Lucifer's voice was deep and refined, unfazed and unhurried no matter the situation.
Bai Cha raised an eyebrow. She understood that her recent resonance with Dragon's Bane, coupled with her lack of mastery, meant she was still relying on her own strength.
Strength, she mused, took time.
But Lucifer was different. Dark power was part of him; he wielded it with ease. Dragon-derived darkness and evil held no sway over him. He was the Emperor of Darkness.
"However, you're mistaken," Bai Cha said, her expression odd as she pointed upwards, clearing her throat lightly. "I frowned not because she's troublesome, but because it seems someone's coming to steal my thunder."
"Hmm?" Lucifer frowned. He expanded his senses, probing their surroundings, and indeed, he detected several distinct auras.
There were times he had to admit Bai Cha's perceptiveness, a trait that even he, a dragon, felt inferior to, despite dragons possessing senses several times sharper than humans.
Yun Xia's draconic transformation continued, a slow, inward-outward change affecting her bones, pupils, and skin.
This was clearly not the first time she had overstimulated her dragon blood, but this time was more thorough. Her eyes alone indicated that her sanity was nearly gone.
It was astonishing how thoroughly this woman had been corrupted by dragon blood. Such a consequence, by all logic, could only stem from three possibilities: direct injection of dragon blood into the body, causing genetic mutation; genetic transplantation of dragon genes into willing human subjects via scientific surgery;
Or, of course, the direct consumption of dragon flesh and blood, raw. Many species, like mermen, serpent people, and dragon wolves, evolved this way. But for humans, it was rather disgusting. Eating raw flesh and blood—a deed no sane person would commit.
Bai Cha ignored Yun Xia's transformation. With a flick of her right hand, her dagger traced several elegant arcs, severing the chains binding the girl's hands and feet on the ground.
"Your name," Bai Cha said, gripping the girl's wrist, her voice rising slightly. There was no gentleness in her touch, only a continued, indifferent expression.
"Yun, Yun He." The slight pressure transmitted through her wrist from Bai Cha's grip brought Yun He a measure of comfort. Finally, she had the strength to speak. She felt dizzy and disoriented, the recent torment blurring day and night.
Yun He?
Hearing the name, Bai Cha's eyes narrowed subtly, yet she maintained her composure and continued, "Since you've asked for my help, I will take you. Besides this place, do you have anywhere else to go?"
The question was practically redundant. If she had anywhere to go, she wouldn't be here. Bai Cha was merely going through the motions, a token inquiry.
Yun He remained silent. She lay weakly on the ground, gazing at her unrecognizable mother nearby, her eyes hollow, a hint of struggle within them.
"Will she... die?" Yun He finally asked, her voice hoarse after a long silence.
"Probably," Bai Cha replied plainly, without any attempt at comfort, stating the truth with an almost casual air. "Legally speaking, mistreatment, unlawful confinement, kidnapping, and murder—she's looking at the death penalty."
"However, my intervention might render legal proceedings unnecessary. Then again, looking at your mother's current state, she won't last long anyway, even without anyone laying a hand on her," Bai Cha said slowly, enunciating each word. She was unhurried, observing Yun Xia sprawled on the ground. "Once dragon blood goes berserk, there's no turning back."
By now, Yun Xia had undergone a significant change. Only the vague outline of a human face could be discerned on her head. After transforming into a dragon, she was vastly different from ordinary, low-level reptiles. Black feathers covered her wings as demonic wings sprouted from her back, though the feathers were sparse and rather unsightly.
Patches of irregular dragon scales and feathers dotted her skin, resembling flesh scarred by fire, ugly and haphazard.
"Lucifer, whose dragon blood corrupted her?" Bai Cha asked, frowning in curiosity. "If I recall correctly, this type seems to be of a relatively high grade. At least, the A-ranks I've encountered had similar peculiar appearances."
"Yes, the dragon form is fundamental, and malevolent energy twists the dragon's original appearance. Only those with pure magic like mine achieve the perfect demonic dragon form," Lucifer explained earnestly. "The aura is too mixed, making it difficult to determine, but it's indeed beyond recovery."
"She ate my father," a small voice drifted from the ground. Bai Cha looked at the girl on the floor, Yun He, her hair spread around her, seemingly lost in despair.
"Your father was a dragon?" Bai Cha asked, puzzled. "I recall Yun Xia marrying Chi Ye, the man banished from the Chi family?"
Although Bai Cha wasn't well-versed in the Chi family, which belonged to the light faction, she remembered this man clearly. Chi Ye had a wife, but one day, he inexplicably brought a beautiful but frail maiden—Yun Xia.
At the time, the leaders of all factions had gathered for their juniors to compete in an arena. Chi Ye suddenly appeared with Yun Xia, demanding a divorce from his original wife and vowing to leave with Yun Xia.
Bai Cha remembered seeing a slave mark on Yun Xia. It was likely that Chi Ye had acquired this slave from some underground market. Such slaves were subjected to rigorous torture and training, becoming utterly obedient, timid, and fragile. Yun Xia, standing beside Chi Ye, had been trembling with fear, almost fainting.
