Chapter 31: Congenital Illness?

Xu Bingkun's words failed to finish; his entire skeleton shattered, and he collapsed to the ground.

He had made the same mistake as Huo Yu... knowing nothing of the enemy.

If everyone were Seventh Grade Upper, with surface cultivation appearing equal, then apart from the gap in experience and techniques, where lay the greatest difference?

Of course, it was the grade of the cultivation method practiced; everyone's Qi volume was equal, but the quality was not!

The Imperial Ultimate Shocking World Scripture, one of the few Super-Grade methods in the world, crushed his mere techniques like crushing a chicken.

Yet he could not figure it out: Shen Tang was clearly a disciple who had cultivated since childhood at the Heavenly Sword Sect; he knew her, and she was recognized by all the elders of the Heavenly Sword Sect as the Shao Sect, so how could she inexplicably have another identity and another cultivation?

Had he known she possessed such a terrifying background, on what grounds would those elders previously dare to harbor treacherous thoughts!

And who could have broken her leg, allowing her to flee to Xiazhou with her remnants like a homeless dog?

Unfortunately, there was no chance for him to solve the mystery; Xu Bingkun's consciousness quickly scattered, and he died with his eyes open.

One strike, instant death!

Shen Tang raised her head slightly, looking toward the direction of the fierce battle in the courtyard; there, a large force of the Demon Suppression Bureau had already arrived, surrounding the demon completely.

Sheng Yuanyao did trust this group; the arrival of a large contingent of Demon Suppression Bureau elites greatly reduced her pressure, and she panted several times, her face pale.

Looking at Dugu Qingli, the white-haired girl's mouth corner was also trickling with blood, obviously not fighting easily.

A Fourth Grade demon, even if injured, possessed an understanding of technique and strength that a Fifth Grade expert could not match; moreover, the demon's body and strength originally exceeded that of human Wu Xiu, so to deal with them, one ideally needed to pair them with Dao cultivators to perform various weakening spells.

That two girls could hold it off for so long was already enough to be proud of.

The demon was already injured, and being dragged out by the two girls made it even more exhausted; the participation of the large contingent of fresh Demon Suppression Bureau elites soon made the demon extremely wretched, and its heart burned with rage. Almost half the people of Xiazhoucheng could hear the demon's earth-shaking roar, causing the wind and clouds to change color.

Glancing further away, it saw the City Lord's Mansion guards, some of whom it recognized, yet not a single one stepped forward to help. The demon erupted in fury: "Someone, if you continue to stand aside as if it has nothing to do with you, don't blame me for exposing the matter!"

Unfortunately, that someone was already lying in an alley outside, unable to respond to it.

The demon, in a state of frustration and rage, held out in the formation for a while longer, before finally shouting in anger: "Xu Bingkun, you are untrustworthy!"

As if taking up a cue, Huo Yu's voice came from afar: "City Lord Xu, this Young Master knows the whole story. If you stop now and join in destroying this demon, my Huo family can guarantee you will atone for your crimes with merit."

The entire city erupted in shock!

It really was Xu Bingkun!

If only the demon itself had spoken, there might have been suspicion of false accusation, but Huo Yu taking up the cue was like a hammer.

So Young Master Huo's investigation into Huo Shang was a pretense, while secretly investigating the demon was the truth!

Seeing everyone's eyes upon him, Huo Yu sighed with relief, thinking to himself that he might actually survive. Just as he planned to add another sentence, a huge force suddenly kicked his buttocks, shooting him directly toward the center of the fierce battle.

"Damn it..." The voice suddenly cut off.

The group of Demon Suppression Bureau members forming the formation instinctively parted to clear a path, and Huo Yu charged straight into the attack range of the enraged demon.

"Hahahaha!" The demon laughed wildly: "So you are Huo Yu, right! So you are the one investigating me, right! Die!"

Huo Yu: "?"

The demon's hand slapped, and Huo Yu didn't even have time to block; neither Dugu Qingli nor Sheng Yuanyao on his left or right helped him take the hit, and he was directly slapped into minced meat.

The onlookers: "???"

The Demon Suppression Bureau: "!!!"

Disaster... Sixth Young Master Huo came to Xiazhou to investigate the Huo Shang case, but due to overestimating his own strength, he angrily rushed the demon and died by the demon's hand!

