Volume 3, Chapter 4 – A Cruel Decision

“An Abyssal Demon? I’m an Abyssal Demon?! Grandpa, you… you’re joking, right?!”

After being stunned for dozens of seconds, Yuan’er looked at Xiumu with disbelief before lowering her head to gaze at the dense black energy on her body. The black liquid suspended beside her filled her with a sense of security.

“So, Grandpa, are you saying that these are the so-called Shadow Essence? That I’ve been infected by an Abyssal Demon?”

“Yes.”

After a moment of silence, Xiumu nodded solemnly.

Hearing this, Yuan’er couldn’t help but show a confused expression, her beautiful and cute heterochromatic eyes already filled with a sense of grievance. For the usually pampered Yuan’er, it was quite rare that she hadn’t started crying yet.

“Grandpa! You must be mistaken! This power was given to me by that black-haired sister! It wasn’t given to me by some Demon God, and I haven’t been in contact with any Abyssal Demons! Besides, it’s not like I haven’t encountered Shadow Essence before. I saw it during combat training at the academy! That power was clearly disgusting and hair-raising to look at! But…”

As she spoke, two spheres of black energy filled with a terrifying aura slowly gathered in Yuan’er’s hands, which she displayed to Xiumu and the others nearby.

“Look, Grandpa! This power is clearly so warm, so friendly and peaceful, and so stable. How could it be Shadow Essence! Grandpa, stop joking with me!”

However, after saying those words, Yuan’er was shocked to find that the expressions of Xiumu and the others had not improved. Instead, they became increasingly grave, as if facing a great enemy.

Walking forward solemnly, Xiumu sighed helplessly. “Yuan’er, do you remember your teacher telling you that those infected by Shadow Essence, or even those who turn into Abyssal Demons, will not feel disgusted by it? On the contrary, they will feel extreme loathing toward magic power, battle aura, and similar forces. So tell me…”

As he spoke, Xiumu slowly raised his hand, looking at Yuan’er with a somewhat expectant gaze. With the surge of battle aura within Xiumu’s body, a deep blue light slowly emerged in his palm. “Tell me, Yuan’er, after feeling the power in my hand, what do you feel?”

“Feel?”

Rеαԁ oո КatRеαⅾiոɡCafе

Hearing this, Yuan’er showed a very strange expression, her heterochromatic eyes locking onto the battle aura in Xiumu’s hand. But before she could even begin to sense it carefully, an indescribable feeling of disgust suddenly rushed into her heart.

At that moment, Yuan’er discovered in terror that the once-warm battle aura in her grandfather’s hand now felt incredibly viscous and nauseating in her perception, like the sensation of rotten meat soaked in acid for days, causing her to involuntarily show an expression of loathing the instant she sensed it.

“Grandpa! What is that you’re releasing?!”

Having received this answer from Yuan’er, Xiumu lowered his head in pain. At this moment, the Marquis realized that something had become irreversible.

“Yuan’er, this is Grandpa’s battle aura.”

“Eh? Grandpa, you’re… you’re joking, right?”

“Sorry, Yuan’er, I’m not joking.”

“This… then, then how could…”

As her sensory field opened, she could clearly sense not only the aura on Xiumu but even the auras of the Blizzard Knights. However, these once reliable and warm auras had all become nauseating in Yuan’er’s perception, even constantly stimulating certain instincts within her heart.

“No, this… it’s impossible. I… how could I… an Abyssal Demon? Me? I’m an Abyssal Demon? I’m that kind of monster?!”

Looking down at her body, Yuan’er muttered to herself, unable to accept the truth. The black Shadow Essence around her began to grow restless. The girl couldn’t help but start crying.

“How, how did this happen? It’s impossible! This shouldn’t be! Why, why?! Something must be wrong! But… waaaaah, Grandpa! Grandpa! What should I do! What should I do!!”

Reaⅾ оn KаtRеaⅾіոɡCafе

Hearing the girl’s piercing cry for help, Xiumu let out a long, painful sigh before tightening his grip on his longsword and slowly walking forward. Seeing her grandfather approaching, Yuan’er instinctively ran forward, seemingly wanting to rush into his arms to be comforted just as she had been in the past.

