The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 345: Pride Spirit

He staggered two steps back, covering his abdomen with his right hand. Blood dyed his shirt red and leaked from between his fingers, dripping down to the ground.

Gao Xinxin had a small and sharp silver dagger in her hand. She slowly rose to her feet, looking at Gao Yang with a numb expression on her face.

If Gao Yang hadn’t pushed her away in time, the dagger would’ve gone in deeper.

“...Why?”

Gao Yang was shocked and confused, but he didn’t sit around and do nothing. While asking the question, he had taken out the Medicine C he carried with him and given himself a shot in the side with his right hand.

With the medicine administered, his pain quickly subsided, and the bleeding stopped. The wound gradually healed.

Gao Yang cast away the empty syringe and took two steps back, keeping a safe distance from his sister while concentrating energy in his hands.

Although his body had gotten ready for a fight, he hadn’t reconciled with what was happening emotionally.

His sister’s monsterhood had awakened, and she was turning against him.

“Why, sis?” Gao Yang asked again, his voice broken and his gaze anguished.

Gao Xinxin didn’t say anything. Face impassive, she stared at Gao Yang with dim eyes like she was transfixed.

Gao Yang’s heart pounded.

Wait, something’s not right

This wasn’t his sister with her monsterhood awakened. Besides, the Crimson Tide hadn’t arrived yet. Even if his sister was an elite monster, it wasn’t time for her to awaken yet.

Gao Yang calmed himself down and concentrated on his six senses.

Finally, he got a good look at the almost transparent lump of energy floating behind Gao Xinxin. It was humanoid, like a spirit haunting her.

“Who are you?” Gao Yang called out loudly. “What are you doing to my sister?”

“You’re quick,” Gao Xinxin said, monotone like a robot. “You caught me.”

“I’m asking again, who are you?!” Gao Yang’s eyes blazed with killing intent. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt Gao Xinxin.

“The name’s Fu. According to human convention, you may call me Sir Fu,” Gao Xinxin continued to drone.

Sir Fu?!

Gao Yang was immediately reminded of Sir Jiang and Sir Zuo.

“You’re a pride monster.”

“Yes. I’m what you call an observer.”

“No, observers don’t hurt humans.”

“You misunderstood. We don’t care if we’re hurting humans or not. We’re simply answering questions, and we each have our own method.”

That was aligned with what Sir Zuo had said.

Humans were the questions, and a pride monster’s calling was to answer them.

Realization dawned on Gao Yang. “Are you responsible for my mother’s missing? So that you can lure me out?”

“She will be fine.” Gao Xinxin raised the dagger and took a step forward. “Your sister will be fine, too. I promise you.”

“What are you trying to achieve?” Gao Yang stared at the spirit behind Gao Xinxin’s back, racking his brain for a way to kill Sir Zuo without hurting his sister, but came up empty. He didn’t know a thing about Sir Fu’s ability.

Gao Xinxin took another step back. “I want you to do one thing. It’s simple...”

“Become my sister’s food.”

The gentle, elegant voice of a woman came from above him. Gao Yang looked up to find a familiar figure standing on top of the scaffolding around the observatory tower. Under the moonlight, her silver hair danced along the wind, the luxurious red palace dress hugging the curves of her body.

“White Dew!” Gao Yang called out in shock.

Curling in White Dew’s arm, Fresh Snow, in her cat form, was unconscious.

Night wind swept through the top of the mountain, ruffling White Dew’s silver hair and revealing a pair of sharp, determined crimson eyes. “Gao Yang, you will be Fresh Snow’s food tonight.”

Gao Yang would like to ask, ‘And why would I do that?’

But he went silent before he opened his mouth.

He knew what White Dew and Sir Fu were going to do.

As he had anticipated, Gao Xinxin, under Sir Fu’s manipulation, suddenly raised the dagger and pressed the blade to her fair neck.

“Stop!” Gao Yang shouted. “Please, I’m begging you. Don’t hurt her...”

The sharp dagger soon cut the skin of her neck open, and a trail of blood streamed down along the blade.

“Gao Yang, my answer is Fresh Snow,” Sir Fu said with a numb look in his eyes, manipulating Gao Xinxin. “Fresh Snow must not die. You have to be her food. To that end, I’ll do anything.”

Gao Yang glared.

“I know you’re a smart one, but don’t get any ideas. My power is Pride Spirit. I can possess any living creature whose willpower is weaker than mine. Unless I voluntarily left her body, you won’t be able to stop me from making your sister commit suicide.”

“Not only will I kill your sister, I’ll also go after all your family, friends, and whoever is important to you... Even if I can’t do that, the Spectres will do it.”

“As long as you volunteer to be Fresh Snow’s food, though, I promise that your family and friends will be alright.”

Gao Xinxin then lifted her head, pressing the blade of the dagger further into her neck. “I’ll give you ten seconds.”

“I agree.”

Gao Yang answered without hesitation.

“Good. You’re decisive.” Gao Xinxin took a few steps back. “Don’t worry, I will hold up my end of the deal. Your death won’t be in vain.”

White Dew floated down from the scaffolding with Fresh Snow in her arms. She walked up to Gao Xinxin from behind.

Two seconds later, Gao Xinxin’s body went limp, and the dagger fell from her hand. White Dew caught her and wrapped a hand around her frail neck.

It was meant as a warning for Gao Yang: White Dew could easily break Gao Xinxin’s neck. He would be wise to not do anything funny.

Gao Yang didn’t move at all, and he didn’t intend to.

A few seconds later, an old man in patient garb of blue and white stripes slowly walked out of the tower.

He was so thin that it looked like his skin was hanging off his bones, and his complexion was deathly gray, his skin covered in age spots. His hair had almost all fallen off. He looked terminally ill.

“Hoho, surprised?” Sir Fu looked at Gao Yang, his hoarse voice sounded more like a hiss. “I’m a pride monster, but I’m also a late-stage cancer patient.”

Gao Yang didn’t say anything, and his expression remained unchanged. He had lost interest in everything after deciding to be Fresh Snow’s food.

Nothing mattered anymore, not the Mist World, pride monsters, life monsters, death monsters, or Gates of Closure.

In the end, what he wanted most was for his loved ones to be safe and sound.

For that, he could give up anything and everything, including his life.

The world may be fake, but love is real.

And with love, his life wouldn’t be in vain.

Ha, at the end of the day, we’re not so different, Officer Huang.

“We’ve lived for a long, long time, having one foot in the coffin.” Sir Fu took Fresh Snow from White Dew, his movement deliberate.

Then he sat down on the ground cross-legged.

“We’ve been watching you, thinking and looking for answers. However, our wisdom has limits, and so does our time. It is time to turn in our answer sheet.”

“I hope that my answer is the right one.”

He stopped speaking. His head suddenly dropped, and his eyes became all muddled white.

At the same time, the white cat in his arms opened its eyes, the emerald green looking possessed.

Fresh Snow was now under the control of Sir Fu’s Pride Spirit.

Meow.

Fresh Snow’s white fur began to expand and extend in all directions before melting into white smoke, enveloping her form.

About ten seconds later, a young girl with skin as fair as jade and flawless purity stood in the smoke, her petite, delicate body slightly obscured.

Flap.

White Dew threw her a large cape with one hand. Fresh Snow caught it and covered herself before the smoke dispersed.

Her emerald eyes had turned crimson, but the dazed look remained. Behind her was the spirit of Sir Fu, in energy form.

She slowly walked up to Gao Yang and said in an emotionless yet ethereal voice, “I’m going to eat you, Gao Yang. Are you ready?”