Vol 8 Chapter 272 – Tasted Human Flesh

WARNING: GORE AND VIOLENCE

XH 272 - Tasted Human Flesh

By the time Long Zhu arrived at the palace, still donning in his wedding attire, the attack was already over and everyone was in the rush to handle the aftermath.

But the aftermath was even more difficult to deal with!

The center of the attack was the 20th Emperor’s residence. The previously grand building had disappeared, likely to be eaten away by the black mist, where not even a floor tile was left behind. There was not even a patch of green grass that could be seen. The ground was completely black, looking sinister as if something that should not be alive was growing, spreading like a plague.

“This is…” Heise stared at the dark ground in shock and disgust.

“This is the work of the demon,” Long Zhu informed, as he had seen the demon’s attack before.

“Fuck!” Heise stopped a guard and asked, “Where are the 19th Emperor and the others?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, the 20th Emperor is injured and currently at the Princess’ courtyard with the Princess and Doctor Bai. Empress Dowager is with the 19th Emperor, passing out orders."

It was not only the 20th Emperor injured. There were many nearby servants and guards that got injured as well. 

After dismissing the guard, they hurried to Long Lian’s courtyard. Prince Heng went to join the 19th Emperor instead since he was not a doctor.  

In one of the bedrooms, Doctor Bai was tending to the 20th Emperor’s wound. There were few black spots scattered all over the 20th Emperor’s body, but the largest spot was at the center of his chest, looking ominous.

Sitting beside the bedridden 20th Emperor was Long Lian, dressed in her nightwear with pale face and fearful expression. “Doctor Bai, w-will Imperial Father…". 

She was unable to finish her sentence, fear that her words would act as a curse and sentence her father to death.

Doctor Bai’s expression showed he was not optimistic either. The attack had specifically targeted his heart. “I have done my best to slow down the corroding, but it won’t be long before it spreads everywhere.” He noticed Long Zhu heading towards them with a grim expression. “We will need Xiao Hua’s tea.”

“She is currently brewing them.”

“It would be quicker for Xiao Hua to enter the palace and brew them on the spot,” Doctor Bai said after he caught on that Xiao Hua was not with them.

But Long Zhu refused. “The palace might be under attack again and it would be dangerous if anything happens to her. Our manor should be safe from being targeted.”

“I will send more servants to carry them over,” Heise said.

Doctor Bai sighed. “It will take too much time to transport them over.”

Unfortunately, Yu Zheng was not around for them to use his portal. Immediately after the demon attacked, Yu Zheng started tracing them back, leaving the injured to Bai Chuan's hands.

After watching the frowning and sweating 20th Emperor in his unconscious state, Heise agreed with his uncle that he was useless here. He left to join the other brainers, leaving Long Zhu behind to help the wounded as best as he could.

They could not deal with their injuries without Xiao Hua’s tea, but they could buy some time before the tea arrived. Most of the injured were the servants. The guards got injured mostly to protect the 20th Emperor and the Empress Dowager from the spreading black mist.

No matter how great a person's pain tolerance was, they would still break down from the intense pain with their face full of tears and sweat. It was mentally and physically torturous to be able to feel their flesh slowly being eaten away by the black mist!

Not a strategist, Long Lian stayed behind to help her third brother to carry things. Since he wanted to know how their father got injured, she explained as they worked. “I was about to head to bed when I heard screams coming from the Imperial Mother's bedchamber.”

Tonight was a tiring but happy day, so Long Lian decided to sleepover at the Empress Dowager’s courtyard. As the 20th Emperor no longer ruled the Kingdom, he emptied out his courtyard for the next Emperor to stay, only for Heise to reject. Heise prefers to stay at his original courtyard, already used to the place, and familiar with it. He felt safer that way.

However, the 20th Emperor did not continue staying at his previous courtyard despite Heise had let it go. Instead, he packed all his stuff and moved to his principal wife’s courtyard, his face thick enough to squeeze into the Empress Dowager’s bed. Much to everyone’s surprise, the Empress Dowager allowed her husband to share a courtyard but threw him in a room beside hers.  

After hearing the screams, Long Lian hurried over with Tang Mei, only to see the Empress Dowager get flung out far away by the 20th Emperor. That was how the 20th Emperor got injured badly, unable to protect himself as he chose to protect his wife.

Unfortunately, the nanny that was taking care of their youngest sibling could not get away quickly and both got injured. Doctor Bai had put the Ninth Prince to sleep so that he would not feel the pain.

Long Lian felt helpless facing the injured people, and could only help her brother do temporary aid. 

When someone announced that Xiao Hua’s tea was here, Long Lian felt as if someone had announced that God had descended to the human realm to help them.

Armed to teeth, General Tang, the Minister of Defence, marched into the meeting room and reported, “The medicine sent by the Third Princess Consort is working.”

The heavy boulder pressing onto Heise’s heart was finally lifted. “Give priority to the 20th Emperor. We want to confirm the identity of the attacker and the purpose of this attack. Imperial Father will likely know something.”

