Dawn broke, chasing away the thick, oppressive darkness of the night.
Chen Mo opened his eyes from meditation, his body feeling as light as a feather, brimming with new power.
Swashh! Swashh!
An increasingly oppressive aura emanated from him. "Is this... a First-Stage Gold Core cultivation? My body feels weightless, and all my wounds are completely healed." He walked to find Mei.
Inside the cave, Mei was speaking to Little Hu, pressing him for information about Xiao Bai.
Mei's voice was filled with anger. "Little Hu, I need to talk to you seriously. Where did you find him? Why did you bring him here? Your story doesn't match what happened. Are you lying to me?"
Mei desperately wanted to know Xiao Bai's true identity, as Little Hu was the first to encounter him.
Spontaneously, Little Hu confessed everything to his mother. He feared something terrible would happen to Mei, so for the first time, he told the truth and, for the first time, betrayed Chen Mo.
"Mother, I found him to the north, quite far from here," Little Hu replied, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and grim determination. "I discovered him while looking for water. He was bathing, his body covered in fresh stitches, and I thought he'd sewn them himself. The gashes around his eyes weren't from a beast's claws, but self-inflicted."
Hearing Little Hu's words, Mei clutched her head. Her mind reeled, concluding that Xiao Bai was a cultivator who'd been killed and abandoned by another, just like her husband years ago.
The hole in Xiao Bai's stomach... it was from the very same sword, a sword discarded as if no longer useful. Mei had once sensed her husband's aura near her dwelling. She searched and found that familiar essence on a sword impaled in the dead cultivator's body. Mei had pulled out the sword and brought it home.
When she first met Xiao Bai, Mei had indeed suspected he might be that deceased cultivator. Yet, she couldn't believe a cultivator could revive after such a long time.
An overwhelming terror now consumed Mei's mind. "Then who is he? If he was the cultivator who died that day, why is he still alive?" This confusion birthed a terrifying, powerful fear within her.
...
Chen Mo had arrived at the entrance of Mei's den and called out from outside the cave.
"Mei, come out! I have a good show for you, perhaps you'll enjoy it," he shouted, his voice loud and oppressive.
Mei heard Xiao Bai's call. Her entire body trembled as she greeted the figure standing outside the cave.
Mei gasped, filled with terror at the sight of Xiao Bai.
"Mei, why do you react like that? Are you underestimating me? Remember, true power doesn't come from the world's system, but from one's own resolve."
Chen Mo approached, grasping Mei's hair and pulling her closer, bringing his mouth to her ear.
"Mei, I've always seen you hiding something from me. What's on your mind?" His whisper was sharp, yet utterly crushing.
Mei answered, cold sweat beading profusely, engulfed by a profound fear.
"I... I'm sorry. I'll explain. Please don't kill me, I beg you!" she wept, desperately pleading for a chance.
Chen Mo released his scaled hand, turned, walked beneath a tree, and sat down to hear Mei's explanation.
Mei approached him, speaking to Xiao Bai face-to-face, still overwhelmed by fear.
"This Ancient Shadow Forest is home to banished beasts, discarded from the Beast Realm when their cores couldn't ascend from Gold to Platinum. They were branded as defective beasts by the Beast Realm guardians. This happened millions of years ago. The beasts here were hunted by cultivators, their cores taken to be fashioned into artifacts like swords and more. When those artifacts were no longer needed, they were discarded or sold cheaply. They are cruel, but fate is crueler. I, as a defective beast, have always hidden to avoid meeting humans." Her words were full of raw emotion, tears streaming down her face.
Hiccup!
Listening to Mei's words, Chen Mo immediately smiled sinisterly, radiating a powerful killing aura.
"Hahaha, Mei, I want to ask you one thing: This sword you gave me, is it an artifact made from a beast's core? And, do you want to follow me?"
Mei heard Xiao Bai's words as if finding a glimmer of hope. She answered the question about the sword she'd given to Xiao Bai.
"Yes," she answered, her voice filled with hope. "The sword is made from a beast's core, and I sensed a familiar essence within it. I gave you that sword hoping it could change our fate."
"Familiar...? What do you mean?" Chen Mo asked, his eyes narrowing.
His oppressive aura now fully focused on Mei. Mei replied:
"I suspected that cultivator made it with the core of my long-lost husband, whose whereabouts I never knew. The essence in that sword, I am certain, is my husband's essence. I once told you to find beast cores to raise my cultivation, so I could avenge my husband's killer by wielding that sword. I apologize for using you."
Mei's tears fell thick and fast. From a distance, inside the cave, Little Hu overheard their conversation. He instantly burst into tears and confusion, as Mei had never told him what truly happened.
Chen Mo, realizing Little Hu was eavesdropping, ordered Mei to face him.
"Bring Little Hu here, quickly! I will give you a surprise that will haunt you. You said you wanted revenge? Then I will show you and help you." Chen Mo spoke with a faint smile on his face, as if brutal, cruel thoughts spun in his head.
