Chapter 126 – Drought Demon Organization
“He Xi—-!!” A frightened and angry roar sounded at her ears, the voice so familiar yet so distant.
He Xi was only half conscious and as her body grew colder, she could feel that someone was holding her in their arms, gently removing the skin mask on her face.
This person was slightly trembling as they embraced her in what felt like fear and regret, but…so warm, so comforting.
The corner of He Xi's mouth raised into a faint, gentle smile, before she then lost consciousness.
Nangong Yu hugged He Xi tightly. Examining her heavily injured body, he didn’t dare believe his own eyes.
The girl’s features under the mask were still delicate and beautiful, but her complexion was deathly pale, nearly transparent. Her phoenix eyes that always captivated him were now dull, devoid of light, as if at any time she would disappear from this world.
A few days ago he was listening to Bai Hu’s report, eating her specially prepared foods, and imagining her proud and playful appearance.
He has always been looking forward, looking forward to the day he would be able to meet with her. The day he would be able to lift the seal on her dantian, letting her depend on him more so that they would be inseparable.
However, he when he awoke this morning what was waiting for him?
It was to an alert from the imprint he left on He Xi's body, letting him know that she was being attacked! After he hurriedly rushed over, what he found is her dying.
Nangong Yu’s hands clenched tightly into fists, the light in his eyes scarlet flames that burned fiercely.
At this moment, he was strongly trying to suppress a heaven destroying, earth extinguishing fury. He wanted to dismember the people who injured He Xi, crushing their bones to dust.
“Xi Er, you’ll be fine.” Nangong Yu gripped He Xi’s hand, quickly transferring the pure essence of his spiritual power to her, “You have me here, I definitely won’t let something happen to you.”
The transferring of spiritual power to He Xi helped her weak breathing slowly become stable, while the fatal wound in her chest and abdomen indicated some signs of healing.
Once he was sure that He Xi's life wasn’t in immediate danger, it was only then that Nangong Yu raised his head, his scarlet eyes burning as he glared at the two assassins not far away. His icy voice contained a promise of deadly violence as he spoke, “Drought Demon Organisation, very good! In this world, there have been very few people who have been able to provoke me to anger, and yet you’ve managed it!”
“Hell…Hell King, you are…Your Highness Hell King!!” The leader saw the Hell King’s evil demon-like smile, and suddenly his eyes opened wide as he released a horrified shout.
Isn’t this the one who was called the number one genius in Jin Ling Kingdom countless times the past few years? And when he reached Gold Core stage, the Ninth Heaven’s Black Thunder fell, that His Highness Hell King?
The one who even the Royal family of Jin Ling Kingdom are afraid of, with his strength massacring countless troops from Magical Beasts, dying the Gui Jin mountain range red, that His Highness Hell King?
That one who was bestowed the name “King of the Underworld, ruling over the life and death of the human world, controlling the Six Paths of Reincarnation”, completely ruthless when killing his enemies…that His Highness Hell King?!!
The assassins sat blankly on the ground. Under Nangong Yu’s fierce gaze, their bodies began to tremble all over.
Heavens! In the end, what sort of mission had the Drought Demon Organisation received?
This clearly unremarkable girl, without any good quality, how could the Hell King have taken a fancy to her?
No one who provoked the Hell King had been able to survive intact! This is the day the assassins from Drought Demon Organisation would be annihilated!
“Mercy—! Hell King, please spare us!” The cultivation base of the leader was too low so he couldn’t help but feel fear in his heart, and crawling to Nangong Yu’s feet, he said in a trembling voice, “We only received a mission…and we accepted money from that person, so on behalf of that person we were to kill her. We didn’t really want to intentionally dispose of Miss Nalan…please Hell King, spare us assassins from Drought Demon Organization!”
Chapter 127 – Annihilated
Nangong Yu looked down at them with an indifferent expression, his bloodshot eyes covered with a layer of frost, "Speak! If you tell me who the mastermind is, I'll let the assassins from Drought Demon Organisation off."
That means that he really intends to destroy all of the assassins from Drought Demon Organisation if they don't reveal anything!
The hopeful expression on the leader's face crumpled, changing into one of utter despair. But, when facing this excessively strong young man, he didn't have any courage to resist answering, "We…we don't know who requested the mission. All the Drought Demon Organisation deals with is receiving the mission from the black market, we just take the money without asking questions."
"Since this is the case…" The corner of Nangong Yu's mouth raised into a cruel smile, "Then your existence is unnecessary."
He had barely spoken, when a bright ball of spiritual power suddenly formed on his slightly raised left hand.
