Chapter 5, Certain Evil Whispers

In the dilapidated hall of the temple, a man walked slowly, while a massive stone statue, bound by magical ropes, stared blankly at him as he approached, emitting a sound of "buzz... buzz..."

Hehe... what does it have to do with you? What does it have to do with you?" That voice became excited, "Clearly, you are disregarding that group of high-level magical beasts outside. A tyrant like you, over time, those magical beasts will not tolerate being treated as if they are not 'people'... Oh... so you see them as intelligent beings, tyrant?"

The man, however, did not cast a glance at it, treating it as if it were nonexistent, and directly passed by its enormous and heavy figure, slowly stepping into the depths of the temple

Hahaha... Hahaha... The sound of wild laughter echoed in the hall, and the little fox, resting on Xiao Mu Yu's shoulder, couldn't help but bury its head in its long, fluffy tail, revealing an expression of "I can't take it anymore." "To be honest, human kid, your jokes are not funny at all, but I actually found myself amused by you. For this alone, you can be proud; consider it an honor! You humble mortal!"

The afterglow of the setting sun cast upon it, making it appear as if it had truly become an immobile statue, with faint blue runes on its body shimmering with a subtle blue light in the sunset.

Buzz? The enormous statue dumbly raised its rough hands, gazing at the magical ropes that had been severed at some unknown time above, tilting its head in contemplation

However, according to the script, you should now gently caress your wife's cheek, then reminisce about the days you spent together, and say something like, 'I will definitely make you wake from your slumber'

The girl's skin is between the sun-kissed wheat color and the pure white of snow, shimmering with an enchanting luster under the soft blue light. The girl, bound by a massive block of ice, gently closes her eyes, and a tranquil aura spreads throughout the hall, as if even the darkness has been dispelled.

In an instant, only the enormous and exaggerated laughter echoed in the dark hall.

Oh ... ... Oh ... ... that voice seemed unusually excited by the man's response, "Ah ... ... you finally decided to speak ... ... Hehe ... ... are you talking about the Night Demon Crystal? Hehe ... ... do you really believe that little girl will obediently bring it to you? You must know that thing is worth its weight in gold."

However, I am quite curious. It is known that all living beings possess a certain group psychology. When individuals of the same kind, who are of comparable status, suffer harm from a higher level, even if they may not experience the same harm, they cannot help but feel a sense of sorrow in their hearts... or perhaps fear, fear that one day the same fate may befall them. That voice chuckled and said, "Humans refer to this psychology as 'the death of the rabbit grieves the fox, and the injury of one species affects its kind.' Therefore, throughout history, tyrants have rarely met with a good end, as their subordinates are always trembling in fear of when misfortune might strike them."

Yet it seems that even these lights cannot dispel the coldness and darkness surrounding the man, who walks slowly like a demon emerging from the abyss, his entire being resembling a desolate black hole that absorbs all light and warmth.

The evil laughter echoed in the cold hall, emanating from the temple in the distance, causing many of the beasts lurking in the shadows of the temple to shrink back in fright. However, all of this seemed to have no effect on the silent man.

He stood quietly, silently gazing at the girl before him, frozen in ice. It seemed that nothing from the outside world could disturb him. In those eyes, eternally encased in ice, could there perhaps be a flicker of emotion, a hint of warmth?

The young girl, approximately eighteen years old, has long, snow-white hair tied back in a ponytail. She is adorned in a bodice and short skirt made from the fur of an unknown wild beast, which accentuates her delicate curves and reveals her slender waist

The man, in silence, remained quiet for a long time before finally speaking slowly, "All things must reflect their own value. The large stone can demonstrate the value of its existence over the years by exchanging itself for the Night Demon Crystal that can save Xiaoxue, thereby proving that it is not just an ordinary stone. I believe it will be happy about that."

Xiao Mu Yu continued to quietly gaze at the young girl, seemingly unfazed by the sudden sound that had appeared.

The man remained silent.

Well... not paying attention to me? Hehe... that is true, I have turned your little lover into this state, if it were me, I wouldn't pay attention to myself either. That low, deep voice continued to speak to itself.

The next moment

"Young man, you are quite confident," the voice mocked. "Do you even know what it is that you desire? That is the Night Demon Crystal. Although it is not as cherished as the Crown of the Ancient Golem, its value is unmatched, worth more than three Crowns of the Ancient Golem. I remember in my time, the exchange rate was roughly one Night Demon Crystal for five Crowns of the Ancient Golem. I do not know what the current exchange rate is, but I doubt it could be lower than wwwhetushucom. To ask for a Night Demon Crystal right off the bat, you truly are asking for a lot."

