Chapter 34: Star Concealment, Blood for Hatred (Part 2)
"Ah!!!!"
A large spray of blood burst from Xiao Yulong's lower abdomen. The originally intoxicated Xiao Yulong let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered, tumbling down from the bed in an instant. He covered his abdomen with both hands, writhing in agony on the ground.
The door was shoved open violently. Xiao Yang, who hadn't gone far, rushed back in a panic upon hearing the scream. When he saw the situation before him, his face turned pale, and his hands trembled in disorder: "Big... Big Brother!"
He wanted to help Xiao Yulong but dared not touch him recklessly. After a moment of panic, he dashed out at top speed, and soon his frantic roar echoed from outside: "Sect Master... Sect Master! Xiao Yulong... Xiao Yulong has been stabbed... Sect Master!!"
Under the night sky, Xiao Yang's voice traveled far, plunging the originally quiet Xiao Sect into chaos. Looking at Xiao Yulong writhing on the ground and wailing, Xiao Che gave a cold smile, pushed open the door, and walked out unhurriedly.
Before long, Xiao Yunhai, Xiao Gu, and several elders rushed in violently. Seeing Xiao Yulong stabbed in the abdomen and covered in blood, Xiao Yunhai's mind went blank for a moment. He staggered over: "Yulong... Yulong!!"
"Fa... father..." Xiao Yulong's consciousness hadn't faded, and his drunkenness was completely gone. He reached out, grabbing Xiao Yunhai's sleeve, letting out a pained and weak voice.
"Hurry! Help him onto the bed!" Xiao Gu said as he quickly opened a medical kit. The elders who followed were also shocked... Who was it? Who did this!!
Xiao Yulong was helped onto the bed and laid flat. Xiao Yunhai and the Grand Elder used profound force to forcibly stop the bleeding from his wound. Xiao Yunhai's face twisted as he asked, "Xiao Gu, how is he?"
Xiao Gu had been frowning deeply. Hearing Xiao Yunhai's question, he let out a long sigh and said, "His life is not in danger. The assassin clearly didn't intend to kill him, but this stab... is too vicious. It struck exactly the 'Profound Heart' of the profound veins. Piercing it makes the profound veins like a punctured balloon—not only are the profound veins damaged, but all profound force leaks out completely."
"Wha... what!?"
"All profound force leaks out completely" struck Xiao Yunhai like thunder, his face instantly turning white. He forced himself to stay calm and asked with a trace of hope, "Then... how long will it take to recover?"
Xiao Gu shook his head: "The profound force has leaked out, not been exhausted. It's fundamentally impossible to recover. But fortunately, the damage to the profound veins can still be repaired. After repair, he can... start training from scratch again."
Xiao Yunhai's body trembled violently, and Xiao Yulong's face was filled with despair.
This stab hadn't taken Xiao Yulong's life, but it had crippled all his profound force! And at this most crucial turning point in his life!
Like a pie falling from the sky, the Xiao Sect had suddenly received an opportunity to enter the Xiao Clan. Xiao Yulong had exhausted his schemes to seize this once-in-a-lifetime chance, finally able to soar to the heavens. But on the eve of this dream's realization, all his profound force was crippled... They could imagine with their toes that Xiao Kuangyun would never take a cripple with no profound force back to the Xiao Clan!
"Who... who exactly... could be so vicious!! Who!!!"
Xiao Yunhai's face was livid, his whole body trembling. Originally, he had been in an unprecedented good mood because Xiao Yulong was about to go to the Xiao Clan. In the afternoon, he had eagerly prepared Xiao Yulong's travel gear himself. He never expected that after taking just two steps on the road to paradise, he would fall back into hell.
"Sect Master, calm down first! Yulong still has consciousness. He might know who struck him." Xiao Li said with a dark face.
Xiao Yunhai snapped back to reality, quickly went to Xiao Yulong's side, and asked in a deep voice, "Yulong! Did you see clearly who stabbed you!"
At this moment, Xiao Gu had wrapped a bandage around Xiao Yulong's abdomen, temporarily stabilizing the injury. He shook his head and said painfully, "I don't know... I didn't see anyone at all..."
"Didn't see anyone?" Xiao Yunhai's eyes widened. At that moment, Xiao Cheng suddenly flashed a glance and exclaimed, "Look at that window!"
