Chapter 215 Three Days of Despair (Part 2)
A blood-colored formation formed naturally, a beating heart carved into the center of the triple circle. There were no secret inscriptions around the formation to protect against outsider intrusion. Their transformation formation was the "Origin Style," so as outsiders, they naturally had no concerns about contamination.
Chu Hengkong had once seen a Soul Vessel transform into an Immortal Machine, a process that took several long hours. However, Bernfa explained that this time was simply for the transfer of resources; in reality, the transformation took only a split second. Because they were Outer Daos, they didn't need to learn or comprehend. The information from the Outer Dao's original being was already imprinted within their very being; they only needed to read and apply it.
The same goes for the transformation of the Lustful Demon.
The formation closed, blood shimmering into the egg. The bone-white shell cracked, and a centaur, half-human, half-horse, emerged. Naked, their faces flushed, translucent mucus slid down their delicate features, clinging to their fair skin. Instinct drew them toward the settlement, their eyes filled with curiosity, desire, and hunger.
"Sir Knight..." The soldier guarding the entrance looked confused. "Three... knights...?"
"Knights." A banshee rubbed her face gently on the parapet. Her long hair was the color of violet. "It's the knights... We... the knights..."
"Stay away!" Chu Hengkong shouted, "That thing is not your warrior leader!"
The warrior, awakened, hastily retreated. He was an adult, after all, and could see the strangeness of the situation. But the children were oblivious. Nearby children, drawn to the scene by the strangeness, cried out in delight. Vita, the leader, jumped in shock. "Knights! Three of them!"
"Come on, little ones." The purple-haired banshee waved to them, "Let me see you."
The children rushed over, but Chu Hengkong stopped them all with a flick of his wrist. He dragged the children back without a word. Vita struggled hard, reaching forward: "What are you doing?! How can you be so rude? Let the knights in!"
"Cover your ears!" Chu Hengkong roared.
The children were confused, and no one followed their lead. Ji Huaisu raised the transparent ice house, and the faces of the knights outside the ice were distorted by the refraction, their beautiful features taking on a strange, uncanny quality. They looked into the children's eyes, and they smiled excitedly.
A violent heartbeat unleashed, like the tolling of a thousand bells and drums outside the settlement. The frenzied force pierced the double barrier of the igloo and the sacred pillars, crashing into the warriors' entrails. Adult warriors collapsed, and children vomited blood. The concussion brought piercing pain, and blood clogged Vita's throat. She knelt on the ground, her blood-soaked eyes filled with a daze.
"Why……"
"Come on, little thing!" The purple-haired banshee laughed loudly, "Let me taste your heart!"
The banshees abandoned their disguises, clinging to the protective walls, their skin burning from the resistance of the holy pillars, yet the hunger and desire in their eyes remained undimmed. Their heartbeats were a demonic melody that poisoned life, their motivations driven by battle and humiliation. They were melee troops, proud of their explosive power, blood-drinking demonic cavalrymen on the battlefield.
Outer Path Sephiroth 3, Lustful Demon·Blood Knight.
The harrier flew over and hovered above the three Blood Knights, her fingertips brushing their faces one by one. "Receive your names," she commanded. The three Blood Knights immediately knelt, not daring to raise their gazes even an inch.
"Girl with hair like wildfire, your name is Fuhuo." Wen Yao pointed to a thin person. Her hair was bright orange-yellow. Her eyebrows were touched by Wen Yao, leaving a flame-like mark.
She pointed at the black-haired knight and drew a black python on his chest. "Cunning girl, you will be called Cunning and Vicious from now on."
"Finally, it's you..." Wen Yao poked the purple-haired knight who spoke first, "You're not bad. You know how to find happiness for yourself. Your name is Locust, and the other two are at your command."
"Thank you for the name, Master Wen Yao." Locust Li raised his head and sucked on Wen Yao's burning finger, letting the flames burn in his mouth. "I sense the presence of another of my kind. Can I command her? Can I eat her?"
"You are not qualified to order her around." Wen Yao chuckled, "Because she will soon be your master. Wait until this holy pillar goes out!"
She gave new orders, and the three Blood Knights began to run around the settlement, their familiar breakneck speed stirring up a cloud of dust. Their heartbeats resonated as they ran, like the neighing of a vast army. Ji Huaisu urgently erected multiple defensive walls, immediately mitigating the impact of the Blood Knights' heartbeats. But the demonic sound persisted, penetrating every pore.
