From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 190 A Kiss

Taking advantage of Huang Li's distraction, Xu Xiaohou unleashed a burst of internal energy and blasted it toward her abdomen.

"Oh!"

The punch landed squarely on the Aoki Armor Shield.

The superior defensive magic weapon neutralized all of Xu Xiaohou's attacks, leaving him helpless.

Seeing the opponent's claws, imbued with spiritual poison, leaving several gray streaks in the air, he quickly dodged backward.

"return."

With a wave of his hand, the feather-patterned flying sword flew back into his palm.

As he continuously attacked with the feather-patterned flying sword, he consumed a large amount of spiritual energy and divine soul power, and also depleted a significant portion of his martial arts internal strength.

On the other hand, the opponent only needs to use the Green Wood Armor Shield to defend, and the cost is not high.

He took out a Qi-replenishing pill from his storage pouch and swallowed it, letting the medicinal power of the pill passively digest in his stomach as he continued fighting.

But after Huangli forced him back with a single blow, she flew over and attacked Yinling.

Huang Li didn't know why Yin Ling had switched sides at the last minute, but she realized the seriousness of the consequences: Yin Ling knew the secret of Yunze Mountain and had to be killed!
These subordinates would never reveal the secrets of Yunze Mountain, no matter what; this was the most important thing in their minds.

Even if he dies, he will not utter a single word.

Now that Yinling has betrayed the Xue family, she comes from Yunze Mountain and knows too many secrets.

The oriole must kill her at all costs.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Meng Jiaojiao was fighting with another demonic cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

They both came from Yunze Mountain and practiced the Yuan Sha Gong. Although Meng Jiaojiao was stronger at the ninth level of Qi Refining, it would be difficult for her to kill the other party in a short time.

"careful!"

Xu Xiaohou spoke up to remind him, and his feather-patterned flying sword flew out again as he stepped forward to join the melee.

He and Meng Jiaojiao fought against Huang Li and a demonic cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

In the four-way battle, the strongest among them was clearly Huang Li.

With her superior defensive magic artifact, Huang Li was slightly better than Xu Xiaohou. Protected by the Azure Wood Armor Shield, she was virtually invincible and could focus solely on attacking.

Xu Xiaohou's internal energy was almost depleted at this point. His Qi-replenishing pills could only restore spiritual energy, not make up for the depletion of martial arts internal energy.

If his internal energy is completely depleted, he will be unable to unleash the Grandmaster-level Qi, and his strength will be greatly reduced.

"die!"

His target was the demonic cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining. He planned to kill him first, and then the two of them would join forces to deal with Huang Li.

He moved closer and punched him in the stomach.

The demonic cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining was completely unprepared, allowing Xu Xiaohou to attack him relentlessly, risking his life to inflict injuries on Xu Xiaohou. His dantian and qi sea exploded, sending a surge of spiritual energy sweeping towards Xu Xiaohou.

The spiritual energy of ordinary Qi cultivators is a clear, cloud-like color, while the spiritual energy of these demonic cultivators who practice the Yuan Sha Gong with poison is an unusual grayish-turbid color.

Because of the close proximity, Xu Xiaohou absorbed most of the power of the self-destruction of his dantian and qi sea. The dense spiritual poison rushed towards him, corroding his clothes and turning his skin an abnormal grayish-black color.

Behind him, Huang Li launched a sneak attack while he was off guard, but Meng Jiaojiao stopped her. Since they both practiced the Yuan Sha Gong, they would not be affected by each other's toxins.

"You traitor!"

Huang Li roared and attacked Meng Jiaojiao. She was stronger and had the Green Wood Armor Shield protecting her. After a few moves, she left deep bloody marks on Meng Jiaojiao's body.

Xu Xiaohou took the opportunity to consume another Qi-replenishing pill, using his spiritual energy to suppress the spiritual poison in his body.

He was in extremely poor condition at the moment; his face was an unnatural dark red, and deep, bone-revealing bloodstains on his back were constantly oozing dark red pus, with pustules sprouting all over his body...

But he couldn't afford to recover from his injuries; his most pressing concern was dealing with the oriole.

"Get out of the way!"

At the critical moment, he leaped forward and stood in front of Meng Jiaojiao, taking the brunt of Huang Li's attack for her.

This claw left three deep, bloody gashes from his left shoulder to his right abdomen, the flesh torn open and blood seeping out.

The bright red blood was instantly stained blackish-red by the toxins.

The toxins corroded his flesh and blood, and eroded his spiritual energy, making it impossible for him to use his spiritual energy to control the closure of the wound and stop the bleeding.

"kill!"

Xu Xiaohou endured the pain, his eyes fixed only on the enemy.

His remaining internal energy transformed into a fierce aura, clashing with Huang Li's. The feather-patterned flying sword circled around him, searching for a tricky angle to strike Huang Li.

Meng Jiaojiao, who was rescued again, didn't have time to thank him. She seized the opportunity to attack Huang Li from both sides with Xu Xiaohou.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The oriole's green wooden shield was, after all, only a two-foot-long hexagonal shield, and its defensive range was limited.

