Mortal Bones

Danxia Plain.

The moon is bright and the stars sparse, the world silent.

"Hmm? Did you hear footsteps just now?"

One of the peacock demon guards looked warily in the direction of the locked white-headed eagle.

"What footsteps? Must have been the wind."

The other peacock demon shook its head dismissively.

"Then I must have heard wrong."

After confirming there were no outsiders on Danxia Plain, the peacock demon who had first heard the footsteps nodded, and it continued to patrol with the other peacock demon around the plain.

"Whoosh..."

Seeing this, Xu Taiping, who was hiding under the wing of the white-headed eagle, let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Young one, who are you, and why have you come here in such danger?"

A gentle voice sounded in Xu Taiping's mind.

Clearly, the one transmitting the message was the white-headed eagle beside him, which was also the mother of Bai Yu.

As soon as Xu Taiping had landed, the white-headed eagle had already noticed him, and when the peacock demons grew suspicious, she quickly shielded him with her wing.

"Aunt Yeque, I'm Xu Taiping from Qingzhu Residence. Uncle Bai Hong mentioned me before."

Xu Taiping transmitted the message to Yeque.

This soul communication technique was simple at close range and had been taught to him by Fairy Lingyue long ago.

"You... you are that child from Uncle Bai Hong's words?"

Yeque's voice was full of surprise.

Clearly, she knew who Xu Taiping was.

"Child, you should leave quickly. The Peacock King comes to patrol every hour. I've had nine soul-locking nails driven into my body, and my demon power is almost completely sealed. With these demon-binding ropes on me, there's nothing you can do to save me."

Her tone became urgent as she communicated with Xu Taiping.

Hearing this, Xu Taiping's heart warmed, and he thought to himself that Aunt Yeque, just like Uncle Bai Hong, was a kind demon.

He felt that his decision to come here tonight was the right one.

"Aunt Yeque, I brought Bai Yu to see you."

Xu Taiping said, as he opened the gourd cap.

"Bai... Bai Yu?!"

Yeque's voice in Xu Taiping's mind was filled with shock.

Immediately after, they saw Bai Yu, in the form of a lark, land on Xu Taiping's shoulder.

"Mother!"

Bai Yu spoke to Yeque in soul communication, without hiding anything from Xu Taiping.

"Child, you... you're still alive?"

Yeque's voice was full of joy and disbelief.

"Mother, it was Taiping who saved me. This time, I begged him to bring me to see you."

Bai Yu transmitted the message.

"You fool, you could have come alone, why did you have to drag Taiping into this? Don't you know the Peacock King displayed me to the public for seven days to lure out the remnants of the White-Headed Eagle Clan?"

Yeque's tone suddenly changed from tenderness to one of scolding and reproach.

"But, Mother, how could I not come to see you?"

Bai Yu's voice was full of grievance.

"Aunt Yeque, Bai Yu and I have already discussed an escape plan. Even if we're discovered, we can still escape unscathed."

Xu Taiping explained in soul communication while Bai Yu nestled into Yeque's feathers.

"You've gotten us into trouble, Taiping."

Yeque's voice turned back to one of kindness.

"Aunt Yeque, you and Bai Yu talk slowly. I'll keep an eye on the guards from the side."

Xu Taiping shook his head in soul communication.

"Then I'll leave it to you."

Yeque's voice was filled with gratitude.

After that, Xu Taiping stopped listening to the conversation between Yeque and Bai Yu, instead focusing his attention on the patrolling guards and carefully watching the surroundings for any signs of movement.

"Fairy Lingyue, is there any way to save Aunt Yeque?"

Xu Taiping asked in his mind.

"Without removing the Soul-locking Nails or untying the Demon-binding Ropes, you can't take her away. And if there's too much movement here, the Peacock King will surely be alerted."

Fairy Lingyue expressed helplessness.

Upon hearing this, Xu Taiping reluctantly abandoned the thought of rescuing Yeque.

"Taiping."

After a cup of tea's time, Yeque's gentle voice again rang in Xu Taiping's mind.

"What is it, Aunt Yeque?"

Xu Taiping asked in soul communication.

"Aunt Yeque will definitely not be able to escape this time, so I want to pass on my original demon blood and demon core to Bai Yu. This will take at least half an incense stick's time. I've calculated it, and we should be able to finish before the Peacock King comes to patrol. Can you wait for us for half an incense stick's time?"

Yeque asked Xu Taiping somewhat apologetically.

"No problem."

Xu Taiping thought for a moment and nodded in his mind.

"Sigh..."

At that moment, Fairy Lingyue suddenly let out a long sigh.

"What's wrong, Fairy Lingyue?"

Xu Taiping asked, puzzled.

"For demons, forcing out their original demon blood and demon core is more painful than even killing them."

Fairy Lingyue explained.

Upon hearing this, Xu Taiping glanced at Bai Yu and noticed that it seemed to be resisting.

However, Bai Yu eventually couldn't resist Yeque and was swallowed whole by her.

Then Xu Taiping saw Yeque's body tremble constantly, and blood oozing from the pores beneath her feathers.

"This is a way of passing on the demon bloodline in the demon race, where a demon beast of the same bloodline enters the body of its parent, consumes their original demon blood, and swallows their demon core."

Seeing Xu Taiping's confusion, Fairy Lingyue explained to him.

"No wonder Bai Yu was reluctant..."

Hearing this, Xu Taiping couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

"Hahaha, hahaha!~"

"Bai Yu! This king already anticipated you would come!"

"Want to inherit demon blood? Dream on! You mother and son will become my clan's blood food!"

After just a cup of tea's time, a shrill laugh and an overwhelming pressure suddenly filled the air above Danxia Plain.

"Is it the Peacock King?"

Xu Taiping immediately recognized the aura of the Peacock King and became alert.

"How hateful! It was just one step away!"

The White-Headed Eagle King Yeque let out a pained sigh after hearing the sound. Then, her voice became resolute as she said to Xu Taiping: "Taiping, take Bai Yu... take Bai Yu and leave. I will bite through my demon core and fight him to the death for a while!"