Chương 7: Jiangshi (Part II)

How best to employ the Rune of Gluttony, how to avoid triggering the Curse of Wrath, how to handle the approaching sunlight, and how to gather more Blood Essence were Lucian's short-term concerns. Settling in to accumulate resources, learning about the Golden Peng Empire, Three Feathers City, cultivators, Qi, and avoiding the other Curses were matters of the mid-term. Discovering who had plotted against him and how to return to his Castle were long-term objectives.

At every moment, Lucian organized his thoughts, prioritized risks, adjusted his mindset, and refined his plans to maximize his benefits and accelerate his progress. That was why he paid little attention to Bai Xiaoming's earlier outburst and to the way she strained her muscles moving heavy debris, scorching and cutting her skin in the process. He was preoccupied with larger issues.

In fact, he had assisted her once, knowing that clearing the wreckage entirely by hand would be too slow and that excessive pain might render her useless. That's right, he was kind enough to remind her to use a tool to help on the job. But just because he would lose too much time otherwise. As his mind raced, he heard Bai Xiaoming let out an excited squeak.

"I found it!" Her newly donned clothes were torn, her body covered in bruises and soot, yet a triumphant smile lit her face. Beneath her lay a sealed, scorched silver box, its surface etched with intricate lines carved into the metal. Without waiting for Lucian's command, she grabbed the front latches and attempted to drag the box free. Her face flushed red as she strained with both hands. The rectangular container did not move.

Seeing she could not manage alone, Lucian stepped through the charred wreckage and stood beside her. Bai Xiaoming huffed and attempted one final pull before giving up.

"Grand Cultivator… I am too weak. Forgive me," she said, panting.

"No matter, mortal," Lucian replied, gesturing toward the box.

"There is no need to move it. You may open it here." Bai Xiaoming let out a nervous laugh.

"This lowly one is but a commoner, Grand Cultivator."

"I am aware," he said, not understanding why it mattered.

"…I do not possess Qi to unlock this artifact, Grand Cultivator," she said with a wry smile. Lucian frowned and examined the silver box more closely. It was large enough to fit three people, rectangular in form, its surface covered in peculiar etched symbols unlike any script he had seen among the parchments. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. An ugly coffin at best, he thought, before turning to Bai Xiaomeng.

"Tell me what those characters mean," he asked, pointing at the engravings.

"I… I do not know," Bai Xiaoming admitted.

"They were already on the box. But—" she hurriedly added, "I know that Qi must be infused to open the lid. And that Young Master Bai is inside! Once you infuse Qi and I confirm the secret phrase, he will open it!" Lucian absorbed the explanation, then shook his head slowly.

"If the mechanism requires his response, he would have died if he had lost consciousness," he said, shooting her a peculiar glance. Inwardly, Bai Xiaomeng was blaming Lucian for all the time wasted. Outwardly, she forced a strained smile and said, "We can only hope for the best." Lucian gave a small nod and stepped toward the silver box, placing his palm upon its surface. Naturally, he could not infuse Qi into it, as he possessed none, nor did he expect to wield such an unfamiliar energy so soon.

But he did not particularly care about Young Master Bai's survival either, so he didn't mind doing some experiments. For him, if the boy lived, that was convenient, and if the boy died, that would be instructive. How will it react to Blood Essence? Lucian thought, commanding the crimson energy to gather on his palm.

This was not an entirely reckless attempt, as Lucian strongly suspected that, much like his own Runes differed from the Mana Runes of mages, the etched patterns carved into this metal box were also a form of runic construct, merely aligned to Qi instead of Mana or Blood Essence. Mana and Blood Essence are distinct forces, yet both interact with runic structures, he recalled. The same pattern, when fed a different energy, can yield entirely different results. Crimson essence seeped into the engraved lines.

For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then the carvings began to absorb it, and slowly, the energy was drawn inward. Giving less Blood Essence than required to activate one of his own Runes, the engravings began to glow faintly red, flickering in an unstable rhythm. Lucian withdrew his hand and waited. Beside him, Bai Xiaomeng's eyes widened in awe and fear. She had never seen crimson Qi in her life, and it gave her a dangerous and mystical feeling.

In truth, she had never seen Qi at all, as colored Qi was said to be a mark of powerful cultivators. For her, the safety of Young Master Bai mattered more than her own life and was the only thing that held her sanity after the whole calamity that fell upon her. A moment later, a dull thudding sound echoed from within the box, and the crimson flickering intensified.

"Young Master!" Bai Xiaoming cried out.

"Calm yourself! The secret phrase is Bai'er!" The pounding grew louder. She turned to Lucian, panic rising in her voice.

"Grand Cultivator, what is happening? I beg you, help him!" Lucian spared her a glance before returning his attention to the silver box. The engravings are breaking. However, the fact that they respond to Blood Essence is promising, he thought, as a faint smile touched his lips. The lid trembled violently, and a thin red line formed along its edges, tracing the seam. Anticipating what would follow, Lucian stepped back. Bai Xiaomeng hesitated a heartbeat before retreating as well.

The next instant, the lid blasted free, crashing aside as the figure inside erupted into coughing.

"Young Master Bai!" Bai Xiaomeng rushed forward, helping the plump youth who was struggling upright, gasping for air, and clutching the edge of the box. Meanwhile, Lucian's eyes narrowed. A faint mist of Blood Essence leaked from the young man's body, and thin streams of blood trickled from his nose and ears. Bai Xiaomeng, whose eyes had adjusted to the dim light of the torches, could not perceive such details.

Lucian, however, with his night vision and years of experience, saw everything clearly and reached a calm conclusion. This boy is dying.