The Blood Knight's heartbeat spread across the land, reaching the settlement's interior, awakening sleeping children. It surged through the air, entering flesh and tormenting the people's spirits. The last piece of peaceful land in the despairing wilderness vanished. From this moment on, there was no more peace in Hell.
Chu Hengkong strode towards the exit of the settlement. "I'll go kill one." Ji Huaisu stopped him. "Don't go crazy, Wen Yao will take the opportunity to kill you." "Better than waiting to die." "We can still hold on for a while!"
“There’s no time!”
Chu Hengkong pressed his chest, and Ji Huaisu, surprised, let go. She saw hesitation in her partner's eyes, a hesitation that shouldn't have been there. His eyes were bloodshot, and a certain power in his blood was stimulating his spirit, just like the night he almost lost control. "I'll find a way to come back. You go and take good care of Qingxia. Don't let her—"
"What happened to the children?"
They all froze. A familiar voice came from behind, weak yet angry. Qingxia had arrived. Her face was pale, her eyes were empty, and her skin, once as smooth as jade, had lost its luster. She was as weak as a patient who could not stand steadily.
"Is it a new poison?" Qingxia raised her arm, her hand full of wounds that hadn't yet healed. "I still have a lot of blood. Hurry up."
Chu Hengkong stared at her in surprise. Fander spoke sullenly. "She's also a lust demon. She's naturally immune to the toxins of her kind. The antidote you used was Qingxia's blood."
Chu Hengkong suddenly felt breathless. At this point, they still relied on Qingxia to survive. He grabbed Qingxia's wrist. Usually, the girl would not be restrained by him at all, but now she couldn't break free. "You go back first."
Qingxia was anxious. She was groggy and couldn't see clearly what was happening outside the barrier. "What's going on? What's that noise?" She rubbed her eyes, trying to make out her surroundings. The children lay groaning on the ground, the one closest to her was Vita.
Qingxia quickly leaned over and sniffed the children's scent. The pheromones told her there were no toxins, and she felt relieved.
"Did you hurt yourselves?" Qingxia smiled and stretched out her hands. "I told you guys to exercise more..."
Vita clutched her fingertips. The little girl, speechless, looked at her sadly. Many children struggled and retreated, fear overpowering reason at this moment. Qingxia realized something terrible had happened. She tried to break free from Chu Hengkong's restraints, but was too weak to succeed.
"Let me go!"
"Listen to me!" Chu Hengkong pushed her back, "Go back first!"
Qingxia tried hard to look outside the settlement. Her senses finally adapted to the environment and returned to normal. She heard a familiar laugh and a heartbeat that sounded like thunder. She saw layers of bloody handprints on the walls of the holy pillars, and the sound of galloping horses in the flying dust. The centaurs of the blood knights laughed bloodthirsty laughter.
That was the kindred spirit she had longed for, the true image of the knight she had believed in since childhood.
Qingxia stopped moving, her arms falling, powerless. She stared at the world outside the settlement, like an old, faded stone statue.
·
"Go back and rest," Chu Hengkong told her, "We will find a way."
It didn't take him long to drag Qingxia away. The girl followed him like a submissive beast. The killer, uncharacteristically rambling, repeatedly emphasized that there would be a solution. Qingxia remained silent, wandering through the streets of the settlement in a daze.
Ji Huaisu had taken the children to the martial arts arena, where they stayed with Gulibo in the safest place. Most houses were locked, only the empty ones remained open. People dared not leave their homes. Although they were still tormented by the demonic sounds within, it provided a sense of comfort. They walked past seemingly quiet houses, their keen senses picking up whispers.
The settlement wasn't very large, and the warriors quickly learned of the situation. Many said it was a deception by outsiders, someone disguised as the Warrior Chief to deceive the people. Some insisted that it was the Warrior Chief's race, and they clearly remembered Qingxia's childhood.
Most people sighed in frustration, and petty arguments continued unabated. The truth was clear before their eyes, and everyone could vaguely sense it. The elderly blamed Silar, blaming him for bringing disaster upon himself. The young people scolded them for being heartless, completely ignoring Qingxia's contributions over the years. Their clamor grew louder, finally culminating in a roar.
