Chapter 190: Chapter 113: Resentful Spirit Fusion, Lin Luoxue Gravely Injured; Cao Feng’s Regret, a Storm Unleashed

"Once you get the Token, find an absolutely secluded place. Infuse a wisp of Primordial Qi or Qi Blood Power into the seal on your palm to awaken me temporarily. When that happens, I’ll have a way to use the Token to report what happened here to the Demon Suppression Bureau and call for reinforcements."

The voice paused, growing weaker. "Keep... keep the Paperman on you... Nourish it... with your Qi Blood... It will slow its dissipation."

"Don’t be afraid... I’m not asking you to nurture it with your lifeblood. It’s just like a normal person pulling an all-nighter, costing you some of your vitality and Qi Blood... At most... it will make you feel tired more easily."

"I’m giving you... a seal."

"From this day forward, you are a Demon Suppression Guard..."

The voice faded, followed by silence.

Chu Fan felt a slight itch in his left palm. When he looked down, he saw the Anomalous Seal, outlined in faint golden lines, slowly fading away. Its lingering warmth felt like a gentle kiss from the morning sun.

The seal resembled a closed eye, yet also an Ancient Talisman. It was what Yue Mankong had branded on him using the last of their Spiritual Qi.

Chu Fan ran frantically until he was out of the forest.

He crouched at the edge of the pine forest, gasping for breath, while pulling open the frayed cloth bag he had slung over his back.

Inside the bag was a simple set of blue clothes, still crisp and clean, which he had packed before setting out.

He tore off his blood-stained, tattered clothes and tossed them onto a pile of withered pine needles. Then he slipped on the clean garments, brushing the wrinkles from the fabric.

He cast one last glance at the mountain forest behind him. The mist retreated with the sighing of the pines, as if to swallow whole the bloody events of the day...

Chu Fan turned toward Cyan Yang Ancient City. His footsteps were heavy, and the crunch of his soles on the gravel sounded piercingly loud in the empty countryside.

By the time he reached Cyan Yang Ancient City, the setting sun was still hanging above the walls. Its golden-red light spilled onto the bluestone streets, making the shop signs glow brightly.

Chu Fan wove his way through one dim alley after another until he was back at the Seven Stars Gang Sub-Branch.

At the Sub-Branch entrance, a few gang members in black uniforms walked in with sabers slung over their shoulders. A street vendor hawked braised meats, and the smell of hot oil and sweat filled the air.

Several novice disciples stood with their arms slung over each other’s shoulders, laughing and joking. The dust they kicked up glittered like flecks of gold in the sunlight.

To him, this lively scene felt a world away.

The sunlight was warm on his face, but it felt as if Chu Fan had a block of ice in his chest, making even his breaths feel cold.

As he walked inside, gang members started to greet him with smiles, but the moment they saw the look in his eyes, their smiles froze.

The corners of Chu Fan’s eyes were red, and his pupils were as dark as pooled ink. The chill that radiated from him made one’s skin crawl.

Some tightened their grips on the hilts of their sabers and edged away, swallowing the name "Fan" before it could leave their lips.

One new disciple, not knowing any better, started to approach, only to be yanked back by the senior disciple beside him.

Chu Fan paid no mind to any of this, heading straight for his quarters.

He pushed the door open with a CREAK, then slammed it shut with a BANG that sent dust raining from the window lattice.

He poured a glass of cold water and drank it down in one gulp. Feeling slightly better, he walked numbly to the edge of his bed and sat down.

His spine was ramrod straight and his hands rested on his knees, but his mind churned with countless horrifying images: the skeletons of children in the pit, the glint of Qin Fei’s saber, Nuannuan’s vacant eyes, and the endless memories from when the Resentful Spirit had possessed him.

’It was like a nightmare from which he couldn’t wake...’

And yet, the chill of the Paperman against his chest and the sharp edges of the bones he carried were undeniably real.

He sat with eyes wide open, watching the light outside the window gradually dim.

The golden-red of the sunset faded to orange, then to pale gray, until at last, even the shadows on the window paper dissolved.

As night fell, the room sank into total darkness. Only the intermittent chirping of insects from the courtyard could be heard, making the silence feel even more profound.

He lost track of time. Then, the sound of hurried footsteps and heavy panting came from outside his door.

"Old Chu?"

Zhao Tianxing burst through the half-open door, sweat beading on his forehead. "I just heard someone say they saw you," he said urgently. "They said you looked like you’d lost your soul, that you were terrifying... Where have you been today?"

Chu Fan slowly raised his head.

Their eyes met in the gloom. Zhao Tianxing’s face went pale. He stumbled back instinctively, his heel hitting a stool leg with a loud CLANG.

He had faced life and death with Chu Fan and had seen his friend’s calm while cutting down foes. But the Chu Fan before him now had red-rimmed eyes from which a tangible killing intent leaked, wrapped in a despair so thick it couldn’t be dispersed. The sight made his scalp tingle.

"What in the world... happened?" Zhao Tianxing asked, steadying himself. His brow furrowed deeply.

He took a step forward and sat on the stool opposite Chu Fan, his voice softening. "No matter what happened, I’ll face it with you. At the very least, you still have me, your brother!"

His words were like a needle, piercing the dark fog that had clouded Chu Fan’s mind.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. His shoulders slumped slightly as his fingertips brushed against the bones beneath his clothes, a flicker of warmth seeming to pass through them.

’That’s right. He wasn’t alone.’

’He still had Zhao Tianxing. He had Master Cao.’

’Yue Mankong had also said to find Old Limp in the black market and pass a message to the Demon Suppression Bureau.’

’No matter how strong Lin Luoxue of the Seven Stars Gang was, or how insidious the Moon Worship Sect was, there was always a way to resist.’

Chu Fan pushed himself up from the edge of the bed. His voice was still hoarse, but his mind was much clearer now. "Let’s go. We’ll find Master Cao together!"

"Alright!" Zhao Tianxing didn’t ask any more questions and followed him out the door.

Their steps were hurried. As they moved through the Sub-Branch alleys, the night wind made the lanterns sway, stretching their shadows long upon the walls. One walked after the other, a silent understanding in their pace.

As they arrived outside Cao Feng’s courtyard, they could see him in the distance, standing under a sweet osmanthus tree with his hands clasped behind his back.

He was wearing a faded blue robe, its cuffs dotted with flower petals. He was reciting, "Indifferent to favor and disgrace, watch the flowers bloom and wither in the courtyard. With no thought of staying or leaving, gaze at the clouds as they gather and scatter in the sky..."

Zhao Tianxing squinted and scratched his head, muttering under his breath, "That sounds familiar..."

Chu Fan stopped at the courtyard gate and said grimly, "Master Cao, never mind the withering flowers. The Seven Stars Gang is about to wither away."

"Nonsense!" Cao Feng turned, his leisurely expression freezing the moment he laid eyes on Chu Fan.

His gaze was like a torch. Chu Fan’s calm expression was paper-thin, and beneath it, Evil Qi roiled—the aura of one who has taken lives, wrapped in the presence of Resentful Souls. It was at least ten times stronger than when Chu Fan first joined the gang!

Cao Feng’s face darkened. He raised a hand and said, "Come inside before you say more."

After leading the two into the main hall, Cao Feng shut the door behind him. Only then did he draw close and lower his voice. "What happened? Did you go off fighting with the Blood Saber Sect again? How did you end up with so much Evil Qi coming off you in waves? And what is this inconsolable resentment I see in your eyes?!"