Chapter 34: Star Concealing, Offering Blood to Hatred (Part 2)

“AHHHHH!!”

A massive bloom of blood erupted from Xiao Yu Long’s midsection, and the man, still drunk, let out a guttural, pig-like cry, collapsing from the bed. He clutched his abdomen and writhed in agony on the floor.

The door burst open, and Xiao Yang, barely having gone far, heard the scream and rushed back. When he saw the scene, his face drained of color, hands trembling uncontrollably: “B-Brother!!”

He wanted to reach out to steady Xiao Yu Long, but dared not touch him. After a moment of panic, he sprinted outside, his voice echoing wildly: “Patriarch!! Patriarch!! Xiao Yu Long… Xiao Yu Long was stabbed!! Patriarch!!”

Under the dark sky, his voice carried far, stirring the usually quiet Xiao Sect into chaos. Watching Xiao Yu Long wail in pain on the ground, Xiao Chuo smirked coldly, pushed the door open, and walked out without haste.

Soon, Xiao Yunhai, Xiao Gu, and several elder disciples rushed in. Xiao Yunhai staggered, his eyes widening: “Yu Long… Yu Long!!”

“F-Father…” Xiao Yu Long’s consciousness lingered, the alcohol fading. He reached out, gripping Xiao Yunhai’s sleeve, his voice weak with pain.

“Quick! Get him to the bed! Quickly!” Xiao Gu said, already rummaging through a medicine chest. The other elders stood frozen, shocked… Who did this?! Who would do such a thing?!

They lifted Xiao Yu Long onto the bed, Xiao Yunhai and the eldest elder using spiritual power to stem his bleeding. Xiao Yunhai’s face twisted in anguish: “Xiao Gu, how’s he?”

Xiao Gu’s brow remained furrowed. When Xiao Yunhai asked, he sighed: “His life is safe. The assassin didn’t seem to aim for his life, but this wound… it’s cruel. It struck the ‘Spiritual Vessel’—the core of his spiritual energy. Once pierced, the vessel bursts like a balloon, draining all spiritual power.”

“W-What!?”

“All spiritual power drained!” Xiao Yunhai recoiled as if struck by lightning, his face blanching. He steadied himself, hope flickering: “How… how long until he recovers?”

Xiao Gu shook his head. “Spiritual power isn’t depleted—it’s ruptured. It can’t be restored. But the vessel can heal. After recovery, he’d have to rebuild his power from scratch.”

Xiao Yunhai swayed, and Xiao Yu Long’s face mirrored despair.

This wound hadn’t taken his life, but it had destroyed his spiritual power—precisely at the moment of his greatest ambition.

Like a blessing from heaven, the Xiao Sect suddenly had a chance to join them. Xiao Yu Long had clawed his way to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, ready to ascend, only to have his power annihilated the night before. They all knew—Xiao Kuangyun couldn’t possibly bring back a useless cripple!

“Who… who did this?! Who would be so cruel?!”

Xiao Yunhai’s face drained of all color, his body shaking. Just hours ago, he’d been elated, having prepared Xiao Yu Long’s belongings for his departure to the sect. Now, the path to heaven had crumbled, sending him tumbling into hell.

“Patriarch, stay calm! Yu Long’s still conscious—he might know who did this,” Xiao Sheng said, his face dark.

Xiao Yunhai blinked, then rushed to Xiao Yu Long’s side, whispering urgently: “Yu Long! Did you see who stabbed you?!”

Xiao Yu Long’s wound had been wrapped with bandages. He shook his head, pain evident: “I… I didn’t see anyone.”

“No one?” Xiao Yunhai’s eyes widened. At that moment, Xiao Sheng suddenly gasped: “Look over there—at the window!”

A fist-sized hole had appeared in the opposite window. Xiao Yunhai pressed his palm against it, his aura flaring with lethal intent.

“Clearly, someone hid behind that window, waiting for Yu Long to enter while drunk, then stabbed him,” Xiao Sheng said gravely. “This courtyard is in the sect’s center, yet someone infiltrated it to assassinate the heir. They left without a trace… either they know the sect intimately, or they’re one of us.”

His gaze swept over Xiao Bao, Xiao Ze, and Xiao Sheng.

Xiao Sheng’s words struck Xiao Yunhai like a thunderclap. To infiltrate the Xiao Sect and kill the heir was nearly impossible. Why would Xiao Yu Long—a gentle, well-respected man—be targeted?

Unless… the assassin was one of them.

If so, slipping in would be simple. They’d timed it perfectly, striking when he was drunk. The motive? Jealousy over his promotion to the sect. Kill or cripple him, and the seat would be theirs.

As these thoughts churned, Xiao Yunhai felt a chill. His own two eldest, third eldest, and fourth eldest elders—all had reason to want their grandson elevated. What atrocities wouldn’t they commit for this once-in-a-lifetime chance?

