Chapter 52
Song Ling stared at the letter in her hand, her eyes red-rimmed, her jaw clenched. Mark entered the cottage and, seeing her distress, remained silent, observing her from the doorway.
After about half an hour, Song Ling stood up from the table and turned to face Mark, her expression resolute. Mark watched as she approached him, her gaze unwavering.
“Mark, can you help me?”
“Tell me what you need.”
“I want you to turn me into a jiangshi.”
“Why?”
“I’m going after her. Since she refuses to turn me, I have to ask you. This way, she won’t have to worry about hurting me.”
“Are you sure? You’ve seen how Jun’er is struggling with her transformation. Do you think you can handle it?”
“I’m sure.”
“Alright, I’ll help you.”
“Thank you, Mark.”
Mark closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were blood red. He bared his fangs and leaned towards Song Ling’s neck. She stood still, offering no resistance, allowing him to sink his teeth into her flesh.
As his fangs pierced her artery, she felt her life force draining away. She closed her eyes, her fists clenched, accepting her fate.
“Li Xinjun, just you wait! No matter where you hide, I will find you!”
Her sadness transformed into anger. She was furious at Li Xinjun for leaving without a word, for breaking her promise to never leave her. She was determined to find Li Xinjun, punish her for her betrayal, and then make her suffer for leaving her.
“Achoo!”
Li Xinjun, waiting for a ship at the docks, suddenly sneezed. She felt a chill run down her spine and rubbed her arms, seeking warmth. She moved further into the shadows.
Song Ling, weakened from the blood loss, collapsed, losing consciousness. Mark carried her to her bedroom and laid her gently on the bed before leaving.
Song Ling remained unconscious for two days and one night, finally awakening on the afternoon of the third day. She opened her eyes, her throat parched, her head throbbing. Mark entered the room, carrying a goblet.
“You’re awake. I brought you something. Drink this.”
Song Ling sat up and took the goblet from him. She peered inside and saw that it was filled with blood. She hesitantly sniffed it and then downed it in a single gulp.
“You’re adapting well. I wasn’t so accepting at first.”
“It’s just blood. No big deal.”
“If only Xinjun were as accepting as you. Things wouldn’t be so complicated.”
Song Ling’s expression hardened at the mention of Li Xinjun’s name. She narrowed her eyes, a sinister smile playing on her lips, as if plotting something.
Mark, observing her transformation, felt a pang of sympathy for Li Xinjun. He had a feeling that she would suffer greatly once Song Ling caught her. He silently offered Li Xinjun his condolences.
“You’ll experience some discomfort as your body adjusts. In a few hours, you’ll start to feel a surge of energy. Try to control it. When you release this power, your eyes will change color, and your fangs will grow. Once you’ve mastered controlling it, you can transform at will.
You’ll also find that your senses are enhanced. You’ll be able to see in the dark, hear sounds from miles away, and so on. Explore your new abilities. You’ll discover how powerful you’ve become. If you have any questions, ask me. I’ll be staying here for a few more days until you’ve fully adjusted.”
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes, now that you’re a jiangshi, you won’t need my help once you’ve adapted. I don’t want to intrude on you two lovebirds.”
“Okay, thank you, Mark. I appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“Don’t mention it. It was nothing. And besides, it wasn’t entirely selfless. I haven’t had time to find any corpses for blood and have been relying on chicken blood. I’m grateful that you two provided me with fresh human blood. You have no idea how long it’s been since I’ve tasted it. Fresh human blood is the best.”
“…”
Song Ling glared at him, her face expressionless. Mark, realizing he had said something inappropriate, blushed and scratched his head, chuckling awkwardly.
Song Ling, seeing his foolish grin, ignored him. She threw off the covers, got out of bed, and left the room. Mark, relieved to be alone, sighed. He had noticed a change in Song Ling since Li Xinjun’s departure.
She now carried an aura of power and determination, no longer the gentle and kind woman he had known before. “Well, it’s not my problem,” he thought to himself. “Let Li Xinjun deal with her.”
As the hours passed, Song Ling began to feel the changes within her body, just as Mark had described. A surge of energy coursed through her veins. Her dantian, the energy center in her abdomen, felt warm, similar to when she had first started cultivating inner energy, but this power was far greater and continued to grow.
She closed her eyes and tried to control this new energy, channeling it through her body, just as she would with her inner energy. She focused her energy in her dantian and then slowly moved it through her limbs, finally releasing it through the top of her head. As the energy surged out, she opened her eyes, their color now a brilliant blue. She raised her hands and drew a bagua symbol in the air, then pushed forward from her chest. A large boulder in front of her exploded, shattering into pieces.
Mark, drawn by the sound, arrived just in time to witness the display of power. He was stunned. It had taken him almost half a month to master his abilities to this extent.
This young woman had done it in less than a day! He wondered if he was simply incompetent or if Song Ling was truly exceptional.
Song Ling drew another circle in the air and then slowly lowered her hands. Her eyes returned to their normal amber color. She exhaled softly and turned to see Mark staring at her, his mouth agape. She raised an eyebrow and waved a hand in front of his face. Mark snapped out of his daze and closed his mouth, looking at her with a mixture of awe and fear.
“What’s wrong?”
“How did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“How did you master your powers so quickly?”
“I just channeled my energy, like I do with my inner energy cultivation. It worked. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just impressed.”
Mark didn’t tell her how long it had taken him to achieve this level of control. He had decided that this woman was not human. Well, she wasn’t human anymore. She was a jiangshi. But she was unlike any jiangshi he had ever encountered. He decided to stay on her good side, no matter what. He wasn’t ready to die.
Song Ling, unaware of his thoughts, was pleased with her progress. She didn’t want to waste any time. She wanted to find Li Xinjun as soon as possible, so she trained diligently, pushing herself to master her new powers.
Mark, seeing her determination, quietly left the room, feeling a twinge of jealousy. He decided to go hunting in the forest, hoping to catch some animals for Song Ling to feed on. Consuming fresh blood would accelerate her progress. He wanted to feel useful, not just a freeloader.
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