Devil
The twenty-three individuals Mu Yu chose to save and the one hundred and thirty-four common folks Xiaoshuai managed to save before the city’s demise hunched up by a wall on a small mountain two hundred and fifty kilometres north of Eastern Desert City. The small mountain was relatively hidden within the taller mountains around it, creating a challenge for anyone trying to scout it from the sky. Due to the mountain’s proximity to a volcano, the middle-aged man in blue, the first cultivator to declare his desire to fight back, coated all of the ordinary folks in spiritual energy so that they could breathe.
Lie Shang installed a five elements formation above the lava below, confining the survivors where they were. The cultivators, who thought they were supposed to do battle, were dumbfounded when they arrived at the cave. When they asked the ordinary folks what happened since the latter group arrived after, nobody could recall what transpired due to Xiaoshuai deleting their memories of the event.
Even though they survived, nobody was celebrating. To the contrary, they were bemused and still terrified. After all, five elements formations were a skill exclusive to the elemental demons.
“What happened to the elemental demons? Where are we? Where is everyone else?” inquired the man in blue, upon seeing Mu Yu, Lie Shang and Xiaoshuai teleport in.
“We should get out of here now,” Mu Yu peered up to the opening and stated.
Lie Shang vaulted up to swipe off the five elements formation above, revealing the dark velvet sky embellished with silver glitters. Mu Yu swept up the ordinary folks to fly out, while the cultivators flew behind. They descended into a vacant spot halfway up a mountain. The cultivators wished to find out what happen, but Mu Yu and Lie Shang’s standoffish temperament deterred them.
Xiaoshuai collected firewood and took pill flame stones from Mu Yu to help the commoners keep warm on the chilly mountain.
“Thank you,” expressed two-year-old Qing Fan.
Xiaoshuai giddily scrubbed Qing Fan’s head. “You’re welcome. You’re really brave, Qing Fan.”
“Does this mean you have driven off the elemental demons?”
Xiaoshuai quickly glanced Mu Yu and Lie Shang’s way, scratching his head. “Uh… Yeah.”
“You’re awesome!”
Xiaoshuai gave Qing Fan a friendly nudged and then sat beside Mu Yu. Being the curious boy that he was, Qing Fan jogged after Xiaoshuai and, without feeling irked by Mu Yu and Lie Shang’s icy nature, queried, “Does that mean we can go home tomorrow?”
Everyone looked over to the four in unison, eager to hear if they had any suggestions for what to do next.
“The city… is gone,” replied Xiaoshuai.
“Did the elemental demons destroy our home?”
Xiaoshuai could not bring himself to answer.
“Where is everyone else?”
Mu Yu suddenly looked up. “Dead.”
“They’re dead? All of them? Did the elemental demons kill them?”
“A devil killed them,” Mu Yu indifferently answered, referring to himself, Lie Shang and the cultivators who brought it upon themselves.
“When I grow up, I’m going to fight the elemental demons and devils like you did!”
Xiaoshuai gyrated his lips, wishing to explain the meaning behind Mu Yu’s definition of “devil” but refrained.
“What are the five containers behind you for?”
“They’re for five gallant people to sleep in,” Mu Yu muttered.
“Umm, you mean Lord He is sleeping in there?”
“Mm.”
“When will he wake up?”
“They might wake up when the devil loses sight of himself, but they also might never wake up.”
“When the devil loses sight of himself? Does that mean he will kill us when he does?”
Mu Yu could not explain why, but he felt irritated over the innocence of Qing Fan. “I don’t know. If you want to kill a devil, you must be clear on whether or not you are a devil.”
“I will be a good guy like you.”
“We might not be good people. Cultivators aren’t necessarily good people, either, understand?”
“Mm…” Qing Fan nodded vigorously. He then handed Mu Yu and Lie Shang a thumb-sized doll each. “These are dolls of True God that have brought me good luck. As our saviours, you are our heroes. I want you to have my good luck.”
Lie Shang didn’t accept the doll. “I’m no hero.”
Mu Yu didn’t accept the doll, either, for he recalled Mu Hao striving to follow in his footsteps, yet he had changed. He believed it was already too late for him to be a hero.
“To me, you are heroes.”
Mu Yu reached out and pulled back several times before finally taking the doll from Qing Fan.
“Why is your hand so cold? Are you sick?” asked Qing Fan, worried for Mu Yu once their hands touched.
Mu Yu inhaled deeply, restoring his body temperature to normal. “Thank you.”
“What about my present?” joked Xiaoshuai.
“I have more. My dad bought me nine of them because he said True God used to have eight clones of himself and can wield nine celestial swords,” replied Qing Fan, taking out another doll for Xiaoshuai.
“Are you sure you don’t want it?”
Lie Shang contemplated it and accepted it in the end.
“Now True God is protecting all of us, and we’ll all be lucky!” Qing Fan cheered.
Mu Yu and Lie Shang gazed solemnly at the dolls.
“I forgot to ask you for our names. Which sect are you from?” Qing Fan inquired, pretty much asking on behalf of everyone else.
Mu Yu and Lie Shang were hoping the other would have an answer, but that was not the case. Instead, Xiaoshuai stated, “We don’t belong to any sect. The world is our home. We are wanderers, upholders of justice and the nightmare of evil. I’m Damao. He’s Ermao, and he’s Sanmao.”
“Brother Damao, why are you Damao when you are the youngest.”
“Age is only a number. I’m their senior, you know? I might be the youngest, but I’m the strongest.”
Of course, Xiaoshuai’s bragging and non-existent epics did not end there. Nonetheless, it drove off the ominous air and invited in a brighter atmosphere.
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