In a colossal cave, far north of the Ancient Shadow Forest, a chilling cold gnawed at the bone, carrying the palpable stench of death.
This was the grim lair of the Liu Xie Zong, a Mo Dao organization, a twisted congregation of humans and beasts. They were outcasts, spurning orthodox cultivation, cloistered within these frigid walls, each driven by the festering hunger of their own dark desires.
They bore no true names, only epithets that screamed their most prominent traits: Tan Lan, Ji Du, Yin Yu, Fen Nu, Tan Shi, and Lan Duo.
A man's voice, raspy and winding with veiled mystery, sliced through the frigid air. "Good morning, everyone. You might be pleased to hear my information today."
Another figure, barely a ripple in the shadows, swallowed by worn robes, yawned, a sound of utter disinterest. "What's so pleasing about your nonsense again, Lan Duo?" His voice was a low, barely audible rasp.
"Relax, Fen Nu. I'll explain," the first man hissed, his tone dismissing the interruption as if it were an irritating fly. "Yesterday, I saw a strange human cultivator. He didn't use human cultivation, but beast cultivation. Interesting, isn't it? Heheheh."
His faint laughter scraped like stones grinding against the cave walls.
"Is he strong? I won't waste my breath listening to your blabber if he's weak. What do you think, Ji Du?" The figure called Fen Nu snarled, his eyes flaring with barely contained fire.
A gaunt figure with a cynical, hungry gaze snorted. "Tsk! I'm sick of your talk! If he's strong, I'm clearly stronger! Hahaha!" Ji Du snapped, his eyes narrowing with a venomous ambition that refused to be outdone, as if the very thought of another's superiority was a personal insult.
"Hmm, is he charming? I'm interested if he's charming, hehe," Yin Yu purred, his voice a low, seductive rasp, his body subtly coiling.
"If he's weak, I might just directly devour his Beast Core!" Tan Shi mumbled, a trickle of drool escaping his lips, his eyes gleaming with a raw, predatory hunger.
The first man chuckled, a dry, satisfied sound at their predictable reactions. "Hahaha, don't you think if we make him a member, we can shatter the Beast Realm? I saw him; he's strong! Perhaps we could even crush those bastard four guardians of the Beast Realm. What do you think? Are you interested? Heheheh."
"Bring him here," Tan Lan, a colossal lion-shaped beast with dull, matted golden fur, finally rumbled. Its eyes, sharp and calculating, fixed on the speaker. "Perhaps we'll become history the beasts can never forget. My apologies if I offend you, Tan Shi."
"I don't think so, if that's the case," Tan Shi snarled, ignoring the jab, his voice thick with a monstrous appetite. "Perhaps I will kill all the beasts and I will stand above them! HAHAHA! Bring him here! We can make use of him, what do you all say?"
The first man's smile stretched wide, a chilling, predatory grin. "We agree. I will bring him here. Wait, Sweet Lamb!"
...
In another cave, far to the south, Chen Mo, who had meditated through the long night until dawn, opened his eyes. A cunning, almost bored smirk was etched on his face.
My bait must have snagged a big one. Just wait until it swallows, then I'll yank the line. Heheheh.
Mei still lay motionless from yesterday, her incessant, wretched sobbing grating on Chen Mo's nerves.
Hic! Hic!
Chen Mo strode towards Mei, his hand closing around a handful of her hair, yanking her close. He pulled her into a cold embrace, his lips brushing her ear. "Mei, don't be sad. This is the beginning of the power I spoke of. If you keep this up, how will you get revenge on that cultivator? Relax, your child and husband are here," Chen Mo's finger, now scaled, pointed towards the Qi-Slaying Blade in the corner of the cave. "They will be witnesses to your revenge."
"Does it have to be like this? Why is my fate so cruel? I only wanted your help, but not like this. How can I possibly live like this? Hic hic..." Mei replied, her voice choked with utter despair. Her tears, a mix of grief and horror, streaked over the dried blood on her face, trickling onto Chen Mo's shoulder.
"Relax. I'll take responsibility. If you have no purpose, then I will forge one for you."
