Volume One: The Emperor's Sword Chapter 103: Feeding the Demon with Flesh

From the outside, the woodshed did not appear large, but inside, it was a different world.

This woodshed served as an entrance; beyond the door, a flight of stairs descended, leading to an underground chamber.

Sunlight filtered in, illuminating a corner of the secret room.

In that corner, a small child was curled up, no more than a few years old, face buried in their knees.

Yun Que’s eyes immediately locked onto the figure.

This child hiding in the secret chamber was undoubtedly the black-faced doll that Luo Xiaoyu had once seen.

The little doll remained motionless, as if carved from stone, with no sign of breath or life.

But it seemed to have heard something, slowly lifting its head.

Yun Que then saw a grotesque face.

The pitch-black little face was devoid of any color, resembling a malevolent spirit; its eyes hollow and lifeless, like a puppet.

Though clearly not breathing, it was able to lift its head.

“Dead infant!”

Yun Que stared at the black doll, whispering two chilling words.

At that moment, Yun Que was certain that this doll was the corpse of an infant once transported by Wu Dachuan to Si Ruonan.

But why would a dead infant move?

Could it have been forged into a special magical artifact?

Before he could dwell on the question, Yun Que saw the black doll tremble, as if terrified of something, attempting to hide.

The doll was already curled in a corner, pressed against the wall—there was nowhere else to hide.

What was it afraid of?

Yun Que descended the stairs, intent on investigating.

Clang!

As Yun Que stepped onto the chamber’s floor, the wooden door suddenly slammed shut.

At the same moment, a chilling wind swept through the room, icy and biting, as if winter had instantly arrived within the chamber!

With the door closed, the light vanished, plunging the surroundings into darkness.

Yun Que’s vision was engulfed in complete blackness.

The sudden shift from light to dark caused a brief moment of blindness.

At the instant the door closed, Yun Que unleashed four flying swords, circling around him; the spectral sword guardian hovered before him, forming a powerful shield.

He prepared to strike at any moment.

The howling wind persisted, but no immediate danger appeared.

Gradually adjusting his sight, Yun Que discerned vague shapes in the chamber.

At the center stood what seemed to be a stone table or altar, upon which a shadowy figure sat cross-legged.

Whoosh... whoosh...

Strange wheezing sounds echoed in the darkness, mingled with the cold wind, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Bang!

Something lunged forward but was blocked by the spectral sword guardian. The speed was so swift Yun Que could barely make out what it was.

Only two blood-red eyes were visible!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The eerie sounds sharpened, like a wild wolf’s guttural growl upon sensing fresh prey.

Yun Que fixed his gaze on those blood-red eyes.

It was not the black doll.

Because the doll’s eyes were hollow and lifeless, like that of a corpse, but these eyes were full of emotion.

Yun Que read the emotion in the blood-red orbs.

Greed!

The greed was not directed at Yun Que but focused on the spectral sword guardian.

“Demonic thing, what do you want to devour?”

Yun Que whispered as he struck with his sword.

Two flying swords attacked the blood-red eyes, while the other two slashed at the wooden door above.

The former failed as the creature easily evaded, but the latter succeeded in carving two large holes in the door.

Two beams of sunlight fell, illuminating a corner of the chamber.

Having adjusted to the dimness, Yun Que finally saw his surroundings clearly.

At the center of the chamber stood a circular stone altar, three feet high, covered with dense, esoteric runes.

The altar’s surface featured concentric circular depressions, nine in total, each filled with different granular materials of various colors; the innermost ring was paved with Sophora crystals.

Si Ruonan sat cross-legged atop the altar, covered in blood, her right arm gnawed down to the bone by some unknown force.

Near the altar, a half-grown child crouched low on the ground.

A boy, about ten years old, with long hair, barefoot, hands and feet touching the ground like a wild beast.

His face was grotesque.

Bloodshot eyes, sharp fangs, wrinkled cheeks, and a forehead bulging as if horns were about to sprout.

He exuded a dense aura of malevolence; the chamber’s oppressive atmosphere emanated from his presence.

“What kind of monster is this?”

