Chapter 51: City Folk

Chapter 51: City Folk

Around the corner, four cultivators in black-and-white robes stood over two women. One, the woman from the alley, stood against the wall, fenced in by a snarling tiger. The other, Li Xiang, stood indignantly upright, spine straight, head lifted, pinned in place by a sword against her jugular. She swallowed, pale neck bobbing against the sharp blade.

You commit violence in our city?

A tall woman glared at Li Xiang, her white hair billowing in the wind, red eyes intent. White robes billowed around her body. A strong wind caught the robes, momentarily revealing a thick scarlet rope around her ankles.

Hui blinked. No way.

Li Xiang scowled and pointed. This woman, she

Thank you, thank you, Bai clan! This woman, this criminal, she came into my shop and started tearing it apart! She and her accomplice destroyed one of my shops walls, and she even viciously attacked my employees! I, I was so scared, I thought I was going to die. The woman sniffed, rubbing her eyes.

Lies, Li Xiang said shortly.

Hui pressed his lips together, embarrassed for her. Thats not going to work here, where no one knows about your ability.

Please, arrest this woman! the woman begged. She reached out toward the nearest cultivator. He flicked his robes out of her reach, disgusted.

Is that true? Bai Xue asked, staring at Li Xiang.

I did enter her shop, and we did damage it, but

Okay, okay, enough watching. Were going to get arrested for real if she keeps talking. Hui stepped out from the alley, a smile on his face. Bai Xue! What a coincidence!

Xiao Hui! What are you doing here? Bai Xues face lit up. She nodded at Li Xiang. Let me take this criminal in, first, and we can catch up!

Ah, actually shes a fellow disciple from my sect. Were here together, at the behest of my master, Hui explained, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

Arrest them! Arrest them together! They trashed my shop! the woman shrieked.

Bai Xue turned to Hui. Is that true?

Hui took a deep breath. Listen

He explained everything that had happened, from entering the alley until now. Bai Xues face grew darker and darker the longer he talked.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only

When he finished, Bai Xue lowered her sword from Li Xiangs neck and pressed it against the womans instead. Lotus pills? Enslaving cultivators? You dare call us for help?

Youyou believe this outlandish story? They committed violence in Twin Elements City! They broke the law, and made it all up to cover up their crimes! the woman protested. Despite her defiant front, her face flushed, and sweat dripped down her neck.

Youre accusing the man who fought with me and saved my life of lying to my face? Bai Xue asked, cocking an eyebrow.

If you want proof, I have her accomplices and three I suspect of having been fed the pills in the alley, Hui said, gesturing.

Its safe now, Bai Xue said, setting Hui and Li Xiang down.

What was that? Li Xiang asked, leaning to peer back down the alleyway.

Hui followed, cautiously peering around the edge.

Four cultivators laid on the ground: two of the hollow-eyed ones from earlier, bleeding profusely from their eyes, and the two from the alley, shuddering faintly.

A husk of a body stood where the lotus-sprouting cultivator had. Blackened skin clung to bones. His jaw and eyes hung wide open, tight skin freezing them open. No fluid nor flesh remained in his body. Head tipped back, body frozen, he stared motionless at the sky.

Thick white lotus roots thrust out of his eye sockets. They twined around each other, greening as they climbed. Atop it, a black lotus wilted, shedding thick black petals.

The man sucked in a slow breath. It rattled out, slow, painful.

Hui stared. Hes still alive?

With one last jerk, the man died, still upright. A faint trace of smoke left his mouth and coiled away. Hui blinked, and the smoke vanished.

The roots began to wither. Brown spread rapidly up the lotus stalk. The lotus pod fattened, darkening as it dried. It sagged, wilting vines no longer able to support its weight, then fell.

Bai Xue darted in and caught it. Jostled, black pills bounced out of the lotus stalk, round and shiny. One bounced toward Hui. He darted out of the way, drawing Li Xiang with him. Pills are dangerous! Better not to touch if I dont know more about them.

One of the black-and-white robed cultivators gestured. Wind gathered up the pills, and with another gesture, he slid them into a pouch. He held the pouch out toward Bai Xue, who tipped the lotus pod into the pouch.

Shiny black pills, each about the size of Huis thumbnail, bounced into the pouch, beautiful and perfectly round. A purple sheen played over their surface when the sunlight hit them.

Are those lotus pills? Hui guessed.

Bai Xue nodded. And that man those men are what happens once they mature. One pill wont necessarily infect you, but one pill is enough to get you addicted. Two, three, ten, twenty until you become a perfect bed for the lotus, and the next batch of lotus pills is born. They first popped up a few months ago, and weve been trying to eradicate them ever since, but

And the pollen? Hui asked.

If you get some in your eyes youre almost guaranteed an infection. Luckily, they only release it once, and only if they fully mature. So far, weve been able to limit the blasts and catch most before they blow, but its a small blessing, Bai Xue said, shaking her head.

If one goes off in a crowd Hui muttered.

Bai Xue nodded silently.

What about that flute? Is someone triggering them? Li Xiang asked, tipping her head.

Hui and Bai Xue exchanged a glance.

Bai Xue shook her head. Come back to my clan. Ill explain everything.