Night Talk in the Infirmary · A Promise About the Curse

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When Nan Feng returned to the ground, the stands of the Hell Slaughter Arena had been occupied by three different groups of people.

The dim green lights burned tirelessly, and the figures on the street remained numb. He stepped out of the passageway, and seven pairs of eyes swept over him from different directions, all scrutinizing him. The dark golden light emanating from the third underground level and the roar of the Bat King were impossible for the people of this city not to have sensed.

"The Tower Master is still alive."

"Not only did he survive, he single-handedly took down the Bat King."

Who is that blonde woman next to him?

Voices drifted from the depths of the alley. The Nan Feng swept through the street back to the stone house. The dark gold bloodstains had dried and hardened into a shell, and with each step, fragments fell from the hem of his clothes. The Bat King's blood was corrosive, and the Tower Realm Barrier was nearly 40% depleted.

After closing the door, Nan Feng sat cross-legged on the stone bed, his consciousness sinking into the Tower Spirit Space.

The gap at the third level widened slightly, and the Power of Creation nearly doubled. The resonance from the fusion of fragments continued. The abilities of the third level were being strengthened, and the output of the Power of Creation was becoming more refined. The domain suppression of the Tower Realm of Creation was stronger, and its ability to evolve friendly Martial Soul also advanced to the next level.

"The fragment resonance has stabilized." Old Huai's voice rang out, filled with excitement. "The first chapter of the Mountain Suppression Art has been mastered; next, we'll study the second chapter. However, my Soul Power is too weak, and my Foundation Establishment isn't stable enough. My supernatural abilities must be developed gradually."

Nan Feng channeled the remaining Soul Power back into her meridians, using the Power of Creation to repair the hidden injuries. The Bat King's sonic waves left cracks in her meridians.

"How is Hu Liena?" Old Huai asked.

Nan Feng paused for a moment. After returning to the surface, he never saw her again; the two of them came out from the third basement level and took different paths.

She should be alright.

Old Huai snorted.

Nan Feng closed her eyes and continued to regulate her breathing, a knot in her mind that wouldn't loosen. She had been hit by sonic waves after releasing the Rakshasa Power on the third underground level. She was only Soul King, without the strong defense of the Tower Realm. After the curse was released, it became disordered, and her soul imprint was vibrating violently. The backlash was too much for her to suppress with her current Soul Power.

Nan Feng opened her eyes and looked at the red ribbon on her left wrist.

"Go if you want to," Old Huai said. "Don't dawdle."

Nan Feng stood up and pushed open the door of the stone house. The Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light unfolded, and the distribution of light within a hundred paces emerged. The streets were like a maze, and with the Rakshasa Curse in her soul, that dark golden aura was like a lamp in the night for the Primordial World Imprint.

She was in the infirmary.

The infirmary was located in a narrow alley behind the killing field; it was a stone hut. Dry grass covered the stone bed, and several rolls of blackened bandages and a few chipped earthenware jars were piled in the corner. A dim green lamp hung by the door.

When Nan Feng entered, Hu Liena was leaning against the wall of the stone bed, her long golden hair disheveled and draped over her shoulders, her face pale. Her left shoulder was wrapped in a thick bandage, the edges of which were seeping blood. Even worse was her fox tail. The golden fox tail that was still flexible on the third underground floor was now broken off, the end of which was bandaged.

She heard footsteps and opened her eyes.

Upon seeing Nan Feng, her amber fox eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then curved into a smile.

"Aren't you afraid that if I die, no one will fight with me?"

Nan Feng didn't answer. He took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket, poured out a white pill, and placed it on the edge of the stone bed. It was a healing medicine refined by Ye Lingling. There were three pills in total, and he hadn't been willing to use them when they clashed head-on on the third underground level.

"It's made from Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia," he said. "It has miraculous effects on treating internal injuries."

Hu Liena looked down at the pill, not taking it immediately. She stared into Nan Feng's eyes for a few seconds, her gaze scrutinizing him.

"Why?"

"If you die, I'll have one less opponent," Nan Feng said. "The curse in your soul hasn't been lifted yet; if you die, your life will have been in vain."

Hu Liena laughed, the laughter aggravating the wound on her left shoulder. She hissed, her face contorting for a moment. She picked up the pill, put it in her mouth, chewed it twice, and swallowed it. The healing power of the Nine Heart Begonia spread from her stomach, repairing along her meridians. Her complexion improved within a few breaths.

"You're really something else." Hu Liena squinted, her voice still weak. "You even want to interfere with the curse on my soul. Nine Heart Begonia... You carry something like that with you all the time. How many women do you have outside?"

Nan Feng didn't reply. He sat down on the wooden stool, his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light sensing her internal condition. The medicine was repairing her meridians and bones, but the curse mark was still unstable, throbbing deep within her soul.