The assassin kneeling at Nangong Yu's feet screamed with fear and he wanted to flee, but without being able to take even a single step, the ball of spiritual power ball wrapped itself around his body, and that of the other assassin.
Soon after their bodies felt like there was something drilling into them, and the surface of their skin began to swell with uneven bumps.
"Ah ah ah ah—!!" The assassins screamed in pain, and following that their bodies ripped apart, leaving only blood and bones splattered around.
However, the ball of spiritual power hadn't finished its destruction yet, continuing to burn the blood and bones with a faint blue flame until it completely eroded everything, leaving nothing but ash. Only then did the spiritual fire slowly disappear without a trace.
Nangong Yu glanced at the wind spreading the ash of the two assassins into the air. Then sneering, he held He Xi, and rapidly flew back to Hell King Manor.
Hell King Manor.
Qing Long, Bai Hu, and Zhu Que were standing at the gate, from time to time they would look at the sky with worried expressions.
Bai Hu incessantly muttered out of nervousness, "It's already reached this point, the time when Master's illness is about to flare, so why would he suddenly go out? Why has he still not returned?"
At this moment, Zhu Que who was standing next to him had her face covered with a veil, concealing that eye catching scar.
Hearing what was said, her eyes filled with worry, "Qing Long, do you know why Master went out today, leaving his closed door cultivation early?"
It was to lift the seal on Xi Yue, the Genius Doctor Xi's dantian!
Of course Qing Long knew what his Master went out to do, and he extremely disagreed with it. But Master is the Master, and as long as he is commanded not to say anything, even if Qing Long was anxious, he would never speak without permission.
He has always been quiet from the beginning, refusing to answer any questions, so Bai Hu and Zhu Que weren't surprised.
However, as Qing Long looked at the sky for a long while, a gloomy expression covered his face and he opened his mouth to say, "Bai Hu, Zhu Que, if someone's existence will harm Master, but Master wouldn't hesitate to protect him, you…what would you do?"
Bai Hu answered, "Of course Master's will is the priority!"
While Zhu Que answered, "Of course the cheap person who will threaten Master must be killed!"
The two people almost responded in unison, and after they finished speaking they looked at each other in dismay, each with a complicated expression on their face. Even Qing Long's eyebrows were creased, his face twisted.
Just then, Qing long's expression lit up and he shouted with a low voice, "Master have returned!"
The next moment, Nangong Yu descended from the sky with his robes floating around him, landing by Hell King Manor's big gate.
Qing Long was just about to come forward, wanting to follow, when suddenly he looked at the bloody figure in Master's arms, his eyes opening wide, "Master, this…is this Genius Doctor Xi?!"
Chapter 128 – Closed Door Healing
He Xi’s appearance at this time was still bright, elegant, and exquisite, but because her disguise was removed, coupled with her hair loose and blowing in the wind, with just a glance Qing Long was able to see that this is Genius Doctor Xi…and that she is a girl!
Moreover, her appearance is so devastatingly beautiful that it is capable of causing the downfall of a city! It was even more impressive when you factored in that she is only a young girl yet has peerless medical expertise!
Qing Long sucked in a gulp of cold air, he was always calm and collected yet couldn’t help but blurt out, “Genius Doctor Xi is a woman?!”
It’s no wonder then! No wonder that Master cared about and cherished her so much, no wonder that on the carriage Master was like that…with her.
Standing on the side, Zhu Que was also able to recognize He Xi's identity with just a glance. Yet when she noticed that He Xi’s sallow and ugly face has now become so beautiful, both her hands clenched tightly, while her heart raged the words “Impossible, impossible!” repeatedly.
This abominable slut! First she destroyed her appearance, making her ashamed to appear in front of Master. Now she exposed a delicate, pitiful, and charming fox-like appearance to seduce Master…so shameless! It’s simply too shameless!
Zhu Que’s eyes reddened, and firmly glaring at the unconscious He Xi, she was unaware that the veil on her face had slipped off.
She wanted to rush over and tear that face apart, pull her out from Nangong Yu’s arms and ruthlessly throw her to the ground. The hate born out of jealously in her heart was like a burning flame, causing the scar on her face to constantly twist. Resembling a centipede crawling on her beautiful face, it made her features look distorted and hideous.
Yet why would Nangong Yu care about the reactions of his subordinates at this time. Glancing at the girl in his arms whose breathing was gradually growing weaker, his eyes darkened as he coldly said, “I will heal Xi Er behind closed doors, prepare the best medicinal pills and send them in. Qing Long, you guard the door, without my order no one is allowed to enter.”
