37 It Keeps Getting Harder

Zhi Rui clenched her hands under water the blood from her lips

(You're acting like this. so you understood.) the raspy old voice spoke.

Zhi Rui did not answer and merely opened her eyes breathing slowly she composed herself.

impatient with the lack of response, the thing inside her core continued.

(You'll need to do the spell on the skin parchment o heal yourself)

Zhi Rui opened her mouth then.

" Even if you're right and I'm dying, it doesn't mean you gave up my body. that parchment might be your way of taking over me." Zhi Rui spoke.Her eyes limpid looking outside the window.

(Haaa)the voice sighed (I tried to possess you but the moment I retreated the possibility of taking over became null the reason? Even if you heal yourself now, I cannot possess a spirit without energy, I already spent that to try and take you, now I'have barely enough to be residing in your core.)

Zhi Rui was in a daze.her core was slowly breaking apart, that much was a fact. as for the other things the voice said, she has to study and filter it.

but she has an advantage over it.

'He's showing himself too much.' Zhi Rui thought.

Hearing no response the thing spoke again

(Girl don't think much, to be completely truthful my presence in your core is aggravating your situation by the minute, and I won't be going away. so we better get to solving this issue?)

'it' desperate and impatient, good. It's possible to acquire information from him then.' Zhi Rui smiled

"Who are you?" She asked

glad that it got her hooked it answered immediately.

(I'm a soul trapped inside the spell, I was used s sacrifice to make the spell possible. I named myself boo.Now that we know each other we need to start, you were fed ethereal lily by that boy, and the crack is being slightly held back but you have to gather some things right away for the spell to work.)

'My core issue is true, otherwise, he would already have taken over.

but his identity is false'

On the encyclopedia, Zhi Rui could remember clearly everything written about demon Hu. It stated clearly that after he did the spell his talent raised dramatically and he led his clan for three hundred years.'

But hi Rui did not believe it, talent is one thing, but a person character is another before the spell demon Hu was a pathetic younger brother impulsive and incompetent, he might've become stronger but he wouldn't be able to lead a whole clan. for so much time.'

Zhi Rui suddenly started giggling in the bathtub, she started to laugh aloud

'So the one inside me now is Demon Hu, not the known devil, but the original, real pathetic Hu.Just like I did you took that parchment in hands and were possessed by it, the difference being whoever took your body waited until you did the spell, but you jumped on me in the first chance you had. Why is that?' Zhi Rui pondered

'...Not enough information.'

Demon Hu did not understand her laughter, he just told her she's dying and have no choice but to follow what he says and she laughs?!

so he put pressure

(You have only a few days before the ethereal lily'seffects runs out.)

"Shut up" Zhi Rui frowned, agitated the energy inside her core.

(ughh!? ARE YOU CRAZY!? YOU JUST LOST DAYS OFTIME!!)

"do you want to feel it again?" Zhi Rui spoke calmly

The pain of agitating the wound affected her too, but she needed to keep the thing inside quiet.seeing as it did not speak anymore Zhi Rui closed her eyes.

'I only have my conscience, my soul is gone, and the spirit of the old Zhi Rui in this body is damaged.The core is a materialization of your spirit.

eventually, the spirit and the core will break andI'll die.

The only realistic way for me to heal is to grow strong, this way the core and the spirit will be strengthened and I"ll have more time. but if the thing inside gets restless I won't be able to evolve to rank two before it accelerates my demise. I can use the light sect,ask them to give me a pill to go up a level by offering a favor from the general of the empire.

the hard part will be going there without alarming demon Hu, though I doubt He'll make a loss for both of us if it's not the last case scenario.

but I still have to stall for time, to not startle it.

"Spirit, I don't know the language written in the skin parchment. teach it to me." Zhi Rui spoke

(I can simply tell y-)

"I don't trust you." Zhi Rui cut him off.

frustrated the voice answer (fine.)

Zhi Rui felt something scaping through the crack on her core. she opened her eyes wide, she got up and ran to her bedroom picked up the encyclopedia and saw the image of the parchment there except now she can read the things writing in it though it wasn't all legible, in the picture.

(Hehe, feel it? I'm an ancient spiritthe benefit for having me is innumerable.)

Ignoring the voice Zhi Rui started pondering what she read on the image.

Suddenly somebody knocked on her door.

"Young lady, a man named Izaya claimed he knows you."

"Call him in." Zhi Rui put on a loose robe and lied down on her cushions spread on the floor.

--------

Inside Izaya sawZhi Rui wearing an almost transparent robe and without changing his expression started speaking.

"I managed to get a hundred kilograms of it, I also brought two old companions of mine, who might be useful here."

Zhi Rui noticed his indifference she looked at him without moving from her position. "Great work" she looked in his eyes. "Take it to the community institute, you can spend the rest of this day with your daughter, tomorrow we'll work."

Izaya bowed, and went away, his heart was racing anxious for his daughter situation, in front of the manor's gates, he threw one pouch each to his companions, and went to the community center.

-------

there he finally saw his daughter again, she was beautiful wearing a solemn white scholar robe, he sat down with her, and she spoke about all the good things that have happened to her, About how Hilda taught her how to sneak and hide, and Zhi Rui made her a teacher. And how she is teaching and helping people.

As the talk went on, Izaya smile went wider and his heart warmed.

He saw his daughter's happiness and understood why Zhi Rui did not tell him anything else and sent him here directly.

Seeing his daughter so happy. the only thought on his head was that he could not take her away from here anymore. His only option is to remain on Zhi Rui side and protect Izumi's happiness.