On the diagonally opposite window, a fist-sized hole had appeared. Xiao Yunhai pressed his hand on it, his whole body exuding murderous intent.
"Obviously, someone was hiding behind the window the whole time. When Yulong came in and was drunk, they threw this short knife to injure him!" Xiao Li said solemnly. "This courtyard is in the central part of the Xiao Sect. For someone to sneak in here and assassinate, and not be detected after the act... either this person is extremely familiar with our Xiao Sect, or it was done by someone from within the Xiao Sect!!"
After saying this, Xiao Li's gaze seemed to inadvertently glance at Xiao Bo, Xiao Ze, and Xiao Cheng respectively.
Xiao Li's words made Xiao Yunhai's heart jolt violently... The Xiao Sect was a first-class profound cultivation family in Liuyun City. Sneaking into the Xiao Sect to assassinate the sect master's son was extremely difficult and risky. Moreover, Xiao Yulong was usually polite and well-mannered, with an excellent reputation. Who would want to assassinate him, and for what reason?
But if the assassin was someone from the Xiao Sect, it suddenly became very easy to explain!!
If it was someone from the Xiao Sect, "sneaking in" became extremely simple, and they could easily seize the opportunity of Xiao Yulong being drunk. As for the motive... naturally, jealousy that Xiao Yulong was about to be taken back to the Xiao Clan! If he was crippled or killed, the Xiao Clan would choose someone else! The assassin would then have a chance!
Thinking of this, Xiao Yunhai's heart turned cold, and his vigilance skyrocketed... because the Second Elder, Third Elder, and Fourth Elder all had huge suspicion! They dreamed day and night of sending their own grandsons to the Xiao Clan! Now, with this golden opportunity of the Xiao Clan's envoy coming, it wouldn't be strange no matter how heinous an act they committed.
"Xiao Gu, how is Yulong's injury now?" Xiao Yunhai gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay calm.
"The wound has been stopped bleeding and medicated. It's no longer serious. Given Yulong's constitution, it should be mostly healed in half a month or so. But repairing the profound veins might take a few months. After that, he'll have to start his profound force training from scratch." Xiao Gu reported truthfully.
Just then, panicked cries erupted from outside like thunder: "F... fire!! Fire!! The Medicine Hall and the South Courtyard... they're both on fire!!"
"What!!"
Xiao Gu spun around and ran out as if his life depended on it. The Medicine Hall stored countless herbs and pill formulas—things he valued as much as his life. Xiao Yunhai and the others were also greatly alarmed, because the South Courtyard was precisely where the sect master and the grand elders resided!
Without a word, the four elders bolted out. After a slight hesitation, Xiao Yunhai said urgently to Xiao Yulong, "Yulong, your injury is no longer life-threatening. Rest well, don't think too much. I will definitely catch the assassin who stabbed you as soon as possible!!"
After saying this, Xiao Yunhai also strode out the door, heading straight for the South Courtyard. There, he had amassed all the important possessions of his half a lifetime. Hearing about the fire now, he couldn't rest easy without going there himself.
The room was suddenly left with only Xiao Yulong alone. His profound veins were broken, and he was severely injured. Xiao Yulong lay motionless on the bed... not to mention moving his body, he was so weak he could barely lift his pinky finger. He stared blankly at the ceiling, his eyes dim and gray. How he wished this was a nightmare...
Tap, tap, tap...
Though there should have been no one left, a low sound of footsteps suddenly reached Xiao Yulong's ears. The sound made his hair stand on end. He struggled to turn his head toward the source of the sound... and saw a figure approaching him... a person who absolutely should not be here...
"Xiao... Che!?" Seeing the person who appeared at his bedside like a ghost, Xiao Yulong's eyes bulged wide, almost unable to believe his own eyes. He had been expelled from the Xiao Sect, forbidden to ever set foot here again... how could he possibly be here?
During the three hours of "Star Concealment," unless the stealth state was forcibly dispelled, Xiao Che could freely cancel and re-enter stealth until the three-hour effect ended. He stood at Xiao Yulong's bedside, looking at him coldly: "Xiao Yulong, you look quite surprised."
"You... how... how are you here!!" Xiao Yulong's voice was hoarse and rough. He struggled to sit up, but only managed to raise half an arm before collapsing completely limp.
