Chapter 182: Concealing Moon

Chapter 182: Concealing Moon

As the pursuing Demon Clan’s backs were gradually exposed, followed by their flanks. They changed from a unified whole back into a scattered mess.

The Insect Swarm still held the numerical advantage, and once again transformed into a large net. With the Demon Clan’s charge and pursuit, this net completely ensnared them.

The Insect Swarm did not understand the Demon Clan’s army, and the Demon Clan’s army similarly did not understand the Insect Swarm. As long as the Insect King remained, the Insect Swarm would maintain a certain order. The Insect Swarm was a creature dominated by collective will; the loss of individuals might cause local chaos, but it was difficult to spread that local chaos to the whole.

They carried out an efficient counterattack based on past experience. They mistook the local chaos for a large-scale rout. They tried to scatter the gathered Insect Swarm, splitting into several teams and charging towards the densest areas.

As they wished, the Insect Swarm scattered, completely scattered. And their pursuit also scattered, and then they gradually lost their target.

In the night, the sound of insect chirping rose again. Only then did many realize their own ranks were somewhat thin, and the distance between companions was also a bit far. The shouts of pursuit were gradually replaced by uneasy, heavy breathing.

The night provided the best cover for the Insect Swarm, because they did not need to see; they only needed to lie hidden in the grass, relying on vibrations from the ground to find the best opportunity.

People tried to move closer to nearby companions, but in the night, the places within sight became an unbridgeable chasm for many, forever. Tonight’s moonlight was beautiful and very bright; this was the Demon Clan’s luck. The occasional appearance of thin, floating clouds was their misfortune.

In the alternation of light and dark, life and death repeated over and over. Underfoot gradually became muddy. At this moment, the cowardice in the hearts of all living creatures had vanished. Any hesitation, any wavering, would only lead to eternal Darkness. Countless years of accumulation within the Bloodline, the nature of the Predator, erupted as the most primal killing instinct.

The Insect Swarm’s tenacious grappling dragged the Demon Clan into a desperate situation, into madness; the maddened Demon Clan in turn caused even greater casualties to the Insect Swarm. The two sides were like a monster biting its own tail, entangled, devouring each other, unable to separate anymore.

White clouds floated in the sky, moonlight scattered the grass shadows. Extreme despair gradually enveloped this place, and the life-and-death struggle became even more perilous amidst the despair.

The insect chirping gradually faded, yet became increasingly mournful…

…

Under the moonlight of Northland City, Shajia stood before three earthen mounds behind the house. Everyone was finally together again, although only a Single Blade from his lifetime was buried in Kkel’s grave.

Heavy footsteps approached from afar and stopped nearby. She knew who it was. In the city, only one had such heavy footsteps. Was he here to capture her? She walked out from behind the house and slowly approached the tall figure outside the courtyard gate, with a touch of relief.

Whatever the case, she had let go. She thanked them, thanked them for giving her time to handle all this. She knew her actions could not be hidden from the master of this place, and she had not intended to hide them anyway.

The full moon hung at his treetop, the canopy forming a patch of shadowy land beneath him. The supposedly stiff painted face on the tree trunk seemed to flow constantly, and those cat-like eyes had an emerald green light shining within them, lively, eerie, frightening.

Gazing up at the Ancient Tree, Shajia said softly, “I am ready.”

“Then shall we begin?” A voice sounded in her mind.

Shajia was confused. “Begin what?”

“The story, your story?” The Ancient Tree extended a vine, pointing towards the back of the house, forming a ferocious snake Shadow on the ground.

A trace of bitterness appeared on Shajia’s face. So that was it? He just wanted to hear a story. Our life and death, ultimately, were just a story, a story to satisfy curiosity.

She sniffled. “Do you really want to hear it?”

In the Ancient Tree’s silence, she began to narrate softly: “My father was a Knight, a respected Knight…”

…

Eileen and Zoya sat back-to-back in the courtyard. The sound of the Ancient Tree leaving the manor gate woke them. The two young girls, both preoccupied with their own thoughts, got out of bed simultaneously from their respective rooms.

The courtyard was truly beautiful: the scent of flowers, the chirping of insects, interspersed with the occasional sleepy chirp of a nestling from the grass. This place had always been quiet and peaceful, as long as those three Monsters didn’t make a fuss.

Now they were all gone, and the place seemed even more serene and tranquil.

But the tranquility was only on the surface. After Bran and Huahua left, everyone felt anxious inside, except for the Ancient Tree, except for Danny. This could be seen from the behavior of the people in the City Manor. People’s smiles lacked a bit of ease, a bit of confidence.

Everyone in the manor knew that Bran and Huahua were one. Even though they had never seen Huahua take action, they could guess a lot just by observing the attitude of the Northlanders.

In previous times, Bran at least left Huahua behind. But this time?

They couldn’t think of who in this World, or what, could harm Bran. Even though Bran said he was no match for Lily, people in the manor were only half-convinced, because his answer came too readily.

Bran was the first Great Wizard of the Northlands, while Lily was merely a latercomer. They still remembered the whispers that made the entire Northland City tremble. How could such a person have an opponent?

After Bran left, Danny calmly arranged everything, with ease and confidence. When Bran or Huahua were still here, perhaps it wasn’t so noticeable. But now, they understood why Danny could stand by Bran’s side, while others could not.

The two suddenly realized that their greatest rival was not each other, but the one they had always admired and always overlooked. This was a competition that had ended before it even began. They were already family. Perhaps they hadn’t realized it yet, but as they gradually grew up, as certain matters were put on the agenda, Bran would realize sooner or later. Then, what would they do?

This caused the two, who had originally felt some mutual aversion, to begin drawing closer these past few days, leaning on each other, trying to find a sliver of comfort in shared misery.

Under the moonlight, the two young girls sat quietly, indescribably beautiful.

…

Lily sat cross-legged facing the moonlight, and the Little Wizards imitated her. A Black Cat abruptly appeared before Lily, startling her awake. The full moon in the sky seemed to transform into the Black Cat’s vertical pupils, the moonlight turning into Shadow that swept down.

“Huahua!” With a mix of surprise and delight, Lily cried out involuntarily, then punched hard towards his head. As expected, her hand met empty air; Huahua disappeared.

The Little Wizards were also startled awake, opening their eyes one after another.

Bran had come, and she hadn’t sensed him in advance. Was this a test? In this piece of heaven and earth, she hadn’t detected Bran’s presence.

Bran did not belong to this piece of heaven and earth; he was forever just a foreign object. She once thought so, and still thought so now. As long as Bran continued to build his own World, then he would always only be a foreign object. No matter how he hid, no matter how skillfully he concealed himself.

Lily slowly closed her eyes. She was the darling of this piece of heaven and earth; the heaven and earth were her canvas. She might not know what was hidden in the dark, but she would definitely know that something was hidden in the dark.

Bran stood on the city wall, merging with the Night. He smiled, looking down at the little girl who used to pester him for stories when she was young, now transformed into a spirited and imposing young woman.

An aura unfolded from the young woman, as if this piece of heaven and earth belonged to her. And he was being squeezed out bit by bit. The Night swayed around him, seemingly trying to shake him loose.

Black mist rose from the ground, hollowing out a piece of this heaven and earth, enveloping Lily, enveloping the Little Wizards. In my heaven and earth, how can you find me?

However, before he could even feel smug, Bran felt as if he had swallowed a sun. And this action seemed to anger this piece of heaven and earth. Accompanied by a silent roar, a great force tore open his World, tightly shielding Lily.

Dizzy and seeing stars, he felt someone land beside him. An excited young girl’s voice reached his ears, “Got you!”