Chapter Thirty-Eight: Encountering the Vermilion Bird

Just as Fan Fan was running in front of the teaching building, a familiar figure appeared on the stairs. Teacher Li, blood still dripping from her hand, had not bothered to bandage her wound. Instead, she was coming downstairs, clearly intent on pursuing Fan Fan. Of course, this was not Teacher Li’s own will, but Suzaku controlling her through the demon worm.

Seeing Teacher Li approaching, Fan Fan stopped in front of the building. Just then, from not far behind her, several more people—also under the control of the demon worms—began to close in. They, too, seemed determined to capture Fan Fan.

As the circle tightened around her, Fan Fan realized she could no longer hesitate. She turned and ran toward the other side of the building, aiming for the sports field. The people behind her started to give chase, but, fortunately, they could only move slowly, shuffling their feet as if each step were a struggle. It seemed the demon worms could forcibly control their minds, but their physical functions were still limited. This gave Fan Fan precious time to escape.

Breathing a long sigh of relief as she pulled ahead, Fan Fan was just about to cut through a thicket toward the sports ground when suddenly, an arm shot out from the bushes, clapped over her mouth, and yanked her into the undergrowth. Was there an ambush waiting here?

Meanwhile, Qin Xiaochuan, Zhang Yang, Feiyan, and Bai Ying were racing up the steps of the Azure Dragon Hall, heading for the very top of the castle where the Suzaku Hall was located. Suddenly, the communicator in Qin Xiaochuan’s pocket buzzed.

“Beep beep… Xiaochuan? Are you there? It’s Xia Dan! Please respond!”

“This is Qin Xiaochuan. What’s wrong, Xia Dan? … Fan Fan?” Seeing Fan Fan’s face appear on the screen, Qin Xiaochuan was startled. How had these two ended up together? The relationship between Fan Fan and him had only grown complicated because of Xia Dan, and now, unexpectedly, they were side by side.

“Yes, I’m with Fan Fan at the school,” Xia Dan explained. It was she who had just dragged Fan Fan into the bushes. With so many demon worms around, she couldn’t leave Fan Fan alone at school—it would be too difficult to answer to Qin Xiaochuan if something happened. So she had come to find Fan Fan, only to discover the school was already under Suzaku’s control. She’d had no choice but to pull Fan Fan into hiding.

Appearing on the communicator’s screen, Xia Dan continued, “That was a close call. The school is overrun with people controlled by the demon worms. They seem to know about your connection to Fan Fan and are desperately searching for her. It looks like Suzaku is using the demon flute to control these people and hunt her down. Suzaku probably wants to use Fan Fan to manipulate you, you—”

Before Xia Dan could finish relaying her message, a tall figure burst from the thicket, grabbing for her as she spoke. Startled, Xia Dan dropped the communicator, seized Fan Fan’s hand, and hurriedly led her away, dashing for the building. It seemed Teacher Li had overheard their transmission and come to the bushes to seize them.

Teacher Li stomped on the abandoned communicator, shattering it. Staring after the fleeing girls, she muttered incoherently, “Damn it… damn it…” and then set off in hot pursuit, her fury at their escape evident in her every step.

“Xia Dan! What happened? Speak to me!” Qin Xiaochuan shouted into the communicator, only to see Teacher Li’s face flicker across the screen before it dissolved into static. He knew at once that something had gone wrong. After calling out twice more without response, he broke into a run, determined that the only hope for Fan Fan and Xia Dan now lay in finding Suzaku and destroying the demon flute. The other three followed his lead, and together they quickly surged to the top of the castle.

At the summit, they found themselves on a circular platform. Opposite them stood a tall cylindrical tower, beside which was a round doorway—presumably the entrance to Suzaku Hall. As the four prepared to charge up and into the hall, a crowd of strange ‘people’ suddenly poured out of the entrance. They looked human at first glance, but their skin was entirely green, their hair leaf-like, and there was nothing remotely human in their aura. Spreading their arms, these beings advanced toward Qin Xiaochuan and his companions.

“Cultivated Men!” Bai Ying blurted out. Clearly, he recognized these creatures.

“Cultivated Men?” Qin Xiaochuan halted, turning to Bai Ying. “You know what they are?”

