Chapter 31: Completion
"Swish!"
Su Heng abruptly looked up, his fingers snapping forward in a swift grab.
Crimson, potent force surged and receded like leaping flames, leaving fleeting shadows in the sunlight. The lush branches above rustled, and a sturdy branch, as thick as a man's wrist and over a meter long, fell into Su Heng's grasp.
He channeled his amplified Yang Extremity True Force into the thick branch.
Sizzle!
Wisps of black smoke curled from the wood. Like iron thrust into a furnace, the branch's moisture rapidly evaporated.
Crack!
Su Heng's five fingers tightened their grip.
The branch splintered, transforming into charcoal-grey fragments that scattered onto the ground.
"This is the effect of the Fire Venom. It completely carbonized a living branch just moments after I plucked it. If this Fire Venom-infused Pure Yang True Force were to enter the flesh and blood of a human or demon…" Imagining the scene, Su Heng shuddered.
A single palm strike, a surge of Yang Extremity True Force, and the opponent's internal organs would be instantly cooked. Prolonged exposure, without specific defenses, would result in vaporized blood and a desiccated corpse.
"Demonic arts are truly formidable," Su Heng mused.
Of course, the Fire Venom's current potency stemmed from its fusion with his perfected Yang Extremity Black Fiend Art. The Crimson Venom Art alone, while capable of inflicting fatal injuries with Fire Venom, wouldn't achieve such devastating results.
With thirty attribute points remaining, Su Heng unhesitatingly invested them all into the newly synthesized Crimson Extremity Black Fiend Art, pushing it from the ninth level to the tenth.
The thirty points vanished.
However, the special effects section of his status panel remained unchanged.
Closing his eyes, Su Heng focused inward, sensing a noticeable increase in his overall force, roughly a thirty percent boost. But a qualitative change? Not yet.
"I suspect I'll need to reach the next realm for that," Su Heng surmised.
He glanced at his status panel. With the advancement of both arts, his meridian transformation progress had jumped from seventy-five percent to nearly ninety. He felt a subtle sense of completion.
"My breakthrough is just days away," Su Heng estimated. "Perhaps five or six days at the fastest, half a month at the slowest."
He was satisfied with this pace.
However…
The Water Ghoul's flesh had been consumed entirely. Some White Leopard meat remained, but not much. And compared to true demonic flesh, the White Leopard fell short. With Black Kui Mountain shrouded in mist, the Flesh Sprout was inaccessible.
Once his current reserves were depleted, and if he hadn't slain another demon, accumulating attribute points would become significantly slower.
"Preconceived notions led me to believe the Mist Demon was that powerful White Leopard. But the last encounter proved me wrong. Besides the White Leopard, the only other suspected demonic presence in Black Kui Mountain is the Flesh Sprout, which has consumed considerable amounts of flesh, yet remains unseen…"
"The Mist Demon, the Flesh Sprout… could there be a connection between them? Perhaps the Mist Demon itself is some kind of sprout-like demon!"
Retrieving a clean white cloth, Su Heng bent down, wiped the mud from his feet, put on his shoes and socks, and entered his house.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the neat and tidy desk. Tucked within the thick county annals was a letter.
Su Heng unfolded it, his gaze tracing the slightly messy handwriting.
After a long moment, he resealed the letter and placed it in his breast pocket. Looking up at the dappled shadows of the trees outside the window, his furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and he finally let out a carefree laugh. "Very well. I'll use this opportunity to explain everything to my sister. I can't keep putting it off."
…
…
…
Evening arrived.
On the broad, paved street in front of the Su family estate, Su Heng stepped into a reinforced carriage. The carriage dipped noticeably with a loud creak.
After Li Si's unexpected demise, another robust and capable driver now attended to Su Heng's errands. This driver, named Wang Lin, had practiced Iron Sand Palm, an external martial art, since childhood. His palms, noticeably larger than average, delivered astonishing force. In the martial world, he would be considered a first-rate expert.
"Hyah!"
Wang Lin's thick hand snapped the whip, striking the horse's flank.
The thousand-tael steed whinnied and, lowering its head, strained to pull the carriage towards the city gates.
The carriage quickly disappeared down the wide, cobbled street.
In the setting sun, the figures of Su Li and Xiao Qing emerged from the shadows on the other side of the street.
"He's left." Even in the evening, Xiao Qing carried her oil-paper umbrella.
