If the Imperial City was chaos, the Palace was hell. It was not only full of human Daemons and Daemon-carriers, but also distorted animals and plants.
YuLan initially had been wondering why they had only been battling human-Daemons and had hardly encountered deformed animals in the Imperial City. Pushing it into the back of her mind, just thinking that it was only proper - after all, the Imperial City was largely residential. Why would there be animals roaming around?
Turned out, she jinxed herself.
The beautiful Imperial Gardens became battlefields of deceptively pretty landscapes, with flowers and plants threatening to kill if anyone should get close. That would still be alright, after all, everyone should just steer clear off the shrubs and trees. However, where else would anyone be able to see horses with split tongues and spiked hooves, or birds that could cut people with a swing of their feathers?
YuLan wished this was just a CGI-ed horror movie, but the rotting stench of yellowish blood that had just splattered her initially spotless robe, as well as everyone's battle cries around her, told her that this reality was anything but. She sighed and managed to cut through a flying deformed bird. She imagined that the horses must have been fine studs belonging to the royalty or military, and the birds must have been singing nightingales - before they were all turned into Daemons.
The Daemon-carriers were ironically members of the Imperial harems – enchanting looking women with a coquettish glaze in their eyes. They looked and acted very much like normal humans, if not accounting their ability to turn any living being into a Daemon. Their humanity seemed to have disappeared as well, as the harmless looking women acted like Generals towards their prized soldiers – a group of human Daemons, most of them used to be eunuchs. Some of the Daemons wore official robes as well.
YuLan could not get her normal moral and ethical values working when everyone she held dear was in danger. The beast-masters could only purify so much of the Daemon-carriers, but they could not help but to kill some as well. Her sect sisters thought the same - Cao Lu struck her sword swiftly through an Imperial Concubine's chest, killing the latter in an instant. Unlike the overpowered Daemons, the Daemon-carriers were not much threat in fights.
As Xiao Zi fell another consort with her sword, and the White Tiger mauled another one, an amused voice resounded. It was Qing Lian's but she was nowhere to be seen. Her voice was imbued with her qi, delivering it for everyone to hear,
"How cruel... . Murdering weak women... . They are your Father's wives nonetheless. Then, what about killing another one?"
Dread fell as everyone noticed a familiar figure, being held by a pair of Imperial Concubines. It was Lady Mei Gui. She was half-conscious, as if being drugged.
"Mother!!" Xiao Zi called helplessly. No one had been back to Lingdi every since they fought in the Imperial City for a number of years. However, no one could have imagined that Qing Lian and Zuo JinLong managed to take Lady Mei Gui away, despite the protection the town had been enforced with. It seemed that she had been drugged for a while, which meant that Lady Mei Gui had been kept in the Palace for some time, and not just after YuLan and Zuo ZhouLei's arrival at the Imperial City.
"Eh? Why are you being hesitant?" The venomous voice taunted, "She could turn to be my sister anytime soon, you know... . Just like, my other sisters here... "
The two consorts that were holding Lady Mei Gui giggled in response. Everyone knew, any second now, they could just infect Xiao Zi's mother to be just another mindless Daemon.
Before YuLan could react, a flash of yellow fire flew past. Her line of sight barely perceived a Fire Phoenix's tail, then another Fire Phoenix flew by, then another. The fire birds steadily congregated into a cluster, before slowly spreading their wings and headed to the sky.
Turning her head around in confusion, she noticed Ao Xiang, Lu Bing, and the other beast-masters present also staring ahead dumbfoundedly at their summoned spirit-beasts. All the Fire Phoenixes seemed to have suddenly been called towards the heavens.
Soon, the flame grew brighter and started to turn the fire birds' colour to white. In her panic, YuLan looked for Zuo ZhouLei, who had been separated from her as soon as they entered the vicinity of the Imperial Palace. Upon sighting him, a good distance away, she could only barely see him nodding at her, while giving her a gentle smile, before the white-wash took over. The blinding light was like a curtain of thick fog.
The White Tiger suddenly appeared by her side, it was the only thing YuLan could barely still see,
"Mistress... . You have a debt towards that mortal. Master has a debt towards the couple. You cannot afford to let them suffer in this lifetime. It is truly the only course of outcome. Although Master might not remember this link of karma, it's still ingrained in his soul. It is Master's choice to repay both of your debts."
Xiao Zi's voice, anxious for her Mother, was still heard amidst the gradual whiteness. YuLan's mind was in turmoil, not comprehending what the White Tiger had just said.
The wail of Daemons and screams of the Imperial Concubines were soon heard, deafening YuLan's ears. But her heartbeats were the only thing she focused on to serve as her beacon to stay lucid, every one of them thundering louder than the last. She concentrated all her mind and Dantians to sense Zuo ZhouLei's qi.
"He will be alright. He is different now. he is a Sage, much stronger than when he lost his cultivation years ago."
"He will be alright."
She chanted again and again inside her own mind, willing the mantra to come true. She did not want to think of the alternative.
She felt his qi was like a vortex, encompassing the surrounding with a dense pressure of energy and a dull buzzing that seemed to permeate everyone's Dantians. YuLan barely heard the worried call of Shen Wei.
She did not know if Zuo ZhouLei would lose all his cultivation again.
