"What group do you mean?" Xiaojun called out softly.
"The demon worshipper group. In this world, besides worshipping gods, some also worship demons, spirits, mythological monsters, and others. On average, they only worship and believe, but demon worshippers are different. They want to summon demons from other realms to conquer this world and several other realms. They want to become the absolute rulers of the universe," explained the Silver Fox casually.
"They are also the ones who caused the inter-realm and star wars by summoning demons from the realm of destruction. They will be very dangerous if left alone, but as long as they don't disturb us directly, just leave them alone," the Silver Fox continued.
"Very well. So where will we go next?" Xiaojun walked over to Xiao Lin Mo, who was still frozen and submerged in her sorrow. Xiaojun extended his hand in front of Xiao Lin Mo, offering hope. Xiao Lin Mo lifted her head slightly, staring at Xiaojun's palm, which was as white as snow.
"End your sorrow. Our path is still long. Don't keep getting left behind in the past while time continues to move toward the future." Xiaojun gave a small smile. Xiao Lin Mo raised her hand and touched Xiaojun's palm, even though her hand trembled slightly.
The night moon was still shining brightly after the terrible incident. The three of them walked into the forest to find shelter for the night, leaving the chaos behind.
Xiao Lin Mo's memory manifestations waved their hands as Xiao Lin Mo walked away, and they slowly disappeared as if blown by the wind, flying away to their rightful realm.
Xiao Lin Mo walked with an empty gaze, her face dirty, blood mixed with mud clinging slightly to her face and lower garments. Xiaojun took a fruit from the forest. It looked like a pear but tasted like grapes and apples. He gave it to Xiao Lin Mo and said softly, "Eat that fruit. It tastes quite good and fresh."
Xiao Lin Mo caught the fruit that Xiaojun threw. She looked at the fruit in her hand, still unable to believe that everything she had experienced for ten years was merely a manifestation of feelings that still couldn't accept that it was all gone.
"Thank you..." Xiao Lin Mo said softly, beginning to bite the fruit Xiaojun had given her with small bites.
They walked south and stopped to rest in the middle of the forest, lighting a campfire. Smoke billowed into the sky, and the fire swayed gently. Xiaojun extended his hand and opened his palm wide toward the campfire to warm himself, while Xiao Lin Mo sat a little further from the campfire, still holding the fruit she hadn't fully finished.
"I'm going to sleep first. Don't go far from our resting place. Many predators are lurking out there," Xiaojun said, lying down on large leaves, leaving Xiao Lin Mo to her thoughts.
"What should I do next? Give up? Continue? If I continue, what am I living for if I'm alone? Give up? Do I deserve to give up before it's all over?" Xiao Lin Mo was increasingly losing the will to live or to end it. Her pupils constricted, her heart beat 120 times per minute, her breath was ragged and heavy, her adrenaline spiked. She was like someone who had consumed too many drugs until overdosing.
"You useless child!"
"You village murderer!"
"Go away, you cursed child!"
The whispering voices of the villagers and her parents caused Xiao Lin Mo to become increasingly stressed, making her delusional, feeling as if she was in the middle of the village being watched by dozens of eyes looking at her with disgust and annoyance. Some threw stones and even hit her directly.
"N-no! This isn't my fault! No!" Xiao Lin Mo screamed, sitting down and pushing her body backward while turning in various directions, looking at the faces of the villagers.
Xiao Lin Mo covered her eyes and ears with both hands, murmuring softly, "This isn't real! All of this is fake! Father, mother, and the villagers have gone to where they belong!"
Xiao Lin Mo tried to calm herself. She began to muster the courage to open her eyes slowly. Her heartbeat began to stabilize a little. The light of a kerosene lamp illuminated her vision. Cheers and applause were heard. She steadied her gaze, looking around.
"What an exciting performance! Jingju Opera is truly the best in the Qin Empire capital!"
"Do the performance once more!"
Xiao Lin Mo realized that she was wearing opera performer clothing, specifically for male performers only. She wore red clothes and a long-bearded mask that flowed down to the stage floor.
"Where am I? Why am I an opera performer?" Xiao Lin Mo murmured as the audience asked for the performance to continue.
"Grandfather, why does the Jingju Opera performer have to be male?"
"Because women are only allowed to work inside the house taking care of all household affairs. Emperor Qin Loong made a regulation that graceful women may only do housework. So do you understand now, Xiao Mei?"
"Oh... I understand now, Grandfather," Xiao Mei answered Physician Tong Yang.
Traditional instruments and verses had started again. The performance curtain was closed tightly for a moment before finally being reopened, revealing a man with thick armor and a tall spear, wearing wooden sandals about 25 centimeters high, walking slowly, stomping the stage.
"General Zilong on his way back to the imperial palace after winning the battle before finally being ambushed in the forest by a vixen spirit~~" The narrator's high-pitched voice delivered the tense story atmosphere.
The audience applauded enthusiastically as the narrator read the story's narration. Meanwhile, backstage, Xiao Lin Mo was still confused about how she could be in such a magnificent Opera event and how her body had changed into a man only 21 years old. While Xiao Lin Mo was still confused, one of the Opera staff called her and told her to quickly change clothes and enter the stage again.
"Hou Jin! Tsk! Don't just daydream! Quickly go change clothes and enter the stage before the audience is disappointed, and don't make us suffer losses because of a failed Opera in this city!"
"Hou Jin? Who? Me?" Xiao Lin Mo pointed at herself, not believing that she had changed identities.
"Enough, stop joking! Quickly go change clothes and perform!"
How is this possible? I changed identities?
Xiao Lin Mo and the staff tidied up Xiao Lin Mo's clothes and makeup to play the role of a vixen spirit seducing General Zilong, who wanted to return to the Empire after completing his duties.
Xiao Lin Mo entered the stage, stared at by the eyes of the enthusiastic audience waiting for that moment. Xiao Lin Mo hesitated because she had never performed an Opera at all. At first, Xiao Lin Mo only moved forward and faced the other performer playing General Zilong without knowing what lines she needed to say. Just as she thought she would ruin everything, suddenly she produced a voice, and her body moved on its own without following her own will.
What is happening? Why is this happening?
Xiao Lin Mo kept that question to herself after finishing the performance. Everything went smoothly without obstacles. The audience began to leave the stage area because it was midnight. Some had fallen asleep there, like Xiao Mei, who was fast asleep. She was carried by Physician Tong Yang back to the medicine shop to rest and sleep comfortably.
"A stunning performance as always, Hou Jin!" Someone patted Xiao Lin Mo's back shoulder with a small laugh on his face.
"Uhh... Yes. Hahaha..." Xiao Lin Mo spoke a little awkwardly. Her vision began to blur and darken.
Xiao Lin Mo suddenly collapsed onto the wooden floor backstage, making the staff and her friends worried. She had fallen into a deep sleep, leaving behind all the noise of the panicking people backstage.
"Xiao Lin Mo, wake up. We need to continue our journey," Xiaojun said, patting and shaking the shoulder of Xiao Lin Mo, who was fast asleep in the forest as the fresh morning air emerged.
Xiao Lin Mo half-opened her eyes, yawned, and rubbed her eyes. "What is it, Xiaojun?" Xiao Lin Mo asked with messy hair and eyes still heavy with sleepiness, as if sleep-deprived.
"Let's continue our journey. Up ahead, there are signs of a settlement. Maybe we can eat there," Xiaojun said, pointing south but slightly toward the east.
"Alright..." Xiao Lin Mo stood up half-conscious from drowsiness.
The two of them continued their journey toward another village in the forest with small, slightly nonsensical chatter.