Chapter 32
An eerie mist filled the cave. Leng Huai and Shadow Mist faced off, their fireballs attacking each other relentlessly. The fireballs darted around the cave, eventually striking the stone walls and disappearing, illuminating the entire cave brightly.
Mo Xiaoxin simply sat down on the ground, and Xiao Zhang obediently stood on the ground as well, both looking at the two figures locked in combat.
Shadow Mist precisely copied Leng Huai's moves with every attack.
Leng Huai watched the other party's every move, his heart filled with shock.
Leng Huai had been trying to find the flaws in his opponent's moves, but Shadow Mist was no pushover either. Whatever move Leng Huai made, Shadow Mist immediately made the same move. He neither strengthened his attack nor deliberately showed weakness. The two moved in sync, looking as if they were facing a mirror.
Mo Xiaoxin started playing a clapping game with Xiao Zhang.
"You clap once, I clap once, the two Leng Huais vie for first place; you clap twice, I clap twice, Xiao Zhang and I are having a good time..."
The familiar sounds of children playing brought back memories of Leng Huai's childhood.
Hengyun Village, a remote place located in the eastern suburbs, is the border between the realms of demons, humans, and monsters. He was adopted by a simple old woman, who is also Mu Xiaoxiao's mother.
Because it is the border between the three realms, it is a place where people, demons, and monsters come and go to trade. Although they have different identities, they get along well. Of course, the humans who can live in this border area are not ordinary humans. Although they are not proficient in magic, they have their own supernatural powers. If they really fight, no one can control the other.
At that time, he was staying at Mu Xiaoxiao's house. There were several people in the family, including his older brother, younger brother, and younger sister. Leng Huai was naturally sensitive. Although his aunt treated him very well and was very patient, he remained silent all day long.
The old lady knew that Leng Huai had suffered many aftereffects from being abandoned as a child, so she cared for him a lot. Sometimes, even his older brothers, younger brothers and sisters would get jealous because their mother treated him so well.
Leng Huai was born with demonic energy, while they were human. He worried that they would distance themselves from him because of this.
Sometimes he would secretly hide behind them and see them playing in the yard. He really wanted to join in, but he didn't know how to ask.
It wasn't until Mu Xiaoxiao opened her big, round eyes that she discovered the person hiding behind the tree secretly watching her.
She asked him why he didn't play with them.
When Leng Huai was discovered, he was a little flustered. Then, she forcibly pulled him into the yard to play together.
Only then did he realize how kind his brothers and sisters were, and that all his previous worries were unnecessary.
He played and frolicked with them, built snowmen, played shuttlecock, planted vegetables, and raised cattle, pigs, and rabbits together, enjoying himself immensely.
His personality changed drastically as a result; he became more talkative and cheerful.
Until the Great Chaos War arrived.
Suddenly someone in the village shouted in the street, "Run!" He went out to check and found the streets littered with the corpses of his fellow villagers.
From the chaos, he learned that the Demon King of the Demon Realm had been murdered, plunging the entire Demon Realm into turmoil. The origin of the perpetrator was unknown; some said it came from the human realm, others from the demon realm, and still others from the divine realm. Opinions varied, but one thing everyone understood was that the person's power was so immense that it terrified everyone.
With a deafening roar, countless fireballs of blazing sun rained down from the sky, like falling stars, hurtling directly towards them.
The old woman rushed over and tackled Leng Huai, who was still standing there in a daze, to the ground. Fortunately, the two were unharmed.
The village was ablaze with flames. He huddled in a corner, trembling, watching helplessly as the old woman who had cared for him and his friends fell before his eyes. Corpses were everywhere in the village, and some people had disappeared without a trace. Helplessness and fear were deeply etched into his soul.
He was the only one who survived that great battle, and he became that taciturn boy again.
After being injured by the fireball, Leng Huai recuperated in a cave, where his magic was fully unleashed. He was determined to find the culprit and restore peace to the demon realm.
Memories surged like a tidal wave, stirring up intense emotions in Leng Huai. His eyes were filled with pain and resentment, his chest heaved violently, and his breathing became erratic.
