Chapter 174 His name is Xi Jing, and he is a fifth-realm fox demon.
The Zhou family gradually discovered that although the flames were constantly burning their flesh and causing them unbearable pain, their consciousness remained clear.
They could smell the odor emanating from their bodies and hear the sound of flames burning them; this feeling was even more cruel than being slowly sliced to death.
At first they still had the strength to scream, but later they could only lie helplessly on the ground, praying for a chance to die.
Zhou Ying crawled forward with difficulty, looking up at the huge dragon head, her voice shrill: "Ningning, why did you do this? I've always loved you like my own sister."
"Because you love me, you have to drink my blood and share it with your fiancé. Is this how humans treat their own sisters?"
"No, no, that's not it." Zhou Ying kept denying it. She didn't understand why Zhou Ning, who used to listen to her the most, had suddenly changed like this.
She was in so much pain, almost going crazy. She kept apologizing, "It's my fault, I was bewitched, please let me go."
"Ningning, we will never dare to do it again."
"Ningning—"
The voices of the Zhou family members rose and fell, and Xiaolong's body floated up, looking down at the people in the courtyard: "I accept your apology."
The Zhou family was overjoyed, and Zhou Ying said urgently, "Then let's put out the fire quickly."
Little Dragon shook his head, his tone full of pity: "The moment you drank my blood, this fire could not be extinguished. The fire will only go out when the dragon blood in your bodies is burned away. Just bear with it."
As the little dragon soared into the air, getting further and further away from them, the shouts of the Zhou family members echoed from the courtyard: "Zhou Ning, you beast! I should have skinned you alive, pulled out your tendons, we should have killed you! Ah—"
Their voices carried on the wind to Xiaolong's ears. Although the truth was hard to hear, it was still much more pleasant than those hypocritical and pretentious expressions of care.
Taking revenge on them didn't make her happy, but it certainly felt good.
She didn't want to hear their confessions or know their reasons; she just wanted the culprits to pay the price for their actions.
The fire burned on and on, and the villagers of Bailong Village were like candles that could not be extinguished. Until their flesh was burned away and even their bones turned to ash.
The little dragon circled in the sky for a long time. Only when the last bit of firelight was swallowed by darkness did she stretch her body and fly away into the distance.
Rain began to fall again over the village, and her scarred body appeared and disappeared in the clouds before finally vanishing into the distance.
Two days later, some people came to Bailong Village hoping to obtain a sacrificial offering, only to find that the once bustling village was now eerily silent.
Those people went to the county town to report to the authorities, and officials came to investigate, but the heavy rain washed away all traces. They finally concluded that the villagers of Bailong Village had disappeared at the same time for unknown reasons.
The case involved an entire village, and was bizarre and mysterious. The county magistrate had no choice but to have his subordinates continue the investigation while reporting it to the prefectural government and waiting for the Mingjing Division to handle it.
Bailong Village once enjoyed a brief period of glory, but from then on, it will become a thing of the past along with the vanished villagers, until no one mentions it again.
While the Great Xia government was still racking its brains to find the missing villagers of Bailong Village, the caravan had already entered the wilderness.
Just like its name suggests, this place is all open wilderness as far as the eye can see.
Vast expanses of grassland in various colors seem to be pieced together in the distance, undulating endlessly.
In the distance, where the sky meets the grassland, there is a vast expanse of cold, dark, and profound darkness. Further behind, towering snow-capped mountains rise into the clouds, and when the clouds disperse, the sunlight shines on them, making them seem to radiate golden light.
A wide silver ribbon meanders from the foot of the snow-capped mountains, then splits at the riverbank, each flowing into the distance.
Countless birds and beasts live on this fertile land. Achan opened the car window, and the wind from the wilderness gently passed through her fingers, leaving only a warm feeling.
She was born here a long, long time ago, and her parents' home was here too. Unfortunately, she doesn't know the way home.
At the head of the caravan, Lie Xian held a white bone instrument and played a distant, desolate tune. The horses pulling the cart quickened their pace, as if they could sense their master's eagerness to return home.
The convoy crossed grasslands and a simple wooden bridge before finally stopping outside a village near a forest.
