Chapter 1316: Drought Demon
Translator: CKtalon
If Zhou Wen saw the Fiend Tomb now, he would definitely be alarmed.
It could no longer be called a grave. Not only was there no grave, but there was also a bottomless pit.
The flames in the pit rose up as blazing white flames spewed out dozens of meters high. If not for the suppression of the Zhang family’s seal, the flames would have long surged into the sky, making it known to the world.
Even though it was suppressed by the seal, the flames were still unimaginably terrifying. It made the bottomless pit look like the entrance to h.e.l.l. The constantly burning flames turned the surrounding rocks into crystalline objects that s.h.i.+mmered with a demonic light under the flames.
The wooden carriage stopped not far from the deep pit. Almost all the core members of the Zhang family had arrived. Under Zhang Siyou’s lead, they reached the edge of the seal.
The last time Zhou Wen had seen Zhang Siyou was only five years ago. If Zhou Wen saw him again, he probably wouldn’t recognize him.
Zhang Siyou looked much older now. It wasn’t that his face had changed much, but that his mental state looked terrible.
Zhang Siyou looked at the fiery pit that resembled the entrance to h.e.l.l. He was in a daze for a while, as though he was in a trance.
“Family Head, it’s time to begin,” Eldest Uncle Zhang reminded. Although he was Zhang Siyou’s elder brother, he could only respectfully address him as family head.
Zhang Siyou seemed to wake from a dream with a start. He looked at the flaming pit again before retracting his gaze and turning to look at the wooden carriage.
All the Zhang family members looked at the wooden carriage with Zhang Siyou, their expressions extremely complicated.
“Family Head, it’s almost time,” Eldest Uncle Zhang reminded again.
“Whatever. Lower it,” Zhang Siyou said.
When Eldest Uncle Zhang heard that, he waved his hand. Eight members of the Zhang family immediately brought the coffin from the wooden carriage to them.
Zhang Siyou walked to the coffin and touched the yellow paper talismans on the coffin lid. He said with a strange expression, “Ever since the ancestral Celestial Master obtained the heavens’ teachings and established our Celestial Master lineage, the Zhang family has never suffered such humiliation.”
Eldest Uncle Zhang said, “Family Head, you can’t say that. Ever since the ancestral Celestial Master was around, our Zhang family has been embroiled with her. We have also been guarding the Fiend Tomb and have been severely affected by her aura. The Zhang family’s bloodline has already been seeded with demonic aura. This is the karma our Zhang family deserves. If she really returns to this world, all of our Zhang family members will be bedeviled. Yuzhi naturally won’t be an exception.”
Everyone from the Zhang family was depressed. Although Eldest Uncle Zhang was right—the Zhang family was deeply affected by the Drought Demon, and the Drought Demon could no longer be suppressed—they could no longer stop her return.
As long as the Drought Demon appeared, the Zhang family would be infected by the Fiend Tomb’s aura, having guarded the Fiend Tomb for so many years. The demonic nature hidden in their bodies would erupt. When that happened, they would become monsters that were neither human nor demonic.
After experiencing the corruption and heredity of the demonic aura for countless years, the demonic nature had already penetrated deep into the bones of the Zhang family. If the Drought Demon appeared, it would be useless even if the Zhang family fled to the ends of the world.
The Zhang family had been searching for a way to resolve this problem, but they didn’t have a good solution. With the Fiend Tomb changing day by day, Drought Demon was about to be resurrected once more.
Just as the Zhang family thought that they were really going to be wiped out, Drought Demon in the Fiend Tomb raised a condition to their surprise.
As long as Zhang Yuzhi fused with it, the demonic nature in the Zhang family’s body wouldn’t be triggered even if she was resurrected, allowing them to maintain their human nature.
It was a fusion, not a contract. This was unacceptable to many people in the Zhang family.
If it was a contract, at the very least, Zhang Yuzhi would still be alive. However, fusion was opposite of what w.a.n.g Mingyuan did when fusing with the Guardian. The Guardian would be the main body that fused with Zhang Yuzhi’s body.
Although the Drought Demon would still retain some of Zhang Yuzhi’s characteristics, its thoughts would be completely the Drought Demon’s. Zhang Yuzhi would be in a state no different from death.
However, reality was cruel. The entire family would die or only Zhang Yuzhi would die. Although this question was difficult, the answer was obvious.
“Family Head, let me send sis off one last time,” Zhang Chunqiu whispered.
“Can you do it?” Zhang Siyou was slightly taken aback as he asked Zhang Chunqiu.
The Zhang family doted on Zhang Yuzhi, and Zhang Chunqiu had the best relations.h.i.+p with her. Zhang Siyou originally didn’t want Zhang Chunqiu to come, but he had insisted on coming.
“I can. I want to accompany sis on this final journey,” Zhang Chunqiu said.
“Let Chunqiu send her off. Chunqiu and Yuzhi have the best relations.h.i.+p. With Chunqiu sending her off, Yuzhi can feel more at ease,” Eldest Uncle Zhang persuaded.
In fact, Eldest Uncle Zhang was willing to speak up for Zhang Chunqiu because many people in the Zhang family didn’t agree with using Zhang Yuzhi to make a deal with the Drought Demon.
If Zhang Chunqiu, who had the best relations.h.i.+p with Zhang Yuzhi, personally sent her to the Drought Demon, the others would have nothing better to say.
“Go. No matter how difficult the path ahead is, you have to continue. Take care of yourself,” Zhang Siyou said as he patted Zhang Chunqiu on the shoulder.
“I understand. You too.” Zhang Chunqiu bowed respectfully before walking to the coffin. He stroked the coffin and said, “Sis, I’m here to send you off. I’ll accompany you on this final journey.”
With that said, Zhang Chunqiu lifted the coffin and placed it on his shoulder.
The people who had previously carried the coffin wanted to help, but Zhang Chunqiu stopped them. “I can do it myself.”
Then, Zhang Chunqiu carried the coffin and walked towards the flaming pit.
When the coffin reached the crystallized rock, the flames in the deep pit suddenly erupted, instantly burning the seal set by the Zhang family to ashes.
Thousands of yellow paper talismans rose in the flames and turned to ashes.
Blazing white flames shot into the sky like an aurora, illuminating the nearby mountains. At the same time, the scorching power cooked all the plants. Ordinary animals were no exception.
Amidst the flame pillar, a huge flower that seemed to be condensed from flames appeared.
The flower looked like a lotus flower, but it was somewhat different. Every petal was pure white and crystalline without any impurities. However, the immense power contained in them seemed to be able to turn the entire world into a flaming h.e.l.l.
“Place her in the flower. My grudge with the Zhang family shall be written off. From now on, you don’t have to endure the pain of the demonic nature.” A strange woman’s voice sounded from the flaming pit.
Zhang Chunqiu carried the coffin and stared at the flower. He said calmly, “Legend has it that the Drought Demon was originally a fairy who had once helped Yellow Emperor defeat Count of the Wind and Lord of the Rain. As she wasn’t able to return to the Heaven Realm in time, she ended up in the north. However, the power of fire from the Drought Demon Fairy was too powerful. Wherever she pa.s.sed, she left scorched earth. As a result, she was cursed by the ma.s.ses. In the end, the deities punished her, turning her into a corpse that was buried deep underground. From then on, she never saw the sun.”
“It’s just a legend.” The woman’s voice answered Zhang Chunqiu.
Zhang Chunqiu nodded and continued, “In our Zhang family, there’s another legend.. Back when the ancestral Celestial Master died, he once said that if the Drought Demon wants to reincarnate, it has to satisfy three conditions. I wonder if that’s true?”