HIDDEN EVIL [XIAO SHUXIANG THE SERIES]
271 - The Soul Landscape

Zhi Shu waited and became tense. He and Elder Chen Duan Shan kept a close eye on what Yi Wen was doing and did not even have time to feel amazed.

He watched how the bodies of Lan Guan Zhi, Ling Qing Zhu and Hu Li had been filled with a faint red light before finally disappearing. Regardless of what happened to his three friends, Zhi Shu had absolutely no idea and could not possibly ask Yi Wen at this time.

On the other hand, Yi Wen looked extremely focused. This was one of the most difficult techniques he had ever learned. A Soul Release technique and send those souls to another realm.

This is a forbidden technique and has the risk of not messing around. It is a possibility that the soul that is released from the body will not return. But to reduce that risk, Yi Wen wore a thread that would serve as a bridge for her in order to bring back the departed soul.

Elsewhere, the Mad Beggar Boy who was outside the residence of Elder Chen Duan Shan saw that there were three points of light appearing separately. The light seemed to come out from within the residence before it finally rose into the sky and disappeared.

The night was very soothing for some, but it made some others uneasy. Crazy Beggar Boy could not do anything to this one, he could only hope that Yi Wen was not playing around.

One of those points of light pierced through the darkness, wandering, across the night sky. As soon as the point of light came down and touched the ground, a person's form was visible.

She was Ling Qing Zhu, that white-haired beautiful girl would not be seen by anyone at the moment. He circulated his gaze and saw himself at a vast courtyard with quite a number of children practicing martial arts.

Ling Qing Zhu noticed and realized that this was not the place in the Thousand Swords Palace. He was in another location, he had never even met before.

The children of all ages he saw were dressed in all black with red belts and hairbands. Ling Qing Zhu flinched as one of the children flashed past his body and then took his place among the rows of other children.

The residence is very large, the building is spacious and surrounds the courtyard where the children practice. Each building was made of sturdy black wood and red bamboo which Ling Qing Zhu knew was a rare type of bamboo.

The more he walked, Ling Qing Zhu's feeling grew increasingly uncomfortable. Moreover, he saw the plants in this place almost all of them died. What grew was a poisonous needle grass that could only be found in the steep mountain range, the Black Flow Region.

Ling Qing Zhu flinched as he began to know its location. He was now in one of the sects, the region of the black stream. Just about to think of something else, suddenly a voice sounded.

"Xiao Shuxiang was punished again..!"

"What?!"

"Oh! Being punished? What was his mistake this time?"

Ling Qing Zhu blinked, he heard the name of his Guardian Master being mentioned by this youngster of a dozen years old. He who was curious began to follow some children who looked very enthusiastic about the news.

While wondering inwardly, Ling Qing Zhu kept walking. His footsteps directed him to a building similar to the sect Master Hall in general.

There were too many disciples of different ages and Ling Qing Zhu could not see clearly. He just remembered his body was able to pierce through the bodies of these disciples, so he took a deep breath and started to step. To be honest, he was very nervous when he did that.

Moving forward, a whip-like sound rang out in Ling Qing Zhu's ears. He also watched a boy who was very young and was kneeling while looking up.

The boy stared at an adult man who was endlessly moving a medium-sized whip, but it was painful to hit the skin hard.

Ling Qing Zhu was surprised, he did not know who this boy-y-yet felt very familiar.

It's just that he was even more surprised when he watched the lash keep coming and hitting the cheeks and body of this child. He stared intently at the man who was so insane as to punish a young child. Even Ling Qing Zhu was convinced, this child was not yet 7 years old.

"Did I still not teach you enough?" the cold and firm voice of the man sounded along with each of his lashes.

"There's no special treatment even if you're the son of an elder, do you understand?"

The whip came back and hit the child's right shoulder until his body trembled. Ling Qing Zhu did not know what he was seeing, yet it felt truly outrageous.

"Don't cry!"

Even the disciples around Ling Qing Zhu were only a few who looked grieved and afraid to witness this scene, others seemed to have gotten used to it and even showed gazes of admiration. Either it was addressed to this man or to the boy who refrained from screaming in pain.

"Good! Keep up that expression!" a terrifying grin was seen on the face of the man that Ling Qing Zhu was staring at, but the man's lash was actually getting stronger.

I don't know how long this punishment had lasted, but Ling Qing Zhu could do nothing but feel the pain in his heart and tremble in his body. The boy she saw was covered in wounds, yet still smiled.

"Thank you for the teaching, Elder. Xiang'Er will never forget,"

Ling Qing Zhu froze. He was like hearing the sound of lightning striking with just the speech of this boy. His breath was choked in his throat along with something crawling out of his mind.

"Shu ... Shuxiang?" Ling Qing Zhu could not have expected this. He had never met Xiao Shuxiang when the young man was still a child, so he was confused at first. But now, his mind was completely opened as if it had just been doused in cold water.

Xiao Shuxiang's. That's really him! However Ling Qing Zhu never expected to see this kind of incident. He was even surprised to see the small body of his Guardian Saint being treated so cruelly.

"All of you ..." the cold and cruel grown man circulated a gaze watching his disciples. He said, "This is an example so you don't do anything useless. Anyone who dares to break the rules, whether it be a small mistake or a big-punishment I will not be merciful."

