30 Making her soul vanish

Plutarch, Year 198 of the Dragon

Silent. The whole ground was silent, except for the occasional sound of a fist hitting a tree.

The sun had already set. The moon shined like a beacon, flattered by the stars around it. And when the moon's light hit the ground, a girl's silver hair shone. Her body was drenched with sweat, but her eyes were resolute.

Ignoring the pain in her arms and legs, she continued to hit the tree with her bandaged fists. Each thump, sent a shiver down her body, along with a flare in the Qi in her abdomen.

The girl was none other than Yi Lan. Her hair danced as her figure flashed back and forth. For the past three months, she had practiced day and night to increase her body's tenacity.

And now, she would finally be able to use her unique martial arts. This art was one of kind, even on Earth. The martial arts was something someone close to her had developed for her sake. This suited her demonic strength and didn't cause much backlash to her either.

Now that she had her demonic strength back with the enhancing seal on her hands, she had started with the basic steps. Each move was graceful, like a drop of water falling rhythmically on a pond.

She breathed in and gathered Qi in her hands. She took a step forward and her body twisted and swirled around.

"Bam."

With one hit, the tree was blown to bits.

Pain surged through her hands. Even though the seals on her hand had been removed, the other seals still remained, making it harder for her to summon Qi.

Lan was reminded of the words Chun Jie had said to her. "There are approximately 108 points on the human body, which can expel Qi from the body. This means that only these points are able to release Qi from the body. And out of these 108 points, 100 points of your body were previously sealed. Currently, 98 points are sealed. As you remove the seals one by one, the seals closer to your lower abdomen, will possess intelligence. It is upto your capability to remove them. In some cases, the seal might get removed by themselves."

Yi Lan continued to punch another tree, not stopping even when it was beyond midnight. But she didn't notice, that behind a bush, someone was glaring at her. The person was a girl older than Yi Lan, with a beautiful face. Yet, that beautiful face was spoiled by the hatred she possessed towards Yi Lan.

Her hands clenched and she slowly pulled out a silver dagger. Her hatred had clouded her mind. She was no longer able to wait for the Yi Clan to take action against Lan. She wanted to eliminate her once and for all. Last time, Yi Lan had managed to escape from her hands, but this time she wouldn't be so lucky.

Yes, the girl in the bushes was Yi Ruo. For the past three months, the Yi Clan hadn't taken action against Yi Lan, making her anxious. She could no longer control her hatred and left to kill her.

She quietly readied herself to plunge the dagger into Yi Lan's stomach, when a figure appeared near Yi Lan.

"Big Sister, you've worked too much. Rest now." A boy with sapphire coloured eyes, spoke to Yi Lan with a troubled expression.

Yi Lan stopped on her tracks and turned towards her younger brother. She gave a slight smile and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry Yoru. I known my limits. Big Sister only wants to be strong for you."

The words warmed Yoru's heart, but an unexplainable emotion flickered in his eyes. His eyes returned to normal and he handed over a fruit to Yi Lan. "Here Big Sister. You haven't eaten dinner today. If you eat atleast this, I'll be satisfied." He smiled and his entire face lighted up.

Surprise bubbled in Yi Lan's heart, but she accepted the fruit and bit into it. The tender flesh was like a mango, but had the tangy flavour of an orange. Juice oozed out of its pulp, releasing a mouth watering odour.

Almost immediately, Yi Lan's abdomen burned slightly and her Qi flames rose up. She sat down cross-legged and started calming down the flames and converting them into spiritual energy.

Yoru let out a satisfied smile and turned around, letting her cultivate in peace. Meanwhile, Yi Ruo clenched her teeth in anger. The fruit that Yoru had given Lan was not an ordinary one. It was the rare Dragon Essence fruit. Its effects were so miraculous that even a peak expert wanted it. Unfortunately, it was only available in very small amounts.

'Why does this sl*t get everything and I don't?! I can't accept this! I must kill her.' Rage filled her eyes. That was when a pair of cold looking eyes met her angry ones. Yoru's gaze made her tremble in fear and she fell down. The blood lust in his eyes was real. It was as if he wanted to kill her. His lips moved as he mouthed "Scram."

That one word was enough for her to scurry away in fright.

Yoru stayed until she left and moved inside the deep forest. His pace was initially slow but then quickened to the point where his legs were a blur. He only stopped when he reached a clearing and sat down on a small log.

In a low voice, he called out "Ao Bao."

A figure dressed in dull robes appeared before him in a flash. He kneeled down quickly. "Yes, Master."

It seemed as if the Yoru now was a completely different person. His aura resembled of one with power, and his eyes were cold as ice.

"Did you find the instigators?" He asked, hand twirling a piece of grass stalk.

"Yes, Master. The instigator was Yi Ruo, cousin of the Young Miss. She had led a group of hired men and cornered the Young Miss. They supposedly tried to humiliate the Young Miss by harassing her, but the Young Miss struck her head on a tree, unable to bear it."

Ao Bao's tone was neutral and his eyes calm.

Yoru's hands stopped and the grass burned and fell to the ground in ashes. His eyes turned dark as he glanced at Ao Bao. "Did you kill them?"

"I have detained them Master. I thought it would be better if you deal with them." His head remained down.

"Good. So is it true?"

"Yes, Master. One of the men had checked Young Miss' pulse. He swore that her heart had stopped beating." Ao Bao finally looked up, his eyes serious.

"Then there's no doubt about it. My Big Sister no longer exists." Yoru's heart clenched painfully, as memories of his Big Sister flooded his mind. "I found it strange when her character changed suddenly. No wonder. She's probably a reincarnated person."

"Master,should I finish her off?" Ao Bao asked.

Yoru's cold gaze fell on him and in an instant Ao Bao fell to the ground. His mouth was bleeding.

"No matter what, the body belongs to Big Sister. You dare talk like that?! Go receive your punishment." His voice rose and his behaviour resembled that of a ruler.

"As you wish, Master. This subordinate knows his mistake and apologizes." Ao Bao spoke, his eyes focused on the ground, hands holding his bleeding mouth.

"I'll take care of the problem. Your work is to finish off Yi Ruo and the men. But before that, make sure they suffer the same pain and humiliation my Big Sister had gone through." An evil smile spread across his face, making his handsome face seem devilish.

Ao Bao bowed and disappeared.

A saddened Yoru gazed at the moon. "If it had been Big Sister, she would have reacted after me narrating the incident of how we met. But she reacted too calmly. She certainly isn't Big Sister. Yet, why does my heart ache at the thoughts of making her soul vanish?" He muttered.

His figure looked lonely under the silver moonlight, his mind filled with moments of Yi Lan ruffling his hair and smiling.