The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness

96. Turning Point (Big Chapter Seeking Monthly Tickets)

“It’s nice to see you again, junior. How have you been?” Anna greeted with a light laugh, unchanged, her eyes curved and her smile gentle.

After all, by the time they had parted, it had only been a day.

Yet looking at her, Mu En felt a sense of disconnection, as if they had been separated for ages.

The fact that his senior was the mysterious shopkeeper was something so shocking that he temporarily set it aside; he just stared blankly at Senior Anna.

“Is something wrong?”

Anna felt a bit puzzled under Mu En’s gaze at that moment, but soon became serious, nervously pressing down on the pouch at her waist, and said sternly:

“Junior, no matter how you ask, I won’t return your money.”

“I…”

Mu En felt a mix of amusement and exasperation, not expecting his senior to suddenly make such a miserly statement.

But just as the corners of his mouth were about to lift, they fell again.

Clearly, meeting with his senior was a wonderful thing to celebrate, yet at this moment, Mu En felt a suffocating bitterness and fatigue swell in his heart.

Those were emotions he had long suppressed, only to suddenly erupt in the comfort of encountering his senior.

“Senior.”

“Hmm?”

“Can I hug you?”

“Oh dear, late at night, and junior can’t contain his playboy spirit again, wanting to harass me? You really are a pervert, junior.”

“No, I just…”

Mu En’s shoulders and brow drooped, as if something heavy was pressing down on him.

“Forget it, senior, just consider it as me…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Mu En felt two cool hands grasp his cheeks.

In bewilderment, Anna lifted Mu En’s head, standing on her tiptoes to carefully examine his eyes.

As if she had discovered something, Anna’s expression softened with pity. She gently rested Mu En’s head on her shoulder, tenderly stroking his hair.

“Junior, you must have gone through something extraordinary tonight.”

“…”

“Although I don’t know what happened, please don’t be too harsh on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes; it’s not something to be hated.”

“…”

“You really do like to act spoiled, you know. It’s okay to cry.”

“…I won’t cry.”

Mu En quietly felt the warmth of the girl, whispering softly.

“I won’t cry.”

“Really?”

Anna tilted her head, glancing at Mu En, who truly wasn’t crying but had a resolute expression on his face. She sighed with even more tenderness:

“Junior, you’ve grown stronger again.”

……

……

After a brief moment of warmth, Mu En and Anna sat side by side against the wall, waiting for the lingering crisis to pass.

Anna tugged at Mu En’s sleeve, signaling him to come a little closer.

Then she pointed at the sky: “Look up.”

“Up?”

Mu En looked up in surprise.

The clouds had somehow dispersed, and a bright moon hung in the clear sky.

Without the embellishment of stars, the moon appeared even more radiant, casting a circle of ghostly blue moonlight that seemed extremely lonely.

“This is…”

Mu En suddenly realized.

“That strange person just now was a follower of the moon?”

No wonder he could always lock onto his position, illuminated by the ghostly blue moonlight; there was no way to escape his pursuit.

“How strange.”

But Mu En was somewhat puzzled.

He shouldn’t have provoked that Silent Moon, right? Why did its followers want to kill him?

Could it be that it discovered the power of the Withering King within him?

No, that can’t be right. Wasn’t it said that the alchemical realm could isolate one’s aura?

Mu En was bewildered but didn’t think too much about it.

After all, he was already used to his affinity for evil gods; with so many nuisances, he wasn’t worried. The God of Love hadn’t said anything, so why should the Silent Moon think it could just kill him? It would have to wait in line.

Moreover, shouldn’t he be more concerned about a certain sunny hunk who was about to come to his place to bring warmth?

Mu En shook his head and leaned closer to his senior sister.

It wasn’t because her shoulder was soft or she smelled nice; it was simply because this moonlit spot was only so large.

“Senior sister, do you know that strange person from earlier?”

“I don’t know him, just heard rumors about him.”

“Rumors?”

“One of the urban legends from the lower district, the Shadow Butcher.”

