Chapter 54: Aura of Death
Chapter 54: Aura of Death
I pretended to sigh and said, “In the last battle between the demon and Beastmen races, although I broke out of the encirclement, I also ended up running into Beastmen territory. Their army blocked the road back to the fortress, so for safety, I could only carefully enter Beastmen lands and hide in the forest, living off hunting small beasts. It wasn’t until a few days ago, when their troops were driven back by us, that I found a chance to sneak back. Because I was injured in that battle, after returning, I recuperated for a while in a city near Stru Fortress. Only after my wounds fully healed did I return to the imperial capital. I only came back a few days ago. Since I’ve been away from the academy for too long, I think my enrollment might have already been removed, so I didn’t go back. I was afraid Zi Xue would worry, so I wanted to come see her.”
The duke said coldly, “Who are you fooling? If you wanted to see Zi Xue, why not request an audience through the front gate? Why jump the wall and break in at night? If you break into a home at night, you’re either a rapist or a thief. Speak—what is your real purpose?”
I smiled bitterly. “What purpose could I have? Other than wanting to see Zi Xue, I also have something to tell you.”
The duke said, “Oh? What is it?”
I lowered my voice. “Do you remember the woman I told you about last time? I saw her again in the Beastmen Kingdom. I know you don’t want others to know about her, so I jumped the wall.”
The moment I mentioned Mother, the duke’s attitude flipped completely. He grabbed my shoulder urgently. “What? You saw her again? Quick—tell me. How is she? Did you tell her about me?”
I knew the duke was sincere toward Mother. Otherwise, with his worldly caution, he wouldn’t reveal his feelings so easily. I pulled his hand away and said, “Don’t rush. Listen to me slowly. Here’s what happened: I met that lady in a Beastmen village. Her complexion is much better than before. She found her son and is living together with him.”
The duke stared blankly. “A son? She has a son?”
I nodded. “Her son is quite filial to her. With proper care, that lady’s body has improved a lot. I told her I had met you, and she was just as excited as you. From what I could see, she has always been thinking of you.”
Tears shimmered in the duke’s eyes. He murmured, “Ling Ling… Ling Ling… I miss you so much.” He suddenly grabbed me again, agitated. “Tell me—where is she? Take me to her. I’m going to find her right now.”
“Calm down. Don’t act on impulse. Let me finish, alright?”
The duke said urgently, “How can I calm down? There’s finally news of her again. I truly want to see her right now.”
I said seriously, “Don’t forget—you are a duke of the Dragon God Empire, and she is now in the Beastmen Kingdom. If you appear in Beastmen territory, what consequences will that bring? You should understand better than I do. This can’t be rushed. I asked that lady whether she wanted to see you again.” I paused here.
The duke pressed, “What did she say?”
I sighed. “She said she doesn’t want to see you again. She said she has no face to see you, and she doesn’t want to bring you any more trouble. She told me to pass on a message: she wants you to forget her, to treat it as if she never existed.”
All the color drained from the duke’s face. In an instant, he seemed to age several years. He staggered back two steps and said tremblingly, “Why? Why would you tell me to forget you, Ling Ling? Do you think I can forget you in this lifetime?”
I said flatly, “You don’t care about her past?”
The duke shook his head. “Of course I don’t. That wasn’t something she chose. She was a weak woman with no strength to bind even a chicken, and surviving in the Beastmen Kingdom until now was already extremely difficult. I can understand every pain that happened to her. In my heart, she will forever be that pure, immaculate Ling Ling. Quick—tell me. I’m going to find her right now and explain everything clearly. I must bring her back to the Dragon God Empire. From now on, I will never be separated from her again.”
I felt deeply relieved. It seemed my decision to reunite Mother with the duke was not wrong. The duke was worthy of Mother’s love. I smiled slightly and said, “Don’t worry. That lady also desperately wants to return to her homeland. I already promised her I would definitely help her come back. This isn’t something you can step forward for—it’s most suitable for me to handle. I came back this time to feel out the way first. If the Dragon God Empire has no place that can accept her, then coming back would only bring her more pain. Hearing you say this puts my mind at ease.”