"How am I here?" Xiao Che smiled, a very easygoing smile, but to Xiao Yulong's eyes, it sent a chill from his body to his heart. He slowly picked up the short knife that Xiao Gu had pulled from Xiao Yulong's body and pointed it at him: "Naturally, I'm here to collect a debt."
"Debt? What debt? Do you know what you're doing!" Xiao Yulong's body convulsed. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and he said in terror: "The one who stabbed me was you? No... impossible! Impossible!!"
"You still have the nerve to ask me what debt I'm collecting!" The smile vanished from Xiao Che's face, replaced by a ferociousness like a demon. His features twisted into a terrifying visage, and the hand holding the short knife trembled slightly. Endless murderous intent and hatred poured out without restraint at this moment...
"On the day of my wedding, you poisoned me with Incense Heart Powder! If not for fate's favor, I would already be a dead man now!!"
"To advance your own career and curry favor with Xiao Kuangyun, you didn't hesitate to frame my little aunt, force me and Xia Qingyue apart, and drive me out of the Xiao Sect... Hah, driving me out of the Xiao Sect was one thing, but if not for the fact that Xia Qingyue was a disciple of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace and her master happened to be nearby! Xia Qingyue would have suffered misfortune, and my little aunt would have been taken back to the Xiao Clan bearing false accusations, subjected to endless humiliation! My grandfather would have been left lonely and helpless, nursing lifelong regret..."
"Xiao Yulong... tell me... what debt do I have to collect from you!!!!"
"How must I treat you for you to pay off this debt!!!!"
Amidst the roar of hatred, Xiao Che raised the short knife and stabbed it fiercely toward Xiao Yulong.
"St... stop!! Ah!!!!"
The gleaming short knife slashed across Xiao Yulong's feet. Blood sprayed as his two heel tendons were mercilessly severed.
Xiao Yulong let out a bloodcurdling scream, convulsing violently in hellish agony. Looking at his suffering, Xiao Che's face was filled with glee. He raised the knife again, let out a low growl, and slashed fiercely at his hands. Two sprays of blood erupted, and Xiao Yulong's hand tendons were savagely cut as well.
"Ahhh!!!!"
Xiao Yulong's scream was as shrill as a demon's wail. His limbs were bathed in blood, and he sank into an abyss of pain and fear. He never imagined that this usually weak and self-abasing Xiao Che would actually want to kill him, and that his strikes would be so cruel and vicious.
"No... don't... spare me... spare me... I don't want to die... don't want to die..."
Xiao Yulong's face was already as pale as paper. His pupils had dilated more than tenfold due to pain and extreme terror. Xiao Che raised the knife again and smiled cruelly: "Die? No, don't worry. I won't let you die... How could I bear to let you die a quick and easy death! Not only will I not let you die, I'll let you live for a long time... live a life worse than death! Let the pain of your entire later half of life serve as a reminder of the consequences of angering me and harming my loved ones!!"
"This cut is so you can't see!!"
Schlurp!
Two swift jabs entered Xiao Yulong's eyes, turning his bulging eyeballs into a mushy mess of black and white.
"Wuuaaaaaah!!"
This scream seemed to come from hell itself, so utterly wretched that it would make anyone's body tremble and scalp tingle. But Xiao Che was all smiles, as if listening to heavenly music. He pulled out the knife, narrowed his eyes, and said with a faint smile: "Tsk tsk, what a vigorous cry. Enjoy your own voice now, because from now on... you'll never make such a pleasant sound again."
Shlurp!!
"This cut is so you can never speak!!"
The short knife stabbed viciously into Xiao Yulong's mouth. When it was pulled out, a section of bloody tongue and over a dozen teeth flew out together.
"This cut is so you can never hear!!"
Shlik!
A flash of blade, a spray of blood. Xiao Yulong's two ears flew off his head, splattering blood as they landed on the cold ground.
"This cut is so you... have no descendants! A despicable little man like you doesn't deserve offspring!!"
The bloodstained short knife was raised, slanted down, and plunged viciously into Xiao Yulong's crotch...
"Ugh... ah..."
Xiao Yulong's entire body stiffened, and even his mouth's sound, hoarse to the extreme, slowly faded into silence...
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