Qing Long always obeyed Nangong Yu’s orders, yet when he heard what was he said his heart thumped loudly, and looking at He Xi he murmured, “Master, it’s time for you to…”
Nangong Yu’s icy gaze sharply swept over Qing Long, instantly silencing him. His eyebrows creased as he followed behind Nangong Yu.
Yet Zhu Que was finally unable to bear it any longer and rushed over, landed to her knees with plop in front of Nangong Yu, and cried as she said, “Master, you are now at the moment between life and death, you absolutely can not harm your body for an insignificant person! If Master wants to save Miss Nalan, you may hand her over to this subordinate. This subordinate is a fifth ranked doctor, I’ll certainly be able to heal Miss Nalan’s injury.”
“That’s right, Master!” Even Bai Hu could no longer endure it and said, “Genius…Miss Nalan seems to have only suffered superficial wounds, and Zhu Que’s medical expertise is excellent, so there’ll definitely be no problem for her to treat her injury. Master, you should quickly return to closed door cultivation, otherwise…”
Other people may not have realized, but they were trusted subordinates. They were able to clearly detect that Nangong Yu’s originally fair skin had now become more transparent, and that the blood flow in his body had also begun to slow, causing his hands and feet to gradually turn cold.
While it looked like nothing judging by the Master’s appearance, in truth, his body is suffering from great pain.
Nangong Yu didn’t even look at Zhu Que as he sneeringly said, “My matters are not for all of you to decide. Qing Long, don’t make me order you a second time!”
“Master—!!” Zhu Que exclaimed, but when she raised her head again, she didn’t see Master’s figure anymore.
Nangong Yu’s bedroom was restricted in Hell King Manor, so as the bedroom door firmly closed, Qing Long took up a position outside the door to guard it, his face cold and calm.
Chapter 129 – Cold Blood
Zhu Que bitterly glared at him, her voice piercing to their ears, "Qing Long, what are you doing? Do you want to let that slut kill Master? Quickly get out of the way, let me go in to save Master!"
Qing Long's face was expressionless as he faintly said, "Master's orders. Regardless of whether it's wrong or not, I refuse to disobey."
No matter how much Zhu Que insulted or screamed, Qing Long remained completely unmoved. His cultivation base is the highest amongst them, so although they're all Gold Core stage martial artists, even if Zhu Que and Bai Hu joined together to fight him, they wouldn't necessarily win. Thus, the people outside the bedroom door were deadlocked.
Inside the bedroom, Nangong Yu carefully placed He Xi on his bed.
He is a person with mysophobia, so apart from a servant boy being allowed to come and sweep this bedroom, no one else is allowed to enter. For him, his bed is his to personally use, nobody has permission to touch it.
But now, seeing He Xi's blood dye his bed red, he didn't feel the slightest bit of disgust, all he felt was panic and distress.
His Xi Er should be wilful, arrogant, and cold, she shouldn't be like she is now, dying and looking like she will disappear at any time.
Nangong Yu very carefully untied He Xi's outer clothes, and grabbing the medicine that Qing Long brought in a moment ago, he sprinkled it over her horrific wound.
The medicine in Hell King Manor is naturally all high grade, so as soon as the following medicine made contact with her flesh, whether it is an injury caused by a sword or a wound from being struck by thunder, the speed of healing could clearly be seen by the naked eye.
However, when all the wounds were healed, He Xi's breathing was still growing weaker, her pale face expressionless…
Nangong Yu held her icy body in his embrace, fear bubbling up in his heart.
This is the first time since birth that he has experienced such feelings. Fear, panic…terrified that the girl in his arms will leave him, and from then on he will no longer be able to see or touch her.
He pondered for a moment, and finally made a firm resolution. From the storage ring on his finger he withdrew a simple and unadorned jade box.
Opening the jade box, a scorching heat wave assaulted his senses. It was the Yuan Yang Fruit that He Xi gave to Nangong Yu.
Compared to one month ago the Yuan Yang Fruit is still hot, yet the fierce heat from the Yang has become milder, purer. Furthermore, any impurities harmful to the human body have vanished.
This is the result of Nangong Yu using his own body temperature and continuously cooling it down for a month.
Unfortunately, that is not enough. Even if the Yang of the Yuan Yang Fruit has been refined, He Xi's weak and ordinary body will still be burned by the heat once she consumes the Yuan Yang Fruit. Therefore, she would need a Yin object to act as a guide and neutralize the heat before she could use the Yuan Yang Fruit.
Nangong Yu wrapped the Yuan Yang Fruit in his spiritual power, and pinching He Xi's chin, he slowly placed the Yuan Yang Fruit into her mouth.
Once the Yuan Yang Fruit entered her body, He Xi suddenly groaned. Her pale complexion abruptly changing into a scorching red colour.
