Dragon & Tree - Part 5

At this moment, there were several muffled plops around me, as if something were falling head first from the sky. Amidst the chaos, there were the cries of cats, the sound of bones rubbing and fracturing, and the fluttering of butterfly wings.

"I told you to run faster! If we had come earlier, we wouldn't have been locked out!"

"You're a cat, I'm just a skeleton. How can I be as fast as you?!"

"I said I'm here to carry you, but you refused."

"Who would let such a small butterfly carry them? It would be so embarrassing if word got out!"

It's... Cangtong Kai and the other guys! I distinctly smelled their scents.

"They arrived late and got stuck at the entrance of the villa. Seeing how enthusiastic they are, it would be rude of me not to let them in." In the darkness, Mu's faint voice turned into a monstrous growl, which ran amok in my anxious and flustered heart.

The pain was still increasing, and after the arrival of these unexpected guests, it felt like my skin was about to detach from my muscles and melt away.

"Why is there a glow around you?"

"You too!"

"I... I feel like I can't breathe..."

"My head is spinning! It feels like my body is on fire! It hurts like hell!"

Soon, I heard those guys fall to the ground.

"You still have time to choose," Mu's footsteps approached, each step determined, as if victory was assured. "Ao Chi, just that one heart of yours in exchange for the woman you love, your friends, and even all the still surviving demons in the world. You're not losing out at all. It's not worthwhile to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the petty and low human world."

Ao Chi was silent.

I didn't know what Mu and Ao Shuo were planning for the existing world, but I knew Ao Chi couldn't nod. This deal must not be made!

"No!" I grabbed Ao Chi's hand and refused to let go.

"Look at Shaluo and how much pain she is in. You should know very well how demons feel in the Shadow Land," Mu at this moment, must be using a gaze full of pity to "sympathize" with me, to "influence" him.

Indeed, I was in so much pain that I would rather be dead than alive, but I didn't utter a sound. I didn't want Ao Chi to hear it.

"If anything happens to her, I'll bury you all with her."

Ao Chi's response was simple and straightforward.

An unusual surge of energy and roaring erupted around me, and the blazing flames illuminated my darkened vision.

I heard Mu let out a low, mournful cry, followed by the thud of a heavy object hitting the ground and the smell of something burning.

Then came my own scream. A row of cold, hard teeth clamped onto my waist and tossed me into the air, dropping me onto a body covered with scales. Immediately after, strange things fell around me one after the other, something soft and furry, something ice-cold and hard, and something emitting a faint smell of alcohol. What...

Something landed on my shoulder as light as a feather, and I heard the familiar yet faint voice of Ku Yue, "It's us..."

Before I could react, I felt my body become light, and my whole body rose into the air, soaring upward at an unprecedented speed.

"Hold on tight," Ao Chi's voice came from below, and through the thick scales, I felt a fresh and beating heartbeat.

With my hazy eyes, I seemed to once again see the obstinate and unruly evil dragon hidden in the clouds when we first met.

I hugged this big guy tightly, my flushed cheek pressed against his scales. I felt surprisingly comfortable, and even the pain eased a lot. The lightness of this moment made me feel drowsy.

In a daze, I asked, "Where are we going..."

"To find the sun," his voice had never been so gentle, "Don't fall asleep, talk to me."

"The sun... will bake me like a roast pig." I chuckled, "What is the Shadow Land... Mu seems very proud."

"Every thousand years, the three heavenly bodies Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto align for an hour, and the resulting magnetic field anomaly instantly blocks the Sun's light from entering the human world. Within this hour, if our friend refines and concentrates the spiritual essence of all types of demons collected beforehand, and then selects a place filled with a negative magnetic field to release these powers all at once in harmony with the Three King Stars in the universe, our world will become what you see now. Not only will it lose its light, but it will also completely break the inherent balance and survival laws of this world. You can also think of it as a virus that covers the entire world, but the infected targets are all demons. In this 'virus kingdom,' demons will gradually lose their magic powers and finally be burned to ashes by the power of the dark land." He grew angrier as he spoke, "It is taboo to invoke the assistance of the Shadow Land. Three thousand years ago, a cultivator tried to use this method to exterminate all demons in the world, but he failed. Instead, he was wiped out by a coalition of demons and the heavenly realm, and it is said that not even his bones remained." He paused, then suddenly laughed, "It's funny. In reality, the so-called ecological balance doesn't just refer to the balance between humans and animals. If all demons were to perish, this world wouldn't fare well either. Smart people understand this and will make every effort to maintain this balance. So, anyone who invokes the Shadow Land deserves to die."

Ao Chi said a lot, but I only intermittently understood that Ao Shuo and Mu captured the demons in order to create a death realm where demons would be wiped out in one go. However, Ao Shuo's goal was obviously not to deal with demons.

"Your brother wants to deal with all the demons in the world?" I did as he said, trying hard to stay alert and not let myself fall asleep, even though I was really tired.

"What he wants to deal with are not demons, but humans, all humans." Ao Chi said after a moment of silence, "But I never expected him to persist for so long and take such a big gamble. Everything is calculated, all just to force me to submit."

"I heard him mention Axis of Time... what is the key?" This was the keyword that Ao Shuo had mentioned more than once, and it was my biggest puzzlement.

"The Axis of Time, hidden deep in the earth's core, controls the time operation of the entire world. It is a crucial device guarded by our East China Sea Dragon Clan and no one is allowed to change it," Ao Chi's voice became solemn, "That person has been different from others since childhood. He read many books, a lot of them, and often went to explore the outside world for many days at a time. Every time he returned, his expression was very unsightly, saying how dirty the world is and humans are such despicable and hateful trash. He said that if time is used to completely purify the world, eradicating the existence of such creatures as humans, he'll definitely be able to establish a perfect nation, just like our East China Sea – noble, prosperous, and clean." He sighed and continued, "The Axis of Time is sealed within the Ninefold Barrier, and only one key can unlock it. This key is placed inside the hearts of the successive guardians, and only those chosen as guardians can pass through the passage to the Axis of Time. Anyone other than the guardian, even if they force their way in and have snatched the key, cannot use it because the passage is full of light and darkness, and the force of the collisions between extreme yin and extreme yang would crush them into a pulp before they reach the barrier. Yet, despite all this, he disregarded everything to obtain the key from the dragon's heart that year."

Dragon heart and tree body, I have obtained one — I suddenly understood the meaning of this sentence.

