Chapter 51 She Might Be in Trouble

Chapter 51 Something Might Have Happened to Her

Lin Heng sprinted frantically forward, occasionally tripping over rotten stumps or stones on the ground. His clothes were soon reduced to tatters by branches, yet the man who usually cared so much about his appearance couldn’t spare a glance downward even once.

Staggering as he moved, he gasped heavily, his heart pounding as if about to burst from his chest. Though he had been running for a long time, he felt like he was just running in place.

A Chan only needed a glance to see the trick—*changgui* were bewitching him, ensuring that despite his frantic efforts, Lin Sui, guided by the *changgui*, easily caught up.

"The tiger lord is cheating."

The black demonic tiger demon lazily sprawled across the boulder, yawning. "That girl is too slow. This way, the game is more fun. Or do you actually not want them to be caught?"

Having been provoked by A Chan earlier, the black demonic tiger demon had now cooled down slightly, suspicion creeping back in.

Was it really just a coincidence that a random captive turned out to be a kin of the soul-stealers?

Was she proposing this game to help them escape?

Having witnessed humans willing to sacrifice themselves for others before, the black demonic tiger demon decided to probe A Chan again.

A Chan rolled her eyes. "The tiger lord’s suspicion runs deep. Anyone would think you’re a Tigress."

"Roar! I’m male!"

"Hmph." A Chan gave a derisive sniff.

By then, Lin Sui had already reached Lin Heng’s back. The two of them stopped talking, focusing intently on the scene unfolding below.

Lin Sui’s club struck Lin Heng’s kidneys without hesitation. The club, infused with the black demonic tiger demon’s *demon qi*, looked like an iron rod but hit with even greater force.

A single strike made Lin Heng feel as if his spine was about to snap. He let out a scream and went down hard onto the ground.

Clenching his teeth against the pain, Lin Heng rolled over and saw that the one who had struck him was Lin Sui. His terror instantly turned to fury. "Lin Sui! How dare you hit me?! I’m your Elder Brother!"

"Elder Brother?" Lin Sui white-knuckled the club as she stepped closer. "When you forced Xiao Luo up the mountain, did you remember you were my Elder Brother?"

She jammed the club against Lin Heng’s chest. "I’ll ask you one more time—where is Xiao Luo? If you don’t answer, I don’t mind being short one brother."

"I let him go! We released him long ago!" Lin Heng finally seemed to realize Lin Sui was serious. He shrieked desperately, his voice hoarse.

"Really?" Lin Sui lowered her eyes, as if considering.

At that moment, a murderous glint flashed across Lin Heng’s face. He suddenly grabbed the club pressed against his chest and yanked downward—but it wouldn’t give.

Seeing this, A Chan, seated on the tiger’s back, chuckled softly and said to the tiger lord, "Here comes the fun part."

The next second, Lin Sui swung the club and smashed it down on Lin Heng’s arm. Three strikes later, his arm broke with a sickening crack amidst his screams.

"I’ll ask you one more time—where is Xiao Luo?" Lin Sui’s tone was calm, but her gaze sent chills down Lin Heng’s spine.

"Lin Sui, I didn’t mean it! I was just joking with you!" He scrambled to defend himself. "Oh, right! Gao Luo really was let go! You have to believe me!"

"Why was he injured?"

"He wasn’t!" Lin Heng didn’t dare let Lin Sui know what they had done to Gao Luo, bald-faced lying.

Unfortunately, Lin Sui no longer believed him. Without another word, she raised the club again.

This time, she aimed for his legs.

Lin Heng thrashed like a gutted fish on the ground, howling in agony as he cursed Lin Sui between screams. "Lin Sui, I hope you die a horrible death! When I get back, I won’t let you off! I’ll sell you to a brothel, you bitch! You and that bastard of a brother of yours can die together!!!"

"Where is Gao Luo?"

"Gao Luo’s already dead in the mountains! We shot him with an arrow, and he plummeted down the ravine! Hahaha, he’s finished! You’ll never find him!"

Lin Sui didn’t stop swinging until she had reduced every bone in Lin Heng’s legs to pulp.

"I won’t kill you. I’ll let you suffer what Xiao Luo suffered." With that, Lin Sui turned and walked away, club in hand.

Lin Heng lay on the ground like a broken doll. During his thrashing, his mouth had filled with rotten leaves and dirt, leaving him unable to even make a sound.

