The impression Shen Yebai had of Qin Moyu when he first met him was so deep that not only could Shen Yebai not forget the boy with the bright smile, but Shen Mo also missed the innocent and passionate Qin Moyu.
He had planned for so long, and the day after he finally achieved his goal, he started to regret it.
Shen Mo smiled bitterly, suppressing the slight bitterness in his heart as he sensed Qin Moyu was about to come out, at least outwardly there was no problem.
As soon as Qin Moyu came out, he saw Shen Mo standing there and quickly walked towards him.
“Shen…”
It was really difficult for Qin Moyu to calmly call out the word "senior." She had only said it out of respect for Shen Yu because Shen Yu was also there. Now that they were alone, she just couldn't bring herself to say it.
Shen Mo knew about his inner struggle and didn't mind the empty address. He even said, "You don't have to force yourself. You can call me by my name."
When he mentioned his name, Shen Mo paused noticeably, because he suddenly remembered that his real name was not Shen Mo, but Shen Yebai.
Mo was a name given to him by his father after his mother's death to commemorate her. When Shen Yebai was separated from his own soul, his father gave him his real name. Over the years, he had almost forgotten what his real name was.
“But…” Qin Moyu frowned. He felt that he was not familiar with Shen Mo, and the other party was much more powerful than him. Calling him by his name seemed too disrespectful.
“It’s alright, you’re used to calling me that anyway. Didn’t Shen Yu just tell you about that rumor? Actually, it’s not a rumor. My real name is Shen Yebai,” Shen Mo said.
His intention was not to let Qin Moyu dwell on such trivial matters, but he did not expect Qin Moyu's reaction to be so intense.
"You are not Ye Bai!"
Qin Moyu said resolutely, looking stubbornly at Shen Mo. His eyes reflected a familiar face, but he looked at him as if he were a stranger.
With mixed feelings, Shen Mo turned around and said softly to Qin Moyu with his back to her, "Whatever you say."
For a fleeting moment, Shen Mo even began to feel jealous of Shen Yebai.
Even now, Qin Moyu still stubbornly remembers Shen Yebai, who is only a fragment of his soul, a feeling that Shen Mo has never had.
Shen Mo silently summoned a flying sword—this flying sword was very similar to Shen Yebai's, only obviously made of more precious materials—and invited Qin Moyu up: "The Demon Lord lives in the suburbs, come up."
As he spoke, he extended his hand to Qin Moyu.
Qin Moyu had no suspicions and grabbed Shen Mo's hand to board the flying sword.
Unlike Mo Jin's heavy sword, Shen Mo's longsword had very little room to stand on. Even though neither of them was fat, the two big men were still cramped and almost touching each other when they stood on it.
Qin Moyu and Shen Yebai hadn't felt anything wrong with flying on their swords before, but now that Shen Mo was the one they were close to, they felt completely uncomfortable.
But this awkwardness vanished without a trace when Shen Mo flew into the sky on his sword and looked down at the imperial city, Qin Moyu's entire focus was on the scenery below.
As a powerful force that has stood for many years, the Southern Kingdom's royal palace is naturally magnificent. When viewed from above, it appears even more elegant and imposing. The imperial city outside the palace is even more prosperous. It was dinnertime, and smoke rose from the chimneys everywhere. People dressed in simple clothes and wearing brocade hats strolled through the streets and alleys, creating a scene of peace and prosperity.
“This is the peace and prosperity that every emperor of the Southern Kingdom has longed for,” Shen Mo said.
Qin Moyu's tense heart relaxed a lot in this harmonious scene. He thought of the tragedy in the Abyss and Shen Yanlan who died far from home, and couldn't help but sigh: "If only it could always be like this."
Shen Mo looked at Qin Moyu, who was immersed in the scenery, and his sharp features seemed to soften a lot in the warmth of human life: "Yes."
In fact, with his cultivation level, he didn't need to fly on a sword at all. He could take Qin Moyu to the Demon Lord's residence in just a few seconds. However, he didn't want Qin Moyu to remain immersed in sadness. He knew that Qin Moyu liked such lively scenes, so he deliberately said that he would fly there on a sword, just for this scene on the way.
—It takes more time, but it's worth it, isn't it?
Shen Mo's lips curled up slightly, his eyes revealing a tenderness he himself didn't realize.
…………
After that little incident, although the atmosphere between Qin Moyu and Shen Mo was still not harmonious, it was not as stiff as it had been at the beginning. When they successfully arrived at the Demon Lord's residence and started to talk about serious matters, they both tacitly forgot about the entanglement between them for the time being.
"Do you know who sealed the Path to Heaven?" This was the first thing Shen Mo said.
Qin Moyu recalled the white-clad man in his dream, and a vague guess formed in his mind.
really--
"Could it be Xiang Mei?" the Demon Lord asked, frowning.
She didn't believe that Shen Mo hadn't investigated who sealed the Path to Heaven, but since he had, why did he specifically ask about it? Was there some hidden story behind it?
"No, it's him."
Shen Mo's gaze was deep as he looked at the Demon Lord: "But he only designed the formation. He wasn't the one who truly wanted to seal the Path to Heaven. Senior, haven't you ever had any doubts all these years?"
"Suspicion?" the Demon Lord asked, puzzled. "Suspicion of what?"
"I wonder if everything you've been through was a choice you made yourself, or a destiny that was predetermined."
Shen Mo's words echoed in the room, but only deathly silence answered him.
Do you know what you're saying?
After a long silence, the Demon Lord spoke in a hoarse voice, and intricate patterns appeared on her face.
This is how demonic cultivators behave when they lose control of their emotions.
“You weren’t completely oblivious, were you?” Shen Mo shattered the Demon Lord’s illusions once again, piercing the hidden scars in her heart with the most blunt words. “Your life has always been filled with endless pursuit and perfectly timed miracles. If you truly believed that the murderer who killed your entire family was your Daoist partner, then you wouldn’t have buried him at Duxin Lake.”
Everyone says that the Demon Lord loves the tranquility of Duxin Lake, which is why she can stay in seclusion for many years. But they don't know that there is another important reason why she refuses to leave, besides recuperating from her injuries: that is, the one buried in Duxin Lake is her Daoist partner—the one whom the Demon Lord killed with his own hands.
Qin Moyu's heart trembled slightly as she recalled the story of the Demon Lord that Shen Mo had told her on the way.
The Demon Lord was born into a well-known family in the Western Continent. She was the beloved eldest daughter of the family, but she was more famous for her arrogance than for her talent.
This pampered young lady, who grew up in luxury, became the only surviving member of her family.