Scions of the Undead

Rivers of blood

"Xiao Jin, are you feeling unwell?" As Hulan Yong and his wife cleaned up the remnants of the feast in front of their house, he noticed his daughter looking despondent, her face pale as if she had been seriously ill.

"No, nothing's wrong."

Hulan Yong's eyes grew more concerned. He gently said, "Xiao Jin, come inside the house for a moment."

Xiao Jin followed her father into the house. Suddenly, she shut the door tightly, gasping for breath, her whole body trembling.

Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, illuminating the room. Hulan Yong watched his daughter's strange behavior but said nothing, believing she had something important to tell him.

"Dad, can I ask you a question?"

Hulan Yong nodded.

"If you had a friend, and others said he was a rebel, what would you do?" Tears welled up in Xiao Jin's eyes.

Hulan Yong's heart stirred, but he remained calm. "That depends on what kind of person your friend is."

"He's a good person. He's been very, very kind to me. He would never hurt me," Xiao Jin answered urgently.

Hulan Yong lowered his gaze and slowly said, "Xiao Jin, I don't know why you're saying this. But I need to tell you something important: In life, the most precious thing is genuine affection."

Seeing his daughter's confused expression, he smiled slightly and continued, "For example, if you and your mother were in danger because of a mistake, I would never allow anyone to harm you. No matter how big the mistake, I would take responsibility for it. No one can harm you except over my dead body. Besides, I believe your friend couldn't have committed an unforgivable crime, right?"

Xiao Jin nodded.

"Let me guess, is the friend you're talking about Ah Heng?"

Xiao Jin looked at her father in surprise, then suddenly hugged him, crying softly, "Dad, I'm so scared. I overheard the cavalry talking. I know the rebel child they mentioned is Ah Heng."

"What rebel child?"

"The child of the defeated Ice God Clan from the Divine Punishment War. Ah Heng must be that child."

"What?" Hulan Yong could hardly believe his ears.

"Dad, I've seen Ah Heng use divine powers. He can conjure ice out of thin air. And Ah Heng once mentioned his foster father's surname is Yue. Hulan Meng said the person who took the rebel child is the world's greatest warrior, Yue Wuying. They must be the same person. Dad, what should we do? Ah Heng is in great danger now."

"Yes, Ah Heng is in danger, and so is our tribe." Hulan Yong's face turned pale. Many in the tribe knew about Ah Heng and his foster father. Fortunately, he had only said Ah Heng was a wandering child and hadn't mentioned the man. Otherwise, Hulan Meng would have been suspicious and investigated. But what terrified Hulan Yong more was Yue Wuying. Legend had it that this man was the world's greatest assassin, unbeatable. If Hulan Meng provoked Yue Wuying, the consequences for their tribe...

Hulan Yong couldn't bear to think further. He had to get Ah Heng and Yue Wuying to leave quickly. Grabbing Xiao Jin's shoulders, he said, "Xiao Jin, hurry..."

"Bang!" The door was kicked open. A burly man stood at the entrance—it was Hulan Meng. His eyes burned as he looked at Hulan Yong.

Hulan Yong forced a smile. "Second brother, you're here."

Hulan Meng glanced at Hulan Yong, then at Xiao Jin, who looked terrified. It seemed his wife hadn't been wrong; the two strangers at the edge of the tribe were indeed suspicious.

"Hulan Yong, I heard everything you just said. Tell me, where is that child?"

"Second brother, don't go after them. It will bring disaster to the tribe," Hulan Yong pleaded.

"Whether it brings disaster is none of your concern. Just tell me where the child is."

"Dad, I know." A round head popped out from the doorway—it was Huzi. He tugged at Hulan Meng's clothes and said, "It's the little beggar who was sitting alone on the haystack earlier."

A person... Heaven is truly helping me. It seems the Elder Council will surely have a place for me, Hulan Meng.

"Second brother, no!" Hulan Yong suddenly rushed forward, hugging Hulan Meng tightly, trying to drag him inside. He shouted, "Xiao Jin, go find Ah Heng and tell him to run!"

"Hulan Yong, are you crazy? Let go of me!" Hulan Meng struggled, but couldn't shake off his elder brother. In his fury, he slammed Hulan Yong against the stone wall. The intense pain finally made Hulan Yong let go.

Outside, Hulan Meng whistled, and the cavalry quickly assembled. They mounted their horses and charged towards the haystack like a gust of wind. No one expected that such a monumental achievement would fall into their laps so easily.

Xiao Jin ran desperately, her shoes long gone. The stubble in the fields pierced her feet, making them bleed, but she didn't feel it. In the distance, she saw the haystack and shouted with all her might, "Ah Heng, run! Run and find your foster father!"

Around her, dozens of riders sped past like the wind. Xiao Jin bit her lip, trying to grab a horse's tail, but fell to the ground. She got up and continued running, but the knights ahead had already raised their spears. The haystack was just in front of them.

Ah Heng had a nightmare. He dreamt of Xiao Jin crying and urging him to flee. In his dream, a steel spear thrust straight at him, intending to skewer him on its tip. He tried to grasp the spearhead, but his hands were drenched in blood.

"Ah!" The nightmare was so terrifying that he screamed out loud. The moment he opened his eyes, he truly saw Xiao Jin crying in the distance and his own hands gripping the spearhead. He looked at the grim-faced knight, then at his own hands, and for a moment, he couldn't tell if he was awake or still dreaming.