Mei obeyed Xiao Bai. She stood and walked to fetch Little Hu, who was trembling in fear inside the cave, then brought him to Xiao Bai.
"Here's Little Hu, Xiao Bai. What will you say to my child?" Mei's tone was filled with suspicion.
"Little Hu, I see your family's tragic destiny. I want to help you. Do you agree with me? Don't refuse, if you do, I will torment you." Chen Mo's tone was oppressive and dominating.
Little Hu replied, "What... You want to help my family? What do I need? I can't fight like you." A hesitant tone emerged from Little Hu's heart, for he had seen Xiao Bai's behavior when they first met.
"Ah, no need to fight..." Chen Mo leaned his mouth close to Little Hu's ear. "You will merely become the essence within this sword. Do you want that, Little Hu?" A brutal sneer etched itself onto his face.
Little Hu gasped, his voice choked. "N-no! Don't kill me! I want to live, I don't want to die! Forgive me, Master Xiao Bai, forgive me! I don't want to die!" His sobs were unending, terror rampant in Little Hu's mind and heart.
Mei, witnessing this, reacted swiftly to protect her only child, begging Xiao Bai, banging her head repeatedly on the ground.
Thud! Thud!
"Xiao Bai, forgive me! Don't kill my child, I beg you! I only wanted your help, not for you to kill my child!" Mei prostrated herself, slamming her head against the earth. Blood stained her forehead, splattering everywhere.
Tumb! Bleeding!
The sound of blood spurting from Mei's prostrating forehead. Chen Mo looked at the reaction with stark revulsion, as if seeing filth on his clothes.
Chen Mo kicked Mei's head, sending her sprawling to the side.
Crash!
Chen Mo, enraged, glared at Mei, who lay prostrate from his kick. "NAIVE! IS THIS REVENGE? WHAT IS THIS, HUH, MEI, ANSWER ME?! THIS MAKES ME UTTERLY DISGUSTED! TO HEAR YOUR NONSENSE!"
Chen Mo walked over, choking Little Hu, dragging him before Mei, who wept helplessly, her face smeared with blood from her forehead.
Screech! Screech!
Chen Mo's left hand grabbed Mei's hair, forcing her to watch Little Hu, who was choking, struggling in pain, eyes filled with tears of defiance against death.
Little Hu's sobs broke, pleading for help and begging.
"Mother... Mother! Save me, Mother! I don't want to die, hiks, hiks!" His voice was choked.
Mei could only watch her child being choked. She was powerless, her body limp. Mei's gaze was empty, her mind and heart shattered.
A sinister smile filled Chen Mo's face, as if this was the most delightful thing for him. "Mei, cast away the naivete from your mind and soul, and then you'll understand what I mean. Mei, kill your child and absorb his essence! Transfer it into this Qi Slaying Sword so your child and husband can find refuge. You said you wanted revenge? Then do it, I will help you get revenge, hihihi." His sadistic laughter made Mei seem to lose her mind, as if hypnotized by Xiao Bai's words.
Chen Mo released his left hand from Mei's hair. Mei responded to his words with an empty stare.
"Take this sword, stab him right here," he laughed with satisfaction, "hihihi," he laughed with delight.
Clang!
The sound of the sword falling before Mei. Mei picked up the sword and stabbed Little Hu, her own child.
Squirming! Cough! Sprays!
"Mother... forgive me for being born weak. I don't regret my short life. Forgive me, Mother, for bringing fire upon you... Cough! Cough!" Blood flowed onto Mei's hands.
Mei could only stare blankly, tears of blood streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't speak, just remained silent, shattered.
Mei, if I didn't sacrifice the love within you, you'd never know true power. With this, you can exact revenge on anyone who hurt you, even me.
Chen Mo, witnessing the reaction, smiled sinisterly and chuckled softly, as if innocent.
After a while, Mei still didn't respond to absorb her child's essence.
Chen Mo grew annoyed as Mei just stood still, holding the sword, her eyes unblinking, blood flowing from her eyes. Chen Mo kicked Mei, sending her sprawling. He then brutally cut open Little Hu's dead body himself, took out his core, and absorbed its essence.
Chen Mo walked over, taking the sword lying near the despairing Mei.
Thud! Thud!
Chen Mo transferred Little Hu's essence into the Qi Slaying Sword and said, "Live! Find refuge with your father! I will avenge you, Hahahahah!" His cruel laughter shattered the silence of the bright afternoon.
After transferring Little Hu's essence, Chen Mo dragged Mei into the cave and threw the unconscious Mei into a corner. He then meditated, his thoughts already venturing towards the human world where the cultivators resided.
"Hahaha, wait for me! I will bring ruin upon you, hahahaha!" His laughter echoed from inside the cave and out, sending small beasts fleeing in panic.