Chapter 50: Taming the Bloodvine
The blood-red leaves swayed eerily. Trees that should have been firmly rooted in the ground now uprooted themselves, their tendril-like roots slithering across the earth. The branches struck by Mu Lichuan’s talisman emitted a faint charred smell.
Mu Lichuan stood motionless, his sharp eyes scanning the bizarre scene before him. He was surprised to find man-eating trees in a villa in the capital, even spawning rumors of a "haunted house."
At the same time, he knew these "man-eating trees" couldn’t leave this area—otherwise, the villa wouldn’t be the only place plagued by such inexplicable events. He wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
"In that case, I’ll just burn them all." A ruthless glint flashed in Mu Lichuan's eyes. Ordinary fire might not work, but talismans? The crackling and scorching scent proved their effectiveness. Whether it was humans, ghosts, or something else, they would all perish here.
The Mu Lichuan of his past life had never been kind. Now, after experiencing his family’s downfall in such a short time, he knew mercy would only hinder him or make him a stepping stone for others.
He didn’t understand soul force, but he knew he had an edge in cultivation, his control over spirits far surpassed that of ordinary practitioners.
"W-Wait…" Just as Mu Lichuan was about to throw another talisman, but a timid, childlike voice suddenly interrupted him.
Mu Lichuan didn’t retract the talisman. "Drop the act. Now," he commanded coldly.
When nothing happened after a few seconds, he flung another fire talisman. The crackling resumed, accompanied by the scent of roasting meat.
"Show yourself!" he barked, then chuckled. "Or I’ll tear these trees apart." His tone was gentle, but the threat was unmistakable.
This time, the roots and tendrils blurred into nothingness, as if they had never existed. Mu Lichuan stood alone in the villa’s front yard, the trees unchanged. Only the ashes of his talisman remained, scattering in the breeze.
He had suspected illusions from the start. If such horrors truly existed, the cultivators in the capital would never have allowed this "haunted house" to stand, it would affect the nation’s fortune.
"It’s you?" His gaze landed on a blood-red twig sprouting from a flowerpot. So this was the source of the illusions.
"Master." The twig’s voice was childlike, but its crimson leaves and blood-like roots sent chills down his spine.
Mu Lichuan’s expression darkened. "A mere tree spirit dares to cause havoc?" Though he’d seen strange things before, the eerie atmosphere unsettled him. This wasn’t some horror movie.
"Master, I was wrong! Please spare me!" The spirit groveled, clearly terrified of his talismans.
Mu Lichuan hesitated. Any creature that developed sentience was extraordinary. He couldn’t kill it without reason, everything had its purpose.
"Never harm humans again," he warned before striding toward the villa. But as soon as he moved, he flicked a fire talisman behind him. The tree spirit shrieked as its tendrils recoiled.
Mu Lichuan had expected treachery. He spun and sprinted toward a patch of earth, slashing at a green vine with his spirit sword. Red sap oozed out.
"Master, spare me!" The vine writhed, unable to burrow away. Soil was its lifeline, yet now it was trapped.
"I don’t trust you," Mu Lichuan sneered. He’d given it a chance, and it had repaid him with an ambush.
"I-I’ll submit to you!" The vine yanked its roots from the ground, its color fading.
"Oh? What use are you?" Mu Lichuan was intrigued. How could such a small vine dominate this place?
"I can cast illusions… and drink blood." Pride laced its voice.
Mu Lichuan frowned. "So you’re a wicked vine?" Such malice couldn’t be tolerated.
"I’m not wicked! And I’m no ordinary vine, I’m a Bloodvine!" it protested.
"Bloodvine? The ancient menace?" Mu Lichuan recalled texts describing this plant. Who would’ve thought such an unassuming thing was a legendary horror?
The records were brief: Bloodvines used illusions to drain blood and cultivation, turning victims into nourishment. Even the "god clans" avoided them.
[God Clans (神族, Shénzú): ancient, supreme bloodlines or factions descended from primordial deities, mythical beings, or the earliest cultivators. They wield divine-level power, unique inheritances, and often dominate the cosmic order]
"You’re not so ignorant after all." The vine preened, pleased to be recognized.
Mu Lichuan scoffed. "If you’re so mighty, why hide in this corner?"
"I-I only recently gained sentience!" The vine instantly regretted its words. This human had tricked it!
Mu Lichuan brandished another fire talisman. An ancient Bloodvine, feared even by god clans, was too dangerous to spare.
"Wait, Master! I’ll obey you! I can’t kill directly, I just use illusions to make people kill themselves, and even that has limits!" The vine trembled. Death meant no chance to evolve.
"How do I know you won’t slaughter humans later?"
"Your soul force is strong! Just place restrictions on me!" The vine swayed its leaves pleadingly.
Mu Lichuan had been bluffing. If he could tame this Bloodvine, it would be a powerful ally in the cultivation world. "Fine. Submit."
He didn’t know how Bloodvines bonded, but when its thorn pierced his hand, he nearly incinerated it on reflex.
"Master, blood is how we pledge loyalty." The vine withered at lightning speed, then reappeared as a green tendril in his spiritual sea.
Mu Lichuan felt no discomfort. The vine, now named "Xiao Xie," seemed listless but content.
[小血 (Xiǎo xiě): little blood]
With the Bloodvine gone, the villa’s eerie aura vanished, replaced by a cool night breeze. Moonlight filtered through the leaves once more.
When he returned to the hotel, his grandfather was still awake. After a brief explanation, Mu Lichuan washed up and slept.
The next day, they hired cleaners to prepare the villa. New furniture was brought in, no renovations were needed.
News of the Mu family moving into the "haunted house" spread quickly among the capital’s elite. Even renowned "masters" had failed to cleanse it, yet these "country bumpkins" had succeeded?
The villa’s overgrown trees were cut, leaving bare trunks. Sunlight flooded the property at last.
Three days later, as Mu Lichuan practiced talisman-making, a visitor arrived.
"Is this Master Mu’s residence?"
Mu Lichuan stood. "What do you want?"
"Grandmaster Zhang requests your presence."
No comments:
Post a Comment