Beside the road leading to the countryside was a ditch, and across the ditch was an endless cornfield.
By the ditch, a young man and woman were sitting on the ground.
The man was handsome and dashing, the woman incredibly beautiful.
If not for the blood on both of them, and the woman's red and swollen eyes, anyone would sigh at what a perfect couple they made.
Chi Zhongyue had cried until she was tired, but after that outburst, her emotions seemed to have stabilized somewhat.
Her beautiful deer-like eyes, still red and swollen, stared blankly at the murky water in the ditch before her as she spoke softly: "I... used to be a Disguiser too."
"And an innate Breaker of Illusions" data-doubao-line="219" data-doubao-column="35" data-doubao-relative-path="chapter38.html" data-doubao-key="39">Breaker of Illusions... Does that surprise you?"
"Only Team Leader Wang and Sister Rou know about this. The captain, Lin Le, Xiao Fengyu—they all only knew that I used to be a Disguiser, and that I was one of the acquired ones."
"I was born a Breaker of Illusions, but my parents and my older sister, who is one year older than me, were all believers."
"So my relationship with them was especially, especially bad."
"Then one day... Team Leader Wang found me. At that time, I had already gone through the worship ritual on my own under the guidance of other demon believers."
"After that, I became a Disguiser."
At this point, Chi Zhongyue seemed completely immersed in her memories. Her flawless little face was filled with smiles and reminiscence, but even more so with pain.
"Actually, a few years ago, we weren't the Second Squad. We were the First Squad."
"At that time, Brother Hu and Sister Rou weren't captains. They were just ordinary members."
"The captain back then was a sister who took special care of me, and the vice-captain was a very gentle uncle."
"There were several other teammates. We had such a good relationship back then."
Even just hearing this, Jiang Yuan could already guess what was coming next without Chi Zhongyue needing to say more.
Looking ly at the girl in front of him who harbored such a secret, he could only sigh.
He had only been a Disguiser for a few days, and with Xiao Fengyu's death for him, Jiang Yuan had felt like there was a huge stone weighing on his heart these past few days, stuck somewhere between his chest and throat, extremely uncomfortable.
As expected.
Chi Zhongyue was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled sadly, her tone desolate as she slowly recounted: "Until one mission, just as I was about to send out intelligence, the Seeker who had been suspecting me made his move at the same time."
"My captain, vice-captain, and several teammates all stayed behind to cover me and were killed."
"In the end, only Hu Zhengfeng and Sister Rou protected me and escaped, but... we were still tracked down by the Seeker."
"I thought we were definitely going to die that time. Maybe I could have accepted that."
"That's when my father, mother, and sister—they actually found out I was a Breaker of Illusions and all came to kill me!"
"They even they would personally chop me into mincemeat to offer to the demon!"
"I was in complete despair."
When Chi Zhongyue said this, her body trembled uncontrollably. Jiang Yuan could clearly feel that extreme grief. Chi Zhongyue was breaking down at this moment.
Tears fell again as she cried: "I was in so much despair then. To be hunted by those demon fanatics was one thing, but to be hunted by my own family!"
"I knew their souls had been corrupted by demonic power, but I couldn't accept that in that moment!"
"B-but do you know?"
"When they came at me like madmen..."
"My father suddenly smiled gently at me. I had never seen him smile like that before."
"Then... he detonated a bomb on himself."
"Then... it was my sister."
"She smiled at me too, and she also detonated a bomb, dying together with the remaining fanatics."
"I-I was almost driven insane, truly almost insane."
"The only one who didn't do the same was my mother. She still came at me to kill me."
"That's when I found out my mother was actually a Middle Rank powerhouse."
"As she came at me, just at that moment..."
"Other fanatics who heard the commotion appeared, and then... then... then my mother..."
She trembled even more violently, her red lips quivering for a long time, unable to say the rest of the words.
Jiang Yuan was already stunned. All he could do was gently stroke Chi Zhongyue's trembling back, trying his best to comfort her.
"Then my mother actually cursed me, calling me a demon believer, cursing the god she had always worshipped as a demon!"
"She also cursed me as an unfilial daughter, asking why I had to expose her..."
"I was completely stunned, terrified."
"She fought with those fanatics. I-I really wanted to help her, I really did!"
"But I saw my mother's eyes. She looked at me with a look of love I had never seen before, just looking at me. I understood what she meant."
"I watched helplessly as my mother died right in front of me."
"Only then did I finally understand."
"They had discovered my high soul strength when I was very young, and had been training me as a Disguiser since I was a child."
"They had deliberately pretended to be believers, making me feel and even hatred toward them, because only that way... could I better hide myself, protect myself."
"They were training me to be a Disguiser, while they themselves... became my Shadow Guardians."
"So they..."
"were my Shadow Guardians."
"My Shadow Guardians..."
"were my father... mother... and sister whom I had disliked since childhood..."
By the end, Chi Zhongyue was sobbing uncontrollably, unable to say another word.
Jiang Yuan was deeply shocked.
He had imagined countless possibilities.
But he had never imagined Chi Zhongyue's experience would be like this!
He finally understood.
Why Chi Zhongyue had been a Disguiser but had later switched to being a Redeemer.
After something like this, there was no Disguiser who could continue to pretend without being exposed among a group of demon believers.
He also better understood why every time Chi Zhongyue mentioned words like 'demon' or 'fanatic', especially when truly fighting fanatics, her emotions would be so extreme.
If it were him...
He would be even more extreme than Chi Zhongyue!
He would be unable to control himself from killing all demon fanatics, skinning them alive, tearing them apart, chopping them into mincemeat!!!
Although the real culprits were the demons, and strictly speaking, these fanatics were also victims.
But just because you're also a victim doesn't mean all the evil things you've done can be erased!
If they should be killed, then kill them without mercy.
Gently patting Chi Zhongyue's back to calm her emotions, Jiang Yuan let out a heavy breath.
But the in his heart didn't ease at all; it felt even heavier.
Looking at Chi Zhongyue's extremely sorrowful appearance, Jiang Yuan didn't say any words of comfort.
Words like 'There's no need to regret, your parents and sister deliberately made you dislike them' or 'If you had died with your mother then, wouldn't your parents and sister have died in vain?' were completely unnecessary.
Didn't Chi Zhongyue understand these herself?
No!
She understood these very well!
But is one thing, grief is another.
Any verbal comfortand empty in the face of watching three loved ones die for you right before your eyes.
What he needed to do.
was to be a serious Disguiser.
to do everything to become stronger.
to use his lone, broken life to tear a hole in this dark, cloud-covered sky!
Not asking to restore light to the world.
At least to let the area within his reach be illuminated by light!