My real body, protected by the blood of the Lord of the Underworld, can transform into a wooden boat and safely traverse any space. Ao Shuo is not the guardian, and if he doesn't want to end up as a meat patty before reaching the Axis of Time, he must first find a "vehicle" that can safely take him through that passage. No wonder he went to great lengths to steal my real body. In this world, only the Lord of the Underworld has the ability to move through any space without any hindrance. He naturally doesn't dare to touch the Lord of the Underworld, so he could only target me. This man is truly shameless and audacious. He has schemed his entire life, all for that Axis of Time that we have never even seen.

"He killed someone to get the key, didn't he?" I recalled them mentioning a cousin. And this incident should be the root cause of Ao Chi's sore point.

"That year, the successor of the key was our cousin Ao Kong. And that person dreams of reaching the Axis of Time so much that he took advantage of the occasion when my grandfather led trusted subordinates on a patrol, and he ruthlessly killed Ao Kong, who couldn't join due to illness. Before he could gouge out his heart, my grandfather returned midway and caught him in the act." Ao Chi didn't say anything for a long time, as if a scar was being slowly peeled off, terribly painful. "This incident enraged the entire East China Sea. My grandfather gave the order to kill without mercy..."

His narration was suddenly interrupted by a long sigh.

It wasn't from me, nor from anyone around me.

It was Ao Shuo's voice.

The true "evil dragon" in the East China Sea Dragon Clan, Anubis, haunting us like a ghost, emerged from a place we couldn't see. His footsteps had no direction, sometimes dropping from the sky, sometimes circling from the side.

"I always thought it would be someone else who would come after me. But it's not someone else; it's you."

Ao Shuo's shadow approached from a distance, gradually becoming clear before my eyes. The person who was identical to Ao Chi, who was once connected by blood to him and was unparalleled in the world, was now in a life-and-death confrontation with him, and that had to hurt. But when I looked into those calm and profound eyes, they were really devoid of resentment, even though his words continually recounted the tragedy of many years ago.

I shouldn't be able to see Ao Shuo, but his presence didn't require confirmation through my eyes at all. He had simply dissolved himself into the entire Shadow Land, infiltrating into our consciousness. Every inch of darkness spreading here, every wisp of air passing by, was his personification.

"Do you want to forcefully break out of here with them?" he "walked" to the nearest point to us, "Why torment yourself like this? You know it won't work. This is my Shadow Land; even I'm surprised by its power."

"There's nothing to be surprised about. You're just ruthlessly using the lives of others, including Mu, who regards you as the most important person." Ao Chi rose faster and faster, "You sacrificed a large number of ordinary low-level demons to create this disgusting place for you, then attracted this bunch of fools on my back so that this filthy realm can suck the spiritual essence of these high-cultivation demons, maintaining and consolidating this dark world for you. As expected, you make the best use of everything. But you didn't even spare Mu, who is so loyal to you."

"Mu? What happened to her?" It made me inexplicably worry about that vicious and stupid girl.

"The collapse of your body is because the spiritual essence of demons is absorbed by the Shadow Land as nutrients. The more it absorbs, the longer it'll last and the more impenetrable it'll become. As this realm expands, even more demons will die. Mu is a tree demon like you. You have suffered so much damage, and she won't be an exception. Just like you, she is using her own spirit to nourish this black demon graveyard."

It can't be true!

I refuse to believe that her body is experiencing the same pain as mine. She, too, is pretending that everything is normal with unimaginable perseverance.

"I really like listening to your chat. It reminds me of the old days. Every time Father spanked you, you would chatter away with me like this for quite a while." Ao Shuo's figure, floating in the emptiness, transformed from one to many, surrounding us. "But when you killed me, you were silent from start to finish."

I distinctly felt Ao Chi's body suddenly tense, and some scenes that were blurry like old photos passed through the flesh and blood, penetrated the scales, and entered my mind—

---

Translator:

Are you wondering why Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are referred to as Three King Stars? It's because in Mandarin Uranus is Tiān wáng xīng(Sky King Star), Neptune is Hǎi wáng xīng(Ocean/Sea King Star), and Pluto is Míng wáng xīng(Underworld King Star).

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Dragon & Tree - Part 4

"Open your eyes and take a good look around you." Mu raised her arm and wiped it in the air.

The floor, walls, and ceiling were totally "wiped" away by her hand, and tables, chairs, lamps, and the humans fallen all over the place, including us, suddenly floated in the air in a weightless state.

Looking up, there were black clouds rolling in from all directions, wave after wave, in an endless stream, covering the sky as an unbroken wall without seams or boundaries, rejecting any penetration of light. It turns out that what I saw in the sky that day was not a hallucination at all.

Lowering my head, the panoramic view of Fulong Mountain unfolded before my eyes - tiered mountain range, unique rocks, flowing water - yet all the elements that composed this tableau had only one color: black, varying in depth, with overlapping light and darkness, dividing and combining, presenting Fulong Mountain, the most familiar to me, in a completely unfamiliar appearance.

Standing in such a world, I felt like a faint star trapped in darkness, powerless and insignificant. If it weren't for Ao Chi's firm grip on my waist, I would almost have fallen from this position that was neither touching the sky nor touching the earth. Unrestrainable oppression, like a rope wound around my feet, continuously dragged me towards the boundless abyss.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Mu was utterly proud of everything before her. "Not only here, but the entire world is the same at this moment - a never-before-seen harmony and unity. Master is quite satisfied with the power you all have contributed."

"We?"

I snapped out of the shock. When Mu said "we," was she talking about the demons they captured and the spiritual essence lost by Jiu Jue? This morning on the mountaintop, Jiu Jue and I mistook the time... I see, the sun's rays are completely blocked by this current "world."

Just as I thought of this, a wave of dizziness hit me again, stronger than before. In my blurry vision, raindrops-like black shadows fell from the sky, staining my hair, cheeks, and limbs. Burning pain, starting light but becoming heavy in an instant, erupted from every inch of my body, as if countless thin blades were cutting into my flesh bit by bit. My head became incredibly heavy, as if there was a hand digging hard inside, firmly set on prying open my skull.

I was sweating buckets, unable to stand. Even Ao Chi's arms couldn't stop me from sliding down uncontrollably. More and more points of light leaked out from my body, completely beyond my control.

"Shaluo! Shaluo!" He was half kneeling on the ground, holding me as I trembled uncontrollably all over with clenched teeth, and shaking me hard.