Bai Cha recalled approaching Yun Xia then, asking if she needed help. Perhaps Yun Xia was too frightened, or perhaps she lacked faith in herself, and she had refused Bai Cha's assistance.
However, Bai Cha was no saint who would force help on those she found displeasing. She had offered a chance; since it was refused, Bai Cha had not inquired further.
The Chi family patriarch had been so enraged that he disowned his second son. Bai Cha hadn't bothered to follow up on the outcome.
"I thought Chi Ye was human?" Bai Cha questioned.
"He is human, but his original wife was a dragon. His elder wife was an evil dragon he brought back from the outskirts. They had no resonance, but he treated that evil dragon exceptionally well, which earned her recognition," Yun He said, recalling the incident, a surge of anger making her voice gain strength. "Later, to marry my mother, he drugged and killed that dragon."
"Oh... no wonder. So later, your mother killed your father, and you two shared his flesh." Bai Cha understood.
Upon hearing this, Yun He chuckled. She covered her eyes, tears streaming through her fingers, dripping onto the floor. She murmured, filled with despair and sorrow, "She's not my mother. That scoundrel isn't my father either. They're not human; they're ghosts..."
"I am your mother! I'm the only one who loves you in this world! I killed that woman so you'd have a place, and I killed your father to stop him from taking his anger out on us!" Yun Xia's now hoarse voice roared, her words choked with a muddy dragon's growl, making her shouts almost unintelligible, as she berated the frenzied Yun He.
Bai Cha shook her head gently. She bent down, examining Yun He's face closely, and couldn't help but smile slightly. "You love her?"
"Love her? And then feed you raw evil dragon flesh? Evil dragon flesh is highly corrosive to humans; nine out of ten die. You have quite the appetite." Bai Cha pried open Yun He's mouth. A strong, metallic scent of blood lingered within, along with remnants of flesh, a gruesome sight. "You're not insane. That's good."
Whether it was Lucifer's imagination or not, he detected a hint of satisfaction in Bai Cha's tone, which astonished him.
"I did it for her own good! After we ate those two bitches, we mutated. It must be the dragon's fault. As long as we eat humans, as long as we eat humans, we'll change back! We'll definitely change back!" Yun Xia roared.
At this point, Yun Xia's mental state was precarious. Excessive use of dragon blood weakened human genes. During this phase, the dragon genes would quickly take over, turning the human into a destructive monster that would then explode.
However, each person's physical condition varied, and it remained to be seen how long Yun Xia's human genes could resist.
"So, what do you think should be done?" Bai Cha no longer paid attention to the now-deranged Yun Xia. She gently patted Yun He. In this dark, bloody basement, a playful smile graced her lips. "Your mother, your devil, has now become a monster."
Yun He gasped, not because of her mother, but because the girl standing before her, who appeared to be around her own age, exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"Come, tell me, how did your mother usually treat you?" Bai Cha knelt beside Yun He, gently lifting Yun He's chin. She forced Yun He to look at Yun Xia, who was struggling wildly under Lucifer's restraint. Bai Cha's lips moved close to Yun He's ear, her voice like a devil's whisper, making Yun He feel disoriented. "How did your mother love you?"
The warm breath near her ear sent an involuntary shiver through Yun He. Her mind suddenly felt fuzzy, her heartbeat gradually slowing, syncing with Bai Cha's rhythm. Her gaze flickered.
"She'd bring me raw meat and watch me eat it all," Yun He trembled. "When Dad was around, he'd hit her, and she wouldn't fight back. Now, she hits me, locks me up, and beats me in my room.
She killed my friends, killed the only person who loved me, and locked me up."
Indeed, before descending into the basement, Bai Cha had scanned the area. She noticed chaotic scratches on the wall, as if something had been violently smashed against it.
"So, what do you want?" Bai Cha cupped Yun He's chin, forcing her to look at Yun Xia's now-unrecognizable face, and whispered, "Did she ever love?"
"She, she didn't..." Yun He shivered, not only from the sight of her disfigured mother but also from the demon's murmurs behind her.
Yun He had always felt like the child of a demon. The village children called her a demon when they saw her. But experiencing a demon's aura firsthand made her tremble uncontrollably.
"Don't tremble. Since you've asked for my help, I'll give you a chance to survive. But it depends on your performance," Bai Cha chuckled softly. At that moment, Bai Cha's maniacal, low laughter sent a tremor through even Lucifer.
"Come... calm down and tell me your true thoughts," her whisper continued, Bai Cha's voice deepening, surprisingly calming Yun He. Though her breathing was still rapid, her gaze cleared noticeably.
"Kill her."
The crisp yet slightly hoarse voice startled Lucifer. He looked at the girl Bai Cha had pinned down with a touch of surprise.
"Be clearer, my girl. Come, tell me, what should be done next?" Bai Cha smiled, evident satisfaction in her expression.
"Kill her. She must be killed."