The process of someone becoming a demon is gradual. Take that farmhouse, for instance—those close to the groom had their minds controlled, while those farther away were merely corrupted. This process can take years or just a few days.
How long have Senior Brother Huo Chongxiao and his junior sister been here? Just one day. So, the demonization of the guard only has one explanation: he had already turned into a demon long ago, only concealing it well enough that no one noticed until now.
How many such people are there in the Bai family? Has this place long since become a den of demons? Bai Siyao felt a chill in her heart.
Perhaps she should be grateful that her great-uncle hadn't gone mad enough to take everyone down with him; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to leave the Bai family at all.
"What are you doing?" Bai Mengxing poked his head out and asked when he saw her making gestures near the corpse.
Bai Siyao wrapped her fingers in a cloth, dipped them in blood, and began sketching on the ground. She smiled at him and replied, "Eating!"
A few drops of blood had splattered on her collar, and her hands were covered in dark blood. Coupled with the eerie smile on her face, the sight was chilling.
Bai Mengxing let out a scream, eyes wide with terror. "You... you..."
Bai Siyao rolled her eyes and went back to drawing.
Bai Mengxing cautiously observed for a while, and after sensing no immediate danger, he hesitantly returned. "Are you drawing a formation?"
"Yes."
"Did we learn this?" Bai Mengxing scratched his head.
Of course not. This was a secret technique passed down by the Jade Demon Lord, but Bai Siyao wasn't about to enlighten him. Better to let this fool remain in blissful ignorance, believing he was truly as dim as he felt.
With the last stroke, a whirlwind suddenly rose from the ground, sweeping up fallen leaves and dust. The demonic energy that had seeped from the guard swirled within the formation, contained but not dispersing.
Bai Mengxing's mouth fell open. "What... what's this for?"
"To save our lives," Bai Siyao said, discarding the now-filthy cloth and continuing ahead.
"Wait for me!" Bai Mengxing hurried to catch up.
There were indeed plenty of wandering demons in the residence. Each time Bai Siyao encountered one, she killed it and immediately drew another formation.
"Where is everyone?" Bai Mengxing muttered to himself. "Third Uncle, Third Aunt, and our elder and younger sisters?"
Good question. Bai Siyao wanted to know that too.
Everyone living in this house was a direct descendant of the Bai family. Even if their talents weren't outstanding, they should have, like her eldest aunt, used pills to draw spiritual energy into their bodies. There was no reason for them not to be here.
They continued on until they reached the Qinghe Courtyard. Seeing the scene before her, Bai Siyao frowned.
The courtyard gate was wide open, and demon corpses were scattered everywhere, evidence of a fierce battle that had just taken place.
She searched the area but found no sign of Huo Chongxiao or Yue Yunqiao. However, there were fresh bloodstains on the ground—clearly one of them had been injured.
"Are they dead?" Bai Mengxing asked.
"No," Bai Siyao snapped. Judging by the scene, the two had fought their way out. Huo Chongxiao was strong and had protective treasures; he wouldn't die so easily.
"So what should we do? Go find Great Uncle?" Bai Mengxing still hadn't realized that all of this was his great-uncle's doing, naively asking the question.
But Bai Siyao smiled. "Yes, let's go find Great Uncle."
Her great-uncle wouldn't let anyone leave now. The saying goes, 'Catch the leader first, strike at the vital point.' If they wanted to survive, they had to find him.
The two of them changed direction, heading toward the back mountain, killing demons and drawing formations along the way. After crossing two courtyards, Bai Mengxing suddenly pointed. "That's our elder sister!"
Bai Siyao walked over. The unconscious girl on the ground was indeed her elder sister, Bai Menglian. She looked disheveled, clutching a sword in her hand, her body covered in blood.
"Is she okay?" Bai Mengxing asked.
Bai Siyao checked her pulse and shook her head. "She's fine."
Her elder sister had been the most talented in their family, second only to Bai Siyao. When Danxia Palace had come to recruit disciples, Bai Siyao had been sabotaged by their eldest uncle, while Bai Menglian had passed the test smoothly. Though their relationship was distant, her sister had secretly warned her during times of trouble.
Given the current situation, leaving Bai Menglian here was too dangerous. After a moment of thought, Bai Siyao turned to her cousin. "You, carry our elder sister."
Bai Mengxing pointed at himself. "Me? How can I carry her?"
"Unless you want your frail little sister to do it?" Bai Siyao said coldly.
"…" Bai Mengxing was at a loss for words. "Fine, I'll carry her."
With Bai Siyao's help, he struggled to lift their elder sister onto his back.
"Slow down! If you go too fast, I can't keep up!"
They made their way through another courtyard, where Bai Siyao noticed traces of Danxia Palace's magic. Her heart lifted. This must be the path Huo Chongxiao and Yue Yunqiao had taken!
Sure enough, they hadn't gone far when the sound of fighting reached their ears from ahead.
Bai Siyao stopped and called out, "Senior Sister Yue, Young Master Huo, is that you?"
The sounds of combat intensified, and soon after, Yue Yunqiao's voice came through the fog: "Junior Sister Bai, we're here!"
Responding to each other's calls, they finally met at a pavilion.
Huo Chongxiao and Yue Yunqiao looked unharmed, suggesting these demons hadn't been much of a challenge for them. Upon seeing Bai Siyao was safe, they were visibly relieved.
"Junior Sister Bai, we were looking for you, but then we got lost..." Yue Yunqiao began, but her gaze quickly fell on Bai Menglian, who was slung over Bai Mengxing's back. "What happened?"
"My elder sister. She's just exhausted," Bai Siyao explained briefly. "Where are you two headed?"
Huo Chongxiao and Yue Yunqiao exchanged a glance, falling silent.
Given everything that had happened, they suspected that the trouble stemmed from Bai Siyao's senior family member, but she was still part of the Bai family…
Time was pressing, and Bai Siyao had no intention of dragging this out. "You're planning to go to the Withered Leaf Cottage, aren't you?"
Yue Yunqiao hesitantly nodded. "Junior Sister Bai..."
Bai Siyao cut her off. "I understand. The demons are at the Withered Leaf Cottage. Perhaps my great-uncle has already fallen. If he's been possessed, please inform Danxia Palace to come and cleanse the place."
Yue Yunqiao breathed a sigh of relief. It was much easier to accept that their senior had been possessed by a demon than that he had become one himself.
Bai Siyao turned to Huo Chongxiao. "Young Master Huo, do you have any other means of contacting your superiors? From what I've seen, your communication talisman must have malfunctioned."
Huo Chongxiao nodded. "I crushed the communication jade talisman. My master will sense it. But Danxia Palace is far from here. We'll have to hold on."
Bai Siyao frowned. Her great-uncle was also a disciple of Danxia Palace; he knew Huo Chongxiao's methods. If he dared act like this, he must be planning to finish things before Danxia Palace's reinforcements could arrive.
Yue Yunqiao's frustration boiled over. "What does this demon want, exactly? If it's just to silence us, why go through all this trouble?"
Huo Chongxiao was just as perplexed, shaking his head.
But Bai Siyao silently sighed to herself, thinking, Because he wants to consume everyone. The Bai family, Huo and Yue—it didn't matter. He intended to turn them all into his sustenance.
The disturbance in Qingyun City had been noticed. He knew he couldn't hide any longer, so he'd accelerated his plan to form a demon heart. Only by doing so could he hope to escape before Danxia Palace's forces arrived.