Anna didn’t pay attention to Mu En’s little thoughts, casually tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she softly said:

“His appearance is in a black raincoat, wearing a strange mask, and holding a bloodied butcher knife. It’s said that he has the ability to attack others’ shadows and can even capture and eat them. Those whose shadows are eaten will simultaneously lose all their flesh and blood.”

“…Looks like it’s him then.”

Mu En couldn’t help but shiver.

The image of Lorenzo’s painting, as if someone had been truly devoured, was still swirling in his mind. Thinking back on it now made his stomach churn; it was somewhat nauseating.

“Speaking of which, I never expected my senior sister to be the owner of that mysterious little shop.”

Mu En suddenly remarked as if in awe.

Thinking about it this way, his connection with his senior sister wasn’t just established in the academy but had begun much earlier, hadn’t it?

This must be fate, indicating that his bond with his senior sister was surely intertwined like tree roots.

With this thought, Mu En felt a rare sense of joy, and any previous thoughts of revenge or slapping the shopkeeper had long been cast aside.

What a joke; trying to slap his senior sister would surely get him slapped back.

“I didn’t expect that the junior would be that customer either.”

As she spoke, Anna’s lips curled into a smile again. She looked at Mu En beside her and asked meaningfully:

“There’s something I’m curious about, junior.”

“What is it?”

“What did you need that kind of medicine for before?”

“……”

Mu En’s lips instantly froze, and fine beads of cold sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead.

What for? Of course, to drug a certain princess!

But could this be said out loud? Absolutely not!

“Surely… it’s not really to drug an elephant, right?”

Seeing Mu En’s panicked expression, Anna’s smile widened even more. However, looking at her mischievous grin, Mu En immediately understood that she didn’t genuinely want to know the answer; she just wanted to continue teasing him.

But the more she did so, the more helpless he felt.

Who could possibly deal with a seemingly naughty yet not truly bad little devil of a senior?

Thus, Mu En could only summon his ultimate weapon: changing the subject.

“Senior, I have something to give you.”

“Something for me?”

The senior tilted her head, puzzled, “Is today a special day or something?”

“Today?”

Mu En thought for a moment, “It’s the fifty-seventh day since we met in the library?”

“Haha, you’re joking.”

The senior giggled charmingly, but Mu En tried hard to maintain a serious face: “It really is fifty-seven days! If you don’t believe me, you can count!”

“Alright then, on this fifty-seventh anniversary, what is the junior going to give me?”

“I’m going to give you… this.”

Mu En took out the red gem box.

As the familiar gem box came into view, Anna immediately knew what was inside and fell into a daze.

“This… this is?”

“Exactly, the Tear of True Love.”

Mu En smiled as he opened the gem box.

In the center, on the luxurious red fabric, the teardrop-shaped pink gem shone brilliantly, even in the darkness.

“Why is it in the junior’s hands?”

Anna was puzzled for only two seconds before suddenly realizing.

“So that number eighty-eight is the junior? And the one who called the guards tonight is also the junior?”

“Mm.”

Mu En nodded, still smiling.

But from the fleeting disappointment in his eyes, Anna vaguely guessed something.

She didn’t continue speaking but instead looked at the exquisite gem.

“Junior, I can’t accept this gem…”

“Senior doesn’t want it?”

“…I want it, but if you just give it to me like this, I…”

“It’s not a free gift.”

Mu En looked at Anna’s slightly astonished eyes and said earnestly:

“Didn’t I say before? This is my reward for the help you’ve given me. You’ve helped me so much, yet you’ve never mentioned wanting anything in return. If this continues, I’ll feel uneasy, so please, just accept it as my gratitude, okay?”

“…”

Anna fell silent for a moment, then smiled: “In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony.”

She reached out, wanting to take the gem from Mu En’s hand, but her hand was gently blocked by Mu En.

“Let me do it.”

Mu En took the Tear of True Love from the gem box, and only then did Anna realize with surprise that the Tear of True Love was adorned with two exquisite “little tails.”

