What exactly was the secret?
The original book had never described Wu Li's specific background or origins.
The ink was solely spilled to depict his wickedness and evil.
A sinister and cruel villain, how he committed every evil deed, how he was unforgivably wicked, and how he deserved to be spat upon by the world.
It was as if he was born only fit to rot in the dark.
As if his very existence was a sin.
Only in this way, when he finally died a tragic death, would the readers clap and cheer, feeling a great sense of satisfaction.
But at this moment, Chai Xiaomi touched the lingering warmth at the corner of her lips, suddenly feeling as if something sharp and fine had pierced her heart.
In those unwritten blank spaces on the pages—
What kind of story was actually hidden?
She suddenly recalled the conversation she had heard in the illusion.
Revenge... Mother... Heartless man...
These vague words suddenly became clear in her mind.
Seeing the many complex expressions flashing across Chai Xiaomi's face, Ouyang Rui hastily apologized, even raising a hand to slap his own mouth. "I was speaking nonsense! It's my fault! Xiaomi, please don't take it to heart."
The servant standing nearby was dumbfounded, only able to silently turn his back.
Even though he was the master's biological son, his approach to women was completely the opposite:
One was a ruthless destroyer of flowers, while this one was tender and protective of the fairer sex.
Ouyang Rui had come this time for an even more important matter.
He had rummaged through his father's storehouse and finally found a magical artifact capable of tracking spirits—a palm-sized star compass. Wherever the needle pointed was where the demon spirits were.
Although the spirits in Luoxingyuan were a mixed bag, if they tried a few more times, they would eventually run into a Moon Shadow Demon Spirit.
Moreover, he and Wu Li had simultaneously declared in front of Xiaomi that they would compete for the Ice Bow and Mystic Arrow.
If he lost to Wu Li, where would he put his dignity and pride as a man?
Even though Xiaomi had already rejected him, maybe it was the work of a love gu?
Otherwise, why would she watch her husband be alone with another woman and still speak up for him?
"Xiaomi, I'm going into Luoxingyuan to participate in the New Moon Archery Duel, but I'm still short one person. Are you willing to team up with me?"
Ouyang Rui asked with eyes full of anticipation, a burning light shining in his gaze. He had to let Xiaomi see him shoot the Moon Shadow Demon Spirit with her own eyes, to let her witness his skills.
He wanted to prove to her—he was better than Wu Li.
He thought Xiaomi would refuse and was prepared to waste a lot of breath persuading her.
But to his surprise, she agreed crisply and cleanly, even turning around and running straight toward the giant boulder in the town.
"Let's go! Right now!" She walked so fast that the tips of her hair blew in the wind. Her light green skirt and silk ribbons fluttered like willow branches. When she looked back, it was as if two small fires were burning in her eyes. "Hurry up!"
She had to find Wu Li; she had to figure out the whole truth.
He always loved to tease her. Who knew if his "I'll be right out" was the truth or just a joke?
Three days. She couldn't wait a single moment.
What if something else happened inside...
What if, in that land of eternal night, he completely darkened and fell into the abyss...
She didn't dare think any further.
Her footsteps grew faster and faster, almost turning into a run.
Ouyang Rui was stunned for a few seconds by the beauty of her backward glance, then he huffed and puffed as he chased after her. "Xiaomi, do you have a bow? To enter Luoxingyuan, you have to bring a bow."
"I do."
She lowered her head, muttered an incantation, and swiped her fingertips across the universe bag at her waist. The bow was kept inside so she could carry it with her.
She grasped the handy bow in her palm.
But she didn't notice that deep inside the bag, a faint, blood-red light was seeping out.
The autumn breeze in the valley should have been refreshing and elegant.
But the wind in this valley felt as though it had rolled through underground magma, burning people's skin until it was hot.
The temperature was even more abnormal than inside the city.
The further they went, the fiercer the heat waves became, as if the soles of their feet were stepping on hot coals.
Jiang Zhiyu had long since stripped down to a single moon-white inner garment, haphazardly using his outer robe to wipe the sweat from his face.
His carefully groomed hair had come loose, and he couldn't even be bothered to tie it back up.
His already irritable mood grew even more depressed at this moment.
He couldn't even care about maintaining his daily, carefully groomed hairstyle.