The village did not have high walls; it was simply surrounded by a wooden fence covered with green vines. Several brightly colored birds stood on the fence, pecking at something.
As soon as the carriage came to a stop, a group of people ran out of the village. Some greeted the people in the caravan, some helped unload the goods, and a group of children dressed in different clothes, with different appearances and seemingly different races, were wandering around the offering.
They all asked him where he had gone and if he had brought back anything fun, while a young feral cub relentlessly climbed onto him.
Lie Xian patiently answered their questions one by one, then bent down, picked up the restless black ball, and put it on his shoulder.
After the children's curiosity was satisfied, they saw Achan and Bai Xiuming emerge from the carriage behind them.
"Brother Xian, are they human?" someone asked in a low voice. Humans were a rare sight here.
“Yes, they are your sister Huixue’s guests. Hurry up and go find them.” Lie Xian patted the boy next to him on the shoulder.
"I'm going now." The boy turned and ran into the village at an astonishing speed, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
When the child arrived, Shen Huixue was squatting in the courtyard with a row of dead strange beasts in front of her. She was frowning and seemed to be in a difficult situation.
"Sister Huixue!" the little boy called out from the doorway. Peeking in, he saw the game scattered all over the ground and exclaimed in amazement, "Sister Huixue, you're amazing! You've hunted so much game!"
Shen Huixue turned around and smiled at him: "This time we went a bit far. It was my first time participating in a sacrificial ceremony, so I need to prepare some decent offerings. Which one do you think is good? I'll send it to the high priest later."
The boy pointed to a two-headed ape: "This one, its fur is fine, our ancestors would definitely like it."
"Okay, this is it." Shen Huixue also thought it was good, then asked in confusion, "By the way, what did you want to see me about?"
The boy slapped his forehead: "I almost forgot the important thing. Brother Xian is back, and he brought back some humans with him. He said they are your guests."
Shen Huixue's eyes lit up, and her figure vanished from the boy's sight in an instant.
"What guest is so happy?" The boy closed the door and ran towards the village entrance.
"Achan!" Before Achan could react, she was suddenly hugged. She only came to her senses when a familiar voice rang in her ears.
“Hui Xue.” A Chan smiled. There was no trace of melancholy on the person in front of her. Her brows were full of carefree and unrestrained spirit. It was clear that she was very comfortable living here.
Shen Huixue was holding Achan's hand, about to tell her about her experiences during this time, when she suddenly noticed that there was someone else next to Achan.
When she saw Lord Bai again, her smile faded slightly and her body tensed, but her tone remained polite: "Lord Bai, it's been a long time."
Bai Xiuming's gaze swept across Shen Huixue's face. He remembered that Shen Huixue was a half-demon, but at this moment she looked no different from an ordinary person, and A Chan seemed to have no curiosity about this change at all.
Bai Xiuming withdrew his gaze and nodded slightly to the other party: "I apologize for disturbing you."
At this moment, Lie Xian saw Shen Huixue and waved to her: "Huixue, I've safely delivered Miss Achan to you."
"Thank you, Brother Lie."
"No need to be polite. By the way, you should take Miss Achan and Brother Bai to the High Priest first."
Shen Huixue nodded in agreement, then whispered to Achan, "If any guests need to stay in the village temporarily, they must first see the High Priest. But don't worry, she is very kind."
"Shall we go there now?" Achan was very curious about the high priest of the witch clan.
"Okay, let's go."
After greeting Lie Xian, Shen Huixue led the two into the village and headed towards the High Priest's residence.
The high priest lived at the end of the village, in a large courtyard. The courtyard was filled with many materials that Achan had seen or had not seen before, as well as a lot of game.
Some of the prey appeared to have been processed, their fur glossy and smooth, looking just as they had when they were alive, while others seemed to have not yet been processed.
There was only one wooden building in the courtyard, which was the residence of the high priest.
Upon arriving at the door, Shen Huixue called out, "High Priest, are you home? I've brought guests."
"Huixue, come in." A kind, aged voice came from inside.
Shen Huixue led A Chan and Bai Xiuming through the door. The space was large and there were no partitions, so you could see the whole place at a glance.
