When they had spent three days tracking down the demon, they finally found its lair. Tang Wei had used burning oil to set the peachwood alight, and the fire, which had the power to ward off evil, drove the Corpse Demon from its den and weakened it considerably. Though the Corpse Demon was still incredibly tough—its dead skin was like that of a martial artist who had mastered external techniques, its flesh and bones as hard as steel and impervious to blades—Tang Wei had managed to suppress it with help from several Qi Refining Stage masters, gradually driving it into a corner. But just when they thought they were about to succeed in exorcising it, another Corpse Demon of equal strength, unscathed, suddenly charged out of the cave. The two Corpse Demons worked together to drive Tang Wei and the last Qi Refining Stage master into their lair. Just moments ago, the master who had fought beside Tang Wei until then had had his heart torn out by the two monsters. Tang Wei's True Qi was nearly depleted, too. He wouldn't last another round. Of course, though Tang Wei lacked experience in the martial world, he wasn't stupid. While raising funds, he had already gathered information about the demon, then compared and assessed their respective strengths. After hearing descriptions from the nearby villagers and comparing them with the records he had once read, Tang Wei had identified the demon as a high-level Qi Refining Stage Corpse Demon—one whose strength rivaled that of the grand elders of the great martial sects. Though such a demon was dangerous, with enough people, martial artists could still defeat it. After spending a good deal of money and pawning off some of his personal belongings, Tang Wei had managed to raise funds and gather a group of martial experts, from Body Tempering Stage to Qi Refining Stage, to hunt the demon in the mountains. So when he heard that demons were running amok near Mang Mountain, he had hurried there. After assembling a group and preparing lamp oil and peachwood, the Corpse Demons' greatest weaknesses, Tang Wei had led the team out. Then the fight went horribly wrong. The two Corpse Demons attacked together, killing the Body Tempering Stage experts in the team almost instantly. The few remaining Qi Refining Stage masters could only struggle on before the two monsters dragged them away and tore them apart one by one. Tang Wei gripped his sword with a sweat-slick hand and gathered the last traces of True Qi in his Qi Sea. The darkness beside them suddenly stirred. Two Corpse Demons rushed at them, trying to tear Tang Wei and Bai Qiuran apart in midair. Tang Wei kicked off lightly in the air and sent the Corpse Demon that had been harassing him flying with a single kick. Then he leaped across the falling rubble, grabbed Tang Wei's hand, and headed toward him. "Brother Tang, I'm glad you're all right. Don't get the wrong idea. My preferences are perfectly normal. I'm not interested in men at all." The cave shook violently, and stones and clods of earth rained down. Seeing this, Tang Wei hurriedly gathered his strength to protect himself. "You're not a bad person." "Here they come, here they come." Just as their lives hung by a thread, a vast surge of True Qi, radiating scorching heat, swept in from one side of the cave. "After all, even if you hide your secondary sex characteristics with a chest binder, what woman could train her chest muscles to be this firm and hard? Judging by your chest muscles and ribs, even Bai here, when he first entered the Qi Refining Stage, would have been ashamed to compare his physique to yours!" "This whole area's going to collapse anyway." Tang Wei watched as black energy rose around the Corpse Demon, which kept pressing Bai Qiuran back, and asked nervously, "Are you about to lose?" Bai Qiuran gave a cold snort. Holding Tang Wei with one hand, he unleashed several bursts of True Qi with the other, crushing two Corpse Demons. But the delay had brought the ground perilously close. Bai Qiuran had no time to adjust his posture; all he could do was gather his True Qi and protect himself and Tang Wei. Bai Qiuran nodded, and suddenly the ground gave way beneath them. Tang Wei turned around and saw Bai Qiuran standing with his hands behind his back at the entrance they had come through, smiling at him. The two Corpse Demons ripped the master's body apart, scattering it across the cave floor, then roared and lunged at him. "But coming here alone was still too dange—watch out!" "No, I'm doing just fine." He lowered his head to look, then raised it again with a strange expression and said to Tang Wei, "Brother Tang, I think we might have a little problem..." Tang Wei froze in place. Then she heard Bai Qiuran continue, "Though I was worried earlier that you might be a girl disguised as a man. Some of your behavior was just too girlish. But now I'm relieved. At least that kind of melodramatic nonsense hasn't happened to me." The two Corpse Demons had forced Tang Wei and the last Qi Refining Stage master into their lair. Just moments ago, the master who had fought beside him until then had had his heart torn out by the two monsters, and Tang Wei's True Qi was nearly depleted. He wouldn't last another round. With a thud, they hit the ground and rolled. Bai Qiuran landed beneath Tang Wei, then the force of their fall sent them tumbling several more times. Tang Wei lifted his head, dazed. "See, Brother Tang? We made it down together." With a mighty roar, Tang Wei saw the thing Bai Qiuran had blocked and cried out, "Another Corpse Demon! How many are there in here?" It was a palm strike. As it surged toward them, the crimson force turned into a gigantic hand. With a thunderous boom, it crushed both Corpse Demons in its grip and slammed them against the cave wall. Tang Wei looked at the wall. All that remained was a palm print, deep and bottomless. The two Corpse Demons had vanished—by the looks of it, not a bone remained. He turned around, his smile radiant as a summer flower. "Bai Qiuran." "Can't I come here to rid the people of a scourge?" Bai Qiuran replied. "Since I've already come all this way, how could I hear that demons were harming people and leave without doing anything? My mentor would beat me to death if he found out." As he spoke, he suddenly felt warmth against his chest. He looked down and saw Bai Qiuran's palm pressed against him, supporting his body. Tang Wei let out a breath, then asked, "Why did you come here?" "Mm, I'm fine. You..." Tang Wei looked down at the ground beneath Bai Qiuran's feet. Sure enough, a ring of spiderweb cracks had appeared there, spreading wider by the moment. Tang Wei heard Bai Qiuran's calm voice. He looked down and saw Bai Qiuran's hand still pressed against his chest. Tang Wei suddenly sprang up and scrambled away from Bai Qiuran, covering his chest. At that moment, Tang Wei heard a string snap inside his head. His face flushed bright red. Cold sweat ran down his forehead. "How big is this hollow?" Tang Wei's hands and feet went cold, and despair filled his heart. "Don't just stare—give me a hand! Aaaah! I'm out of True Qi!" "What?" Of course, Tang Wei had left home this time to prove to his father that ordinary people didn't need to rely on Cultivators—they could protect themselves. He hoped his old man, who was so consumed by immortal arts, would come to his senses. Tang Wei used burning oil to set the peachwood alight, and the fire, which had the power to ward off evil, drove the Corpse Demon from its den and weakened it considerably. "Brother Tang." Tang Wei suddenly cried out and scrambled to his feet, moving away from Bai Qiuran as he clutched his chest. "Bai Qiuran."
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