Chapter 322 - The Flare-up of the Heartless Curse

Chapter 322 The Flare-up of the Heartless CurseThe Three Friends of Winter and the City Master, Ye Lingfeng, soon welcomed the group of youngsters. The eyes of the Three Friends of Winter were brimming with tears of excitement. “Hero Xiao, you’re finally here! We thought you were…”

Xiao Chen immediately saluted them with a smile. “Senior Plum, Senior Bamboo, Senior Pine.” Seeing as he had given them his promise, he would have spared some time and men to check on their situation even if the Immortals’ League didn’t send him.

“Very well, very well! Friends who have traveled a long distance, please come in!” Elder Plum remained emotional. Zhiluan jumped from Ziyun’er’s embrace and landed in front of him. “Is the fish ready? You can’t cheat me by saying things like water that is too clean holds no fish!”

“There’s fish! There’s fish! Of course, there’s fish!

Behind them, Ziyun’er and Xiao Chen exchanged looks and burst into laughter. Everyone then entered the manor. Xiao Chen was familiar with the place as it was his second time here, so he began making introductions as if he was the host.

Zhiluan went even further. Like the master of the manor, he told everyone not to be polite and to eat and drink as much as they wanted to…

Moments later, everyone reached the drawing room. Ye Lingfeng said, “Please forgive me if my hospitality lacks in any way in welcoming you from your faraway lands.”

Mid-conversation, a dozen or so servants and maids arrived with platters of fruits and light refreshments. The proximity of this place to the Thousand Summits Mountain meant that it was colder here, so braziers were brought in as well. Even though everyone here could ward off the cold with their True Qi, the proper etiquette still had to be observed.

Zhiluan wasn’t at all courteous. Producing a fish from god knows where, he ran to the brazier and started roasting it. He said, “The fish here is really tasty, you know. But don’t you ever believe Old Man Plum’s words. He told me something about how water that is too clear holds no fish, but it’s actually just a name for a clear soup! The anger nearly killed me…”

Over the past few days, Qing Yu, Zhou Li, and the rest had gotten close to the leopard cat. They stifled their laughter with their hands as they listened to him ramble.

In less than ten minutes, the rest began making self-introductions. The Three Friends of Winter were stunned to hear that Xiaoyue was the heir of the Thousand Feathers Sect. After all, the sect was an Ancient Immortal Clan with thousands of years of history and an equally formidable reputation.

When they heard that Xu Gu hailed from the millennium-old Wuyin Monastery and was the disciple of one of the four Great Divine Monks, Xuanji, they were full of praises.

Finally, Elder Plum asked Xiao Chen, “Hero Xiao, why isn’t Miss Huangfu here today? Has she recovered?”

The mention of Huangfu Xin’er’s name reminded Xiao Chen of the many incidents that they went through and an intense pain pierced his heart. The pain gradually traveled to all corners of his body. He forced a smile. “She’s preoccupied recently, so she’s unable to come.” Then, he changed the topic. “Oh, that reminds me. What’s the situation at the Abyss of Devil’s Aura? On our way here, I noticed many people infected by the Devil’s Carnage outside the city. What’s going on?”

A troubled look immediately clouded Elder Plum’s face. The rest refocused their attention and looked in their direction upon hearing the mention of the Abyss of Devil’s Aura. While grilling the fish, Zhiluan nonchalantly commented, “What else can it be? The Devil’s Aura must have thickened. I think you should just evacuate everyone as soon as possible. To mortals like you, nothing’s more important than your lives.”

Elder Plum heaved a deep sigh. “Immortal Zhi is right. The Devil’s Aura has thickened in recent days and many have been infected by the Devil’s Wisdom. But for generations, my family has made this place our home. We have millions of people living in the Burg of the Feral Phoenix and the large and small towns nearby; how can we evacuate them so easily?”

Ye Lingfeng had once suggested evacuating the people, allowing their return only when the Devil Aura had stabilized. It was one thing to convince the young ones, but the old refused to leave. They would rather die in the Burg of the Feral Phoenix, for this was their home. Since the old wouldn’t leave, it was impossible for the young to abandon their parents for survival.

Xiao Chen’s brows furrowed. It was likely that all their group was good for was an investigation. The true problem-solvers would be the seniors of the league and the hidden seniors from various factions in the five continents. He said, “Please rest assured for now, Senior Plum. Tomorrow, we’ll examine the abyss.”