"Your curse is backfiring," Nan Feng said.

Hu Liena's smile froze for a moment. She didn't deny it, her right hand pressed against her heart. Dark gold patterns peeked through her fingers.

"I used the Rakshasa Power on the third underground level, and part of the curse was activated," she said, her voice lower. "Before, it only stayed in my soul, but now it's like it's awakened. I can feel it moving."

The Nan Feng remained silent for two seconds.

"Can you untie it?" Hu Liena asked. She tilted her head to look at him, her amber fox eyes showing an unusual seriousness.

Nan Feng did not answer immediately. Her Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light focused on the Soul Core, examining the structure of the mark closely. Dark gold patterns were embedded from the surface of her soul, intertwined with her meridians and the Martial Soul Core, like a net. The outermost layer had a golden halo, which was the remnant of Primordial World Power left over from when the Tower Realm shielded her.

"Maybe," Nan Feng said.

Hu Liena's pupils contracted slightly.

"But I need more time," Nan Feng said. "The curse in your soul was planted by Bibi Dong using the power of the Rakshasa God's origin. To completely remove it, I need power of a higher level than the Rakshasa God. Primordial World Power can restrain it, but to peel it away, I need to cultivate to at least the Soul Saint."

"Soul Saint," Hu Liena repeated, a bitter smile curving her lips, "I'm not even Soul Emperor. The suppression from the Slaughter City, coupled with the backlash of the curse, has reduced my Soul Power to level forty-nine."

Nan Feng took out another porcelain bottle and placed it on the edge of the stone bed. It contained the remaining liquid after the millennium Ice Marrow, which Shui Bing'er had sent him, had been refined. There was only a small half-bottle left, but it was useful for stabilizing the soul.

"This can temporarily suppress the backlash," Nan Feng said. "Apply it to the location of the soul imprint, and the Spiritual Power of the Ice Marrow will seep in, adding an ice film to the outer layer of the curse. It's uncertain how long it will last, but at least it will allow you to fight normally."

Hu Liena stared at the porcelain vase for a long time. She didn't reach out to take it, but looked up at the Nan Feng.

"Why did you help me?" she asked, her voice softer than before. "I'm from the Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong is my master. I approached you in the first place to figure out the secrets of your soul. You knew all this, yet you still gave me medicine, helped me suppress the curse, and even said you'd help me lift it—"

She paused, then took a breath.

"What exactly are you after?"

A distant scream echoed from outside the stone house, and a sliver of cold light shone through the cracks in the window. Nan Feng sat on a wooden stool, less than three steps away from her.

"I've said it before, Slaughter City," Nan Feng said. "The curse in your soul is connected to what I'm looking for. Helping you break it will also benefit me."

Hu Liena looked at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled. The smile seemed both like a sigh of relief and like making a firm decision.

"You..." She shook her head, picked up the porcelain bottle and held it in her palm, "You're clearly using me, yet you seem quite sincere to me."

"Likewise," Nan Feng said.

Hu Liena snorted and poured out a little of the remaining Ice Marrow liquid, pressing it to her chest. An icy blue light shone through her fingers, and her whole body trembled. The dark gold curse patterns faded beneath the ice membrane. Her breathing became steady.

"Much better." She opened her eyes and looked at Nan Feng. "Thanks."

Nan Feng stood up, preparing to leave.

"Wait a minute," Hu Liena called out to him.

He turned around. She leaned against the wall, her long golden hair cascading over the stone bed. She was silent for a few seconds. "I said before that Slaughter City, and we'd talk about it after we got out. Now I've changed my mind."

Nan Feng looked at her.

"If you can truly break the curse on my soul—" she said softly, enunciating each word clearly, "I'll owe you my life."

"Remember that," Nan Feng said.

He pushed open the door and stepped out of the stone house, the dim green light casting a long shadow behind him. The wind blew in from the depths of the alley, carrying the smells of blood and rust. After a few steps, he stopped.

Within the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light, a dark golden dot appeared at the end of the alleyway a hundred paces away, its aura identical to the Primordial World Power within the stone wall carvings.

The missing Tower Master is nearby.

Nan Feng took a step in that direction, and the light disappeared in the next instant. He looked into the depths of the alley and saw only empty stone walls under the lamplight.

"He's still here," Old Huai said. "The Primordial World Power within him is even stronger than before."

Nan Feng withdrew his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light and turned back to the stone house. The stone slabs under his feet were wet and cold, and the screams in the distance subsided. The dim green light flickered in the night wind, like one of the countless eyes in the city staring at him.

He pushed open the door, and the sound of the iron gate closing echoed for a long time.

In the infirmary, Hu Liena leaned against the wall, clutching an empty porcelain bottle in her hand, staring at the ceiling with a slight smile on her lips.