Zanxing

Chapter 97 - Results (1)

Tian Fangfang helped Mu Chengxiao peel back the cloth on his shoulder, revealing a bite mark about the length of a hand. The wound was deep, with sharp indentations, and a significant amount of blood had been lost.

"What happened out there?" Gu Baiying asked Meng Ying.

Meng Ying hesitated for a moment before replying, "We followed Yanxing's Thousand-mile Demon Frog into the mountains, but the demonic aura disappeared near a cave entrance. All the cultivators entered the cave together, and inside, we discovered a Bixi spirit."

"A Bixi?" Zanxing was surprised. "Isn't that a divine beast?"

According to legend, the dragon had nine sons, with the sixth being Bixi, a creature resembling a turtle and known for its strength and longevity.

"It wasn't a divine beast, just a stone sculpture of a Bixi that had gained sentience," Mu Chengxiao explained while enduring the pain as Tian Fangfang applied medicine to his wound. The pain was intense, causing him to hiss before continuing, "The Bixi spirit was filled with demonic energy, but it lacked any divine aura."

"A stone sculpture gaining sentience?" Gu Baiying frowned. "That's rare."

"We also found a lot of incense offerings in the cave," Meng Ying added. "It seems that travelers who passed by mistook the Bixi statue for something divine and regularly offered prayers. Because the cave was saturated with demonic energy, the statue eventually gained a spirit. Though it took the form of Bixi, it lacked the divine power. Many of the cultivators were injured during the encounter."

Meng Ying then recounted how they had tracked the demonic energy into the cave. Upon entering, they found numerous discarded statues, all broken beyond recognition. In the center stood the largest statue, a massive turtle bearing a stone tablet on its back, which some identified as Bixi. However, there were no other signs of demons.

While the group was still puzzling over the situation, tragedy struck. A cultivator standing too close to the Bixi statue let out a bloodcurdling scream. When the others turned, they saw that the unfortunate man had been bitten in half at the waist, leaving only his lower half visible.

At this point, Meng Ying furrowed her brow, briefly pausing before continuing. "After that, a battle broke out between the cultivators and the Bixi spirit."

Although the cultivators were the elite of their sects, with varying degrees of talent, many were young and inexperienced in real combat. The situation quickly descended into chaos, with some even injuring each other by mistake.

Mu Chengxiao's shoulder wound was the result of trying to save a female disciple from the Xiangling Sect, leading him to be bitten by the Bixi spirit.

Hearing this, Zanxing couldn't help but silently applaud Mu Chengxiao. True to his reputation as a Casanova with eight wives, he managed to play the hero in front of Meng Ying while rescuing another woman. What a talent! However, she couldn't quite remember if Mu Chengxiao had a romantic history with anyone from the Xiangling Sect.

"And then? Did you manage to capture the Bixi spirit?" Mendong asked.

"The Bixi spirit was just one demon," Meng Ying frowned. "It couldn't withstand the cultivators' combined efforts. However..." She hesitated. "The spirit had hidden its true form within the stone sculpture. Tan Tianxin from Chihua Sect struck it down with a single sword stroke, shattering the statue."

She looked toward Gu Baiying. "The Bixi spirit was slain on the spot."

"Didn't leave a single piece behind?" Tian Fangfang was puzzled. "At least let the creature explain itself! You were supposed to be hunting a demonic merman; how did you end up killing a Bixi spirit? It was just a stone that had barely gained sentience, hiding peacefully in a cave. Why go so far as to eliminate it?"

Tian Fangfang had a different perspective from Mendong. Mendong, having grown up in a sect, naturally harbored an inherent animosity toward demons and saw eliminating them as justified. Tian Fangfang, on the other hand, came from a more common background and had seen all sorts of people. He preferred to take a lenient view of things, turning a blind eye unless absolutely necessary.

"No," Mu Chengxiao interjected. "After we killed the Bixi spirit, we found many female corpses in the cave, all drained of blood. Disciples from Yingfeng Sect questioned nearby villagers, who confirmed that young women had indeed gone missing in the area over the past six months."

Zanxing asked, "So they believe the Bixi spirit was the one causing the trouble in Li'er Kingdom?"

Meng Ying nodded.

Zanxing still felt something was off. If the Bixi spirit was responsible, then what was the creature that had appeared in her room the previous night? If the Bixi spirit didn't have the ability to split itself, then there were likely two demons lurking in the Li'er Kingdom.

"Do you believe the Bixi spirit was behind the deaths of the city's young women?" Gu Baiying asked Meng Ying.

Meng Ying shook her head. "I'm not sure, but it's possible."

"I don't think so," Mu Chengxiao said after Tian Fangfang finished treating his wound. "I fought the Bixi spirit. It didn't seem very intelligent, only driven by its desire to consume human flesh. The deaths of the young women in the city, while appearing crude, were actually carried out with meticulous planning. That level of detail doesn't match the simple-minded Bixi spirit. Additionally, the Bixi spirit attacked indiscriminately today; it didn't only target young women, nor did it exclusively drain blood. Its methods don't align with the previous incidents."

"That scoundrel Tan Tianxin!" Tian Fangfang exclaimed. "He just grabbed the nearest demon and claimed it was the murderer to wrap things up. That's so irresponsible!"

"Exactly," Zanxing agreed. "Honestly, we can't do anything about how Tan Tianxin wants to handle it, but what about the people of Li'er Kingdom? In two days, all the cultivators will enter the secret realm. If the locals believe the threat has been dealt with and lower their guard, what happens if someone else gets hurt?"

Gu Baiying furrowed his brows in deep thought.

No one spoke for a while, and Mimi leaped into Zanxing's lap, nudging her fingers. Zanxing gently stroked its furry head, feeling a growing sense of unease.

Just then, a servant girl entered and said, "Esteemed cultivators, His Majesty invites you all to the hall for a meeting."