But Sixth Young Master Huo was so weak...

Here, a huge group of Demon Suppression Bureau members, all only Seventh or Eighth Grade in strength, could form a formation to trap the enemy; Sheng Yuanyao was also a Sixth Grade Wu Xiu who could withstand it for so long; you are also a Sixth Grade Wu Xiu, yet you rushed in, didn't even land a single move, and were directly slapped to death?

Why did you have to do it!

Dugu Qingli and Sheng Yuanyao exchanged a glance; they could obviously see that this Sixth Young Master Huo had all his acupoints sealed, clearly having been thrown here by someone. Even his mute acupoint was sealed; behind that "Damn it," there was probably a "Lu Xingzhou" following, but he couldn't curse it out.

This time, the information reported by the onlookers meant that Huo Yu's death had not the slightest connection to Shen Tang, and in fact had no connection to Lu Xingzhou either... that was done by the demon; the mastermind was Xu Bingkun.

Perhaps even his guards were secretly killed by Xu Bingkun's people...

Several talismans ignited in the air.

The aura of spells spread; the demon's eyes narrowed, thinking to itself that trouble had arrived.

Demon-Controlling Talisman, Slowing Talisman, Force-Draining Talisman...

Lu Xingzhou!

Although the grade was not high, the spell control was so precise that even from far away, it accurately landed on it, which was extremely uncomfortable.

Just as it struggled free from the spell control, a brilliant sword light, like grasping the moon from the nine heavens, locked onto its spiritual platform and rushed straight down.

Shen Tang, Heavenly Sword Sect, Cloud-Breaking Flying Sword!

Dugu Qingli swung her ice sword; ice crystals surrounded the demon, condensing into a prison that temporarily prevented it from dodging Shen Tang's killing move.

With a "Bang," the ice crystals shattered; the demon barely dodged, the flying sword grazing its shoulder, and demon blood sprayed out.

A tiny figure suddenly appeared in the sky above and punched down.

The wretched demon could no longer dodge this punch; it was smashed solidly and fell headfirst toward the ground, spewing blood wildly, splashing onto A Nuo.

A Nuo suddenly let out a muffled groan; she felt this blood was very uncomfortable, as if the Qi on her body was being roasted by a furnace and suddenly began to burn.

"Eh..." The demon, clearly at the end of its road, suddenly flashed with sharp light in its eyes: "You this... Hah? Hahahaha..."

Shen Tang and Dugu Qingli's swords, Sheng Yuanyao's blade, and Lu Xingzhou's Thunder Talisman almost simultaneously landed on it. Facing a situation of certain death, the demon mustered all its demon Qi and forcibly endured this wave of attacks, throwing its entire body straight toward A Nuo.

A Nuo, whose movement skills were usually like a ghost, now showed an extremely uncomfortable expression, seeming as if she had gone stupid and could not dodge.

Lu Xingzhou, who was extremely familiar with A Nuo, didn't understand what was happening and shouted in a broken voice: "A Nuo, move quickly!"

He slapped his hand, and the wheelchair shot up with a "Whoosh," charging straight into the center of the field.

But how could it be in time?

Dugu Qingli acted quickly, grabbing A Nuo and pulling her aside; the demon rushed past A Nuo's side and ran far away in an instant: "Haha, interesting, hahahaha..."

Sheng Yuanyao looked at A Nuo with some concern, but with her duty at hand, she could not look after her for long, so she could only shout sternly: "Chase!"

The Demon Suppression Bureau members quickly chased after it; Lu Xingzhou arrived in the center of the field, grabbed A Nuo in his arms, and his voice trembled: "A Nuo, what's wrong? Don't scare your master..."

A'nuo leaned softly and weakly against Lu Xingzhou's chest: "Master, I think I have a fever..."

Shen Tang and Miss Qingli exchanged bewildered glances. A fever... a fifth-rank expert cultivating both Dao and martial arts, having a fever?

Lu Xingzhou, sweating with anxiety, summoned a soft glow in his hand and pressed it against A'nuo's forehead to examine her carefully.

The spiritual energy within A'nuo's body seemed to be burning, causing her entire blood to boil, bubbling up like boiling water.

Her skin was even scalding hot. If this were truly a fever, the temperature would be high enough to kill an ordinary person instantly, at least fifty or sixty degrees above normal.