They resembled chains carved from crystal, clear and translucent, beautiful on their own, and when strung with the Tear of True Love, it looked like an angel with wings.

“I was surprised when I first discovered it too. Later, I found out from the auction description that this gem had already been transformed into a necklace; it was just displayed as a gem to avoid devaluation.

Although there’s a hint of deception, I actually quite like it.”

Mu En held up the ends of the “angel wings,” gently lifting the gem, which trembled in the air like a girl’s tears about to fall.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“It is beautiful.”

Logically speaking, any woman who saw such a beautiful necklace should be delighted, but at that moment, Mu En read a hint of melancholy in Anna’s eyes.

“What’s wrong? Does Senior not like it?”

“No, I really like it, but just because I like it… it makes me a little reluctant.”

“Hmm?”

Mu En was puzzled, but Anna didn’t continue to explain. She flipped her long, black hair and smiled:

“Junior, help me put it on.”

“Ah, this…”

Mu En was somewhat stunned.

He had just wanted to showcase the necklace in front of his senior, but he didn’t expect her to want him to help her put it on.

Looking at his senior’s swan-like fair neck, Mu En suddenly felt a bit dry in his mouth.

As if sensing Mu En’s hesitation, Anna tilted her head and asked:

“What’s wrong? Junior doesn’t want to?”

“No, I want to! How could I not want to!”

Mu En straightened his back all of a sudden; what kind of man would he be if he showed weakness at such an important moment?

He took a deep breath, gripping both ends of the necklace, and gently moved it across Anna’s neck.

The soft strands of hair brushed against him, making Mu En feel a slight itch in his heart, and from this angle, the senior with her lowered eyes and fluttering eyelashes looked even more enchanting.

Slower, just a little slower.

Mu En whispered to himself.

So his movements were slow, so slow that time seemed to come to a standstill.

If only this moment could last forever; at least for now, he could forget all his troubles and quietly appreciate the beauty of the girl.

But at that moment, Anna suddenly lifted her head, her eyes revealing a strong seriousness… and disgust.

“I’m sorry, senior, I will…”

Mu En thought that his slow movements had annoyed her, and was about to speed up, but suddenly, she slapped her palm against his chest.

It wasn’t an attack; a gentle force spread from her palm, forcing Mu En to stagger back a few steps. Anna turned her hand and caught the falling Tear of True Love from the air, quickly stowing it away.

At that moment, Mu En felt a sudden death warning ringing in his mind, a sharp cold light slicing through the air, suddenly piercing into the wall between him and the senior.

It was a curved blade, like a crescent moon, glinting with a cold sheen under the moonlight.

“Oh dear, what an unpleasant sight to behold.”

A charming voice came, and Mu En turned in shock to see a woman standing not far away on the surrounding wall, dressed provocatively.

The woman wore a tight leather outfit, with a low V-neck that dipped all the way to her navel, nearly exposing half of her roundness.

She stood on at least ten-centimeter high heels, her face painted with heavy makeup, and her figure was so good it could make any man’s nose feel hot.

But the moment Mu En saw her, a bone-chilling coldness enveloped him, as if he had been targeted by a venomous snake.

“Who are you?”

Mu En asked warily.

The alluring woman was also looking at him, her gaze scanning him up and down, as if she had found… an interesting toy.

But for some reason, despite her appearance not matching anyone from his memories, Mu En still felt an inexplicable familiarity with her.

This damned intuition was getting more and more skewed.

“Nice to meet you for the first time, oh no, it should be the first time in this form. Hello, Mu En Campbell, you can call me Miss Succubus.”

The succubus continued to twirl an imaginary skirt, performing a seductive noble bow towards Mu En.

“First time in this form?”

Mu En mulled over this intriguing statement, but before he could think it through, he felt a gentle voice whispering in his ear.

“How did you find me?”

The senior’s expression was incredibly serious, “I clearly eliminated the influence of the moon completely.”

“Well…”

The female demon raised one of her hands, inhaling deeply at the tip of her nose, her face flushing, “Secret.”

The scent?

But when did I leak my own scent?