I tried to reassure him, but I couldn't speak. The agonizing pain of thousands of arrows piercing my heart was gradually shutting down all signs of life in me.

The black shadows continued to fall, like insects burrowing into every pore. The longer it went on, the worse the pain became.

Mu stroked the luminous body in the wheel and laughed, "The power of god Anubis, coupled with the high-purity 'nutrients' extracted from the spirits of a large number of demons, gives rise to the Swamp Shadows Kingdom. It is the tomb of sunlight and the paradise of the undead. All demons in the Swamp Shadows Kingdom will be affected by the power here; their spiritual essence will disperse, and they will have no way out, just like pitiful creatures trapped in a swamp. We have prepared for twenty years, waiting for the moment when the Three King Stars block the sun. There are 9883 demons in the world, and we needed to capture some of each kind, and that too quietly, without being discovered, which is quite troublesome, to say nothing of some low-level demons who have too little cultivation, and what can be extracted from them is too little. But you great demons are different. Just one is very effective. Haha."

Mu's tone was filled with the joy that has been suppressed for a long time and finally liberated. Although I couldn't quite understand most of it: what is this Swamp Shadows Kingdom and Three King Stars blocking the sun? I've never heard of these things.

"Swamp Shadows Kingdom?" Ao Chi's voice made my eardrums tremble. "You're saying you created the Swamp Shadows Kingdom?"

"Yes, even if it's just for an hour, it's enough to make those annoying and hypocritical demons disappear forever."

I couldn't see Mu's expression, but I could imagine how "joyful" she must look at this moment.

"If you obediently hand over your heart, the Swamp Shadows Kingdom will disappear immediately; this is Master's promise to you." She was arrogant, like a queen disdainful of everything. "But if you refuse, then it's a final farewell to your Shaluo, as well as your foolish demon friends, and even all the demons in the world."

Hand over... Ao Chi's heart?

Axis of Time… Key… Dragon Heart and Tree Body…

Ao Shuo's previous words, now scattered into disarrayed words, buzzed as they echoed in my ears.

He manipulated Mu to cheat away my real body, and now he's forcing Ao Chi to hand over his heart?

The pain that had been getting worse all this time unexpectedly made my thinking suddenly clear.

"Ao Chi! No! Don't admit defeat!" I grabbed him so hard that my nails almost pierced his flesh.

My eyes are obviously open, but why can't I see his face?

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Dragon & Tree - Part 3

It was just news from around the world playing on a loop.

Earthquakes, tsunamis, flash floods, unstoppable forest fires, and unrelenting volcanic ash swallowing up cities and annihilating crowds. Ruins everywhere, a landscape of desolation, and the wails of the living amidst the widespread death.

I know these are not fabricated; they are real events. Especially in recent years, where such news has become more frequent.

The images on the screen flashed in his apathetic eyes. He remained silent for a long time, then turned to ask us, "You've seen all this, but have you seen the people behind these scenes?"

He walked up to a Westerner with a gray beard and dressed in a suit and tie, hooked his finger towards the man's chest, and a energetically beating heart emerged from the old man's body, falling into his palm. He walked to the scales, placing the heart on the right pan and a feather on the left. The result was evident; the scales tilted completely to the right.

He then spun the wheel, and the needle slowly stopped on the black side.

"Hehe, Anubis's rule is that only those whose hearts are lighter than a feather can go to Heaven after death. The Wheel of Fate says that this man can only go to Hell." He clapped his hands and tossed the heart aside. "Parn Stanley, the head of Stanley Industries and the world's largest arms supplier, is very keen on arms smuggling."

"Stop!" I jumped out to intervene but was held back by Ao Chi, "You are not his match."

Another heart fell on the scale.

"Khalid Faisal, the richest man in the Middle East, is also a supporter of dozens of so-called biochemical research institutes. About half of the viruses that are now rampant around the world are his products, whether successful or not."

The third heart, the fourth heart, the fifth heart…

"Junichi Inamoto, a genius nuclear physicist, has been employed by numerous great nations that love nuclear warfare. Until the day before he came to me, he was still conducting tests in an uninhabited area. But that uninhabited area used to be a bustling village."

"Jin Wanfeng, who barged into the richest people in the world list and has ranked in the top three for three consecutive years, owns countless industries. His hobby is cutting down vast stretches of forests to establish industrial zones and, unnoticed by the public, dumping various industrial waste into the mountains or the seas. Oh, he also takes pride in mass hunting of all kinds of wild animals."

He spoke one name after another, contemptuously tossing aside each heart while listing evil deeds that made me hang my head in shame for the human race.

He wiped his hands, "It's really such a pity, not a single heart lighter than a feather." He picked up the feather and blew it into the air, "They desire too much, and their greed is too heavy; how can their hearts be light? The human race has always been so ugly."

"That's a different matter. Even if you kill everyone here, I won't let your wish come true." Ao Chi walked up to him, a gleaming snow-white long knife appearing in his hand, "If you insist, I'll make history repeat itself."

"I just want you to face me, that's all. I won't lay a hand on you, just as I didn't resist at all back then." There was indeed no hint of killing intent on his face, "Ao Chi, you're my only brother. Remember when you only wanted to have fun and got trapped by the mountain god's spiritual stone? It took me three days and three nights to tear that stubborn rock into pieces with my claws. I remember my blood stained your entire body. I don't want to fight you, and you never wanted to either, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have hidden from me."

His voice was as gentle as a lullaby.

Ao Chi's hand, gripping the knife, was trembling violently.

"A thousand years ago, I only wanted to get the key from cousin Ao Kong. You know, to bring about change, sacrifices are inevitable. Cousin Ao Kong was so kind; he wouldn't mind sacrificing his life. We, the East China Sea Dragon Clan, have always guarded the Axis of Time. We have more power than anyone to change this terrible world. But in spite of everything, we never use it." A hint of helplessness appeared on his face, "Because of Ao Kong's death, Grandfather ordered you to enforce the clan rules against me. Their vision is truly not far-sighted enough, and they don't handle things wisely. I always regarded them as idols and thought they would support me, but I was mistaken."

"A bunch of nonsense! You don't even have a trace of remorse?!" Ao Chi, evidently provoked by his tone, suddenly aimed the blade tip at his glabella, but the other party didn't even blink.

