Chapter 46: Inner Demon

Cold winds blew against ShaoTian's cheeks. He seemed to be standing on a 2-foot deep snow. His body could not move but he could feel the blizzard's force brushing on his skin.

'Where am I?' He stared far and saw shadows of a little boy with a man... He presumed that the boy had been travelling with his father so he tried calling out to them.

"Hey! Hey! I'm here! Can you help me out-"

The boy and the older man passed right through him. It seems like they can't hear him but ShaoTian could hear them speak soundly.

"Son... When we get off this harsh weather, I'm going to tell you a great story."

"Really father? Wow. Ah Tian will try walking fast father!"

"Good boy. I'm sorry that I dragged you into this mess."

ShaoTian stood still. His eyes grew wide as he heard the exchanging conversations of the father and child. He looked at his hands. Black curse marks spread all throughout. He shook it off but the marks crept up until his chest.

"No! No! No!!!"

ShaoTian pleaded for help but no one can hear him. Even if he squeal or roll himself upon the snow... No one will come. He closed his eyes. Feeling of numbness starts to arise from his legs up to his thigh.

"Come on... ShaoTian... Cooperate. XuanWu might not hold for long if she uses the evil spear, she might get corrupted like Zhuge Liang. Please ShaoTian..."

Opening his eyes, he reached out his hands up high. He thought that he had heard a voice calling to him... The feeling of numbness almost covered his lower extremities when...

A warm light showered on his face and a woman suddenly descended down. The black robed woman looked familiar. He recognized her hair, her voice and her hands... The long sharp nails...

"XUANZHENG!"

ShaoTian gasped as he woke up and found his right hand choking the poor XuanZheng. He let of of her immediately. XuanZheng coughed as she scrambled against Xiao Na and Luo Na.

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Trying to revive ShaoTian, XuanZheng put her palms once again on his chest focusing all of her chi on his consciousness. However, no matter how XuanZheng tried, ShaoTian never woke up.

'I couldn't give up now. My sister will be in danger if ShaoTian doesn't wake up. I need to draw out the box but I could not do it if he's locked inside his consciousness.'

She tried to put her palms once again but the ShaoTian's spirit is locked down below. XuanZheng leaned back and was about to cry. Luo Na gave her a pat in the back.

"Ayí XuanZheng isn't really bad after all."

"Oh Luo Na... I wish there is a way to save your father."

"Hmm... Ayí have you tried doing astral reconnaissance?"

"That sounds pretty tough. It'll drain all of my chi dry but..."

XuanZheng looked at XuanWu battling the overpowered Zhuge Liang... She saw the curse of the evil spear spread already up to her neck. She averted her eyes and bring out her flute.

"Ayí... That's..."

"I know. Ayí has many things to tell you."

Blowing through the hole in the flute, XuanZheng played a tune that transported her inside ShaoTian's consciousness. The area around his soul felt extremely cold. She shivered as she stretched her hand to reach up to ShaoTian.

"Take my hand!" She shouted but ShaoTian was deaf against the sound of the howling blizzard.

"ShaoTian!!! XuanWu needs you! Take my hand!"

ShaoTian held his hand up high and finally, it reached up to hers.

XuanZheng stopped playing the flute and watched how ShaoTian would react after the spirit reconnaissance. She reached her hand to touch him but ShaoTian awakened with black pupils in his eyes and curse marks in his right hand. He grabbed XuanZheng in the neck and gripped it hard. Luo Na and Xiao Na rushed to remove ShaoTian's hand from choking XuanZheng but XuanZheng told them to stay away.

"Stay away or you'll be affected by the curse!"

"Ayí!"

"Just—Let him ... Be..."

After a while, ShaoTian snapped into reality and found himself choking XuanZheng. He let go of her and looked at his cursed hand.

"XuanZheng.... I— I'm sorry."

"I *cough* know... *cough* Your soul has been *cough* poisoned by *cough* the evil tree's *cough* resentment."

"Hmm... Where is XuanWu?"

"She is fighting him. Let's extract the box and give it to her or else she'll—"

"She'll never die."

ShaoTian flew into the air in rage and disturbed the fight. XuanWu clenched her teeth as ShaoTian went in between her and Zhuge Liang.

"Move aside ShaoTian. I'm going to finish this now."

"No XuanWu... This is mine to finish."