The potion meant to hide my scent should have been changed several times by now.

“It’s time to prepare to escape, junior.”

The senior’s voice echoed in Mu En’s ears.

“She’s very dangerous.”

“I know that.”

Mu En took a deep breath.

Even with half a street’s distance between them, he could still sense the dangerous aura radiating from the self-proclaimed Miss Demon, making his heart race.

What on earth is happening today? Are monsters appearing in pairs?

And judging from the senior’s conversation with her, she also seems to be a follower of that Silent Moon’s cult?

“Do you think you can get away?” The demon looked at Mu En, chuckling.

“I think my ability to escape is quite strong.”

“Is that so? Then I shall wait and see.”

The demon smiled charmingly, even throwing a flirtatious glance at Mu En, seemingly unconcerned about their intent to flee. Yet, despite the captivating smile, Mu En felt a chilling dread creeping up his spine.

Mu En glanced to the side and quietly reached out his hand toward the senior.

“Senior, hold onto me.”

The unknown demon had made a mistake; she didn’t block him at the alley’s entrance, and at this distance, if he kept using Shadow Step, he should be able to escape.

After a moment of eye contact, Senior Anna seemed to agree with this idea, extending her delicate hand toward Mu En.

But Mu En did not manage to grasp the senior’s hand as he had hoped.

In that instant, Mu En’s finely honed instinct for death, sharpened through countless experiences, flared up once more, and the nauseating sense of crisis engulfed him like the deep sea.

But this time, the source of the threat was not the demon in front of him, but rather… from behind!

“Delicious!”

With a deafening crash, the wall behind him suddenly split open, countless bricks and dust scattering. A tall, thin figure wrapped in a heavy raincoat brandished a butcher’s knife, crashing through the wall, revealing an utterly frenzied rage beneath a mask stitched from flesh!

And at this moment, that drum-like sound of his heartbeat resounded once again!

What the hell, when did he get so close?

This thought flashed through his mind, but in the rush, Mu En had no time to react, instinctively crossing his dual blades in front of him to protect his vital points.

Of course, this would not stop the butcher’s knife; Mu En had already mentally prepared himself to endure this blow with his thick health bar.

Yet, the expected scene of blood splattering did not occur.

In his dazed gaze, another delicate figure stood in front of him.

“Senior!”

Mu En’s mind buzzed for a moment, and his eyes widened in disbelief as he watched his senior raise one hand to block the blade.

What is she doing?

Why is she trying to block the knife for me?

I’m not going to die!

I have the blessing of the King of Withering; as long as my head isn’t cut off directly, I won’t die!

Ah, right, she doesn’t know.

At that moment, Mu En’s thoughts accelerated like never before, and his instinctive protective action completely changed. He charged at the shadow butcher like a mad beast, driven by a frenzy.

But it was still too slow.

The butcher’s knife made contact with Anna’s arm, instantly tearing her sleeve apart.

Mu En seemed to see the scene of his senior’s entire hand being severed by the knife.

But that scene did not happen; instead… there was a clash of metal!

The knife met Anna’s arm with a resonant clang, and bright sparks flew up!

Mu En’s mind momentarily blanked; this scene felt vaguely familiar.

The tall wall used for cover was smashed open by the butcher, and the cold moonlight poured down unobstructed. Beneath that moonlight, Mu En’s peripheral vision vaguely caught a glimpse of his senior’s arm reflecting a chilling light, and even her crystal-clear, pale red eyes momentarily contracted into slits.

With her other hand, she pointed at the shadow butcher, her cherry lips moving to utter a strange, unfamiliar language.

Half of the butcher’s skin turned a lifeless gray in an instant, and his movements stiffened at that moment.

Petrified!

“Junior!”

The cold voice echoed in Mu En’s ears once more.

Mu En snapped back to reality, disregarding his senior’s strange condition, and took advantage of the shadow butcher’s impaired movement to suddenly close in, plunging the pure white blade into the butcher’s body.

“Elizabeth!”

Mu En shouted.

The living blade hummed.