He smiled at Ao Chi's sharp blade, continuing his narrative with a gentle tone, "Your blade turned me from a member of the East China Sea Dragon Clan into a lingering ghost. At that time, I was truly lost. I wandered to the Fulong Mountain and stayed there for a long time, contemplating the direction of my future. I was already dead, unable to return to my old world. So what should I do? Haha, coincidentally, one day I saw the minions of the Lord of the Underworld chasing down a strange thing with the head of a wolf and the body of a man. Since I have always been willing to help others, I helped it hide its whereabouts. It turned out that the creature was one of Anubis's underlings who had sneaked back from exile thousands of miles away to spy on the Underworld's happenings. I followed it to Egypt and met that hapless 'feudal prince.' It had been exiled to that desert by the Lord of the Underworld for too long. It was very old, and the most terrifying thing was that it had lost its fighting spirit completely. But I was different. Although I was already dead, I still retained the power of the East China Sea Dragon Clan, albeit different from before. I turned that Anubis into a pile of sand under my shoes and took charge of this region for it. I really enjoy change, including transforming myself from the royal descendant of the East China Sea Dragon Clan into what everyone refers to as the Egyptian God of Death. I've been doing this job quite well, and the pharaohs all respect me. And I'm willing to lead them to the Eternal Paradise."

I feel that even the best and most imaginative minds in the world may not be able to conceive such a crazy story. He is indeed Anubis! When I saw those flocks of skeleton birds, the wheel and the scales, as well as the men and women turned into black sand, I had considered the possibility that he was Anubis. After all, these things are all symbols of this god of death. He can drive skeleton birds born from the souls of the dead, his army is entirely made of black sand, and he controls the wheel and scales that determine the future of the dead based on the weights of human hearts and feathers - all unique ways of this Grim Reaper.

I don't know much about Anubis. I only heard that it was a monster with a wolf's head and a human body. As early as when this world was not fully formed, it was accepted as a subordinate by the then Lord of the Underworld, responsible for guiding the spirits of the dead. But later on, this fellow's wild ambitions grew bigger and bigger, even wanting to overthrow the Lord of the Underworld. As a result, the Lord of the Underworld stripped away most of its power and banished it to the distant desert, which is now known as Egypt. Since then, Anubis has appeared in various legends as the Egyptian god of death. No one knew that Anubis was just a traitor to the Underworld.

And what I didn't expect even more was that this guy who failed in rebellion back then ended up being replaced by the man before me. And this man even claims to be the twin brother of Ao Chi, born of the same parents. Unbelievable.

"You had a chance to start anew," Ao Chi's knife showed no sign of being lowered, "if you were willing to stay in Egypt peacefully and be Anubis. Ao Shuo, why couldn't you be content? Why are you still clinging to those crazy ideas of yours?"

"My dear brother, I believe that one good turn deserves another." He suddenly laughed and pulled Mu, who had been treated as an invisible person beside him for a long time, into his arms, "Five hundred years ago, I returned to Fulong Mountain." He looked at me, "I came to look for you. But you were no longer there. I was resting in the low-lying ground at the foot of the mountain and heard this poor little locust tree crying. It turned out that it kept calling for you, Big Sister Shaluo. It told me a lot of things about you. It seemed she had been too lonely for a long time, without anyone to talk to. More importantly, I knew that it wanted to become like you." He kissed Mu gently on the cheek, "That touched me. Although the woman I most wanted to be by my side was you, since we missed each other, it's better than nothing. Bringing this little thing to my side, just like Zimiao did to you, my regret isn't so heavy anymore."

Hearing him repeatedly say "Zimiao" as he pleased, I couldn't control the disgust in my heart and berated loudly, "Stop comparing yourself to Zimiao! What you 'cultivated' is just a monster like you! You two are indeed a perfect match."

"No, no, you're too subjective." He wagged his finger at me, speaking in a good-natured manner, "Mu is not a monster; she is very kind, especially to me. You know, two hundred years ago, I accidentally got sealed under the Sphinx by the previous Lord of the Underworld. It was Mu who worked tirelessly to collect souls from all over the world for me. It took me almost 180 years to break the seal of the Lord of the Underworld with the power of those departed souls and get my freedom back. Can you call such a good girl a monster?"

If he truly is Ao Chi's twin brother, then I have to admire his eloquence; it's indeed on a much higher level than Ao Chi's. What I admire even more is that there is actually someone who can describe their own mistakes and evil deeds as if praising the noblest actions in the world, and that too with an unchanging expression and total sincerity.

He is indeed a monster, from means to mind.

"I've told you before that it is best for you to stay in Fulong Mountain." I looked at the expressionless Mu with disappointment, feeling deeply that this girl is the saddest in the world. The desire to teach her a hard lesson, which I had entertained earlier, gradually weakened.

"Mu, you are not me. Our temperaments, thoughts, and even our respective experiences, cannot be the same. You can't be me," I sighed, puzzled, "Why do you have to be me? Does being yourself make you so miserable?"

"Are you jealous of the birds in the sky? Have you ever envied those people who come and go freely? Have you ever been afraid of endless loneliness?" Mu lifted her long eyelashes, "If you have, then you have no right to lecture me. You are not much better than me."

Her hostility and resentment towards me were evident in every word she uttered.

Alright, I'll try hard to stop blaming her from now on. Her cultivation is lower than mine, and the one who brought her into the world is a man with a devil's soul, an exiled god of death. Proximity to pitch makes you black.^[1]

I suddenly remembered the book "On the Harms of Regional Autonomy" that I'd seen in Musheng when I first met her, and finally understood why she reacted so strongly to such historical facts. What a silly child! She is so wholeheartedly aggrieved for this fake Anubis that she is dead-set on living under his wholly shady wings.

Others may not understand, but I can.

She is just a woman who carries the name of her beloved in her heart and is willing to be ensnared by the spell called "love." Just like I was with Zimiao back then. If Zimiao had been harmed by someone, my reaction might have been even crazier than Mu's.

I am indeed not much better than her, just luckier. Fate gave me the chance to validate "craziness," but it also gave me people to stop me from going through with it — Zimiao, Ao Chi, and all the folks I later considered friends.

I can't imagine if my life had not been shaped by these people, would I still be who I am now?

As for Mu, her world from beginning to end, only had that madman, all in the name of love.

But, silly girl, is it really "love" between you and him?

You are desperate for him, but I see no hint of anything related to love in that man's eyes. Even the kiss he gave you is nothing more than a reward from a master to his plaything.

Must you stay so humbly by this man's side just because you envy my fate with Zimiao, just because you want to be another me?

"You're going to get yourself killed." I looked her straight in the eye.