Despite Lu Xingzhou having studied alchemy and medicine for so many years, he still could not determine the cause at all. What was visible was contamination by demon blood, yet the demonic qi was clearly being resisted by A'nuo herself, forming no harm whatsoever. Now, no trace of anything related to demonic qi could be found within A'nuo's body. Why did this strange result occur?

"I can't find it... I can't find the cause of the illness... What is happening..." Lu Xingzhou's face turned pale as he turned his head, searching everywhere: "Chen Zhangsi, is Chen Zhangsi here? Help me take a look..."

Chen Jinian quickly ran over from the surrounding crowd. Lu Xingzhou, holding A'nuo, tried to move forward but nearly fell from his wheelchair.

Shen Tang hurriedly supported him, pressing her lips tightly together, sighing inwardly.

Lu Xingzhou, who had always been calm, composed, and confident, was displaying such frantic and helpless loss of control.

As he had said... the softness in a person's heart is reserved only for certain specific things. Having acted as both father and mother to raise this little dumpling all by himself until now, A'nuo was as connected to his life as his own.

Shen Tang did not doubt that if anything truly happened to A'nuo, Lu Xingzhou would go mad.

Clearly, all schemes had succeeded, and this was the moment of great celebration when everything settled, yet it suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse. Tragically, no one even knew what had happened.

Chen Jinian felt A'nuo's pulse and examined her for quite a while, then furrowed his white eyebrows: "How strange... My examination suggests this should be a congenital flaw brought from the womb, but why would it erupt so abruptly now? There is no trigger."

"A congenital illness?" Lu Xingzhou's eyes brightened slightly: "A'nuo indeed had congenital deficiencies; she was extremely difficult to raise when young... If it is an illness, it can always be treated, right?"

"The problem lies right there. I also cannot determine what illness this is, so I cannot prescribe a remedy..." Seeing the once vigorous little girl suddenly look on the verge of death, Chen Jinian grew anxious too: "I will immediately send a letter to the commandery to summon my senior brother to come swiftly... He might have a way..."

Someone coming from the commandery... When would that be? Looking at the little girl's weak state now, where she could barely keep her eyes open, it felt like she wouldn't last...

A'nuo nestled in Lu Xingzhou's arms, her small hand struggling to touch Lu Xingzhou's face: "Master... am I going to die..."

"Stop talking nonsense! Even if I die, you won't!" Lu Xingzhou held the scalding little dumpling with one hand while reaching into the ring with the other.

Lying there was the spoils just obtained. Regardless of A'nuo's condition, that pill could definitely cure her...

It was a life-saving pill capable of reviving those on the brink of death, possessing immense power of creation, and was not merely for treating legs.

It was something he had schemed for so long... If Chen Zhangsi could treat A'nuo's condition, he would not easily consider using it, but now there was no time to worry; nothing else mattered.

Lu Xingzhou quickly took out the pill from just now and shoved it directly into A'nuo's mouth.

A'nuo, with strength she didn't know where she got, forcefully covered her mouth, speaking incoherently: "That is for your legs... For ten years, you have done everything only for it."

"Stop talking nonsense! Things for treating legs are everywhere under heaven; my A'nuo is the only one!" Lu Xingzhou quickly grabbed A'nuo's hand away and, without another word, shoved the pill in: "Besides, that fellow said this one might not even cure my legs."

The characteristic of top-grade pills is that they melt upon contact with the mouth; A'nuo didn't even have a chance to spit it out before the medicinal power entered her throat.

A'nuo glared angrily at Lu Xingzhou, while Lu Xingzhou watched her anxiously.

The little girl's powerless eyes became bright again; the face that had been burning red began to fade, returning to a healthy pinkish-white complexion. Her plump, pink round face was now pouting at her master.

Chen Jinian nearly plucked his beard off, his eyes wide with shock and dumbfounded.

What did you just feed her? An immortal pill?

Lu Xingzhou burst into laughter, lifting A'nuo up twice high: "Damn, so fat, Master can barely lift you! Yo-ho, little thing, you dare glare at Master!"

A'nuo's gaze softened as she asked in a low voice: "What about you?"

Lu Xingzhou happily placed her back on his lap, rubbing her face with his hand: "As long as you are well, it's no big deal."

(End of this chapter)