Mei, hearing Chen Mo's words, fell silent. Doubt gnawed at her heart, yet she gave a faint, broken nod. "Humm..."
"Don't cry, heheh," Chen Mo purred, a whisper of false comfort in his voice.
Chen Mo released his embrace and wiped Mei's tears with a dismissive swipe. Then, he walked out of the cave to breathe fresh air fresh because he had just savored another's utter destruction.
"Mei, I'm going to bathe in the west river. Do you want to join?"
Mei, from inside the cave, replied, "I have no purpose now. I will follow you. What about my child's corpse?"
Chen Mo's voice was flat. "Do whatever you want with your child. I'll get ready first. Go on, do what you need to do."
Mei stumbled out of the cave, her body wracked with sobs. She picked up Little Hu's lifeless form and buried him in front of the cave, her former lair.
"Son, rest in peace. Mother will fight to avenge that cultivator, and Mother apologizes for not telling you about your father," she said.
Chen Mo picked up the Qi-Slaying Blade, secured a torn piece of cloth over his chest, then walked out of the cave to meet Mei.
"Mei, let's go," he said, his scaled hand closing around her dirt-caked one, his smile a savage, chilling thing.
Mei stood, her movements stiff, and walked with him, heading west, towards the site where Chen Mo had annihilated the three-headed snake beast.
As they walked quite a distance, Chen Mo's thoughts hummed. Hehe, it worked. This wasn't in vain. Wait for the next one, heheh. He smiled like a madman, a silent, internal cackle.
They continued for a considerable distance. Chen Mo sought food, suppressing his aura so that even the smallest creatures wouldn't flee. He managed to catch several small beasts like birds and rabbits.
Chen Mo and Mei ate the beasts raw, tearing at the flesh. Mei followed Chen Mo's instructions, her own revulsion slowly being dulled.
After eating, they resumed their journey westward.
The evening wind rustled, Woosh! Woosh! After walking for quite some time, they reached the river. The bloated carcass of the snake Chen Mo had killed was still there, a grotesque monument.
Mei gasped, recoiling from the sight. She saw the massive tree in the middle of the river had vanished, then turned to Chen Mo, her voice laced with a mix of confusion and panic. "Did you do this yourself? What made you like this?"
"Yes, I did it myself, and all this scenery is a GIFT FOR YOU! Do you accept it? I'm not the human you think I am; I'm just bored." His tone was one of profound weariness, hinting at depths of experience far beyond mere boredom.
Mei heard those words and remained silent, sinking to sit under a tree to rest.
Chen Mo stripped off his clothes to bathe. "Mei, aren't you bathing? Come bathe with me if you want, hahah," Chen Mo said. His voice held a subtle, predatory undertone, hinting at desires beyond mere cleanliness.
Mei replied to Chen Mo with a disgusted tone, "Why would I bathe with you? Go bathe by yourself. I'll bathe after you."
"Haha, you're so cute. I'll go first." Chen Mo dashed and leaped into the river, cleaning his body. The old stitches on his stomach were now completely healed, leaving only faint, jagged scars.
Byurr! Byurr!
After they both bathed in turns, Chen Mo sat in meditation under the moonlight, which cast long, terrifying shadows from his figure. He merely sensed that something was coming.
Mei also meditated with Chen Mo, but kept her distance.
Swoshh! Swoshh!
The sound of the night wind, now thick with Qi, absorbed into both their bodies.
After a long period of meditation, Chen Mo's body shuddered violently, and he coughed up gouts of blood from his mouth and nose.
Ugh! Ugh! Splat! Splat!
"Damn it, stabilizing this First-Stage Gold Core is proving difficult. Is this fate or a curse for me? Hehe, that god didn't give it to me."
Mei, seeing and hearing Chen Mo's words from afar, approached him, her voice trembling.
Mei thought, What? He mentioned a god? I've never heard of a god.
"Xiao Bai, who are you truly? Why do you mention a god? Do you have something to do with the god you mentioned, and what is your real name? I don't believe your name is Xiao Bai." Mei asked Chen Mo, her curiosity battling her fear.
