39-41

Chapter 39: Response

All this happened in the blink of an eye, and Su Heng's reaction was undeniably swift. But he was still a step too slow.

A few white spores were carried away by the wind, spreading outwards, some landing on Su Li and Su Shang.

"Su Li——"

Swish! Su Heng flashed to Su Li's side, grasping her arm where red spots were already appearing.

"I—" Su Li's eyes widened as she felt an intense itching sensation spreading rapidly from her arm, as if something was taking root and sprouting within her flesh.

"It's the demon's ability!" Her brows furrowed as she quickly realized what had happened.

She channeled the internal energy cultivated through the Evergreen Wood Art into her left arm, a hazy green light enveloping it.

However, even with her Bone Forging cultivation, the energy couldn't completely eradicate it, only suppressing it temporarily.

Swish! Su Heng injected some of his fire poison into Su Li's arm.

A wave of scorching heat swept through her; Su Li felt as if she were being gripped by red-hot tongs, a searing pain coursing through her. She gritted her teeth, refusing to cry out.

"It should be alright now," Su Heng released her arm, his expression serious.

Su Li's wrist was red and blistered from the burn, but she ignored it.

"Xiao Shang." She knelt, seeing that Su Shang's consciousness was fading. Red spots were appearing on his neck; he instinctively reached out to touch them, but Su Li stopped him.

"What do we do?" Su Li looked up, meeting Su Heng's gaze.

"I don't know…" Su Heng's face was grim. "His constitution is too weak; I can't use my energy to detoxify him."

"I… I should be able to suppress it temporarily," Su Li said. "But that's not a long-term solution. If we can eliminate the demon, there might be a chance."

Xiao Qing silently appeared beside Su Li, producing several silver needles from her bosom and handing them to Su Li. These needles were made of special materials, capable of channeling a cultivator's internal energy.

The needle tips glowed with a faint green light as they pierced Su Shang's neck, drawing no blood.

"It's so itchy…" Su Shang groggily opened his eyes, seeing Su Heng's serious expression. "Big Sister, Second Brother, did I cause trouble again?"

His voice was weak, tinged with apology.

"It's not your fault. Just get some sleep," Su Heng softly comforted him. "When you wake up, everything will be alright."

Su Li gently patted Su Shang's head; he leaned against her shoulder and fell into a deep sleep.

Su Gui's face was filled with terror and fear. A moment ago, a living person had their heart ripped out.

If not for the Water Ghoul incident raising Su Gui's tolerance for shock, this alone would have given him a heart attack.

He hadn't dared to speak, as Su Heng's serious expression was rare since he'd begun his martial arts training.

"What happened? What's going on?" Su Gui pointed at the unconscious Su Shang, then at the guard who had been reduced to ashes. His expression went beyond terror; it was a numb bewilderment.

"A demon has infiltrated Changqing County. The situation is dangerous," Su Heng said softly. "No one is to leave the estate. Also, we need to screen everyone in the mansion to prevent this from happening again."

"Another demon… what's happening to this world?" Su Gui looked at the thick, grayish-white, gelatinous fog outside the walls and asked, "Compared to the Water Ghoul, which one is more dangerous?"

"This demon is at least ten times more dangerous than the Water Ghoul," Su Heng added. "At least."

Su Gui shuddered.

Su Li examined everyone in the mansion.

Fortunately, no one else had suffered the same fate as the guard, and no one else was infected by the fungal spores.

"Water, food… do we have enough?" In the courtyard, a bonfire crackled. Su Heng sat on a stool, casually tossing split firewood into the flames.

It was midday, normally the brightest and warmest time of day.

But the strange fog shrouded the city, making it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of one's face, filtering out most of the sunlight. The courtyard was gloomy, necessitating the bonfire to dispel the despair and fear in people's hearts.

Su Heng sat alone in the center of the group. His tall, imposing figure was illuminated by the reddish firelight.

Su Li and Xiao Qing stood to his left, Su Gui and Zhao Hu, the head guard, to his right, surrounded by a dozen or so household retainers.

In such a chaotic and dangerous situation, Su Heng needed to project strength to provide a sense of security and prevent unnecessary panic.

