The Simp’s Heart is Sealed in Cement; The Demon Lord Falls Hard! - Chapter 3

To cultivate the most difficult form of body cultivation for him, Su Mo’s physique had become increasingly robust and strong, like a bear a figure that terrified everyone who heard of him. Once handsome, he had been disfigured while saving Wen Muli, and now, due to his ruined appearance, he had become a “faceless” male Empress despised by all.

His heart ached with a dull, throbbing pain.

Wen Muli looked at that ugly face, and his hand, which was gripping Su Mo’s throat, trembled before letting go.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Regaining his breath, Su Mo coughed while gulping down the hard-won air. Meanwhile, Wen Muli was once again furious at his own soft-heartedness. With nowhere to vent that anger, he could only lash out at the culprit before him!

“I only believe the facts my own eyes see! Chen-er is the reincarnation of Yeshu; I have already lost him once, and I absolutely will not lose him a second time! Whether you are willing or not, your Fusion Spiritual Root, I am determined to have it! This is what you owe him!”

When Wen Muli spoke again, his tone had returned to calmness. The act of digging out Su Mo’s spiritual root was discussed as if it were a trivial matter; it wasn’t a request, but rather… a notification!

He took it for granted that everything had reached this point because of Su Mo’s mistakes. They should have been the closest of brothers, but because of Su Mo’s “disgusting” love, he had lost the love of his life. He had satisfied Su Mo’s greed and allowed him to linger on until today; that was already his mercy! Moreover, it was just the loss of a spiritual root not his life so Su Mo should just accept it!

“Do you hate me that much?”

Su Mo’s tone was very light, his voice trembling slightly.

“Hate? Do you even deserve to use that word? There is only hate where there is love. I have no love for you, so how could there be hate?”

Wen Muli sneered, his eyes cold and biting.

Su Mo couldn’t help but laugh. Yet, that smile was even uglier than crying. He knew. He had always known. Wen Muli did not love him; he had never loved him. Therefore… he had always carefully guarded his own heart, not daring to surrender it easily. After all, he was merely a stepping stone and a tool in the novel, existing only to aid Wen Muli’s path to success.

That smile was so glaring that Wen Muli’s heart throbbed with dull pain once more. He moved his gaze away with some difficulty and said hoarsely: “If you want to blame someone, blame yourself. If it weren’t for you releasing that beast and causing me to lose the Dragon Spiritual Root, none of this would have happened. You deserve this, don’t you?”

His words left Su Mo slightly stunned. In his mind, an image of the snow-white “little snake” with horns on its head emerged. Having lived in this world for three hundred years since his transmigration, he had experienced too much of the warmth and coldness of human nature. “Xiao Xiao” was one of the only two things in this world he held dear. Releasing it was required by the plot, but it was also his true heart’s desire.

“…Fine.”

Su Mo lowered his head and spoke in a voice that was barely audible.

“Su Mo, you had better be sensible, if you don’t want to… what did you say?!”

Wen Muli had been threatening him subconsciously, but after a long moment, he realized what Su Mo had said. His eyes filled with disbelief as he asked again.

“You want my spiritual root? Take it. From this day forward, I will no longer owe you anything, Wen Muli.”

Su Mo revealed a bright, carefree smile and said with a sense of liberation. That smile did not contain a single trace of gloom; it was as brilliant as a warm sun. Yet, it inexplicably stung Wen Muli’s heart.

“His body is very weak and shouldn’t be able to hold on for too much longer. You should set the date as soon as possible; I will cooperate.”

Su Mo sighed softly, glanced at the sickly Yan Yichen on the bed, and turned to leave. Wen Muli watched his back, his heart tightening continuously as if it were being firmly gripped by a giant hand, making him unable to breathe.

“Su…”

He subconsciously wanted to call him back. However, he felt a sudden jolt of horror the moment he opened his mouth, and with a livid expression, he shut it tight.