Two fists can't fight four hands; the oriole couldn't withstand the close combat of two Qi Refining Level 9 cultivators plus a flying sword.

"Keng!"

The greenwood armor shield deflected the feather-patterned flying sword once again.

Huang Li knew that the greatest threat to her was the magical flying sword, so she prioritized using the Green Wood Armor Shield to defend against it.

However, during this defensive gap, she was met with a punch of powerful energy from Xu Xiaohou.

While she was fending off Xu Xiaohou's powerful aura, Meng Jiaojiao attacked from behind.

After a dozen or so moves, Huang Li was injured in several places, and her spiritual energy was greatly depleted, causing her condition to decline rapidly. She couldn't hold on for much longer.

"Silver bell!"

She imitated the previous demonic cultivator, attempting to take Meng Jiaojiao down with her. Her primary target was Meng Jiaojiao, not Xu Xiaohou.

bass!
At the critical moment, the feather-patterned flying sword seized her weakness, passing through her lower back and piercing her dantian.

With her dantian and qi sea destroyed, she could no longer self-destruct her dantian.

Immediately afterwards, Xu Xiaohou attacked her from behind, punching her through her chest, shattering her heart and internal organs into dust.

The oriole's carcass fell downwards.

The Aoki Armor Shield slipped from his hand and fell towards the ground.

Xu Xiaohou breathed a sigh of relief, feeling completely drained, and slowly floated downwards.

His injuries were too severe, especially since he was poisoned by spiritual poison. Not only did he fail to expel the poison in time, but he also exhausted his spiritual energy and went through a life-or-death battle.

The toxins, circulating with the spiritual energy, had already eroded his muscles, bones, and meridians, flowing into his internal organs and penetrating deep into his bone marrow.

"Pfft~~"

As soon as he landed, he spat out a mouthful of dark red blood.

The blood had a foul, fishy smell.

"How are you?"

Meng Jiaojiao followed him as he landed on the ground and went forward to help him up.

"I am severely poisoned and must immediately use my internal energy to expel the poison. I would be grateful if you could stay by my side and protect me."

Xu Xiaohou had run out of Qi-replenishing pills and had no other resources available, so he could only use spirit stones to cultivate his techniques and expel toxins.

In this situation, there must be no disturbances nearby, otherwise it is easy to interrupt the cultivation and cause one to suffer a qi deviation.

"it is good."

Meng Jiaojiao nodded and helped Xu Xiaohou sit cross-legged on the ground, assuming a posture of practicing martial arts.

Xu Xiaohou gripped a spirit stone in each hand and circulated his cultivation technique.

Meng Jiaojiao stood guard beside her. She was also injured, but she was unaffected by the toxins and only suffered superficial wounds. During the most serious threats she faced, Xu Xiaohou shielded her from the attacks.

Under her deliberate control, the bleeding on her body stopped and she recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.

This is deep within Xieyue Mountain, a place where only wild animals roam and no one else comes.

She stood there quietly, carefully observing Xu Xiaohou.

"Who is he? Is he a chivalrous hero who eliminates demons and protects the righteous? Or is he a government official?"

When she first met Xu Xiaohou, she thought he was no different from those demonic cultivators who would stop at nothing for spirit stones.

"He seems quite young." She noticed Xu Xiaohou's handsome face; although his complexion was dark red from the poison, it couldn't hide his striking good looks.

"Such a young person who has reached the Qi Refining stage must come from a prominent family."

Meng Jiaojiao was lost in thought.

The rogue cultivators and demonic cultivators she had met, such as Li Zhuo and Sun Yan, were all quite old.

Without family influence and a strong background, how could one possibly achieve Qi Refining Perfection at such a young age?

The powerful flying sword also indicates that Xu Xiaohou's background is extraordinary.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Pfft...cough cough."

Xu Xiaohou suddenly opened his eyes and spat out another mouthful of blood.

Thick, black, ink-like poisonous blood was vomited out, flowing into a pool on the ground, instantly withering the nearby vegetation.

As the poisonous blood was expelled, his complexion and skin tone recovered somewhat.

He circulated his spiritual energy for three cycles, which largely removed the toxins from the surface of his flesh and blood. However, there were still toxins deep in his bone marrow and internal organs that were difficult to remove.

"How are you?"

Meng Jiaojiao looked at him with concern.

"I need an antidote, or at least I need to go into seclusion for several days to completely eliminate the toxins."

Xu Xiaohou said helplessly.

"Let me see."

Without saying a word, Meng Jiaojiao reached out and grabbed Xu Xiaohou's wrist, using her spiritual energy to examine his internal condition.

Xu Xiaohou hesitated for a moment, but did not break free, allowing Meng Jiaojiao to "see" the condition inside his body clearly.

If Meng Jiaojiao hadn't betrayed him at the last minute, he would have perished long ago. Therefore, he trusted Meng Jiaojiao and believed that she wouldn't harm him.

By using spiritual energy to enter the body for examination, one can clearly discover the spiritual root, cultivation level, martial arts realm, and other information, leaving nothing to hide.

