Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: Blood-Demon

"What? what did you say?" A middle-aged man kicked a person around thirty years old. This person was the one that was chasing after Jia Ling. Jia Ling's father and aunt were also standing at the side, watching this.

"Young master, please listen, she disappeared right in front of our eyes. I am telling the truth, you can also ask them." The man spoke and pointed at Jia Ling's father and her aunt and continued, 

"I think it was a cultivator. You also know that we mortals are unable to do anything to the cultivators. Please, forgive me for my incompetence." The man begged the master of the house.

"Huh, a cultivator. Why would a cultivator interfere in this? No, if a cultivator is really involved in this, we must not anger that person. Did you tell my father about this?" The middle-aged man became serious when he heard that a cultivator might be involved in this and asked the man. 

"No, I didn't. I thought it was better to tell you first." The man spoke.

"You fool. You must tell father about this hurriedly. So that he won't send any more men behind her." The young master of the house got angry again.

"Yes," he hurriedly got up and ran out of the room. 

"As for you two, both of you should leave the village. I have no use for you anymore." The middle-aged man said to Jia Ling's father and her aunt.

"But master, we married her to you. We also did it by making her faint. You can't do this to us now. At least, you should give us the essence stones you promised." Jia Ling's aunt spoke. She was unwilling to leave.

"What did you say? I said to you already that I don't have any use for you anymore. And Jia Ling also ran away. She even ended up in a cultivator's hands, I can't even get her back now. And you still want essence stones. Do you think I am a fool?"

As soon as the middle-aged man ended his sentence, a guard ran into the room and said, 

"Young master, Jia Ling is seen outside the village, about a mile away."

"What! How can this be? I heard that a cultivator took her, so how could she be outside the village?" The middle-aged man was suspicious. Whilst Jia Ling's father and aunt became excited and happy when they heard the guard. It seemed to them that they could get their essence stones now. But the guard's next words were like a lightning to them, 

"There is also a man with her. His hair extends to his feet. And they are walking towards the village right now."

These words were like lightning to not just Jia Ling's father and aunt, but also to the middle-aged man. He had a bad premonition about this. He knew that something was not right.

…..

Meanwhile, 

"Brother cultivator, the village of that young master is right ahead. We're almost there. I am sure the young master and his father are also in the village." Jia Ling said.

"Hey, tell me again. Are you sure that the whole village is involved in this?" Yang Zhai confirmed again.

"In what?" Jia Ling didn't understand.

"You know, like what happened to you. Does the whole village do this? I mean, do they do this to every girl what they did to you?" Yang Zhai explained as better and curtly as he could. But he tried to remain implicit. 

"Oh, about that… I am not the only one. I made some friends in that village. They told me everything. And some of them have been enduring this even before I arrived. I am sure about this. Not even a single house is innocent in that village." Jia Ling lowered her head and explained. Tears were falling down on the ground. It seemed that even his implicitness was more than enough to draw out her sad feelings.

"Then there is nothing more to know. Come, let's go" with that, Yang Zhai knew that he could cross the village without any fetters¹.

Yang Zhai and Jia Ling arrived outside the village. The village gate was opened. There were two guards on each side of the entrance. These four guards looked at Yang Zhai without saying anything. A tear descended down Yang Zhai's face and he moved his right hand in front of his body and a sword appeared in his hand.

"Close your eyes." Yang Zhai said to Jia Ling whilst looking forward.

"Why?" 

"Do it. Or you may also become like me. A living regret. A living dead body." Yang Zhai's words contained a pain in them, with indifference.

Even though she didn't understand Yang Zhai's words, she still closed them. 

Yang Zhai took a step forward and appeared in front of a right-side guard. He slashed his sword and cut the guard into two pieces. He shot a blade from his left hand that struck another guard's head to the left. The head exploded and the blood matter splattered everywhere, some even stuck on the guard next to him. He killed the other two guards as well. It took him a few seconds to kill all four of them.

