Chapter 54 Ghost Marriage (6)

At this moment, the porcine monster was bizarrely crawling on the ground, kicking its feet, and once again charging toward the two of them. Wu Zui and Xiao Ke'ai easily sidestepped its attack, and as they did, Wu Zui's golden longsword struck the monster's body. The golden weapon, which should have inflicted great damage, merely sparked against its hide this time. The magnetic energy attached to the blade was utterly ineffective.

"Master, isn't this a porcupine? Its bristly hair is so hard it could be used as steel needles!" After dodging the attack, Xiao Ke'ai glanced at her own hammer and spoke to Wu Zui. She too had struck the monster twice with her hammer while sidestepping, but its dense bristles, like armor of steel spikes, easily deflected her blows, leaving only a few small round dents on her hammer's surface.

"I'll try once more! You prepare to call for reinforcements!"

Wu Zui activated the protective layer of his magnetic energy suit, then transformed all his magnetic energy into crimson flames that enveloped his golden longsword. He charged at the porcine monster as it lunged again.

He intended to dodge as before and attack from the side. But after two failed attempts, the monster, now fused with Scar Man's cunning, changed tactics. As Wu Zui evaded its tusks and claws and stabbed the sword into its right side, the monster suddenly turned and slammed a claw into him.

The crimson flames on the sword sliced through the monster's bristles and skin, but Wu Zui was sent flying by its blow. The protective suit failed to mitigate the impact; five deep gashes on his back began to bleed profusely.

From the monster's wound, a foul-smelling black liquid sprayed out, sizzling as it hit the ground—the creature's blood was like sulfuric acid. If not for the monster's attack, Wu Zui's face might have been ruined.

Meanwhile, the monster's left claw, stained with Wu Zui's blood, and its right side both ignited in red flames.

However, the flames on its right side were quickly extinguished by the black liquid from its body, and soon the wound fully healed. Yet the fire on its claw burned fiercely, spreading from the hand to the elbow. The black liquid couldn't extinguish the blood-fueled fire; instead, it acted as an accelerant, intensifying the blaze.

The monster, lacking intelligence, didn't think to sever its burning limb. It desperately scraped its claw against the ground, howling in agony.

Xiao Ke'ai threw her hammer aside, pulled out a plastic bottle from her pocket—Wu Zui's blood, given to her for self-defense. Wu Zui's injury enraged her. Seeing her master collapsed, she approached the monster, still trying to extinguish its burning claw.

"Die, you giant pig-head!"

She poured the entire bottle of blood onto the monster, and instantly flames erupted over its body, illuminating the surroundings with red light.

The monster writhed on the ground, rolling in pain to extinguish the flames on its back. In its frenzy, it devastated the courtyard—walls, streetlights, and roads were reduced to rubble. The villagers, hearing the commotion, shivered in fear, not daring to peek outside.

Xiao Ke'ai, having emptied the bottle, hoisted Wu Zui onto her back and fled without looking back. Whether the monster lived or died was of no concern; as long as her master survived, that was enough. If not for the fear of being pursued, she wouldn't have used so much blood.

"I hope that blood lasts a while..."

She prayed silently, having no idea how potent Wu Zui's blood truly was.

Carrying the unconscious Wu Zui, Xiao Ke'ai knocked on several villagers' doors, but none opened. They couldn't tell if the knocker was human or ghost, nor did they wish for the battle to spill into their homes—they had guessed the cause of the chaos.

"Damn it! Damn it!!"

In frustration, Xiao Ke'ai punched a wooden doorframe, cracking it, and cursed aloud. She knew even if she forced her way in, the villagers wouldn't welcome her, and delaying treatment for Wu Zui would be worse than leaving.

So she headed straight for the vehicle at the village entrance, where they kept a first aid kit. The distance was considerable, which was why she'd first sought nearby help, and the car's cramped interior made it difficult for Wu Zui to lie down.

At last, she reached the car, sweat soaking her cheeks from both urgency and exertion. She set Wu Zui down and searched inside.

Upon finding the first aid kit, she removed Wu Zui's shirt and discovered five bloody gashes from his left shoulder to his right waist. She hurriedly applied medicine and bandages, but the wounds kept bleeding, showing no signs of stopping.

