Blood

I blinked, staring blankly at Rufina Howard. She looked just as confused, gazing at Luantian Xuekui, who was kneeling on one knee before her.

"Big Sister, what are you doing? Get up! How am I supposed to save her? Hurry and tell me what to do."

"Zhang Qingyuan, come here."

I let out a startled sound. Suddenly, the capillary-like roots on the ground wrapped around me and dragged me toward Rufina Howard.

I looked at Luantian Xuekui in confusion. At this moment, Luna Quay seemed to have lost consciousness—his eyeballs had vanished, leaving only dark, empty sockets. Tan Tian placed his hands on Luna Quay's chest, where the egg-sized Golden Soulstone was embedded. The Soulstone had stopped fading.

"Little Sister, things might get dangerous soon."

Luantian Xuekui spoke, pointing a finger at me. I looked around, bewildered, confirming she was indeed pointing at me.

"Me? I'm going to be in danger?"

Luantian Xuekui nodded. But I just laughed.

"It's fine. As long as there's a way to save Luna Quay, that's all that matters."

"Make good use of your instincts, Ethan Zhang. This time, you need to coexist with something far stronger. You must persuade it—before my Nether Syndicate shatters."

"Luantian Xuekui, what are you trying to do?" Tan Tian immediately asked, sounding anxious.

"From here on out, only Ethan Zhang and this Little Sister can witness what happens. No one else is allowed."

As Luantian Xuekui spoke, I saw her rise to her feet. The ground beneath her kept spreading with capillary veins, gradually soaking the area in what looked like vast pools of blood.

Tan Tian led Luna Quay and the battered Yuna Ji away from the area.

"Big Sister, tell me—how do I save that Big Brother?"

Luantian Xuekui spoke, raising both hands. In an instant, a massive spread of capillary veins blotted out the sky, enveloping us.

Rufina Howard squinted, grimacing and turning her head away, looking just like a child afraid of pain, unable to watch.

"Little Sister, this isn't difficult. All we need is your blood."

"Take as much as you need," Rufina Howard said, rolling up her sleeve, ready to offer her blood at any moment.

"Little Sister, your blood is incredibly precious in this world—especially to us revenants. Ethan Zhang, take good care of her. She'll be a great help to you in the future."

I let out a sound of surprise, looking at Rufina Howard. She seemed a little scared, but still mustered her courage and looked at me.

"There's something inside your body," I said, getting up from the ground.

I responded, and after being dragged by those capillary veins, my body felt almost recovered. I slowly condensed my Deathbane Aura, forming it into a small dagger. I looked at Rufina Howard's pale wrist, but couldn't bring myself to cut.

"Go ahead, Zhang Qingyuan. This little sister's blood won't come out so easily."

I nodded and gently patted Rufina Howard's head.

I made a sound of surprise. Rufina Howard pouted, her eyes looking at me with a desolate expression.

Rufina Howard squinted, grimacing and turning her head away, looking just like a child afraid of pain, unable to watch.

I smiled, holding the Deathbane Aura Dagger, and sliced Rufina Howard's wrist. With a hiss, Rufina Howard cried out in pain.

"What's going on?" I stared in shock at Rufina Howard's wrist. Even though I'd made a large cut, she was in so much pain that her eyes filled with tears.

"It hurts, Qingyuan, it hurts so much."

"Don't cry, don't cry," I soothed her gently.

"What's going on?" I asked, as Luantian Xuekui slowly backed away.

"If there's no blood, just cut a few more times. Little girl, have you never shed a single drop of blood in your life?"

Rufina Howard pressed her lips together and nodded.

Now that she mentioned it, I remembered—when we fought the Ghost Rakshasa, Rufina Howard had been hurt, but there wasn't a trace of blood.

Just as I was about to ask more, Luantian Xuekui vanished without a trace.

"If there's no blood, just try a few more times."

Luantian Xuekui's cold, emotionless voice echoed faintly. I looked around—the enclosure was sealed tight, not a crack in sight.

I looked at Rufina Howard's small hand, the cut exposing her veins, but still, no blood appeared.

"Try again, Ethan Zhang," Rufina Howard said with a sob in her voice. I gritted my teeth as she extended her other hand, and I carefully made another cut.

Rufina Howard cried out, but strangely, there was still no blood.

"What now?"

"How should I know, Qingyuan? Both my hands hurt so much."

I looked around, tore some cloth from my shirt, and wrapped Rufina Howard's hands. Now I was stuck—she seemed to have no blood at all.

