36 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

### Chapter 36 --- The Dragon Slayer Sword was specifically crafted for slaying dragons. Its presence alone was enough to instill awe, even in true jiao-dragons, let alone Bai Fan, who hadn't yet fully transformed. This mad beggar might appear insane, but his strikes were deadly accurate. Bai Fan had been inexplicably stabbed by this very sword, striking her most vulnerable spot. At that moment, she let out a thunderous roar, her eyes turning a menacing red. With a flick of her serpentine body, she sent the Dragon Slayer Sword flying far away. Blood, akin to molten lava, gushed out from her wound, scorching the ground where it fell. The roar, infused with a hint of draconic might, struck fear into the mad beggar's heart. He stared at the magma-like blood gushing from the jiao-snake’s body, his eyes glazing over with greed. This was dragon blood after all. He couldn't help but swallow hard. Dragon blood was rumored to have innumerable benefits. At that moment, the mad beggar really did seem mad. In his lifetime, he had never encountered a jiao-dragon, let alone had a chance to drink its blood. To him, this encounter alone was worth a lifetime. He lunged forward, half-mad with lust for the precious blood. Bai Fan glared at the deranged beggar, her only thought being how to kill him. Especially when she saw him licking her spilled blood from the ground like a dog, she felt a bone-chilling revulsion. That was her blood. “Roar!” Bai Fan summoned thunderclouds, draining all the spiritual energy from her body to form an enormous cloud, blackening half the sky. The sky dimmed as the thundercloud churned, rumbling incessantly with thunder but no rain, dispelling the previously oppressive wind. The beggar, who had been slurping up blood from the ground, looked up at the ominous cloud and recognized the danger. He yelled, “Dear son, stop this thundercloud!” Gui Deng, floating nearby, thought to itself that it would help if it could. But it wasn't foolish; that cloud was massive, and approaching it would only result in being struck to oblivion. Self-preservation was all that mattered now. With that realization, it retreated quickly, disappearing to who-knows-where. Bai Fan's eyes narrowed at the beggar before her. She had seen Gui Deng's escape, but right now, this deranged beggar had to die. Transforming into her human form, Bai Fan grasped a long sword and slowly advanced. Her face was emotionless, eyes glowing a bright, ominous red. The mad beggar, seeing this sight, grew panicked and hurriedly searched for the Dragon Slayer Sword, his previous frenzy now replaced by frenzied panic. His unkempt hair was blown about wildly by the wind, revealing a haggard face not used to daylight. His heterochromatic eyes, though murky, showed evident distress. “Where is my Dragon Slayer Sword?” The mad beggar frantically searched the ground for the sword that had inflicted such pain earlier. One moment he was the slayer, and the next, he looked as pitiful as if he had never wielded it. “Looking for this?” The beggar looked up to see Bai Fan standing on the Dragon Slayer Sword, holding the Pure Yang Sword. Her white clothes were drenched in red and yellow blood, not as bright as human blood but disturbingly beautiful. “My Dragon Slayer Sword.” “Humph.” Bai Fan glared at the sword with hatred. That sword had stabbed into her abdomen, targeting her jiao core precisely. If not for the jiao core, she would have been dead. Unfortunately, the core had cracked, leaving her in a dire situation. Her spiritual energy was careening within her body, threatening to burst out. Bai Fan picked up the painful Dragon Slayer Sword, feeling the blade cut into her palm. Eyes wide with anger, she said, “You wanted to slay me? Let's see who slays whom. I said I’d take your head today. You fiends and degenerates, do you think the heavens can tolerate your insolence?” As she finished speaking, the thundercloud above seemed to respond, rumbling aloud. Thunder roared, making the situation look apocalyptic to the mad beggar. He couldn't fathom how this jiao-snake could summon such thunder, the nemesis of their ghostly kind. The low rumble of thunder seemed to accumulate power, and in the distance, Daoist Zhang and the others, unaware of the situation, also noticed the clouds. “It's Lady Bai.” “Boss.” With a deafening crash, thunder as powerful as Bai Fan's tribulation thunder struck down, hitting the mad beggar. Bolts of lightning struck him repeatedly, leaving him foaming at the mouth and charred black. Streams of putrid black liquid oozed from his body, filled with malevolent energy. Bai Fan looked at him with disgust. This ghostly creature’s blood was entirely black, not human at all. He had committed countless atrocities, and even a million bolts of heavenly thunder couldn’t atone for his sins. She raised the Dragon Slayer Sword and decapitated the mad beggar, his head rolling away amidst a fountain of black, foul water. Unable to restrain herself, Bai Fan summoned another dozen bolts of thunder, reducing his body to ashes. With the mad beggar’s death, the surrounding ghostly energies seemed to dissipate. The piles of bones collapsed, returning to the earth and restoring peace to the area. Bai Fan glanced around and noticed Gui Deng had vanished. Though she