"He is much stronger now... ."
His Qi was much stronger now, but then again the Fire Pheonixes currently sustained were also much more than that day, years ago.
Somewhere, Qing Lian's agonized howl was also heard, the only sound that gave YuLan comfort,
"Serves you right, you white lotus bitch!"
Then silence immediately came. The White Tiger started to trot away, she hastily followed. Soon, colour returned to her sight, making clear of her surroundings, but she barely paid attention to the fallen bodies of Daemons, as well as the glazed look of the Imperial Concubines that had been purified.
The remnants of the fire spirit-beasts that was encompassing the whole Imperial Palace and the Imperial City, gradually dissipated into the air as flickering amber of fire.
Soon, she reached her sole destination. Zuo ZhouLei was being held by Shen Wei. The rest of their friends circled around the two, swords still unsheathed as they warily glanced around for possible enemies that might still be standing. Still, there was only silence that was almost deafening. It felt surreal, especially when the initially beautiful colourful Imperial Gardens was now looking charred.
Only YuLan could see black threads of smokes dancing around the charred remains of the plants, the leftover malice dissipating helplessly into thin air.
Everywhere was stench of death, a rotting smell of corpses.
Zuo ZhouLei's face stayed colorless, despite Shen Wei transferring some Qi onto his back. Ao Xiang followed suit, not sparing any of his own fatigue. However soon, Shen Wei's face turned ugly,
"Your Dantians are not empty, Lei. But I cannot seem to replenish your energy."
"Is he alright?" YuLan knelt and took Zuo ZhouLei's hands.
"Well, he definitely has not lost his cultivation base... ." Ao Xiang pondered, withdrawing his own Qi that he had tried to give to Zuo ZhouLei as well.
"That's because Master's Qi is that of heaven's. Now that he almost shed his mortal existence, only Mistress, who shares the same soul and Qi signature, could help... ." The White Tiger spoke into her mind.
YuLan blushed. She still did not understand the technicalities about some of the things White Tiger had said, but she understood the later part.
She was conflicted though, as tempting as what the White Tiger had implied to her, "But with this kind of aftermath, there's no way we can do that kind of thing soon, right?"
She probably had to also be extra gentle with this fragile looking man now, and not do it too vigorously like they used to.
"... What are you thinking about?" Zuo ZhouLei asked, caressing her cheeks, "Don't feel bad for me. I had to do it. There are too many people we cannot lose."
YuLan's cheeks blushed deeper, "No... . It's just that, it seems that I am the only one who can transfer the Qi to you... after all, we are married."
Xiao Zi, Cao Lu, and Zhen Zhu whipped their heads hard to look at her. Ao Xiang stammered,
"M-m-m-married?"
He glanced quickly at Xiao Zi, before turning away to hide his own reddening face.
"You cannot be married! YuLan, you are the pure Yin maiden!" Cao Lu blinked.
"Well, we are, and that's why I am the only one who can cure him. It would be the same the other way around. We are each other's Dao partner after all."
Shen Wei rolled his eyes, "Yes, alright. Although I don't understand why you are hesitating and why your qi is the only one that will do, why aren't you helping Lei yet? I understand you are also tired, but Lei here almost faints from exhaustion. Come here and dual-cultivate!"
YuLan, and Zuo ZhouLei who had just comprehended what she had said, looked at each other before turning their heads away. Despite his pale cheeks, from his deep frown, YuLan knew he was as embarrassed as she was. They had to at least find a quiet place to dual-cultivate. Although YuLan enjoyed physical exercise with her husband – with an added bonus of qi boost – she was certainly not an exhibitionist.
"Can't... at least, let us find a quiet place to do it...?" YuLan started to scan her surroundings. If she had to do an extra gentle sexual session with Zuo ZhouLei to transfer some of her qi nto him, then so be it. But she was adamant that they would do it away from prying eyes. Perhaps, she could borrow a concubine's room for a quick session?
What was Shen Wei thinking anyway? She glared at the older man. She never knew he was such a pervert.
"We still have much cleaning to do," Shen Wei abruptly pulled her hand and forced her to sit behind Zuo ZhouLei,
"Put your hands on his back!"
She mindlessly touched Zuo ZhouLei's exposed back. As if it was innate instinct, her Dantians reacted, the qi swirling inside her was pulled towards Zuo ZhouLei.
She blinked, "Oh... ."
"Well, for a pair of dual-practitioners, it's normal for your qi's to sync better to each other. I am a bit vexed because I could not help my own Shidi, but it seems that Lei's Dantians are now already much more accustomed to your qi."
Zuo ZhouLei, "Oh... ."
Shen Wei frowned, "What were you thinking about anyway? Why would such an easy thing need to be done away from everyone? You have been dual cultivating for years, surely you'd already known long ago?"
YuLan and Zuo ZhouLei nodded hastily,
"Y-Yes. I was just still absentminded... ." YuLan chuckled, exhaling a relieved breath, but there was a tint of regret in her eyes as she focused on Zuo ZhouLei's warmth she felt through her palms.
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Runexi's notes:
Unfortunately, Qing Lian is not that easy to get rid of. Unfortunately, no snu-snu either.
Unfortunately, until the next update... .