The more I expressed my denial of the fact that Mu was together with Ao Shuo, the closer Mu moved to him, sneering, "You're so hypocritical. Back then, I begged you to take me away, but you ignored me and left me alone in that hellhole to fend for myself. Now you pretend to care about my life and death. If I were you, I'd be more concerned about myself right now." She paused and looked at Ao Chi, "If I hadn't failed to anticipate just how shameless Ao Chi could be, splitting himself into two and hiding in the bodies of two earthworms, deceiving everyone, I wouldn't have been careless enough to let you escape that drowning disaster." She laughed louder and louder, "Do you know what that amber-colored liquid is? It's a venom refined from the resentful spirits wandering in the mortal realm, unable to go to hell or heaven. It is potent enough to turn the magicless you into a puddle of watery blood, so I wouldn't have to see your hypocritical and disgusting self or hear your voice ever again. You..."

"Shh..." Ao Shuo's finger gently covered her excited lips, shaking his head at her. "This is where you disappoint me."

Mu froze, her beautiful eyes flashing in panic, like a kitten afraid of being forgotten.

"We agreed, it's just a performance. They are not our enemies, but friends who can help. Yet you went behind my back and tried to destroy our friends." His finger slowly slid on her cheek, his expression revealing nothing. "I don't like disobedience, even if it's just once. Mu, you used to be so obedient."

Bam!

My fist hit Ao Shuo's face with a loud noise, knocking the man to the ground.

He had the nerve to label us as "friends"!

"Shameless!" I was so infuriated by his words and his attitude towards the woman by his side that I was trembling. I hadn't even noticed that a large gash had ripped open on the right shoulder of my wedding gown because I punched too hard just now.

Ao Chi's mouth dropped open. He pulled me aside, saying, "Let me handle the thrashing. You look ugly fighting in a wedding dress!"

His mood is always so jumpy, always liking to say inappropriate things at inappropriate times. Just a moment ago, he was having a deep and serious conversation with his brother, and now he was criticizing me for not looking good while fighting.

They are true brothers no doubt; two freaks flying wing to wing^[2].

Ao Shuo got up from the ground rubbing his jaw, and said with a laugh, "I've been beaten and scolded, now give me what I want, dear brother. I've done so much, just waiting for you. I have already obtained the dragon heart and tree body, I only need your key now."

He walked towards us step by step, his face always calm. But from each step closer, I could see the pursuit that had been buried in the dark for thousands of years. It was like a hand systematically destroying all obstacles, eventually choking the life out of everyone.

In fact, his grandeur has never been lower than Ao Chi's.

"No wonder this jerk's... East China Sea Dragon Clan 'aura'... is dead..." Jiu Jue gasped for air as if lacking oxygen. He looked particularly bad.

Before he could finish speaking, he swayed and fell to the ground, unable to get up.

"Jiu Jue!" I was alarmed, rushing over to help him up, but countless halos of all sizes suddenly floated in front of my eyes. The lake-blue spheres were like soap bubbles blown out by mischievous children, flying towards the luminous body in the wheel, sprinkling light like stardust along the way. However, these weren't soap bubbles; it was the spiritual essence dispersing from Jiu Jue's body, which is a demon's life.

Why is this happening suddenly? Are his injuries so severe? Impossible! This old ba*tard Jiu Jue has been through hundreds of battles. Even if he loses his spiritual power and cannot use magic, his body won't be so weak.

"What tricks did you play again!" I shouted at Ao Shuo, my palms urgently covering Jiu Jue's forehead as I tried to pour my spiritual power into him, hoping to prevent his life from slipping away.

It was futile, wholly futile. No matter what I did, those halos continued to rise, burst, and their speed only increased, and Jiu Jue's body also began to show signs of gradually becoming transparent.

"Dead but still unrepentant!"

Unable to contain his anger, Ao Chi's sharp blade cut through Ao Shuo's head in a snowy flash.

Swish! A crack spread from the top of his head, extending all the way to his feet, leaving a large crater where he stood.

"I said I won't touch you, no matter what you do to me."

Ao Shuo's body, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle torn in half, fell apart and collapsed. The strange smile that cannot be expressed with any adjectives remained intact on his broken face.

I watched as this man turned into a pile of black sand, swirling on the ground. It wasn't fleeing or dispersing, but rather freely flying in all directions before dissolving.

Mu ducked to the front of the wheel, sat down, and rested her head against it. She had a serene expression, her long hair dancing around her, and her body covered in bloody clothes. She formed a gorgeous picture with the black sand swirling around her.

"You still made a move in the end," she cackled as she mocked Ao Chi. "But you can't even find your brother, so what are you going to do?"

Ao Chi furrowed his brow tightly, and the hand holding the blade slammed down, forcefully stabbing the long knife into the solid ground.

He's genuinely angry.

I know he's not angry with the elusive Ao Shuo, but with himself.

I fear nothing else, only Ao Chi's "self-weakening."

Ao Shuo, who had ulterior motives, tried to avoid him at every turn, but in fact, he was skillfully using words to strike at Ao Chi's vital points in all respects. Killing without a knife is the ultimate realm. As long as Ao Chi loses his composure, he will have an opportunity he can exploit. How hateful!

Jiu Jue's life force was like threads. I had to find a way to save this old man before he breathed his last.

His spirit was being sucked into the wheel continuously.

As I stood up, a bout of dizziness hit me, and everything around me swayed left and right. I blinked hard, shook my head, and regulated my breathing. Only then did I regain my footing, and my dizziness gradually disappeared. However, a foreboding feeling flashed through my heart.

I discreetly glanced at my right hand and noticed tiny points of light seeping out, much like Jiu Jues spirit, flying towards the wheel.

I quickly grabbed my hand, walked up to Ao Chi as if nothing was wrong, and held his hand that had been clenched into a fist. Holding hands is such a common gesture between men and women, but I had never taken the initiative towards him. This was the first time.

He turned his head, looking at my face with a complicated expression.

"I don't know what kind of history you have with your shameless brother," I smiled at him, more naturally than ever before, "but I believe that what you did is right."

Those eyes, always proud and stubborn, seemed to reflect a suddenly clear sky.

In the gaze we exchanged, for the first time, there was no confrontation like thunder and fire, but rather the support of sharing weal and woe.

Actually, what's wrong with being soft once? It’s not like I'll lose a piece of flesh, right?

In the past, neither of us understood this truth. I hope it's not too late to realize it now.