The duke stared. “You have a way to bring her back?”
I nodded. “I lived on the Beastmen side for a while this time and already found a route back. After I handle some matters here, I’ll return and bring her back. Do you know what that lady’s greatest wish is?”
The duke shook his head blankly.
I said in a low, heavy voice, “That lady’s greatest wish is to return to her homeland and hide in a corner, just to secretly look at you once.”
The duke blurted out, “What?” He could no longer control his tears. Miserably, he said, “Ling Ling… how can you be so foolish. Don’t worry. I will definitely give you the greatest happiness. Once I see you again, I will never be separated from you again.”
Looking at the duke with tears streaming down his face, I asked softly, “If you do this for that lady, what about the duchess?”
This was something I had to ask. I needed to prepare Mother as thoroughly as possible.
The duke clearly froze at my question. Blankly, he said, “My wife? What should I do?”
I smiled slightly. “I already thought of it for you. With your status, buying a small courtyard residence should be easy enough, right?”
The duke suddenly understood. “You want me to hide her away in a golden house? How can that be? That would wrong Ling Ling too much.”
I shook my head. “That lady has no desires anymore. She absolutely does not want to disturb your current life. So this is the best method.”
The duke stared at me closely, a strange look in his eyes. “Why are you helping me like this?”
I sighed softly. “First, I want you and that lady—two people who truly love each other—to finally be together. Second, I have my own selfish motive. I helped you this much, so you won’t oppose my matter with Zi Xue anymore, right?”
In truth, it was more because of Mother now. As for the Zi sisters, I still had no confidence. The chance they wouldn’t forgive me was extremely high.
The duke’s agitation calmed. He wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve and smiled. “Not bad. You helped me this much, so I really can’t stop you and Zi Xue anymore. As long as she is willing, I fully support you being together. What do you plan to do now?”
That last question was clearly asking when I would go bring Mother back for him. I smiled. “I want to find Zi Xue first. Can you tell me where she is?”
The duke said, “Of course. She and her elder sister went with some classmates, representing Tianshou Academy, to participate in the Dragon God Empire’s Four Great Academies friendship exchange. They’re at Xi Lun Academy in Xi Lun City. If you go there, you’ll definitely find them. They haven’t been gone long. The exchange matches should start the day after tomorrow. From here to Xi Lun City, you can get there in three days on a fast horse.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Duke. Then I’ll set out now. The next time I see you, I will definitely bring that lady with me.”
Joy spread across the duke’s face. He smiled. “Then thank you. Don’t rush too much either—be sure to pay attention to safety. You… send her my regards for me. Tell her I think of her all the time. No matter what happened, I will always…” The duke’s face reddened, but his eyes were firm as he continued, “always love her.”
I felt a surge of emotion. I smiled slightly and said, “Don’t worry. I will safely bring her back for you to see. You must also take care of your health. I’ll be going.”
The duke personally escorted me to the mansion gate, watching as I disappeared into the pitch-black night.
Now that I knew where Zi Xue and the others were, I felt much lighter. How do I get to Xi Lun City? I opened the map I carried with me. The map showed Xi Lun City was south of the imperial capital. Great—now it was even farther from White Smoke Mountain. If the Beastmen King knew what I was doing right now, he would definitely say I couldn’t distinguish public duty from private matters. But that so-called Five-Colored Radiance was something vague and illusory to begin with. I would ignore it for now. It wouldn’t be that easy for the Dragon God Empire to find that “treasure” anyway. Better to go tell Zi Xue and Zi Yan clearly while my resolve was still firm.
After leaving the imperial capital, I found a place with no one around, transformed into a Four-Winged Fallen Angel, and quietly took flight. I headed at full speed toward Xi Lun. As I flew, I thought to myself: if I had stayed at Tianshou Academy back then, maybe this time I would’ve been one of the competitors too.
I wasn’t worried about Zi Yan’s safety at all. Even though she would take the field in the exchange, with her looks and the holy aura she gave off, no man could possibly bring himself to harm her.
