Chapter 11: Energy Deviation!

Elaine Hauk had been right at the critical point of her cultivation when her maid suddenly screamed. The sound hit like a hammer, shaking her focus apart. "Pfft!" Heat surged up her throat. Her pretty face flushed as if magma had poured beneath her skin, and she spat a mouthful of hot blood into the spring. The water hissed as bubbles burst to the surface. The art she cultivated walked a razor's edge, extreme and unforgiving. That was why she had come to the Ice Spirit Spring in the first place, to use its chill to suppress the backlash. Her mind had wavered, and she had nearly fallen into Energy Deviation. "Damn it!" Even with her body reeling, Elaine forced her eyes open. She wanted to see who had the nerve of a god to spy on her while she bathed. "Which filthy pervert is it?" Across the water, half-hidden in the reeds, Murray Scurr stared back at her, eyes blown wide. Their gazes locked, and his brain went completely blank. "You had to notice right this second?" he blurted. One more breath and he would have been gone. How did she catch him at the exact worst moment? "I'm finished." She had clearly seen his face. Murray's heart sank into a wailing pit. This was mud on his pants. Even if it was not shit, it might as well be. Elaine froze the instant she recognized him. Shock flashed across her face, then disbelief, and finally a rage so sharp it seemed to scorch the air. "Murray Scurr!" "You bastard, you're not dead!" Fury exploded through her. She did not even care whether she was dressed. She lunged straight out of the spring and struck at him with her palm, intent on avenging her sister. "You drove my sister insane, and you still came to spy on me, you filthy pervert!" Murray gawked as she charged. For a split second, his mind went stupidly, disastrously blank at the sight of her. Then her roar snapped him back, and a bitter laugh twisted in his throat. He was being wronged to death. He had been cultivating here peacefully. How was he supposed to know she would come? And she was his sister-in-law. He could not fight her. He could only run and find a chance to explain later. "Still trying to run?" Elaine's eyes burned with fury. He had driven her sister insane, spied on her bathing, and he thought he could just escape? Not a chance. Splash! She tapped the water's surface like a dragonfly and surged forward, accelerating as she chased him down. "What the hell? Since when is she this strong?" Murray glanced back and went numb. He had not met Elaine often. He only knew she loved to play and was always nowhere to be found. He had never imagined her strength was this terrifying. "Jocelyn never said her talent was this high." Elaine closed the distance fast. Murray stopped thinking and poured everything into his legs. If he could just reach his clothes and bolt deeper into the core of the Demon Beast Mountain Range, she would not dare keep chasing. "Pfft!" The sound behind him made him whip his head around. Elaine spat blood. Her aura plunged, and she dropped straight back into the water. "Elaine!" Murray's face blanched. He forgot about running, forgot about his clothes, and sprinted back, hauling her out of the spring. "Hiss… she's burning!" Elaine had already slipped into unconsciousness, but her entire body radiated blistering heat, like he was holding a piece of red-hot iron. "Energy Deviation? How did it get this bad? What art was she cultivating?" Murray checked her condition, and his heart went cold. That scream from the maid had pushed Elaine to the brink. If she had suppressed it immediately, she might have been fine. Instead, she had forced herself to attack, and the backlash had fully erupted into Energy Deviation. "I have to protect her Heart Meridian first, or there won't be any saving her." He steadied his breathing and made a swift turn of his hand, drawing Cold Energy from the Ice Spirit Spring as if he were tearing it out by force. In an instant, a ball of icy mist condensed in his palm. Frost formed along his eyebrows. "Elaine… I'm sorry." He inhaled, then pressed his hand to her chest and drove every bit of that Cold Energy into her Heart Meridian. "Hngh!" Elaine let out a muffled groan. She did not wake, but the angry flush on her face eased, little by little. "Ah!" A shriek tore through the air. Murray flinched and looked up to see the maid pointing at him, her face white with disbelief. "He, he put his hand on the Second Miss's…" "You filthy pervert! Let go of Second Miss!" The maid drew her sword and charged, eyes wild with rage. How dare he defile her miss? Unforgivable! Clang! Murray lifted his head and caught the blade between two fingers. The maid was only Mid-stage Spirit Movement Realm. She posed no threat to him at all. "I'm saving your Second Miss," he said, voice tight with frustration. "Do you want her to die?" "Still lying!" the maid screamed. "Saving her? Your hand is on her chest!" She tried to yank her sword free and strike again, but the blade might as well have been clamped in iron. No matter how she strained, it did not budge. She struggled until her expression suddenly stiffened. Then she stared at him as if she had seen a ghost. "Y-you… you're Young Master Murray!" "You're not dead!" Was she hallucinating? Young Master Murray had died more than half a month ago! "I'm not dead," Murray said, exhausted. "And I'm saving your Second Miss. Calm down." He released the sword. The maid nodded reflexively, still shaken, and backed away. After a few steps, she seemed to remember herself and immediately raised the sword at him again. "You filthy pervert! You ruined First Miss, and you still want to defile Second Miss!" "You animal!" Murray rolled his eyes. Talking to her was like punching water. "Look at your Second Miss," he snapped. The maid glanced down at Elaine's condition. Her face changed instantly. She threw her sword aside in panic. "What happened to Second Miss? Why is she like this? What do we do? What do we do? If something happens to her, the Family Head will be furious!" "First Miss was only just found, and if Second Miss-" "Stop." Murray's temple twitched. "Step aside. If you keep screaming, Elaine really will die." The maid stumbled back, hands clasped at her chest as she prayed under her breath. "Second Miss, you'll be fine. You'll be fine…" Murray shook his head and gathered more Cold Energy, sending it into Elaine's Heart Meridian again. After repeating it several times, her temperature finally dropped. The scorching flush faded into a pale, bloodless look, though she still seemed terribly weak. "Bring me a bottle of Restorative Medicinal Liquid." He glanced toward where his clothes and bundle lay, far out of reach, then held a hand out to the maid. Flustered, she fumbled out a bottle of Medicinal Liquid and handed it over. Murray opened it and helped Elaine swallow it. Only then did a hint of color return to her cheeks. "Good. Now help Elaine get dressed." Murray wiped sweat from his brow. It had already frozen into tiny icicles. He passed Elaine to the maid, then went to retrieve his own clothes and put them on. The maid watched his back, wary and uncertain. She hurried to carry Elaine ashore, but before dressing her, she checked her in a panic. When she confirmed her miss was still untouched, she finally let out a long breath. Luckily, Murray did not see that. If he had, he would have been miserable. In that tiny sliver of time, what could he even have done? After he dressed, Murray meant to leave. Then he hesitated and turned back. Elaine was still badly injured, and staying in the core region of the Demon Beast Mountain Range was far too dangerous. "Mn…" Elaine stirred, gradually waking. "Second Miss, you're okay!" the maid cried, tears spilling as soon as she saw Elaine open her eyes. "You scared me to death." Elaine gave her a weak smile. The earlier scene surfaced in her mind, sharp and humiliating. Had Energy Deviation made her hallucinate? How could the dead return to life? "I'm fine, Hannah," Elaine murmured. "But just now, I think I saw… Murray Scurr-" Murray walked over at that moment, entering her view. Elaine's eyes widened. Shock snapped her voice into a hoarse shout. "Murray Scurr, you bastard!"