The Spotted Poison Dove

Xiao Xiao left the hospital room and saw Lin's parents waiting outside.

Their pale, weary faces held a faint glimmer of hope.

"Auntie, Uncle, I'll head back for now."

"I'll come back this afternoon."

"Ah." Lin's Father gave a short reply and stopped Lin's Mother from saying something.

"Um, Xiao Xiao... be careful on your way."

"...It's all right if you can't come this afternoon." Lin's Father wanted to say more, but the words circled on the tip of his tongue before he finally swallowed them. Since Xiao Xiao hadn't said anything, he probably couldn't do anything either, right?

That made sense. He was still just a child, and he wasn't a doctor. How could he possibly...

Lin's Father repeated this to himself, but he still couldn't hold back the deep disappointment welling up inside him.

Watching Xiao Xiao walk away, Lin's Mother grew anxious. "Why did you stop me? I hadn't even asked him yet!"

"What was there to ask?"

"If he didn't say anything, then he can't do anything. Why embarrass him by asking to his face?"

"Besides, he's just a child."

Lin's Mother wilted a little. That was true. What was there to ask? Wasn't the answer obvious?

Xiao Xiao had naturally seen the disappointment on Lin's parents' faces. He pressed his lips together, but in the end said nothing and turned to leave.

He was wondering whether he should go to Fragrant Hills again before returning to the hospital that afternoon and ask Ling Yao about it.

As fellow demons, perhaps Ling Yao would know something.

That afternoon, Xiao Xiao returned to the hospital.

Hm? Xiao Xiao paused for a moment, then continued as though nothing had happened.

"Uncle, Auntie, were you waiting for me?"

Wasn't it Lin's parents standing outside Lin Zhenzhen's hospital room?

After their initial surprise, they seemed to understand.

Even though they didn't quite believe him, they'd still been unable to stop themselves from hoping, hadn't they?

When Lin's parents saw that Xiao Xiao had really come, their expressions grew complicated.

After Xiao Xiao left that morning, they'd gone straight into the room, worried that something might have happened to their daughter.

They didn't know what Xiao Xiao had talked about with Zhenzhen. Apart from hearing a few faint screams at first, they hadn't heard anything else.

When they first heard the familiar screams, they'd almost rushed in. They knew how fragile their daughter was now.

But even though they'd already put their hands on the doorknob, they ultimately gave up.

They'd promised Xiao Xiao, and they wanted to try to believe him.

Even if it all came to nothing in the end.

But when they hurried into the room, they froze.

Their daughter's bandages had been removed?!

That was why Lin's parents were now waiting for Xiao Xiao outside the room.

They didn't know what Xiao Xiao had said to Zhenzhen.

Zhenzhen wouldn't tell them, so they naturally wouldn't press her.

But that face... ever since the hospital had announced there was nothing they could do, Zhenzhen hadn't even let anyone else change her bandages. Not even they could persuade their daughter to take them off without fear.

So what had this boy done? Or what had he said? How had he gotten Zhenzhen to lower all her defenses and reveal her most vulnerable, tender side?

Just this alone was enough to stir something deep inside them. Their hearts had long been silent, rotted through by disappointment, but now they seemed to sense the faintest glimmer of light. They couldn't wait to see Xiao Xiao again.

But as they watched Xiao Xiao walk slowly toward them, Lin's parents moved their lips and suddenly didn't know what to say.

There were so many things they wanted to ask, so many things they wanted to say.

All their questions and thoughts had run through their minds again and again.

Yet now that the person they wanted to question was right in front of them, they couldn't bring themselves to ask anything.

Perhaps they were simply too afraid—afraid it was all just their imagination, that they'd only convinced themselves the boy before them could be their savior. They feared that the moment they spoke, all their hopes would burst like bubbles in the sunlight.

So in the end, all they could manage was a stiff greeting.

"Xiao Xiao, you're here."

"Yes, I'm here."

"Good afternoon, Uncle, Auntie."

Outside the window, the sun shone brightly, and the corridor was awash with light, as if every dark corner had been illuminated.

Lin's parents were momentarily dazed. Suddenly, the weight that had burdened them for days seemed to lift a little.

"Hello, Lin Zhenzhen. I'm back." Xiao Xiao greeted Lin Zhenzhen, who had once again become the bandaged girl, with the faintest curve of his lips.

"Xiao Xiao." Lin Zhenzhen's voice was hoarse and dry as it echoed through the dim room.

Though the sun shone brightly outside, the room remained dark and gloomy.

The thick curtains blocked out all the light.

Xiao Xiao took out the Monster Compendium.

He wasn't sure whether demonic aura alone would make the Monster Compendium reveal the demon's true form.

But he had to try.

If it didn't work... he'd have to put in more effort to find out about this demon he knew nothing about.

Before Xiao Xiao could say anything, Lin Zhenzhen had already started unwrapping her bandages.

He swallowed the words he'd been about to say. Well, if the person involved was this cooperative, what more could he say?

A thick, malevolent demonic aura spread through the room.

A trace of disgust crossed Xiao Xiao's brow. What a foul smell.

He slowly opened the Monster Compendium and flipped through it without hesitation, page by page, until he reached a blank sheet.

"Lin Zhenzhen, close your eyes."

Xiao Xiao could somehow make out a stunned, bewildered expression on that disfigured face.

He gave her a reassuring look.

After hesitating a little, Lin Zhenzhen slowly closed her eyes.

If Lin Zhenzhen's face had been whole, this would have been a beautiful sight, wouldn't it?

But now... there were more important things to do.

Xiao Xiao brought the open Monster Compendium close to Lin Zhenzhen's face. Black mist roiled and slowly spread above the book.

The mist seemed to be absorbed by the yellowed paper.

Not all at once, but in thin, wispy strands.

A vivid vermilion gradually seeped across the otherwise blank page.

It really worked!

Xiao Xiao's gaze grew even more focused.

The unfamiliar demon gradually emerged on the page.

Two strangely constructed characters were written in sinuous strokes, exuding an ominous, sinister air. The overly vivid vermilion seemed ready to drip from the page.

"Spotted Poison Dove."

It was a bird-shaped demon, one that radiated a bewitching aura.

Even though it appeared in only one color, Xiao Xiao somehow knew that its entire body must be covered in brilliant, multicolored feathers.

Beautiful beyond compare.

But it was true: the more beautiful something was, the more poisonous it was.

Xiao Xiao sighed, thinking of Lin Zhenzhen's face. Without realizing it, his gaze met the Spotted Poison Dove's eyes.

His breath caught.

Two trails of bloody tears were slowly sliding down from the corners of the Spotted Poison Dove's eyes.

Combined with its cold, malicious gaze, the sight was truly horrifying.

There was none of the tragic beauty or sorrowful tenderness that novels described in bloody tears.

But the longer he looked, the more he could make out a chilling, eerie beauty beneath the horror.

Xiao Xiao rubbed his chin. Perhaps the vermilion really was just too vivid.