The cool breeze high in the air made me feel refreshed. The dark magic power in my body flowed slowly, and my energy remained at peak condition. At this speed, I should reach the destination around dawn tomorrow.
Just as I was feeling my own power, a strange energy suddenly surged violently into my brain. My vision turned a sheet of gray darkness. The aura of death wrapped around my entire body in an instant, and it was indescribably miserable. I was startled and hurriedly drove my dark magic power at full strength, trying to expel it. But when my dark magic power met that energy, it didn’t reject it at all—it flowed through my meridians just like during normal cultivation.
A needle-stabbing pain struck my brain, so painful that cold sweat poured out of me. I suddenly realized—this should be the residual death energy Father said was left inside my body. I didn’t dare delay. I carefully controlled my four wings and slowly descended to the ground. The aura of death kept assaulting my senses, and a weakness I had never felt before spread through my entire body.
Dark power was my greatest reliance, and even it couldn’t do anything. I could only grit my teeth and endure. A faint gray gas seeped out around my body. I could feel it constantly corroding my meridians. No—if this continued, I would be eaten away by it.
Because I was transformed into a Four-Winged Fallen Angel, my mind remained exceptionally calm. I realized dark magic power seemed to actually nourish this lethal aura of death. I immediately dispersed my dark magic power bit by bit. Without it, my body returned to normal, and the weakness became even stronger—but the speed at which the death aura spread also slowed down.
If dark magic power didn’t work, then I would try Berserk Battle Energy. I clenched my teeth and forced my consciousness to stay steady, driving the pure Berserk Battle Energy from my dantian upward. I tested it, using it to block the death aura’s spread. When the two met, the death aura seemed to fear Berserk Battle Energy and shrank back slightly. My spirits surged. I increased the release of Berserk Battle Energy, and it gradually gained the upper hand, forcing the death aura into a corner.
Just as I was about to wipe it out with Berserk Battle Energy, that gray energy suddenly vanished—gone without a trace. No matter how I searched, I couldn’t find it. As it disappeared, my body returned to normal as well. The weakness was gone.
This energy came quickly and left quickly, but it made my mood extremely heavy, because I understood I hadn’t cleared it. Who knew when it would flare up again.
I sat on the ground in a daze, feeling completely lost about my fate. If this death energy kept growing stronger, one day it would destroy me. No wonder Father said necromancers were terrifying. It seemed the harm from that forbidden art would follow me for life.
Gradually coming back to myself, I realized my whole body was soaked through with sweat, slick and unpleasant. Just as I was sinking into dejection, crisp hoofbeats reached my ears. I focused and listened—over ten riders were rapidly approaching my direction. The sound grew clearer. With my keen eyesight, I saw a group of humans in various outfits riding fine horses toward me.
When they got closer, I could see clearly. There were eleven riders. Most were young people, with only two middle-aged men over forty. They wore either warrior or mage attire. I struggled to stand, wanting to move out of their way. At this moment, they noticed me too. The middle-aged man leading them slowed his horse and raised a hand, signaling his companions that something was ahead.
He rode up and reined in his chestnut horse, looking me over. Seeing the iron-hard muscles of my bare upper body and my tall build, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. In a gentle voice, he asked, “Little brother, what happened to you? In the middle of the night—what are you doing here alone?”
I could feel the energy fluctuations from him. His strength was not weak. Keeping my expression calm, I answered, “It’s quiet at night. I’m practicing cultivation here by myself.”
The middle-aged man glanced at the sweat on me and nodded. “In the wilderness like this, you should go back early.”
I took a towel from my bundle and wiped myself, then put on my clothes. “I was going to Xi Lun City. When I got here and saw there was no one around, I practiced for a while. I’m about to get back on the road.”
The middle-aged man smiled. “Oh, you’re going to Xi Lun City too? So are we. If you don’t mind, travel with us. Walking is too slow. We’ll spare a horse for you.”
Warmth rose in my chest. The middle-aged man’s eyes were sincere, truly enthusiastic. And right now, I really didn’t dare transform and fly again. Just thinking of the abnormal change earlier made my heart race.