As a weapon made from the holy sword, Elizabeth naturally retained some of the sword’s characteristics.

At this moment, boundless holy light erupted from the blade, flooding crazily into the shadow butcher’s body.

“No—this—tastes—bad!”

The shadow butcher let out a painful howl, a sound like burning fire emanating from within him as he wildly swung his other hand at Mu En.

Mu En skillfully dodged, and with a swift motion, his short knife sliced through the shadow butcher’s raincoat, revealing a sunken chest that seemed devoid of any flesh, along with…

The black, sinister heart that throbbed within his chest.

“Eat, eat, eat! Even with a brain like that, you still keep eating. How about I try my bloodletting therapy!”

Mu En roared as he plunged the short knife towards the heart of the shadow butcher, but just as he was about to completely kill this guy, the blade suddenly reversed, cutting through the swirling smoke and colliding with a drifting shadow.

“Oh dear, did the sneak attack fail?”

The succubus licked her alluring red lips, becoming even more enchanting. At such a close distance, she coyly shot Mu En another flirtatious glance, smiling sweetly:

“Big brother, would you like to come play something fun with me?”

“Get lost, I only like big sisters in black stockings!”

Thunder Roar · Change!

Mu En knocked the succubus away.

Seemingly enraged by Mu En’s words, the succubus’s gaze turned cold.

Yet her seductive smile remained.

“I really hate this feeling of being rejected by you.”

“What a coincidence, my favorite thing to do is to say no to women like you who think too highly of themselves!”

Taking advantage of the succubus’s staggered retreat, Mu En lunged forward once more.

The shadow butcher had temporarily lost his ability to act; he needed to deal with her first!

With dual blades swirling, his assault was like a torrential storm, constantly pressing on the succubus’s space for survival.

However, facing Mu En’s onslaught, the succubus showed no signs of panic. The two crescent-shaped curved blades in her hands possessed a sharpness that was not inferior to Mu En’s.

“So strong.”

Mu En was secretly astonished.

He felt that the succubus’s realm was not much higher than his own, yet in terms of speed and reaction, she had him firmly suppressed.

Only the techniques honed through constant practice in the dark book allowed him to slightly surpass her.

But that alone was not enough to determine the outcome.

In that case…

Mu En suddenly charged forward, completely abandoning defense, allowing the succubus’s crescent blades to slash at him, while Elizabeth also aimed for the succubus’s vital points from an acute angle.

“What is this…”

The succubus raised an eyebrow slightly, her figure twisting in a bizarre manner, suddenly retracting her attack in a way that defied logic.

She withdrew, evading Mu En’s desperate gambit.

“Oh dear, with such reckless attacks, are you really the son of a duke, Mu En Campbell?” the succubus asked with a light laugh.

“Heh, so cowardly, are you really a cultist?” Mu En shot back sarcastically.

“There’s no helping it; right now, I don’t want to leave my blood here.”

“What does it mean?” Mu En frowned.

“Oh dear~”

The female demon suddenly tilted her head, listening intently.

As if she had heard something, she retracted the curved dagger in her hand and said:

“Then, let’s call it a night, Mu En Campbell?”

“Huh?”

Mu En was slightly taken aback.

What the hell?

Is this how a good friend’s gathering ends? With a cliffhanger?

“What kind of scheme do you have?”

“We have plenty of time ahead; our fate is far from over.”

“I don’t want to have any fate with you.”

“Hehe, who knows?”

The female demon turned her gaze to Anna.

At that moment, Anna was clutching one arm, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, as if she were enduring some kind of pain.

The goal had been achieved, even exceeding expectations.

“I look forward to seeing you again, Anna Carberlin,” the female demon said softly.

“By then, you should have a different answer, right?”

The shadow butcher had somehow appeared behind her, his furious gaze piercing through the blood-stained mask, directed at Mu En and Anna.

Yet before the female demon, this terrifying monster seemed as obedient as a well-behaved child.

The female demon once again toyed with the nonexistent hem of her garment, performing an enchanting curtsy towards Mu En and Anna.