Soon, that fiery blaze spread from her dantian, burning through her meridians and skin, burning her to what felt like ashes. Nangong Yu suddenly bowed his head, deeply kissing those bright red lips.
Lips and teeth intertwined, body fluids mixed, and gradually the trace of Yin blood flowed between the mouths of the two people touching, slowly running down He Xi's fair and translucent collarbone.
Lost in unconsciousness, He Xi could only feel her whole body burning.
Every vein in her body, every meridian, it all felt like it was being burnt by hot oil.
Chapter 130 – Blood Contract
Next, this kind of heat slowly permeated to her bones, roasting her, burning her, as if at any time she would be burnt to ashes.
A painful groan was released from He Xi's mouth, her eyebrows frowning tightly as the intense pain make her whole body begin to spasm and struggle. Her throat almost unable to hold back a shrill scream.
Just when it became unbearable, there was a sudden flow of icy liquid. It passed through her lips, glided down her throat, and entered her internal organs. In a flash spreading throughout her entire body.
So comfortable, so refreshing…I want more!
He Xi couldn't help but let out a pleased sigh, her hands instinctively extending to hold on to something. Her mouth released a hoarse groan, then her lips used their full strength to suck harder, so as to be able to absorb more of the icy liquid.
The next moment, He Xi felt whatever was embracing her suddenly tighten, as if it wanted to merge with her body. The soft lips pressing against hers abruptly hardened, speeding up with passion, as if they were trying to conquer her mouth.
The icy liquid slowly infiltrated her body, making the blood in her veins heat up. But this kind of heat didn't cause her pain, instead, it made her cling harder as she lost herself to the comfort she was feeling.
Indulging in their fiery passion, He Xi and Nangong Yu hadn't yet realized that along with the Yang spiritual power being neutralized by the Yin blood, the essence of the Yuan Yang Fruit began to slowly be absorbed by He Xi's dantian.
He Xi's dried up dantian that had been oddly sealed firmly, had now become a huge spiritual power vortex. The whirlpool steadily grew larger, picking up speed. Suddenly, a glaring white light burst from He Xi's body, soon after spreading throughout the vast world.
As Qing Long stood guard outside the iron gate, with Zhu Que and Bai Hu standing opposite him, the faint smell of blood leaked out from the crack under the gate. Abruptly, their expressions changed.
The spiritual power within the three people's bodies burst forth, while the blood essence in their chests' surged forward, as if it wanted to fly into the room.
Zhu Que's face distorted once again, and hissing she said, "It's Master. Master's using his blood essence to treat that slut!!"
They all have a permanent Master-servant contract with the Hell King. It wouldn't matter whether their Master's Qi energy was weak or strong, or if they were thousands of miles apart, they would still be able to sense him.
A martial artist's Blood Essence[1], also known as Heart Blood, represented their life. If Master gave his Blood Essence to Hexi, he would be dividing his own life and Qi energy, giving half to her.
The three people's expressions become extremely unsightly, and when they looked towards the tightly closed gate, their eyes filled with anxiousness and anger.
Zhu Que rushed to Qing Long, screaming, "Qing Long, do you know what it means for Master to lose some of his Blood Essence now? It's almost time for his illness to show up! If Master does this again, he'll be unable to survive! Do you still want to block us? Are you still not letting me go in to kill that slut?!"
Qing Long's face showed his internal struggle. His expression was of one experiencing pain, while the veins on his hand that was a holding a sword bulged, his joints cracking.
Zhu Que still wanted to say more, when suddenly, several figures quickly descended from the sky.
Without waiting to properly land and gain their balance, the people immediately rushed over to the three people standing by the gate and shouted, "We sensed Master's Qi dwindling and our blood contracts' flared. What has happened to Master?"
The people that had arrived were several other contract servants under Nangong Yu that had been away from Yan Jing city recently; Xuan Wu[2], Wu Xin, and Wu Yu.
Once Zhu Que saw Wu Xin and Wu Yu, she immediately couldn't help but start crying, "Big Brother Wu Xin, Big Brother Wu Yu, Master is inside currently using his own Blood Essence to save an ordinary woman. But, but it's soon time for Master's illness to show up, if he's not stopped and treated, I'm really afraid that Master…afraid Master…waahh…"
[1]Blood Essence, also known as Heart Blood, is basically "lifeblood" or "lifeforce". Powerful techniques sometimes require cultivators to expend their Essence, shortening their lifespan as a result.
[2]Xuan Wu = Black Tortoise. He is the fourth mythological named character, joining Zhu Que (Vermillion Bird/Phoenix), Qing Long (Azure Dragon), and Bai Hu (White Tiger)