They Are Archenemies, But They Have A Child - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Nightmare

Meng Huang waved his sleeve towards the jade wall. The previously static image immediately came to life, transforming the empty sacrificial court into the world depicted in the painting—a mountain forest.

“The vitality of the Ze Kingdom relies on this Soul-Binding Array, and this is the heart of the array. It can trap any god or demon in the greatest nightmare of their life, destroying their will. Once they step inside, no one can escape.”

Boom—vibrating sound!

A sound like thunder roared.

Immediately, a red figure was violently thrown from mid-air and slammed onto the ground.

Yun Qingwu looked at the person on the ground. Leng Licí was covered in blood and dirt, his hand bent at an unnatural angle, his clothes tattered, looking utterly beaten and wretched.

“Speaking of which, this demon seems to care more about that child than I anticipated. Based on his previous behavior, I thought this move might not work, but he didn’t hesitate at all.”

He didn’t care about the child; he cared about himself.

Yun Qingwu understood Leng Licí’s psychology. If Xiao Dao died, he would also die. Entering the array at least offered a slim chance of survival.

As he spoke, the massive, monstrous figure of the Taotie descended from the sky, fiercely slamming into Leng Licí, who had just managed to support himself on his hands.

The instant it hit, the exhausted man precisely grabbed the horns on the Taotie’s head, leaped onto its back, and sat firmly.

At the same time, he forcefully held a tree branch with his dislocated hand and stabbed downwards. The Taotie roared, throwing the man onto the ground the next second, and simultaneously, its giant foot firmly stepped on the perpetrator.

Their strength was vastly unequal. Yun Qingwu subconsciously held his breath.

Under the immense pressure, Leng Licí’s breathing was rapid, and his body struggled violently, still searching for a possibility of breaking the deadlock.

But the Taotie didn’t give him the chance. It opened its massive jaws, lowered its head, and bit down on the prey beneath its foot.

“Ah—”

Amidst the rustling wind, a heartbreaking scream echoed.

It was accompanied by the sound of tearing flesh and crunching bones.

Yun Qingwu suddenly clenched his fists, his foot instinctively taking a step forward, but reason immediately halted him.

The man, now only two-thirds of his body remaining, seized the moment, precisely stabbing the Taotie’s eye. The injured Taotie was forced to spit out its prey.

The body, no longer whole, slowly crawled away, seeking a sliver of hope, but the Taotie didn’t grant it the opportunity and pounced again.

Two-thirds of the body was reduced to half. The man on the ground was breathing heavily, on his last gasp, but his gaze was like the sharpest sword, slowly scraping against the giant beast before him. As the Taotie approached again, he used all his remaining strength to stab the opponent.

His long red hair was matted with blood, making his remaining skin look pale as snow.

In the end, not a trace remained.

Even Yun Qingwu, accustomed to bloodshed, couldn’t help but look away.

“By tomorrow, his body will regenerate again, and then…” Meng Huang paused for a long moment, curling his lips into a smile: “He will be torn apart again, day after day, year after year. This is the deepest nightmare hidden in his heart.”

So…

Was that what he had dreamed of that night?

When did this happen?

The bone sword in his hand was made from the Taotie’s bone. In that case…

That person, he…

“A-Ze.”

“A-Ze!”

“What?”

Yun Qingwu snapped back from his thoughts at Meng Huang’s call. The surrounding mountain forest had returned to the empty sacrificial court. They were out of the illusion.

“Are you still thinking about that fox demon?” Meng Huang’s tone held a hint of displeasure and two parts testing.

“Of course not!” Yun Qingwu instinctively denied, then realized there was no need to deny it so firmly.

He continued, “You just said that to integrate these demons into this city, you need to destroy their will and make them willingly offer themselves in sacrifice. Why are you certain Leng Licí’s will can be destroyed this way?”

Meng Huang reached out to gently stroke the circular altar: “His will is indeed remarkably tough, which is why I trapped him at the array’s heart. If it can be destroyed, that’s best. If not, when the great array is activated on the day of the sacrifice, the illusion will become reality for him. I will personally extract his demon core then.”

