Chapter 65 Heart's Blood
"Chongyan, another sect has been invaded by the demons. This is the third such attack this month. This time, they are even closer to us. You must come with me immediately." Two days ago, Xie Jingyan said to him with a solemn expression.
Yan Chongyan nodded and set off on his sword with Xie Jingyan and the other disciples.
The group arrived quickly, and the scene was worse than they had imagined. The demons were nowhere to be seen, but the cultivators in the sect seemed to have been infected by corpse demons and were killing each other.
Beneath the sect's plaque, the elders were gnawing on the necks of the younger ones, who could only utter a terrified "Master" before falling silent.
Yan Chongyan frowned deeply as he watched Xie Jingyan step forward, wielding a sword, and decapitate the two men, their heads rolling to his feet.
Xie Jingyan turned around, his face also stained with blood, and said to the crowd, "They are infected. Kill them all, leave no one behind!"
“But…” Yan Chongyan opened his mouth, knowing full well that his master’s decision was correct, but a sense of reluctance rose in his heart.
He drew his sword and charged into the sect with his fellow disciples. Everywhere was a glaring crimson, and the buildings looked as if they had been painted with blood powder.
A cultivator with completely black eyes charged at him, and he pierced its head with a single sword strike.
With the cleanup underway, the subsequent process was easier than he had anticipated. After they had cleared out all the corpse demons and stopped to take inventory, they discovered that some of their own men were also injured.
Xie Jingyan stepped forward and mercilessly swung his sword, killing him.
The others seemed to have experienced this often, their faces showing numbness, but Yan Chongyan still couldn't get used to it, turning away, unable to bear watching any longer.
Xie Jingyan walked over and said, "To be merciful to them is to be cruel to the living. For the sake of the greater good, I have no choice but to do this."
He patted Yan Chongyan on the shoulder again and said in a low voice, "The threat of the demon race is getting closer and closer to us. We must start to take precautions. I will set up a formation to trap the demon race when they actually enter Huaguang Sect. Chongyan, I want you to be the core of the formation."
Yan Chongyan looked up in surprise.
“The array eye is the core of the entire array. I have great confidence in you. You are my most outstanding disciple.” Xie Jingyan looked at him meaningfully. “During this period, you will practice with your other fellow disciples. You must adjust your body to its best condition.”
He then solemnly said, "The fate of Huaguangzong rests on this one battle."
"I understand," Yan Chongyan said, cupping his hands in greeting. He immediately thought of the matter of obtaining the princess's heart's blood, and his heart sank.
It was at this time that Xiao Sui approached him and told him that he could draw blood for the princess.
Yan Chongyan was quite surprised. "I heard that the princess has destroyed your indenture. You are no longer her servant. You don't need to worry about her affairs."
“Taking the heart’s blood will deplete a cultivator’s vital essence. At best, it will cause their cultivation level to plummet; at worst, it will cause their cultivation to dissipate completely,” Xiao Sui said calmly.
"Why are you telling me all this?" Yan Chongyan frowned.
“I don’t think you can bear such consequences,” Xiao Sui said. “Rather than letting the princess risk being blamed by you, it would be better to use my blood from the beginning.”
Yan Chongyan looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Since you care so much about the princess, you can make the suggestion to her yourself. I don't want to steal credit."
Xiao Sui shook his head, his lips pale, and said with difficulty, "The princess probably doesn't want to see me. What she likes now is... you. If you give her what she wants, she will be happier."
Yan Chongyan found it unbelievable, but his suggestion was indeed tempting, as it would not harm himself and would also satisfy the princess.
He was currently practicing setting up formations, and for the safety of everyone in the Huaguang Sect, he agreed without much hesitation.
Yan Chongyan's thoughts returned to the present moment. He looked at the princess, who was studying the blood in the porcelain bottle with her head down, and a hint of irony flashed in his eyes. That good-for-nothing was so deeply in love with the princess.