Chen Mo replied, his voice cold and laced with disdain. "What you know and what you hear, you have no right to ask. I am Chen Mo. Xiao Bai is just a disguise. If that's the case, do you want to follow me to the end? No, no, I don't want you to interfere; take care of yourself."
Chen Mo stood up, wiping the blood from his mouth and nose with the back of his hand. He said again, "The less you know, the better. Don't obstruct my path if you want to live." His gaze was vicious, cruel, and utterly brutal, as if looking at Mei like a piece of refuse.
Mei, hearing that, collapsed to her knees in terror, as if seeing something emanating from his body that was utterly alien to the world she knew.
The night suddenly fell silent, broken only by the frantic pounding of Mei's heart. From behind a tree, a mysterious figure walked towards Chen Mo and Mei, shattering the stillness.
"Good evening, Taoist colleagues. Are you discussing something? I'd like to listen in, if I may?" His voice was smooth, almost too amiable.
Chen Mo saw the figure. He smiled in his mind. Haha, bait. Finally, a big fish.
Chen Mo replied, his voice laced with mock anger and false arrogance. "Why are you acting so familiar? What are you thinking? Before asking, at least show your name, stranger."
Mei looked at the figure and thought, Who is he? Is he a saint? Why is he here? What is his purpose?
"Ah, my name is Yuan De (Lan Duo). My apologies for not introducing myself first. I saw you earlier when you were cultivating; it seems you're having some difficulty."
Yuan De's thoughts hummed, Haha, this, this is what I'm looking for. He's arrogant; maybe he can fill the empty seat, and his cultivation is no joke.
Yuan De continued, his voice dripping with feigned sincerity and falseness. "I can help you with your cultivation method. Are you interested?"
Chen Mo heard and witnessed the subtle shifts on Yuan De's face. He smiled faintly, a predatory glint in his eyes, and agreed to Yuan De's words.
"Yes, how?" Chen Mo played along. He already knew what was going to happen.
"Sit down. Focus on your unique core and unify your mind and heart. Imagine this Qi is food you're eating. Perhaps it will be smoother if you absorb it directly."
Chen Mo sat down and followed the instructions. It finally worked, but Chen Mo's core trembled, as if wanting to burst out of his body.
Chen Mo didn't stop. He continued his meditation until he didn't realize he had meditated until morning.
Before Chen Mo continued his meditation last night, Mei also meditated in her own way until morning.
Yuan De waited under the tree and smiled faintly, as if the "lamb" was ripe for the taking.
When Chen Mo opened his eyes, he said to Yuan De, "This is effective. Good, this is good."
Yuan De asked, "Is that beast woman your wife?"
Chen Mo replied, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "Yes, that's my wife. Why? If you dare touch her, I'll kill you." A chilling aura of pure dominance emanated from him.
Mei opened her eyes and thought, What is Chen Mo thinking? Is he waiting for his new game? It's just that Yuan De is a pitiful man if he deals with him.
Yuan De replied, "No, no, don't be angry. I was just asking. It's just that you're a human who possesses a beast core. I'm inviting you to join me, but I'm not inviting your wife. If you agree, then leave her. This is just a suggestion." A cruel, calculating wheel spun in Yuan De's mind.
Chen Mo merely replied with a cynical look and narrowed eyes, his voice sharp as a blade. "Why? You invite me, so my wife has the right to come too. If you don't want her, then leave me and my wife here, understand?"
"HaHaHa, I just want to fill the empty seat in my organization. I can't lie. Interesting, interesting. My name, Yuan De, is just a pseudonym. I want you to help me, and I will help you. What do you think? This is a mutual benefit."
Chen Mo heard that. He knew that Yuan De was thinking of something else, but for Chen Mo, this piqued his interest, and he agreed.
Chen Mo approached and said, "Yes, I agree, but I'm bringing my wife. What do you think?"
Yuan De agreed. The three of them walked north.
They both smiled faintly. Yuan De looked north with a satisfied and calculating gaze, this worked and this is interesting.
Meanwhile, beside him, Chen Mo's faint smile stretched into a wide grin in the dark night, his eyes gleaming with a mad, hungry light.
Haha, what good food. Finally, something to pique my interest again. A worthy game.