Chapter 764: Severed Finger
Chapter 764: Severed Finger
Despite his pale face, Song Jian mustered up the courage to ask, "Who... are you? How is there a demonic cultivator in Qian Xuezhou? What do you want? And where is this place?"
Song Jian asked in one breath.
But his heart sank, and his voice trembled despite his efforts.
The demonic cultivator gave a sinister smile and did not answer.
The prison was gloomy, with bloodstains everywhere.
Ouyang Mu was tense, and Ling Hu Xiao's expression turned solemn.
Song Jian thought for a moment and said coldly, "I am from the main line of the Song family of Duan Jinmen. It's best not to provoke me, or the Song family will never let you off!"
Hearing this, the demonic cultivator let out a cold, mocking laugh. "The Song family... can't even protect themselves..."
His voice was harsh and unpleasant, like that of a night owl.
Song Jian was startled, unsure if what he said was true. He then angrily cursed, "You demonic beast, what nonsense are you spouting?!"
The demonic cultivator didn't seem angry. Instead, he took out two letters from his sleeve and handed them to Song Jian and Ouyang Mu respectively. "Use your blood to write a letter."
"As for you..." The demonic cultivator extended his scarlet finger, which had a fleshy lump, and pointed at Song Jian. "Write to your parents, telling them that you're in our hands. Tell them to behave, or they'll be collecting your corpse..."
The demonic cultivator then turned his head to look at Ouyang Mu. "As for you..."
His face was mostly hidden in the shadows of his black robe, making his expression unreadable, but his tone carried a hint of implication. "...Write to your brother and tell him to be a little more sensible..."
Ouyang Mu was stunned.
Mo Hua was also surprised to hear this.
Little Mu's brother... Brother Feng?
They had captured Song Jian to threaten his parents and the Song family behind them.
And they had captured Little Mu to control Brother Feng?
The demonic cultivator's words, "be a little more sensible," implied that they had already made contact with Brother Feng before. Perhaps because Brother Feng hadn't "behaved," they had captured Little Mu to threaten him with his younger brother, hoping that he would "behave" now?
Mo Hua frowned and then glanced at Ling Hu Xiao.
Song Jian and Little Mu were both asked to write letters. Did that mean Ling Hu Xiao didn't have to?
Mo Hua pondered this and felt that it made sense.
Ling Hu Xiao had excellent sword cultivation talent and was highly valued by their sect.
However, his background didn't seem very impressive. He was merely a distant branch of the Ling Hu family.
He was also distant from his fellow sect members and didn't seem to have any close elders or family members that could be threatened.
These demonic cultivators wouldn't dare to send a threatening letter to the Old Ancestor of Chongxu Gate, that would be too reckless.
Even if they had lost their minds, they probably wouldn't dare...
There was no way Little Mu would agree to threaten his brother while in captivity.
He held the letter tightly, his expression stubborn and unyielding, and the words "I'd rather die than write" were almost visible on his face.
Ouyang Mu remained silent.
Surprisingly, Song Jian also showed some backbone.
"You want my parents to behave? Who do you think you are?!"
"Do you think you, a lowly creature that's neither human nor demon, are worthy of threatening my Song family?!"
Song Jian cursed angrily.
The tall demonic cultivator, his face hidden in the shadows, couldn't hide his anger.
After a moment, he gave a cold laugh. "If you won't drink the toast, then drink the punishment."
"If you won't write the letter, then I can only take something from you..."
A killing intent emerged from the demonic cultivator.
Song Jian's expression changed, and before he could react, a putrid wind rushed towards him. He felt a sharp pain in his fingers, and when he looked down, he saw blood gushing from his hand.
One of his little fingers had been severed.
In front of a cruel demonic cultivator at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, he, a pampered mid-Foundation Establishment disciple from an aristocratic family, had no power to fight back.
Song Jian groaned in pain, his face turning pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
All these changes happened in an instant.
Ling Hu Xiao's expression changed, and he quickly reminded, "Wood Junior Brother!"
Ouyang Mu looked dazed, but when Ling Hu Xiao spoke, he snapped out of his daze and was about to retract his hand. However, in the blink of an eye, he felt a tall and bloody demonic cultivator approaching him.
His wrist felt a sharp pain, as if it were being clamped by a beast's claws.
Then, a red light flashed.
