‘This guy named Zi Luan… is he the demon general?!’
Yao Xing ignored her fear, raised her head, and stared intently at the demon general before her, seeing the demon general’s mouth curled into a creepy grin, an eye pattern printed on his eyepatch, and both arms covered in a row of eyeballs that could be real or fake.
A single glance at the demon general Zi Luan defied common sense; his appearance seemed to throw all order in the world into chaos, and no one’s heartbeat could be heard anymore.
An incomprehensible existence.
“Lord Zi Luan! Lord Zi Luan! How are these spies I brought?”
“Not bad.”
With those words, Zi Luan twisted the head on his neck in a bizarre way, and step by step walked toward them.
His eight blood-colored nails extended before everyone’s eyes.
“You… can move now…”
Thump …..
The heartbeat finally sounded again.
“Agh!”
Yao Xing and her comrades had completely not realized that they had lost their heartbeat, and thus painfully knelt on the ground.
‘What exactly is the principle behind this guy’s Shogi? I must figure it out immediately—’
Before Yao Xing’s thoughts had even settled, Xu and Jia Sha had already stubbornly stood up.
Bang bang….
Just two sounds.
Blood already splashed across Yao Xing’s face.
‘What…’ Zi Luan and Xi Ke looked at Yao Xing with sinister smiles.
“Now… it’s only you left~”
Hearing this, Yao Xing’s pupils trembled continuously.
She turned her head in fear, only to see Xu and Jia Sha already turned into a pool of blood: ‘What happened…’
‘What… is the principle?!’
Bad End…..
A single bang— Darkness gradually invaded his vision.
The warm blood at the corner of the mouth.
So bitter.
…..
Yao Xing opened her eyes in shock, and her body gave a violent shudder.
Step—step—step ….
She was now back on the carriage, the last chance to breathe before heading to Mian Yang.
‘What exactly is that demon general’s ability?!’
‘Why did I suddenly explode… Could it be that the demon general always appears beside that Xi Ke…’
‘What should I do? How do I avoid it?’
Seeing Yao Xing’s terrified expression, Anuo asked with concern, “Are you okay?”
Xu also showed a somewhat concerned expression.
Seeing this, in order not to be suspected, Yao Xing could only swallow her saliva and force a few laughs: “Sorry… I had a nightmare just now…”
“…”
Xu said nothing, just kept staring at Yao Xing’s expression.
Under his gaze, Yao Xing remembered that in her previous life she had also asked Xu for information, so she quickly spoke up.
“Xu, what is the demon general’s Shogi?”
Hearing this sudden question, Xu showed an even more suspicious expression, but still answered: “It’s a rule-based ability, not as simple as magic, nor as growth-oriented as a hero’s Wu…”
“Simply put, it’s their own game rules. Before you understand them, it’s basically difficult to defeat them.”
“Generally, there is a triggering precondition.”
‘Precondition…’
‘Could it be that my sudden explosion in my previous life and the life before that was also because I triggered some rule…’
Watching Yao Xing lost in thought.
Xu could only slowly remind: “Actually…”
“The demon general is not like the hero. Though the demon general has the ability called Shogi, they can also use magic just like a demon.”
This news made Yao Xing feel that all hope was dashed.
‘The demon general can even use magic?!’
This was undoubtedly an untimely bad news.
Yao Xing had never imagined that the difference between a hero and a demon general could be so vast.
One demon general was enough to effortlessly kill a hundred heroes in an instant.
‘I can’t do it… Honestly… how do I break this situation…’
‘Even if I know the trigger condition, it’s completely impossible to save everyone…’
‘Could it be that the demon general always appears when we get close to Xi Ke…’
Random speculation only made her thoughts more chaotic.
In the current situation in Mian Yang, if they didn’t deal with Xi Ke’s disgusting disguise magic, the council and the interior of Mian Yang would surely fall apart.
But…
‘But once we find Xi Ke, the demon general will appear immediately!’
‘Could Xi Ke be the bait to lure us in…’
Saving people equals Bad End.
The crisis Mian Yang had to solve, from beginning to end, was a path that inevitably led to the demon general.
It was like a track that seemed to lead in all directions, but the destination had always been the same all along.
Bang ….
Yao Xing could no longer bear it.
‘Honestly… Huan… I’m not cut out to be a hero…’
‘I’m not strong… I spend every day worrying and thinking… someone like me… I’m really not cut out to be a hero…’
Yao Xing grabbed her hair, her mind haunted by the demon general’s gaping black mouth.
‘Even if I understand the rules, I can’t defeat him… and I can’t tell others about my past life…’
‘I really can’t do it, Huan… I can’t save everyone…’
“…”
Xu silently watched all of this, and Anuo beside him couldn’t help showing a panicked expression.
Yao Xing raised her head and looked at her own hands.
‘Is each death my fault? If I weren’t so weak… if my Wu were stronger… if my Wu didn’t only show affection levels all day… if I were smart enough… if I… then I… I…’
….
The carriage stopped.
The driver opened the carriage door and let the three of them get off.
Xu and Anuo got off first.
At the driver’s call, Yao Xing finally came to her senses and stepped off the carriage with steps as heavy as lead.
Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, she couldn’t help wanting to stay on it.
‘I don’t want to enter Mian Yang… I don’t want to face the demons… I don’t want to die again…’
“Hero, are you really okay?”
Anuo couldn’t help asking.
Yao Xing’s eyes, filled with despair, slowly looked toward Anuo and Xu.
Those two ….
Anuo always helped her, from beginning to end, whether it was the first escape from prison or the last help in Lin Qi… it was all thanks to Anuo…
Xu was also strong, always shielding her at the first moment, both strong and kind…
‘But I… always cause them to die… I can’t help them at all… I always watch them die… every time it’s like this…’
Ha—ha—
Hard to breathe, hard to catch a breath.
Heavy guilt had already locked around her neck, an unbreakable knot.
‘I… I…’
“Stop.”
A sudden command made Yao Xing put aside her confusion and look up at Xu.
The look in Xu’s eyes was not the expected blame or impatience, nor was it incomprehensible urgency.
Instead, Xu showed rare sympathy and patience.
“Take a deep breath, stop thinking, and from now on, just follow your heart, adapt on the fly. You don’t have to be perfect.”