wanted to chase it, her strength was already waning. “Lady Bai.” With two swords in her hands, Bai Fan looked back at Zhang Daochang and his companions, only to feel the world spinning as she collapsed to the ground. “Boss!” Her vision darkened, and Bai Fan fainted. Her spiritual energy had already been depleted, and with her jiao core cracked, her internal energy was running rampant. She could no longer sustain herself and fell unconscious. The thief, holding Bai Fan, was at a loss. He looked anxiously at Zhang Daochang and his companion, asking, “What do we do? What’s wrong with her? Is this even blood on her?” To the thief’s eyes, blood should be bright red, not like this. “Let's first stop her bleeding.” Zhang Daochang pulled out a small vial, took out a few red pills, and fed them to Bai Fan. “Coagulation Pills are low-tier hemostatics and might barely help her wounds. We need to find a doctor.” “But where can we find a doctor in this wilderness?” The thief felt a sense of hopelessness. After following Bai Fan for over a year, constantly on the move, he couldn’t imagine what he would do if she suddenly died. “We can reach a village after crossing two more mountains. Let’s get moving before we run out of time.” The thief nodded, carrying Bai Fan on his back and taking her two swords. He carried her over two mountains, despite repeated offers from Zhang Daochang and his companion to help. Bai Fan, lying on the thief’s back, felt only discomfort, her mouth parched and her strength utterly sapped. Her abdominal wound throbbed painfully, resisting all attempts at healing with spiritual energy, as if reopening each time it neared closure—a torturous ordeal. The killing aura within the Dragon Slayer Sword constantly thwarted her body's healing. One stab was bad enough; more would be unbearable. Bai Fan slowly opened her eyes and, recognizing the thief by his scent, croaked, “Er Chun.” “Boss, you’re awake! How do you feel?” The thief asked anxiously about her condition. Bai Fan closed her eyes again, murmuring, “I want water.” As soon as she spoke, Zhang Daochang swiftly poured some water and handed it over. Bai Fan, guided by the scent, found the cup without opening her eyes. The cold water soothed her parched throat, making it feel much better. Her pale face relaxed somewhat as she lay back down. “Hurry, let’s get moving. Lady Bai’s condition is dire.” They resumed their rush, moving faster than before. Several times they used Zhang Daochang’s gourd treasure for flight, although it wasn't a flying artifact and needed frequent stops. By the next morning, they reached the small village deep in the mountains. The village inhabitants wore animal skins and lived in thatched huts, resembling savages. The thief felt disheartened, doubting these people could treat Bai Fan, fearing they might worsen her condition. Zhang Daochang was also taken aback, having never been here despite the map showing a village. To find a tribe of wild people was unexpected. “What do we do now?” Zhang Daochang furrowed his brows and said, "Let me go and ask." As he entered the village, a group of people stared at him as if he were some sort of spectacle. Zhang Daochang tried communicating but soon realized they couldn't understand him at all. He resorted to gesturing, and after quite some time, he managed to convey a fraction of his message. The Thief and Qi Daochang watched anxiously, Zhang Daochang's exaggerated gesturing making him look like a monkey performing antics. After some time, he finally signaled for them to come over. The Thief and Qi Daochang exchanged glances and followed him. Immediately, a few villagers approached, trying to pull Bai Fan off the Thief's back. The sudden action startled the Thief, and he clung tightly to Bai Fan, unwilling to let go. “What are you doing?” Seeing this, Zhang Daochang quickly reassured them, "It's okay. They are taking Lady Bai to treat her wounds." The Thief looked suspiciously at Zhang Daochang but eventually loosened his grip, allowing them to carry Bai Fan away. Still not at ease, he insisted on following. The villagers carried Bai Fan into a dimly lit house. Inside, a man with a large painted face sat centrally. He opened his eyes slowly when he saw Bai Fan being brought in. Bai Fan, with her natural beauty, looked pure and innocent while unconscious, exuding a sacred and untouchable aura. Once the painted-face man saw Bai Fan, he waved his hand, dismissing the male villagers. The Thief, however, refused to leave, despite the female villagers speaking in an unrecognizable language, trying to get him to go. He remained steadfast like an immovable statue. In the end, the painted-face man had no choice but to give up. He directed the female villagers to undress Bai Fan's wound area, exposing her more than a little. Seeing this, the Thief realized why they wanted him to leave earlier. Embarrassed, he quickly turned around, his face flushing deeply. “Do not peek, do not peek,” he muttered to himself. ### Author's Note: Thank you to the little angels who cast power stones or irrigated with nutrient fluids~ Thanks to the little angel who threw [Mines]: Tai Xiao Xian 1; Thanks to the little angels who irrigated [Nutrient Solution]: Thank you all for your support, I will continue to work hard! --- Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter