AWB Chapter 177 Zhong Yingxiu's Past
Chapter 177 Zhong Yingxiu's Past
"Haha! My little Xiu has grown another year older. Happy birthday, Xiu! Look what Daddy brought you." Zhong Xu lifted little Zhong Yingxiu high in the air, and a ray of sunlight shone on her face, making her smile even more dazzling.
"Dad, what is the gift?" Zhong Yingxiu asked excitedly.
Zhong Xu took out fifty Grade 3 blasting talismans from his storage bag and laughed, "Haha, Xiao Xiu, take these. You can blast any fish in the lake behind the mountain."
"Old Zhong, you've corrupted our daughter again. What kind of behavior is it for a girl to be frying fish every day?" Zhong Yingxiu's mother, He Jing, said with displeasure.
“Madam, don’t be upset. Xiao Xiu is already eight years old after her birthday. What’s wrong with catching fish? I’ll take her hunting again in a few days. Look how happy Xiao Xiu is!” Zhong Xu comforted her gently, but He Jing still frowned.
"Mom, I really like the gift Dad gave me. Can you please not be angry?" Zhong Yingxiu said pitifully, her bright eyes dimming, with tears welling up in them.
He Jing was no longer angry. She picked up Zhong Yingxiu and said with a smile, "I'm not angry. Little Xiu, you can't cry. Today is your birthday. You have to smile."
He Jing inserted a hairpin shaped like a small golden flower into Zhong Yingxiu's hair and praised her with satisfaction: "My little Xiu is the most beautiful! Look! The sun is so bright today, little Xiu should smile more so she can look even more beautiful."
"Mmm." Zhong Yingxiu wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and smiled sweetly.
After He Jing put Zhong Yingxiu down, Zhong Yingxiu quickly ran towards the large lake behind the mountain.
Before leaving, she glanced back at Zhong Xu, who was bowing his head in apology, and He Jing, whose expression was gradually softening.
She thought that she had already defended her father, so her mother probably wouldn't scold him for the explosive talisman incident anymore. It wouldn't have been in vain for her to shed a few tears.
night.
The Zhong family compound was bustling with activity.
With his face flushed, Zhong Xu lifted Zhong Yingxiu high in the air and shouted, "Today is Xiaoxiu's birthday, everyone eat and drink whatever you like, it's all on me, Zhong Xu!"
Zhong Yingxiu quietly ate her roasted chicken leg, her face glistening with oil, while Zhong Xu carried her around.
"Sect Leader Liu, look how cute my little Xiu is."
"What? Brother Shangguan has drawn a new explosive talisman. Can you make one for my daughter?"
"Junior Sister Xiao, do you have any gentle spirit beasts? I'd like to buy one for Xiao Xiu."
……
The drunk Zhong Xu wandered around the crowd, leaving Zhong Yingxiu dizzy and disoriented. It wasn't until He Jing dragged Zhong Xu back to the room by the ear that he finally lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep.
Happy birthday, Sister Zhong!
"Sister, take us to play!"
"Okay!"
Zhong Yingxiu has become the leader of the children, leading a group of kids to the back mountain to fry fish.
"boom!"
The water shimmered three zhang high.
……
"boom!"
The flames rose three zhang high.
Zhong Yingxiu looked at the Zhong family compound engulfed in flames and the lifeless servants of the Zhong family lying on the ground.
Zhong Yingxiu's hand was pulled up, and she was dragged along listlessly.
"Xiao Xiu, hurry up, don't let the demons catch you." He Jing grabbed her hand and ran forward without looking back.
"But Mother, Father is still inside." Zhong Yingxiu finally burst into tears. Just now, Zhong Xu had pushed her out and stood alone in formation to block the demons' pursuit.
He Jing paused, her voice choked with emotion, as if a stone was blocking her throat: "It's okay, your father will be alright, our family will be reunited."
……
The demon's prison is where all 205 members of the Zhong family are located.
Zhong Yingxiu huddled fearfully in He Jing's arms, while the unconscious Zhong Xu leaned on He Jing's shoulder.
"Sir, the entire Zhong family is here."
“Very good. According to the prophecy, some of them will surely become spirits, and the opening of the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons will be just around the corner.” Shen Yuan, wearing a black mask, said smugly.
A spirit, as the name suggests, is someone who can bear spiritual energy. Ordinary people can only bear their own spiritual energy, but a spirit can contain the spiritual energy of others. A spirit's abundant spiritual energy makes it ideal as the core of a powerful formation, and it can also break powerful formations.
Shen Yuan walked past the Zhong family members step by step, carefully examining everyone before finally stopping in front of He Jing: "I've found you."
As he spoke, he reached out to grab Zhong Yingxiu.
"Don't you dare hurt my daughter." With her spiritual power sealed, He Jing could only pull out the silver hairpin from her hair and stab it fiercely at Chen Yuan.
"How dare you! You dare to harm the master!" The person behind Shen Yuan instantly intervened, stopping He Jing's attack and kicking her at the same time.
He Jing's body flew backward and crashed into the wall. Her hair came loose, leaving bloodstains on the wall. For the first time, He Jing, who always valued etiquette, appeared in public with her hair disheveled and her face covered. However, she could only reach out her hand and weakly say, "Xiao Xiu, run."
"Mother!" Zhong Yingxiu cried out in despair, staring hatefully at Shen Yuan before her. Without hesitation, she pulled out forty-five Rank 3 Explosive Talismans: "I'll kill you!"
"Explosive tag, explode!"
"boom!"
Only the battered Zhong Yingxiu and the unharmed Shen Yuan remained on the spot.
"Live on! You're my test subject, how can you die?" Shen Yuan grabbed Zhong Yingxiu's hair and fed her the pill. Zhong Yingxiu trembled in pain, but her wounds began to heal.
……
At the center of the formation, Zhong Yingxiu was chained and unable to move.
Her cheeks were streaked with tears that had not yet dried, and her eyes were filled with pain and despair.
Zhong Xu and He Jing were led into the formation.
Zhong Yingxiu suddenly went berserk: "Father, Mother, run!"
She knew all too well what was going to happen next, and she couldn't let her parents suffer like that.
Tears welled up in her eyes again, and her voice trembled uncontrollably: "No, don't come any closer! I'll bear this all by myself, please leave!"
Even though He Jing was trembling with fear, she still spoke in a gentle, tender tone: "Xiao Xiu, don't cry, you won't look pretty when you cry."
Zhong Xu's eyes were filled with heartache. He reached out but couldn't touch his daughter. He longed to lift her up high again and tell her that her father was there for her.
“Xiao Xiu, your father really wants to watch you grow up. Your mother and I will become the sun and always shine on you, so don’t be afraid, your mother and I will always be by your side.”
The formation was activated, and the spiritual energy in He Jing and Zhong Xu's bodies surged continuously towards Zhong Yingxiu, turning them into two desiccated corpses, devoid of any life.
"Father! Mother!"
Zhong Yingxiu screamed in agony, blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.
……
On Zhong Yingxiu's tenth birthday, only 111 of the 205 members of the Zhong family remained, as the family's father and mother had passed away.
……
On Zhong Yingxiu's thirteenth birthday, only one member of the Zhong family of 205 remained.
……
Zhong Yingxiu lay helplessly on the array, which was covered in blood—the blood of the Zhong family. She had watched helplessly as her entire clan died, even her former playmates were forced to sacrifice their lives. A spirit can accept spiritual energy, as well as spiritual energy transformed from life itself.
The number of people on the formation has not decreased. Every day, new cultivators are sent to the formation and forced to offer their spiritual power to nourish this "monster".
"The power of the spirit body is almost there. Soon, we will be able to open the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons. Hahaha!" Shen Yuan laughed, his laughter arrogant and cruel.
"boom!"
An explosion suddenly rang out, shaking the entire demon prison.
"what happened?"
"The righteous cultivators have attacked."
"Quickly, take the spirit and run." Shen Yuan's eyes darkened.
However, the prison doors were opened, and a group of cultivators rushed in.
With a determined look, Shen Yuan transformed into a wisp of mist and fled.
"Sect Leader Liu, look! There's a formation over there. And lots of corpses... Wait! The child in the middle seems to still be alive."
"I'm here." Liu Qingci released the formation and hugged Zhong Yingxiu tightly. Zhong Yingxiu rubbed her eyes in disbelief and said in a trembling voice, "You're Xiaoxiu?"
Zhong Yingxiu's eyes were lifeless, and she lay unconscious in Liu Qingci's arms.
Liu Qingci found the bodies of 204 members of the Zhong family around the formation.