The room was empty of furniture, except for a slightly elevated platform covered with black animal hides, and piles of bamboo slips, bone books, and silk books.
An old woman with snow-white hair sat cross-legged on an animal skin, with a page of a bone book open in front of her, inscribed with words. She seemed to be calculating some date.
Only after all three had entered the room did the high priest raise her eyes. Her eyes were deep and unfathomable, as if they could see through people's hearts.
Her gaze swept over the three of them one by one, finally landing on Achan.
Achan was also curiously observing the high priest when he smiled at her, and she immediately returned a bright smile.
The high priest's gaze softened further. She didn't put on airs and instead introduced herself first: "My name is Wu Ying, and I am the high priest of the Wu tribe."
In the past, a shaman tribe could have several priests, but only one high priest.
Later, the witch clan suffered a misfortune, leaving only their branch. She is now the only high priestess of the witch clan.
"Your life is in vain."
“My name is Ji Chan, and the High Priest can call me A Chan.” A Chan’s tone was light and cheerful.
The high priest laughed: "Achan, what a beautiful name."
Achan has started to like the High Priest; he speaks so sweetly.
"Has Achan come to the wilderness? Is there something important that you have to do?" the high priest asked.
Achan glanced at Bai Xiuming out of the corner of her eye, hesitated slightly, and shook her head, saying, "It's nothing. Huixue and I are good friends. I came here specifically to visit her."
"I see." The High Priest nodded. "In that case, let Huixue take you to Liexian first and have him arrange accommodations for you. When you have time, Achan can come and visit me again."
“Okay.” Achan had originally intended to have a private chat with the high priest, but she didn’t expect him to take the initiative to invite her.
Shen Huixue took Achan and left first. If it were just Achan, she could let Achan stay in her home, but now that Bai Xiuming was also there, it was not appropriate for her to let anyone else stay.
However, there are vacant houses in the village that people can live in.
The high priest watched Achan leave, and only after she was gone did he say to Bai Xiuming, "I heard that you have come from the distant Great Xia. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
After Achan left, Bai Xiuming sensed the high priest's estrangement and indifference. He directly stated the purpose of his trip: "I have come here only to pay respects to my father's deceased friend. If the high priest can provide any clues, I will be extremely grateful."
"I wonder what the name of your father's old friend is?"
"His name is Xi Jing, and he is a fox demon of the fifth realm."
"I don't know who your father is..."
"My father is Bai Yu." Bai Xiuming announced the Ming King's real name, not expecting the other party to know it.
Unexpectedly, the high priest showed a hint of surprise on his face: "Is this the Great Xia Ming King who fought alongside Lord Xijing to defeat the Demon Emperor back then?"
"...That's right."
The high priest smiled and his tone softened considerably: "So it is Lord Ming. Given his relationship with Lord Xijing, it's no wonder that he made this special trip for his distinguished guest."
Bai Xiuming then asked, "Does the High Priest know the burial place of my father's old friend?"
“I know.” The High Priest sighed softly. “Lord Xijing has been gone for many years. The reason why his remains have not been discovered is because they were suppressed by an array. Some time ago, the array loosened, which is why his aura was revealed.”
Before Bai Xiuming could speak, she turned to look at the sky outside and said to him, "It's getting late. Please get some rest tonight, and I'll take you to the location of the formation tomorrow."
Bai Xiuming thought he would have to use some persuasion to convince her, but he didn't expect her to be so cooperative.
He bowed to the high priest and said, "Thank you."
Meanwhile, Shen Huixue was taking Achan to find Lie Xian, and along the way she didn't forget to tell her about the information she had found out.
"The person you asked me to inquire about, since they didn't have a name, I could only ask for a general description. If they had a specific name, the information I got would probably be more accurate."
Achan hesitated for a moment before saying, "That fox demon's name is Xijing."
That was her father's name.
“Xi Jing.” Shen Huixue murmured the name twice, memorized it, and said to A Chan, “The old priest I’m inquiring about often lives outside the village, not far from here. If I have time tomorrow, I’ll take you there to find her. Maybe she’ll remember this name.”
"Okay," Achan agreed with great anticipation.
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