“This… is that appropriate?”
The middle-aged man laughed. “What’s inappropriate about it? My students are all young people too. Having one more companion on the road will make it less dull. Si Yu, ride with Lian Lu. Give your horse to this little brother.”
A girl in a blue mage robe behind them answered and hopped down from her white horse, then climbed onto the black horse of another girl in a red mage robe. Their mage robes were loose and wide, so I couldn’t make out their faces.
I bowed to the middle-aged man. “Then thank you, Uncle.”
The middle-aged man smiled. “No need for that. Get on. We should also hurry on our way.”
Riding the white horse, a wave of longing for the Black Dragon rose in me. I wondered how the Black Dragon was doing over at Mo Yue’s place.
So I joined this small group of a dozen or so. Along the way I spoke very little, but from their conversation I learned, to my surprise, that they were teachers and students of Songzhi Academy—one of the Four Great Academies participating in the exchange at Xi Lun City. The middle-aged man who invited me to join was Songzhi Academy’s Director of Discipline, named Meng Fa.
“Hey, you don’t talk much. Why are you carrying that thing?” A young man in tight black clothes asked me. I was wearing a bamboo hat with a veil.
I said calmly, “There’s wind and sand on the road. I’m used to wearing it.”
The boy in black extended his hand. “Let’s get acquainted. My name is Feng Duo. I’m a second-year student in Songzhi Academy’s martial arts division.” I clasped his hand and nodded. “My name is Lei Xiang. You can consider me a drifter.”
A strange grin appeared on Feng Duo’s face. I felt his hand suddenly grow scorching hot—his battle energy leaned toward intense yang force. I didn’t care and let him hold on. The grin gradually vanished from Feng Duo’s face. He realized no matter how he exerted himself, my hand stayed steady, neither soft nor hard—no counterattack, no retreat.
Meng Fa noticed the unusual situation and barked, “Feng Duo, what are you doing?” He slowed down and rode alongside us.
Feng Duo awkwardly released my hand. “Teacher Meng, it’s nothing. I just wanted to get acquainted with Brother Lei Xiang.”
Meng Fa shot him a reproachful look and was about to say something when Feng Duo rushed to change the subject. “Brother Lei, your sword looks unusual. Can I see it?”
I reached out, took Mo Ming down, and handed it to him. Feng Duo took it without preparation—his hand sank sharply, and he almost dropped it. He hurriedly tightened his grip and caught it, clicking his tongue. “So heavy.”
Meng Fa was startled too and didn’t scold him further. I ignored Feng Duo and asked Meng Fa, “Teacher Meng, how do you conduct the exchange between the Four Great Academies?”
Meng Fa sighed. “What exchange? It’s really just sparring for reputation, seeing which academy’s students are stronger. This invitational tournament is hosted in rotation by the Four Great Academies. This time it’s Xi Lun’s turn. No matter where it’s held, the Four Great Academies exchange is open to the local public to promote martial spirit. Our Songzhi Academy has always been the weakest of the Four Great Academies. This time we came with the attitude of meeting friends through martial arts, that’s all.”
“Oh? Sparring? How is it done?”
Meng Fa smiled. “One look and I can tell you’re a martial practitioner too. The format is simple: first draw lots, split into two sides to compete. Each side sends six students. They go up one by one. The loser goes down; the winner continues, until one side’s students are all defeated. The winning and losing academies rest one day and then compete again. In the end, the academy rankings are set. Each academy is allowed one or two substitutes who can be swapped in on the spot. You don’t know—just for the title of ‘Dragon God Empire’s Number One Academy’…” He sighed.
I nodded. “I hope you achieve victory.”
Meng Fa shook his head. “The other three academies are almost evenly matched. We’re a bit weaker, so we’ll definitely be eliminated in the first round. To be honest, as long as an academy produces one outstanding talent, it has a huge advantage. For example, last cycle, Tianshou Academy had Li Wa. He defeated five of our students by himself, and we had no choice but to forfeit. Talent is hard to come by.”
