Are You a Monster Kid Too?

Su Xue didn't have time to stop him.

Tuoba Feng was too fast; he slashed through the monsters blocking his path and rushed straight to the dried corpse.

Without a moment's hesitation or a shred of disgust, Tuoba Feng pulled the dried corpse into a tight embrace.

"Daddy's here... It's okay, it's okay."

His voice trembled, yet it was exceptionally tender.

The dried corpse wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her withered, shriveled skull on Tuoba Feng's broad shoulder, leaning in with profound attachment.

"Dad... You're back."

The dried corpse's mouth didn't move; the voice resonated from her chest, carrying a hint of complaint mixed with joy.

"You were gone for so long this time, Xiaoyun was scared."

Tuoba Feng held the dried corpse tightly with one arm, protecting her in his embrace while his wide sleeves covered most of her body, his other hand swinging the blade mercilessly.

Boom!

Blade qi crisscrossed, instantly mincing a monster that tried to ambush him from behind.

"Dad went to find medicine—the very best medicine."

"Once we cure your illness, we'll move to a place with flowers and grass."

Tuoba Feng coaxed her softly, though his blade never stopped moving.

But Su Xue saw it clearly.

In the brief moment Tuoba Feng held the dried corpse, the black spots on her body began to stir.

Like living vermin, they crawled stealthily, moving along the points of contact between her and Tuoba Feng's torso, attempting to climb onto him.

Su Xue's eyes sharpened. Deciding instantly, she flicked out the two dark orchid petals she had been holding.

The petals spun through the air, blooming with a soft emerald light.

As the petals whirled, an elegant fragrance of vegetation permeated the yellow sand, dispelling the murky air pouring out of the god's tomb.

The scent was faint yet remarkably resilient, reminiscent of fresh grass after a spring rain or an orchid in a remote mountain valley.

It was the scent of life.

The dried corpse seemed captivated.

She tilted her head, her empty eye sockets gazing at the rotating orchids above.

Then, she reached out a withered hand and cautiously caught one of the petals.

The petal landed in her palm.

Curiously, the dried corpse lowered her head and sniffed it.

Her movements were light and careful, as if terrified her strength might crush the petal.

"So fragrant..."

Rich vitality mingled with the floral scent. In an instant, the black spots on her body reacted as if they had caught the scent of some unparalleled delicacy.

They immediately abandoned their spread toward Tuoba Feng, shifting instead toward her palm and scrambling to pounce on the petal.

In a heartbeat, the black spots swarmed over the petal.

The petal began to dissipate, turning into specks of green fluorescence that danced in the air.

A massive surge of vitality exploded.

The dried corpse panicked.

She hurriedly reached out with her other hand, waving both in the air frantically to catch the vanishing fluorescence, but she caught nothing.

"No... Don't go..."

The vast power of vitality quickly washed over the nearby black-spot monsters, disrupting the death qi with life force.

Seizing the opportunity, Tuoba Feng swung his long blade with even greater ferocity, easily slaughtering the wave of monsters pouring from the tomb entrance.

Only when the surroundings finally fell silent did he notice the abnormality in his arms.

Tuoba Feng stopped and set the dried corpse down. Seeing her head hung low and her hands tightly clenched, he asked softly.

"Xiaoyun, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Clenching her hands, the dried corpse seemed dejected, her voice muffled as she spoke.

"The flower... it's gone."

"It was in my hand just now, so pretty, but... I think I broke it."

Tuoba Feng froze.

He looked up and noticed the specks of green fluorescence falling from the sky like a green rain over a desolate wasteland.

He turned to Su Xue and offered a solemn cupped-fist salute.

"Thank you for your help, Miss."

"And thank you for giving Xiaoyun a rain of flowers."

Tuoba Feng's tone was sincere. "Xiaoyun has lived in the Western Region since she was a child."

"Here, there's nothing but sand and dead people. She has... she's never seen real flowers or green grass."

Su Xue remained tense, her fingers still formed into a hand seal.

She didn't know how to respond.

Currently, Tuoba Feng seemed normal, not at all like the madman he appeared to be earlier, but the thing behind him...

It was clearly a dead thing with no vital signs, yet it was completely unaffected by her vitality.

Even during that intense explosion of vitality, it could still move about so vibrantly.

Just what kind of damn thing was this dried corpse?

Countless conjectures flashed through Su Xue's mind, but none could fully explain the scene before her.

Seeing Su Xue remain silent while staring intently behind him, Tuoba Feng blinked and turned around.

He realized then that Xiaoyun hadn't followed him; she was standing alone in the shadows of the god's tomb entrance.

Her toes were pressed against the threshold, refusing to step out.

Tuoba Feng understood. He forced a smile and beckoned to the dried corpse.

"Is Xiaoyun shy? It's all right."

"This big sister is a divine doctor Dad specifically found to treat your illness."

"Her medical skills are exceptional."

"Once you're cured, Xiaoyun won't be in pain anymore, and those black spots will be gone."

"Come, come say hello to these two sisters."

The dried corpse stood rooted to the spot.

She looked at Su Xue and Piao, then at Tuoba Feng, seemingly hesitant.

After a few seconds, she whispered, "Daddy... I, I'm dirty."

"That sister is so clean. I'll get her dirty."

"How could that be?" Tuoba Feng laughed. "The sisters are good people. They won't mind, Xiaoyun."

The dried corpse still shook her head, her feet as if nailed to the ground, refusing to budge.

Helpless, Tuoba Feng gave Su Xue an apologetic smile. "Xiaoyun has been shy since she was little. Please excuse her, Miss Su Xue."

"I must trouble you to examine the black spots on Xiaoyun's body."

"There are no more healers left in the Western Region. I've tried many methods, but none could stop the black spots from spreading."

"If this continues, I fear she'll..."

Su Xue frowned.

This dried corpse was Tuoba Feng's daughter?

Would a normal person have a daughter like this?

But Tuoba Feng's attitude was too natural, too sincere.

In the way he looked at the dried corpse, there was a paternal love so thick it couldn't be dissolved.

A person's mind can be manipulated, but love cannot be faked.

As she thought this, Piao had already walked over.

She approached the dried corpse, sized her up, and then patted the top of her head, which only had a few strands of withered hair.

"Are you a monster kid too?"

Piao asked indistinctly, still gnawing on the segment of a claw.

The dried corpse's body suddenly stiffened.

"I... I'm not..."

Panicked, the black spots on her body grew restless, as if possessing a will of their own. They surged toward Piao's fingers, wanting to devour the living thing that had presented itself.

"No!"

The dried corpse shrieked. She suddenly raised her hands and clawed fiercely at her own scalp.

Rrip—

She forcibly tore through her own withered scalp, and a plume of black sinful karma smoke drifted out from her skull.

She forcefully suppressed the restless black spots onto her face, preventing them from spreading through her body to infect Piao.