This city and Meng Huang were one. In a sense, as long as the array wasn’t destroyed, Meng Huang wouldn’t die. Yun Qingwu looked at the bewildered child in his arms.

Perhaps this time, they could truly eliminate the potential future trouble.

The two were about to return to the main hall when, without warning, the ground began to tremble. A burst of golden light exploded in the distance, as if someone was continuously crashing into something, trying to smash an exit out of this world.

Meng Huang’s expression changed, and a hostile look reappeared in his eyes.

“A-Ze, you go back first. I’ll go deal with this.”

With that, he flew towards the direction of the golden light.

Yun Qingwu had the intention to follow, but alas, there was still no trace of spiritual power in his body. He looked down at his daughter, who was grinning at him, and sighed.

“When will you give your A-Die a break?”

“Ya-ya!”

He certainly didn’t expect a reply.

The golden light in the distance stopped crashing and moved westward, with Meng Huang in close pursuit.

Yun Qingwu looked in their direction. The golden light did not resemble demonic power; it should be an immortal friend who had also been stranded here.

Thinking this, he also walked westward. To break the situation later, he needed this assistance.

However, when he clearly saw the face of this immortal friend, he was truly stunned. He subconsciously placed a leaf into Xiao Dao’s swaddling clothes. The leaf came from the demon tree in the cave and carried a thick demonic aura, enough to cover up the trace of his own aura on Xiao Dao.

“Your Highness?”

A fierce impact was redirected just as it was about to hit his head, instantly cutting a swath of innocent trees in half nearby.

“Senior Brother?”

The immortal friend was none other than his Senior Brother during his recent visit to the mortal world, Li Qingyang, the son of the Wenqu Star.

Meng Huang, who landed immediately after, stopped his attack upon hearing this and looked at Li Qingyang: “So it is A-Ze’s Senior Brother. I’ve heard much about you.”

Li Qingyang cautiously pulled Yun Qingwu back a few steps: “Your Highness, how can you be with such a demonic entity?”

Meng Huang’s expression twisted for a moment.

Yun Qingwu pulled Li Qingyang: “Senior Brother, this is Meng Huang, the King of the Southern Ze Kingdom.”

“Southern Ze Kingdom… Southern Ze Kingdom is not—” Li Qingyang paused halfway through his sentence. He glanced at Yun Qingwu’s expression and didn’t continue.

Meng Huang’s expression softened, and his smile became gentle: “The Southern Ze Kingdom will return soon. This place will become the new Southern Ze Kingdom.”

Li Qingyang’s face was ashen: “Junior Brother, you—”

Yun Qingwu patted Li Qingyang’s hand soothingly, motioning for him to calm down.

Li Qingyang said no more.

“I apologize for the offense earlier. I will arrange a new residence for the Star Lord.” Meng Huang’s attitude was gentle, motioning for the two to follow him.

…

Night.

Yun Qingwu sat in the room, not rushing to rest. He knew Li Qingyang would definitely come tonight.

He didn’t wait long before a knock sounded at the door.

Yun Qingwu got up to open the door and, as expected, saw his Senior Brother, full of questions and with a severe expression.

“What exactly is going on?”

“Senior Brother, can you first set up a barrier? I don’t have spiritual power right now.” Yun Qingwu invited him in and immediately closed the door.

Li Qingyang formed a hand seal with his right hand, setting up a barrier specifically for the room.

“How can you not have spiritual power?” Li Qingyang’s face looked even worse.

“It’s a long story.”

Yun Qingwu selected the important and shareable details, recounting the sequence of events.

“So, what do you plan to do?” Li Qingyang’s gaze fell on the vine-ring on Yun Qingwu’s ankle, and he extended his left hand.

On his left hand, there was an identical vine-ring.

“Meng Huang used every means to attract demons inside, but once a demon enters, they cannot leave this place. This vine-ring automatically identifies the wearer as a demon. I have tried many methods, but all have failed.”

Yun Qingwu nodded: “I guessed as much.”

“A-Huang… is a demon born from obsession. He was born from this demonic array and is dependent on it. We need to find the array eye and destroy it to completely break the confinement here.”