A small part of Ouyang Mu's little finger had also been cut off.
Ouyang Mu inhaled sharply from the pain, but his will was firm, and he gritted his teeth without making a sound.
Ling Hu Xiao was furious and coldly shouted, "You bastard!"
The demonic cultivator was as tall as a hill, his body pitch-black. He held the two severed fingers in his hand, and blood dripped from them drop by drop.
He glanced at Ling Hu Xiao and spoke calmly, even politely.
"Apologies, young master." The demonic cultivator said indifferently.
Ling Hu Xiao's heart trembled, and he suddenly became alert.
But with the iron chains binding him and without his sword, he couldn't defend himself.
The demonic cultivator was highly skilled and powerful, and his speed was incredible. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Ling Hu Xiao.
A putrid wind rushed towards him.
In the next moment, a small part of Ling Hu Xiao's little finger was also sliced off.
The intense pain caused Ling Hu Xiao's face to turn pale, but he bit his lip and remained silent, his eyes icy as they glared at the demonic cultivator.
The demonic cultivator was equally cold, silent, and avoided Ling Hu Xiao's gaze, as if he was wary and didn't dare to offend Ling Hu Xiao too much.
At this point, the little fingers of Ling Hu Xiao, Song Jian, and Ouyang Mu had all been severed.
The demonic cultivator took out three wooden boxes and placed the severed fingers into them separately. He said indifferently, "Since you won't write the letters, I have no choice but to take something as a token.
These words were directed more at Ling Hu Xiao than the other two.
After finishing his tasks, the demon cultivator coldly laughed, then put away the three wooden boxes into his sleeves and turned to leave.
Once he stepped out of the prison, he summoned a short dog-headed demon cultivator and gave him a low-voiced command, "Keep a close eye on them, and don't let anything go wrong, or neither of us will be able to bear the consequences..."
"Yes," the dog-headed demon cultivator replied, bowing his head.
The tall and imposing demon cultivator, who had reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, gave the shorter cultivator a deep look and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't slack off even a bit, or I'll throw you to the demonic beasts as food!"
The dog-headed demon cultivator shuddered at his words and quickly replied, "Yes, yes, Manager."
Mo Hua, who had been eavesdropping from above, was startled by this revelation.
So he was the manager.
No wonder he seemed different from the other demon cultivators and had a much higher status.
After giving his instructions, the "Manager" demon cultivator took one last look at the prison, making sure everything was in order, before turning and leaving.
The dog-headed demon cultivator respectfully sent him off, but as soon as he turned back, his face turned cold.
He glared at the prison with a mixture of jealousy and hatred, muttering something under his breath.
However, he didn't dare disobey the manager's orders.
He carefully inspected the prison, making sure the chains and array formations were all secure.
The captured Ling Hu Xiao and the others were sitting quietly in their cells.
Only then did the dog-headed demon cultivator leave.
The area around the prison suddenly became quieter and more desolate.
Only the distant roars of unknown demonic beasts and the painful moans of other demon cultivators in nearby cells broke the silence, creating an oppressive atmosphere akin to a hellish prison.
Knowing that the time was almost up, Mo Hua used the Grand Void Token to send the characters "yi chou" (the second and twelfth earthly branches)
to Elder Xu.
After sending the message, Mo Hua waited for a moment to ensure that the message had been sent successfully.
He didn't want Elder Xu to miss the message and forcefully break in due to the weak yuan magnetic force, which would spell disaster.
After receiving a confirmation from Elder Xu, Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.
He looked down and saw Ling Hu Xiao and the others, their faces filled with despair and dejection.
They had come to understand their dire situation.
The powerful demon cultivators, the bloody prison, and the faint sounds of struggling demonic beasts all around made it clear that this was a ruthless place from which escape seemed impossible.
Their severed fingers were still bleeding and painful.
Whether they were scions of noble families or proud sword cultivators, they had all faced setbacks before, but they had always been protected by their families or sects, growing up in relative safety. They had never truly experienced the cruelty of the cultivation world until now.
Now, that cruelty was laid bare before them.
And the line between life and death was razor-thin.
It was a lot to take in for the three of them.
Even Song Jian kept quiet, huddled in a corner with his hand covering his severed little finger, his face as pale as paper.
Ouyang Mu's expression was blank, his heart filled with anxiety.