"It's alright, it's not serious. I'll suck it out for you."

Meng Jiaojiao reached out and hugged Xu Xiaohou's neck, then kissed his lips.

Those toxins and the spiritual poison in her body share the same origin, so she can absorb them into her own body.

Xu Xiaohou felt the toxins being attracted and slowly expelled from his bone marrow and internal organs.

But he had a question: Does this require kissing?
From his experience, it seems that two people touching palms or acupoints has the same effect.

For a long time, the lips are divided.

Xu Xiaohou's face turned red, not from the poison, but from embarrassment.

Despite being over forty, he has never been in a relationship. He reached the Innate Realm at the age of fourteen and has been obsessed with martial arts and cultivation ever since, never having any contact with the opposite sex.

After committing a major crime in his twenties, he secluded himself in the Xu family compound, focusing solely on rescuing Xu Zhongxi. Romantic relationships were excluded from his life.

"Are you... are you alright?"

Meng Jiaojiao turned her head away, not wanting Xu Xiaohou to see her blushing face. She didn't know why she had impulsively kissed him.

She prayed silently that the other person wouldn't realize she was doing it on purpose.

"Thank you, I'm fine now."

After Xu Xiaohou thanked him, he changed the subject: "Let's take care of business first, collect their storage pouches, and then discuss the follow-up."

"Ah."

When the conversation turned to business, the two put away their shyness.

The storage bags of Huang Li and the others were collected, and their bodies were buried.

"What's your name? What kind of force is behind you?"

Xu Xiaohou has devoted so much effort and risked his life, almost dying, and is finally about to learn the truth behind it all.

“My name there was Yinling, and my real name was Meng Jiaojiao.”

Meng Jiaojiao was actually reluctant to mention her real name, as it represented her background.

Neither her family background nor Yunze Mountain, where she grew up, brought her any pain.

"I don't know what kind of force they are. When I was ten years old, I was taken to that mountain shrouded in gray mist, where I have suffered pain and torment for twenty years now."

It wasn't until this mission that I learned the mountain was called Yunze Mountain.

Meng Jiaojiao didn't even know the "master's" surname.

Yunze Mountain?!

Upon hearing these three words, Xu Xiaohou trembled all over, his heart pounding.

Yunze Mountain is a second-tier spiritual land, the territory of the Xue family, a Foundation Establishment and alchemy family!

Was Xiaoxi captured by the Xue family?
why?
Given the strength of Foundation Establishment families and the wealth of alchemy families, why bother capturing mortals?

Xu Xiaohou was filled with doubt: "Why are they capturing so many girls?"

"do not know."

Meng Jiaojiao shook her head, recounting the painful past she didn't want to recall: "Of the girls taken to Yunze Mountain, only one in a hundred survived. First, they endured several rounds of poisonous fog..."

Of all those girls, only a few survived, becoming their subordinates and being brainwashed. I don't know why, but after taking that pill, I regained my memories.

These are all things she has personally experienced and witnessed countless times.

In recent years, she has become an "accomplice," helping the Xue family to cultivate demonic cultivators and harm many people.

She finished speaking calmly and then fell silent.

Xu Xiaohou listened quietly, without saying a word. When he learned that "less than one in a hundred" of those girls had survived, his heart ached as if it were being torn apart.

His father said that Xiaoxi is still alive. His father said it!

In retrospect, it seems that Xu Fugui was trying to comfort him, telling him not to blame himself too much and to live well.

Without the thought of "Xiao Xi," Xu Xiaohou couldn't imagine what his life would be like. He feared he would be like a walking corpse, just waiting to die, doing nothing.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The two sat side by side on a large rock on the mountaintop, gazing at the stars and the bright moon in the night sky, remaining silent for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts.

After an unknown amount of time, Meng Jiaojiao spoke again: "And you, why did you look for them?"

“A long time ago, I was careless and lost my family.”

That's my niece, the apple of my eye.

She was clever and adorable. I remember she would always ride on my shoulders to the market, buying lots of food, most of which I ate...

I also taught her martial arts. She's very talented, about the same as I was when I was a child..."

Xu Xiaohou was lost in memories, recounting bits and pieces of the past.

These seemingly insignificant little things actually made Meng Jiaojiao feel envious.

"That time, my third brother died, and I also lost my niece."

From what you've said, I can only imagine the immense pain and torment she endured on Yunze Mountain.

She's only nine years old, nine years old!

He gritted his teeth and couldn't help but curse under his breath: "Damn the Xue family, I'll get my revenge sooner or later!"

"Your niece has such a happy life."

I started doing laundry and chores at home when I was very young, and I also took care of my younger sister. When my clothes wore out, I would patch them up; I never wore new clothes.

My parents don't care about us; they just want to give me a younger brother.

In the end, they couldn't afford to raise us, so they sold my sister and me to human slaves, who then handed us over to demonic cultivators.

I witnessed my sister being killed by a demonic cultivator..."

Meng Jiaojiao's words made Xu Xiaohou feel sorry for her and pity her.

(End of this chapter)