"Oh? He’s not dead?" A Chan let out a soft exclamation. "Seems the tiger lord called it."

Though the black demonic tiger demon had predicted the outcome, it hadn’t foreseen the process.

Its luminous eyes fixed on Lin Sui’s retreating figure. "This human is interesting. I quite like her. When the game ends, I’ll turn her into my *changgui* and keep her by my side."

A Chan’s fingers lightly toyed with the black demonic tiger demon’s fur, though the smile on her lips faded slightly.

As Lin Sui moved to track down the next prey, A Chan suddenly spoke. "I’d like the tiger lord to do me a favor."

"What favor?"

"Do you remember that boy in blue? The one with the milky complexion."

"What do you want?" The black demonic tiger demon narrowed its eyes.

"I’d like the tiger lord to take me to find him." A Chan leaned forward, patting the black demonic tiger demon’s dense skull. "I have some scores to settle with him. I never had the chance before, but now that I have the tiger lord’s might behind me, I can’t let him go again."

The black demonic tiger demon’s interest was piqued. It stood, its massive form leaping through the air in titanic leaps, carrying A Chan swiftly through the forest.

Xue Zhao had fled in the opposite direction from Lin Heng. He was more cunning than Lin Heng—he remembered the way back but hadn’t told anyone.

Moreover, Xue Zhao seemed to carry something that turned away malign spirits. The *changgui* trying to block his path had all failed.

By the time the black demonic tiger demon and A Chan found him, he had already escaped the black demonic tiger demon’s territory.

"Heh, this kid runs fast. If not for me, you wouldn’t have caught him today."

"Thanks to the tiger lord’s help, we got him."

Xue Zhao was sharp. Sensing something chasing him, he rolled to the side to evade—only for the black demonic tiger demon to slam a paw down on him.

He coughed up blood, lifting his head with difficulty to see the enormous tiger demon land with predatory grace beside him.

The tiger demon crouched low, and a striking vermilion-clad figure slid down from its back.

Ji Chan stepped barefoot onto the ground but stopped after a few steps, frowning unhappily as the rough stones bit into her tender feet. She shook out her skirt, covering her toes again.

"It’s you..." Xue Zhao’s eyes flickered with poorly masked terror when he saw Ji Chan’s face.

"Yes. Aren’t you happy to see me?" Ji Chan crouched slowly, tilting her head as she watched blood well from Xue Zhao’s lips.

"Running with a tiger demon will bring you a bad end! You’ll die too, sooner or later!"

Ji Chan smiled. "You’ve got more spine than your uncle’s."

Xue Zhao’s pupils shrank. "It was you... You killed my uncle?"

"Who did you think it was? Did you never consider that just as you wished for my death, I wanted you dead just as badly?" Seeing Xue Zhao reach out to grab at her, though he couldn't reach, A Chan straightened up and edged back.

Her face still bore a sweet smile, her eyes clear as if she were an innocent, naive girl, yet her words froze Xue Zhao's blood.

"Before he died, I told him someone would soon join him. See? It's only been a few days, and now it's your turn."

"Ji Chan, you won’t succeed! If you kill me, Father will kill you with his own hands—he’ll never let you go!"

"Guess what—will I let *him* go?"

Ji Chan’s enemies were not limited to the Xue family.

Under Xue Zhao’s resentful and furious gaze, A Chan stood up. "Lord Tiger, I’ll need your help again."

The black tiger demon raised its paw and stomped heavily on Xue Zhao. The sound of bones crunching under pressure echoed, and the scent of blood filled the air. It narrowed its eyes at Xue Zhao and said to A Chan, "Since he’s your enemy, how about I eat him while he still breathes?"

A Chan frowned slightly, her expression showing a hint of distaste.

"You can’t stand me eating humans?"

"It’s not that. I just think consuming ordinary people will only corrupt your spiritual energy. Have you ever eaten a cultivator, Lord Tiger?"

"Of course. They’re no different from common folk."

A Chan shook her head. "You’re mistaken, Lord Tiger. Cultivators are worlds apart from ordinary people. I’d wager the ones you’ve eaten weren’t of your own realm, were they?"

The black tiger demon thought for a moment—it was true.

"The flesh and blood of a Third-Realm cultivator can give your power a significant boost."

