151: 4.16 The Demon's Spell

4.16 The Demon's Spell

It had almost been three years but the whole clan was still mourning for the tragic death of Uncle and Auntie Luqiu. The subsequent event with Ningning had taken over their focus since then. The obsessive grief as well as the fact that she inherited Auntie Luqiu's pure yin body had made her more susceptible to resentful energy. They had no choice but to live in this kind of place so as to not draw anyone's attention to Ningning's unusual conditions.2

Exhaustion rapidly caught up to Heimo but he tried not to show it on his face as he strode inside and slumped down onto the couch. They needed him to be strong, to protect them when no one else could. "It's done, Shijie!"

Luqiu Hong was surprised to see him there. "You're still awake?"

Heimo harrumphed and boastfully patted his chest. "I told you that I am growing stronger. See?" His smile morphed into a more serious one. "If this happens again next time, you should inform me as soon as possible."

Frustration flashed through Luqiu Hong's face. "I can't rely on you forever, Lan. This method is too dangerous. Sometime in the future, it will kill you."

"Aiyah, I won't die so easily, you know!" Heimo tried to pass it off with a grin but Luqiu Hong's face remained somber. Heimo gradually realized that something was off. "Shijie…?"

Luqiu Hong was silent for a moment, scowling at the table as if it had offended her personally. A pang of sadness drove into Heimo's chest again. They were both still so young — Luqiu Hong was barely 19 when their parents died and she already had to tend to the needs of the Sect members after the leader's demise. Even though Heimo was the Sect Leader in name, the one who had always become their spiritual pillar was Luqiu Hong.

Ningning had collapsed but at least, Luqiu Hong needed to be strong. She almost changed overnight, turning into a decisive, hardhearted and stubborn woman. It pained Heimo to see his family break apart in the span of a few days. 

"Shijie? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Luqiu Hong sighed and sat down opposite Heimo, resignation clear on her face. "... It's getting shorter."

Heimo tensed. "What is?"

"The interval of Ningning's sickness. It's getting shorter. She had a relapse last week—"

"Shijie!" Heimo gasped in horror. "You didn't tell me about that!"

"I know, I know!" Luqiu Hong tugged on her sleeve. Right at this moment, she wasn't the Sect's vice leader and emotional support. Her strong appearance was nowhere to be seen. She looked oddly fragile, as if the slightest touch was enough to break her to pieces. The rims of her eyes reddened. "I know that Ningning needs you but… I can't. Not after I have seen what it did to you last time. You almost couldn't get out of bed for three days, remember?!"

Heimo let out a shuddering breath and rubbed his face roughly. "How—How did Ningning get through that?"

This time, a faint sob escaped Liqiu Hong's lips. "She…endured it." She buried her face into her palms, shoulders shaking. "She endured it for a whole five days and five nights. Lan, how I wish I could take the pain for her. Why can't it be me? Why can't it be me who had the pure yin body…?"

Heimo's body moved on reflex to her side and pulled her into a tight embrace. His own eyes were stinging and he desperately blinked through it so that he could dry his tears faster. He needed to be strong. He needed to be Shijie's emotional support when she's down.

Luqiu Hong leaned his head against his shoulders. "It's getting closer and closer. Last time, it was once every six months, then three months, one month and now…" She choked on her tears. "W—What if she can't wake up again in the future? What should I tell Muqin[1] and Fuqin[2]? I can't even be a good sister, I wasn't there with her when she was grieving and I can't even do anything for her now…!"

Heimo swallowed past the lump in his throat. His anger and hatred toward Lingyan peaked at that moment. It was all because of them! Because of their fucking righteousness, because of their pretentiousness of thinking that they were above others, they dared to bestow judgement toward others even when the Heavenly Law had turned a blind eye! How dare they! How dare they! How dare they unilaterally decide that Uncle and Auntie was a sinner?! Who gave them the right?!

His eyes gleamed with a crimson light that almost overshadowed his amber pupils, rage twisted his face. But to his Shijie — the kindest and strongest person he had ever known, the person who had noticed him dying in the street and begged Uncle Luqiu to bring him back — his tone remained even and courteous. "It's okay. I am here. I am willing to use my body and soul to cure her—"

"No!" Luqiu Hong pulled away with a jerk, her face wet with tears. She was glaring at Heimo. "You can't do that! Luqiu Lan, I have told you countless times. You owed nothing to me, to Ningning, to us! It's already enough that you steered into the demonic path and threw away your previous cultivation so that you can sustain Ningning's condition, I can't let you throw your life away too!"

"Shijie…"

"No, absolutely not!"

Heimo's veins throbbed. "Then have you found another way?! If you can, then I will stop, okay?!"

For a while, both of them were glaring at each other, willing the other to back down first. It was for naught. They were equally stubborn and loyal, always putting others first before themselves. 

Heimo saw something in Luqiu Hong's eyes and was promptly stunned. "You do…? You really found a way?" He scooted closer and took her hands, squeezing it. "Tell me, Shijie! I have to know it!"

Luqiu Hong hesitated for a while. "...You can't tell anyone." 

Heimo's eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly.

As if afraid that another soul was listening in, Luqiu Hong lowered her volume down into a whisper. "I found a book in the forbidden section about pure yin constitutions. You know, the part of the library Muqin had always prohibited us from entering."

Heimo's eyes widened in shock. Their previous home had already been burned down following the couple's death and what remained was only the charred building and destruction. "The library still exist? How…?" Heimo also, for some kind of reason, whispered.

"Fuqin put a spell on it. A very old and ancient glamour that hid the library from sight. Old enough that it passed through those bastards' eyes." Luqiu Hong took a deep breath and she continued with a flat tone, as if telling another's story instead of herself. "I suddenly recalled Fuqin ever saying that the library will stand even after the world ends so… yeah, I was just testing my luck. What if… What if… you know how desperate we are for Ningning's recovery." At Heimo's slight nod, she let out a bitter laugh. "So I went there and searched around. At first, I wasn't sure and you have seen for yourself how wrecked the building is. But as it turns out, I am right. The library is still there. The spell knew that Fuqin had died. It sensed my desperation and spoke to me…"

Heimo sucked in cold air. "It spoke… to you?"

"I know. It sounds crazy, right? But that's exactly what was happening." Luqiu Hong chuckled nervously. The spell is so strong, our library was intact after all the chaos. And… And I sensed Fuqin's spiritual energy there…laced with something—something else…"

Heimo urged. "What is it?!"

Luqiu Hong lifted her eyes. Her pupils were light brown and Heimo liked how it shone like precious gems against the light. Yet now it was murky and haunted. Fear. She was afraid. Anticipation. For whatever it was, it had convinced her of its might. "A pure demonic energy. Coming from the demon itself. Lan…" She tried to smile but it ended up looking like a grimace. "I think Fuqin had made a deal with a demon."

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[1] Fuqin = Father

[2] Muqin = Mother

Fyi, even though Heimo was practically adopted into the family and received the surname, he still called them Uncle and Auntie just because he wanted to call only his birth parents with Father and Mother. He's just that kind of sentimental person :)

Oh and Heimo's current age is 20, still so young according to cultivation era where people can live up to thousand years. He's the same age with the male protagonist. Jingxue-Jun is way older than him, well I won't divulge his age, I will leave it to your own imagination *wink*

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