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墨書 Inktalez
The cave behind the rockery did not appear large from the outside; it seemed merely embedded in the surrounding wall, leading me to believe it was small. However, once I stepped inside, I discovered a hidden world.
Inside, it was dim and shadowy, with only the Luminous Pearl within the cave casting faint glimmers of light. Although there was no wind, I felt a cool breeze mixed with the dampness of water brushing against me.
"Drip," echoed the sound of water droplets falling.
The stone door behind me had closed again as I entered, sealing this space into an isolated chamber.
Yet at that moment, my heart felt strangely alive; though it raced, it wasn't out of fear but rather a joyful anticipation of something surprising.
I stood still for a while, but the child's voice did not return. Time was precious, so I had to break the silence first.
"Are you looking for your mother?"
No response.
I hesitated and asked again, "Is anyone there? Child, are you there?"
Still no answer. Now I was anxious. Could Elder Rong have known about the Prayer Meeting and deliberately lured me here? Just like when that man in black had tricked me using Junxin's voice before.
Thinking this, I summoned the Blood Flame Sword, ready to cleave through the stone door and escape. I needed to regroup with Jun Chong; many things were on the verge of happening, and I couldn't afford any delays.
With the Blood Flame in hand, Red Glow illuminated a space in the darkness. Just as I was about to strike at the stone door, that tender child's voice rang out again.
"Mommy, I've really found you, Mommy."
"Child, where are you?"
A bright light illuminated from above, revealing a large, teardrop-shaped translucent object hanging in the center of the stone cave, resembling an enormous aerial cage.
Inside the cage was a five-year-old child dressed in black, with long black hair cascading down and spreading across the ground. His eyes were strikingly black and white, as if his world contained only these two colors—deep black and glaring white.
Around him, four thick black snakes coiled and spun continuously. Each time they flicked their tongues, the child let out a muffled groan and curled up his body. With each sound, the snakes seemed to swell slightly, as if they were gradually growing.
"Who are you?" I asked, furrowing my brow in uncertainty. "Are you the son of Qi Zhi?"
The demon realm was not devoid of children, but this child was imprisoned in a forbidden area, calling me 'mother.' The only possibility that came to mind was that he was indeed Qi Zhi's son.
Although I had only seen him once and couldn't recall his exact appearance, a voice deep within me assured me that he was the one.
As the dark aura around the snakes thickened, the child gasped for air more heavily. His small face turned pale, and he knelt weakly on the ground.
"What happened to you?"
"I am indeed Qi Zhi's son. My name is Nian; my nickname is Baby, given by my mother."
He tried to sit up in the center of the cage. The snakes immediately moved away from the edges of the cage but did not stray far; they merely slowed their circling and ceased flicking their tongues.
"Don't be afraid, sister. They are protecting me. To summon you here, I borrowed their power; just now, they were only asking for their reward."
"How did you end up here?" Since he had voluntarily acknowledged his identity, it meant that Jun Chong truly hadn't killed Qi Zhi's son. However, since Qi Zhi believed otherwise, I could only think that the Demon King had orchestrated this to incite hatred in Qi Zhi against Jun Chong. "Was it the Demon King who did this?"
Nian nodded. "That day I saw Grandpa Demon King take my sister away. I was very worried because I thought my sister was my mother, so I ran over. Unexpectedly, a rock fell down and trapped me underneath, leaving me unable to move. Then another rock fell; at that moment, the Big Brother who came to save my sister saw me and quickly used his sword to shatter the stone. But some debris still fell on my head, which knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, I found myself locked in this place. Grandpa Demon King told me I had done something wrong and needed to reflect here until he returned for me to leave. But I've waited for a very long time; Grandpa Demon King never showed up again, and Father has disappeared too. The only ones keeping me company are these four little snakes guarding me. They were only as thick as my fingers back then; Grandpa Demon King said they were Demon Serpents and grew very slowly. Now they are so big; I think a lot of time has passed outside. This is a forbidden area; no one can come here except by Grandpa Demon King's orders. But I can't get out; all I can do is wait."
I felt a chill run down my spine. At that time, Jun Chong must have been too preoccupied to notice what was happening, leading to this misunderstanding. Meanwhile, the Demon King had cunningly taken advantage of the situation to make Qi Zhi believe her child was dead, planting an irreconcilable hatred towards Jun Chong.
"I have been waiting, believing that Father would plead with Grandpa for me, but I haven't seen Father here for a long, long time. Until that day, I suddenly sensed Mother's presence; it was a feeling I had never experienced before. Since I became aware of things, I have never seen Mother, but I have always remembered her scent. That's why I tried calling out to you."
