Married the Second Generation Fox Demon with a Baby in a Flash Marriage - Chapter 54

“An octopus? Is it a demon from the sea? Do sea demons also come here to cause trouble?” Hu Mengmeng asked upon hearing Ye Xinyu’s explanation.

“The ocean covers much more of the Earth’s surface; sea demons are more numerous and far more mysterious than mountain demons. They hide in the deep sea, and their range of activity is much broader than ours, so they rarely come to land. On the rare occasions they do emerge, they are exceptionally brutal. Like the one we encountered at Jiangbin Avenue—it swam upstream from the sea. Although its grade wasn’t high, its size was immense; even a small one can terrorize an entire river. Grandpa was poisoned years ago while dealing with a Blue-Ringed Octopus Demon from the deep sea. We consulted many doctors, but none could treat it,” Ye Xinyu said despondently.

Ye Shoutian was currently unconscious, lying on the bed. Ye Xinyu had placed talismans around his body to maintain the circulation of spiritual energy to help him resist the toxin.

Beside them, the tortoise remained silent, crouching on the floor next to Ye Shoutian, standing guard.

Ye Shoutian had struck Ye Xinyu earlier; his views were different from hers, and he had even coerced her to kill her unborn child and Hu Mengmeng. However, he was still Ye Xinyu’s grandfather and had treated her very well in every other aspect. Now that the poison had spread and he was comatose, Ye Xinyu was filled with grief and anxiety.

“Sister, earlier that turtle said that if his cultivation leveled up, he could neutralize Grandpa’s poison. What level of cultivation is required for that? Can I do it? What must be done?” Hu Mengmeng asked, her hand gripping Ye Xinyu’s shoulder.

Seeing Ye Xinyu so sad and distressed made Hu Mengmeng’s heart ache, and she hated that she couldn’t be of help. Regarding sea demons and detoxification, she had absolutely no memories in her ancestral heritage to draw from. She could only watch helplessly.

“Generally, when we speak of ‘Great Demons,’ it’s a broad term. Specifically, among demon hunters, Great Demons are divided into four ranks: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow—with Upper Heaven being the highest. Based on your fox cultivation, you entered the Great Demon threshold at five tails, which is the Yellow rank. Now that you are nearly at six tails, you have entered the middle of the Mysterious rank. Eight tails is considered the Heaven rank. Nine is the ultimate number; a nine-tailed fox has only appeared in legends, so it isn’t officially counted. I can’t say for sure what Grandpa Turtle’s rank is—likely the Earth rank. To heal Grandpa, he would probably need to reach the Heaven rank. At that level, a type of energy called ‘Life Qi’ is generated within the spiritual energy. Whether demon or human, once you reach this grade, aging slows and lifespan increases. Life Qi can be used for healing and restoration. However, starting from the Mysterious rank, cultivation becomes extremely difficult. The spiritual energy of the world is insufficient; it simply cannot support growth to such a high tier. I have never heard of a person or demon reaching the Heaven rank. Grandpa’s tissues have been destroyed by poison to the point of failure; even if the poison is removed, he won’t be able to recover on his own. Don’t worry about this. When the Taoist doctor arrives, I will ask her again,” Ye Xinyu said, glancing at Hu Mengmeng.

Hu Mengmeng’s current cultivation was considered that of a genius for her age, but her time had been too short. Any further refinement of her strength would require time to come slowly.

“Sister, I will work hard to increase my cultivation. No matter what, I will stay with you,” Hu Mengmeng said.

Hu Mengmeng had also heard of Life Qi. It was a type of healing energy—much like Righteous Qi or Baleful Qi—belonging to the special gases between heaven and earth. However, Life Qi was far more precious. Aside from Heaven-rank beings who could absorb spiritual energy and naturally produce it, the chance of a natural birth of this ability was one in ten thousand—virtually non-existent.

The Ye family heritage allowed for the absorption of Righteous Qi. Hu Mengmeng was a demon, and like the vast majority of her kind, she absorbed Baleful Qi along with spiritual energy; the amount depended on constitution and talent.

“And what solution is there if you won’t listen to me? You little fox, you certainly know how to say sweet words. Don’t think for a second that reaching six tails at such a young age is because your own talent is so great. If you hadn’t absorbed the Primal Yin that Xinyu nurtured for over twenty years, you would be nothing right now. And you still dream of reaching the Heaven rank?” The tortoise looked at them and snorted coldly.

“How do you know it’s impossible?! I could rip out your demon alchemy to absorb, find more like it, and then I could reach the Heaven rank!” Hu Mengmeng snapped, red light flashing in her eyes. She had zero respect for this tortoise.

“You think you can just absorb demon alchemies to level up? The quality of your bloodline determines how far a demon can cultivate. No matter how many alchemies you absorb, if you can’t break the limits of your bloodline, the absorption is in vain—you won’t be able to level up! Only a hybrid demon fetus—a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth—can break those boundaries. This is a rare opportunity that hasn’t appeared in a thousand years. Once the pregnancy can no longer be hidden, do you have any idea how many Great Demons will be drawn here?” The tortoise spoke, a look of covetousness returning to its eyes.

“I will protect them! Stop showing that disgusting look!” Hu Mengmeng gritted her teeth, baring her fangs at the turtle.

Despite its thick shell and high cultivation, Hu Mengmeng couldn’t harm it even if she wanted to—it was Ye Shoutian’s contracted demon. If she hurt it, Grandpa Ye would likely suffer as well. Given his poor health, he couldn’t survive another blow to his system.

“The little fox is quite skilled at talking big,” the tortoise snorted, completely indifferent.