Yang Zhai went into the village, he saw that a few more guards were coming toward him. He disappeared from his place and appeared in front of a guard, he slashed his sword and cut the guard's head, and blood splashed on his face. He went forward killing anyone and everyone in his way. He was covered in blood. He looked like a blood demon had awoken from his slumber. Tears were falling down his face. His tears were becoming red because of the blood on his face. His hair that extended to his feet was also dying red because of the blood. He was walking, dragging the sword with his right hand; a line was being drawn on the ground. His left hand was free and looked like it was hanging. Drops of blood were falling down his left-hand fingers. He walked slowly without any obstruction. Wherever he passed was dyed red by the blood.  

At a certain point, he saw a building with a moon and a sun engraved on its front wall above the door. This was the hint that Jia Ling had told him. This was the house of that young master. Before Yang Zhai could get close to the door, it was opened from the inside. A few guards ran out and stopped in front of him. The middle-aged man also came out and his father was also with him. They respectfully bowed a little.

"Please forgive us if we have done something to offend you. I ask that you stop this massacre. If we can do anything, we're more than willing to." The middle-aged man's father came forward and bowed before saying respectfully.

All the guards were filled with fear, and fine beads of sweat were coming down their faces. They looked at the cultivator's dreadful appearance. It was as if a blood demon was standing in front of them.

When Yang Zhai saw the old man, he didn't say anything. But the head of the old man was separated from his body and fell to the ground. Blood started gushing out of his neck and sprayed at Yang Zhai. He didn't care and began to kill the other guards one by one. 

 Only two guards and the middle-aged man were left. They were all slumped on the ground and were covered in blood.

"How, how can you kill someone like this? How can you massacre a whole village? Don't you feel anything? Don't you have any emotions or sympathy? We didn't even do anything to you." The middle-aged man shouted at Yang Zhai. He was filled with fear. His face was covered in sweat and blood. He couldn't believe Yang Zhai's actions.

"How, I killed even the one I loved the most. I didn't even spare her. So, what are you to me? Why would I feel anything?" Yang Zhai spoke with calmness.

These words struck fear into the hearts of the three. They knew that they were going to die. Before they could think further, their bodies were cut in half. They didn't even know that they had been cut in half, as their expressions were still filled with fear, but not pain.

This was his first massacre. Even though he had killed many people before this, he had never massacred a village before. He silently went in to confirm that no one was left alive. He killed Jia Ling's father and aunt as well. After confirming that no one was left alive, he left the village.

…..

At the same time, outside the village.

Out of curiosity, Jia Ling opened her eyes. What entered her eyes were the four guards that had been killed by Yang Zhai. Her eyes widened and she took a step back and fell down on her back. Sweat started to appear on her face. She screamed out of fear. She couldn't believe her eyes. She hurriedly turned her head in the opposite direction.

"Hey, didn't I say to not open your eyes?" A voice came from behind her.

"Don't look at me, or you will be scared."

Jia Ling was just about to turn her head around to look at Yang Zhai, but was stopped by him.

"Anyway, can you tell me if there is a lake or water around?" Yang Zhai asked.

"Yes, just up ahead. About 250 meters to the left of us."

"Ok, let's go." Yang Zhai said and started to walk towards his left side.

Jia Ling also followed him, but she didn't look at him. She was only looking at the footsteps he was leaving on the ground.

"Huh, can, can I ask you something?" Jia Ling asked Yang Zhai.

"Go ahead,"

"What happened to the villagers?"

"Killed all of them"

When Jia Ling heard this, her eyes widened and a look of fear appeared in her eyes.

"What, what about my friends and the other innocent girls?"

"I spared all of them after confirming." 

"And what about my father and aunt?" 

"Killed them too," Yang Zhai said casually.

Jia Ling kept silent after hearing this. 

Yang Zhai didn't know what she was thinking and saw a river appear in front of him.

Yang Zhai went into the river to clean himself before changing into a new set of clothes.

**********

1-Fetters: a chain or manacle used to restrain a prisoner.