"You..." Ao Chi held back for a long time and finally spoke, "You… are stepping on my foot!"

I looked down and saw my left foot arrogantly occupying most of his instep.

Umm... I quickly withdrew my foot. This guy is really a wet blanket. It's hard to come by such a good atmosphere like a moment ago.

"Where is he?" Ao Chi's face changed, and he caught Mu like lightning, "Give me the answer, and I won't hurt you."

"You have plenty of time to find him," Mu was completely unafraid of his coercion, looking at me with a smile, "Only let me remind you, you have time, but she doesn't have much left. And that guy with lake-blue hair on the floor, as well as your fox and dog friends^[3]."

Both Ao Chi and I were shocked.

---

Footnotes:

[1] 近墨者黑 is part of the saying 近朱者赤，近墨者黑 i.e. "Proximity to cinnabar makes one red, to pitch makes one black." Different environments provide different influences; who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl; nurture determines a person's character.

[2] 比翼齐飞: This is actually for married couples and means to be together day and night; to help each other and move forward together; inseparable. Ao Chi and Ao Shuo are dragons so the literal translation works here.

[3] 狐朋狗友: (derogatory) disreputable friends; evil associates; gang of scoundrels.

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Dragon & Tree - Part 2

He raised his head and sighed deeply, "Yes, if I hadn't already died by my own brother's blade and become a wandering spirit, I would have definitely given you a human form and taken you away before Zimiao found you."

"Are you poisoned or something?" I forced myself to calm down, telling myself I must not be confused and must not listen to this madman's ramblings.

"You must remember how many people died because of you when you were still the 'Sacred Tree' on Mount Fulong's peak." He spoke as if telling a distant fairy tale, with the calmest and most serene tone, "I watched from the clouds opposite to you, seeing you indifferent to the deaths of those stupid humans. Seeing you calm and composed, I knew I had found a companion. Did you never wonder why no one from the Underworld ever bothered you in the long time you were worshiped as a deity? After all, so many people died because of you."

I recalled what Zimiao had said the first time he saw me – If you keep acting recklessly, it's only a matter of time before the Underworld takes you.

I thought he was just trying to scare me, because indeed, no one had ever come looking for trouble with me.

"It's because I dealt with those pesky people from the realm of the dead who thought themselves as fair and just for you. I didn't want them to ruin your talent and unique beauty." He said with regret, "What a pity our fate wasn't enough, and the person who truly brought you into this world wasn't me. When I returned to Mount Fulong, you had already been away for so long." He paused and assessed me with a special deep gaze, "The most unfortunate part is that when I found you again, you had become just like those vulgar and worthless creatures. Zimiao, who gave you life, and all those who 'helped' you really deserve to die for ruining you."

"You're a nutcase! I don't know what you're talking about!" I was upset, but my brain was desperately trying to piece things together.

"Have you never told her any of this?" He looked at Ao Chi and shook his head, clicking his tongue. "You're wrong there. The first rule of marriage is to be honest with each other."

"You have been expunged by me, by the entire East China Sea Dragon Clan, by the whole world," Ao Chi stated firmly. "A person who has never existed has no right to be widely publicized. Don't sully the word 'honesty.'" He then lowered his head and whispered to me, "About this, I will..."

"No need to explain. If you don't tell me, it must be for my own good, so I don't need the details." I rolled my eyes at him, "It's not like you just met me yesterday."

He couldn't help but applaud again, "Now that's two hearts beat as one. I'm a little touched." He lowered his hands and changed the subject, pointing at the puppet-like humans around us. "I really want to know if you can move these humans as you moved me."

I became more and more puzzled by this madman's words and blurted out, "You took away my real body first, then let your female lackey cheat me out of my human form, used poisonous mist and skeleton birds to hunt demons, and now you've collectively led us to this hellish villa. Don't tell me all of this is just to show me how boring and shameless you are. What is your purpose?"

"I just don't want the atmosphere to be too tense. Having a chat is more relaxing," he shrugged it off. "And don't use 'purpose' to describe me; it should be 'wish.' What is my wish?" He turned his head to Ao Chi, "My dear little brother, you know it best."

"Impossible," Ao Chi said decisively. "Don't even think about opening the door to the Axis of Time." His head, always held high, slightly lowered for the first time. "Why do you still refuse to change even a bit after so many years? Isn't even losing your life enough to make you come to your senses?"

"That's because this world has never shown me any progress." There was iciness and deep disappointment in his eyes.

He snapped his fingers, and the askew LCD screen hanging on the wall with cracks all over it suddenly lit up with images.

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Dragon & Tree - Part 1

I didn't feel like crying, nor was I sad. I slowly stood up and said calmly to the pursuers behind me and the two "spectators" on the stage, "You deserve to die!"

The bride's expression changed slightly, while Ao Chi suddenly gave her a hard look and whispered, "How dare you..."

If I don't slaughter that couple who have no regard for human life, I deserve even more to die.

The injuries on my body no longer hurt, and my lost strength returned. I need to be in this state, even if it's just for one minute.

I pushed away Jiu Jue, who was supporting me, and turned to move.

"Stop!"

Someone behind me called out, but it wasn't Jiu Jue.

This voice was wholly domineering, powerful without anger, and did not allow the listener any defiance.

The point is, I've heard this voice for thousands of years.

I turned around stupefied.

The "bodies" of Fatty and Skinny turned into a puddle of clean water which was gathered together by inexplicable power, piling up and up until it piled into a transparent human shape.

With a thunderous noise, a crack ran down from the the human figure's head, like unzipping a piece of clothing, and a tall shadow stepped out from within—

His brows and eyes, skin, black clothes with purple dragon patterns, his slightly raised chin, and every single movement including each strand of hair, all exuded a domineering arrogance.

"Ao... Ao..." I, who have always been articulate, stuttered for the first time.

"Ao, my ass!" He grabbed my hand, seemingly rough but actually gently pulled me into his embrace, and lashed out in a series of, "If I hadn't shown up, you would have been boiled into soup! There's truly no woman dumber than you! After all these years, you still haven't improved..."

No one in the world dares to berate me in such a tone, nor does anyone dare to take such an intimate action of embracing me; only him.

But the way I look now... I continued to stutter, "You...you know me?"

"Oh right, I forgot." He lightly pinched my face with both hands as if teasing a child, almost nose to nose with me, "Only a stupid woman like you can't recognize me, how can I not recognize you!" He sighed, calling out, "Shaluo... Shaluo... Shaluo..."

