The atmosphere turned tense for a moment, but Song Wanníng didn't offer any explanation. The less she seemed to care, the less suspicious Mo Yuan would be. She needed to gain Mo Yuan's trust as quickly as possible. After all, she didn't have time to keep playing along with his little act.
After finishing the grilled meat, she returned to meditation. Mo Yuan didn't rest either, sitting cross-legged with eyes shut as he cultivated.
With Song Wanníng nearby, he was extremely cautious, constantly worried that she would discover he was a demon cultivator and strike him down.
Just like that, the night passed. At dawn, the two prepared to leave the cave, but before they could step out, the entrance was once again blocked by Mo Yun and Mo Yu.
The two demon kings looked furious, their eyes filled with venom as they stared at Song Wanníng. If it hadn't been for Song Wanníng's interference, they would have already captured Mo Yuan and dragged him back. There would've been no need to charge into the Ten Thousand Demons Cavern.
That place was covered in restrictive formations. It had left them both battered and humiliated. Yet when they looked at Song Wanníng, she was refreshed and unscathed, which only made them angrier.
Song Wanníng glanced at their hostile expressions, a flicker of disgust flashing across her face.
"Took them an entire night just to get here. What a waste of time."
"You two really don't know when to quit."
Mo Yuan perked up and couldn't help but sneer coldly.
Every time he thought of Mo Yun and Mo Yu's faces, his heart brimmed with killing intent.
If he ever returned to the Demon Palace, he would make sure these traitors met a miserable end.
"Enough with the nonsense. Young Master, come back with us," Mo Yun said, lazily slapping her whip against her palm. Her eyes held no warmth. "If you agree to return peacefully, we won't cripple your cultivation. How's that sound?"
Though she was speaking to Mo Yuan, her eyes stayed locked on Song Wanníng, a hint of unease flickering beneath the surface.
This woman clearly knew how to bypass the formations. Otherwise, she couldn't have gotten this far. Which meant trying to trap her inside the Ten Thousand Demons Cavern was even less likely to work than catching her outside. It would only risk harming themselves.
"You think that's possible?"
Mo Yuan's lips curled into a smirk. "Or do you think I'm that stupid? Whether I die sooner or later, what's the difference?"
"The Demon Sovereign is your father. He's only asking you to return because he misses you. Why assume the worst of him?"
Mo Yun tore off Mo Yuan's mask without hesitation, exposing his identity.
After several encounters, she had already sensed something was off. Mo Yuan didn't even dare to use demonic energy in front of Song Wanníng...
It didn't take much to figure it out. Mo Yuan had clearly been hiding who he was.
Sure enough, the moment she finished speaking, Song Wanníng turned to look at Mo Yuan, her expression filled with shock.
Mo Yuan's heart skipped a beat. In that instant, as her gaze fell on him, he actually felt guilty. But he quickly straightened his back and stubbornly returned her look.
"You're the Demon Sovereign's son? You lied to me?"
Her gaze was colder than ice, sharp as blades, slicing across his body.
Mo Yuan pressed his lips together, refusing to offer any explanation.
Mo Yun, delighting in his downfall, added with a mocking smile, "Oh my, you really didn't tell your dear companion your true identity? That's not right at all. She risked her life to save you, and you repay her with lies?"
"But then again, it's just like you. You've been lying since the day you were born. Lying is second nature to you. You probably don't even know what guilt feels like."
Her words kept pouring fuel on the fire, and Song Wanníng's gaze grew colder by the second.
Mo Yuan clenched his fists. His heart had already plunged into despair. He had known it from the start. Once his identity was exposed, no one would be willing to help him.
"This Daoyou," Mo Yun said with a fake smile, "I understand now that you were tricked by him. You can leave. We won't make things difficult for you."
She exchanged a look with Mo Yu, and the two of them stepped aside to make a path. They were only here to capture Mo Yuan. There was no need to get into a fight with outsiders. This arrangement worked best for everyone.
Song Wanníng gave Mo Yuan one last disappointed look. As expected, she turned and left. Her figure grew smaller and smaller in the distance, until she disappeared completely, without the slightest hesitation or backward glance.
Mo Yuan stared after her, feeling his heart grow colder and heavier. He should have never placed hope in anyone. In this lifetime, he was destined to be abandoned. No one would ever care about him. As soon as Song Wanníng left, Mo Yun let out a mocking snort.
"Tsk, tsk. Thought you'd found someone to rely on?"
"You don't even know your own worth. No one would ever risk opposing the Demon Sovereign for your sake."
With that, she and Mo Yu attacked him again.
This time, they didn't hold back. Their strikes were aimed directly at crippling his cultivation.
"Pft—"
Mo Yuan slammed into the cave wall, blood pouring from his mouth. He collapsed to the ground, completely unable to move. He lay there, watching as the two approached again, their palms raised for another blow. His eyes dimmed into silence. He shut his eyes in despair, ready to embrace the cruelty of fate.
But in the very next second, Mo Yun suddenly cried out in alarm.
Mo Yuan's eyes flew open. In front of him stood the figure that was supposed to have vanished.
She was dressed in black, clean and decisive, her gaze cold. Every move she made was swift, forceful, and sharp.
In that moment, Mo Yuan didn't even know what he was feeling. He simply stared at her in a daze, something unnameable slowly blooming in his chest.
"What are you spacing out for? Hold on to me!"
Song Wanníng snapped him back to reality with a sharp shout.
By the time he came to his senses, she had already whisked him away.
She carried him through the labyrinth of the Ten Thousand Demons Cavern, weaving between traps and obstacles. Behind them, the two furious demon lords shouted curses as they chased after them.
But Mo Yuan no longer seemed to hear any of it. His eyes remained fixed on Song Wanníng's face. Cold as her expression was, warmth spread quietly through his chest. A tiny flame was beginning to flicker in the darkness of his soul, bringing life to what had once been nothing but shadows.
...
After countless twists and turns, the two finally lost the demon lords again.
Landing from midair, Song Wanníng coldly pried his hand off hers.
"You're safe now. I'm leaving."
She turned to go without hesitation.
The warmth Mo Yuan had just begun to feel was abruptly snuffed out. He reached out and grabbed her hand tightly.
"What are you doing?"
Song Wanníng turned back with a sharp frown. Her face clearly said, "I'm very angry."
Mo Yuan pressed his lips together, refusing to let go. He was afraid. Afraid that if she left this time, he'd never see her again.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to lie to you...
I just thought you'd mind that I'm a demon cultivator... But none of this was my choice. I have no standing in the Demon Clan. I'm only trying to survive, to avenge my mother!"
It had taken everything he had left to say that aloud. This one sliver of warmth—he didn't want to lose it.
Mo Yuan was like a wounded, wary animal, staring at Song Wanníng with stubborn eyes full of hope. Even though he was a head taller than her, he looked more like a pitiful child, silently begging for someone to care.
A tragic past, frayed nerves, unbearable suffering, and that strikingly handsome face.
Anyone else might have felt moved already.
Unfortunately for him, the person standing before him was Song Wanníng.