Chapter Thirteen: The Fierce Demonic Breed

  The young officer changed his mind again at the last moment. He wished he could be tough and ruthless, but he wasn't ready to be a bad guy yet.

  "Don't touch it!" The officer's words were ineffective, he turned and ran towards the oil lamp in the courtyard. With his superficial understanding of Taoist magic, he knew that only this thing might be able to withstand the blue flower's magic power.

  Xiao Qiu didn't hear the officer's reminder at all, his heart was almost bursting out of his chest, under the encouraging gaze of his companions, he grasped the blue flower stem in one go.

  A refreshing coolness instantly spread throughout the body, as if the whole person had been soaked in a cool river. Every pore was fully open, allowing the water to enter the body and even penetrate into the five internal organs.

  A cool sensation gathered on the top of her head, flew out of her body, and a second feeling followed closely, which was the most suitable warmth after the icy coldness. Xia Qiu immediately broke out in a fine sweat, and her body almost curled up, as if she were a baby lying in her mother's arms.

  Xiao Qiu's whole body was soft and weak, forgetting that he should break off the blue flower. His companions didn't urge him either, empathizing with him, then a third feeling came.

  That cool and hot sensation was like flushing a long-sealed container, creating a livable environment for the true master. Now this master has personally taken the stage, like a sharp knife skillfully scraping off all flesh and blood from the bones, without pausing for a moment in between.

  "Ah——" Xia Qiu's scream pierced through the stillness of the deep night.

  The young men of the Ye Lin Town were all startled by this unexpected shout, looking at each other in horror and confusion, not understanding how they ended up kneeling outside the house.

  "Let go quickly." Fang Fang was the first to react.

  Xiao Qiu didn't want to let go, but he was stuck. The delicate-looking blue flower showed no mercy, with countless tiny, sharp tentacles extending from the stem, piercing his skin and wrapping around his bones in circles.

  In the yard of the old woman, the officer had already taken down the oil lamp from the top of the wooden beam. Hearing Xia Qiu's continuous cries, he hesitated again. The oil lamp in his hand was the only protective barrier. If it didn't work after throwing it out, he would be in extreme danger.

  He didn't know much about the demon species, but a five-element master had died in the forest just by being touched by one of them. The officer didn't want to take any risks.

  "Pull him away!" The officer didn't think much about it, just hoping this trick would work well and there would be no need to use the oil lamp.

  The boys were in a flurry, and upon hearing the officer's suggestion, they immediately put it into action. Er Biao and Fang Fang each grabbed one of Xiao Qiu's arms, while Da Liang, Er Liang, and others also rushed to help.

  Xiao Qiu's palm did not leave the blue flower, but the young men of Yelin Town one after another could not let go, and they couldn't help shouting.

  "I'm going to die from heat, I'm about to collapse."

  "I'm freezing to death."

  "Why am I always trembling?"

  "Oh no, my arm... My whole body feels like it's going to melt."

  Everyone's feelings and reactions are different, Xia Qiu's internal pain like a knife cut was alleviated a bit, he had sobered up, knowing that something was wrong, "Let go of me, don't touch me!"

  It's no longer possible to let go, the nine young men of Yelin Town are tied together like this, each experiencing different torments, and that blue flower is withering away before their eyes.

  "Spit out the inner elixir!" The officer hiding in the courtyard, holding an oil lamp, had another idea. Seeing the miserable state of the young men, he was even more reluctant to let go, "The demon must be here for the inner elixir."

  Xiao Qiu knew the officer was right, because the inner elixir in his chest cavity - he thought it should be the inner elixir - was frantically rotating wildly within an extremely narrow range. He could no longer feel his true heart, and the thing jumping up and down in his chest cavity was just that inner elixir, which was resisting the invasion of the demon species, but was isolated and helpless, unable to get any support from its master.

  Xiao Qiu is not Li Yuechi, without the cultivation of a five-element master, his inner elixir is trapped in a weak and small body, and can only exert extremely small power.

  Xiao Qiu's right hand grasped the stem of a flower, while her left arm was tightly held by several young men. She struggled to vomit, but nothing came out.

  The blue flowers have withered more than half, like a wrinkled and emaciated old woman, revealing a ferocious appearance.

  Er Biao was one of the people closest to Xiao Qiu, shouting "Let me do it", stretching out his idle left hand and stuffing it into Xiao Qiu's mouth for a while.

  Xiao Qiu still didn't spit it out, instead her teeth clenched tightly, almost biting off a few of Er Shuang's fingers.

  "Wait." In the critical moment, Fang Fang's mind was the clearest among a group of boys, "The inner elixir can resist the demon species. If we spit out the inner elixir, we will be even more unable to withstand it."

  Xiao Qiu stopped trying, Er Shuang was anxious and angry, turned his head to the officer on the opposite side of the road and shouted: "Are you not coming to help?"

  The officer saw Er Bao's completely red face, felt a wave of fear in his heart, pushed open the gate and walked onto the road, stopping after several steps. "You're Er Bao?"

  "Right, think quickly, is there another trick?"

  The officer chuckled twice, then his face sank and he said seriously: "Let me tell you, my surname is Xin, I'm called Xin Youtao. I am the prince of Xijie country, your master. I came to the border to practice military training under the order of my father, but unexpectedly encountered a snake demon and fell into your hands by mistake. Look, this is the price for you to kidnap me and torture me."

