Chapter 84 "I choose..."
The eaves of the main house soar into the clouds, and the green tiles are layered like scales. The copper bells hanging under the eaves swayed violently with the sound of the bells, and the clear and urgent sound of the bells echoed under the night sky, faintly resonating with the barrier coiled on the wall, as if silently warning the visitors.
The entire main house was shrouded in wisps of demonic energy, making even the moon appear somber and dark.
Meng Chiwan and the others looked towards the top floor of the main house. Behind the mahogany railing of the pavilion, they could vaguely see a tall and slender figure. Their faces were not visible, but the pressure emanating from their body went straight down, and the night birds circling at low altitudes were startled and took flight.
The attack that the group of people had barely managed to block came from this figure.
Meng Chiwan stood there, her breathing somewhat unsteady, but she tried her best to hold onto Jinglan tightly, showing no sign of confusion.
But when she saw that figure, her pupils couldn't help but tremble slightly.
That figure was so familiar. And...
Meng Chiwan's voice was especially clear in the silence: "Can you see his face clearly?"
Wei Jiyu frowned slightly and replied, "No, their cultivation level is probably above ours."
Meng Chiwan took a deep breath, and her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally sank heavily to the ground.
Even more terrifying was that face; she recognized it. It was the city lord who had claimed to be her father in the Immortal Demon Secret Realm.
He still has the appearance of a young man, but the feeling he gives Meng Chiwan is no longer the same as when they first met.
Many things swirled in her mind, and those things she couldn't understand before slowly began to become clear. For example, the so-called city lord and the so-called altar and ritual were actually telling her who this boy really was.
Moreover, Mu Qi was resurrected not long after she emerged from the Immortal Demon Realm.
This boy's name is probably Mu Qi.
For Mu Qi, killing her would be incredibly easy. Leaving aside his cultivation level, his claim of suppressing her bloodline alone would be enough to give her a run for her money.
Has the Liu family colluded with the demon race?
Given the Liu family's status, if they were to collude with the demons, the situation in the entire Immortal Alliance's affiliated city would likely be dire.
On the high platform, Mu Qi watched Meng Chiwan with great interest. He could only see Meng Chiwan; as for the others, they were no different from ants in his eyes.
Meng Chiwan's palms were sweaty, and tension, like a snake, crawled from her calves to the top of her head, making her feel uneasy.
At this moment, she knew that the reason Mu Qi hadn't directly killed her was because she was there, and the reason he wasn't making a move now was also because she was there.
If that's the case, perhaps it's not a dead end after all.
After all, this person is supposedly her father.
"Stay where you are and don't move. I'll be right back." Meng Chiwan tried her best to keep her voice calm so as not to panic.
Wen Liansong wanted to say something, but Meng Chiwan didn't give her the chance, only saying in a deep voice, "I will explain later."
If I can survive.
After speaking, she tentatively reached out a hand and gently touched the barrier in front of her. Sure enough, her fingertip easily slipped inside.
Meng Chiwan let out a soft breath and then stepped into the barrier.
When Wen Liansong and the others saw that she could go in directly, they also tentatively reached out and touched the barrier, but without exception, they were all bounced back.
Meng Chiwan walked step by step toward the main house, while the young man seemed to have little patience. With a flick of his finger, a path filled with demonic energy appeared in front of Meng Chiwan.
This road leads straight to the attic on the top floor of the main house. At the end of the road, Mu Qi is looking at her with a bored expression.
Without much thought, Meng Chiwan embarked on this path. After all, if he intended to harm her, she wouldn't be able to escape anyway.
Seeing her obediently set off, Mu Qi seemed to smile with satisfaction, just like a father praising his obedient daughter.
Meng Chiwan really felt that he was seriously ill.
The road was both long and short. Especially as she got closer and closer to Mu Qi, she realized that she was not as calm as she appeared. She felt a tingling sensation deep inside, as if some kind of destiny was urging her to get closer to him.
"Good boy, you've actually survived until now." Mu Qi's smile was inscrutable, but a hint of contempt was clearly visible in his eyes.
Meng Chiwan was naturally not to be outdone, and a smile appeared in her voice as well: "Thanks to you, I've been lucky enough to survive until now."
"You should naturally thank me. If it weren't for me, you would have died at the hands of that Yun family child long ago." Mu Qi nodded slightly, the smile on his lips now tinged with deep sarcasm.
The children of the Yun family, needless to say. Yun Xianqing, for example.
Meng Chiwan thought for a moment and replied, "Then I really have to thank you. Physical growth alone is not enough; we also need to temper our minds and hone our will. You are indeed very experienced in raising children."
These words were spoken with such sincerity, as if they were the truth, as if she had no complaints whatsoever, and was filled with nothing but gratitude for them.
Mu Qi's smile remained unchanged, but the smile in his eyes seemed more sincere. He said, "That was a deal between him and me. He didn't really want you to die, but without me, even if he didn't want you to die, you would still die. You don't need to thank him. You should just thank your father. That way, I can have something nice to say when I see your mother in the future."
