Chapter 4: Clinging to Her

Huo Zhi’s paw clawed at Qin Ceyi’s sleeve. There was no way she would let him take Linlang away.

If it came down to it, she’d tear off all pretense and fight with everything she had!

Originally, when Huo Zhi hadn’t destroyed the Love Poison Mother Talisman and instead absorbed it, she hadn’t been too worried. It was better than someone else getting it. She wouldn’t take advantage of the situation and do anything unspeakable to Linlang. She would talk to her properly, explain everything clearly, and make sure she wasn’t blindly infatuated. Then she’d find a way to break the Love Poison Talisman’s effect.

But now, the Love Poison Talisman wasn’t even the main issue anymore. The real problem was Qin Ceyi.

“Host, don’t be reckless. The success rate is zero,” 006 said, a reminder to Huo Zhi.

“Master, I just remembered something. Besides Su’er earlier, I also saw a menial disciple from Lotus Mist Peak. I think his name was Mo Zhenfeng. His cultivation was only at the Qi Condensation Stage, but he had a golden talisman in his hand. It was very striking, definitely powerful. Unfortunately, he ran off before you arrived.” Huo Zhi, ready to risk death and go all out, suddenly thought of Mo Zhenfeng when 006 spoke, and quickly blurted it out to Qin Ceyi.

Whether Qin Ceyi had noticed Mo Zhenfeng or not, she had to make him notice. Divert the disaster eastward!

According to the original story, talismans were ranked by color. A golden talisman was a Heaven-Grade talisman, the highest among the Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow grades. It should be much more precious than Linlang’s Inherited Spirit Talisman, whose authenticity was questionable.

“Are you certain it was a golden talisman?” Qin Ceyi paused. When he’d arrived, only Su’er, Linlang, and Huo Zhi were in the cave abode. He hadn’t sensed anyone else, only a chaotic fluctuation of spiritual energy.

“Yes, Yu’er saw it with her own eyes. The talisman even had a moving arrow on it, very magical. Didn’t you teach me that golden talismans are very rare?” Huo Zhi transmitted her voice. It seemed Qin Ceyi wasn’t omniscient about everything in the cave abode; he’d only focused on her.

“Fine, I’ll go take a look. This Cinnabar Bird Demon appears so gravely injured it’s fallen into a feigned death state. It won’t wake up for a while. Yu’er, I’ll leave her here. You keep an eye on her, and send me a Sound Transmission when she wakes.” Qin Ceyi told Huo Zhi.

Hearing this, Huo Zhi let out a sigh of relief.

“Master, with injuries this severe, she won’t die, will she? Then we won’t be able to get any information. Can we use the Healing Talisman from earlier on her?” As Qin Ceyi was about to leave, Huo Zhi quickly asked him.

“Place her at the Array Eye within the cave abode, where the spiritual energy is densest. Her wounds, nourished by spiritual energy, won’t let her die so easily. A single Healing Talisman costs five hundred Spirit Stones. No need to waste it on her. Just watch her for now, and don’t leave Lotus Mist Peak recently. I’m leaving. If something comes up, have Zhu Cui handle it. If it’s urgent, send me a Sound Transmission.” Qin Ceyi waved his hand, speaking a bit faster. He left a Sound Transmission Talisman on the table specifically for contacting only him.

He still trusted Huo Zhi. After all, she’d been raised for decades to be obedient and well-behaved. Still, he retained some wariness and wouldn’t be overly generous. He wouldn’t leave an expensive Healing Talisman for her to squander. Linlang, injured this badly, couldn’t run, and there was no need for her to recover so quickly. Ideally, she wouldn’t even wake up before he returned.

That golden talisman might be missed if he didn’t search for it now!

“…” Huo Zhi didn’t even have time to reply before he vanished in a flash. This left her speechless. Inwardly, she cursed Qin Ceyi for being a stingy old miser.

If she knew how to draw talismans, she’d burn one just to use one!

Huo Zhi let out a long breath and collapsed onto the ground.

