her. Horrified at what she had nearly done, she dropped to her knees.

"Grand Cultivator, I beg your mercy!" She kowtowed on the ash-covered ground, smearing mud and soot across her forehead. Lucian glanced at her briefly, shaking his head slightly.

"Use a larger piece of wood to move the debris. A sword or a pole might also suffice. Try not to get hurt in such a dumb way." He did not address her outburst. Instead, he stepped back to his previous position and continued observing his surroundings. Bai Xiaoming swallowed hard, taking a moment to steady herself, and then she followed his suggestions. Meanwhile, Lucian had dismissed her reaction entirely, concerned with deeper issues. After a few hours, dawn would come again, he thought.

These past days, I lacked Blood Essence to concern myself with sunlight. Now, however, I must prepare for it. It was a known fact among the vampires that unless one refined or enhanced themselves with Blood Essence, they wouldn't suffer from sunlight. Despite being aware of it, Lucian hadn't delayed the consumption of blood. He was more used to being the monster in the dark, after all.