Don't Cause Trouble Chapter 106: Blood Pool

Ever since the Demon-Luring Array disappeared, the other two demons never showed up. What was supposed to be a peaceful birthday banquet was thrown into chaos, and the entire City Lord’s estate was undergoing investigations.

Demons that could remain hidden under the effects of the Demon-Luring Array were likely above the level of Sky Demons. As the Night of Massacre drew near, everyone became more anxious.

The disciples of the five major sects all focused their attention on the City Lord’s estate. They unanimously believed that the remaining two demons were hiding there.

Because once the Night of Massacre began, the City Guardian Officer’s life lantern was the first to go out.

Yan Hao had taken off her dancer’s outfit and was holding a register. She was going around using the process of elimination to find the demons. When she ran into Ye Su, she said anxiously, "Tonight is the Night of Massacre. If we can’t find the remaining two demons, we’ll all be stuck here."

Ye Su was also searching. She said, "There are a few places I want to check again."

The sound of a staff tapping against the ground slowly approached. Ye Su looked up, it was Gu Liangtian from the Wanfo Sect.

To avoid the Fusion-Stage City Guardian Officer, he had used the excuse of creating a blessing array for the City Lord’s wife’s younger brother to enter the estate. It took him some time to set up the array’s core, and with the help of the disciples outside, they established an array to draw out the demons.

He had made his move during the banquet for the City Lord’s wife’s brother, right on the eve of the Night of Massacre. Before that, he had never taken any action or searched for demons.

That level of patience surpassed everyone else's.

Perhaps her stare was too direct, but just as they were about to pass each other, Gu Liangtian spoke: "The Wanfo Sect has set up another array. Tonight, those two demons will die."

"What do you mean?" Ye Su turned around.

"When the array activates, everyone in Huicheng will die," Gu Liangtian said calmly. "This is just a reminder, leave Huicheng early and wait outside for your return."

Ye Su suddenly lifted her eyes and stared at him. "You plan to massacre the city?"

Gu Liangtian was tall and lean, and his face carried a trace of sorrowful compassion. "They’re nothing more than remnants of the past. They already died twenty years ago."

"The Night of Massacre hasn’t started yet. We still have a chance to find the last two demons," Yan Hao frowned. "Why would you massacre the city?"

"I already said," Gu Liangtian rotated his prayer beads, "they are just shadows of the past. Massacring the city is the best option."

"Wanfo Sect…" Ye Su looked at Gu Liangtian, her expression cold and emotionless. "What a fine Buddha’s disciple you are."

With that, she turned and left with You Fushi.

……

Yi Xuan stood in front of the Plum Garden gate, staring at it.

"What are you doing here?"

Yi Xuan turned his head. "Senior Sister."

Ye Su was followed by You Fushi. The two of them stopped, one in front and one behind. She asked Yi Xuan, "Do you think there’s something wrong inside?"

"I just have a strange feeling," Yi Xuan replied.

"I’ll go in and take a look." Ye Su knew about Yi Xuan’s half-demon bloodline, maybe he sensed something. That day in the Plum Garden, she had noticed Yi Xuan turning back.

"I’ll go in. You wait outside," Ye Su said, worried his half-demon bloodline might be affected.

"I’m going with you," Yi Xuan insisted.

Seeing the determined look in his eyes, Ye Su finally gave in. "Alright."

At this time, it was still March in Huicheng. Half the plum trees in the garden were still in full bloom.

Inside, the scene was a mess. There had clearly been a fight here. Judging by the traces left behind, it was between disciples of the Upper Gate Sect and the Hehuan Sect.

The three of them walked into the Plum Garden’s stage area. Ye Su approached the chaise lounge, the one the City Lord’s wife used to lie on. It had collapsed, along with the table beside it.

Ye Su bent down and picked up some papers that had fallen out of the drawer. Some of the writing was delicate and neat, while some had sharp, forceful strokes. But all of them were copied prayers.

Yi Xuan looked a little dazed. Without thinking, he began walking deeper into the Plum Garden.

You Fushi reached out and nudged Ye Su. "He’s running off."