Until that figure disappeared completely, Wen Muli couldn’t help but become restless. The anger in his heart vanished in an instant, replaced by a subtle bitterness and soreness. It felt like a slow-acting poison, with the venom seeping into his blood drop by drop, as if something was being lost rapidly, causing him to panic.

Wen Muli kept telling himself in his heart that this was what Su Mo owed him. He was not wrong; he should not have been soft-hearted, and he must not be soft-hearted. To shake off the influence Su Mo had on him, he paced quickly to the bedside. His gloomy expression gradually softened after seeing that face he had dreamed of.

Caressing Yan Yichen’s cheek with his large hand, Wen Muli said softly: “Chen-er, it won’t be long before you can cast off your past suffering and achieve a ‘rebirth’ in the true sense. Everything he owes you, I will collect it all for you!”

“My Lady, are you alright? That little bitch must have done it on purpose…”

Outside the side hall, Ye Lin hurried forward to greet him, her eyes filled with tears, standing up for her master.

“Lin-lin, I’m a bit tired.”

Su Mo’s smile was gentle, and he reached out to rub her head.

“It was this servant’s oversight. Go soak in the Heavenly Pond; it’s perfect for relieving fatigue and dispelling bad luck. I will go prepare it right now.”

Ye Lin sniffled, smiled through her sobs, and ran off to prepare everything. Once she was far away, the smile on Su Mo’s face gradually became desolate. Even though he had been waiting for this moment for so long, now that it was finally arriving, he still couldn’t help but feel reluctant. He knew this was only a novel, yet he had inevitably developed feelings for these fake characters in the book. After all, humans are not made of wood or stone—how could they be without feelings?

The Fengxin Palace was covered in ice and snow year-round, but in the back mountains, there was a hot spring. The pool water contained unique spiritual energy, which could not only eliminate fatigue but also repair both external and internal injuries. This was also the reason why rumors spread in the outside world that Wen Muli doted on the male Empress; the Fengxin Palace was indeed the geomantic treasure land with the most abundant spiritual energy in the entire cultivation world.

When Su Mo arrived at the Heavenly Pond, Ye Lin had already prepared new clothes and his favorite “Forget-Sorrow Wine.”

“Do you need this servant to stay by your side?”

Ye Lin asked with concern as she helped him remove his outer garments.

“I want to be alone for a while. Go back and rest.”

Su Mo shook his head with a smile and politely declined.

“This servant will wait outside. If you need anything, just call for me.”

The latter was determined not to leave, bowing as she retreated to wait outside the Heavenly Pond. Knowing how stubborn she was, Su Mo let out a helpless, weary laugh and let her be.

He let out a long breath, leaned back against the edge of the pool, and looked up at the cold, silver night sky. The sweet fragrance of the Forget-Sorrow Wine lingered on his palate, and the scenes of the past floated through his mind like a slideshow.

Without realizing it, the pot of wine was soon bottomed out. Su Mo, who did not have a high tolerance for alcohol, felt his vision gradually blurring. In his hazy state, he seemed to see that “little snake” poking its head out again, checking on him.

“Xiao Xiao? Come here…”

With eyes full of pleasant surprise, Su Mo waved his hand toward the empty forest, his tone overflowing with expectation. The proud little snake flicked its tongue and turned its head away, but the next second, its body, acting against its own will, unwillingly and slowly crawled toward him.

“Why are you angry again? Is it because I don’t cherish my own body?”

The little snake didn’t rub against him with its head like it usually did. Su Mo felt a bit sad and gave a bitter, wry smile. The little snake grumbled and groaned in its mouth, still unwilling to pay him any mind.

“Xiao Xiao, I miss you…”

Su Mo sighed, his tone suddenly choking up. He reached out with a trembling hand, wanting to stroke the little snake’s head, but he only felt a handful of snow. He blinked his eyes in a trance and looked around where was the shadow of the little snake? Everything was merely his own hallucination…