Blood simmering

But Xian Wu wouldn't allow that fact to addle his judgement; It mattered not if he couldn't poison him. All he needed to do was to end him somehow or another. He pressed his legs with martial force, racing toward the Chen Yuwen at an unearthly speed.

Chen Yuwen dodged, barely out of reach. His martial arts were nimble and slippery as a snake.

The tune on the demon-swaying flute went up an octave as he began to play with one hand, using the other to draw his straight sword. His tactics had shifted from staying just out of reach to facing Xian Wu's attacks head-on.

Exchanging blows like a kind of chaotic dance, the flute tune peaked in intensity.

Xian Wu swung his sword forcefully, cutting the sleeve of Chen Yuwen's robe. The blow didn't carry through when a silver blade pressed back against it. That flute noise made his ear hurt it was so terrible. He snapped, "Don't you grow tired of playing that crappy music?! Crazy bastard!"

Chen Yuwen just smiled even more, his lips peeling up creepily.

Xian Wu was on guard at once. Chen Yuwen had never been the type to do things for no reason.

Then he heard it. A soft groan, one that was pained and almost a whimper.

Bo Penglai was asleep inside the house…it could only be Lai Yiteng.

In a second Xian Wu jumped backward, he swiveled his head to check Lai Yiteng. He wondered if he'd gotten hit by a poison needle earlier…

Lai Yiteng was kneeling on the ground, his hands clamped over his ears as blood trailed out of the corner of his lips.

There was no needle on him…so then…it was the flute.

It was a very dumb thought, but Xian Wu's first thought was 'now even bad music makes him cough up blood?!' He couldn't help thinking it, really. After all, Lai Yiteng almost had 'coughs up blood' as one of his main traits at this point.

Xian Wu grimaced at this turn of events. It was very bad if Yi'er was sick and injured again. He faced Chen Yuwen a moment later and could only charge forward with his saber again, aiming towards that damned flute in his hand, trying to get him to stop playing.

Xian Wu pivoted forward in a blur of speed, he and Chen Yuwen were back at it again.

This time Xian Wu would push himself. Usually in battles to the death, users would conserve their internal force for a critical moment to strike, but this time he was anxious to defeat Chen Yuwen quickly.

Although Xian Wu wanted to kill Chen Yuwen with care, not allowing him to escape again, he also couldn't turn a blind eye to whatever hold that flute music had on Lai Yiteng. He didn't want him to suffer. As such it was unavoidable that his attention would be split slightly more than before.

Thus, he knew to compensate he would need to pressure Chen Yuwen more. His arm gathered his internal force as a light green sheen appeared over his blade. With a touch of hurry, Xian Wu unleashed a twisting sword attack the crawled up from his blade, one that flew around Chen Yuwen's straight sword and toward his neck.

Graceful Dragon Sect tenth martial technique; Entwined Twisting Dragons.

An attack more ruthless and powerful than all previous.

Chen Yuwen faltered slightly. He was unsuspecting of such timing and his back slammed into a tree. The flute in his hand raised to block the sword and the music evaporated from the air.

Xian Wu narrowed avoided a sword strike that countered his attack. Chen Yuwen's blade scratched his shoulder, leaving a line of red. But Xian Wu didn't worry about a minor scrape, and only the burning sensation that came afterwards.

Poison. Fucking poison as always! Who doesn't use poison?!

But Chen Yuwen hadn't escaped all of Xian Wu's attacks unscathed. There was a gash on his throat from the martial arts technique that was causing blood to spill over his robe collar.

"You've learned a lot since I've been gone," Chen Yuwen said quietly. "But you're still too emotional. Unsuited for the poison arts. Why don't you just let me have that burden, Lai Yiteng, and I'll let you go."

Xian Wu was disgusted. "Dream on. Say something that makes sense."

Nevertheless, this wasn't the time for verbal war. Gripping the spot he'd been cut, Xian Wu took a step back. He needed to check on Lai Yiteng.

The younger was heaving in front of the house, his fingers curling over his heart until he drew blood. Xian Wu didn't have the luxury to turn his back to Chen Yuwen and help him, however. He could only afford a few glances with the time he'd bought for himself.

"Just stay calm, Yi'er." He said anxiously. "It'll be okay. Like always, I'll find a way to help you. Just after…I…" Xian Wu dodged as Chen Yuwen came at him with the sword again, "…after I kill him! Alright?"

Lai Yiteng lifted his head, expression pained. But there was something off about him, too.

His once pitch-black pupils had turned entirely silver.

As though he were blind or…not a human.

Alarm bells went off in Xian Wu's head. Demon-swaying flute only has an effect on demons—so then, Lai Yiteng was…a non-human?! But this made no sense. Li Yiteng could practice Lotus Martial Arts and clearly was human in his personality and mannerisms. He was no monster, not an abomination like the giant salamander. Xian Wu could only believe that this all had to do with whatever concoction Lai Yiteng was fed at Lushang Sect.

And the flute music aggravated it, made it come to the surface after Xian Wu had carefully repressed the poison in Lai Yiteng's veins. It made it clear why Chen Yuwen insisted on playing the flute, not to get to Xian Wu, but as an attack against Lai YIteng.

All the sounds that were hard on Lai Yiteng's ears, the flute, that salamander, sheesh, one could only say he had shitty luck.

But right now there was nothing Xian Wu could do about it. He watched in confused horror as Lai Yiteng's teeth began to turn sharper, his eyes went from rounded irises to a slit like a cat's.

Xian Wu hurriedly rushed back to Lai Yiteng again. He tried to help him stand on his feet, but his body was beginning to feel weakened from the poison on Chen Yuwen's blade as well.

He did not expect a hand bulging with veins to shove him back with force. Xian Wu almost fell onto the ground.

"Yi-er…what's wrong?" Lai YIteng's pupils slid to him with cold apathy. Xian Wu was disturbed and blabbered, "Hey, it's me! You know, that guy who's been saving your life. You've shared a bed with me too, don't forget suddenly!"

Lai Yiteng could scarcely hear him from all the ringing in his ears.

That flute music wouldn't stop echoing, the very sounds seemed to mess with his head. He couldn't think straight, his whole body ached with pain. He took a step forward, a kind of bloodlust simmering in his veins.

His blood felt like it was simmering. Hot and painful, he just wanted to destroy something to make it go away. Of course, his first choice was that man who'd caused him such suffering, the one smiling with his flute a distance away.