If he had activated his magic sooner, the old lady and the others wouldn't have died!
This was the thing he feared and suffered the most, and it's something he still regrets to this day.
Such complex emotions are impossible for the shadowy fog to comprehend; it can only engage in meaningless imitation.
"Shadow Mist, do you think you can defeat me so easily?" Leng Huai roared, his voice echoing in the cave, sending a shiver down everyone's spine.
Shadow Mist wore a smug smile, believing that Leng Huai's roar was a sign that he felt threatened by his power and was afraid of him.
"You guessed my identity so quickly; you truly are someone I've chosen."
He kept circling around Leng Huai's face and body, copying Leng Huai's every move, every expression, including his current emotions. He could feel the fluctuations deep in Leng Huai's heart at this moment.
Mo Xiaoxin stroked her chin. Shadow Mist? What is that?
Suddenly, Shadow Mist's body trembled violently.
"What... happened?" Shadow Mist suddenly felt a sharp pain and fear in his chest. The pain made him involuntarily bend over, clutching his chest and gasping for breath.
Why does his chest hurt so much? Why is it so painful? It gives him an unprecedented sense of panic, as if the world is abandoning him. The last time he felt this way was when he survived the Chaos War.
Shadow Mist stared wide-eyed at Leng Huai opposite her: "What exactly did you do?"
Leng Huai's lips curled into a smile: "Aren't you a shadow? Didn't you want to perfectly replicate me? Then let me let you experience my deepest fears too."
"What?" Shadow Mist had never experienced such excruciating pain, so much so that he squatted down on the ground.
Leng Huai noticed this change and a knowing smile appeared on his lips.
To defeat the powerful Shadow Fog, one must overcome the fear deep within one's own heart.
Leng Huai rushed towards Shadow Mist and struck Shadow Mist hard in the chest with his right palm.
With a shrill scream, Shadow Mist's body was quickly dispersed like smoke, instantly returning to its original form—a white, misty ball that looked like cotton.
Mo Xiaoxin stroked her chin. Hmm, she's kind of cute.
The person who possesses such memories and such powerful abilities must undoubtedly be from the Chaos War of that time.
Could it be... him?
Shadow Mist then realized that she had messed with someone she shouldn't have.
It had been searching for a powerful person. At first, it only sensed that the person possessed overwhelming magical power. Overjoyed, it thought that if it could replace him, it would live a better life in this world. So it tried to separate the two of them and ordered the little mists to disrupt them. It could then deal with the troublesome woman and fight the man properly. Little did it know that the man was the little boy from back then.
It was his own carelessness that led it to steal his memories. It only absorbed his cultivation techniques and didn't have time to absorb his childhood memories before it rushed to take over. Now it's too late to regret it.
Its life is in danger!
Seeing that the situation was not good, Shadow Mist quickly knelt on the ground and begged for mercy: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I was blind and didn't know how to recognize a great man. I dared to anger His Highness the Demon Lord. Please spare my life, my lord. I am willing to serve you in the future."
Looking down at the white mist before him, Leng Huai thought, "This thing isn't inherently bad; it just has a weakness for the strong. It would be a pity if I killed this ancient creature. It's not a bad thing that it can follow me; at least I can keep it under my nose and use it for my own purposes."
Seeing that Leng Huai remained silent, Yingziwu kowtowed frantically, terrified that Leng Huai would destroy it with a single move, her face filled with fear. She looked utterly comical, like a white, indistinct blob constantly rubbing against the ground.
Mo Xiaoxin chuckled, her laughter echoing through the cave and brightening the otherwise oppressive atmosphere.
Leng Huai's expression softened slightly, and he said, "Then you will follow me from now on."
Seeing that Leng Huai agreed, Shadow Mist happily spun around. It couldn't defeat him, and being able to follow him was good enough, at least it was much better than being in this cold and damp cave.
Mo Xiaoxin suddenly remembered something and asked, "Then what was that long thing crawling on the ground that I just saw?"
Shadow Mist chuckled: "That was just a magic trick I conjured up to scare you and get you hooked."