"I've received word that he's gone to the black market to acquire some cultivation techniques. The round trip should take about an hour."
Su Li clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and her ample chest rose and fell, betraying her nervousness.
"That's enough time for us to investigate the secrets of that courtyard."
"Mm," Xiao Qing nodded.
Over the past few days, they had been observing Su Heng's daily routine. They discovered he spent most of his time not at the estate, but cultivating in the small courtyard in the Ninth Ward.
Su Li had visited the courtyard before. On the surface, it seemed unremarkable. But upon approaching, her demon-seeking compass would react, suggesting the courtyard held hidden depths.
Moreover…
Su Li had gleaned another piece of information from the household servants. On the night of the Water Ghoul's death, a group of craftsmen had constructed a basement in the courtyard. Its purpose remained unknown.
Unwilling to attract undue attention, Su Li couldn't conduct an overt investigation. But based on the information she had gathered, she suspected the true secret lay within that mysterious basement.
The more she pondered, the more anxious she became. Curiosity about Su Heng's secrets, the thrill of danger, and the urgent desire to save her brother filled her heart. These emotions had taken a visible toll on her, leaving her looking noticeably haggard.
Fortunately, with Su Heng's departure, Su Li finally had the opportunity to investigate the courtyard herself.
"Hoo…"
Su Li inhaled deeply, calming her racing heart.
"Let's not delay. We should go now." She gestured to Xiao Qing, and the two figures vanished into the shadows.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 32: Showdown
Su Li and Xiao Qing flashed through the air, arriving swiftly at the small courtyard where Su Heng usually resided.
"Doesn't seem like much," Xiao Qing commented, tilting her head back to survey the surroundings, her delicate, upturned nose twitching slightly.
"At first glance, no, but the Demon Locator doesn't lie." Su Li produced the disc from her waist. The crystal at its center pulsed with a faint red light.
The sun had already set, leaving the sky dim. The glow emanating from the Demon Locator was especially conspicuous in the twilight.
"Su Heng's already gone, but the closer we get to this house, the stronger the warning from the Locator," Xiao Qing said, her brow furrowing slightly. "Something's definitely not right here. We need to be careful."
"Agreed," Su Li nodded. "Let's check inside."
As they took their first step forward, a sharp crack echoed from beneath their feet.
"Eek!" Su Li gasped, instinctively gripping the hilt of her sword.
"Don't be so jumpy. It's just a piece of wood," Xiao Qing said, gently pushing Su Li aside.
Su Li looked down. Indeed, a broken piece of wood lay at her feet.
However…
The tension that had just left Su Li's face returned. Under Xiao Qing's puzzled gaze, she bent down and picked up the piece of wood.
"This wood… it's charred," Xiao Qing remarked, noticing the peculiarity.
"Was he having a barbecue? Living the good life, huh?" Xiao Qing mused. Ever since her rebirth, the flavors of the mortal world held no appeal for her.
"I don't think so…" Su Li said. "There's no brazier around, and this wouldn't be nearly enough charcoal for a barbecue."
Crack!
She squeezed the wood in her hand. The charred fragment crumbled into black dust, sifting through her slender fingers.
"There's still residual heat in these pieces. It feels like…"
"Like what?" Xiao Qing asked curiously.
"Like… like someone used their internal energy to char the wood from the inside out. So much so that even now, there's still a trace of that energy locked within."
Xiao Qing's eyes widened. "That level of cultivation is incredible! Could Elder Xu of the Demon Suppression Bureau even do that?"
"He probably could," Su Li conceded. "But Elder Xu cultivates the Bureau's top-tier technique, the Scorched Earth Sun Chasing Art, and he's honed it for decades…" Su Li swallowed hard. "Su Heng cultivates… whatever random, third-rate, incomplete technique he picked up from some street-corner martial arts school."
"While that's true, I feel like you're praising your brother," Xiao Qing said with a playful lilt.
"No, absolutely not!" Su Li denied vehemently.
"Enough of that." She clapped her hands and looked up at the sky. The last vestiges of sunlight had vanished. The night sky, however, was clear, dotted with countless stars that formed a brilliant river across the dark expanse.
"Though we have time, we should still make haste," Su Li murmured, approaching the bedroom door.
Creak!
The door was unlocked. Su Li pushed it open with ease.
By the faint starlight filtering through the window, she could make out the room's furnishings: a wide, thick bed, a wooden table, and a clothes rack and wardrobe tucked into a corner. The table sat by the window, covered with a thick stack of books and various notes. A faint scent of ink hung in the air.