The black tiger demon licked its lips. "Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Unfortunately, Third-Realm cultivators are hard to find, and they tend to travel in packs." The black tiger demon shook its head. Though tempted, it remained wary of human cultivators.

A Chan looked down at Xue Zhao, who lay beneath the tiger’s paw, his eyes wide but lifeless. His blood spread in a dark pool around him, and A Chan stepped back in disgust.

Only after avoiding the blood did she speak again. "To thank you for helping me eliminate him, I’ll take you to a lone Third-Realm cultivator. After we eat him, we’ll head to Xiling. How does that sound?"

The black tiger demon narrowed its massive eyes. "You’re not planning to have that cultivator subdue me, are you?"

A Chan sighed in exasperation. "Can’t you handle a Third-Realm cultivator? At the same level, no human is a match for us demons. Besides, if you sense any ambush, you can always kill me and escape. No one could stop you."

The black tiger demon pondered and found her reasoning sound. Still, caution made it ask, "How do you know there’s a lone Third-Realm cultivator?"

A Chan feigned distress. "That cultivator and I have some unfinished business. When I went out with others this time, he happened to be invited to the same place. When we crossed paths, he even humiliated me!"

In her mind, being robbed of two hundred taels of silver (a small fortune) certainly counted as humiliation.

Seeing the black tiger demon still hesitating, she added, "If you think it’s too troublesome, forget it. I only suggested it because your cultivation is stuck at the Third Realm. If you could reach the peak of the Third Realm, consuming my sixth uncle’s Demon Core would be much safer."

At this, the black tiger demon finally made up its mind. If it could devour the Demon Core of a Fourth-Realm fox spirit, it might advance to the Fourth Realm itself. Then, even in demon territory, it could reign supreme, no longer forced to flee to Great Xia after offending other powerful demons.

"Fine. Take me to that Third-Realm cultivator now." Though it spoke thus, the black tiger demon inwardly mused, *This fox spirit really holds grudges. Anyone who crosses her ends up dead.*

Once it obtained the Demon Core, it would kill this fox spirit to prevent the fox clan from seeking revenge for the Fox King’s son’s core.

"Aren’t you afraid, Lord Tiger? That man is an official of Great Xia," A Chan provoked.

"You said we’d flee to Xiling afterward. Once we’re gone, Great Xia’s officials won’t catch us."

A Chan immediately praised, "Such decisiveness! You’ll surely achieve greatness one day. When you become a Fifth-Realm demon king, don’t forget me."

"Of course, hahaha..."

As night fell, lanterns were lit throughout Lotus Garden, illuminating the grounds brightly.

With her son away, Xue Shi had been on edge all day, her eye wouldn't stop twitching with foreboding.

Now that night had fallen and Xue Zhao still hadn’t returned, she paced anxiously at the garden’s entrance.

Xue Ying, unmoved by her mother’s anxiety, tried to reassure her. "Mother, Brother might just be delayed. With so many people together, what could go wrong? You’re worrying too much."

Xue Shi ignored her daughter’s words, muttering, "Your brother never listens. The outskirts are nowhere near as safe as the capital. Last time, he narrowly escaped that tiger demon, yet he dared to go again!"

"There aren’t that many demons in the world," Xue Ying grumbled—then suddenly, her chest tightened.

The sensation was inexplicable, but a wave of terror washed over her, as if she had lost someone dear. *Who?*

"What’s wrong?" Seeing her daughter clutch her chest and collapse, Xue Shi rushed forward in panic, shouting at the gate guards, "Fetch a physician, quickly!"

One guard hurried into the garden to summon a doctor.

"Ying Ying, what’s happening?"

"Mother," Xue Ying gasped, clutching at her mother’s arm, her eyes wide. "It’s Brother—something’s happened to him!"

"Don’t speak nonsense!" Xue Shi scolded.

"I’m not! I feel it—something’s wrong. We must find him now!"

Though Xue Shi had voiced concerns about her son’s safety, she hadn’t truly believed anything could happen. But her children had always shared a strange bond—when one fell ill, the other would grow restless. Now, with her daughter’s distress, dread gripped her.

Once the physician arrived, she left Xue Ying behind and hurriedly gathered her personal guards, ordering them to search along the road for her son.

Finally, she went to Princess Funing’s courtyard, requesting an audience.

After the gate guard relayed her message, the princess’s attendant emerged and said, "Lady of the Marquis of Jinyang, Her Highness is currently in Lord Bai’s courtyard. If you wish to see her, this servant can escort you."