“Mm. I’ve been in the capital before. I heard Li Wa has already been promoted to a Dragon Knight. Without him this time, won’t your chance be much better?”
Meng Fa said, “It’s not that simple. Think—if an academy ranks high, it naturally attracts more talent. Who knows whether those academies have some powerful newcomers this time. Lei Xiang, I think your foundation is good and you’re not old. Are you interested in joining Songzhi Academy? Our teachers are pretty decent.”
So that was it—was that why he let me travel with them? I shook my head. “No need. To be frank, I’m going to Xi Lun City to find someone. And I don’t think I need to enter an academy to study anymore.”
Although my words sounded arrogant, Meng Fa didn’t think I was conceited. Instead, the domineering presence I gave off startled him.
Feng Duo curled his lip. “Really? Brother Lei, learning is important. They say you learn until you die. Our Songzhi Academy is very good.” He gave me a strange look and lowered his voice. “And there are lots of beauties.”
Unexpectedly, Meng Fa didn’t stop him, as if he hadn’t heard.
Feng Duo pointed at Si Yu and Lian Lu riding ahead on one horse, clearly implying those two were beauties. I wanted nothing to do with that. My feelings were already a mess, let alone looking for someone new. As for beauties, I had no interest at all right now—I wanted to avoid them as far as possible.
I lifted my hand and drew Mo Ming to me. Berserk Battle Energy surged, and a sharp, pressing aura spread from my whole body and covered Feng Duo. Feng Duo shuddered all over and almost fell from his horse. He barely forced up his battle energy to resist my aura, his face pale and unable to speak. I laughed inwardly, withdrew the oppressive aura, and said, “Now do you still think I need to go to your academy?”
I didn’t want them to keep pestering me to join Songzhi Academy, so I had to show a bit of strength and make them back off.
Feng Duo suddenly felt light, still unable to speak. Beside him, Meng Fa sensed that the energy I released was not weaker than his, and he was shocked. “So little brother Lei has been hiding his strength. I really want to know what kind of person could train such an outstanding disciple.”
I smiled slightly. “Excuse my rudeness. Maybe once we reach Xi Lun City, you’ll know.”
Meng Fa knew there was no hope of taking me as a student. He sighed and urged his mount forward.
A shrill, domineering voice rang out. “So arrogant. You think our academy is dying to have you? Take this!” The fire-element mage Lian Lu in the red mage robe up ahead flared up. She twisted sideways and flicked her staff, throwing a long string of beaded fireballs at me.
Meng Fa shouted, “Lian Lu, don’t!”
This was a third-tier spell. The fact she could cast it so quickly showed her magic power wasn’t weak. I silently recited an incantation, and a soft barrier appeared before me. The beaded fireballs hit my barrier, rippling wave after wave, then turned into white smoke and vanished.
Si Yu, the water-element mage sharing the horse with her, said in surprise, “Water Mirror Technique.”
I had used a second-tier water-element defensive spell, yet it blocked her third-tier offensive spell. The difference was obvious. Meng Fa stopped Lian Lu when she still wanted to strike and barked in a deep voice, “Don’t act rashly. Can’t you tell he’s letting you off?”
Lian Lu snapped, “I just can’t stand that overbearing arrogance of his.”
Was I really that overbearing? I didn’t feel it. It seemed I needed to watch myself.
I slung Mo Ming back on my back and said gently, “If I offended anyone just now, please forgive me.”
Lian Lu snorted and didn’t speak again. The small disturbance passed just like that.
Feng Duo whispered to me, “Brother Lei, your skill is really good. Even that spicy girl got put in her place. Heh.”
Looks like he had suffered at her hands before, otherwise he wouldn’t be so pleased.
To keep them from thinking I was too arrogant, I said evenly, “Skill is trained. As long as you put in the effort, you will definitely get results.”
Another sturdy student riding behind us said, “Effort is important, but comprehension is also indispensable. If you grasp things quickly, you improve quickly. Brother Lei, we’re almost the same age, but your skill is already above ours. I truly admire you.”