I felt like I had been waiting for this name for an eternity.

But that wasn't the most crucial thing; what mattered most was the person calling my name.

His hands tightly protected me, and in the eyes before me that were as beautiful as ever, I saw my reflection. I also felt the fiery warmth, and the long-lost yearning.

Correct! This was the person I'd been looking for, this was my Ao Chi.

My body was surrounded by infinite safety and warmth, and my soul felt like a baby nestled in a comfortable cradle rocking gently. It transformed into countless pieces of starlight, drifting away into the distance.

Everything that didn't belong to me was leaving, and what belonged to me was returning.

"The wedding dress is not bad, but it doesn't really suit you," Ao Chi's fussy evaluation called me back from my wandering mind.

Wedding dress?!

I looked down and saw that the wedding dress on Mu's body had somehow transferred onto me. No, it simply was my body.

The poison curse I was under vanished into thin air when Ao Chi called me by my true name. I was back again; tree demon Shaluo, the real deal.

I touched my face joyfully, handily picking up a silver tray from the ground. I flipped it over and used the glossy bottom as a mirror, eagerly examining myself.

"What the hell are you doing looking at yourself! You'll be an old demon no matter how much you look!" Ao Chi impatiently snatched the tray away and turned to Jiu Jue, saying, "You're still breathing, right? I never thought an immortal from the heavens would show such a wrecked appearance one day, haha."

The exhausted Jiu Jue still maintained his poise and reminded him, "This East China Sea Villa is not an ordinary place. It confuses human nature and absorbs the spiritual essence of non-human beings. Otherwise, it would never be the turn of a little dragon like you to laugh at me."

"It's right to be mocked by your savior," Ao Chi continued to smirk. He is always like this; as long as he sees others angry, he'll do everything possible to make them even angrier.

I wasn't angry; I just had a bunch of questions to ask.

"You..."

Before I could say anything, Ao Chi had already covered my mouth with his hand.

"Now is not the time for questions; I'll explain later."

With that, he took my hand and walked forward.

Only then did I notice that the crazed guests who had been chasing us were all standing still, each one staring blankly ahead, heads down, hands hanging loose, silent and motionless.

"Nasty puppets."

Ao Chi just waved his hand, as if brushing away annoying flies and mosquitoes, and those blocking our path really flew away like flies, falling to the ground in a heap.

"If they are just manipulated humans, don't be too harsh on them," I reminded Ao Chi when I saw the women and children lying on the ground, including the little girl who had just run away and tried to send me to my death.

"That's why I didn't turn them into grilled fish," Ao Chi glared at me.

Clap! Clap! Clap! A burst of applause rang ahead of us.

Tonight's protagonist, "Groom Ao Chi," clapped his hands and walked towards us with a smile. Behind him was Mu, covered in blood stained clothes and wounds. What a shame that the body I gave her back looked so bad. 

Appearance-wise, the two Ao Chi were 100% identical. Standing between the two of them, I felt like I was caught between two mirrors.

Mu didn't say a word, only gazing at me with a pair of dull eyes.

"It's really hard to see you." He stopped about three steps away from us, smiling lightly and seemed completely non-threatening. "Hiding for twenty years, huh? Truly not easy."

I thought things like dignity and seriousness are cut off from personages like Ao Chi. But today I discovered it's not the case.

"How should I address you?" He sighed. "God Anubis? Ao Shuo? Or... my dear brother?"

I'm not hearing voices, am I? He called him Ao Shuo and... brother^[1]? Is this really a response to my famous remark "All weirdos in the world belong to the same family"?

"We look alike, don't we?" He looked into my eyes, his expression transformed from the previous coldness to infinite warmth. He pointed at himself and then at Ao Chi, saying, "He surely hasn't told you that he has a twin brother."

"I have no interest in other people's family matters." I still remember how he treated me just now, and said coldly.

"Haha, I just like women like you – courageous and a bit foolish." He suddenly burst into hearty laughter, "Especially that stubbornness and pride that comes from the bones, the way you refuse to bow down to anything, it's very charming."

Mu's eyes turned dark, like a candle extinguished by the wind.

I was so disgusted by being "complimented" by such a man that I turned away and ignored him.

"You put so much thought into setting up such a big trap and forcing me to show up, don't tell me it's just to reminisce?" Ao Chi suddenly raised his voice, interrupting him in a rage.

"What's wrong with talking about old times?" He showed zero anger as he walked towards me.

Ao Chi stepped between us, saying each word seriously, "If you take another step closer, don't blame me."

"Oh, really?" He stopped and his smile faded away. "Are you still thinking about stabbing my heart with the knife in your hand, just like a thousand years ago?"

Ao Chi's brows wrinkled into a deep 川. Especially when he heard the words "stabbing my heart," I could distinctly feel his body tremble slightly.

"Back then, if I hadn't lost my immortal soul, the first man to enter your life wouldn't have been Zimiao." He tilted his head slightly, stubbornly staring at me behind Ao Chi.

This statement was like a thunderclap, causing my breath to catch.

---

[1] 哥哥: older brother to be exact.

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Ao Chi - Part 14

"You are going too far!"

"You are going too far!"

The guests who had been cowering on the sides suddenly echoed her words, repeating them incessantly in various tones, low and high pitches. That non-stop loop created an extremely unpleasant chorus in my ears. This song had only one tune, only one line of lyric, and only one clear message — I am a monster and should be wiped out pronto!

The guests closed in on me, some casually picking up the knives and forks on the ground, others lifting shattered wine glasses that had fallen off their feet, letting the broken edges plunge deep into their hands without caring about the bleeding.

The crowd moved at a remarkably fast pace, as if they were no longer human but a shiver of man-eater sharks collectively hunting for food in the sea.

I had a sinking feeling.

In a moment of distraction, Ao Chi lifted me up and stepped on my back with such force that it threatened to break my bones.

"Don't hurt her!" Jiu Jue struggled to stand up, but before he could reach me, he was struck by Ao Chi's palm force and flew backwards like a sandbag. Luckily, Fatty appeared just in time, becoming his human cushion.

Skinny sneakily drilled out of the crowd like a mole to Ao Chi's side, hugging his legs and saying, "Lord Ao Chi, please let them go! Although ruining a wedding is very despicable, there's no need to deal with them so harshly!"