“Now, both the actors and the stage are ready. It’s a pity that I cannot sit in the audience to enjoy this grand performance. Mu En Campbell, as my chosen spectator, you must carefully appreciate this special seat.”

“Goodbye, you two.”

“Wait!”

Confused by the female demon’s words, Mu En tried to stop her, but as he raised his hand, the space rippled, and their figures instantly vanished.

In the desolate alley, only Mu En and Anna remained.

The moon seemed to have returned to normal, casting down its bright, silvery light.

“What the hell…”

The departure of the two formidable foes did not ease Mu En’s burden.

On the contrary, this half-hearted attack left him feeling as if a layer of dark clouds loomed over his heart.

Even if the cultists were deranged, they couldn’t possibly engage in such a frivolous act; they must have a scheme.

But there was no time to ponder these thoughts now.

“Senior, are you alright?”

Mu En quickly rushed to Anna’s side. After taking that brutal hit from the Shadow Butcher and unleashing some sort of curse-like attack, her condition seemed off.

The vertical pupils might just be his imagination; her eyes still sparkled like crystal, yet she appeared to be enduring some pain, leaning against the wall, slightly gasping for breath, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

“I’m fine, really.”

Anna hid her injured arm within the folds of her voluminous black robe, forcing a smile.

“It’s just a minor injury.”

“But…”

Mu En couldn’t help but clench his fists. If only his reflexes had been a bit sharper…

“There’s no ‘but.’ I charged in deliberately to confuse the opponent; it has nothing to do with you, and besides, do you underestimate me too much, junior?”

Anna playfully winked, reaching into her robe to pull out a shimmering vial of potion.

She downed the potion in one gulp, and her complexion visibly brightened.

“See, junior? My potion is万能 (universal)!” Anna boasted, shaking the vial triumphantly.

“Is it… really?”

Mu En’s gaze flicked to Anna’s other hand. If her injury had healed, why was that hand still hidden?

Moreover, the reflective object he had seen earlier, no matter how he looked at it, resembled…

“Alright, junior.”

Anna suddenly interrupted Mu En’s thoughts, extending her hand toward him as if waiting for a kiss on the hand like a princess.

“Help me up.”

“This is…” Mu En paused for a moment, then his expression turned tense:

“Senior, do you not even have the strength to stand up anymore?”

“Ah, junior, you’re usually quite clever; why are you being foolish now?”

Anna tilted her head, playfully chiding him with a smile:

“Isn’t this an opportunity for you to show off? Don’t want it? If you don’t, I’ll take it back!”

“Of course I want it! How could I not?”

Mu En grasped Anna’s delicate, pale hand without any hesitation.

That hand was softer than he had imagined, even colder, and more petite.

But it was strangely magical, causing Mu En’s heart to suddenly calm down.

At that moment, the moon shyly hid back behind the clouds.

Yet in Mu En’s eyes, the entire world became bright.

Like a new sun finally rising, illuminating the girl’s rosy cheeks.

So beautiful.

The gloom in her heart seemed to be completely dispelled; all the evil cultists, conspiracies, and the moon became unimportant. Mu En gazed at the stunning girl before her, locking eyes with those gentle orbs.

“What’s wrong?” the girl asked with a soft smile, as if a sun were rising in her eyes too.

Time seemed to freeze once more, Mu En’s heartstrings tugged, and she couldn’t help but stammer:

“Senior, I…”

“Target detected!”

“Evil god presence detected!”

“Fifth squad, secure the scene! First and third squads, suppress the target! Knights, stand by!”

The sharp voices tore through everything.

The once quiet street was suddenly drowned in chaos.

In the dazed and terrified expressions of the boy and girl, a true sun rose.

An endless, blinding light surged into the dim, narrow alley, driving away all darkness, all shadows.

The ground trembled, humble dust and stones danced uncontrollably in a ridiculous manner.

As the view shifted to the end of the road, one could see the heavy silver armor, adorned with golden patterns, and the spear emitting a sharp, cold gleam.

The Knights?

What are the Knights doing in the lower district?