She’d broken out in a cold sweat earlier, and now she felt chilled.

She just hoped Qin Ceyi and Mo Zhenfeng would keep each other busy for a long, long time, delaying his return.

The threat of Qin Ceyi’s cultivation and the issue with Linlang both made her incredibly tense.

If possible, she wanted to take Linlang and leave this damned place immediately.

“This Positioning Talisman on me… it’s basically a GPS. Does it have a remote camera function?” Huo Zhi caught her breath and quickly asked 006 in her mind.

“Uh, Host, you’re currently inside the cave abode. Its Protective Talisman Array blocks spiritual sense probes. Even Qin Ceyi can’t see the specific situation in here. Once you go outside, because of the Positioning Talisman, his spiritual sense will detect your location changes. If his spiritual sense scans, it can perceive things within a certain range. Up close, it’s like a thermal imaging camera. The farther away you are, the blurrier it gets. Too far, and he can’t perceive at all. The specific distance depends on the strength of his spiritual sense…” 006 explained.

Before 006 could finish, Huo Zhi immediately transformed back into human form. Her tail and ears remained, her long hair cascading down her back, making her look alluring and enchanting.

She absolutely did not want that old scoundrel to see her without clothes on.

The Positioning Talisman was a major threat. As long as it was on her, Huo Zhi had no way to leave.

She hadn’t figured out a solution yet, but Linlang’s injuries were more urgent. Without thinking further, she found an outer robe and haphazardly threw it on. Then she carefully lifted Linlang’s body and carried her to the Array Eye, where the spiritual energy was richest.

Linlang was slightly larger than any peacock Huo Zhi had ever seen. Her feathers were mostly in various shades of gradient red, tipped with some sapphire blue.

Legend said Avian Demons cherished their feathers above all else, and the most beautiful Cinnabar Bird Demon had feathers of flowing emerald and vibrant crimson, a pinnacle of splendor.

The rumor proved true upon seeing it.

Even with wounds on her body, some feathers missing – revealing the bloody mess left where they’d been forcibly plucked – and patches of dried, blackened blood on the remaining plumage, despite this sorry state, her colors were still intense and beautiful. Her fan-shaped tail feathers, the crest on her head, were all exquisitely lovely.

Huo Zhi didn’t dare inspect Linlang’s injuries closely and hurried to the Array Eye.

The Array Eye was a small Spirit Spring, water bubbling up amidst a white mist. Arriving there, Huo Zhi immediately felt a difference; every breath was refreshing and comfortable.

She set Linlang down beside it, but feeling the ground was too hard and cold, she ran back to the sleeping quarters where the original owner stayed and found a cushion.

By the time Huo Zhi returned to the room with the Array Eye, she discovered Linlang had already transformed back into a human.

“Did my daughter wake up?” Huo Zhi approached to look, only to see Linlang’s eyes were tightly shut, her brows furrowed. She was still unconscious and seemed uncomfortable.

“No, the Happiness Value hasn’t changed. Her transforming into a human was likely an instinct for self-protection. Earlier, when she ran out of spiritual energy, she changed into a Cinnabar Bird and had several tail feathers pulled out,” 006 said.

“How can my daughter be this pitiful, wuwuwuwu…” Hearing 006’s words, Huo Zhi’s eyes reddened.

Becoming human had become an instinct for self-preservation.

How painful must it have been to have tail feathers ripped out?

Because she’d been a Cinnabar Bird, her clothes had fallen off, and now, having returned to human form, Linlang was stark naked. Only her red hair covered a part of her body, revealing even more injuries on the exposed skin.

The wounds crisscrossed, new ones overlaying old. There were frostbite marks and burn marks. Many of the injuries were still fresh.

Huo Zhi had only glanced briefly over at the large iron cage earlier. Now, looking closely, her fists clenched in fury. Those bastards! How could they do this to her daughter?!

She didn’t dare move Linlang for fear of touching her wounds, but she also couldn’t leave her lying on the cold, hard ground.

Huo Zhi positioned the cushion and carefully lifted the curled-up Linlang onto it.