The servants of the Ouyang Manor had already fetched his luggage from the Phantom Sound Pavilion that night. Today, he had originally worn his favorite light blue long robe, his dark hair tied up meticulously, specifically to see Yaoyao off into Luoxingyuan.
But just as he was about to leave, his master's claws hugged his leg and forcefully dragged him back.
Insisting that there was something strange about this ore vein, his master demanded he come along to investigate.
"Ouch, it's burning me to death!"
The poor white cat had no shoes. It hopped around on the boiling hot rocks with its bare paw pads. After walking for a while, it raised its paw to look, only to see that its tender pink pads had been roasted to a scorched yellow.
No wonder it kept smelling a faint scent of roasting meat as it walked.
...The smell even made it a little hungry.
With a leap, it jumped onto Jiang Zhiyu's shoulder.
Jiang Zhiyu sighed helplessly, "Master, Master Ouyang already said this is just an ordinary ore vein. The evil aura that flashed by that night might not have fled here."
At this moment, his heart was full of Yaoyao. He only hoped to go back quickly, perhaps still in time to see her off into Luoxingyuan.
Wu Li had Xiaomi accompanying him, but Yaoyao was always all alone.
The more Jiang Zhiyu thought about it, the more sour and uncomfortable his heart felt.
Hearing this, the white cat's whiskers trembled with anger. "The words this master taught you before, I see you've treated them all like wind past your ears!"
"How many times have I reminded you? When you're away from home, do not easily trust others! That Ouyang Huai has dark circles under his eyes and is nothing but skin and bones. Haven't you thought carefully about the reason?"
Jiang Zhiyu held his folding fan against his jaw and pondered for a moment. "...He sleeps late?"
The white cat's foot slipped, and it nearly tumbled off his shoulder.
"You pondered for so long and came up with this conclusion?! No wonder that brat Wu Li always looks at you like you're an idiot behind your back. Think again!"
"How is that possible?" Jiang Zhiyu snapped his folding fan shut in disbelief. "Wu Li obviously wants to get close to me. He's just a bit withdrawn, has a sharp tongue, a sour face, and a bad temper... He wouldn't go so far as to curse me behind my back."
He paused, then added:
"He usually curses me to my face."
The white cat almost kicked all four legs up and went straight to heaven.
Looking at this useless disciple, it only wanted to sigh.
It was probably because he had lived a life of luxury since childhood, pampered in the palms of his lord and lady, with servants who obeyed his every command. He had never tasted the sinister nature of the world.
Other than knowing that evil spirits were bad, he always harbored good intentions toward people.
But that youth, at such a young age, had already mastered the earth vein gu.
He was absolutely no innocent or ordinary person.
To be able to awaken the dark spirits slumbering underground, he must have waded through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Although he was younger than Yu'er, the blood on his hands was probably more than Yu'er had ever seen.
Otherwise, where would he get enough dark, evil energy to suppress those things?
That other evil aura that suddenly disappeared in the Ouyang Manor that night—it always felt there was something fishy about it. Although it couldn't yet conclude whether it came from Wu Li, it would figure out that brat's background sooner or later.
"Don't get too close to him," the white cat's tail swept anxiously across Jiang Zhiyu's face. "Xiaomi is a good child, but that brat Wu Li, I don't think so. Very few good things come out of the Voodoo Gu Clan; their minds have more holes than a honeycomb."
"Master," Jiang Zhiyu frowned, "you have always taught me never to judge good and evil by one's lineage. Why, then, are you condemning the entire Shaman Tribe today? Is there some bad blood between you and them?"
Bad blood...
The white cat's pupils contracted for a fleeting moment.
Its gaze grew distant, as though lost in memories of the past. With a heavy sigh, it said, "If it were not for the Shaman Tribe, I would never have been reduced to such a state."
Jiang Zhiyu's heart gave a jolt. He was just about to press for details when a harsh voice suddenly echoed from deep within the subterranean rift ahead:
"What are you dawdling for?! Dig like your lives depend on it!!"
"The higher-ups need this urgently. If we don't have three carts of Crimson Fire Sand by nightfall, not a single one of you will make it out of this mineshaft alive!"
This was immediately followed by the sharp crack of a whip, striking the cavern wall and sending a piercing echo through the darkness.