"We recently received a shipment that hasn't been delivered to the trading house yet, so our food supplies are still plentiful," a middle-aged scholar in a long robe and black hat said shakily. "As for water, we can draw from the well; we have plenty."

"How long will it last?"

"Excluding the young master, we have enough for a month," the accountant replied.

'You make me sound like a glutton,' Su Heng sighed, waving his hand. "I understand. Don't worry about me."

"And you…" Su Heng looked at Su Li and Xiao Qing. "Can your formation hold?"

"Yes," Su Li nodded. "But we need to have people patrol to prevent anyone from scaling the walls."

"Leave that to me, Zhao Hu. Young Master, don't worry!" Zhao Hu pounded his chest.

"Those outside might be carrying the disease; avoid direct contact," Su Heng said, turning to his father. "We should have crossbows and spears; let's use them."

Regardless of the dynasty, possessing weapons without permission was a serious crime. But with demons appearing and the world in chaos, such concerns were irrelevant.

"Mm," Su Gui nodded stiffly. He was an honest man, and these weapons had been his biggest secret.

But the Su family, having made their fortune through trade, needed these weapons for their travels. Su Gui had worried about this, losing sleep over it. He never expected them to be needed under these circumstances.

"Truly unpredictable," Su Gui sighed. "Zhao Hu, get a few men and come with me to retrieve them from the warehouse."

"Right!" Zhao Hu grinned, fearless as ever.

"What about you?" Su Li looked at Su Heng. "What are your plans?"

"Give me the Demon-Seeking Disc," Su Heng said. "I'm going out to see if I can find this demon's true form."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 40: Demon Back

Su Heng borrowed the demon-seeking compass from his sister and went out again to search. Unfortunately, his efforts were fruitless. He did, however, take the opportunity to visit the courtyard and bring back the remaining beast meat from the basement.

"The Mist Demon can manipulate the fog density to interfere with the compass's readings. I think it's been leading me on a wild goose chase," Su Heng said flatly.

"Ah… I see."

Su Li gently squeezed his arm. "Be patient, don't get angry."

"If the demon doesn't want to confront you directly, it means it's weaker than you," Su Li comforted him. "What we lack is an opportunity."

"Now we can only wait," Su Heng sighed, looking up at the sky.

"Wait for what?"

"For rain," Su Heng replied.

Changqing County was located in the south, with a rainy climate, especially in spring. The talent gained from absorbing the Water Ghoul's venom sac gave him a premonition: the rain wouldn't be long in coming.

However…

Before dealing with this, Su Heng had another matter to attend to.

"Does the Demon Suppression Agency have any pills that increase blood and qi to aid cultivation?" Su Heng's gaze shifted from the sky to Su Li, asking abruptly.

"Yes." Su Li produced a white porcelain bottle. "These are Blood Qi Pills. They promote physical transformation and enhance cultivation. They're made with demonic flesh and over ten types of precious herbs. Don't take too many at once; it can be overwhelming…"

"How many do you have?"

Su Heng took the bottle and opened it. The aroma stimulated his saliva and stomach, which rumbled loudly.

"I have three bottles, ten pills in each."

"I'll take them all."

"Okay." Su Li handed over the remaining two bottles.

"I might need to close myself off for two or three days," Su Heng said, omitting the usual thanks; such formalities felt awkward between them.

"If anything unexpected happens, let me know immediately."

"I will," Su Li said softly.

Su Heng began his cultivation, making a final push. Su Li handled the household affairs, maintained order, and cared for Su Shang, who was infected with the spores.

The first day passed peacefully.

The second day arrived, the atmosphere growing heavy. Thick clouds obscured the sky. Looking out, everything was a hazy gray, utterly silent, a stillness that drove one mad.

Then came the third day…

Eerie sounds came from outside the courtyard walls, as if something were battering the gate. But the fog obscured everything. Everyone trembled in fear.

On the fourth day,

the impacts grew stronger. A cold wind briefly dispersed some of the mist, revealing a horde of spore-infected corpses outside the walls.