Unfortunately, even with such devotion, the princess had already grown tired of him.
Ningxi called Zhizhi over, handed her the items, and instructed her to prepare the medicine.
"Stay for dinner," she said again.
Yan Chongyan was quite surprised. Xiao Sui wasn't here now, so there was no need for him to continue provoking him. Could it be...? He suddenly thought of a possibility, which struck him like a blow to the head.
Could it be that the princess was playing hard to get, using Xiao Sui as an excuse to actually keep him here?
"Ding, your infatuation value has increased by 50." The system notification sounded.
Ning Qi glanced at Yan Chongyan, who was standing to the side with a blank expression, and asked the system in surprise, "Huh? I can get so many points just for letting him stay for dinner?"
The system indicated it didn't understand either.
When it was time to eat, steaming hot food was served. It was pork liver and beef that Ning Qi had specially instructed the kitchen to prepare, to help Yan Chongyan replenish his blood.
She picked up a piece of pig liver and put it into Yan Chongyan's bowl. The system beeped, "Devotion value increased by 10."
Ning Qi felt somewhat guilty, after all, she had just secretly poured out the medicine he had brewed with his heart's blood.
The bowl of medicinal soup was reddish-brown and had a fishy smell. Just thinking about it gave her goosebumps, and she couldn't bring herself to drink it. But since it was just for show and it was Yan Chongyan's blood anyway, she decided not to make things difficult for herself.
After finishing the meal and agreeing to return in three days to deliver the blood, she saw Yan Chongyan off.
Now that her death is drawing ever closer, Ning Qi cannot change her fate; she can only make her death more meaningful.
She summoned Aying and asked him to spread a message in Yandu.
Aying was very surprised. "Isn't this a slander against you by the former Vice Minister? Why did you ask me to spread this news?"
“Just do it,” Ning Qi said.
She needed a pretext to expose the true purpose of the emperor and Xie Jingyan exchanging princesses.
She wanted everyone to know that Ning Xi did not die for a man, but for saving Hua Guangzong.
Although Aying was puzzled, she did as instructed, and within a few days the matter became the talk of the town in Yandu.
Xie Xiyue came to find her specifically, and said indignantly, "I heard from my father that those rumors are completely unfounded. Have you offended anyone recently? How could such outrageous rumors be spread?"
Ning Qi shook her head, pretending to know nothing.
"Don't worry," Xie Xiyue comforted her. "These rumors come and go quickly; they'll be gone in a few days."
Indeed, as she said, the rumors about Ning Qi being a fake princess circulated for a while, but then disappeared as if blown away by the wind.
"You didn't need to do this at all," the system disagreed. "You died protecting the male lead, which would have greatly increased your 'devotion value,' and maybe even improved our mission score. Now you're trying to expose the princess's replacement, which is of no benefit to our mission."
“I know.” Ning Qi looked at the empty chaise lounge. “I’m just speaking up for the original owner of this body.”
"You have no relation to the original owner, so there's no need to invest real feelings," the system said sternly.
"Even if there's no connection, I still can't stand how you treat her." Ning Qi asked curiously, "Why are you so agitated?"
system:"……"
"I know, you must be scared because you're about to break down," Ning Qi said with a smile.
The system fell completely silent.
Although the rumors were suppressed, once the seeds were sown in people's hearts, they would eventually take root and sprout.
Ning Xi secretly poured the medicinal soup three times, and couldn't help but call over A Shen to ask about Xiao Sui's recent situation, "Did he go to the house I provided?"
Ah Shen shook his head, "Young Master Xiao didn't go."
"Where is he currently?" Ning Xi asked, frowning.
“He’s at Huaguang Sect.” Ashen, following her orders, had been keeping track of Xiao Sui’s whereabouts, “in his former courtyard.”
Ning Xi exclaimed "Ah!" and upon reflection, it was indeed not surprising. Her residence was in Yandu, where Xiao Sui was unfamiliar with the place, and his former courtyard was indeed a better place to go.
