A Demon's Path Chapter 67

Ling Xiao felt a wave of awkwardness wash over him. He really didn't know what to say. In his mind it'd be a huge shock for a woman to face a future having lost her eyesight. So, he subconsciously told a lie. This was perhaps the first time he told a lie without ulterior motives, like for his schemes. He would normally always look to benefit from them.

Ling Xiao hadn't thought of a next step. He only decided to divert the truth, if only for a moment. So what if she was a violet ranked powerhouse? Wasn't she still a woman? She could get injured too, feel lonely, helpless even! "I didn't mean to lie to you," Ling Xiao finally said. This was the only rubbish excuse he could come up with after thinking it through.

Shen Mingfang laughed, her face bright and splendid. "It's nothing. I'm not blaming you. Anyway, aren't you an outstanding pill cultivator? Can my eyes be healed, doctor God?"

"Yeah." Ling Xiao didn't feel embarrassed hearing Shen Mingfang name calling him out of jest. "It doesn't matter how one goes blind, as long as they aren't dead, nothing is incurable. All I need are medicinal ingredients and time."

"Time? What do you mean?" This word piqued Shen Mingfang's interest.

"Naturally, it means time for me to cultivate to the violet rank." Ling Xiao's heart ached a little. Even he didn't know just how long it would take him to reach such heights. "I don't think it'll take me too long. Maybe 20 to 30 years." With these words, he hoped to give Shen Mingfang faith in him, while also instilling faith in himself.

Shen Mingfang opened her eyes and looked up at the sky which was clouded in darkness. "Maybe I should live to see that day."

Ling Xiao didn't understand what she meant. The possibility that a violet ranked powerhouse couldn't live past the age of 30 never crossed his mind. "I'll go cut up the snake," Ling Xiao said, afraid Shen Mingfang would say more he had no way of replying to. He hastily walked away.

A smile hung on Shen Mingfang's lips as she thought aloud, "Slyboots, you do your name proud."

Ling Xiao scraped the scales off the snake with the kitchen knife, then stored them in his chain depository. Next was retrieving the extremely poisonous toxins on the snake's teeth. Ling Xiao was very careful in acquiring the poison. How unfair would it be if the venom killed him! Finally came the snake's gall and dragon horns.

After he retrieved everything, Ling Xiao was about to dismember the snake's body into small pieces when a thought came to mind. The corpse might have its uses. Retaining it intact might prove useful sometime in the future. After all, this body of steel could even make a violet ranked powerhouse suffer the consequences. He quietly stashed the snake away into his Demonic Seven Souls Chain. The Celestial Seven Souls Chain couldn't yet store items of this rank.

Ling Xiao violently brandished the kitchen knife hundreds of times in the air before he breathlessly said, "Maiden Shen, I dismembered the snake. I took revenge on your behalf!"

Even though Ling Xiao trusted Shen Mingfang wouldn't harm him, he didn't want to reveal all his secrets. This was especially so with regards to the Demonic Seven Souls Chain. He didn't dare place his unconditional trust in a single person in this world. Even if they saved his life.

Shen Mingfang smiled but didn't say a word.

After Ling Xiao returned to Shen Mingfang's side, he looked at the kitchen knife in his hands. He felt an urge to keep it. Violet rays of light would appear when brandishing the knife, indicating its rank.

With the knife in hand, Ling Xiao would become an unparalleled existence amongst all Chain Soul Masters below the green rank, save perhaps for a few with abnormal strength. As for those at the green rank, none of them could kill him so long as he wore the Ground Dipper Armour. If he could hack at them even once…

Ling Xiao had the Soul Murdering Sword, but it was only a plaything next to the kitchen knife. In fact, it even resembled a kitchen knife more than the weapon in his hands. He cheekily smiled and asked without shame, "Maiden Shen, can you gift me this kitchen knife as a present?"

Shen Mingfang never expected Ling Xiao would make such a request. She didn't find him rude, but rather genuine. "Do you like it? I'm sorry, but my nephew gave it to me as a birthday present. I can't give it away to anyone."

"Oh." Even though Ling Xiao had anticipated this response, he still feigned disappointment.

The disappointment trailing in his voice didn't slip past Shen Mingfang's ears. She quickly offered, "How about this? I can give you that Flying Talisman. All you have to do is stick it to your broom and you can fly. And when you don't want to fly, you can just rip it off." Shen Mingfang raised her hand with slight difficulty and handed the Flying Talisman to Ling Xiao. "With this, you can always flee if you can't defeat your opponent."