Zhao Hu led the guards in firing crossbows, the bolts piercing the corpses, but no blood flowed. Their insides were completely desiccated, filled with white mycelium. Only Su Li managed to drive them back.

The fifth day arrived.

Some people, unable to bear the suspense any longer, began to inquire about Su Heng's whereabouts. He was the pillar of the Su family, but his absence fueled rumors and anxiety.

"It's almost over…"

Su Li said. "He's in seclusion. After this, he should be able to resolve the crisis."

"Really?" Relief washed over them, but doubt lingered.

"We must overcome this together," Su Li said earnestly. They nodded and dispersed.

Once everyone left,

Su Li tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She looked up at the sky, a single, icy raindrop tracing a cold line across the gray expanse.

"It's raining…" Su Li smiled, relieved.

…

…

…

Su Heng's cultivation courtyard.

A dull boom echoed from the room, like a beast's breath or a rushing river. As Su Li approached, she felt the temperature rising, a thin layer of sweat forming on her forehead.

"Knock knock knock!"

Knocks echoed through the courtyard. Su Li waited, growing increasingly worried as there was no response. Remembering Su Heng's instructions, she gritted her teeth and pushed the door.

Sizzle!

The door wasn't locked. As she opened a crack, a torrent of hot steam erupted from the room, emitting a terrifying, high-pitched shriek!

"This…"

A blinding white fog enveloped Su Li, silencing her. The scalding steam surrounded her, her long black hair billowing behind her like a cloud, her clothes fluttering and crackling. The wooden door cracked and collapsed, leaving only the handle in Su Li's grasp.

After a long while,

the dense fog dissipated, revealing the room's interior. Two large wooden tubs sat in the corners, containing hot, gray-white stones. The water they once held had evaporated, leaving a thick layer of steam.

Looking ahead,

a huge, grotesque, distorted face emerged from the mist.

"Ah—" Su Li's heart leaped, a sharp pain in her chest, almost causing her to scream.

Stepping back, her emotions calmed. She realized the figure wasn't a ghost, but incredibly powerful, grotesquely contorted muscles! Developed latissimus dorsi, infraspinatus, and erector spinae muscles formed the demonic face. The teres minor muscles, protruding sharply beneath the shoulder blades, formed the demonic eyes.

"Huu…"

With Su Heng's long exhale, the muscles relaxed. The sound of taut muscles sent shivers down her spine. Crimson veins pulsed across his body like giant earthworms and centipedes, creating a terrifying display of power.

"Open!"

A low roar exploded. The massive veins writhed and twisted, forming two fiery red lumps on the teres minor muscles.

Demon Back, eyes open!

Boom!

The pent-up power erupted. Invisible waves of True Force surged outwards, reverberating through the semi-enclosed room. The wooden table shattered, the wardrobe collapsed, and the closed window exploded, sending shards flying over ten meters.

Su Li's vision went black, and she fell backward.

Thank you to book friends 20170905 and 20220316 for the monthly tickets.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 41: Transformation

The expected icy touch didn't come. A hand like a giant fan, its five fingers thick as copper pillars, enveloped Su Li's waist. Compared to the giant before her, Su Li's normal-sized body was as small as a toy doll.

"You…" Su Li's eyes widened in shock.

Su Heng slowly stood up. His nearly eight-foot frame towered in the darkness, his head almost touching the ceiling. His eyes were bloodshot, countless blood vessels like writhing worms.

"Whew…" A blast of hot breath escaped his mouth.

Su Heng's body slowly shrunk back to a normal height of around six and a half feet. As he focused his attention, a grey attribute panel appeared before his eyes.

[Su Heng]

[Height: 1.98 meters]

[Weight: 415 jin]

[Realm: Meridian Mutation 112%, Bone Mutation 3% ]

[Technique: Crimson Sun Black煞 Art, Level Twelve (Effects: Yang Extreme True Energy, Ghost Back)]

[Attribute Points: 0]

"Sister, your pills are amazing," Su Heng grinned, looking at the rain outside, his smile turning twisted and ferocious.

His five-day seclusion had yielded immense gains. He hadn't just broken through to a new realm; his Devil Roar had transformed into a new ability – Ghost Back.