"Yeah, yeah, Lord Ao Chi, you'll soon be Boss's husband. This guy is Boss's good friend. Please give him some face and spare him. Maybe he's too happy and drank too much today, so he did these outrageous things!" Fatty helped up the completely weakened Jiu Jue, pleading with Ao Chi repeatedly. Then he turned to "Shaluo" and said loudly, "Boss, please say something! You and Uncle Jiu Jue have always been good friends, right?"

"If he were really my friend, he wouldn't ruin my wedding." That's all she said.

At that moment, I felt guilty about my past actions of always deducting Fatty's and Skinny's salaries. It's hard to come by someone like these two cowards who dare to take a risk and speak up at a critical moment.

"You don't have the right to speak!"

Ao Chi, whose eyes were red with killing intent, was infuriated by their "not afraid of death" by three points and raised his palm towards Fatty and Skinny.

"Don't... don't touch them!" I desperately struggled under his feet, unable to turn over.

A white light, wrapped in dense blood spots, pierced the hearts of Fatty and Skinny from his hand.

With a muffled groan, the two men immediately shrank, turning into two earthworms, one fat and one thin, looking around in panic on the ground.

Yes, Fatty and Skinny are the two most ordinary earthworm monsters with mediocre cultivation. Apart from making desserts and ogling at beautiful women, they are good-for-nothings.

Ao Chi gave me a cold glance, then suddenly lifted his leg and kicked me like a dead dog. The tremendous force made me slide across the floor, knocking down several guests who were at the forefront and pressing towards us step by step.

I rolled over in time to avoid the knives and forks that almost stabbed into my eyes, but a sharp pain still came from my calf—

A tall man tightly held onto my left leg, the dinner knife in his hand deeply embedded in my flesh.

"You are going too far!" he said, still gripping the knife handle.

This body doesn't belong to me, but it certainly doesn't prevent the pain from spreading.

I kicked the man in the face, and the strength stimulated by the pain instantly broke his nasal bone. He covered his nose and fell to the ground with a face full of blood.

"You are going too far!" This burst of louder and louder shouts gathered above my head, as if to cut off all the air I could breathe.

Ao Chi's kick had perfectly delivered me into the completely frenzied crowd, and they surrounded me tightly. Over there, Jiu Jue's situation wasn't much better than mine. The crowd attacking him completely engulfed him, and from time to time, someone or the other was falling down with knives, forks, or glass stabbed in their heads or chests. A middle-aged, obese woman was tossed into the air, and following her was a large earthworm who leapt up and slapped her on the head with its tail — it was Fatty.

It is difficult for two fists to defeat four hands, let alone more than four hundred hands. Jiu Jue's abnormal weakness became increasingly apparent. Even with Fatty's assistance, it was like a mantis blocking a vehicle with its arms. They fought desperately, attempting to get closer to me, but with very little effect.

I weaved and dodged in the midst of this chaotic crowd, the weapons in their hands raining down on me. I punched, kicked, blocked, and used all my skills, yet my body was still covered in numerous wounds. My clothes were becoming as red as the "囍" characters on the wall. If it weren't for Skinny handling half of the attacks for me, I would have already become a dead hedgehog.

The couple on the stage watched us struggle on the verge of life and death as if it were a show.

Almost all the weapons that could be used were being used by those people. Skinny and I were like ants scurrying between the cracks, and every attack from them could be fatal to us. After repelling a dozen or so attackers closest to us, Skinny bit onto my collar and slid out with a swift motion through a momentary gap in the encirclement, temporarily leaving the group of lunatics behind.

Over there, Fatty also dragged Jiu Jue out of the siege. Both of them were already battered and bruised.

We rushed madly towards the main door, with pursuers closing in behind us. The tightly shut white door was close at hand, but a small figure stood in front of it—

a little girl with a bow in her hair, about four or five years old. Her hands were clenched tightly into fists, huddled up, whimpering and crying while shouting, "Mommy, I'm scared, I'm scared!"

"Human..." Jiu Jue frowned and said, "The door has been sealed by a barrier. Quickly carry her away and I'll open the door."

This little girl was the only person I had seen here who didn't say "You are going too far." I quickly reached out and picked her up, retreating behind Jiu Jue.

"Move back a bit more," Jiu Jue turned around and smiled wanly, "If I can't open this door even with all my efforts, smash my original body and take my inner core. Though it won't be of great help to you, at least it can make you ten times stronger than you are now. Remember!"

"Get lost! What nonsense!" My heart sank and I shouted, "Concentrate on opening the door!"

Jiu Jue laughed, turned around, and took a deep breath.

The little girl in my arms clung to me tightly, still shivering, crying for her mom.

"Don't cry, your mom will come get you in a bit!" I awkwardly patted her back.

"Liar!" The child suddenly stopped crying, raised her head, and in a childish voice, slowly said in my ear, "You are going too far!"

I shuddered and immediately let go of the child.

She lifted her little face, giggled at me, and ran off, standing far away from me. She shook her clenched fist and then pulled down hard.

An imperceptible light flashed from her hand. Only then did I notice that the little girl was holding a silver thread about as thick as hair.

There was a sound of metal shattering and collapsing above my head, followed by the sound of rushing water.

My head jerked up and I saw that two of the three metal chains holding the enormous rose-colored bowl-shaped chandelier had broken. As a result, the "big bowl" instantly flipped upside down, and a large stream of amber-colored liquid emitting black energy poured out in torrents. Its speed was so fast that it was already above my head in the blink of an eye.

In the waterfall-like liquid, various grotesque faces were crowded and writhing, with forked tongues spitting out from their mouths like snakes.

I'm going to melt. That was the only thought in my mind. My feet seemed glued to the ground, refusing to move an inch, and it was the little girl's doing.

In the nick of time, two shadows, like serpents but also dragons, exuding such a faint light that it was inconspicuous, flew from my side at the speed of light, and intersected at the top to form a rapidly rotating, oversized "plus." All the falling liquid was sucked into the center of the plus with a whooshing sound, not a drop landing on the ground, let alone touching my body.

In less than five seconds, there was no movement above. I crouched on the ground holding my head, only to see two big earthworms that were corroded into deep red, without a bit of good flesh left from the inside to the outside. They fell heavily in front of me, black smoke coming out of the two bodies that showed no signs of life.

Boss, I want a raise!

Boss, I didn't steal the food!

Boss, you're such a fierce demoness!

Boss... Boss...

The faces of Skinny and Fatty, along with their voices that always made me feel incredibly annoyed, suddenly flooded into my mind.

Fatty and Skinny are dead.

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