Though desperate, Xue Shi didn't dare appear impatient. "Thank you, Madam."

Meanwhile, in Bai Xiuming’s residence, the trickle of water blended with the chirping of insects.

His courtyard housed a small pond where a unique variety of lotus grew.

Unlike the lotuses outside, these buds remained tightly closed during the day, only began to quiver open at dusk, their petals unfolding gradually.

In the night, the tips of their petals shimmered faintly, and when the entire pond bloomed, the sight was dazzling.

These lotuses were a rare strain Princess Funing had specially had brought from Xiling—rumored to have been cultivated by the late Princess Consort of Xiling years ago.

Bai Xiuming had agreed to visit Lotus Garden just to see these flowers.

Now, Princess Funing stood beside Bai Xiuming by the pond. Though she had witnessed the lotuses bloom many times before, each viewing still left her spellbound.

Neither spoke, both silently admiring the sight.

Suddenly, the voice of Princess Funing's personal attendant sounded outside the courtyard.

"Your Highness, the Marchioness of Jinyang requests an audience."

Princess Funing frowned slightly, displeased at being disturbed at this moment. She lingered with one last look at the pond of lotuses before saying to Bai Xiuming, "I'll be back shortly."

Bai Xiuming gave a nod, and she turned to walk toward the courtyard entrance.

Upon seeing Princess Funing, Xue Shi spoke in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, my son went hunting with the Third Young Master of the Duke of Li's household, the Second Young Master of the General of Anxi's Mansion, and others. They promised to return before dark, but there has been no sign of them yet."

The maidservant standing nearby grew somewhat displeased upon hearing that Xue Shi had sought the princess merely for this matter.

Princess Funing felt helpless inwardly, thinking that the Marquis of Jinyang's current wife was rather clueless—no wonder she had egged the marquis on to act in such an undignified manner before.

However, she had always maintained a gentle demeanor in public, so she refrained from harsh words and only said, "Perhaps they were delayed on the road. If the Marchioness is truly worried, I shall send guards to search for them."

Seeing Princess Funing's indifferent attitude, Xue Shi dropped to her knees heavily.

"Your Highness, I am not exaggerating. My daughter has always had this strange bond with my son since childhood. Just now, she was doubled over with chest pains and insisted that something had happened to him. Those who went out with my son are all nobility's sons. I fear they may have encountered an accident."

Hearing this, Princess Funing also grew concerned. Though the incident did not occur under her watch, if those young nobles truly met with misfortune, she would inevitably offend several noble families.

"So what do you want me to do?"

Xue Shi asked hopefully, "Might Your Highness be able to request Lord Bai's assistance? He's incredibly powerful, and finding people should not be difficult for him. If there are indeed supernatural threats, he could easily eliminate them."

Princess Funing glanced back at the courtyard. "I cannot make this decision for him. I will take you inside, and you may present your request to him yourself."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Xue Shi was at a loss for whom else to turn to—the only person she could think of was Bai Xiuming.

He was the Bright Mirror Bureau Commander, and her husband had even mentioned that he could hold his own against the Marquis of the North in combat. If this man were willing to help, he would surely find her son.

Xue Shi's hopes were high, but when she knelt beside Bai Xiuming and begged for his aid, he merely shot her a dismissive look. "The Marchioness has come to the wrong person. I'm not the Magistrate of the Capital and bear no responsibility for finding missing individuals."

"Lord Bai, the place my son went to is that same mountain where the tiger demon once appeared. It's possible that not all monsters were cleared out from those hills. Does this not fall under the jurisdiction of the Bright Mirror Bureau?"

"If anyone could order me around based on mere conjecture, then I—"

Before Bai Xiuming could finish, another ruckus broke out outside the courtyard.

"Madam, you cannot enter!"

"Her Highness is present. If you force your way in, we will not hold back!"

The guards' shouts came one after another as the gate was forced open. Bai Xiuming looked up and saw Chen Hui, a complete mess.

The moment Chen Hui saw Bai Xiuming, she spoke directly, "Lord Bai, we encountered evil presences in the mountains. Lin Sui was taken, and A Chan, who stayed behind in the village, is gone too. She might be hurt."

Bai Xiuming demanded, voice tight, "Where did she go missing?"

"Huangxi Village."