With Ghost Back activated and his energy surging, Su Heng gained a 50% all-around enhancement, increased size, and his energy possessed an inherent demon-slaying effect. Demonic spells and poisons were largely ineffective against him, while his energy inflicted extra damage on demons.

The Ghost Back's enhancement stemmed from two crimson blood sacs woven from the meridians on his back, located beneath the teres minor muscles, forming the eyes of a malevolent ghost.

Su Heng suspected the meridian mutation exceeding 100% was due to these sacs. Previously, the mutation was within the human framework. But beyond 100%, the mutation deepened, growing organs and tissues entirely alien to humans.

"I didn't interrupt your cultivation, did I?" Su Li, her cheeks flushed slightly, took a step back, observing Su Heng's almost inhumanly muscular physique.

"It's fine…" Su Heng waved his hand. His gaze drifted past Su Li, his pupils reflecting the rain outside.

"We were just attacked. I wanted to tell you," Su Li said softly.

"Looks like that guy couldn't wait," Su Heng grinned, shaking his head, a crack echoing from his thick neck.

"Are you leaving now?" Su Li asked.

The rain intensified, like a curtain of shimmering beads, its sound filling the world. Su Heng's earlier guess was correct; the fungi were vulnerable to water. With thunder rumbling, the mist over the city began to dissipate.

Crack! A flash of lightning illuminated Su Heng's face, turning it pale.

"Yes," he nodded. "I can't wait any longer. I'm going to kill it."

Images flashed through his mind: the pale face dug up from the mountain, the mist engulfing the city, the unconscious Su Shang, and the repeated attacks and provocations. Rage surged in his broad chest, his eyes glowing red.

"Be careful," Su Li warned. "To create a natural disaster of this scale, that demon's power has likely reached a terrifying level."

"I know…" Su Heng smiled faintly. "It's time for a showdown."

He gestured, and a black robe from a shattered wardrobe flew to his hand. He strode from the room, casually throwing the robe over himself. The once perfectly fitting garment was now tight, outlining his powerful muscles due to his increased size. The hem, however, remained loose.

Whoosh! A gust of wind carrying icy rain swept past. The black robe billowed behind him, his powerful legs rooted to the ground like ancient tree roots.

"I'm going. Wait for my good news," Su Heng waved, his voice carefree. He didn't seem to be heading to a dangerous battle against a terrifying demon, but rather a casual outing after dinner.

Su Li watched him, her gaze following him until he disappeared into the dark rain.

Swish! Shortly after Su Heng left, a crimson figure appeared in the rain. Long black hair, an icy pale face – Xiao Qing, the female ghost.

"Your face is terribly pale. What's wrong?" Su Li's brow furrowed, a bad feeling rising in her heart.

BOOM! A thunderclap drowned out their conversation.

"What did you say?!"

"There's still mist. The demon servants you cut down have resumed their activity," Xiao Qing repeated.

"You mean…" Su Li's brow furrowed.

"The rain's effect on the Mist Demon may be limited," Xiao Qing replied.

"Then why did the mist dissipate?" Su Li asked, puzzled.

"Perhaps…" Xiao Qing pondered. "It was intentional. The Mist Demon has undergone a transformation, reaching a new realm. It deliberately used this method to lure your brother to its territory for a final confrontation, eliminating the threat once and for all."

Su Li's face paled. "What was our initial assessment of the Mist Demon?"

"Upper-tier Forbidden level," Xiao Qing replied.

"A Forbidden-level demon, after another transformation, would be…"

"A Catastrophe-level demon," Xiao Qing said. Human martial artists are divided into Demon Form, Demon Fetus, and Heavenly Anomaly realms. Demons have a similar classification: Forbidden, Catastrophe, and Death.

Catastrophe-level demons correspond to Demon Fetus-level martial artists. However, demons of the same level are usually far stronger than human martial artists.

In the Demon Suppression Bureau, even a newly transformed Catastrophe-level demon would require at least three Demon Fetus elders to have a chance of suppressing or killing it. And now, Su Heng was going alone…

Crack! In the icy rain, Su Li's face grew even paler.

(End of Chapter)