Then what? Xiao Mu Yu asked indifferently, her gaze filled with icy coldness

"What a scoundrel! How despicable! How wicked!" That voice chattered excitedly, "Haha... just thinking about how you, once an innocent and harmless person, have become this evil, selfish, and indifferent scoundrel because of me, I truly..."

"You also know it may not be?" that voice laughed loudly, "I thought you had already cleaned yourself up and were waiting to receive it, hahaha"

The ceiling of the hall seems to have some kind of gem-like object emitting a faint glow, with the light converging into a beam that creates a spotlight effect illuminating the young girl, exuding a certain breathtaking melancholy

Hey, hey... don't be like that. Perhaps you've laughed enough, that voice started chattering again. "Don't be so dull, I remember back in the day you were quite the chatterbox, always asking about everything you saw. Why are you so cold now, like a block of ice?"

A somewhat subdued voice slowly echoed in the hall, creating an indescribably eerie atmosphere in this sinister space

Then... of course, everyone is rebelling against you... uh... so that's how it is, " halfway through speaking, that voice seemed to have discovered something, and couldn't help but sneer, " So you did this on purpose, huh? For scum like you, it's one thing for those poor little creatures not to resist, but once they do, you have a reason to unleash a massacre... heh heh... It seems you are still brooding over that incident from back then. "

I am so excited! That voice laughed wickedly, saying, "I am really too excited, oh—I'm all wet now—hahaha"

You won't be able to be proud for much longer

After a long while, the laughter gradually subsided, and then that slightly neurotic voice sounded again

They have no other choice

"Ugh... chirp..." Upon hearing this eerie sound, the little fox was so frightened that its fur stood on end, and it hurriedly buried its head in Xiao Mu Yu's hair, trembling uncontrollably

The man's indifferent voice slowly echoed in the hall, but this time, the voice fell silent for a long while, as if it had been choked.

Buzz... buzz... After two seconds, the statue seemed to react, hurriedly standing up, stepping out with heavy footsteps, and quietly standing at the entrance of the tall, dilapidated temple, motionless.

Alright, alright, let's change the subject. Seeing that the man had no intention of responding, the voice weakly said, "If that little girl really brings you the Night Demon Crystal, would you truly be willing to hand over that big oaf's energy core to her? I remember that your lovely little wife is quite fond of that silly big stone."

Xiao Mu Yu stood quietly in front of the young girl, gazing through a thick layer of ice at her snow-white, jade-like delicate face. Could the gaze, as unyielding as the eternal frost of the Arctic, perhaps stir a hint of warmth?

The man remained silent

Then, the man slowly spoke, his slightly cold tone dispelling the eerie atmosphere in the hall and bringing a hint of vitality, "So... what of it? What does it have to do with me?"

Tsk tsk tsk... what a righteous statement. I remember you do not like to joke around. That voice expressed astonishment, and yet you seemed pleased. Do you, you cold-faced wooden man, know what that is?

The value of an object is reflected by the benefits it can substitute for itself, Xiao Mu Yu said lightly. In normal circumstances, this would indeed be an impossible transaction, but now, it may not be the case.

In the cold, dark corridor, footsteps softly echoed. The old magical lamps on either side of the corridor sensed the arrival of humans, absorbing the stray light elements in the air and emitting a warm white glow, illuminating the dark passage.

Rebellion, also known as insurrection

As for intelligent beings, they may appear physically strong, but their inner selves are often quite fragile. After being under such pressure for an extended period, the only outcome they ultimately achieve is one.

Ah, how touching it is! A deep voice suddenly echoed in the silent hall, "The young couple, who loved each other, were separated forever due to the demon king. After the boy endured countless hardships and finally defeated the demon king, he discovered that he still could not bring the girl back. From then on, the lonely boy could only quietly gaze at the girl's serene sleeping face, reminiscing about her past smiles. Ah, what a moving story it is... Hahaha... Hahaha..."

At the end of the downward-sloping corridor lies a vast and immense underground hall, where the floor and walls are adorned with various shades of deep blue and pale purple runes. Countless runes form a gigantic magic circle, and at the center of this circle—a young girl is encased in ice in the middle of the hall.

Since you know I am joking, why take it seriously

"Stay outside the door, and do not leave without my command." Xiao Mu Yu instructed indifferently, his cold figure disappearing into the shadows deep within the dilapidated temple