He looked at me earnestly, standing up with his hands on the bars of the cage.
"Sister, your Seven Souls belong to Mother. Father said that souls can be reincarnated, so has Baby's mother already passed away? Is that why you carry Mother's scent? Mother, does she not want me anymore?"
For a child, nothing is more desired than a mother's care and a father's love; no child wishes for their parents to be absent. So when he asked, "Mother, does she not want me anymore?" my tears broke free and fell.
At that moment, he resembled Junxin when she once spoke to me. Back then, she was still the Demon Fetus, yearning for maternal love and longing for someone to care for her. To protect me, she did not hesitate to do bad things.
"Baby, although I am not your mother, I am alive because of your mother's Seven Souls. Don't worry; I will definitely save you and reunite you with Father."
His innocent eyes widened in disbelief, tears sparkling like precious gems. "Can Baby really see Father?"
I tightly gripped Blood Flame and nodded vigorously.
"It will definitely happen."
Holding Blood Flame in my hand, I swung it forcefully toward the cage, but as the light of Blood Flame approached the bars, it was dispersed by an invisible force—like a paper airplane thrown with great effort that could only fly a short distance before falling.
The four black snakes sensed the stirring of Blood Flame and their gazes turned Yin Hong, yet they remained around the cage as if to protect it.
I exerted all my strength and felt a surge of heat flowing through my body, concentrating in my right hand holding the sword—a power ready to explode at any moment.
But just like the first time, I failed repeatedly.
"Sister, it's no use." Seeing my struggle, he shook his head in tears. "This cage is formed from Grandpa's magic; only when Grandpa's magic completely disappears can I get out. Otherwise, nothing will work."
"There must be other ways."
"Sister, you should go! You can use your blood to open that door. I'm already so happy to see you. I know Demon King Grandpa is punishing me, so I will wait until he calms down, and then I can go out."
"You’re not wrong, but don’t you want to see your Father again?"
Nian's expression shifted; his small eyes turned red, and his lips quivered in a pout of grievance. "I want to."
"Then trust your sister. I will make sure you see Father again."
I put away the Blood Flame, vowing to rescue him—not just for the sake of prayer, but also for the battle between him and Jun Chong. The only one who could stop it was Nian.
He was a glimmer of hope.
"I can't save you right now, but wait for me. I will find someone to help you. Until then, you must protect yourself well. Don't trust anyone but me, okay?"
"Mm, I trust you, sister."
With that, I turned to leave. As I opened the stone door with my blood, Nian's voice came again from behind me. "Sister, can I call you 'Mommy'?" His tone was filled with deep unease. "If you don't like it, then forget it."
Touched by his emotions, I thought of Junxin. If I were gone, would she think of me like this? Would she feel my presence in others and want to call someone 'Mommy'?
Even knowing she wasn't my biological mother, there was a yearning for a warm heart.
I smiled and nodded. "Of course. As long as you like it, you can call me that anytime."
His anxious expression instantly transformed into boundless joy; his eyes sparkled as he clapped his hands happily. "That's great! Now I finally have a mommy! I'm no longer a child without a mother. Mommy, I'll wait for you."
In the song "The Only Good Mother in the World," it is said that children with mothers are like treasures, while those without mothers are like grass.
I can imagine that even with prayers for protection, this child feels a deep sense of grievance inside, because he lacks a mother and cannot act spoiled like other children do with theirs.
There are some things that a father can never provide.
That is why mothers exist.
With tears in my eyes, I stepped outside. Leaning on the Jade Token, I successfully navigated through the traps and exited the Demon Realm.
Looking at the different air just a mountain away, my heart and lungs felt relieved.
The sky outside was already dimly lit; the sun was rising, radiating golden light, and even in the Wind Sound, one could feel a surge of new life.
Suddenly, I heard a sound like something breaking. I glanced around but saw nothing. It was more important to move forward and leave the Demon Realm quickly.
Unexpectedly, a hand reached from behind, wrapping around my waist tightly. With a pull and a tug, I was turned around and pressed onto the grass.
Before I could react, a gentle yet icy kiss invaded my lips, instantly consuming me and leaving no room for resistance. It only released me when I was breathless, reluctantly letting go.
Seeing my flushed cheeks, Jun Chong slowly narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "Why did it take you so long to come out? If you didn't show up soon, I would have really flattened the Demon Palace."
Upon seeing him, memories of last night flooded back. I sprang up from the ground, trembling as I grasped his shirt tightly and asked nervously, "Did you really open the passage between the Underworld and the Demon Realm?"
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