Although Ling Hu Xiao maintained a calm demeanor, he felt lost and uncertain.
His sword was no longer in his possession.
Even if he had his sword, he knew he stood no chance against these demon cultivators.
At least, he couldn't defeat the tall demon cultivator who had severed his finger, let alone any stronger cultivators that might be present in this prison.
Ling Hu Xiao's mind wandered, and he couldn't help but recall the words he had spoken to Mo Hua earlier.
Only now did he realize how naive those words about "victory without honor," "fair duel," and "the solitary path of the sword" truly were.
In the real cultivation world, no one cared about "fairness," and no one would duel with you just to compare sword techniques.
Numbers prevailed over the individual, and higher cultivation levels meant dominance over the weaker.
No one bothered with reasoning.
If you lost, you lost, and if you died, you died.
Ling Hu Xiao's proud heart was now clouded with a layer of darkness as he realized that his supposedly powerful sword techniques weren't as impressive as he had thought in the face of truly ruthless enemies...
And the most pressing issue was his severed finger.
Ling Hu Xiao hesitated as he touched the lustrous white pill in his hand, unsure of what to do.
Ouyang Mu, sitting next to him, felt the same way.
He wanted to take the pill, but he was afraid to.
Their storage bags had been taken away, leaving them with no other means to heal their wounds.
The only option they had now was the pill given to them by the demon cultivator.
The severity of the injury to their fingers depended on many factors.
The demon cultivator had only cut off their little fingers and refrained from using demonic energy, evil arts, or other insidious methods, so the flesh and blood around the wound were not corrupted.
If they took the pill in time, the bone and flesh would regenerate.
However, if they didn't take the medicine and the wound worsened, the blood would clot, and the wound would scab over, resulting in permanent damage to the little finger.
Even if they used heavenly treasures to supplement their bodies later on, there would still be a defect.
The injured hand was their right hand.
Among the three of them, one was a swordsmith, and the other two were sword cultivators, all of whom heavily relied on their right hands, at least in their current stage of cultivation.
But this pill... it came from a demon cultivator.
Upon hearing this, Ling Hu Xiao frowned and shook his head, sighing, "I don't know either..."
Logically speaking, this pill showed no signs of being tainted by demonic energy or evil arts; its color was pure, indicating that it was a legitimate pill.
Moreover, the way the demon cultivator had casually tossed it over seemed to suggest that he didn't have any malicious intentions.
However, it was still a pill from a demon cultivator.
If they consumed it, they might fall into his scheme.
But if they didn't eat it, their severed pinky fingers would cause problems for their future sword forging.
Ouyang Mu's brows furrowed as he struggled with the decision, his heart sighing, "If Xiao Mu were here, he would know what to do. Xiao Mu is so smart and knows everything..."
But how could Xiao Mu possibly be here...
Ouyang Mu gave a bitter laugh, closing his eyes as he prepared to pop the pill into his mouth.
He wanted to test it himself first.
If there were no issues, then he would let Ling Hu Xiao take it as well.
If there was a problem, at least Ling Hu Xiao wouldn't have to suffer the consequences...
Beside him, Ling Hu Xiao was deep in thought, momentarily distracted.
However, just as Ouyang Mu was about to put the pill into his mouth, he heard a familiar voice say, "Fool, don't eat it!"
Ouyang Mu was startled and looked around, but there was no one in sight.
Ling Hu Xiao was also taken aback.
Both of them thought they had imagined the voice.
"Did I just hear Xiao Mu's voice...?" Ouyang Mu mumbled.
Ling Hu Xiao had heard it too, but he was hesitant to believe it.
On the other hand, Song Jian, who had been dejected and dispirited a moment ago, suddenly stood up like a dog responding to its master's call.
But what welled up within him was rage.
That crisp and detestable voice, even if it were ground to dust, he would recognize it!
As the three of them looked around, a voice spoke up, "Up here."
Ouyang Mu looked up and saw a young boy with a handsome face like a painting, his eyes as bright as stars, poking his head out from the top of the stone wall of the prison.
It was Mo Hua.
Ouyang Mu's mouth hung open, and he couldn't help but rub his eyes, thinking that he might be dreaming.
"Xiao Mu, were you captured too?"
Mo Hua was about to speak when he suddenly heard a "woof" from beside him, and turning his head, he saw Song Jian gritting his teeth.