ShaoTian hastened his movements and grabbed XuanWu in the back putting a sleeping needle on her head which made her collapse. He caught her in his arms. Zhuge Liang raised an eyebrow as he looked at them. His jealousy rose seeing the couple together.

"Hah. Love is such an awful thing."

"Shut up and give us a moment."

"Tsk. That's why humans die. It's because you're too over sentimental!"

"You underestimate us humans too much."

XuanZheng flew up and caught XuanWu. She nodded as she took a final look at ShaoTian.

"Take care of her for me."

"No. You should come back alive and take care of her for yourself. Idiot."

"You're just like your sister."

"Everybody says the same thing."

XuanZheng descended down into the city walls leaving ShaoTian and Zhuge Liang fight for death.

"So, you're going to use the Shangguan Longyan again?"

"What do you expect? It only takes a nick of time to kill you."

"Hah. Arrogant fool. Your words doesn't match your capabilities."

"Is that so?"

The curse marks spread over ShaoTian's neck and his pupils turned pitch black. Zhuge Liang's eyes widened as he saw ShaoTian. He decided to fight him equally so he pulled out his divine weapon, the Immolation Fan.

"Now, you're starting to piss me off ShaoTian."

"I'm glad I almost popped your artery."

Colors of blue and purple fire exchanged in the night sky. ShaoTian conjured bluish colored hellfires while Zhuge Liang conjured purple flames of doom. Their battle shook the earth and sky leaving the citizens fend for refuge inside the Dragon Blade's kingdom.

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Inside the palace walls of the kingdom of Dragon Blade, Li An and Zhang Xiaoxing confined themselves in accordance with King Fu's orders.

As the palace's walls tremble, Li An's anger welled inside her. She regrets that she could not do anything to support the immortals nor could she fly and do things that cultivators do. However, she thought about the benevolent leader that saved her life... Wei Xuan... His highness Wei Yue's father.

King Fu arrived inside the hall and made Zhang and Li sit at the round table. King Fu wanted to discuss about Li and Zhang's plan on giving birth to a child.

He never wanted to suprise them so, he talked to them smoothly.

"Eherrmm... As I see two of you are getting along fine?"

"Yes father. We are getting along fine... Although Zhang snores when he sleeps."

"Aiyaa! You're the one who snore when you sleep!"

"Aaiiya? Putting the blame on me? Look father! He's very shameless!"

'HAHAHA' King Fu couldn't bare but just laugh on the two future kingdom-bearers. He teared up his eye as he saw the two doing a short catfight and later on made up with a short kiss.

'Ahhhh... If Zhang knew, I was this chummy like that with her mother, XiaoYi..."

He decided to take the conversation on the main point so he asked them a ridiculously bold question.

"Have you two boiled potatoes already?"

"HAAAAH?"

Both of them gasped and King Fu laughed like crazy. He held at the edge of his seat still laughing like a maniac.

Their happiness turned into silence when a consort came in bringing a tea for all of them to drink. The consort served the tea to King Fu at first and then to Li An and Zhang.

The consort afterwards excused herself and went back to the shadows where she came from. Zhang did not pay attention to the consort since he's used to his father getting new consorts all the time.

"Father?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you knew that consort who served us tea?"

"Oh that? I don't know her but she's a beauty."

King Fu drank the cup of tea and put the remaining one on the table. Zhang suspected that something was off. He looked at the tea his father drank and the remaining liquid turned black. He stood from his seat and asked Li An to stay with his father.

Drawing his sword, he expects to catch the culprit but it was too late...

When he came back, King Fu was already in pain. He could not breathe properly so he called in a servant to fetch Wei Yue.

"Father... I have already called for Wei Yue. He will cure you."

"No son... No... I'm afraid I may not going to make it."

"Don't say such things father. It's merely a poison. You've survived a lot worse than this right?"

"*cough* Son... *cough* I have one last request... *cough* If I die... Please... *cough* Take over the kingdom and give me lots of *cough* grandchildren."

"Dad! Dad!!!"

King Fu fell unconscious. The servants soon came in bringing Wei Yue.

Touching King Fu's hand, Wei Yue then shook his head.

"He'll only live for one more day. I'm sorry Zhang."

Zhang wrapped his arms around his father.

'Father... I'll respect your wishes.'