Chapter 67: The Demon Within

Taian City.

Liu Baiyun, Gao Ling, and a group of Huashan disciples were searching the houses around the provincial governor’s office. When they found someone, they would subdue them and bring them back to the office. By this time, the place was overflowing with people—so much so that even the trees outside had several bodies hanging from their branches.

Fortunately, most of these people had already lost consciousness, so they could be piled up at random without causing chaos; otherwise, there wouldn’t have been enough space to hold them all.

Wang Hai came rushing in, handing a bundle of medicinal herbs to Si.

“Little Fourth Sister, see if these will do.”

At that moment, Si was pale, wrapped tightly in quilts, beads of cold sweat streaming down her face. In front of her sat a large wooden basin, big enough for one to wrap their arms around, filled with crimson liquid within which something seemed to squirm.

She reached out from beneath her covering, blood-soaked bandages wrapped around her wrist, and accepted the herbs Wang Hai offered.

The crimson liquid in the basin was none other than her own blood. For a slender girl barely into her teens, how much blood could she possibly have? Judging by the amount in the basin, if not for her extraordinary constitution, she would surely have fallen unconscious by now.

She opened the paper bundle, grabbed a handful of each herb, and put them directly into her mouth, closing her eyes to savor the taste. After a while, she opened her eyes and smiled at Wang Hai. “It’s enough, Brother Hai. The age and quality are all there—there’s even more than expected.”

“Brother Hai, you’re amazing.”

But Wang Hai did not look pleased as he usually would. Instead, he frowned at the wound on her wrist. Unable to restrain himself, he stepped forward and grabbed her arm.

“Little Fourth Sister… why push yourself so hard…”

“We save as many as we can. This is the Ming Cult’s scheme, not our responsibility.”

“You know what the Commander is like. If you didn’t wish to do this, he would never force you.”

For someone like Wang Hai, faced with the lives of the city’s inhabitants, he would do his utmost if he could, but even the lives of thousands did not outweigh Si’s in his heart.

Si, though pale, managed a radiant smile. “Brother Hai, I want to do this.”

Wang Hai frowned. “Don’t lie to me. I know you.”

“You’d save people, but you’d never hold it in your heart as the Commander does.”

They had known each other for years, hearts and minds in sync, wholly understanding one another. Neither Wang Hai nor Si were the sentimental sort. Saving people was more a reflex, a habit drilled into them by Li Miao over many years—like always walking on the right side of the road, or reaching for the dish in front of you at mealtime. It was just a habit.

If asked whether they truly cared for the lives of others deep down, the answer would be no.

“Brother Hai, you know me, but there’s one thing we’ve never spoken about.”

“My past,” Si said with a smile.

Wang Hai frowned, gazing into her eyes, but said nothing.

Si freed her hand from his grip, grabbed a handful of herbs, and scattered them into her blood.

A thick plume of smoke rose from the basin, hiding her expression.

“All these years, you and the Commander never spoke of the past in front of me. You feared the memories were too miserable, feared I’d be hurt if reminded.”

“But I’m not that fragile. Every incident, every detail from back then—I remember them all. I’ve never forgotten, not for a moment.”

Her voice was gentle, almost tender.

“That year, I was taken by that great sorcerer, locked in a dark chamber. Every day, I endured the agony of venomous worms burrowing into my flesh, unable to see even a sliver of light.”

“In that place, I could only speak with the other children who’d been captured. That was the only way to keep from going mad.”

“We called each other brother and sister. I was the fourth to be taken, so I became Fourth Sister.”

“The first to die was Eldest Brother. He was the oldest, with the heart of a youth, and found it hardest to bear… When I woke, I reached out for his face and found only his eyes, hollowed out by the worms…”

“The next was Sixth Sister. She was so young, all she could do was cry. The sorcerer, annoyed by her wails, fed her to the worms… The worms that ate her crawled inside us… Brother Hai, do you know what that feels like…”

“We were heartbroken, but in a way, we took comfort… It was as if Sixth Sister was still with us…”

“Then it was Second Brother, Third Sister, Fourth Brother, Fifth Sister… In the end, I was the only one left.”

“Enough,” Wang Hai interrupted.

Just hearing these fragments made his skin crawl, and then, from the depths of his heart, a wave of pain for her—he could not bear to listen further.

“Brother Hai, let me finish.”

Si smiled. “When the Commander came to rescue me, I didn’t really feel happy.”

“I even had this thought: why couldn’t he have come sooner? At least… at least not left me the only one alive.”

“Or… why not later, so I could have died with my brothers and sisters.”

“I even felt a little guilty—why did I say ‘save me’ to the Commander?”

She gave a soft, rueful laugh.

“Of course, I know such thoughts are wrong. The Commander’s kindness to me is as deep as a mountain. He took me home, raised me. Because of him, I got to know you, Brother Hai.”

“I shouldn’t have died, nor should my brothers and sisters. There’s nothing wrong with surviving. I should not feel guilty for it.”

Wang Hai looked at her. “Is it because of the Commander’s kindness? You don’t want to disappoint him, so you force yourself to go on?”

“No, Brother Hai. I told you—I want to do this,” Si answered.

“To die by blade, by sword, by fire or flood—everyone has their fate. If it’s not my own doing, I truly don’t care that much.”

“But there’s one thing I cannot bear—to see the people of Taian City killed by these worms.”

She pointed out the door, drawing a circle in the air.

“This city has trapped its people, just as that chamber trapped us.”

“Their struggles and cries echo our own back then.”

“This is not compassion—it is selfishness.”

“I am not saving the people; I am saving myself, and my brothers and sisters.”

Tears streamed down Si’s cheeks as she spoke.

“I know that those I lost are gone forever—nothing can bring them back.”

“But for all these years, I can’t help thinking, over and over—was there something I could have done? Could I have saved even one of them…”

“Back then, I was powerless. But now—at last, I can do something.”

“I’m not being merciful, or saving lives. I’m slaying the demon in my own heart.”

She looked earnestly at Wang Hai, her frail body swaddled in blankets, fingers trembling uncontrollably. There was not a trace of color in her face—she looked like a snow child about to melt away.

“Brother Hai, you’ll help me, won’t you?”

Wang Hai met her steady gaze, gripping his hooked blade until his knuckles whitened, then finally let out a long sigh.

“Little Fourth Sister, since you’ve spoken so, what else can I do?”

“Only… if you truly push yourself to the brink, I’ll still restrain you and carry you away.”

Si beamed at him. “Brother Hai, you’re the best.”

“All right, then—call Sister Mei and Master Liu back.”

“My blood, with these herbs, will draw every soul in the city here. Any Ming Cult disciple infected with the worms will come as well.”

“After that, I’ll be counting on all of you to protect me.”