“Xiao Gu, how’s Yu Long now?” Xiao Yunhai clenched his teeth, forcing calm.

“The wound’s staunch, he’s stable. With his constitution, he’ll recover in a few weeks. But the spiritual vessel… it’ll take months to mend, and he’ll have to rebuild his power anew,” Xiao Gu said truthfully.

At that moment, a deafening scream echoed outside: “F-Fire! Fire! The medicine storehouse, the southern courtyard—ON FIRE!”

“What!?”

Xiao Gu spun, sprinting toward the flames. The medicine storehouse held countless herbs and formulas—his life’s work. Xiao Yunhai and the others gasped in horror. The southern courtyard was where the Patriarch and elders lived!

Without a word, the four elders bolted outside. Xiao Yunhai hesitated, then urgently pressed his palm against Xiao Yu Long’s chest: “Yu Long, your wound’s stable. Rest. Don’t dwell on it—I’ll find the killer.”

He then followed suit, racing toward the southern courtyard. All his life’s treasures were there, and he couldn’t stand by.

The room fell silent, leaving only Xiao Yu Long alone. His shattered spiritual vessel and grave injury left him motionless—unable even to lift a finger. He stared blankly at the ceiling, his gaze hollow. He wished this were a nightmare.

Tread, tread, tread… Though no one should be there, a low, heavy footstep echoed behind him. His blood turned to ice. He strained to locate the sound, turning his head toward it—seeing a figure approaching. Someone who shouldn’t be here…

“Xiao… Chuo?!”

The ghostly figure stood at his bedside. Xiao Yu Long’s eyes widened in disbelief. He’d been cast out of the sect, forbidden to return—yet here he was.

During the three-hour stealth period of “Star Veil,” Xiao Chuo could freely deactivate or reactivate his invisibility. He stood there, staring coldly: “You look surprised.”

“Y-You… how… how are you here?!” Xiao Yu Long’s voice cracked. He tried to sit up, but could barely lift his arm before collapsing again.

“How could I be here?” Xiao Chuo smiled smoothly, yet it chilled Xiao Yu Long to the bone. He picked up the dagger Xiao Gu had pulled from Xiao Yu Long’s side: “I’m here to collect a debt.”

“A debt? What debt? Do you know what you’re doing?!” Xiao Yu Long convulsed, his pupils shrinking in terror: “The one who stabbed me… it was you? N-No! Impossible! Impossible!!”

“You dare ask what debt I’m owed?!” Xiao Chuo’s smile vanished, replaced by a demonic grin. His features twisted grotesquely, the dagger trembling in his hand as raw hatred and vengeance poured through him.

“On my wedding day, you poisoned my cousin with the ‘Heart-Sundering’ toxin! If not for fate, I’d be dead now!!”

“You wanted to climb the ranks, flattering Xiao Kuangyun, framing my cousin to split her from Yi Qingyue, driving me out of the sect… Hah. Being cast out wasn’t so bad. But because Yi Qingyue was a disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, her master happened to be nearby! She’d suffer misfortune, and my cousin, bearing false accusations, would be dragged back to the Xiao Sect, shamed forever! My grandfather, orphaned and bereft, would die bitterly…”

“Xiao Yu Long… what debt do I owe you!!?”

“How must I treat you to settle this debt!!?”

With a roar of hatred, Xiao Chuo raised the dagger and plunged it into Xiao Yu Long’s foot.

“S-Stop… let me go!!”

The blade sliced through his Achilles tendon, severing it cleanly. Blood blossomed as Xiao Yu Long let out a guttural scream, his body convulsing in hellish agony. Xiao Chuo’s face was a mask of satisfaction. He raised the dagger again, growling low, and slashed across Xiao Yu Long’s hands. Two streams of blood erupted as his tendons were torn apart.

“AHHHHH!!”

Xiao Yu Long’s scream was a banshee’s wail, so terrible it made all who heard it shudder. Yet Xiao Chuo smiled, as if hearing celestial music. He withdrew the blade, squinting, and murmured: “What a fine, robust cry. Enjoy it—for you’ll never make such a sound again.”

The next cut—“This time, I’ll blind you for life!!”

The blade gouged both of Xiao Yu Long’s eyes, ripping them from their sockets into bloody pulp.

“WAAAAH!!”

His scream was pure torment, unbearable to witness. Xiao Chuo chuckled, the knife trembling in his grip.

“This time, I’ll sever your tongue forever!!”

The blade carved through his mouth, tearing out a crimson tongue and teeth.

“This time, I’ll silence your ears forever!!”

The blade sliced his ears from his head, blood pooling on the floor.

“This time, I’ll erase your line!! You’re not worthy of progeny!!”

The bloodied dagger arced downward, driving deep into Xiao Yu Long’s groin.

“Ugh… AHHHH…”

Xiao Yu long stood rigid, his guttural, rasping cry to the point of hoarseness slowly sank into silence………………

——————————————————————