Chapter 38 Prelude: The Rebirth Disguise is About to Be Revealed
The Heavenly Emperor remained in a daze for a long time, staring blankly at Mu Qingheng as if he did not recognize him.
Finally, he raised his hand, trembling slightly, pointing at the young man before him: "Who told you we weren't father and son? Who told you that?! If I find this villain, I'll tear him to pieces! What buried secrets? It's all nonsense! Heng'er, you're so intelligent and insightful, would you easily believe the instigation of some villain? I am your own father, and I'll pretend I didn't hear what you said to me today..."
“But you heard it,” Mu Qingheng interrupted calmly, his gaze cold and imposing, “and this is an indelible fact. Why don’t you listen to what I have to say next?”
The cold moonlight outside the window shone on his face; one side of his profile was gentle and bright, while the other was gloomy and cold, like a ghost.
The Heavenly Emperor looked at him with suspicion and uncertainty, his expression gradually turning to heartache, and his tone softening: "If you want to speak with your father, I will naturally listen. But Heng'er, you must not be foolish!"
Mu Qingheng remained unmoved by the Heavenly Emperor's words, his expression unchanged throughout: "You don't need to make such a gesture. I know my request affects your interests, and it's difficult for you to agree to it. That's why I said I wanted to make a deal with you."
"The demons of the desolate tomb have always been a thorn in your side. Let me help you remove this thorn," Mu Qingheng said, walking slowly to the Heavenly Emperor's side with his hands behind his back. He stood beside him and said, "As long as I take action, they will have nowhere to escape. I can guarantee that no demon will ever live in this world again. From now on, the Six Realms will be peaceful, and the worries hanging over your heart will disappear forever."
The Heavenly Emperor closed his eyes, as if suppressing his emotions. After a long while, he opened them again, his eyes resolute: "Heng'er, even if your father doesn't take those remaining demon remnants in the Desolate Tomb seriously, and even if, as you say, they are a thorn in my side, it's not your place to pull it out. Besides, the shock from the last Heavenly Demon War is still fresh; the demons can't break the Heavenly Clan's seal. We don't need to take their lives."
Mu Qingheng listened patiently, then smiled and said, "But now it's necessary."
"You don't know, the Demon Clan has already found a way to reach the outside world, and they are ready to attack the Celestial Clan soon. If I don't strike first and wipe them out at the Desolate Tomb, the Celestial Clan will have no choice but to fight them when they come up. Once the war starts, even if we win, there will inevitably be some casualties. You certainly don't want to see such a scene, do you?"
He remained calm and composed, but the Heavenly Emperor's brows gradually furrowed:
"How do you know they've found a way to the outside world? And how do you know they've made preparations and will soon attack the Celestial Clan?" The Heavenly Emperor's expression gradually became serious, and with each sentence, his voice grew more somber and angry.
Mu Qingheng suppressed his smile, raising his hand with a cold expression.
His pale, slender hands, bathed in moonlight, resembled the finest jade porcelain, appearing clean and translucent. He stared at his hands casually. "I know, naturally, because it was all my doing."
"I'm afraid you won't agree to me going to exterminate the demons, so I have no choice but to use this method to force you to agree."
"Are you insane?! When did this start? How dare you collude with the demons?!" The Heavenly Emperor's eyes flashed with rage as he pointed a finger at Mu Qingheng, his chest heaving with anger. "Don't you know that the demons are a bunch of heartless bastards? You risked your life just to... just to... restore your true identity?"
His voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, eventually becoming somewhat hoarse.
Mu Qingheng nodded, his gaze softening involuntarily as if he had thought of something: "Yes. My lifelong desire is destined to prevent me from continuing to be your son."
He paused, his expression hardening again: "And I need to correct you on something. I am not colluding with the demons. I am now..."
He spoke clearly, "They are demons."
After Mu Qingheng finished speaking, he slowly closed his eyes. In a short while, the elegant and pure aura on his body gradually faded away, replaced by a misty, ominous, and sinister dark demonic aura.
The Heavenly Emperor was completely stunned, even forgetting to move his eyes; only his lips trembled slightly.
He had no idea that this child...
His demonic spiritual power was so strong that he could control his demonic energy at will.
Mu Qingheng slowly opened his eyes, and the surrounding demonic energy gradually faded away.
"If you still don't agree to my extermination of the demon race, then I have an even more direct way to force you to agree."
The Heavenly Emperor stared blankly at him, his eyes gradually reddening, his hands trembling uncontrollably in his sleeves. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he raised his hand and slapped Mu Qingheng hard across the face: "Do you know what you're doing?!"
With a "slap," Mu Qingheng's face turned to the side.
The slap was merciless; his lips were slightly cracked, and blood was seeping out.
