Beware Of Chicken

Ri Zu could not afford to be particularly gentle or safe. The spikes had to be taken out—along with the affected tissue—or they would be used to cause the woman debilitating pain. The stress points on the bones told the story, as did the tiny formation carved in each spike.

Yingwen at least had proved to be an able assistant, dispensing medicine precisely and following all of Ri Zu’s orders without hesitation or deviation. He was also in charge of the siphoning formation, and they were taking out both the demonic Qi and the poison as best they could.

The pair did their bloody duty.

They pulled out spikes, they cut open organs, and they broke bone to expose the marrow. However, despite the horror Ri Zu had to inflict, Zang Shenhe was a cultivator in the Earth Realm. Even with her Qi still suppressed by poisons and seals, she had refined her body and thus could suffer injuries that would kill a mortal a thousand times over.

It didn’t make it any easier.

It was nerve-wracking work, made all the worse by the fact that Ri Zu knew exactly how the battle was progressing thanks to her shadowy helpers. It was all she could do to keep her hands steady as she listened to the shouts and screams of pain.

Ri Zu had to stay here. She had to get Zang Shenhe up and fighting. It took all her will to keep her focus on her task. She could not fail.

They had swiftly run out of everything in Ri Zu’s packs, forcing Ri Zu to dip into the reserve supplies given to her by Nezan, Master Forest Sweeper, and Shen Yu. Multiple times she had to adjust to how the new reagents and potions were used. Balancing every effect with raw Qi, each mistake costing her precious time and causing more pain to Zang Shenhe. She spent her Qi until her limbs shook.

The din of battle got louder and closer. She no longer needed her shadows to extend her senses. The shouts of her friends and allies became more strained and desperate.

The only positive was that Elder Shenhe was beginning to stir. They were in the last stretch now. Ri Zu just needed a little bit more—

That was when Ri Zu gasped. The air in the room went from stifling and full of blood to sharp and cold. The floor partially froze over. Her flagging Qi stumbled and sparked as something titanic brushed against her, some part deep in her core thundering to the beat of an unheard drum.

The Qi surged and Ri Zu bent it to her will. She focused it into her hands and pressed it to Elder Shenhe’s dantian. The shock of Ri Zu’s Qi made the woman jerk, and then her eyes snapped open.

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Zang Shenhe had been aware, but not aware. Numb.

She could feel her body. She could feel blades cutting her open again. She could feel the poison fading.

A sudden freezing cold rammed into her guts.

Shenhe’s Qi roared in response, coursing through her body and punching through the last of the suppressors. She was on her feet in an instant, her eyes locking onto the unfamiliar form her sudden movement had thrown backwards. Wide, dark eyes looked upon her with a hint of wariness as Shenhe’s intent pinned her, before a grim smile broke out on her face. The woman sat beside spikes of black chitin—broken black chitin. Removed from her restraints, Shenhe felt… good, better than good. There were sounds of combat coming from outside the room.

“Elder Shenhe!”

The familiar voice of Zhou Yingwen’s voice yelled out. The disciple was on one knee. His body bore many bandaged wounds.

Her mind raced piecing together the possibilities. An ally? A rescue? Very likely. Her eyes refocused on Disciple Yingwen. By the books. No nonsense. He was the kind of man to explain quickly and overlook blunt commands.

“Disciple Zhou Yingwen, report,” Shenhe commanded, her voice rough.

“We have mounted a rescue attempt with powerful allies, Elder Shenhe! However, the situation is dire!” the man responded.

Her deduction confirmed, Shenhe immediately started moving towards the sound of combat. She would have more questions later but those could wait. They had obviously spent many resources on getting her back into the fight, delay was unacceptable.

Shenhe swept into the hall away from her prison. A chubby disciple that looked like a member of the Che Clan was at the far end. He was caught between two demons. One had pierced his shoulder, and the other was bearing down upon him. The man was not retreating, however, because he was using his body as a shield for the disciples who were still unconscious.