Linlang’s skin was extremely hot to the touch. Huo Zhi didn’t know if her wounds were inflamed.

Lacking a Healing Talisman, Huo Zhi took out the few pitiful talismans from her own cave abode. All were low-grade, utility talismans. The only one that might help was probably the Dust Removal Talisman or something similar, which could absorb the dirt from Linlang’s body.

A Cleaning Talisman used water. The Dust Removal Talisman, which Huo Zhi had designed like a vacuum cleaner, would not. It could cleanse filth from the body.

Huo Zhi tested it on herself first. It didn’t have the harsh suction force of an actual vacuum cleaner and wouldn’t pull at wounds. There was almost no sensation. A sweep of spiritual energy, and her body felt dry and refreshed. The previous sweat was gone, and the bloodstains on her body were drawn into the Dust Removal Talisman.

Pleased with the trial run, Huo Zhi took out another one to use on Linlang. The dust and grime on her body vanished, and unclotted blood from her wounds was absorbed, starkly revealing the contrast between skin as smooth as cream and the brutal injuries.

The Dust Removal Talisman couldn’t remove the filth that had already congealed and stuck to the skin. Huo Zhi found a clean cloth, used a Cleaning Talisman to wash it, and using water from the Spirit Spring, crouched down beside Linlang to clean her.

There were some bloodstains on Linlang’s face, but no wounds. After wiping them away, her entire countenance appeared clearly before Huo Zhi.

Her closed eyes had a long, curved shape, with thick, raven-dark eyelashes. Without the deathly stillness her face held when awake, and with her crimson pupils hidden, her strikingly beautiful features softened, making her look fragile and easily breakable, powerfully evoking a protective urge.

The shock of seeing a 2D character become a real person enriched and solidified Huo Zhi’s previously somewhat shallow mom-fan heart, and her sense of responsibility soared.

In Huo Zhi’s eyes, Linlang was the most beautiful of all.

“My daughter, Mommy loves you. Mommy won’t let you suffer any more harm. I will definitely protect you!” Huo Zhi whispered to Linlang, even more carefully cleaning her wounds.

Some places on Linlang’s body had been injured too long and were already festering. Huo Zhi’s hands trembled uncontrollably just looking at them.

She forced herself to be as steady as she was when drawing, yet barely managed to clean a small area.

Even unconscious, Linlang’s body still felt pain. Mild pain made her frown; severe pain made her groan softly.

Near the base of her spine on her back was a very large wound. It was presumably where her tail feathers had been ripped out. Left untreated for too long, it had become a long, festering scar stretching across her back.

As Huo Zhi cleaned it, Linlang’s body curled up, and she grabbed onto Huo Zhi, her head burrowing into Huo Zhi’s chest, as if trying to escape something and seeking a safe haven.

Huo Zhi’s heart ached terribly. She held Linlang, placing one hand on the back of her head to soothe her, while the other continued cleaning the wound.

The festering flesh there could easily get infected if not removed.

Linlang’s breathing was heavy. In pain, she opened her mouth and bit down on Huo Zhi.

Huo Zhi was only wearing a thin outer robe. It offered little protection as Linlang bit down right on her chest.

Huo Zhi let out a soft hiss and quickly pushed Linlang away. Looking down, she saw a heart-shaped bite mark on her chest. The skin was broken, and blood was welling up from the tooth marks.

She hurriedly bowed her head to blow on it, carefully wiping it with the clean cloth from before. It stung fiercely.

“Seems your injuries aren’t so bad if you’ve got the strength to bite like a little puppy!” This injury was nothing compared to Linlang’s full-body wounds. Huo Zhi looked at Linlang, curled up and trembling innocently, and couldn’t blame her. She touched her face, her tone gently scolding, and then placed the clean cloth into Linlang’s mouth for her to bite down on as she continued cleaning.

By the time that large wound was bandaged, a fine sheen of sweat covered Linlang’s back and forehead. Her body temperature had risen again, and a flush of crimson spread across her cheeks, making her look even more breathtakingly beautiful.

