Chapter 87: The Devil Flowers (Part Three)
Chapter 87: The Devil Flowers (Part Three)
"What are you doing here?"
Xin Cheng’s piercing gaze bore into Xiang Ling’s soul as he questioned her presence in the secluded cave. Her spine tingled under his intense scrutiny, a chill creeping up her spine.
She once again found herself wondering why she decided to come to this island to look for the Devil Flowers. She had heard about this treasure from her fellow stars back in the Celestial Realm and knew that such a rare treasure was worth a lot. Hence, here she was. Little did she know that she would end up crossing paths with two devils. While one didn’t seem like a threat to her, the same couldn’t be said about the one who stood right in front of her with his piercing gaze fixed on her.
With a composed facade, she crossed her arms over her chest, matching Xin Cheng’s intensity. "I could ask you the same. What brings you both here?" Her eyes swept over the transformed appearance of the two men, a mix of curiosity and disbelief evident in her gaze. "And might I inquire about this sudden change in attire?"
Though she fought to maintain her composure, Xiang Ling couldn’t deny the allure of their current appearance. Their shift from their usual selves had captivated her attention from the very moment she saw them stepping into the clearing, perhaps a bit too much considering she found herself ensnared by the two of them for long enough to get caught.
"I’m the one who asked first." Xin Cheng reminded her in a threatening tone.
Before Xiang Ling could offer any explanation, Xin Cheng’s sword was once again at her throat, his glare piercing through her. "Don’t try to play games. Who are you?"
Her retort hung on her lips, halted by his next question.
"Where is our wife?"
Xiang Ling’s gaze darted to Dao Ming, who observed the standoff with a nonchalant demeanor. Catching her eye, he offered a casual shrug. "You did ask me to keep quiet, didn’t you? Now, it’s your turn to handle this." With that, he strolled back towards a nearby rock, settling in for what seemed like a spectator’s view.
Left to fend for herself, Xiang Ling nervously chuckled, attempting to push away the threatening blade inching closer to her throat. But Xin Cheng remained resolute, the sword’s edge dangerously close.
Feeling the weight of imminent danger, Xiang Ling summoned her spiritual power, forcibly deflecting the sword. In her panic, she exerted more force than intended, sending the blade flying across the clearing to embed itself in the cave wall.
While Dao Ming let out an amused whistle, Xin Cheng carried a totally different expression on his face as he first stared at the sword in shock before turning his gaze toward Xiang Ling who wanted to disappear from there. The situation seemed to be becoming worse for her with every passing minute.
"You possess cultivation?" Xin Cheng’s disbelief echoed through his words.
"Isn’t it obvious?" Dao Ming interjected, perched atop his vantage point. "She has successfully made her way into this cave while all those, whom we saw on our way here, are still struggling outside. Not only that but she was also able to enter the cave without breaking the ward. It means she not only possesses cultivation but she’s actually really powerful."
Xiang Ling gave Dao Ming a deadly glare. The man was much better with his mouth closed as his words weren’t helping her situation at all.
"It looks like you already knew about her." Xin Cheng turned his deadly gaze toward Dao Ming. The accusing tone was more than clear in his voice.
"I did. But I gave her my word to keep her secret, and you know that I don’t go against my promises." Dao Ming replied in a carefree tone. He wasn’t the least bit fazed by Xin Cheng’s anger.
When Xin Cheng turned his gaze back to Xiang Ling, he looked even angrier than before. "I’m asking you - who are you? And where is our wife?"
Xiang Ling let out a sigh and replied, "Your wife... she’s dead."
The silence that followed her words was even scarier than the sword that was pressed against her throat not too long ago. Xiang Ling’s instinct was on point because the very next moment, she found her back pressed against the cave wall while one of Xin Cheng’s hands was wrapped around her throat, choking the life out of her.
"What did you do to her?" He shouted the question as his fingers tightened.
"Don’t hurt her!" Dao Ming shouted with a little alarm in his tone when he noticed the man losing his calm. Yet, he didn’t make any move to save Xiang Ling.
"Stay out of this!" Xin Cheng warned his friend as he continued to strangle Xiang Ling who was constantly struggling to get herself freed.
Xiang Ling felt her lungs protesting and she was unable to do anything. It was not until this moment did she realized that Xin Cheng was several times more powerful than her. His aura alone was enough to suppress her powers that failed to save her from getting strangled.
Her lungs were burning and her vision started getting darker. Just when she thought that her mortal life was already coming to an end, the hand strangling her finally let go. She slumped against the wall behind her and took in quick breaths to fill her lungs with the much-needed oxygen. Once she had regained enough control, she used her spiritual powers to heal her weak body. Then she turned her ice-cold gaze toward the man who was watching her every move closely.
"If I didn’t know better, I would have mistaken your behavior as love for your wife. But I’m very well aware of your relationship with her. As for how she died, it was when she knocked her head after slipping down a cliff in the forest during her trip to the temple. The next thing I knew, I was already in her body when the servants found me."
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A/N:
Hello everyone!
I can’t even explain how happy I’m feeling at the moment. The generous gift that our dear, LotusLin, bestowed upon this story took our book by storm today. I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart.
Please look forward to the Bonus Chapters that I will release as a return gift.
Happy reading!