"Mo... Hua..."
Before he could finish, Mo Hua pointed a finger, using the Water Drowning Technique to seal Song Jian's mouth and nose.
Song Jian's words were trapped in his throat, and he struggled as if he were drowning.
Mo Hua gave him a warning look and shushed him, "If you dare to make another sound, you're dead."
"Understand?"
Song Jian, in the midst of his struggle, felt a pain in his finger, and he immediately came to his senses, realizing where he was. His rationality temporarily overcame his "grudge," and he obediently nodded his head.
Only then was Mo Hua satisfied and canceled the Water Drowning Technique.
At the same time, he held his spiritual sword, thinking that if Song Jian dared to be unruly and shout again, he would use his sword to strike him down.
A chill ran down Song Jian's spine, and he immediately fell in line.
Mo Hua then said to Ouyang Mu, "I sneaked in with you guys..."
Ouyang Mu's expression changed, and even Ling Hu Xiao, beside him, was incredulous.
They didn't know where they were, but just from the dense demonic aura and the chaotic roars of demons, they could guess how strict this prison was and how many demon beasts and cultivators were imprisoned here.
How could someone "sneak" in here?
"How... did you sneak in here?" Ling Hu Xiao asked in a low voice.
Mo Hua waved his hand, "It's a long story, and we don't have much time, so I won't go into detail..."
He pointed to the pills in Ling Hu Xiao and Ouyang Mu's hands and said, "Don't eat that pill no matter what. It looks normal, but there's a big problem with it..."
There was no way a demon cultivator would be so kind-hearted.
Based on its scent, color, and medicinal properties, this pill indeed showed no issues.
But Mo Hua could see the faint grayish corrupt aura on the pill.
This was the karma of the dead.
The pill was refined using human lives.
While scent, color, and taste could deceive, karma was much harder to fake—at least, faking karma was on a whole different level of difficulty.
Ouyang Mu nodded, only partially understanding.
Mo Hua took out two pills and threw them down from the roof, one each for Ouyang Mu and Ling Hu Xiao.
"Take mine. It's a second-grade superior Regenerate Flesh and Bone Pill."
Ouyang Mu and Ling Hu Xiao caught the pills and examined them briefly before consuming them.
As the pills entered their bodies, they felt a surge of pure and righteous qi flowing throughout their bodies, a cool and tingling sensation on their fingertips, accompanied by a slight pain.
Their severed pinky fingers began to regenerate.
The two of them breathed a sigh of relief, feeling grateful.
Ouyang Mu asked curiously, "Xiao Mu, how did you get this kind of pill?"
Mo Hua replied, "This is an essential pill to have when traveling. It's a must-have when going out."
Moreover, these pills were all given by Aunt Wan, and they didn't cost a thing.
After speaking, Mo Hua turned his head and saw Song Jian staring at him with a conflicted expression, the only one among the three without a pill to take.
Mo Hua sighed and threw him a pill as well.
Song Jian's face displayed two starkly contrasting emotions.
His expression fluctuated, and Mo Hua felt exhausted just watching.
In the end, he compromised, silently picking up the pill and popping it into his mouth. In his heart, he quietly kept a tally:
"I owe Mo Hua a pill of gratitude, and the 'sword-snatching' grudge is settled."
"But the other grudges are still to be reckoned with..."
Mo Hua couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him and instead instructed Ling Hu Xiao and Ouyang Mu, "Do your best to protect yourselves, beware of the demonic cultivators' crooked ways. Don't learn their techniques, don't take their pills, and don't believe their lies..."
"I'll think of a way to rescue you."
He didn't say much more.
Ling Hu Xiao was fine, but Little Mu's face couldn't hide his thoughts.
Telling him might lead to unexpected problems.
Ling Hu Xiao and Ouyang Mu both nodded solemnly. When they looked up again, they realized that Mo Hua had disappeared without a trace.
There wasn't even a hint of his aura left.
It was as if he had never been there.
Ling Hu Xiao and Ouyang Mu exchanged a glance, their hearts shaken.
Such stealth techniques were truly terrifying...
However, because of this, the anxiety and unease they had felt earlier dissipated.
Although Mo Hua's cultivation level wasn't higher than theirs.
But seeing Mo Hua always gave them a strange sense of "reassurance."