"Indeed, the rebellious son! Heaven does not forsake me, hahaha!" Hulan Meng laughed heartily as he looked at the spearhead tightly encased in ice, which continued to grow with the boy's touch.

Seizing the moment when the boy was stunned, Hulan Meng swung the spear and slammed him heavily to the ground. "Capture him alive!"

Ah Heng felt as if every bone in his body was shattered. It wasn't a dream. He tried to struggle but found more spears pointed at his neck, rendering him immobile. What was happening? How could this be?

Wasn't that laughing man Xiao Jin's second uncle? Why was he doing this to him and Xiao Jin? Where was Xiao Jin?

Hulan Meng dismounted and, with a loud command, Ah Heng was bound tightly with thick ropes. Hulan Meng threw Ah Heng onto the horse's back and shouted, "We must leave here at once!"

"No!" Xiao Jin finally arrived. She threw herself at Hulan Meng's leg, clinging tightly and refusing to let go. She knew Ah Heng had seen her, but he turned away, unwilling to meet her gaze. At that moment, she felt an unprecedented pain, as if someone were tearing her heart apart. Her lips were covered in blood.

"Xiao Jin, let go! He comes from the rebellious tribe; he's a harbinger of doom. If he stays, we will all die," Hulan Meng shouted at her.

"No, I won't let go!" Xiao Jin cried out loudly.

Suddenly, countless drops of blood rained from the sky, drenching her face. Hulan Meng had lost his head, which fell alongside Ah Heng beside her.

"Ah Heng, are you alright?" She forgot her fear and hugged the boy tightly. The boy's eyes were filled with pain, and only she could hear his voice, "Many more will die. Many more will die. Am I truly a harbinger of doom?" Ice blades emerged from his body, slicing through the ropes inch by inch.

The ice blades even pierced Xiao Jin's body, but she still held the boy tightly, refusing to let go.

Ah Heng looked at Xiao Jin, trying to push her away, shouting, "Go, go, you must leave! My foster father has gone mad. He's gone mad. Everyone must leave, quickly!"

But she still held on tightly, as if letting go would mean losing the boy forever.

Ah Heng gave up struggling. He suddenly turned and shouted hoarsely, "Foster Father, let's go. Please, stop killing. Stop killing."

Following Ah Heng's gaze, Xiao Jin saw a demonic man, like a madman, slaughtering the onlookers like a whirlwind. Familiar faces lost their heads in their terrified flight, leaving headless bodies spraying blood. It was the most brutal m******e, sparing no one, regardless of age or gender. Xiao Jin saw Huzi convulsing in a pool of blood. Why? Why did this happen? Huzi was just a child.

Xiao Jin saw her mother rushing over, frantically searching for her daughter. However...

"No!" Xiao Jin screamed, heart-wrenchingly. Her mother fell straight down, her head rolling aside.

Xiao Jin felt the sky collapse. She saw her father howling at the sky, tears of blood streaming down his face. For the first time, she saw her father draw his long sword. But no one could stop the demonic man. A flash of sword light, like lightning, pierced her father's chest. He fell heavily to the ground, never to rise again. Her mind seemed to explode with thunderous roars.

She desperately rushed to her father's side. His body was still twitching, and she could hear his weak voice, "Xiao Jin, go, quickly."

The demonic man's eyes glowed red, but she felt no fear. Abandoned by the world, what else could frighten her?

She struggled to lift her father's long sword. This sword was her father's dream. He always wanted to leave the mountains and become a great warrior. But for her and her mother, he gave up his dream. Revenge. She wanted revenge. It was her only remaining belief. The man raised his sword slowly. With just a light thrust, the girl could join her father.

However, a small, thin figure stood in front of the girl. It was Ah Heng. Tears filled her eyes. He had promised to protect her, even if the world abandoned him.

The madman continued to thrust his sword, piercing Ah Heng's shoulder. The sound of bones grinding was audible. Had he gone mad? He was Ah Heng's foster father. The sword pierced through Ah Heng's body, relentlessly continuing toward the girl's frail body.

Ah Heng suddenly grabbed the sword with both hands. Blood flowed continuously from his palms. Blood-red ice formed from his palms, solidifying on the thin sword. He wanted to stop the sword from reaching the girl behind him.

The sword stopped. The blood-red glow slowly faded from the madman's eyes. He sighed, slowly withdrawing the sword. Blood gushed out as the sword was pulled free. Ah Heng's shoulders trembled slightly, enduring immense pain.

"I can spare her, but you must promise me, until you come of age, never let anyone see your gifted skill. Except for the dead," the madman said slowly.

Ah Heng nodded silently.

The man looked at him expressionlessly, then turned and said, "Ah Heng, let's go."

Ah Heng hesitated for a moment but resolutely followed the bloodthirsty madman.

"Don't go, Ah Heng." She suddenly rushed forward, grabbing Ah Heng's blood-stained hand from behind.

But the boy forcefully shook off her hand and walked away.

"You promised to protect me," she cried out, but the boy never looked back, leaving her alone, kneeling on the cold ground, surrounded by countless fallen loved ones and riderless, neighing warhorses.

She looked around helplessly, and all she saw was a river of blood...