Renxian sat there, his apprehension noticeable, as he fixed his stare on the woman before him. Saomei's aura had taken a dramatically different turn, even from the moment she had entered the room.
[Name: Saomei
Bond: 0%
Trust: 20%
Sex Interest: 92%]
Deep down, Renxian silently cursed, pondering whether the woman intended to proceed with the ritual. He nervously swallowed several times, his eyes locked onto Saomei, who was dressed in a semi-transparent black outfit. He could even see her unveiled chest beyond that thin fabric!
"What's bothering you?" She swallowed her drink with an unchanging smile, exuding a beauty that seemed to enchant anyone who gazed at her for too long.
The disheveled black-haired man chose to remain silent, his eyes avoiding Saomei, who persistently tempted him with her alluring expressions. Occasionally, she let out a sigh after finishing her drink.
"The bandit leader has awakened, and Father has spoken about you," the brown-haired woman explained. "But they flatly refused and even threatened to report this to the County Magistrate."
Renxian, listening intently, took the cup Saomei had prepared, and the aroma of the brown liquid wafted up, intoxicating him to the point that he couldn't resist taking a sip.
Saomei's smile suddenly broadened, and she continued, "That's why we're temporarily detaining you to resolve this issue. Would you rather they be forced back, and you be stuck here forever?"
Renxian nearly choked on his drink, with the remaining liquid even staining his white robe. "W-What?" Renxian exclaimed, refusing to accept that prospect. "Do you understand what it means to be a Sanxiu?"
"I do," Saomei replied, bowing her head. "But have you ever considered settling down and... perhaps starting a family?"
Renxian was taken aback by Saomei's words, which seemed to gradually steer the conversation in that direction. He tried to regain his composure, taking a deep breath before responding, "No, I haven't contemplated anything like that."
"But why?" She leaned forward, causing Renxian to instinctively move away. "Aren't you interested in exploring that aspect of life?"
"I want to understand why Renxian is so insistent about refusing Dual Cultivation," Saomei added, leaving the man in front of her wide-eyed and speechless.
"What does that mean?" Sanxiu thought.
[This feels strange. Somehow, she can tell that Renxian refused the ritual even before you mentioned it. No one should know this except Renxian himself.]
"Why did he decline?" the man inquired, equally curious.
[He believes Dual Cultivation weakens the fundamentals of the flow because it involves sharing it with others. That's one of the reasons he prefers to be alone and avoid companions.]
In deep contemplation, Renxian was perplexed about how to respond. Then, with the data from the system, he exclaimed, "Why is it any of your concern, especially since you're not a cultivator yourself?"
This sudden retort made Saomei's expression shift abruptly. There was a hint of anger and sadness in her face. She sat back upright, playing with her hands between her thighs, biting her lower lip before speaking softly, almost in a whisper.
"I'm sorry, Sanxiu, I didn't mean to meddle in your affairs," Saomei said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Renxian then turned his head to the side, sensing that something was amiss. His eyes strangely grew weaker, and his vision blurred, making it difficult to focus on any one point. His head throbbed painfully, and eventually, he collapsed.
Just before losing consciousness, he caught a glimpse of Saomei, still there with a menacing, wide smile, her body undergoing a disturbing transformation, growing larger, and her brown hair turning pitch black.
It was at that moment that Renxian laid eyes on a terrifying figure.
Meanwhile, Siuxa was startled and nearly stumbled as the once well-maintained old house had transformed into a dilapidated, seemingly abandoned structure. The eerie atmosphere sent shivers down her spine.
"Was everything we experienced just an illusion?" Siuxa muttered to herself, gathering her courage and rushing inside. She pushed through the overgrown front yard and headed straight to the back.
The beautiful flowers she had admired were gone, replaced by wild, overgrown grass that entangled the houses and large stones. When she reached her bedroom, the place still stood but was filthy, covered in cobwebs.
"Renxian's robe!" Siuxa suddenly remembered that she had hung the blue robe there and rushed to the corner of the room. The blue attire remained intact and seemed to shimmer amid the dust and dirt all around. However, as Siuxa reached for it, she heard heavy breathing by her inr, revealing a silhouette by the doorway.
Her brown eyes widened in fear as she saw who was there. Trembling, she took a step back, stammering, "Chief Uris?"