The conditions weren’t sterile, and there were no disinfectants. Huo Zhi was very worried about Linlang’s condition.

She could only hope the Spirit Spring water would help and that Linlang’s constitution was strong enough.

After cleaning and bandaging the major wounds on Linlang’s body, Huo Zhi used another Dust Removal Talisman on her, then draped a thin gauze garment over her for cover.

Huo Zhi let out a sigh, sinking down beside her. She felt this wasn’t enough. She needed something like a Healing Talisman.

She’d designed the talismans. Could she draw them herself?

She had to try!

She couldn’t let Linlang’s injuries worsen.

“The original story says my tail tip fur, from this half-demon body, is excellent material for a Talisman Brush. And Fox Demon blood is a crucial ingredient for the ink used in talisman drawing…” Huo Zhi thought, getting an idea when she considered drawing talismans but lacked materials. She turned her attention to her own body.

“Host, absolutely not! These things only work after being processed. Using them directly is unstable and not very effective. Basic talisman materials are sold in the sect. You could buy some to try. What you have is extremely precious, top-grade material. Don’t waste it experimenting. You could pluck yourself bald and still not succeed,” 006 said.

“…” Huo Zhi was speechless. She tried plucking a single fur and winced from the sharp pain.

What 006 said made sense. Huo Zhi remembered Zhu Cui, whom Qin Ceyi had mentioned. She was also Qin Ceyi’s disciple, essentially the Menial Disciple Manager on Lotus Mist Peak. Her daily duty was to watch over the original owner whenever Qin Ceyi left the peak.

Even if Huo Zhi retracted her tail and ears, going out to buy materials would be noticed by Zhu Cui. It would be better to just have Zhu Cui buy them directly.

Immediately, Huo Zhi pulled the bell cord at the cave abode’s entrance and instructed Zhu Cui to purchase some basic talisman materials.

“Fairy, are you sure you want to spend all five Spirit Stones on basic talisman paper?” Zhu Cui asked from outside after receiving the Spirit Stones Huo Zhi threw out.

“Yes.” Huo Zhi said. From Zhu Cui’s tone, she felt like she might have bought too much. Well, so be it. If she bought too much, she’d just draw more.

Once Zhu Cui left, Huo Zhi returned to the room with the Array Eye and first went to check on Linlang.

She was still in the same curled-up posture. Her cheeks looked even redder, and her brow remained furrowed.

Huo Zhi soaked a handkerchief with Spirit Spring water and placed it on Linlang’s forehead, hoping it would bring her temperature down slightly.

After watching Linlang with worry for a while, Huo Zhi sat down cross-legged beside her. She needed to use this time to continue cultivating the original owner’s cultivation method and see if she could retract her tail and ears. Otherwise, going outside would be extremely inconvenient.

Huo Zhi banished distracting thoughts, recalling the focused state she had when drawing design plans. She concentrated on controlling that icy strand of energy within her body, guiding it along a specific path and achieving a closed loop.

Finally, after more than ten attempts, the energy stream was no longer erratic and difficult to control. Instead, it flowed like water through a set channel, completing a full Grand Circulation.

The icy stream not only lowered the surrounding temperature and cooled her body, but it also cooled the restlessness and anger she felt earlier. Many emotions plummeted drastically. Along with a sense of utter apathy towards life, worldly desires also vanished. The protruding tail and ears naturally retracted and disappeared.

Her outward demeanor returned to its usual aloof and transcendent state, making her seem unapproachable.

“Host, you succeeded! You’re amazing, Host! You’re the chosen one!” 006 was excited.

“…” Huo Zhi remained silent. This soul-crushing cultivation method had also made her thinking sluggish, making her feel like nothing mattered anymore.

This was true transcendence, the freedom from all worldly attachments, right?

Suddenly, Huo Zhi felt a scorching heat press against her. Arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and hot breath was right next to her ear. Huo Zhi jolted, her eyes snapping open. The state of detachment was instantly shattered, and her tail and ears popped out simultaneously.