"Me?"
Jing Jian froze, stunned that Lu Fei had directly turned the question to him.
Seeing all eyes on him, he cleared his throat and said, "That's simple—just get rid of that dog child!"
"Do you believe I'll get rid of *you* first?" Jiang Hao's barely-contained fury reignited.
Regardless of what the creature was, it was still his and Xiaoya's child. To have an outsider casually call it a "dog child" was an insult he couldn't tolerate.
"And what do you suggest? Keep a harmful entity around like it's some pet? I think you're not as devoted to Xiaoya as you claim!" Jing Jian sneered.
"I'm not devoted? You're a broke, country bumpkin! What can you offer Xiaoya that I can't?" Jiang Hao retorted with a cold laugh. "I give her a life of luxury—anything she wants, I provide. Designer bags, trips abroad—can you afford any of that?"
"Xiaoya's not a materialistic person!" Jing Jian shot back, though his face betrayed his embarrassment.
"Typical excuse from someone who's poor—calling others materialistic when you can't meet their needs. Let me make this clear: the only reason you're still standing here is because Xiaoya values you. If you fail to help, don't expect to leave Jiang City in one piece."
Jiang Hao turned to Lu Fei, his tone suddenly polite.
"Shopkeeper Lu, what do you think we should do?"
"First, Xiaoya must stop breastfeeding the child immediately. She needs to be kept away from it entirely," Lu Fei said seriously. "Essence blood isn't ordinary blood—it's life force. Losing too much will drastically shorten her lifespan."
"That's a given. I won't let her feed it again," Jiang Hao agreed, glancing worriedly toward the bedroom where his wife lay weak and pale.
"Second, we need to address the problem with the child. That's the most critical step," Lu Fei continued.
"And how do we do that?" Jiang Hao asked, his tone heavy with resignation.
Deep down, Jiang Hao had already let go of any affection for the creature. Seeing it drain his wife's life had extinguished even the faintest fatherly instinct. While he had initially hesitated out of consideration for Xiaoya's feelings, he now fully understood the child couldn't stay.
Children could be had again—but his wife's life was irreplaceable.
"Let's try dispelling the yin energy from the child first," Lu Fei suggested. "If the yin energy is removed, it might stop its harmful behavior."
"Let's do it," Jiang Hao said immediately. "While Xiaoya is asleep, let's finish this quickly. She adores that child and won't let us act if she finds out."
The group wasted no time heading to the nursery.
The grotesque, dog-headed baby was sleeping soundly in its crib, its chubby body rising and falling with each breath.
Lu Fei and Jing Jian approached the crib cautiously.
At a glance, Lu Fei noticed the yin energy around the baby had intensified. Could it have absorbed more through feeding?
"I'll handle this!"
Eager to prove himself, Jing Jian drew his peachwood sword.
Lu Fei made no move to stop him, silently observing. Letting Jing Jian go first would be a useful test to gauge the entity's nature and defenses.
The baby, blissfully unaware of the impending danger, remained asleep, its fluffy head nestled against the pillow.
Jing Jian hesitated, staring at the small, innocent-looking figure. It was still a life, after all—and Xiaoya's child at that.
But after a brief internal struggle, he raised his sword.
Lu Fei stood ready with his thunder-struck jujube wood staff, watching intently.
Behind them, Jiang Hao clenched his fists, his nerves stretched taut. Even Chen Jinfa looked unusually tense.
Crack.
The peachwood sword struck the baby.
With a burst of black smoke, the baby's body convulsed violently.
"Ahh—"
Its agonized wail sent shivers down everyone's spine, especially Jiang Hao, who visibly flinched. He struggled to suppress the instinct to rush forward.
"Woof!"
The baby scurried to the corner of the crib, its body trembling. A blackened burn mark marred its pink skin.
Its grotesque dog face twisted in a snarl, baring its sharp teeth at Jing Jian.
The sight of its needle-like teeth—still stained with blood—combined with the feral glint in its eyes, made it clear this was no ordinary infant.
"Jing Jian, your sword works," Lu Fei observed as tendrils of yin energy leaked from the baby's wound. He gave Jing Jian an approving nod.
"Good!" Jing Jian tightened his grip on the sword and swung again.
"Arf!"
The baby sprang up with surprising agility, dodging the strike and snapping its jaws at Jing Jian's hand.
Startled, Jing Jian swung the sword to block the attack.
The baby retreated, its movements unnervingly quick for a creature so young. Jing Jian struggled to keep up, his attacks repeatedly missing.
Sweat dripped from Jing Jian's forehead. He hadn't expected the baby to be so ferocious. Its small size and earlier vulnerability had clearly been misleading.
"Lu Fei, stop just watching and help me out!"
"This is your chance to shine," Lu Fei replied lightly. "You wouldn't want to leave Jiang City incomplete, would you?"
"Thanks a lot!" Jing Jian grumbled, his focus entirely on avoiding the baby's snapping jaws.
Despite its size, the creature's sharp teeth and ability to drain blood made it a deadly threat. One bite could not only cause severe injury but also inject yin energy into the victim.
Seeing Jing Jian struggle, Lu Fei decided to intervene. He spotted an opening and struck with his staff.
Buzz!
A faint blue arc of electricity danced along the staff as it connected.
The baby's body convulsed violently before slumping lifelessly back into the crib.
Jing Jian stared in disbelief.
Lu Fei had taken down the creature with a single blow.
Jing Jian's peachwood sword, despite its quality, now seemed like a mere toy compared to Lu Fei's thunder-struck staff.
The baby wheezed weakly, its body emitting wisps of yin energy. Its eyes remained fixed on Jing Jian, filled with a feral determination to retaliate.
"This thing holds grudges," Lu Fei remarked. "It's like a vengeful spirit—it won't stop until it gets its revenge."
Letting Jing Jian test the waters had proven to be a wise decision. Otherwise, Lu Fei wouldn't have been able to land such a precise blow.
"Sorry, little one, but you can't stay to harm Xiaoya," Jing Jian said, raising his peachwood sword for a final strike.
Just then, a shadow slipped silently into the nursery.