Yun Que was astonished upon seeing him.

This was no ordinary ghost.

The boy had a tangible physical body; though no breath was seen, his flesh was undeniably real.

With Yun Que’s keen sight and the earlier clash with the spectral sword guardian, his existence was confirmed.

Neither ghost nor living human, Yun Que could only call him a monster for now.

In comparison, this monster bore some resemblance to the black doll.

Both had physical form but lacked life.

However, this monster was far more agile and terrifying than the doll.

The black doll was essentially a puppet forged from a dead infant, but this creature seemed alive.

Because it possessed desire!

A greed for the spectral sword guardian!

As the monster revealed its true form, Yun Que’s earlier doubts were cleared.

The black doll feared this monster, desperately trying to hide.

The blood and wounds on Si Ruonan’s body were inflicted by this creature.

But as the confusion lifted, Yun Que’s heart grew even more perplexed.

There were no signs of a struggle in the chamber.

This meant Si Ruonan had never fought back.

She hadn’t even resisted.

Why?

While guarding against the monster, Yun Que shouted forcefully:

“Si Ruonan, what’s wrong with you? Alive or dead, say something! You still owe me my inner armor!”

Swish!

A shadow darted from Si Ruonan’s hand.

It was Yun Que’s inner armor, now fully repaired.

“You should leave...”

Si Ruonan kept her eyes closed, her voice faint and weak.

Yun Que caught the armor, his expression shifting as he looked at the figure seated on the altar.

“Are you asking for death? Have you surrendered to fate?”

Si Ruonan’s eyelids fluttered but she remained stubborn, refusing to open her eyes.

“It’s none of your business. Take the armor and leave quickly!”

Yun Que wanted nothing more than to escape.

Faced with someone who no longer wished to live, no amount of persuasion would help.

The best course was to turn a blind eye and let nature take its course.

After all, it was not his life to decide.

But Si Ruonan was linked deeply to Hu Tieshan; Yun Que could not simply abandon her.

Moreover, she had helped repair his defensive armor for free.

Such debts of kindness were hardest to repay.

At that moment, the monster on the ground leapt onto the altar, settling beside Si Ruonan, baring its teeth in a threatening display toward Yun Que.

It suddenly opened its mouth, biting into the wound on Si Ruonan’s right arm, tearing away a large chunk of flesh and greedily devouring it.

Si Ruonan groaned softly, her features contorted in pain, sweat pouring from her brow.

Yet she neither dodged nor resisted, enduring it stoically.

She was willing to feed this monster with her own blood and flesh!

Yun Que drew a deep breath, his expression shifting from helplessness to sharp resolve. He spoke in ancient words:

“Once upon a time, long ago in the immeasurable aeons before, in Jambudvipa, there was a great king named Shipi.”

“The city where the king dwelled was called Devapatti, abundant and prosperous.”

“At that time, King Shipi ruled over 84,000 smaller kingdoms, 60,000 mountains and rivers, and 8 trillion settlements.”

“The king had 20,000 wives and concubines, 500 princes, and 10,000 ministers, all practicing great compassion, caring for all beings...”

Yun Que was recounting the story of the Buddha before enlightenment—the tale of cutting flesh to feed the eagle.

When he finished, Si Ruonan’s eyelids twitched rapidly, clearly caught in inner turmoil and struggle.

Yun Que’s tone grew stern as he continued:

“King Shipi cut his own flesh to feed the eagle, sparing the dove, satisfying the eagle, and thus became a Buddha, bringing joy to the three realms. And you?”

“You feed the demon with your flesh; you die yourself, nurture the monster, which will one day wreak havoc and kill countless innocents!”

“Si Ruonan, look closely—this monster is truly your brother?”

Si Ruonan could no longer remain calm and abruptly opened her eyes.

Before her, the familiar face was gone, replaced by a ghastly, monstrous visage.

Confusion, regret, torment, and anger surged within her heart, leaving her mind in chaos.

At that moment, a voice broke through her last hope, softly echoing:

“Your brother died long ago. This thing only occupies his body—an evil spirit in disguise.”