“Yes. These things aren’t human. They’re humanoids bred for a single purpose. In the demon realm, some used to raise such beings just to enjoy the taste of real humans. But these Cultivated Men are incredibly strong in battle. They feel no pain, so taking them down is a real headache. And…” Bai Ying’s eyes narrowed as more poured from the entrance, “it looks like Suzaku plans to wear us down with sheer numbers.”

“So what?!” Qin Xiaochuan could no longer afford to be cautious—Fan Fan and Xia Dan were in danger. His right hand began to glow. “Let me finish them off all at once with my Wave Fist!”

“Wait! The more reckless you are, the more you play straight into Suzaku’s schemes!” Bai Ying grabbed him. “There must be another way!”

“And what way is that? They’ve blocked the passage. If we don’t fight, we can’t get through.”

“There is a way!” Feiyan pointed to a window halfway up the tower. “Look up there, above their heads. Isn’t that an entrance?”

Following Feiyan’s gesture, Qin Xiaochuan saw two open windows midway up the tower, likely intended for ventilation. But they were at least seven or eight meters above the ground—impossible for an ordinary person to reach. “Don’t joke. Even a grasshopper couldn’t jump that high. How can you call that an entrance?”

“I have an idea.” Feiyan whispered quickly to Bai Ying, who nodded and strode over to Zhang Yang, muttering something in his ear. At Bai Ying’s words, Zhang Yang grinned wryly, shot a glance at Feiyan behind him, then settled into a horse stance and called out, “Come on!”

As Zhang Yang braced himself, Bai Ying leapt lightly onto his shoulders. With Bai Ying’s agility, standing there was no problem at all. Feiyan then hopped up, perching steadily on Bai Ying’s shoulders. In this way, the three formed a human ladder.

At the sight, Qin Xiaochuan understood Feiyan’s plan. He was to vault off their combined shoulders to reach the window. Clearly, Feiyan now considered him a true teammate—otherwise, given his former temperament, he’d never have permitted anyone to step on him.

Gratefully, Qin Xiaochuan gave them a thumbs up and nodded to Zhang Yang, who was still sulking at the base. Once he’d signaled his readiness, Zhang Yang clutched Bai Ying’s calves and shouted, “Charge!” With the other two on his shoulders, he charged toward the tower. Qin Xiaochuan ran alongside, and as the ladder reached the wall, he stepped onto Zhang Yang, then Bai Ying’s tilted back, then with a push off Feiyan’s shoulders, he soared up to the window.

Landing securely, Qin Xiaochuan looked down, gave his companions a smile and a thumbs-up. “Zhang Yang, Bai Ying, Feiyan—thank you! If we make it back safely, dinner’s on me!” With that, he jumped down to the stairs of Suzaku Hall and sprinted toward the great hall’s main door.

He saw a light shining at the end of the corridor and broke into a run. In the center of the hall stood a massive mirror, which showed Fan Fan and Xia Dan supporting each other as they fled. Seeing their images, Qin Xiaochuan shouted, “Fan Fan! Xia Dan!”

A figure standing before the mirror, flute in hand, turned and ceased his playing. Gazing at Qin Xiaochuan, he said, “You came quickly! I’d meant to finish this Soul-Chasing Melody as a requiem for your woman, but you’ve arrived sooner than I expected and ruined my plans…”

“You’re truly disgusting!” Qin Xiaochuan clenched his fists in anger as, on the mirror, Fan Fan and Xia Dan struggled desperately to escape. The culprit was right before him.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Suzaku, master of this castle. The demon flute in my hand is what you seek!”

So this was Suzaku, leader of the Four Sacred Beasts. He looked nothing like a monster—his handsome features were almost delicate, more beautiful than any woman. Dressed in white martial robes, he held a long, earth-colored flute. At the end of the flute was a growth resembling a nest, with many branches protruding from it. This was the demon flute they had come to destroy.

“A rare opportunity,” Suzaku said, gesturing with his thumb at the image behind him, “so take your time and watch how your girlfriend is killed!”

Qin Xiaochuan’s eyes burned with fury. “Hand over the demon flute now, and I’ll show you mercy—maybe I’ll only beat you half to death.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then I’ll kill you right now!”