Su Li walked over to the table and picked up a book at random, flipping through its pages.
Chronicles of Changqing County - Volume One
After skimming a few pages filled with trivial details, she quickly lost interest and replaced the book according to her memory.
"Why would he be interested in this kind of thing?" she muttered to herself.
"Perhaps it's related to the incidents happening in Changqing County," Xiao Qing suddenly suggested. "Maybe after encountering inexplicable, otherworldly things, he's trying to find answers through these records."
"You mean… I've misjudged him…?" Su Li said, her brow furrowed.
"I didn't say that," Xiao Qing replied.
"Regardless, since we're here, we need to get to the bottom of this." Su Li set her jaw, feeling a pang of guilt for her preconceived notions about her brother. But things had gone too far to turn back now.
"Where's the entrance to the basement?" Su Li asked.
"Under the bed," Xiao Qing replied confidently, after closing her eyes, her form turning translucent for a moment, then opening them again.
"Under the bed…"
Though reinforced, the bed was no match for Su Li's strength. She effortlessly moved it aside.
Beneath lay flagstones of bluish-grey, seemingly identical to the surrounding floor, but conspicuously free of dust, suggesting they were frequently cleaned. This in itself was unusual.
Thump, thump, thump!
Su Li tapped lightly on the stones, confirming the presence of a hollow space below.
Taking a deep breath, she carefully lifted a section of the floor, revealing a wide, dark passage. A crude set of stairs descended into the inky blackness. Oil lamps were affixed to the walls on either side of the steps.
As a precaution, Su Li refrained from lighting the lamps. Instead, she pulled a finger-thick bamboo tube from her pocket. A faint scent of oil emanated from the tube, which had a white wick at one end.
She lit the wick.
A bright, white flame banished the darkness. This was a whale oil lamp, odorless and bright, perfect for such situations.
Holding her breath, Su Li slowly descended into the basement.
It was deep, about five meters down.
Finally reaching the bottom, she found herself facing a crudely reinforced wooden archway. This door, too, was unlocked.
Click!
Su Li pushed the door open.
A wave of pungent, metallic blood stench assaulted her senses, making her cough and gag. Even Xiao Qing, as a spectral being, seemed uncomfortable in this environment, her feet lifting off the ground as she hovered in the air.
"This…"
Su Li placed the whale oil lamp on a protrusion in the wall.
Her eyes widened at the sight before her. Hanging from the ceiling was a magnificent, pure white snow leopard, its fur pristine and its posture fierce.
She took a step back, assuming a defensive stance.
Then she realized it was only a pelt, stretched and displayed like some macabre trophy.
Su Li breathed a sigh of relief.
Turning her head, she saw a desiccated, greenish skull staring back at her from the wall. Dark, dried streaks of blood ran down from the empty sockets.
Su Li recognized it instantly. "Isn't that the Water Ghoul? The reason we came here in the first place."
"Yes," Xiao Qing confirmed, hovering beside her.
"It died horribly," Xiao Qing added, sticking out her tongue.
"Indeed," Su Li agreed. In the flickering lamplight, she saw fragmented bones scattered on a wooden table and shriveled organs hanging from iron hooks. It wasn't difficult to imagine the Water Ghoul's fate: killed, brought here, and meticulously dismembered.
A shiver ran down Su Li's spine. In the corner, she saw several large wooden barrels, emanating the same overpowering stench of blood.
She took a step back, intending to investigate their contents.
Thump!
She bumped into something.
"Xiao Qing, stop it…" Su Li muttered, rubbing her head, assuming it was Xiao Qing playing a prank.
That girl…
So silent when she floated, always appearing out of nowhere to give her a fright.
But as the thought crossed her mind, Su Li realized something was wrong.
In her peripheral vision, she saw Xiao Qing's slender form pressed against the wall, trembling uncontrollably. Her face was pale, her mouth open as if she wanted to scream, but no sound escaped her lips. It was the primal fear of a lesser being in the presence of something overwhelmingly powerful, rendering her speechless.
"Xiao Qing, you're over there… then who's behind me…?"
Su Li gulped, her throat dry.
Slowly, stiffly, she turned around. First, she saw a broad chest. Then, as she tilted her head back further, she saw Su Heng's face, shrouded in shadow, his expression unreadable.
(End of Chapter)