Li Qingyang opened his mouth, hesitating, but after a while, he still asked: “You won’t condone the existence of this place, will you? You must know that the Southern Ze Kingdom is already gone.”

Yun Qingwu lowered his eyes, obscuring the dimness beneath: “Senior Brother, rest assured, the moment A-Huang became a demon, he was no longer the real A-Huang.”

Li Qingyang nodded: “When the sacrificial ceremony begins, after he and Leng Licí have both been injured, we will make our move. Although Meng Huang cannot be killed, we can confine him and then slowly search for the array eye.”

“Alright.”

For some reason, the moment Yun Qingwu nodded and agreed, the image of Leng Licí’s golden eyes, filled with blood but still radiating defiance, involuntarily flashed in his mind.

He closed his eyes, forcefully pushing the image away.

Leng Licí has committed many sins; there is no reason to show him mercy.

…

“Clang—”

With the echoing sound of the morning bell throughout the mountains, the small kingdom awakened from its slumber.

Selected youth representatives, holding pre-prepared lantern depicting the Bai Ze (a mythical creature) as tall as a person, cheered. They set off from different locations, running around each layer of the mountain forest. A crowd of children followed behind them, beating small leather drums tied to their waists as they ran.

Wherever they passed, people would emerge from their homes, hold hands, and joyfully sing the sacrificial song unique to them.

Older elders, amidst the singing, passed on the sacred fire to light the fire grooves on each layer. The firelight rose, as if daylight had descended to celebrate with them.

Men and women in full ceremonial attire danced wholeheartedly in the glow of the firelight, welcoming the descent of the divine today.

Yun Qingwu stood at a high vantage point, his pupils contracting.

Wherever the “Bai Ze” passed, fine, dense magma was spreading upwards from deep underground.

But the “people” below were unaware, seeing none of it.

“Tonight, they will be reborn again, just like in the past. A-Ze, are you happy?” Meng Huang looked at the scene below, his eyes filled with excitement.

Yun Qingwu did not answer.

“Clang—”

“You are neither human nor fox. You are a monster! Monsters shouldn’t exist in this world. Why don’t I help you, hahaha—”

The echoing bell and malicious laughter mixed together. Leng Licí tightly closed his eyes, feeling his body seemingly confined in a narrow space, unable to move.

Cold water poured into his body from all directions. His eardrums bulged under the impact of the water current, feeling as if they would rupture the next second. All sounds were diluted into a distant buzzing. A fierce pain spread from his lungs, like countless sharp knives stabbing outward from within, intent on shattering all obstacles.

I will not die like this!

“You deserve to die! How about a different method? Perhaps you can also be reborn from the fire, allowing you to grow your ninth tail?”

The suffocating sensation of drowning receded, replaced by a scalding burning sensation. Countless insects and ants gnawed at his skin, and coarse iron scraped back and forth harshly over his flesh, as if they would not stop until this layer of skin and flesh was pulverized.

I cannot die like this!

“Don’t want to die? Do you have the ability to resist?”

The mocking voice instantly turned into a scream the next second. Blood brought a hint of warmth to his cold skin.

How exhilarating…

“Exhilarating? Then spend the rest of your life accompanied by it. You deserve a life worse than death.” The malicious voice of the youth disappeared, replaced by the solemn, tranquil, yet utterly hateful voice of a middle-aged man.

His flesh was brutally torn open by sharp teeth. He watched his own body become the giant beast’s meal.

It hurts…

It hurts so much…

But he would not die.

Bone regrew inch by inch. The tearing pain was replaced by another kind of dull ache. It was as if an axe was mercilessly hammering inside his body, forcefully trying to reassemble the shattered fragments.

Slow slicing of the meat, pain worse than death.

Must he live like this for the rest of his life?

No.

He will not!

He must kill it! He must leave this place!

Leng Licí suddenly opened his eyes. The lingering pain still densely filled every gap in his body. He looked up. A few rays of sunlight squeezed through the gaps in the lush green leaves.

Not far away, the roar of the Taotie slightly shook the ground:

“Hahaha, how the tables have turned! I never thought you’d fall into my hands.”

Leng Licí cast a cold look in that direction and stood up once more.

He could kill it once; he could kill it a second time!