"Thank you, Maiden Shen." With the mentality of never letting anything go to waste, he placed the Flying Talisman in his chain depository with a clear conscience.

"There's no need to thank me." Shen Mingfang's tone suddenly turned downcast, "You'll have to carry me and fly back home tomorrow."

"Then why didn't you give me your flying red rug?" Ling Xiao spurted out before he could fully process her words.

"Aren't you a greedy one?" Shen Mingfang threw her gloominess to the back of her mind. She chuckled and said, "I'm worried you can't control it. It's a green ranked treasure."

Ling Xiao helplessly shrugged and left the matter as it was.

"Alright, retrieve the small snake's gall. We'll rest tonight and return in the morning," Shen Mingfang said, overcome with sleepiness. "I'm exhausted." She closed her eyes and entered a deep sleep soon after.

Looking at her face, her closely shut eyes, a faint sense of heartache wound around Ling Xiao's heart. This woman had used her power to suppress the Soul Stone Plates in the afternoon, sustaining heavy injuries to her vital energy. Before she even had the time to recover, she fought the old snake and lost her sight. He felt nothing but admiration for her. Even after everything that had happened, this violet ranked powerhouse could still adopt such an amicable attitude.

Without her eyes, it didn't matter how strong her mental strength was. At most, she could only feel the fluctuations of soulforces around her. She had no way of seeing the world. Only 29 years old. If she really was that young, there was a long life of darkness ahead of her.

Ling Xiao didn't know why he was worried about this woman. It was obvious he was an inferior junior at most. But who was she? She was the aunt of the Valley Master of the Sunken Wind Valley! They were part of the Seven Grand Holy Lands! And to top it all off, she was one of the strongest in the entire continent!

When was it time for a small fry like Ling Xiao to be worried about Shen Mingfang? Even so, he felt there was a reason to justify his feelings. He'd touched her! And since he had, he had to take responsibility for it. As for whether she would accept it or not, that was another story altogether. There was something he didn't know. This affectionate seed in his heart was hereditary from the person who left him when he was only six years old.

Ling Xiao retrieved the small snake's gall and venom. After he kept the snake's body in his chain depository, he softly whispered to the sleeping Shen Mingfang, "Sleep well, sleep well. When you wake up, I'll bring you home." He quietly lay down to one side and quickly fell asleep.

A faint smile hung on Shen Mingfang's lips as she was deep in sleep. She slept exceptionally sound and sweetly that night. It had been a long time since she'd slept so well.

…

The same night. In a garden somewhere in the Sunken Wind Valley. Cheng Shi was walking alone with the excuse that she was going out for a walk. This was all so she could meet Shen Xuan.

Shen Xuan greeted Cheng Shi with a smile. "Greetings, Cousin."

Cheng Shi had a charming smile on her face. After making sure no one was around, she handed a pill to Shen Xuan. "That brat Ling Xiao gave this to me."

Shen Xuan had been Hua Que's student for quite some time. He placed the pill below his nose and gave it a sniff. His expression changed. "This brat needs to go!"

Cheng Shi's eyebrows shot up before they frowned in anger. "What's wrong? Is it poison? That boy dared to poison me?"

Shen Xuan coldly smiled and said, "My beloved Cousin, this is only a pill to prevent you from accidentally getting pregnant. It's normally used by prostitutes. You won't feel a thing when you take it. You won't die from this."

Cheng Shi's face turned beet red. She gritted her teeth so hard they were chattering. "That son of a bitch! Since when is it his business what I do?! Little Xuan, find a chance and kill that brat!"

Shen Xuan evilly laughed. "Relax, Cousin. Leave it to me. I guarantee you, he won't even know how he died!"

…

Ling Xiao slowly woke up the next day, a wisp of light shining into the cave. He stretched his body and exercised his bones and muscles. Only then did he realise there was someone beside him.

"You're awake?" Ling Xiao asked in shock. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Shen Mingfang had a tranquil look on her face. It was no different from her usual expression. However, Ling Xiao could still tell that the current Shen Mingfang didn't bear the sense of closeness with him from last night. She had resumed the attitude of an exceptional powerhouse.

"We still have some time. There's no harm in letting you rest a little longer, lest a lapse of focus will cause us both to fall to our deaths." Shen Mingfang faintly smiled.

Ling Xiao put away his feelings and took out his broom. He stuck the Flying Talisman on it and said, "Maiden Shen, let's head back to the Sunken Wind Valley!"

Chapter end