"See my mother?" Upon hearing this, Meng Chiwan's tone finally turned sarcastic. "Then you'd better hurry up and see my mother."
After all, her mother has already passed away, so if she wants to see her again, she can only do so in the afterlife.
Speaking of which... when will she be able to see her mother again?
Mu Qi glanced at her and said, "You think your mother is no longer here?"
Meng Chiwan remained silent.
Mu Qi wasn't annoyed, and simply said, "How could your mother die so easily?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Chiwan suddenly raised her eyes, a glimmer of hope appearing in them: "You mean, my mother might still be alive? Impossible... If she were alive, she would definitely be looking for me."
Many things placed before her are difficult to stir her emotions, but when it comes to her mother, she is always like the girl from Mount Garan.
Mu Qi looked at her, his extremely handsome face devoid of emotion, and finally said, "She never looked for me, so why would she look for you?"
Meng Chiwan: "...Why should she come looking for you?"
A slight crack seemed to appear on Mu Qi's usually calm face, but he quickly repaired it, saying, "So that's why I've come to find her."
Meng Chiwan really didn't want to deal with this madman, so she said, "Where is Fellow Daoist Mu that I'm looking for? Is he really dead?"
Mu Qi chuckled softly, his dark eyes narrowing slightly, and said, "Do you think you have the right to ask me?"
Meng Chiwan: "Yes. Didn't you say you were my father? My father always doted on me and answered all my questions."
Mu Qi scoffed lightly, showing no reaction.
Meng Chiwan added slowly, "Perhaps it is precisely because of this personality that I was able to win my mother's heart."
Mu Qi: "Fang Xin? Whoever wants her can have her."
Meng Chiwan: "So, Fellow Daoist Mu is really dead?"
Mu Qi grew impatient: "He's dead."
Meng Chiwan's heart sank: "How did he die?"
Mu Qi was truly enjoying himself this time. He looked at her with interest and said, "Didn't you think I hadn't fulfilled my responsibilities as a father? How about I teach you a lesson this time?"
A bad feeling flashed through Meng Chiwan's mind, as if a thunderstorm was about to break out. She quickly said, "No need. I will naturally find my master when I need to attend class."
Mu Qi ignored her words, taking her refusal as agreement.
He suddenly stood up, took two steps toward the railing, then pointed to the group of people outside the barrier who were anxiously looking in their direction, and said softly, "I was entrusted to guard this place. I can let you go, but if you all escape, where will I put my face as a great demon?"
Meng Chiwan asked cautiously, "Then what do you want?"
Mu Qi parted her red lips slightly, her tone gentle, yet she said each word clearly, "There are five of them in total. You choose three to die and two to live, how about that?"
Without hesitation, Meng Chiwan replied, "I won't choose."
Mu Qi gently shook his head, looking at her as if she were a child who didn't understand: "Do you think you have the right to choose?"
Meng Chiwan instantly considered all possible solutions in her mind, but no matter how she thought about it, they all seemed to lead to a dead end.
Finally, her voice softened: "...Father, please let them go, I'll stay, okay?"
It was really hard to say "father" to him, but it didn't matter. What did it matter if he called him "father" or gave in? It wouldn't hurt him anyway.
Mu Qi suddenly laughed out loud, as if he was pleased, and said, "Alright, you choose three people to live and two people to die."
Meng Chiwan opened her mouth to protest, but suddenly a demonic aura covered her mouth.
Mu Qi sighed and said, "Why are you so greedy? Father has already been very accommodating to you."
Meng Chiwan sobbed, but no matter what she did, she couldn't break free from this demonic energy.
Mu Qi raised his fingertips, as if he wanted to unleash a killing move.
A look of terror flashed in Meng Chiwan's eyes as she stepped forward to block Mu Qi's view.
Mu Qi tilted his head slightly, a chilling smile playing on his lips: "If you don't choose, your father will choose for you, how about that?"
The tacit understanding that had prevented Meng Chiwan from speaking vanished in an instant.
Meng Chiwan turned around and faced Wei Jiyu and Wen Liansong, her eyes dark and troubled. Various complicated thoughts were swirling in her mind, but she couldn't come up with a good solution.
Mu Qi kept his hand raised, ready to unleash a deadly attack at any moment.
If only she had chosen to come to the Liu family alone back then... Unfortunately, there's no going back in life.
If she were to become a pill refiner, she would surely dedicate her life to developing a regret-reversal remedy, which would undoubtedly be a bestseller.
Mu Qi looked at her, waiting for her to make a decision, but her prolonged hesitation had already made him impatient. The fingertips of his other hand tapped slowly on the mahogany railing, like the rhythmic tolling of a bell.
Meng Chiwan closed her eyes briefly, and finally said, "I choose..."
Author's Note: The plot is moving at a fast pace, so it shouldn't be too long; after all, we're focusing on romance.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com