“Understood! The recovered guards will be joining the patrol as well.”

“Your Majesty!” A guard called from outside, disturbing the meeting. “There’s an urgent report!"

“What is it?” Heise questioned with a frown. He knew this guard would not be bringing him good news.

The guard cupped his fist in greeting after stepping into the room. “There are attacks in two major streets! It’s the same black mist that attacked the palace!”

“Raise the emergency alarm! Send every available guard to evacuate everyone to the safe place prepared!” Heise ordered quickly. “I also want to know the source of it!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” General Tang quickly bowed before speedily going to complete his new duty. 

“I will summon every doctor in Guilin to help out with the wounded,” Prince Heng said before leaving quickly.

One of the streets that were attacked was the commoner housing area, where most have already gone to bed and were not aware of the attack even after their death. It was the strong smell similar to the scent of cooked meat that woke up some commoners, especially the poor commoners that went to sleep with hungry stomachs.

When they found out the smell was actually from human flesh, everyone started to run away screaming. Only those starving beggars dared to approach the dead bodies, with their empty stomach controlling their body.

The streets that were not lit up to save oil created a good cover for the dangerous dark mist to spread without much alarm. 

There was a short figure staring down at the hungry beggars as he laughed at them mockingly. He does not move his hand to kill them and watch on as those beggars eat human flesh just to survive. But what they were eating was actually corroding flesh, which will start to corrode those beggars, starting from their stomachs.

“How ugly.” A green-eyed man dressed in light purple robe scrunched his nose at the scene and how his younger kin enjoyed such a disgusting scene.

“Humans are ugly.” The short boy laughed freely, not afraid that they would be noticed. His laughter stopped when the beggars suddenly had their head chopped off one by one. “What? Did one of us kill them?”

“Not possible. They are on the other side of the street.” The purple-robed man answered with a frown.

Two pairs of green eyes stared at the dark street, trying to catch a glimpse of who it was. But their enhanced eyesight could not see anything as more beggar’s heads rolled to the ground. All the beggars were finally dead, and the street was silent.

The two green-eyed males felt that the silence was rather intimidating and unnatural. The short boy let out a loud ‘hmph’ and said brazenly, “Must be some cockroaches that want to play hide and seek with us!”

The purple-robed man nodded and raised his slender arm that suddenly enveloped with black mist. “We will push them out open from their hiding place.”

“Now that I’m out in the open, could you not release your attack?” The voice was deep, filled with subtle masculinity that made most men green in envy.

“Hmph! Only dared to send out one of you? Cowards.” The short boy scorned at the tall man appeared before them, who was holding onto a longsword, its blade glinting under the moonlight.

The green eyed duo does not believe it was this tall man that killed the beggars, for his sword was free of bloodstains. 

The purple-robed man smiled mockingly before tossing the black mist in his hand to a house, immediately corroding it. He had just turned his head to appreciate the work of his black mist for a moment before turning back with a smug expression, only to see a tragedy.

The green eyes of the purple-robed man trembled fiercely when his young kin dropped to the ground heavily, the smell of a demon’s blood filled his nose. There was a large hole where the short boy’s heart was supposed to be.

The tall man’s sword was dripping with a demon’s blood, the tip of the sword pointing at the short boy, whose green eyes were frozen with scorn, not knowing he was already dead.

“That’s all?” The tall man eyed the dead demon on the ground with obvious disappointment that he had not put up a better fight.

The purple clothed man’s heart froze with a sudden chill. He had not seen when the tall man had moved, nor the swing of his sword that took his kin’s life. He had not seen any of it!

For the first time since he was turned into a demon, he became afraid of death. 

This man is dangerous!

“You can’t just leave without cleaning your mess,” Yu Zheng scolded when the purple clothed man flashed away quickly with the intention to flee.

Yu Zheng stepped forward, ready to give chase when he caught something at a dark corner. “Oh, there’s one more I’ve not cleaned up.”

A dirty beggar tried to squeeze himself to look smaller but knew he failed to remain unnoticed by the murderer when he walked towards him.

“P-Please… No!”

Yu Zheng eyed the bloodstain on the beggar’s chin coldly. “You have tasted human flesh.” Once they tasted human flesh, it will be hard for them to change their diet. He had seen how delighted those beggars were when they ate human flesh, with the intention to eat more and more.

“I-I’m just hungry!”

“Your stomach is starting to feel painful, right?” Yu Zheng asked lightly and saw the beggar’s eyes lit in wonder.

“W...Why?”

“That’s why, you should not eat humans, no matter how hungry you are. We are still in the civilized period, not the doomsday.”

Yu Zheng swings his sword, its blade mysteriously no longer has any of the demon's blood coated over it, to end the beggar’s life.

chocolily

(Believe it or not, I already caught you)

The MC is a exorcist that wants money for a noble purpose! The ML is filled with evil energy but is protected by the country for his talents in weapon crafting!

English translation is at chap 26 and the raws are completed.