Mo Xiaoxin was speechless for a moment; she had actually been tricked by a shadowy mist.
Recalling their purpose in coming here, Mo Xiaoxin was somewhat puzzled: "Last time I was outside this cave, I heard countless screams coming from inside, but why is it so empty today when we come in? There's nothing here at all?"
Leng Huai: "Are you sure there's someone here?"
Mo Xiaoxin shook her head: "I'm not sure, but when I came to the Ye family before, the demonic energy here was overwhelming. Today, there are only wisps of demonic energy, which is why I couldn't find the entrance in the dense forest."
Leng Huai scoffed: "Could this be an excuse you made because you couldn't find the entrance?"
Mo Xiaoxin rolled her eyes: "How could that be? Am I that kind of person?"
Her expression was serious, her brows furrowed: "Alright, stop joking. Something's very wrong here. Last time I heard such terrible screams, something must have happened here. But where are they now?"
Mo Xiaoxin glanced at Shadow Mist, "Weren't you always in this cave? You should know what was in the cave before, right?"
Shadow Mist shook her head: "To be honest, I had been staying in the cave, but I was in a deep sleep until you came today. So I don't know any of the people you mentioned."
Mo Xiaoxin nodded, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "Perhaps today's banquet is extremely important, and if someone were to discover that there are people hiding here, the consequences would be unimaginable. Just in case, the Ye family moved everyone here in advance."
Leng Huai nodded: "Given the way that old fox Deqing did things that night, it's not impossible that such a thing could happen."
Mo Xiaoxin said regretfully, "We finally got to see you today, but we didn't find any clues after we came in."
“No, they’ve been here for so long, and the demonic aura hasn’t completely dissipated. They must not have moved away for very long. Let’s search around here and see if there are any clues left behind,” Mo Xiaoxin said.
As she spoke, Mo Xiaoxin began to look around the cave with the mushroom ball in her hand.
She refused to believe that these people wouldn't leave any trace.
Leng Huai's eyes flickered slightly, and he began to search along with Mo Xiaoxin.
Mo Xiaoxin was taken aback; she thought Leng Huai didn't care.
Leng Huai: "What are you looking at? I am the ruler of this demon realm. My subordinates are secretly plotting something behind my back. I must find out, otherwise I will be unworthy of this title if I allow my subordinates to cause trouble."
Mo Xiaoxin: "I didn't expect you to love your people so much."
She thought Leng Huai was just a heartless killing machine who only knew how to use his hands.
Leng Huai ignored Mo Xiaoxin, as if Mo Xiaoxin had touched a soft spot in his heart that he didn't want to admit. He then went to a nearby cave to look for clues.
Mo Xiaoxin noticed Leng Huai's indifference towards her, and she shrugged indifferently with a pout.
This guy seemed a little embarrassed.
The magic staff also came out and hopped around the cave, trying to help Mo Xiaoxin.
Mo Xiaoxin realized that the magic staff wasn't as capricious as she had initially thought. It was actually just like a clingy little dog; it followed her everywhere, and if she ignored it, it would anxiously circle around her, begging for pets. Only when it received Mo Xiaoxin's attention and affection would it calm down.
Having a friend like this is not bad.
She doesn't have to worry about anything, and she doesn't even have to feed it.
She searched the cave, but it was empty, with no trace left behind.
Mo Xiaoxin felt a little restless and uneasy. She looked at Leng Huai not far away and asked, "Leng Huai, have you found any clues over there?"
Leng Huai also shook his head.
The shadowy creature behind him followed Leng Huai to one side of the cave. Seeing Leng Huai shake his head, it also shook its head in the same way.
Mo Xiaoxin felt somewhat disappointed. How could this have happened?
It has to be said that the Ye family is very meticulous. It seems that they will have to find another time to do it again next time. She doesn't believe that they can really give up such a good hiding place.
"Never mind, we came at the wrong time this time. Let's come again next time," Mo Xiaoxin said.
Just as they were about to leave, the temperature inside the cave dropped rapidly, and a chill swept in from all directions.
Mo Xiaoxin was startled.
"Another trap?"
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