"Don't worry about whether it's true or not, don't offend her! What if she turns out to be like that?!"
The quarrel died down, and no one spoke. Through the cracks in the houses, people's gazes fell on Qingxia, filled with fear and uneasiness, like weak people avoiding evil spirits. Chu Hengkong felt annoyed, but he couldn't say anything. He could only pat Qingxia's palm and offer a pale comfort: "There will be a way."
"It will be." Qingxia said, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
She suddenly stopped and clutched her chest. She lowered her head and hunched over, her body trembling as if enduring immense pain. For a moment, Chu Hengkong thought everything was over, but his worst fears didn't materialize. Qingxia straightened up again, her pale face now a touch of color.
"Sorry, I just need to rest for a while." Qingxia panted, "I'm not so fragile that I will never recover. I want to avenge my grandfather. I want to lead everyone out. I also want to... defeat the Demon King..."
She showed a sad smile: "I will do it, Chu Hengkong. You believe me... you believe..."
"I believe you." Chu Hengkong held her hand tightly. He could feel the unsettling humming of her pulse. Qingxia's temperature was frighteningly high. "Don't talk for now. Go back and get some sleep."
Qingxia walked in fits and starts, and they finally arrived at Qingxia's home. He almost carried Qingxia the last part of the way. He helped Qingxia walk to the grass bed. At this moment, Qingxia was still smiling, even though her facial muscles were stiff, she was still smiling.
"I...will win," she said haltingly. "I can get through this...I just need to practice the One Heart ritual once more. I'm used to it. They said the same thing when I was a kid, that trust can always be restored. Then, tell me some stories. Some happy stories..."
"No problem." Chu Hengkong nodded, "No problem."
Qingxia calmed down. She tried to lie down on the straw bed, but her legs gave way. She lost her balance and bumped into the bookshelf. The small books she cherished so dearly fell onto her scorching body, burning from the heat. Chu Hengkong snatched up the small books and anxiously extinguished the flames on the pages. Then, a small booklet from the top shelf fell. Qingxia reached out to catch it, staring blankly at the knight on a white horse on the cover.
The person she admired since childhood.
Qingxia cried. Her tears dripped down, soaking the wooden statue of the knight. She curled up, letting out a heartbreaking sob. It was all fake. Everything was fake. Her identity, her ideals, her memories, the dream she had always believed in and fought for. The truth was the filth that had been conquered.
She had always been a demon craving flesh and blood, her existence here merely due to the Demon King's evil joke. Even what she had said to Chu Hengkong earlier was a lie. She could do nothing. She couldn't defeat the Plague Demon, she couldn't avenge her grandfather. She simply couldn't disobey Wen Yao. Even in this grief, she wore a smile, because Wen Yao commanded her to smile.
She fell to her knees, a hideous bulge forming on her back, as if a demon was about to break free of her flesh and blood. She had no control over her body, and when her heartbeat began to blaze from outside, Wen Yao issued a new order.
Let’s upgrade.
Upgrade, Qingxia.
Blood oozed from the wound, forming a new transformation. She was about to become a plague demon, a monster spreading deadly poison. The information buried deep within her blood would take over, and her self would be devoured by instinct. At that time, there would be no "purity" left, only a monster controlled by desire.
She looked up at Chu Hengkong with a solemn expression, clenched the man's hand, and prayed humbly and helplessly for the first and last time.
"Please, Chu Hengkong." Qingxia cried, "Please kill me!"
She didn't get a response from the man, so Chu Hengkong pulled his hand away. There was no trace of pity in the man's eyes, but a cold, steely anger.
"It's not time to die yet," the killer said coldly, "Your mission is not over yet. You must avenge your grandfather. You must kill Wen Yao. You must defeat Fansalar. Only when all your enemies are dead, will you have the right to seek death!"
Qingxia was completely devastated. The only person she could rely on didn't respond to her pleas. She heard her beloved ideals, responsibilities, and obligations, but in the face of cruel reality, all of them seemed like bubbles. She screamed in pain, "I can't do anything!"
Chu Hengkong leaned over and hugged the helpless girl tightly, hugging the monster who was determined to die. Qingxia looked at him in disbelief.
"I'm here," the killer said. "I'll kill her for you..."
(End of this chapter)
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