FRIVOLOUS SNOW

55|Burn

Yong Jie and Yao Xue were welcomed with a quiet and eerie atmosphere when they stepped into one of the family manors in the north that was affected by the plague, Cheng Manor. The dead members of the clan were neatly laid down outside, their bodies covered with black cloth. It was a horrible scene and the people who were in charge of the corpses were planning to burn them later that day. Every corpse that died due to a plague caused by a demon should be burned not later than three days of the person's death or it would turn into a turned corpse.

Yao Xue walked to the nearest corpse and stopped down, lifting the black cloth and scanned the corpse. There were still traces of dried blood flowing from the man's qiqiao.

"Yao Xue, will it be okay to touch them?" Yong Jie asked, afraid Yao Xue might get the plague.

"This is caused by a demon, you won't have the plague unless if he gave it to you which means that every member of the clan had contact with the carrier."

Yong Jie nodded and stopped down beside Yao Xue, checking the corpse also.

Yao Xue lifted the closed eye and Yong Jie almost cried out when he saw a full blood red eyeball without a trace of white.

"That's horrible." Yong Jie stood up, smoothing his robes and silently stepped back.

They went to another family manor, Du Manor, and the huge place was already deserted. The corpses were already burned a few days ago and they heard that one of the clan members managed to escape the plague and flew away.

"This feels like a horror movie." Yong Jie said as he looked around the Manor and silently tugged his hand on Yao Xue's white robes so he wouldn't be that far with Yao Xue and he could reach him if something shows up or something would suddenly happen like corpses waking up, turning into real zombies and everything. Yong Jie was getting paranoid.

Yao Xue didn't bother to ask what Yong Jie was muttering as he walked inside the Manor. Yao Xue could feel his robes being tugged by Yong Jie but he didn't pay attention to the man behind him.

"Yao Xue, it's still the same as the Cheng Manor. This place also is filled with sorrowful energy, it's making me feel dizzy." Yong Jie said but he was lying about the dizzy part. He just wanted to get the hell out of that creepy place.

Yao Xue turned to Yong Jie who was pouting as he muttered about something then he automatically pulled a puppy face when he saw Yao Xue was looking.

Yao Xue nodded and Yong Jie rejoiced, letting go of Yao Xue's robe and u-turned, walking back to his tracks ahead of Yao Xue. The North of Bing Guo was mourning for their loss and it was strange how the demon only showed in the North. Only a few people were going out that their market only had a few stalls opened and most of the taverns and inns were closed too.

Yong Jie stopped and looked at one of the opened stalls. A fruit and vegetable stall and mostly his goods were close to being sold out since there were only three stalls that were opened with fruits and vegetables as their goods and the people were stocking foods to keep them fed without going out afraid of the plague.

Yong Jie picked an apple and noticed someone stood beside him and also checked the goods. Yong Jie brought two apples and happily walked back to Yao Xue, who was looking for an inn to stay the night. Yong Jie gave the extra apple to Yao Xue and he thanked him.

Yong Jie felt so tired that he fell asleep after dinner and dreamt of the plague demon infecting people after people. Yong Jie woke up and he wasn't surprise waking up alone thinking Yao Xue was doing his morning exercise while waiting for him to wake up.

Yao Xue smiled when he saw a cup of water on the drawer next to the bed. He drank it then stood up, stretching his limbs.

"Yao Xue, good morning." Yong Jie smiled as he walked to Yao Xue, who was stirred from his meditation sitting with his crossed legs. Yao Xue looked at Yong Jie.

"Good morning." He said and stood up.

Yao Xue stared at Yong Jie making Yong Jie raise a brow. "Are you okay? Do you still want to rest?" Yao Xue asked.

Yong Jie frowned. "I had enough sleep already."

"You're eyes are slightly red." Yao Xue moved closer and checked his eyes.

"Really? I honestly didn't sleep well. I kinda had an unpleasant dream last night but it's fine. We're going to the central today, right?"

Yao Xue nodded but still worried about Yong Jie.

North Central had the most number of people in the North Bing Guo and Yong Jie and Yao Xue suspected that the place would be the plague demon's next target.

After breakfast, the two cultivators hit the road with their horses and Yao Xue would occasionally check Yong Jie but then stopped worrying when Yong Jie was still acting as annoying as ever but Yao Xue got used to Yong Jie's antics.

The world was alarmed because of that plague demon that cultivators from different sect also went to Bing Guo to investigate.

When they arrived in the Central North of Bing Guo, people were gathered and Yong Jie heard from the people's murmurs that someone suddenly collapsed and bleed on his qiqiao.

They both hurried to the scene, sliding down from their horse and slipping in the crowd of noisy and scared people. Yong Jie stooped down beside the fresh corpse and opened the eye and saw the same thing in the people of Cheng Manor.

Yong Jie searched the body but there were no wounds or cuts. Yong Jie turned to Yao Xue who was checking the pulse of the man which was already hopeless. Yao Xue was surprised to see Yong Jie bleeding on his nose.

"Yong Jie!" Yao Xue called in alarm and Yong Jie absentmindedly wiped his nose feeling something there and he was also surprised to see blood on the back of his hand.

Fuck! Yong Jie thought.

He didn't want to get burned!

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