  Xin Youtao lowered his head and took a glance at the oil lamp in his hand, finding that the light had already begun to weaken. He hurriedly raised his other hand to shield it, continuing to speak to the stunned youths: "I have to go, I need to summon the Xuanfu Army from Xia'er Fort to exorcise the demon. Hopefully, the demonic breed won't kill you all, but instead let you all become demons."

  Xin Yutao distinguished the direction and ran westward along the official road in small steps.

  "Damn it, you little brat, get back here right now, I'm going to beat the crap out of you..."

  Xin Youtao will not be back, he has made up his mind. The lives of all the residents of Ye Lin Town are not as important as one prince. He is a man who wants to do great things and become a true king, so he must act decisively. Since the young people did not listen to his advice and were invaded by the demon species, there was no need for him to risk rescuing them.

  The silhouette of the Western king's son quickly disappeared into the darkness, taking away the only source of light.

  It was the height of summer, but the young men suddenly felt a chill run down their spines. The fool who had just been complaining about the heat shivered and said in a tearful voice: "Are we all going to die? It's all Xia Qiu's fault. If he hadn't snatched away Fang Fang, if he hadn't insisted on touching that flower, nothing would have happened... Baldy wouldn't be dead either..."

  The young heart is like a shallow stone tray, can't hold much water, and changes quickly. Erzi's words suddenly brought everyone into a state of panic.

  "Has Xia Qiu asked for your help? Everyone is a volunteer, even Baldy. When you first saw this flower, didn't you also stare blankly? What are you saying at a time like this?"

  Normally, Ah-kuo would have challenged Er-liang, but now he didn't even have the heart to compete. He started sobbing, "I don't want to die! My dad just got someone to make me a big bed and I haven't slept in it for many nights yet."

  Daliang was the oldest among these young people, but he wasn't brave at all. "My dad said that next year we'll buy a calf and I'll be herding for my own family... Xia Qiuge, Xia Qiuge, think of something."

  "Little Autumn Brother" is what the shepherd boys usually call him, and Daliang also calls him that.

  It's come to this, Er Biao thinks he should say something, "What's there to be afraid of? If we die, we die. The nine of us dying together is quite lively..."

  "What if I become a monster and can't die?" Dengzi, originally Ershuang's best friend, was now in no mood to help, "That Prince Wang said he would bring the Xuanfu army to exorcise monsters. If I become a monster, my dad won't let me back home, waaah..."

  Ever since he beat up a runny-nosed kid two years ago, Ah Ze hadn't cried so hard in public for a long time. Not even when his parents chased him down the street with sticks did he back down.

  Two seals, one array of stagnant air, he didn't want to become a monster either. In the end, he was poked full of holes by the Xuanfu Army or the Five Elements Master, so he used force on his arm, hoping to pull Xia Qiu away, or that he could let go himself. However, it was useless. His entire right arm had gone soft like noodles, only his palm was firmly grasping Xia Qiu's arm, unable to move a single inch.

  "Take out your dagger!" Xia Qiu cried out.

  "Huh?"

  "There's a dagger in my bosom, two inches long. Take it out and cut off my wrist."

  Er Duo Wu immediately reached into Xiao Qiu's bosom, pulled out the dagger with a red gemstone inlaid on its hilt, bit down on the scabbard, and drew out the dagger. He raised it to strike at Xiao Qiu's wrist, his only regret being that he had left the large sword back in the house, or else he would have used it already.

  "Wait!" Fangfang cried out, her face flushing red. She felt as if she were floating on air, unencumbered by the weight of other boys' words, and could take off at any moment. This feeling was not pleasant, for as she grew lighter, she also became thinner, as if she might dissolve into thin air at any moment. "Don't chop off his hand."

  The two men's raised hands stopped, and the silly one behind him urged: "Hurry up, that flower is about to be sucked dry by us. Fangfang, you don't have to worry, Xia Qiu with a broken hand can also be your husband."

  Xiao Qiu also said loudly: "What are you waiting for?"

  Er Yu didn't hesitate again, and his dagger chopped towards Xiao Qiu's wrist that was tightly grasping the flower stem.

  The withered blue flower suddenly bloomed again, like a wild beast opening its bloody mouth to launch a fatal attack.

  Two loud cries, his hand went limp, the dagger fell to the ground, and immediately the young men of Ye Lin Town were simultaneously pushed by a powerful force, flying in all directions, falling more than ten steps away.

  Only Xia Qiu didn't move, the blue flower drooped again and withered, it only wanted one person.

  "It's really come for the internal elixir!" Er Bao shouted, sitting on the ground, just like everyone else, and never wanting to get close to Xiao Qiu again.

  Fang Fang suddenly stood up and rushed towards Xiao Qiu like a madman, while Er Shuang and Er Liang simultaneously jumped up and tightly grasped her.

  Xiao Qiu picked up the dagger from the ground, filled with indignation, and said to the wilted blue flower: "Want the inner elixir? I'll give it to you right now." With that, she raised the dagger and stabbed herself in the chest.

  A dagger was on her head, and Xia Qiu's mind suddenly appeared a voice, majestic, cold, ruthless, with an unquestionable commanding tone, saying: "Put it down."