On the other hand, the "pretty boy" Song Jian was still conflicted:
"If Mo Hua wants to save me, should I let him or not?"
"If I let him save me, won't I owe him a huge favor?"
"Being saved by my 'arch-nemesis' Mo Hua is, in a sense, also a kind of 'humiliation,' isn't it?"
...
Elsewhere, Mo Hua was wandering around the prison.
He wanted to rescue Little Mu and the others, but for the time being, he couldn't think of a good way to do it.
There were too many demonic cultivators in the Myriad Demon Prison.
Even with his sword, he was limited by the number of spiritual swords he could control, and he couldn't kill many of them.
He could use the array formations and the small meteor technique, but they left too much evidence and caused too much noise.
Moreover, some of the demonic cultivators were extremely powerful, and he simply couldn't defeat them.
And this was just the Myriad Demon Prison; there were even more demonic cultivators in the Myriad Demon Valley, making the situation even more tricky.
Mo Hua sighed.
He continued wandering around the prison a few more times but still couldn't come up with any ideas. After another hour had passed, Mo Hua sent a "bing yin" signal to Elder Xu using the Grand Void Token.
After sending the signal, Mo Hua paused to ensure that it had been sent successfully.
He didn't want Elder Xu to miss the message and forcefully break in due to the weak yuan magnetic force, which would spell disaster.
Upon receiving confirmation from Elder Xu, Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.
He looked down and saw the despair and dejection on Ling Hu Xiao and the others' faces.
They had come to understand the severity of their situation.
The powerful demonic cultivators, the bloody prison, and the faint sounds of struggling demonic beasts all around made it clear that escape seemed impossible.
Their severed fingers were still bleeding and painful.
Whether they were scions of noble families or proud sword cultivators, they had all faced setbacks before, but they had always been protected by their families or sects, growing up in relative safety. They had never truly experienced the cruelty of the cultivation world until now.
Now, that cruelty was laid bare before them.
And the line between life and death was razor-thin.
It was a lot to take in for the three of them.
Even Song Jian kept quiet, huddled in a corner with his hand covering his severed little finger, his face as pale as paper.
Ouyang Mu's expression was blank, his heart filled with anxiety.
Although Ling Hu Xiao maintained a calm demeanor, he felt lost and uncertain.
His sword was no longer in his possession.
Even if he had his sword, he knew he stood no chance against these demonic cultivators.
At least, he couldn't defeat the tall demonic cultivator who had severed his finger, let alone any stronger cultivators that might be present in this prison.
Ling Hu Xiao's mind wandered, and he couldn't help but recall the words he had spoken to Mo Hua earlier.
Only now did he realize how naive those words about "victory without honor," "fair duel," and "the solitary path of the sword" truly were.
In the real cultivation world, no one cared about "fairness," and no one would duel with you just to compare sword techniques.
Numbers prevailed over the individual, and higher cultivation levels meant dominance over the weaker.
No one bothered with reasoning.
If you lost, you lost, and if you died, you died.
Ling Hu Xiao's proud heart was now clouded with a layer of darkness as he realized that his supposedly powerful sword techniques weren't as impressive as he had thought in the face of truly ruthless enemies...
And the most pressing issue was his severed finger.
Ling Hu Xiao hesitated as he touched the pill in his hand, unsure of what to do.
Ouyang Mu, sitting next to him, felt the same way.
He wanted to take the pill, but he was afraid to.
Their storage bags had been taken away, leaving them with no other means to heal their wounds.
The only option they had now was the pill given to them by the demonic cultivator.
The severity of the injury to their fingers depended on many factors.
The demonic cultivator had only cut off their little fingers and refrained from using demonic energy, evil arts, or other insidious methods, so the flesh and blood around the wound were not corrupted.
If they took the pill in time, the bone and flesh would regenerate.
However, if they didn't take the medicine, and the wound worsened, the blood would clot, and the wound would scab over, resulting in permanent damage to the little finger.
Even if they used heavenly treasures to supplement their bodies later on, there would still be a defect.
The injured hand was their dominant right hand.
Among the three of them, one was a swordsmith, and the other two were sword cultivators, all of whom heavily relied on their right hands, at least in their current stage of cultivation.
But this pill... it came from a demonic cultivator.
(End of Chapter)
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