Chapter 296: No Harm In Pulling Back First

Qing Tianyou said, “I’m actually kind of glad I bumped into you just then.”

Chen Changsheng looked at him and asked, “Why?”

Qing Tianyou breathed out and said, “If I hadn’t met you, I’d probably be back on that Desolate Plain right now. Since you were the one holding the chess pieces, it’s not likely I’d have survived.”

After thinking for a moment, Chen Changsheng said, “That might have been true.”

“Right?”

Qing Tianyou smiled lightly. “Guess I’m just lucky.”

Chen Changsheng gave a slight nod. “Any plans beyond this?”

Qing Tianyou thought it over. “Not really sure. When this is done, will you leave too?”

“Yes.”

Chen Changsheng replied, “I can’t stay here much longer.”

“That’s a shame,” Qing Tianyou mumbled.

Chen Changsheng said, “I once promised you I’d show you a wider, greater Heaven and Earth.”

“Seeing that would be the best,” Qing Tianyou said.

A man and a demon sat facing each other, talking of only little, everyday things, as if the terrible, bloody storm outside weren’t enough to catch their attention.

…

Back on that Desolate Plain.

Gou’er forced a path through the chaos. He reached out and grabbed the throat of something like a ‘demon beast’.

Sinking his teeth in, blood filled his throat. It tasted astonishingly sweet, like a rare pleasure.

But that was no demon beast at all…

Not far away, Mu Cang saw it happen clearly.

“That…?”

He shook his head hard, whispering to himself. “It can’t be…

No way…”

How could that quiet, harmless young man become… this?

But Mu Cang would never forget that face. Even bony, pale, and changed, he still recognized him.

Mu Cang looked again. That figure grabbed another demon beast and drank its Blood Qi dry too.

He drank demon blood and human blood both!

Here on the Desolate Plain, the boy covered with killing and blood ignored enemies and allies alike. Laughing wildly, he sunk his teeth into throat after throat.

Mu Cang raised his Spear and charged forward, yelling: “You! Is that you?!”

Mu Cang’s shout caught the boy’s attention.

He turned around. Eyes crimson red, he fixed them on Mu Cang.

“Heh…

Hehehe…

”

Blood smeared Gou’er’s mouth. He licked it once, then charged at Mu Cang.

Mu Cang blocked with his Spear, but Gou’er slammed into it with a palm. Mu Cang was pushed back several steps.

Clenching his teeth, Mu Cang looked at the figure before him. His face was serious, tense.

“Blood…

Blood…

”

The boy mumbled as he took one step, then another, toward Mu Cang.

Mu Cang stared, confused. Why did Gou’er have the presence of an Eighth-Realm Great Demon? Why was he even here? Just what had happened? Didn’t Chieftain Song arrange for him to enter the Demon Realm as a spy?

Briefly stunned, Mu Cang didn’t notice Gou’er had reached him until it happened.

Gou’er bared his fangs, reaching to bite Mu Cang’s neck.

Suddenly frozen, Mu Cang saw a flash—a Long Saber cutting through the air.

Thwack.

The blade landed deep on the boy’s shoulder. Gou’er stumbled backwards.

Lao Bazi grabbed Mu Cang and pulled him back, shouting: “Fall back!”

Mu Cang started: “He isn’t! He’s…”

Lao Bazi swung his blade. Sharp air flew toward the boy.

Gou’er dodged sideways. Then, hand becoming claws, he lunged at Lao Bazi. Rage flickered in his eyes now, his strikes turning fiercer, quicker.

The two tangled together. Close then, closer. Gou’er suddenly opened his mouth and bit down.

Chunks of Lao Bazi’s arm flesh tore away.

Hissing in pain, Lao Bazi jumped back. Mu Cang stepped forward to shield him from attacking claws.

Cursing, Lao Bazi gasped: “Dammit! That thing… that thing’s Eighth Realm!”

“He’s no demon,” Mu Cang suddenly said.

Lao Bazi froze.

Mu Cang added: “We’ve met him before. You’ve seen him.”

Lao Bazi looked at the blood-drenched boy. His eyes widened. He clearly recognized the face now too.

“Him?!”

Lao Bazi scanned the chaos, trying to understand. “What… what happened?!”

“I don’t know,” Mu Cang shook his head. “But it seems… it seems like he stopped being human.”

Lao Bazi’s pupils shrank. Both stood unsure, their thoughts shaking hard.

The boy rose again. Step by step, he walked toward them both.

Heavy and crushing, the presence of an Eighth-Realm Great Demon pushed onto them.

Mu Cang and Lao Bazi braced hard. Tight grips on Spear and Long Saber. Every muscle locked, ready. Tense, serious eyes fixed on the approaching threat.

“Hehhh…”

A low growl came from the boy’s throat. His clothes were wet and soaked with blood—some human, mostly demon. He walked, tilting left and right, back and forth… step by step closer.

Then sudden stillness.

Pausing mid-step, Gou’er stood motionless.

A tiny flicker glittered in the crimson red of his eyes.

“Aaggghh!”

Screaming, the boy clawed at his head with all ten fingers, fingers digging fiercely.

Mu Cang and Lao Bazi stared—confused.

Slowly, fighting himself, trembling, the boy raised his head and forced out words:

“Run… R-run! NOW! Go!!!”

His voice trembled, filled with straining effort.

Every bit of willpower thrown into holding himself back.

“Blood…”

Another word started… then fiercely cut off.

“NO!!!”

“RUN!!!”

His shout shattered the air. Then, mere blinks later, the faint flicker in his eyes snuffed back into unbroken, furious red.

Mu Cang gasped, grabbing Lao Bazi and yelling: “Out! NOW!”

Lao Bazi paused… Just one look back toward the trembling, roaring figure. Then turned and ran instantly with Mu Cang.

One last glance thrown over shoulders: Gou’er rampaged wildly through the chaos of wolves and fighters… attacking everything in sight.

Lao Bazi muttered lowly as they fled.

Reaching the Fortress Wall, Mu Cang collapsed, leaning back against stone base. His Spear planted upright beside him. He fought to breathe, great gasps of air.

“He’s lost it,” Mu Cang murmured.

Lao Bazi frowned darkly. “What truly is happening?”

Mu Cang shook his head. “Chieftain Song… Chieftain Song never spoke of this.”

Face grave, Lao Bazi pressed: “So what now? He’s Eighth Realm! Kills without sparing anybody! Our people are—”

Mu Cang opened his mouth. His gaze locked onto Lao Bazi: “Can you beat him?”

That silence stretched tight. The gap of power was far too clear.

Panting hard, Mu Cang spoke: “He just… couldn’t control himself. You saw it too—for that moment… He came back. He made himself warn us.”

Suddenly, Lao Bazi spoke: “No harm…

No harm pulling people back for now!”

Mu Cang jolted at the words. “You…?”

Lao Bazi went on: “He’s Eighth Realm! I don’t know how…

but before he fell fully mad, maybe then we could have…”

Mu Cang’s eyes widened big and round. His stare swept over the battle chaos—that blurred figure, a streak of red—killing continuously. He saw Cultivators falling too, their lifeblood sucked dry down throats down hard.

Brief… silence…

Mu Cang grabbed his Spear, dragging himself to stand. Fists clenched so tightly, knuckles white. His voice boomed loud over the crumbling battlefield:

“ALL FIGHTERS! HOLD OFF THE ENEMY AS YOU RETREAT! FALL BACK TO THE FORTRESS WALL NOW!!”