Chapter 203: The Great Magic—Mu Xue’s Inner Demon

Mu Xue’s Illusion

“Lin Mu Xue, don’t you dare! It’s your good fortune that I’ve taken a liking to you, and yet you dare to resist me? Hmph! Believe it or not, if you don’t obey me today, your family and friends will all die right here!”

Mu Xue was meditating and cultivating when suddenly she heard a familiar voice in her ear. But wasn’t she supposed to be practicing magic?

How could she hear someone else’s voice?

She opened her eyes and found herself back at Wu Feng’s base. The Wu Feng she hated most was standing alive right in front of her!

Beside him, Grandma, Sang Chu, Sang Jingwen, and Lu Minli were all locked in golden cages, sharp blades pressing threateningly toward their bodies.

For a moment, Mu Xue couldn’t tell if this was real or just an illusion. She shouted angrily, “Wu Feng, stop it!”

Wu Feng grinned lewdly and walked slowly toward Mu Xue. The golden blades in his hand, under his control, pierced Sang Chu’s shoulder.

“You and Sang Chu have depended on each other in my base for so many years, haven’t you? Then I’ll start with her. If you don’t care about her life, that’s fine. Next, I’ll deal with Lu Minli and Sang Jingwen.”

As he spoke, the blade in his hand stabbed toward Lu Minli. He desperately blinked at Mu Xue, as if to say: Run!

She understood, but how could she run?

Sang Chu was here, Grandma was here, her brother, Lu Minli—everyone she cared about was here!

“Wu Feng, what exactly do you want?!”

Wu Feng approached Mu Xue, his old, withered hand caressing her face. “Of course, I want to finish what I left undone. You don’t want your family and friends to die in front of you, do you? Then be good, and be my little bunny.”

Little bunny?

Mu Xue lowered her head, a terrifying expression flashing across her face.

“You want me to be your little bunny? Fine!”

She smiled and raised her head, her delicate hands slowly wrapping around Wu Feng’s neck.

Wu Feng thought he had succeeded, laughing wildly. “Hahaha, Lin Mu Xue, I knew you’d—”

“Ugh—”

A painful groan.

Wu Feng’s voice was cut off. White light flickered on Mu Xue’s ten fingers, the light tightening around Wu Feng’s neck like a rope.

Mu Xue’s smile was cold, almost crazed. She whispered in Wu Feng’s ear:

“I, Lin Mu Xue, am only the little bunny for my family. Who do you think you are, worthy of me clinging to you? My sister and brother think I need protection, so I tell myself I need their protection. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let anyone bully me.”

“I’ve worked so hard to cultivate, not just to become stronger, but so that one day I can protect Grandma, my brother, and my sister. I want him to believe in me, to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Before that day comes, I don’t mind hiding my strength to give him peace of mind. But you dare to threaten me with him!”

She glanced at Sang Chu, who was locked in the cage, her shoulder bleeding. Mu Xue’s hand slid to Wu Feng’s shoulder, her sharp nails digging into his flesh.

“Ah—!”

“Stop! Stop it!”

Blood gushed out, Wu Feng howled in pain, but Mu Xue didn’t care. She even smiled maniacally at him.

“Do you remember the first time you tried to force me? I wasn’t afraid, nor did I lose my mind. I did it on purpose. If Lu Minli hadn’t stopped me, I would have chopped off your head, fed it to the dogs, skinned you, and chopped you to pieces. Do you know what it means to harm me and my family?”

Wu Feng: “You’re doomed! He’ll find out what you’ve done sooner or later. When that happens, he’ll be afraid of you, hate you!”

A sudden chill ran through Mu Xue. She looked up in terror and saw Sang Chu, Grandma, and the others stepping out of the cage.

“Grandma, Sang Chu, Brother Wen, Lu Minli…”

Grandma Lin: “Xiao Xue, how did you become like this? You’re not my granddaughter anymore!”

Sang Chu: “Xiao Xue, I always thought of you as my best friend, my sister. I never imagined you’d be like this. I’m so disappointed in you!”

Sang Jingwen: “Xiao Xue, how could you…”

Lu Minli: “You’re not the innocent, kind Mu Xue I once knew!”

Lin Mu Xue realized Wu Feng had disappeared from in front of her. She covered her eyes and staggered toward them. “No, it’s not like that, I—I did it for him, I—I didn’t…”

At that moment, A Shaoqing suddenly appeared, holding a dagger and looking at Mu Xue. “He doesn’t even like the real you, so why bother hiding yourself? As long as you kill them, you’ll be free. Then you’ll be the master of this base, and everyone will bow to you.”

Sang Chu was tied to a table, her mouth stuffed with cloth, but her eyes were full of fear as she looked at Mu Xue. In those eyes, Mu Xue saw terror.

“Sang Chu, don’t be afraid of me, please. I—I’m still me!”

But Sang Chu continued to look at her in terror. Mu Xue looked at her in disappointment. “Why are you afraid of me? Why? Did you know, even when I saw you and Lu Minli together, I wasn’t afraid of you. Why are you afraid of me?”

She staggered toward Sang Chu, her eyes wild. “In the apocalypse, I’ve always protected you. You’re good at fighting, but you’re not an ability user. Do you know how hard I’ve worked to keep us alive? Why are you afraid of me? Tell me!”

A Shaoqing handed her the dagger. “She doesn’t understand. As long as you kill them, all your problems will be solved. Your weakness will be gone. Look, all your weaknesses are here. Once you kill them, you’ll be free.”

Following his finger, she saw Grandma, Sang Jingwen, and Lu Minli all tied to tables. Their faces, once full of warmth, were now filled with fear and horror.

Mu Xue took the dagger from A Shaoqing. “You’re all afraid of me? Why? Grandma, are you afraid of me too?”

Tears streamed from her reddened eyes as she walked dazedly to A Shaoqing’s side. Just as he was about to whisper in her ear—

She looked down. The dagger was buried in his chest.

“You… you…”

“Even if he’s afraid of me, I won’t betray my family for an outsider like you!”

“I remember now. You were the one who cut open Sang Chu’s stomach!”

A Shaoqing stared at the crazed Mu Xue in horror. “No, it wasn’t me! I didn’t!”

“It was you. I saw it. I remember now!”

“You cut open Sang Chu’s stomach and took out her heart. You love doing that, don’t you? Then you should try it yourself!”

With that, Mu Xue pinned A Shaoqing down and stabbed his stomach. The moment her blood-soaked hand pulled out his heart, the entire illusion vanished…

She now stood in a world of ice and snow, as if there was no place left for her in the world.

Outside the Illusion

Sang Chu and Xue You stood in the cultivation room, watching Mu Xue’s magical aura tremble violently, as if it was about to shatter.

Sang Chu frowned in confusion. “Is there something wrong with this magic cultivation?”"