The adult man stared demeaningly and coldly at the boy who was still kneeling before him. He said, "You go to the Frozen Moon Pavilion and get some treatment. To you! No one helps Xiao Shuxiang. If he dies on the way, then just dump his body out of the sect."

Ling Qing Zhu had somehow since when had already held Baiyi in his hand. His blood boiled looking at the attitude of this person to a still very small figure. Not to mention, the other disciples were instead paying their respects and thanking that person. They completely ignored the child who was still kneeling in a severely injured condition.

A student who appeared to be older, about 13, was seen walking and squatting right in front of the injured child. He was the one who threw the poor animal.

"You see?" the disciple opened his voice, "Just because of a small matter like this .... You're completely wiped out. Honestly, I'm surprised you're not dead. But as you can see, the elder who is your own father does not even grant you forgiveness. He is a very great Elder, what a pity his son is so lame."

A 13-year-old, how can you speak rudely and even be able to give such a bad look to others? Ling Qing Zhu did not know what to say, but if only he could-he would directly give this child a severe punishment.

"You're so stupid that keeping a rabbit is useless in this place," one disciple said, "The Devil Wolf Sect is not an animal shelter. What you're doing is just dirtying our sect,"

"Hmph, basic useless."

Ling Qing Zhu stared intently at the child who dared to say rudely like that. He saw some disciples walking away very haughtily, some wanting to help-but afraid of punishment.

Now that was in this room was only a wounded boy, a dead rabbit and Ling Qing Zhu who could do nothing.

Ling Qing Zhu saw the small hand outstretched, trembling and saw a lash on the back of the child's hand. He noticed the face of this child and so strongly endured the pain all over his body.

Ling Qing Zhu was surprised to see the little boy hugging the dead rabbit and trying to get up. The little boy fell down and then coughed in blood, he was obviously injured-but kept trying to stand up, again and again.

Ling Qing Zhu had never felt this kind of pain. He followed a child who was trying to drag his own body into the Frozen Moon Pavilion, even he was surprised to see the location of that pavilion which was above 33 steps.

"This ...." Ling Qing Zhu was surprised. A severely injured child with an age that has not even reached 7 years old will surely die climbing these stairs.

The Demon Wolf Sect. Actually what kind of college is so cruel to a child who is very young, even too young?!

"Shuxiang ..." Ling Qing Zhu followed every little step of this boy.

Inwardly, he wondered if this figure was his Guardian, the figure of Xiao Shuxiang whom he knew or not. If true, could this be the part of Xiao Shuxiang's past that he could never have imagined?

Every time Ling Qing Zhu saw the traces of blood on the stairs, she felt even more pain. Such a small child ... Seemed to push himself to keep stepping up the steps one after another.

Sometimes the child stops, even barely falls. But he was stubborn and then walked back. Ling Qing Zhu heard the sound of gasping breaths and a small mutter.

"If I die, no one will bury you. Just a minute,"

Ling Qing Zhu clenched his hands, he had difficulty swallowing saliva. So this is why little Xiao Shuxiang is so stubborn? Even as his gaze had faded, this child was trying to remain unconscious just to be able to bury the corpse of a rabbit. Is this really his Guardian?!

Ling Qing Zhu's attention never moved. He noticed Xiao Shuxiang even as the child began to be treated by an old woman in the Frozen Moon Pavilion.

"Bad child," the old woman cursed while concocting the medicinal herbs, "The last time you ditched training and were punished. Now you bring a strange animal to this sect and look! You almost died,"

"I was just curious about the glowing object rising into the sky. It happens once a year, doesn't Grandma see it too?"

"For what to pay attention to. Just because of that strange thing, you almost lost your life." the old woman shook her head slowly and said, "You know very well the nature of your father. Why don't you stop at nothing to make him angry? And why are you still carrying the beast?"

"I ... Wanted to bury it,"

"Xiao Shuxiang's..! If your father finds out you're still keeping that thing, he'll bury you with him. Quickly throw it away now..!"

"Grandma, but this isn't a thing. I-"

"Xiang 'Er..!" the old woman snapped, "Why don't you understand?! You were born in a hard place, there's no place for a soft heart to know yours."

Behind his thin veil, Ling Qing Zhu appeared to be biting on the lips. Even if he had all the calmness in this world, he could still be angry.

"Take this and spend it," the old woman thrust out a cup of medicinal liquid that looked so green. He looked at the face of the boy before him who was so pale.

Before the boy spoke, he suddenly interrupted by saying. "No red sugar candy for you. You must learn to take bitter medicine,"

"grandmother ..."

"If you don't drink, then there's no need to come here anymore. You could die and catch up with your rabbit,"

Ling Qing Zhu saw little Xiao Shuxiang receive the medicinal herb and then drink it. She knew her Guardian Guard was very unhappy bitter, so she could guess what might happen.

The old grandmother smothered the young boy's mouth not to vomit the medicine. Instead, when the medicine is swallowed - it doesn't last long - the little boy begins to vomit blood. Even water began to drip from his eye patch as he coughed.

Ling Qing Zhu could not bear to see it. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not help this little boy. No matter how hard he tried, he could do nothing.

******