"Do you know what you're doing... Do you even remember who you are?! Do you know that if you can't disguise yourself properly and the Celestial Clan finds out about you like this, I can't protect you! Even if you've done nothing wrong, even if you're a brilliant and upright Celestial Clan Crown Prince with numerous military achievements, no one will tolerate you, no one! They'll even all beg me to kill you! Why are you ruining yourself?! Why are you so foolish? Why?!"
Mu Qingheng rubbed his lips with the back of his hand and smiled: "I'm perfectly sober."
The demons were indeed a useful tool for him, allowing him to use them to achieve different goals and produce different effects.
He once led his troops to confront the Celestial Clan, but now he can slaughter them all to gain a title.
"I will turn the desolate border into a true tomb, to remove the greatest knot in your heart in this life. Then, you must return the truth to the Six Realms." In the silent night, Mu Qingheng's voice was exceptionally cold.
The Heavenly Emperor remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "No need. You don't need to worry about any of this, Heng'er. Even if, as you say, the Demon Clan is fully prepared to attack the Heavenly Clan, I will find a way to deal with it. As for how you colluded with the Demon Clan, what deals you made with them, or what mistakes you made, I will not hold it against you. I only ask that you stop here. You are injured, so you don't need to worry about anything. Just be a glorious Crown Prince and take good care of yourself for a while."
"And your request, you need not mention it again. I don't know who deceived you. If I find that person, I will tear them to pieces to vent my hatred. Heng'er, child, don't be so stubborn. You are my own son. Even if you disregard morality and ethics and become obsessed with evil, you cannot change this fact. We are connected by blood, and I cannot stand by and watch you make one mistake after another."
His words were earnest, even humble. Mu Qingheng listened in silence, then slowly chuckled softly.
The laughter gradually grew louder, almost uncontrollable, as if they had heard the biggest joke ever.
"Mu Gechuan, you are a master of pretense. I never realized you were so good at putting on airs."
His long eyebrows furrowed slightly, his eyes filled with disgust. "Don't you find it ridiculous that you put on this act of a loving father? I willingly chose to walk down the path of self-destruction and will never blame anyone else, but if it weren't for you, I would never have ended up like this."
"If you truly love me as much as you claim," Mu Qingheng slowly smiled, his eyes cold and his tone gentle, "I will do nothing. Tomorrow you will issue an edict to announce to the Six Realms my true identity. Can you do that?"
A deep sense of guilt welled up in the Heavenly Emperor's eyes. His lips trembled, and after a long while, he reached out his hand: "Heng'er, actually I—"
"No need to say anything. It doesn't matter if you don't agree. I am determined to wipe out the demon race. Because I don't have much time left." Mu Qingheng said, "It's just more convenient and faster for me for you to announce it to the Six Realms. Since you are unwilling, then I can tell the world who I am myself."
...
Mu Qingheng's birthday was only two days ago, and in these two days, Mu Meng felt that her father was driving her crazy.
She hadn't noticed it before, but these past few days, he's been acting strangely, sending people every few days to ask her to check on Mu Qingheng, as if no one is watching over him or keeping him company, and as if he might suddenly disappear one day.
Most of the time, he sent his personal guards.
"Does Your Highness have any free time? If not, would you like to visit His Highness the Crown Prince?"
"Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince has prepared some of your favorite pastries. Would you like to try them?"
"Your Highness must be tired from practicing. Why don't you go and rest with His Highness the Crown Prince?"
On several occasions, he even came over on his own when he had free time.
"Mengmeng, why are you still staying in your palace? Why don't you go see your brother?"
“Your brother has been in low spirits lately, so you should spend more time with him. Your father is too busy to find the time, and besides, he's getting old, so he can't be as attentive and considerate as you.”
"Mengmeng, hurry up and go eat with your brother."
Such things made Mu Meng almost suspect that Mu Qingheng had complained to her father about her recent coldness and distance towards him.
That day, her father kindly persuaded her to visit Mu Qingheng. Since it was her father's personal order, she couldn't disobey and had no choice but to go.
In any case, she'll try to avoid things these days, and if she can't, she'll find a good excuse.
She didn't have much to say to Mu Qingheng, and didn't want to waste a day with him. Every time she arrived, she would ask him if he wanted to practice his skills. If he didn't go, she would go by herself. In this way, she neither wasted time nor had to speak with Mu Qingheng, and they lived peacefully.
Before we knew it, dusk was falling. Tonight, there were no stars or moon; the sky was dark and gloomy, like the lurking eyes of a wild beast.
From afternoon until dark, Mu Meng had almost finished cultivating and gradually withdrew his inner energy when he suddenly noticed someone standing beside him.
The person beside her had an extremely familiar aura. In the past, it made her feel at ease, but later it filled her with fear and hatred, and now it added another layer of irritation for no reason.
What is Mu Qingheng doing here?
The male and female members of the Celestial Clan follow different paths, and they should not be too close to each other during cultivation to avoid clashes between their strength and gentleness. Therefore, although the two of them cultivate in the same place every day, they are far apart and never see each other. He will not come over unless it is the end of his cultivation.