"Master... please don't die..." Xiao Ke'ai said, her voice trembling with panic and tears.

The medicine provided to investigators was the best available—if it couldn't stop the bleeding, only hospital sutures would suffice. But the nearest hospital was over an hour away; Wu Zui would lose too much blood before she got there.

"Wait... the pills! Master's pills!"

She recalled that in Haishan, Wu Zui had taken a white tablet and his wounds healed rapidly. She searched his pockets and finally found the essential white pill—an adrenaline tablet.

She propped Wu Zui up, resting his torso against her. Then she pried open his mouth, tossed in the pill, and tried to pour water in... but it got stuck!

"Why won't you swallow?" she wondered, pushing the water bottle against his mouth.

Still, Wu Zui didn't respond. The porcine monster's curse had knocked him out, and without magnetic energy protection (having converted it all to flames), he was unconscious.

Fortunately, Wang Hu, within the Sword of Conscience, shot a blue light resembling magnetic energy, helping Wu Zui dispel the curse energy from the monster.

Seeing Wu Zui unmoved, Xiao Ke'ai recalled a scene from a drama.

"Should I feed him with my mouth...?"

Bracing herself, she took a mouthful of water. She moved close to Wu Zui to feed him, eyes wide open for fear of missing his lips.

Just as she was about to touch him, Wu Zui's throat convulsed and he swallowed the pill! He suddenly opened his eyes—Wang Hu had just successfully helped him resolve the curse energy within.

Xiao Ke'ai: "(￣□￣；)"

"Gulp... cough... cough..."

Eyes wide, Xiao Ke'ai quickly covered her mouth, having choked on the water. The scene was thoroughly awkward.

Feeling the familiar itch of healing wounds, Wu Zui knew the pill was working, rapidly closing his injuries. He guessed what Xiao Ke'ai intended with the mouthful of water.

Bang—bang—bang—

The streetlights beside them exploded in succession. From the direction of the village chief's house, flames soared skyward. The sudden chaos alleviated their embarrassment.

"What happened to the porcine monster?" Wu Zui broke the silence.

"I poured all the blood you gave me on it. When I carried you out, it was still energetically destroying everything!" Xiao Ke'ai replied, her cheeks tinged pink, though in the darkness it wasn't visible.

Wu Zui stood, picked up his discarded shirt, dusted it off, and put it on. "Let's go check. By the way, where's my golden longsword?"

"It's in the village chief's courtyard. Master, when you were injured, no one opened their doors for us. Your wound kept bleeding—I was terrified!" Xiao Ke'ai said, her expression a mix of anger and fear.

"They aren't awakened—they're afraid, that's normal. Don't let others' mistakes disturb your mood, understand?" Wu Zui said, absentmindedly rubbing Xiao Ke'ai's fluffy head—a gesture of masterly affection, but now...

Don't ask. If you do, I won't know how to answer.

"Ahem, let's go!"

Wu Zui withdrew his hand, cleared his throat, and headed for the village chief's house, his manner slightly awkward.

"Alright," Xiao Ke'ai replied softly, quickly following.

While Wu Zui and Xiao Ke'ai were sharing this tender moment, the porcine monster at the village chief's house was undergoing a transformation.

Bathed in flames, the monster had reduced the chief's home to ruins. One by one, pig-shaped shadows emerged from its body, only to be incinerated by the fire.

Unable to bear the agony, the monster rampaged, crashing into a large electrical box and toppling it. Sparking wires flashed blue, electrifying the creature and flipping it over. Combined with the relentless crimson fire, the monster lay on the ground, convulsing.

As time passed, the flames consumed its tusks and claws first, then even Scar Man's body was reduced to ashes.

A small, gleaming bone-chopping knife, less than ten centimeters long, appeared among the remains. Wu Zui and Xiao Ke'ai arrived just then; the monster, in its pain, had moved far from the village chief's house.

The houses along the way had been demolished, and, given the monster's rampage, most people inside were likely...

Wu Zui picked up the small knife. Its white steel blade, marked with flame-wrought patterns, looked exceptional. Its sharp edge made it a fine weapon, though a bit small.

Examining the black ashes and collapsed buildings, Wu Zui surmised this knife was the monster's ghostly core and stowed it away.