Chapter 804 - Return (1/2)

Chapter 804

Return

Collecting the worm skin and silk took up a lot of time. When they went down the mountain, the first sun rays had already started to appear. The forest beasts started to simmer down.

Upon landing, Shao Xuan first searched for a place to store the things he collected. He sensed his surroundings to find that the two Yi people had not moved, similar to the day he left. Yi Qi was awake and they were both discussing something. He heard sounds of suppressed arguments, along with coughs. Although he was awake, Yi Qi was not very well. Shao Xuan could tell Yi Qi’s condition just from the coughs so he was not in a hurry to go look.

Gan Qie was in a hurry. After landing, temperatures had started to rise and the oppression from the mountain lifted, He felt much better, though he was most excited about the liquid in the pouches.

“They’re probably something like pupa shells, though different from the usual kind,” said Shao Xuan.

“It’s blood.” To Gan Qie, those ‘melted ice’ felt like blood, because he was not interested in many things outside of blood. Anything that could attract him must be blood!

Now that he had the blood, it was time to drink it.

He opened a small gap at the mouth of the worm skin pouch, then poured the liquid directly to his mouth.

Gan Qie took two big gulps, then drew the pouch and passed it to Shao Xuan.

After swallowing two mouthfuls of worm blood, Gan Qie turned ghostly pale. All the rosiness from drinking beast blood in the forest disappeared. His expressionless face suddenly twitched and contorted uncontrollably, his hand clutching the pouch trembled like he was in huge pain.

Shao Xuan took the pouch and before he could ask, Gan Qie disappeared like the wind, sprinting into the forest.

Looking at Gan Qie, then at the pouch– although Gan Qie had taken two mouthfuls, those were unusually large gulps and one-third of the pouch’s contents. That amount was the equivalent to what they collected from more than ten nests.

“He drank so much… will he be alright?” muttered Shao Xuan. He did not dare taste it because he sensed that it was not suited for consumption. Drinking it would hurt his body, just like the green-faced fanged beast’s blood. The pupa shell of a star butterfly larva could protect it but probably not humans, maybe even more harmful than the green-face fanged beast’s blood.

This feeling became stronger as he collected the liquid, he did not dare treat it like a regular beast’s blood. He had planned to ask Gan Qie for his opinion but turned his head to see that Gan Qie had drunk so much. Not sure how he was.

Shao Xuan sent Chacha to check on him but Chacha flew in one circle and quickly returned.

Gan Qie was quite a distance away from the foot of the mountain. There were many fearsome beasts there and the beasts were still not completely subdued from their aggression during the full moon. Strangely, those manic-looking beasts still did not approach Gan Qie, even avoiding him on purpose.

Even Chacha did not want to stay to observe him.

After a while, a long howl was heard, along with it, an intense killing intent exploded. Gusts of wind blew, dense tree branches blew out of shape. The strong winds cut like flying knives, howling and murderous.

The predators of the forest lurking and hunting for prey were startled by this sudden blast of murderous intent, immediately, turning around to run off in the opposite direction.

The wind brought with it the scent of blood, along with it the cries of various beasts. Startled flocks of birds left the scene in a hurry while hoards of animals retreated. In the next moment, the previously unsettled forest due to the full moon suddenly turned dead silent. A dangerous aura spread across the forest, as if a devil lurked amongst the trees.

Chacha’s neck feathers stood on end as he took off into the skies immediately. It was his instinct to fly up whenever there was danger.

The eight slaves around Yi Cong and Yi Qi grew alert, scanning their surroundings nervously. Two of them had blood similar to Yi Si’s Grasshopper, so the spines on their backs shot up straight with fear.

What happened?!

This was what everyone thought.

Shao Xuan could discern that the aura came from Gan Qie, though the winds brought along the scent of animal blood too. Such a strong smell had to mean more than ten beasts were killed.

Why would Gan Qie kill so many beasts suddenly? For food? But if he was feeding on them, he never had to kill so many. Was it because of the worm blood?

When he planned to check, the howling winds quietened and the pungent smell of blood faded.

After a while, he sensed that Gan Qie was approaching so he halted and looked up.

Soon, Gan Qie emerged from the woods, his cloak dishevelled and splashed with beast blood like he had just emerged from a battlefield. His footsteps were heavy like he was injured.

He slowly retracted his violent, murderous aura. When he locked eyes with Shao Xuan, his eyes were still red and filled with residual violence.

“What happened?” asked Shao Xuan.

“Nothing, there were just some minor changes,” said Gan Qie.

Shao Xuan studied him carefully. Although tired, the ghostly pale was gone. In fact, he looked rosier, more like a normal person. When his eyes lost their manic look, he looked like a normal person save for the fresh bloodstains.

But Shao Xuan felt like something major must have changed him greatly. It should be a positive change or he would not have been attracted to the blood this strongly.

“Are you drinking anymore?” Shao Xuan passed the pouch back to him. They had already discussed when they came down the mountain that Flaming Horn would take a third of the liquid so at this point, one third was still left for Gan Qie.