Demonic Tribulations - Chapter 72 preview (Patreon)

Chapter 72 – Yin Xue

Moving swifter than he had at any time since his arrival here, Yin Xue flexed his spiritual aura. Tore the bindings and threw the child away from the location of the enchantment on the floor. Coralled the statue to the center, tore open the door and threw it – and the enchantment it contained – into the same spot. Did the same with the rings and shackles, breaking fingers and near tearing off a finger in the haste that he did so as everything happened simultaneously.

As far as he was, the enchantments were nearly faster. He had to stack multiple layers of his hardened aura, to block off the explosion that resulted from the enchantments triggering, leaving only an opening both above and below for the enchantments to expand upon. That caused the ceiling to explode outwards, for the floor to crack and shatter, and earth to form.

The enchantments were pedestrian, utilizing fire as their primary form of punishment. Imbued in it were threads of death. Not a dao of ending, but actual death energy. Similar to Yin energy, but also subtly different, for it was more focused on the process just before, the extinguishing of life.

The enchantments tore at his control, ripped at the chi he had drawn in and husbanded. Destroyed it completely out of proportion to the amounts within the enchantments itself, causing Yin Xue to have to expand significant stores. The enchantments consumed the materials that they had been created within, utilizing it as a fuel source – a delicate balance between consumption and destruction, such that the prior arrived before the latter in the same space.

Pulsing fire and flame, wrapped in the center of the room. It raged, seeking escape and found it above and below; but only unyielding will in the horizontal. Eventually, it petered out, moments that seemed like forever.

“That was… energetic.” Yin Xue kept his tone calm, but inside he was sweating. Four enchantments had consumed a significant portion of his energies, had required his utmost focus. He had to brute force his suppression of the energies, and if he was not able to understand it better or find a counter, he feared the individual – or individuals – who wielded this death chi.

Strong as he was, he might not lose.

“You… what did you do?” Horror and surprise colored the servant’s name, as he stared at his now empty hand. He raised it, then struck by the pain as shock gave way, as blood splashed outwards, he grabbed it and compressed the joint. Hissing in agony. All the others stared at Yin Xue, as though he had done something wrong.

“Freed you. You were chained, were you not?” Yin Xue said.

“I…” Once more, a long hiss. Frowning, Yin Xue sent a healing pill over, causing the other man to stare at it doubtfully.

“If I wanted you dead, you would be.”

Taking the pill, the servant swallowed it, pushing finger back into place. As the released healing energies swept through him, his body locked up. Knowing that would happen, Yin Xue had turned his attention to the safe, pulling it towards him, even as the smoke from the explosion drifted out through the open ceiling. Outside, screams and cries of horror rained down, accompanied by the thump of thrown stone landing.

“What is all that?” Korcan asked, staring at the floating treasury coming to Yin Xue. Then, a longer hiss. “So many stones… So powerful…”

The kid staggered over to grab at it, only to be blocked by Vriti. The firm shake of her head gave clear explanation of what she thought of his own desires. For the best too, for Yin Xue would have slapped the child if he had tried to take his loot.

That being said, some of it was particularly confusing. The scrolls were likely documents that would need explaining, maybe a cultivation manual or two or an exclusive fighting technique. Important, but inlegible at the moment.

The spirit stones, he understood and could grasp. Probably the best acquisitions at the moment, since drawing energy from the surroundings was slow and rather cumbersome. If he wished to recuperate and grow stronger, spirit stones would be the fastest.

Even the bottles and pills in colored crystal containers and stone boxes, he assumed were pills and elixirs for recuperation or improvement. Again, useful in theory, but worthless since he knew naught of their contents and, significantly, how they might interact with his own physiology.

On the other hand, there were three other, more interesting items. Three items. One, a strangely shaped stone object, curved and slightly jutting outwards with multiple holes through it. Like the world’s worst flask or water container. A second, a terrible sketch that had neither chi or dao intent in it. Just a sketch that perhaps a blind three year old might have made. So bad it was, that he had no idea what creature it depicted, whether it was monster or demon. Finally, a figurine, lumps of clay slapped together to make a fat, sprawling mess. It was recognizable as an animal, but not one that Yin Xue had met as yet; but the figurine contained significant chi in it. More so than the holey-flask.

“The artwork is nothing.” The servant said through tight chest, hand still clutching his mangled finger.

“Why should we believe you, traitor?” Korcan said.

“Because I am no longer bound.”

“So traitor, twice over,” Visti said.

“I had no choice, or lose my life. Would you have done different? Did you?”

“Enough.” Yin Xue’s cut them off before they continued their bickering. “What’s your name. And why do you say it’s nothing?”

“Wase.” He bowed. “The paper is nothing to you, great one. It is but a memento of a lost child.”

Yin Xue plucked the paper out of the air, set it aside on the table. He eyed the other two items, then looked suggestively at Wase.

“I know nothing of the first, but the second is a spirit animal whose soul is trapped within. Anyone holding it can utilize the creature, allowing it to fight their battle for them. It is one of the clan’s greatest weapons, and a safeguard against others.”

Yin Xue lips curled up in a sneer and smile. The explanation made sense to him, from what he could sense within he blobby enchanted stone. It explained the beating heart of power within the stone itself. A small exertion of power stored the items.

“Alright, Wase. Show me what else we should take. Whatever is left, is for you and the rest. I’d recommend to pack food, weapons and gold. Go light and travel fast.”

Wase bowed again, turned and started moving fast. Yin Xue followed after, though not before sweeping every piece of documentation on and in the table into his storage ring. One never knew what one might learn, and the alarms and enchantments were now triggered after all.

“Go where?” the kid muttered. “They’re all dead anyway. The moment the rahnuma returns, they will hunt down everyone present.”

“Be quiet!” hissed Vriti. She stalked over to the table, snatched up the artwork and tore it into pieces, scattering it on the ground. Whereupon she hitched up her dress, parting it enough so that she might squat. The tinkle of water hitting the stone filled the room, punctuated by the horrified and disgusted gasp.

Sometimes, the powerful senses of a cultivator was not a blessing.