However, seeing Yuan’er running toward him, Xiumu seemed to make up his mind, making a cruel and unavoidable decision.

Abyssal Demons had no sanity. Even those at the demon king tier basically only followed their instinct to kill. Those who had just become Abyssal Demons might briefly regain their senses, but they would eventually be consumed by the bloodthirsty desires in their hearts and turn into loathsome monsters.

“Sorry, please forgive Grandpa. For the people of Windward City, I must… before you lose control again…”

In the next instant, Xiumu suddenly swung his sword, slashing toward Yuan’er’s body!

“Grandpa??”

Under the girl’s terrified gaze, Xiumu’s longsword, enveloped in dense blue battle aura, rapidly enlarged in her eyes.

‘No… No?! Why?! Grandpa!’

Becoming an Abyssal Demon, becoming that kind of bloodthirsty and heartless monster in her mind, was already difficult enough for Yuan’er to accept. Seeing Xiumu, the grandfather she trusted most, launch an attack against her, Yuan’er’s heart began to bleed.

“Nooooooooo!!”

Accompanied by a hysterical scream, just as Xiumu’s blade was about to touch her neck, the terrifying Shadow Essence around Yuan’er’s body exploded wildly in an instant! It directly blasted Xiumu and the surrounding Blizzard Knights away. The rampaging black light erupted once again in the city.

Reаԁ оո КаtRеaⅾіոgСаfe

“After that, I was directly knocked unconscious by that black light. When I woke up again, Yuan’er was gone…”

Recalling the previous scenes, Xiumu couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh and downed a mouthful of wine in frustration. Then, the old Marquis tearfully pulled Yumo, who was beside him, into his arms.

“Xia’er, tell me, was it too stupid of me to do that…”

Facing Xiumu’s question, Yumo didn’t reply, instead leaning quietly in Xiumu’s alcohol-scented embrace. Although Xiumu had only left the tent today, judging by the intensity of the smell, the old Marquis had been drowning his sorrows in wine for several days.

In Yumo’s silent, deep blue eyes, incredibly complex emotions surfaced. Through Xiumu’s narration, she understood why Yuan’er’s power had suddenly surged again and why she had suddenly fled. It was likely because she was afraid her power would go out of control and hurt those she cared about.

As for Xiumu’s actions, Yumo really didn’t know what to say for a moment. From Yuan’er’s perspective, Xiumu was undoubtedly a huge jerk. But as the lord of Windward City, killing a threat to protect the people wasn’t wrong either. The only thing to blame was perhaps the misunderstanding these people had regarding the existence of Abyssal Demons. A demon king tier existence would not lose control so easily.

‘However… why did you think you could kill a demon king tier being? Was it because that child was completely defenseless… But by doing that…’

Sigh.

‘That child already knows her identity. I originally wanted to tell her more tactfully…’

Miss Yumo sighed helplessly.

‘But speaking of which, where did that child run off to?’

Read on КαtRеaⅾіոɡСafе

After a long silence, Yumo slowly pulled away from Xiumu’s embrace and looked solemnly at the haggard old Marquis. “Grandpa, if Yuan… if my sister comes back next time, please let me handle it.”

Facing Yumo’s words, Xiumu was slightly stunned before slowly nodding. “Yes, as the older sister, perhaps you are more suitable…”

“Thank you, Grandpa. Then, Grandpa, please rest first. I won’t disturb you.”

After a brief farewell to Xiumu, Yumo slowly stood up and walked toward the exit of the cemetery. However, just then, Xiumu, who was staring at the tombstones of his son and daughter-in-law, spoke slowly with deep meaning.

“Xia’er.”

The sudden call made Yumo pause her steps. “What is it, Grandpa?”

“Xia’er, in the past, you always used to call me ‘Old Man’.”

“I see. Got it, Old Man…”

“By the way, Xia’er, can you promise me something?”

“Yes?”

“In the future, please don’t make your grandmother sad…”

Yumo paused. “I understand.”