Ye Su tucked the papers away and quickly followed.

The deeper they went, the more withered the plum trees became, until finally, rows of dead trees stood before them.

Yi Xuan stepped around the dead trees and walked inside. There was a barrier there, he swung his sword several times to slice it open. A bubbling pool of blood-red water suddenly appeared before their eyes.

"What are you doing?" Ye Su reached out and grabbed Yi Xuan, who was trying to get closer to the blood pool.

The blank look in Yi Xuan’s eyes faded quickly. He turned and said, "Senior Sister, the City Lord’s wife is…"

This bloody, murderous aura was all too familiar. When the Demon-Luring Array was activated earlier, the demonic aura on the demons smelled exactly like this.

Suddenly, the Chongming Sword beside You Fushi leapt into the pool, stirring and splashing around in excitement.

Ye Su frowned, then crouched down, placing her hand on the ground. She gently closed her eyes and released all of her spiritual awareness.

"Senior Sister…" Yi Xuan frowned as he watched golden threads spread from Ye Su’s palm. They didn’t look like spiritual power, but they felt oddly familiar.

If Yi Xuan’s master, Xin Shenzi, were here, he would have recognized what it was immediately:

—Externalized spiritual awareness.

This was a technique Ye Su had developed after advancing in cultivation.

The golden threads kept spreading, covering the entire Plum Garden. Slowly, things began to reveal themselves.

Demonic energy, thick demonic energy filled the ground of the Plum Garden, mixing with Ye Su’s spiritual awareness. The densest part was right around the stage.

Ye Su pulled her hand back and swallowed the blood that rose in her throat. Looking toward the stage, she realized, there was a demon array here.

She didn’t know much about arrays, but she was extremely good at mimicking them.

She glanced once at the blood pool, then reached out to grab the Chongming Sword, now tainted with the bloody aura. Using it, she began drawing on the ground.

……

Inside the Council Hall, the City Lord was discussing the recent demonic invasion of Huicheng with others. Worried for his wife and Yu Chengyue, he had kept them by his side, especially since the City Guard Commander was also present to watch over them.

Just as they were debating whether to send messages to the major sects, the doors suddenly burst open.

Lu Chenhan entered, radiating killing intent. Though he didn’t look like a demon, he was even more terrifying than one at first glance.

"What are you doing?" The City Lord frowned and instinctively stepped in front of his wife and Yu Chengyue.

The Guard Commander stepped forward, unsheathing his sword and silently raising it in front of him.

After being absent for some time, Lu Chenhan now stood at the forefront, holding the Demon-Seeking Disk. Empowered by Ning Qianyao’s blood, it pointed directly at the City Lord. His gaze was icy. "Slay the demon."

Tonight was the final day. Lu Chenhan had already walked through the City Lord’s manor with the disk in hand. In the end, the last two demons were pinpointed, inside the Council Hall.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" The City Lord slammed the table as he rose, realizing what Lu Chenhan was implying.

"I believe the City Lord knows exactly what I mean," Ning Qianyao said as she walked in, holding a booklet in her hand. "Demonic bone cultivation, your study is full of things like that. You’ve finally succeeded in becoming a demon strong enough to evade even the Demon-Luring Array."

"I have no idea what you’re talking about!" Li Yaoming snapped angrily. "Who even are you people?!"

"All the demons in the manor were gathered around you and the Plum Garden where your wife resides. It’s hard not to suspect a connection," Ning Qianyao replied.

She took the Demon-Seeking Disk from Lu Chenhan and discreetly smeared a drop of blood on it. As she approached the City Lord’s group, the pointer only stopped when directed at the City Lord and his wife.

She turned and nodded at Lu Chenhan.

That seemed to be the signal. Jian Hu and Lu Chenhan moved simultaneously, one blocked the Guard Commander while the other launched an attack toward the City Lord.

At the same time, Ning Qianyao drew her sword and lunged at the City Lord’s wife, aiming for her neck, intent on taking off a demon’s head.

Yu Chengyue moved just in time, grabbing the City Lord’s wife’s hand and shielding her with his body.

In that critical moment, two figures suddenly appeared, their swords clashing against those of Lu Chenhan and Jian Hu.

