Blood Bodhi

One strike missed. The man at the mouth of the well flashed with Gray Light, then drifted down like a ghost, landing steadily at the bottom.

He was a gaunt old man, his gray cloth clothes caked with dirt. The first thing he looked at after landing wasn't Li Tui. His gaze swept over the disturbed dark-red fungal threads, then the carvings on the well wall, now covered in lime, and finally settled on the demon corpse.

When he saw that the bulge wrapped in fungal threads near the wound on the corpse's abdomen was intact, the tension in his eyes eased almost imperceptibly.

"Little mouse," the old man said, turning to Li Tui at last. His voice was hoarse. "You hid well."

As he spoke, his left hand shifted inside his sleeve. The dark-red fungal threads on the well wall began to spread silently, blocking Li Tui's room to maneuver.

Li Tui had his back to the well wall, his right hand hovering over his short blade. His left shoulder burned with pain. He stared at the old man without speaking.

"Are you from the Zhao Family? Or did some other Household send you to ruin my plans?"

"This junior was just passing by," Li Tui said, his voice dry. "I saw something strange in the well and came down to investigate."

"Investigate?" The old man scoffed, his gaze raking over Li Tui like a bone-scraping knife. It lingered especially on the bulge in his clothes at the waist. "And your investigation led you right to me?"

He suddenly took half a step forward.

The air at the bottom of the well congealed. The dark-red fungal threads writhed faster, rustling faintly.

"What are you carrying in your clothes?" The old man's voice turned cold. "Take it out."

There was nowhere left to retreat.

Li Tui took a deep breath and slowly reached into his clothes with his left hand. His movements were hesitant, and his face showed fear and indecision.

The old man's attention was drawn to it, just as he'd expected.

The instant Li Tui's left hand was about to reach inside—

Li Tui shoved off the well wall behind him with his right foot. Instead of advancing, he sprang backward, charging toward the opening at the old man's left! His short blade flashed in his right hand, stabbing straight for the old man's ribs!

"Courting death!" As if he'd expected this, the old man swept his gray sleeve, sending out a gust of sinister wind.

But Li Tui's thrust had been a feint! Using the momentum of his charge, he pulled a large handful of lime mixed with chili powder from his clothes and flung it straight into the old man's face!

"Pathetic trick!" The old man shut his eyes and swept his sleeve. Spiritual energy surged, scattering most of the powder. But some still got into his eyes and nose, making him grunt in irritation.

In that fleeting moment of distraction, Li Tui slipped past his side like a loach. He drew back his short blade and stabbed hard at the old man's lower back.

"Clang!"

The blade's tip struck an invisible barrier, ringing like metal on metal. It couldn't pierce an inch farther, and the dim Gray Light around the old man's body wavered violently.

"Got some nerve!" The old man laughed in fury. His right hand curled into a claw, and he grabbed fiercely at Li Tui from a distance!

All at once, countless dark-red fungal threads burst from the well wall! Like blood-red arrows, they shot toward Li Tui from every direction with a shrill whistle!

There was nowhere to dodge!

Li Tui's eyes sharpened. He neither dodged nor retreated, but charged toward the thinnest patch of arrows! At the same time, he reached into his clothes with his left hand, pulled out the coarse cloth pouch holding the dark-red fleshy lump, and hurled it with all his strength at the boil-like bulge in the center of the well floor!

"How dare you!!"

The old man sensed the object's aura. A murderous gleam flashed in his eyes, but instead of lunging for the pouch, he thrust out his left hand like lightning, curling his fingers into a claw and grabbing at Li Tui's back from afar!

A soft, clinging force suddenly coiled around Li Tui's limbs. His climbing motion came to an abrupt halt.

In that instant, several dark-red fungal threads struck like venomous snakes, piercing his left shoulder and right leg! A frigid, corroding force flooded in. The blood around the wounds turned black and congealed.

Li Tui grunted. The Wood Essence Qi-Guiding Technique within him revolved furiously, barely resisting the sinister force dragging him downward. His right hand slashed back with the short blade, cutting through several fungal threads that had wrapped around his ankle. At the same time, his left hand made a show of hurling the pouch hard at the well wall.

But at the very last instant before releasing it, he quietly loosened his fingers. The pouch flew forward with the force of his throw, but a thread so fine it was almost invisible caught its tail in midair!

It was fishing line he'd wrapped around his wrist before entering the well. The pouch hit the wall with a muffled thud, and the wet mud and grass stuffed inside burst out in every direction. But the real dark-red fleshy lump, pulled by the line, traced a nearly invisible arc through the shadows and swung back soundlessly to Li Tui's side!

It all happened in the blink of an eye. The pouch's burst caught the old man's attention. He glanced at the scattered clumps of mud and grass and snorted. "Pathetic trick!"

In that fleeting moment of distraction, Li Tui drew the swinging lump into his clothes. He yanked with his left hand, snapping the line, then kicked off the well wall with both feet. Grabbing the hemp rope with one hand, he scrambled upward with all his might!

"You think you can leave?!"

The old man laughed angrily. Though he hadn't realized the fleshy lump was gone, he wasn't about to let his prey escape so easily. He clenched his right hand in midair. The black trident embedded in the well wall gave a "whir" as it tore free, then shot toward Li Tui's back like a streak of darkness!

Suspended in midair, Li Tui heard the whistle behind him and twisted around, raising his blade to block.

"Clang!"

His short blade struck the side of the trident, sending sparks flying. The tremendous force split his palm, and the blade flew from his hand. The trident veered off course, grazing his ribs and tearing away a strip of flesh before embedding itself deep in the well wall above.

The strike had been powerful, but Li Tui's timely block and twist of his body had shifted its angle just enough to miss anything vital.

Li Tui used the force to propel himself upward. Gripping the hemp rope tightly, he climbed desperately with hands and feet, ignoring the agony in his shoulder and leg. His fingertips were raw, and the blood mingled with the damp mud on the well wall, making it so slippery he could barely hold on. He gritted his teeth, a coppery sweetness rising in his throat. His eyes fixed on the patch of moonlight at the mouth of the well, growing closer and closer.

At last, his fingers hooked over the rim. He summoned the last of his strength to haul himself out, then collapsed in the wild grass, gasping violently.

At the bottom of the well.

The old man stood quietly in the darkness, listening to the unsteady footsteps retreating outside. Only after the sound had completely vanished into the night wind did he slowly lower his gaze.

There was no anger on his gaunt face. Instead, the corners of his mouth curled faintly.

"Taking it away is fine too..." His hoarse voice echoed softly at the bottom of the well. "It'll save this old man the trouble of constantly searching for demonic creatures. Wouldn't your living body be a hundred times better than those misshapen lumps of flesh?"

He had seemed enraged just moments ago, but in truth his mind had been clear.

That brat was slippery. Even if he could kill him on the spot, the commotion would be troublesome. This way... was just right.

"Take good care of it," the old man murmured, a greedy, icy gleam flashing in his eyes.