Before I could finish, light flashed from his fingertips, striking my shoulder with a force that sent me flying three zhang (about ten meters) away. The pain was so intense I couldn’t stand.
“You can call it selfishness,” he said, his voice distant. “I want to give myself… a different life.”
“If you want a different life, why leave me here? I still have to save my father!”
Gritting my teeth against the pain, I crawled toward the glowing array, desperate to reach it. But the radiance grew brighter, obscuring the Demon Lord within.
“I will save your father.”
Those were the last words he spoke to me.
The light vanished, leaving the mountain shrouded in silence.
He had gone, leaving me alone in the past.
The pain in my shoulder seemed to intensify, radiating a sharp ache that brought a wave of helplessness and bitterness. Beyond the pain, an overwhelming sense of fear and uncertainty began to creep in.
The Demon Lord and I had come into this world together. Even though there were times I couldn’t see him, I always knew I wasn’t alone in this strange place. I trusted him—even relied on him.
But now, he had betrayed me. He was gone, vanished without a trace, and he wasn’t coming back.
Tears began streaming down my face. I swiped at them hastily, only for more to pour out as if in retaliation.
Suddenly, Mu Jue’s startled voice came from nearby: “Why is there so much demonic energy here… Little disciple, why are you here? What happened to you?”
I buried my face deeper and kept crying.
Mu Jue sounded panicked, bombarding me with questions. I gave up entirely, lying down on the ground, clutching my chest, and wailing openly.
After a long while of uncontrollable sobbing, I vaguely heard Mu Jue’s exasperated voice addressing someone else: “Senior Brother, your disciple’s gone mad.”
“What happened?” A warm hand lifted me by the back. Through my tear-blurred vision, I saw Mu Xuan’s frowning face. Seeing him only made my feelings more complicated—a mix of guilt and anger. Unable to bear it, I buried my face in his chest and resumed crying.
He pried my hand away from my injured shoulder. “Is it serious?”
“The mirror… the mirror’s gone.”
Mu Xuan scooped me up effortlessly, his hand gently patting my back. “It’s okay.”
“The mirror was taken from me!”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I wronged you—I wronged you so much!”
“Stop crying.”
“I lied to you, tricked you… If I tell you everything, you can hate me, but don’t kill me, please don’t… I’d be so heartbroken…”
I hiccupped mid-cry, and Mu Xuan, as if comforting a child, gently rubbed my back and spoke in a soothing tone: “I won’t hate you.”
I froze in disbelief. Apparently, even Mu Jue was stunned. “Senior Brother… Was that really you speaking just now?”
Mu Xuan turned to Mu Jue and said firmly, “You should head back.”
Reluctant to leave, Mu Jue hesitated, but after Mu Xuan gave him a pointed look, he finally retreated, glancing back with every step until he disappeared from sight.
Mu Xuan stayed quietly by my side, waiting for me to calm down. Once I had mostly stopped crying, he said, “In a few days, I’ll ask Master for permission to reveal my origins publicly. When the truth is known, I will abandon my sword and leave the mountain.”
I was stunned. Mu Xuan… was telling me about his past? He wasn’t supposed to know that I already knew.
“I know who took the mirror. Sharing the same time as him, I can sense him, just as he can sense me.”
I froze in place.
“From the moment we left Jing Mountain, his memories began surfacing in my mind. Everything you talked about, everything you planned—I’m aware of it all.”
No wonder I was able to take the mirror so easily!
If he’d known about the Demon Lord’s existence since Jing Mountain, then he must have also known everything about him while confined at the Celestial Summit, just as the Demon Lord knew about him. Yet he had said nothing…
Mu Xuan was the ultimate actor!
“Thank you.” The words came so unexpectedly that I stared at his profile, dumbfounded.
“Thank you for all that you’ve done for me.” He paused before adding, “He left you here. From now on, stay with me.”
I stared at him for a long time before blurting, “Where else can I go? I don’t know anyone here.” My lips trembled, and I felt tears threatening again.
Mu Xuan chuckled softly and reached out to ruffle my hair. “Then stay with me. Always stay with me.”
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