"Ye Su?"

"Yi Xuan?"

Xu Chengyu and the others were shocked when they saw the two.

Ye Su glanced at her now broken sword, clearly feeling a bit regretful.

Lu Chenhan’s eyes locked onto the newcomers. "So this is why the third wave of people never returned from Massacre Night?"

The City Lord dragged his wife and Yu Chengyue backward in retreat, completely unsure of what was happening anymore.

Footsteps sounded again at the door. You Fushi entered, covered in thick demonic aura. He tilted his head slightly, and the Chongming Sword shot in on its own, aiming straight at Lu Chenhan.

It moved with a speed that no late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator should be able to command.

Lu Chenhan stepped back slightly, and in the next moment, the Chongming Sword flew into Ye Su’s hand.

"You’ve turned into demons?" Mei Chouren looked at the three of them, deeply pained.

Ning Qianyao stared at the Demon-Seeking Disk. Its pointer spun wildly between Ye Su, Yi Xuan, and You Fushi at the entrance.

Ye Su glanced at the disk in her hand. "Looks like we’re demons now too."

"What’s going on?" Xu Chengyu clearly didn’t believe it and frowned. "Ye Su, how did you get tainted with demonic aura?"

"I accidentally drew a few extra arrays." Ye Su swiftly began tracing the array from the Plum Garden onto the floor using the Chongming Sword, still coated in blood from the demonic pool. "You all can give it a try too."

The demonic array required demonic energy. Ye Su didn’t have any herself, but the blood pool held extremely potent demonic power, and the Chongming Sword—a demonic blade could absorb both divine and demonic energy. She merely acted as the framework.

The Council Hall was much smaller than the Plum Garden. Once the array was formed, demonic energy surged instantly. Within moments, everyone present was engulfed and stained with demonic aura.

The Demon-Seeking Disk spun so fast the pointer was a blur.

"When it comes to demonic aura, we’re all demons now." Ye Su looked at Lu Chenhan and Ning Qianyao. "So… will you slay yourselves too?"

Everyone: "……"

"Massacre Night has begun," Ye Su suddenly said.

Ning Qianyao froze. "What?"

The others couldn’t follow her train of thought.

Ye Su turned toward the Guard Commander standing silently at the edge of the room and smiled. "Aren’t you supposed to die?"

Ning Qianyao jolted and stiffly turned to look at the Guard Commander.

All the participating disciples knew the most critical fact: twenty years ago on Massacre Night, the event began with the extinguishing of the Guard Commander’s life-lamp and ended with demons slaughtering every person in the city.

The Echoing Array recreated the shadows of everyone from that time. Though the disciples could interact with the city’s people, none of their actions would alter the course of history.

Even if they killed every demon, it would still end with everyone disappearing.

The Guard Commander had been standing at the edge, eyes cast downward. After Ye Su spoke, he slowly raised his head. "I forgot. I wanted to see what you’d do next."

That single sentence sent chills through the five major sect disciples.

There was clearly an extra person or something that didn’t belong in the Echoing Array.

"Why do you assume my brother-in-law and sister aren’t demons?" Yu Chengyue suddenly asked Ye Su from the back. "In the end, they’ll still be killed, with no chance to explain."

Another round of gasps filled the Council Hall.

He, too, clearly had awareness, he wasn’t just a memory.

Ye Su turned to look at Yu Chengyue. Her gaze held surprise, but not complete shock.

"The blood pool and demonic array in the Plum Garden did point toward the City Lord’s wife," Ye Su admitted as she glanced at the Chongming Sword. "But the blood in the pool was added later. The array only spreads demonic aura." The pool’s intense demonic energy was what caused everyone to be instantly tainted.

In theory, everything in the Echoing Array was fake and would vanish. Even the spirit stones that Little Junior Brother had earned, Ye Su hadn’t pointed that out.

If the blood pool had truly been from twenty years ago, it wouldn’t have affected the Chongming Sword at all. And yet, it had acted unusually excited.

That’s when Ye Su realized, the Echoing Array contained something none of the sect masters were aware of.