Mu Meng opened her eyes, looked up to meet Mu Qingheng's somewhat worried gaze, and asked in confusion, "Brother, is something wrong?"
"Mengmeng, circulate your spiritual energy again so I can see," Mu Qingheng said in a low voice.
Mu Meng blinked, lowered her head imperceptibly, and her heart began to beat faster. She hesitated for a moment, then finally raised her hands, clasped them together, and slowly circulated her inner energy to stir her spiritual power.
She had her eyes closed, but she could still feel Mu Qingheng's burning gaze fixed on her.
Mu Meng remained oblivious, and after circulating his spiritual energy once, he opened his eyes and said, "All done."
Mu Qingheng remained unmoved, stubbornly standing aside. "That's not how it works. Demonstrate to me how you circulated your spiritual energy all by yourself just now."
Mu Meng's slender white fingers, hidden in her sleeve, slowly curled up. She paused, then raised her small face, revealing an innocent and gentle smile: "Brother, I have been cultivating in the same way as before. What did you see? Perhaps I was careless and took the wrong path. You asked me to repeat it, but I can't remember how I went wrong."
Mu Qingheng's gaze was calm. He was backlit, making his pupils appear even darker than usual: "Mengmeng, your brother can do whatever you want, except for this one thing."
He pursed his lips, his voice much lower than before, "Your cultivation isn't focused on refining the Crimson Heart Pill; you're extending its instantaneous use time. Mengmeng, do you know that doing this is tantamount to drinking poison to quench your thirst? What good will it do you if you extend the time? Even if you can maintain peak spiritual power for one hour, two hours, or ten hours, what then? Once you stop, your body won't be able to withstand such a huge drain, and you'll die from exhaustion!"
Mu Meng fell silent for a moment.
Mu Qingheng was indeed meticulous, able to detect even the subtle differences in her cultivation.
He was right. Her cultivation path since her rebirth had been unorthodox, but it was a helpless move. The point of her rebirth was her coming-of-age ceremony, and the time left for her was too tight. She would soon experience the changes in Yunze Realm, and then, not long after, Mu Qingheng would use a scheme to return to the Demon Clan, and then send troops to the Nine Heavens Gate.
Although many things have changed since she was reborn, how can she be at ease if the demon race is not eliminated?
However, in such a short time, there was no way to fully refine the Crimson Heart Pill. If she wanted to protect her people and have the power to fight against the demons, she could only extend the lifespan of the Crimson Heart Pill. This was the only solution she could come up with.
In the past, if she recklessly used the power of the Crimson Heart Pill, she would not be able to hold on for more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. But after cultivating for so long, she is now confident that she can use it continuously and can last for at least two hours.
Mu Meng was silent for a while, then finally smiled and said easily, "Brother, don't be nervous. I'm just cultivating for a bit. I'm not really planning to fight anyone and die. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have the chance. If I maintained the peak state of the Crimson Heart Pill for a few hours, I'm afraid I would flatten half the sky. I have no enmity with the Six Realms. Where would I go to make such a big fuss?"
She spoke lightly, but Mu Qingheng's expression did not relax; deep pain still lingered between his brows.
“Mengmeng…” He took a deep breath, clutched his chest, and slowly knelt on one knee in front of her, saying softly, “But you don’t need to cultivate like this. Right now, the Six Realms are at peace, and you don’t need the power of the Crimson Heart Pill at all. Cultivating step by step will be better for you. Even if there is any danger, it will be your brother who goes to the battlefield, understand?”
"You just need to calmly refine the Crimson Heart Pill little by little. Your brother will accompany you, protect you, and ensure that you can safely and completely control the power of the Crimson Heart Pill."
Mu Qingheng finished speaking in a gentle tone, his expression calm, but his fingertips trembled slightly without making a sound.
He knew, of course, why Mengmeng was cultivating in this way. The shadow left on her in her previous life was still too heavy, which was why she was silently preparing for a life-or-death battle against the demons. He didn't know how to pamper her so that she could feel at ease and return to her past innocence and carefree life.
This worry and pity quickly transformed into an instinct that struck straight to the heart.
Mu Qingheng's heart felt as if it were being pounded by a heavy hammer, each blow causing unbearable pain, leaving it mangled and bleeding, reduced to irreparable fragments.
A strong taste of blood welled up in his throat, and his heart felt like it was being torn apart by a maddened beast, with blood surging up as if it wanted to gush out.
Mu Qingheng's Adam's apple bobbed as he suppressed the urge to rush to his head.
"Mengmeng, will you listen to me?" His voice was very low. "I'm afraid you'll hurt yourself. It's my fault for not realizing sooner that you've gone astray. Otherwise, I would never have let you suffer like this..."
"Brother, do you know why I cultivate in this way?"
Suddenly, Mu Meng interrupted him.
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