But what left Mu En breathless wasn’t just the renowned Knights, but the figures clad in black trench coats.

They appeared from nowhere, their faces pale from long absence of sunlight, looking quite unremarkable, yet the badges on their chests were more blinding than the sun itself.

It was a finger, sharp as a dagger, placed before black lips, signifying absolute silence.

The Silencers?

What are they doing here?

Are they here to catch those two just now? That would be too…

That flicker of joy hadn’t even surfaced before, in a daze, Mu En turned back to see Senior Anna’s once rosy face instantly drain of color, becoming incredibly pale.

Huh?

“Suppression operation, commence!”

The cold command echoed throughout the scene.

The dazzling golden light descended from the sky, transforming into an indestructible barrier that forcibly separated Mu En and Anna.

What?

“Attention, Mu En Campbell, he is a level one protection target and must not be harmed!”

Several figures in black trench coats rushed over, firmly shielding Mu En behind them. One of them took out a device pulsating with magical energy and swept it in front of Mu En, glancing at the parameters displayed above, and immediately let out a sigh of relief.

“Mu En Campbell shows no signs of contamination!”

What are you doing?

Anna staggered to her feet, turning as if she wanted to escape, but the golden light suddenly pressed down, and her frail body could not bear the weight, forcing her to crawl on the ground.

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

“What are you doing?!”

The scene before Mu En ignited the fury in his heart instantly. He pushed past the people in front of him, wanting to reach his senior.

“Mu En Campbell, don’t be nervous, you are safe now.”

The person who had just used the device blocked his way, awkwardly forcing a smile:

“We will suppress this heretic soon. You are very lucky; such close contact, and yet you have not…”

“You are the heretic!”

Before he could finish, Mu En’s eyes turned red as he punched that ugly face.

Heretic?

Senior?

In broad daylight, what nonsense are you spouting?

The man let out a scream and flew backward.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Mu En activated Shadow Step directly.

But a terrifying pressure descended instantly, forcing Mu En out of his moving state.

“Catch him, don’t let him interfere.”

Mu En heard the cold command again.

The figures around him instantly became chaotic, and several shadows lunged at him, pinning him firmly to the ground.

“What are you doing?”

“What are you really doing?”

“Heretics? Shouldn’t those two just now be the heretics? You should be capturing them! What are you doing to the senior?”

Mu En roared in anger, but no one paid him any mind.

Several Silent Ones held him down tightly, rendering him unable to move.

He watched helplessly as the commanding middle-aged man stepped closer to his senior, the golden light growing ever more dazzling. Under his control, several cold chains seemed to come alive, wrapping around and binding her body.

Then, with a hand clad in mithril gloves, he seized the hand that she desperately tried to hide.

Her delicate form trembled, and for the first time, Mu En saw such helplessness etched on her face.

“b*stard! Get your filthy hands off her!”

Endless rage drowned Mu En’s reason, and in his eyes, boiling like magma, it seemed as if flames were about to ignite.

But at that moment, he heard a cool, soft sigh, and in his peripheral vision, he caught a glimpse of a silvery figure.

“Let him rest for a moment,” said a familiar voice.

Suddenly, a sweet, cloying fragrance filled his nostrils, and Mu En’s consciousness began to blur.

In the final moment before his awareness faded, he saw his senior cast a sorrowful glance at him. The arm that was forced to be exposed before everyone was not the delicate, fair limb he had imagined, but rather covered in jagged, dense black scales.

That was…

“Confirmed as the third stage of Serpent Transformation Disease, no signs of mental influence from the Evil God at this time.”

The middle-aged man released his grip and said with pity:

“Danger level tentatively set to A, let’s confine her for now.”

……

……

PS: I know it feels oppressive to read, but this current tension is for the male lead’s explosion. Trust me, everything is paving the way for his journey. Next up will be his shining moment.

PPS: Also, I shamelessly ask for some monthly tickets, heh heh…

PPPS: Those who want to scold me can join the group; see the pinned comment for how to join. It’s quite lonely in there.