I knew his name was Tian Xing. Like me, he didn’t speak much, but I could tell among these students, his skill was the highest.
I said modestly, “Brother Tian Xing’s cultivation is no lower than mine. You just don’t expose your edge like I do.”
Tian Xing smiled faintly and shook his head without commenting.
………
“Ah, look—there’s Xi Lun City!” The lively Feng Duo shouted.
At the far edge of the horizon, a great city appeared in our view. From its scale, it was not inferior to the Dragon God Empire’s capital at all. Meng Fa said, “That’s right—that’s Xi Lun. Let’s speed up and try to enter the city before noon. The other three academies might have arrived already.”
As soon as we entered Xi Lun City, we were stopped. Several young warriors blocked the road. The one in front asked politely, “Excuse me—are you from Songzhi Academy?”
Meng Fa nodded with a smile. “Yes. And you are?”
The warrior said, “We are Xi Lun Academy students, assigned to wait for you here.”
Meng Fa signaled everyone to dismount, nodded to the warrior, and said, “Then please lead the way.”
The warrior returned a salute and walked ahead. I went to Meng Fa and said, “Teacher Meng, thank you for taking care of me along the way. I think this is where we part.”
Meng Fa said, “Since you’re here, come with us.”
I shook my head. “No. I already troubled you enough. When you attend the academy exchange, I’ll come watch.”
If I went with them, I would definitely run into Tianshou people. I didn’t want to meet them so soon.
Meng Fa nodded. “In that case, I won’t keep you. Be careful. If you ever want to come to our academy in the future, you’re always welcome.”
I exchanged a few more polite words and watched them leave with the welcoming warriors. At parting, Feng Duo even gave me a small gemstone as a keepsake. It wasn’t anything precious, but it sent warmth flowing through my heart. Human feelings really were heavier than those of the demon and Beastmen races.
Lian Lu was the opposite. When she passed me, she glared hard. She clearly still held a grudge. Although I couldn’t see her face, the bright eyes filled with resentment left a deep impression on me.
Xi Lun City was bustling with excitement, obviously fueled by this exchange. I finally found an inn to stay at. The innkeeper said that as early as a few days ago, many inns were already full, mostly with young people, all here to watch the Four Great Academies exchange matches.
I put my bundle in my room, ate something casually, and lay quietly on the bed. Thoughts surged through my mind. Tomorrow, I would finally see Zi Xue and Zi Yan—the two I longed for day and night. When should I explain things to them? Should I go find them directly? No. That would affect Zi Yan’s performance in the exchange matches. I should meet them after the matches ended instead.
Thinking that, my chest felt lighter. I could delay it two more days. I also understood I was avoiding it, but I truly didn’t want to lose them.
After leaving the inn, the streets were lively. Many people were openly setting up betting stalls, taking wagers on who would be the final winner. When I asked around, I learned this was uniformly set up by Xi Lun City’s managing class and guaranteed reliable.
I went to a stall with a lot of people. There was a big sign listing the odds for each academy. The highest odds were Songzhi Academy—one to twenty-four. Next was Tianshou Academy—one to sixteen. Then Xi Lun Academy—one to eight. The lowest odds, the top favorite, was Feng Tong Academy—one to two.
Curious, I asked someone beside me, “Wasn’t Tianshou Academy the champion last cycle? Why are their odds so high?”
The person looked me up and down and said, “You’re not a local, are you? You want to bet too? Let me tell you—this cycle Tianshou Academy’s people aren’t good anymore. Their ace student Li Wa has already been promoted to a Dragon Knight. I heard this time they didn’t come expecting to win at all—just to train younger students and fight for it next cycle. Feng Tong Academy is different. They have the strongest lineup. Their competitors include four martial students and two mage students. All of them participated last cycle, and every one has solid strength. Last cycle they were the top favorite, but Tianshou had Li Wa—he defeated three of theirs by himself, so they had to settle for second place. I think this year, no matter what, Feng Tong won’t give the other academies a chance again. That’s why their odds are so low. I’m planning to bet fifty gold coins on them. If I win, heh…”