"Luantian Xuekui, what should I do?" Even though she told me to keep trying, both of Rufina Howard's wrists were already cut, and still no blood. I couldn't possibly cut her neck or anywhere else.

"Try entering her body."

I nodded. With a snap, I turned into mist. Then, my Specter Web slowly extended into Rufina Howard's body. She shivered, and I cautiously merged with her, but found nothing unusual.

"Don't you dare go too far, or I'll beat you up."

Just then, inside Rufina Howard's body, I saw a cluster of golden light. It roared with a sound like something being crushed—harsh and unnatural.

"Who are you?" I had just asked when, with a bang, I felt myself forced out of Rufina Howard's body.

"Qingyuan, what's wrong?" Rufina Howard stared at me, bewildered.

"There's something inside your body," I said, getting up from the ground.

"Little sister, are you afraid of dying?"

Luantian Xuekui spoke again. Rufina Howard's face changed, but she still shook her head.

"Cut her neck, Zhang Qingyuan. Unless you force that thing out, you won't get any blood."

I made a sound of surprise. Rufina Howard pouted, her eyes looking at me with a desolate expression.

"Qingyuan, be gentle. I'm afraid of pain."

Once again, I condensed a Deathbane Aura Dagger and placed it at Rufina Howard's neck, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Hurry up, Luna Quay can't hold on much longer."

"Do it, Qingyuan."

I gritted my teeth, bringing the Deathbane Aura Dagger closer. Rufina Howard whimpered—this was unbearable for a young girl. I made a gentle cut, and suddenly, a burst of golden light erupted from her body. A staff shot out, striking me hard in the chest.

I spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground, coughing violently.

At that moment, I saw Rufina Howard's eyes glowing gold, her face expressionless as she floated in the air. A golden shield surrounded her, and within the light, I thought I glimpsed a long tail or something similar.

Just then, I felt something above my head. As I looked up, a staff struck my shoulder. Strangely, I couldn't turn into a ghost at all.

"Who are you?"

I shouted angrily, clutching my aching shoulder.

"It's your grandpa, the Eastern Emperor."

I gasped, following the golden light. In the air, I saw a man radiating golden light, wielding a staff. He wore armor, his face furious as he glared at me.

"I told you, kid, if you mess around again, I'll beat you up. Right now, your grandpa is furious. I'm going to beat you black and blue."

As soon as I finished speaking, the man called Dong Huang slammed his staff into the ground with a clang, then swung his fist and punched me straight in the face.

My head spun, and a rush of heat flooded my nose. I collapsed, blood streaming from my nostrils. It had been a long time since I'd felt pain like this.

I stared in shock at Dong Huang, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked.

"Ever seen fists as big as sandbags? Ethan Zhang, since you're Rufina Howard's friend, I'll only beat you three-quarters to death today."

I let out a startled cry.

"Wait, Dong Huang..."

But before I could finish, my shoulders were grabbed and I was forced down. A knee slammed into my face with a dull thud, sending me flying. Dong Huang grabbed my leg, slammed me to the ground, and straddled me, pummeling me without mercy.

"Stop! Stop! Damn it, what do you want? Damn!"

I shouted at the top of my lungs. Dong Huang stood up, grabbed me by one hand, and raised his fist to strike again. My cheeks burned, my whole body ached and swelled.

"Ouch..." I whimpered.

"You get it now, Ethan Zhang?"

"I get it, I get it! Grandpa, can't you finish talking before you beat me up? What exactly are you?"

My face was already bruised and swollen. Despite my anger, I reminded myself that saving lives came first.

"Who I am doesn't concern you, Ethan Zhang. Listen up—next time, I won't just use my fists. I'll use my staff."

I hurriedly explained to Dong Huang that we were trying to save someone, but he just stared at me, dumbfounded.

"Kid, what's the point of saving revenants? That bunch of low-level creatures—are you out of your mind? Want to..."

Suddenly, Dong Huang stopped talking, as if he'd almost let something slip, and quickly clammed up.

"Anyway, I don't care whether that revenant lives or dies—it's none of my business, got it? Ethan Zhang, just do what you need to do. I'm leaving. If you mess around again, next time I'll kill you."

Dong Huang spoke, clenching his fist so hard it creaked, making a threatening gesture at me.

"Who are you? Stop right there!"

Suddenly, I saw Rufina Howard regain consciousness. She glared this way, her eyes full of resentment.