"What has he been doing lately?" she asked again.
Ah Shen lowered his head and said, "He's working for Master Jingyan."
"Has Master Jingyan come looking for him again?" Ning Qi asked worriedly.
Ah Shen said, "Recently, the small sects near Huaguang Sect have been invaded by the demon race one after another. Some were wiped out, and some were all infected and turned into corpse demons. Young Master Xiao is probably going to clean up the corpse demons."
Ning Qi cracked her knuckles. "Can't he just give me a break? He's always doing the most dangerous things!"
Ah Shen didn't say anything.
Ning Qi sighed. For Xiao Sui, clearing out the corpse demons should be easier than finding non-existent flowers in the Ten Thousand Demon Cave.
But the demons are indeed getting closer and closer.
She went to the palace to discuss her wedding date with her father, the emperor, and Yan Chongyan.
She wanted to set the date on the day the Demonic Cult attacked Huaguang Sect in the original book.
"The princess is getting married soon." Zhizhi ran to the deserted back mountain to meet Xiao Sui. "It's on the sixth of next month. After that, I can't give you any more news about the princess."
Xiao Sui pursed his lips tightly and remained silent for a long time before asking, "Has the princess's health improved recently?"
"Yes, don't worry," Zhizhi said. "Her complexion is much rosier, and she doesn't faint as often anymore. It seems that the decoction is really effective. Princess, after taking it three more times, you should be fully recovered."
Xiao Sui seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and after a long while, he said, "That's good."
Zhizhi observed him, "But you, why do you look so unwell? What have you been up to lately?"
Xiao Sui shook his head. "It's nothing, I just didn't sleep well."
Zhizhi looked at him with suspicion. Xiao Sui's face and lips were very pale, as if he had lost too much blood. His body had obviously become thinner, and his spiritual energy was not as abundant as before.
If he told himself that he had used some secret technique to extend the princess's lifespan, she would believe him.
"Are you really alright?" she asked again, still worried. "Even if the princess kicked you out, you were once her servant. She would feel sorry for you knowing you're not doing well."
Xiao Sui lowered his head. "I'm really fine."
Zhizhi ignored him and hurried towards the princess's courtyard.
Xiao Sui unconsciously took two steps, then forced himself to stop.
He has been rejected by the princess and can never go back.
The wound on his chest throbbed with sharp pain, making his heart ache. He gripped his clothes tightly and bent over, unable to support himself any longer.
The communication talisman glowed again. He took it out and listened to it. It was Master Jingyan summoning him to go and exorcise the Corpse Demon.
"Ha, Xiao Sui, so the high branch you climbed was a fake. No wonder you slunk back again." A harsh voice rang in their ears, and the cultivators who were exorcising demons together burst into laughter.
Xiao Sui frowned. "What?"
"You don't know?" the man said with a smile. "Ningxi is a fake princess. I've long disliked her arrogant attitude. I bet the emperor is sending people to investigate her. Her smugness won't last much longer."
Xiao Sui punched him in the face.
The man shouted, "You dare hit me!"
The people around him swarmed forward and began to beat Xiao Sui.
He was more than capable of dealing with these bastards, but the wound in his heart was like a huge hole, causing most of his spiritual power to leak out, leaving him with a feeling of wanting to do something but not being able to.
He managed to knock everyone to the ground, and then sat down on the ground himself.
Bright red blood dripped down his arm onto the white snowdrops blooming beside him, the stench of blood mingling with a faint floral fragrance.
Xiao Sui suddenly raised his head; he finally understood what was wrong with the five-petaled Netherworld Flower.
Every Netherworld Flower he examined in the Cave of Ten Thousand Demons had a strange fragrance.
But the princess's flower had no fragrance at all.
Could it be that the princess's flowers are fake?!
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Author's Note: My darlings, this novel will be available for purchase next Monday, with three chapters released. [glasses emoji]
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