Ye Xinyu pulled Hu Mengmeng back, and the girl stopped arguing. Hu Mengmeng thought about the tortoise’s words regarding the “once-in-a-millennium” opportunity and how the pregnancy would attract Great Demons. She frowned. She had been overlooking a question: wasn’t she herself a hybrid half-demon? If a hybrid fetus was truly so sought-after, what had happened when Su Mingli was pregnant with her? How did her fox mother protect them?

Su Mingli had never mentioned any danger back then. Perhaps her fox mother had done something Su Mingli wasn’t even aware of—after all, her mother wasn’t a cultivator and couldn’t identify spiritual energy. Hu Mengmeng realized she needed to ask Su Mingli for more details to piece things together.

Suppressing her doubts, Hu Mengmeng stood by Ye Xinyu and channeled filtered, pure spiritual energy into her. The tortoise also stopped talking, guarding Ye Shoutian. Its gaze flickered between Hu Mengmeng and Ye Xinyu—sometimes fierce, sometimes benevolent.

Hu Mengmeng remained alert, puzzled by the tortoise’s shifting demeanor. While Grandpa was still unconscious, she didn’t want to cause trouble and simply observed. Ye Xinyu’s heart was entirely focused on Ye Shoutian until the Taoist doctor finally arrived at the ancestral home.

This time, it wasn’t Shen Qingyi, but her relative Shen Qingluo, who specialized in treating toxins and had seen Ye Shoutian before. Compared to Shen Qingyi, Shen Qingluo was much gentler, appearing refined, quiet, and dignified—giving off the air of a noble young lady.

“The poison has spread. With my abilities, I can only protect the vital organs and temporarily wake the Old Master. He has roughly three months. Within that time, besides asking a demon or hunter of the Upper Earth rank or higher to help neutralize the toxin, there is only one other way: go to the Pill Sect and obtain the Spiritual Essence Pill. It is said that the Spiritual Essence Pill can grow flesh on bone and has the power to bring back the dead; no matter how severe the injury, one can recover. It can not only neutralize Blue-Ringed Octopus venom but also repair the damaged body. However, the Spiritual Essence Pill is the supreme treasure of the Pill Sect, and the materials used are extremely precious and priceless. It cannot be bought,” Shen Qingluo said after diagnosing him.

“Is there really no other way?” Ye Xinyu asked with a frown. She had heard of the pill but never seen it. Its rarity was of legendary proportions.

“I apologize. Forgive my incompetence,” Shen Qingluo said regretfully.

“It’s not your fault. Thank you, Dr. Shen, for coming to treat my grandfather.” Ye Xinyu bowed, and Hu Mengmeng followed suit.

“You’re welcome. I have administered acupuncture; he will wake soon. Try not to let him get angry. These are the medicines for daily use. I will return for a follow-up once a week; call me immediately if anything happens,” Shen Qingluo said unhurriedly. Her consultation fee was in the millions, so she was naturally responsible for her patient.

“Sister, I’ll go to the Pill Sect for the Spiritual Essence Pill!” Hu Mengmeng said to Ye Xinyu.

“We will discuss that later. Don’t be impulsive. That pill is a rare treasure even for the Pill Sect. It won’t be given to outsiders easily; it isn’t a matter of money. We need to find out what they need—an exchange would be best. I’ll have someone investigate. Mengmeng, go and retract your bloodline first. Grandpa cannot afford to be angry right now. If he wakes up and sees you like this, he’ll likely lose his temper again. I’ll talk to him properly,” Ye Xinyu said, knowing he would wake soon.

“Sister, I understand. I’ll go now.” Hu Mengmeng nodded, glanced at the bed, then at the tortoise, and left the room.

After Shen Qingluo removed the needles, the tortoise lay on the floor with its eyelids closed as if asleep. Moments later, Ye Shoutian opened his eyes. His body was devastated by the poison, so although he was awake, he was extremely weak. He couldn’t move much, but his eyes searched the room until they fixed on Ye Xinyu.

“Grandpa…” Ye Xinyu whispered, her voice choking.

“I am not your grandfather,” Ye Shoutian croaked.

That single sentence felt like a knife to Ye Xinyu’s heart. He was still furious with her. How was she supposed to talk to him?

“Old Master Ye, the poison in your body is temporarily controlled. Your condition is not suited for anger; rest well. I will see you again next time,” Shen Qingluo said to them.

“Thank you, Dr. Shen. I’ll walk you out.” Ye Xinyu controlled her emotions and escorted the doctor out.

Once Ye Xinyu left the room, Hu Mengmeng slipped back inside. Ye Shoutian’s closed eyes snapped open immediately. She hadn’t retracted her bloodline as Ye Xinyu had asked; she was still in her unsealed state.

“You little fox, what are you trying to do?!” Grandpa Ye asked. His aged voice held caution but no fear.

“This is only the first time you’ve met me, but you don’t look surprised at all. I only suspected it before, but now I know for sure. Are you really Grandpa… or are you the Old Turtle?” Hu Mengmeng asked, staring at the man on the bed.

“What do you mean by that? I may be old, but I still have my sight. This is the Ye home; if I could move, I would certainly skin you alive!” Ye Shoutian said, his eyes filled with a fierce aura.

“The moment you woke up, the Old Turtle’s aura weakened until it practically vanished. The auras on the two of you are far too similar. If you are the Old Turtle and you’ve hurt Grandpa, I’ll fight you to the death!” Hu Mengmeng said, her eyes narrowing as her hands curved into claws, her entire body on high alert.