The man blocking Siuxa's path appeared with a menacing expression, mirroring the last encounter. "You shall not pass!" Chief Uris roared, his voice hoarse and thunderous, prompting Siuxa to instinctively shield her ears.
This time, he moved with incredible speed, taking Siuxa completely off guard as he charged towards her. His erratic behavior made him nearly unrecognizable as Uris as if he were possessed by something beyond comprehension.
Siuxa's agility came to her rescue, enabling her to deftly evade Uris's assault. She sidestepped him and, in the process, unintentionally collided with a wooden wall. Uris quickly turned, his menacing gaze and perpetual wide smile intensifying Siuxa's growing terror.
Choosing to escape, Siuxa made a break for it, and just as she was on the verge of reaching safety, Uris's hand seized her, yanking her backward until she tumbled to the ground. It was then that the elderly man overpowered Siuxa, pinning her down and choking her with his long, razor-sharp nails, inflicting grievous wounds.
Siuxa screamed in agonizing pain as it surged through her body, leaving her struggling for breath. Saliva dribbled from her lips as she shut her eyes, unable to bear the horrifying sight of Uris.
"Die... die!" Uris bellowed as he desperately tried to take Siuxa's life, while she gasped for precious air.
Summoning every ounce of determination and strength, Siuxa reached for the blade still strapped to her waist. Swiftly, she plunged it into the back of Uris's head with a gratifying thud, rendering the man momentarily silent as his grip weakened, and his hands fell beside Siuxa.
Regaining her normal breathing, tears welled up in Siuxa's eyes. Before rising to her feet, she took a moment to glance at Uris's lifeless body, which surprisingly transformed into a man in his thirties.
It confirmed the merchant's words she had encountered earlier - that something was sapping their life force and for some reason, breaking free from its bond when they passed away.
With unsteady steps, she exited the room and headed toward the back of the yard, draped in Renxian's blue robe. Uncertain of the whereabouts of the rogue cultivator's room, she fearlessly explored every chamber.
By sheer chance, she pushed open a door that left her in a state of utter disbelief. Siuxa had to clamp both hands over her mouth to stifle her scream. Her heart raced wildly as she grappled with the horrifying scene unfolding before her.
A pile of lifeless, unclothed female bodies lay there, swarmed by insects and encircled by dried black fluid. The revolting stench engulfed her, inducing waves of nausea that drove her to the ground. Unable to bear it any longer, she fell to her hands and knees, retching and vomiting onto the earth.
As Siuxa raised her gaze, she spotted a room radiating light in the yard's far corner. There was no mistaking it; that was Renxian's room. Gathering her determination, she rose to her feet and pushed herself forward, leaving the horrific scene behind.
Driven by desperation, Siuxa forged her path towards that room, navigating through the sprawling graveyard. At least four small graves marked the area, serving as poignant reminders of children who had found their final resting place.
Siuxa made a concerted effort to suppress the painful memories of conversations with those adorable children who had once showered her with compliments.
"No... what has happened here?" Siuxa began to weep, compelling herself to continue. She eventually arrived at the relatively well-maintained wooden house, a stark contrast to its gloomy surroundings.
Faintly, she heard moans emanating from the house, urging Siuxa to breach the front door. With a single forceful kick, she burst inside, only to discover a strange figure seated with its back turned to her.
Upon closer inspection, it became evident that the figure wasn't merely seated but rather involved in a sexual act with Renxian! He lay beneath, entirely motionless and silent. Recognizing that its ritual had been interrupted, the entity pivoted to fully face Siuxa.
As it shifted its complete focus towards Siuxa from behind, the astral's neck created the disconcerting sound of bones cracking. Draped in black attire, it rose to its feet, its once menacing countenance now replaced with seething anger.
Towering over a typical human's stature, it thundered with a deep and ominous tone, "You... you killed my vessel! You extinguished my source of Chi! I will not allow you to flee!"
With lightning speed, it levitated and swirled towards Siuxa. Before she could react, the black-haired woman found herself caught in a grip and unceremoniously thrown away. Fortunately, Siuxa managed to control her body well and landed safely.
Siuxa beheld the wraith-like entity with black hair and attire hovering in the sky, its gaze fixed upon her with an expression that left Siuxa uncertain of her next move. Its voice reverberated through the surroundings as the spirit declared, "I will claim Sanxiu as my next vessel!"