The words had just left his mouth when a voice as clear as silver bells came from outside the door. “May I tag along?”

Xiao Chen watched a girl dressed in a greenish-blue traditional dress strolling in. The crevices of her fingers were stained with remnants of herbal medicine and her body exuded the faint fragrance of medicine. Xiao Chen stood up and said, “Miss Ye.”

Ye Mulian placed her hands on her hips and bent her knee to perform a curtsy. “Young Master Xiao.”

Ling Fei and Wan Yanyan’s heart throbbed. They knew they stood no chance with Xiaoyue, a high and mighty fairy. However, they never expected there to be such an otherworldly lady in a desolate place like this. She had the charm of your next-door well-bred young lady.

Ye Mulian wore a floral pin decorated with greenish-blue beads in her hair. The light from the setting sun outside filtered past her, giving her shadow an alluring charm. Ye Lingfeng smiled and made the introductions. “This is my daughter, Mulian.”

“Greetings, everyone.” Ye Mulian curtsied with a smile. “I’ve received medical training since young. I’m afraid that the only way to create an antidote for the Devil’s Carnage is to enter deep into the Abyss of Devil’s Aura…”

Before she could finish her sentence, two voices rang out in the hall at the same time. “No!” “Yes!”

The one who refused was, naturally, Xiao Chen. The one who agreed was Ling Fei. Xiao Chen said, “Miss Ye, you were infected with the Devil’s Carnage last time. You must stay away from the Abyss of Devil’s Aura this time.”

Ling Fei rose to his feet. “Brother Xiao, you’re too cautious, are you not? The way I see it, there’s no reason not to allow Miss Ye’s kind intention. There are so many of us here; surely we’re capable of protecting her.”

The rest didn’t comment. Su Zimu was engrossed in savoring the fragrant tea while Xu Gu had his palms put together. Xiaoyue was staring at the calligraphy on the folding screen. Qingluan said icily, “The league named my master as the leader of the group this time. That means his word is final!”

Wan Yanyan sneered. “Leader? What an impressive leader. The leader hasn’t even spoken and yet his subordinate is already bossing people around.”

“You!” Ziyun’er was about to lose her temper but Xiao Chen reached out to stop her from speaking. Ye Lingfeng laughed awkwardly. “That’s enough, Mulian. Don’t make a fuss anymore. We can rest assured with Hero Xiao and the rest investigating the abyss. Let’s drop the topic.” He then clapped his hands at the servants outside. “Start the feast!”

“Humph!” Ling Fei flicked his sleeves and returned to his seat.

The Three Friends of Winter exchanged glances. All of them looked worried. The eighteen members of the trip this time, they thought, were far from united.

Following the feast, Ye Lingfeng settled everyone down in their respective accommodations. Xiao Chen occupied the small courtyard that he had previously stayed in. In the darkness of the night, the courtyard looked no different than when he had left it: the herbal medicine hanging on the walls, the wicker basket by the well, the medicine on the grindstone, the pestle and mortar by the step with ungrounded but dried herbs inside.

However, Xiao Chen couldn’t see even a single dried leaf in the courtyard. The servants must have been tidying the place every day even though it was unoccupied. Zhiluan hung his head dispiritedly. “Meow. I still end up here after running so far…”

Xiao Chen walked up to the steps and sat down. He looked up at the courtyard doors. This vantage point reminded him of how Huangfu Xin’er had come here to bid him farewell. Suddenly, he recalled the days they spent here, how he shielded her with an umbrella as they walked in the snow, how he led her horse along the frozen lake, how they encountered an assassin along the way…

Events of the past replayed in his mind and a sudden pain pierced his heart before reaching every nook of his body. The pain was so intense that it threatened to rip apart his soul, making him feel a torment worse than death.

Zhiluan was still strolling around the courtyard. Xiao Chen was still fine the last minute he saw him, but when he turned his head around a second time, he found Xiao Chen collapsed on the ground and twitching nonstop. A frightened yelp escaped his mouth. “Meow! The kid is going to die! Hurry and come!”

The flare-up of the Heartless Curse this time was much more painful than his last, so much so that Xiao Chen couldn’t even speak. The color of his complexion flickered between green and purple. It felt like countless Sword Qi was colliding inside him. He raised a hand with immense difficulty and said, “Do-Don’t shout…”