The Simp’s Heart is Sealed in Cement; The Demon Lord Falls Hard! - Chapter 18

Decade after decade passed. Both Su Mo and Wen Muli saw their cultivation improve by leaps and bounds. They were natural-born prodigies to begin with, and bolstered by the secret Wen family cultivation technique, their powers soared. Wen Muli continued to expand the sect, sending disciples out to train and dispelling evil and demons for nearby residents for free, allowing his prestige to accumulate rapidly.

The power in his hands grew continuously, yet he and Su Mo drifted further apart due to ever-increasing misunderstandings. Despite this rift, Su Mo never once considered leaving, remaining by his side, constant and inseparable. Nearly a century passed; the Wen Muli of today was long gone, no longer the weak, incompetent person he once was.

Once again, Wen Muli led his men to Ten Thousand Dragon Mountain. Luckily, he brought back the dragon egg this time. However, the dragon had not yet hatched; they had no way to obtain the Dragon Spiritual Root. To avoid any accidents, Wen Muli told no one, hiding the dragon egg in the back mountains of the Qiankun Sect. The back mountain was a restricted area that no one but the Wen family could enter; furthermore, with its abundant spiritual energy, it was the perfect place for the egg to hatch.

The reason for his ultimate break with Su Mo was Su Mo seriously injuring Hao Yeshu. Wen Muli had received a sound transmission from Hao Yeshu claiming Su Mo was trying to take his life; he rushed over regardless of the cost, but he was still a step too late. He watched helplessly as Su Mo’s hands were stained with blood, while Hao Yeshu lay on the ground, breathing his last. Heaven knows, when he saw that scene, he felt as if the sky had collapsed. And Su Mo showed not the slightest hint of remorse, saying only one thing: “He deserved to die!”

Wen Muli felt sorrow for himself. Even though his lover was hovering between life and death, he found himself unable to avenge him; he simply could not bring himself to punish Su Mo. Ultimately, he only confined him to the back mountain—the secret base of their childhood. He had expected him to repent, but instead, Su Mo grew even worse, releasing the newly hatched young dragon, which led to Hao Yeshu’s death.

At that moment, all his emotions turned into a thick, suffocating hatred. He cooperated with the Shuiyun Sect to slaughter every sect that opposed his rise to the throne. He became the Human Emperor, revered by all.

But what use was it? The person with whom he had wanted to share his joy and the world had long since passed away. He hated Su Mo. And so, he married him in a way meant to humiliate him, making him Empress and imprisoning him in the Fengxin Palace for a century. The hatred would not fade with the passage of time; it would only grow more intense.

Until this very moment, seeing the scenes in the Memory Stone, Wen Muli realized with a sudden jolt. His hatred… was actually so… ridiculous!

What the screen played was the very scene where Su Mo and Hao Yeshu had their final break. In the secret room, Hao Yeshu, having finally stolen the Wen family’s secret technique, dropped his mask, his eyes overflowing with greed.

“Wonderful, wonderful! As expected of the Wen family’s secret technique; I’ve only cultivated ten percent, yet I’ve made such immense progress. It was worth my hundred years of plotting to finally get my wish…”

“So, this was your true objective all along?” An abrupt voice suddenly appeared.

Hao Yeshu’s brow furrowed, and he turned around, vigilant. Su Mo stood in the shadows with an icy expression; the dim candlelight caused his ugly features to flicker in and out of the light.

“So it was you… You’ve turned a blind eye for so many years; why do you refuse to keep playing deaf and dumb now?” Hao Yeshu sneered, asking without fear.

“I only ask you: are you and the people who destroyed the Wen family all those years ago accomplices? Perhaps… from the very beginning, when you chose to approach us, it was to destroy the Qiankun Sect!” Su Mo clenched his hands into fists and asked with resentment.

The other party seemed to recall something, his expression becoming somewhat dazed.

“I didn’t want to. After all, I love Ah-Li. But I had no choice… Do you know what kind of life I led before I met you? My spiritual root was weak, but I possessed the rare ‘Extreme Yin’ constitution. To curry favor, my father used me as a ‘cauldron,’ offering me to countless people for their depravity not a single day passed where my body was intact… I tried to escape, but every time I was caught and brought back, what awaited me was torture worse than death!

“Do you know why the Xiaoxiang Academy stands firm? Why it’s called a treasury of treasures? It’s because my father used various cruel methods to wipe out small sects, seized their secret techniques, and then made a profit by rewriting and selling them to other cultivators. Do you know how many major sects were involved in this?! You are all good people… but so what? Good people don’t live long… Only villains like me, vicious husbands, can have the last laugh! Facts prove that my choice was correct, isn’t it? Look, I survived, not only outliving my father but now about to become the Human Emperor’s wife—I will be the most noble person in this world…”

Hao Yeshu cried and laughed at the same time; his frantic demeanor was that of a true madman. As he spoke, the smile on his face gradually turned hideous: “Why does Ah-Li care about you so much? I really don’t understand. You’re nothing but a dog he raised; why can’t he easily cast you aside? No matter… no matter… after tonight… your last shred of trust will be thoroughly broken… Guess, if I kill you, will Ah-Li bring down his wrath upon me?”

With that, he lunged, raising his sword to strike Su Mo’s vital points. As a physical cultivator and a highly cultivated one at that, Hao Yeshu’s sneak attack could not harm Su Mo in the slightest. The sword pressed against his Dantian, yet it couldn’t pierce even half an inch of skin. Su Mo gazed at him indifferently, eyes filled with disappointment and confusion, as if unable to comprehend why someone who knew they couldn’t win would still throw an egg against a rock. He even wondered if he wasn’t afraid that he would announce the truth to the entire world?

“Guess, if I am injured by your hand, will Ah-Li make you pay with your life?” Hao Yeshu laughed fanatically, suddenly saying something incomprehensible.

Before Su Mo could react, he abruptly withdrew his sword and, without a pause, backhanded it directly into his own Dantian.

‘Squelch’

The sharp blade pierced through his Golden Core. He gave a manic laugh, blood spilling from his mouth, and slowly collapsed to the ground.

“Madman!” Su Mo gritted his teeth and cursed, quickly moving forward, intending to staunch the bleeding. He might have been a wretch, but he absolutely shouldn’t die in such a way!

Despite all his calculations, the honest Su Mo had still fallen into Hao Yeshu’s trap. Just as he was covered in blood trying to save him, Wen Muli, who was supposed to be out, suddenly returned and witnessed this scene. Everyone naturally assumed he was jealous and intended to kill Hao Yeshu.

Wen Muli stumbled step by step toward him, his trembling hands clutching his throat as he asked in a hoarse voice: “Why?”

Su Mo’s mouth opened and closed for a long time, but ultimately, unwilling to have him know the truth, he gritted his teeth and said: “He deserved to die!”

He was imprisoned once again. Yet, by a twist of fate, he encountered “Xiao Xiao.” Through Xiao Xiao, he guessed Hao Yeshu’s plans. He then made his move, releasing Xiao Xiao. This caused Hao Yeshu’s schemes to fail, ultimately resulting in his own death.

Hao Yeshu was indeed clever; he was willing to trade his life to drive a wedge between Wen Muli and Su Mo because he had known long ago that the young dragon had already hatched, and with the Dragon Spiritual Root in hand, he would not be in danger. But for all his calculations, he had never accounted for the fact that Su Mo would release “Xiao Xiao,” causing his hopes to be dashed.

And Wen Muli had cared for Su Mo in his heart more than he had for him even when he was on the brink of death, he hadn’t been able to bring himself to dig out Su Mo’s spiritual root to save him.