The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 88: This Seat Has Met the Second Reincarnator

He abruptly lifted his head, following the sound.

At the end of the path appeared a figure draped in a floor-length black cloak with golden embroidery. Tall and upright, his entire body was concealed beneath the fabric, with even his face veiled by black gauze, revealing only a pair of eyes that were indistinct in the night.

In that person's hand was a blade.

Narrow and sleek, its entire length was a deep black, sharp and unstoppable.

Return Not.

"Who are you!"

"It doesn't matter who I am," the man said coldly, his voice strangely distorted as if deliberately twisted. "All that matters is that I know you."

Mo Ran felt a chill, but he remained composed, suppressing his unease.

"I'm merely a disciple from the Peak of Life and Death. What's the point of you knowing me?"

"A disciple of Death and Life Peak? Huh, indeed. But have you forgotten that you are also Heaven-Stepping Lord, the Empyrean of the Human Realm, a vengeful spirit who killed your master to attain enlightenment and escaped from the realm of the dead?"

Each word he spoke froze Mo Ran's blood a little more, plunging him into an icy chasm.

Heaven-Stepping Lord.

Slaughtered in seventy-two cities of Rúfēng.

Empyrean of the Human Realm.

Wedded the most beautiful woman in the world, killed his master and kin, and ascended to the pinnacle of humanity.

The man said coldly, "You are Mo Weiyu."

Mo Weiyu.

Inexcusably wicked, deserving of eternal damnation.

Mo Weiyu, you deserve to be brutally torn apart on the precipice of life and death, with your heart dug out and your eyes gouged, never to have a complete corpse!

"Who are you!!"

Mo Ran's eyes blazed crimson, all traces of innocence vanished from his face, replaced solely by the ferocity and malevolence of a demonic entity. He stood towering at the end of the corridor, ready to seize the other person's throat in the next instant, to shatter those titles he never wished to hear again into dust within the gullet!

The figure lifted their hand swathed in black gauze, and in an instant, the lengthy passageway froze layer upon layer into glittering ice crystals, utterly isolating the space where the two of them stood.

"You can no longer summon that blade now," the figure approached steadily, stopping about ten paces in front of him. "The Emperor of the Human Realm... perhaps it would be more appropriate to call you Mo Ran now? How amusing. Have you truly taken a good look at yourself as you are now?"

"A heart that was once as hard as iron has softened in the company of Chu Wanning, and I must admit, I have developed genuine affection for him."

"Rebirth, rebirth, where is the person I vowed to protect in my past life?"

Mo Ran's expression drastically changed. "Shi Mo? ! What did you do to Shi Mo? !"

He neither answered nor spoke, but merely issued a cold laugh. "Do you know why you cannot call back the Unreturning Blade?" His fingertips leisurely traced over the blade's profound, dense surface. "It is because your soul is destined to change, and your hatred, to disperse... In the moment of your death, you will regret a lifetime's inability to keep your virtuous Senior Brother Mingjing unscathed. You once wished that should there be another life... you would surely not fail him."

Those piercing, startling eyes suddenly lifted.

"Mo Ran, did you do it?!"

"I—"

"The barrier between the Ghost Realm is about to break, and history will repeat itself. Are you prepared to watch him die again, his soul destroyed, while begging for Chu Wanning's mercy on your knees? You're squandering this second chance at life; you don't deserve to touch Nevermore again."

"I don't need you to tell me!" Mo Ran snapped. "What happened between Shi Mo and me is none of your business! Since you know that I'm a reincarnated soul, who are you? A fake Gouchen? Or perhaps another old ghost who came back from the dead like me?"

"Hmm..." The figure chuckled softly. "An old ghost who returned from the dead... Yes, that's right. Otherwise, do you really think you're the only one favored by heaven to be reborn in this world?"

Who is it?

Faces, blurry and indistinct, raced through his mind.

The people who had died before him in his previous life.

Xue Zhengyong, Madame Wang, Chu Wanning, Song Qiutong, Ye Wangxi...

Or those who had forced their way up to the Mountain Temple to mourn his passing.

Xue Meng, Mei Hanxue, the leaders of the Ten Great Sects...

Who... Who is it??

Who discovered his secret, seized his vulnerability, and crossed the boundary between life and death to chase him down, pushing him towards a desperate end? Who is it??

In the blink of an eye, the figure before him shifted. The man's clothes billowed as he suddenly stood right in front of Mo Ran. Despite his rebirth, this man's strength was still formidable, and Mo Ran was instantly alarmed.

The Unreturning Edge was already pressed against his chest; a slight push would pierce through flesh and damage his vital meridians.

"Mo Weiyu, I once thought you were deeply devoted, but perhaps your Senior Brother Mingjing was just too unfortunate. Even after being reborn, you still don't give a damn about him," Mo Ran ground out through gritted teeth, "Nonsense."

"Nonsense?" The man sneered coldly, pressing a hand against Mo Ran's throat, then sliding it slowly down to his chest, "How much space have you reserved for him in your heart? That tiny bit of nostalgia you had for him must have worn away long ago. Is there anything left?"

Mo Ran seethed, "Do I not know better than you who's in my heart? Why bother with all these idle words when you could just remove your veil and show yourself to me?"

"Not so eager to see me yet," the man's voice was like smoke and mist, his gaze equally elusive, carrying a mocking disdain, "When you're on your deathbed in this life, I'll let you have a good look."

"You're the one who's going to die, you—"

His words were cut short as he suddenly felt an icy chill seeping into his bones. Mo Ran looked down and saw that the man's ice spikes had somehow climbed onto his body.

Ice Spell, ice spikes... Water element...

Who was it? In his previous life, who could have cast such a spell...

With too many foes he had encountered, his mind became cluttered when he tried to recall.

Xue Meng, Fire.

Chu Wanning, Metal, Wood.

Ye Wangxi, Earth.

Xue Zhengyong, Earth.

Who was it? He couldn't recall who possessed such immense power to manipulate frost.

"You're right. I am bound to die as well. However, Mo Weiyu, that will be a very, very long time from now."

His entire body was swiftly encased in icy frost.

This person's strength was terrifying. The moment Mo Ran exerted a bit of spiritual energy to resist the ice, he felt an overwhelming force pounce upon him fiercely.

This person's strength was on par with, if not surpassing, Chu Wanning's!

Water-aligned.

Who was this? !

In the blink of an eye, a vague face seemed to flash before his eyes, but before he could discern it, his throat was seized by the stranger.

Black-gloved fingertips brushed against his neck, and the man's eyes were dark and lifeless.

"My lifespan is none of your concern, Your Majesty the Empyrean," he drawled. "Allow me to first remind you of the bonds of humanity, so that you won't neglect your duties and foil my grand plan."

"Ugh—!"

A soft snort echoed.

A mournful cry pierced through the flesh of the previous owner.

"The wound isn't deep. I only need your blood to seal an imprint."

True to his word, the man smeared some of the blood on the wound and then touched it to Mo Ran's forehead, muttering under his breath.

Mo Ran felt an intense pain in his head and cursed fiercely, "F*ck your mother! Were you minced by me in my past life or did I curse your ancestors for eighteen generations? Damn it, what the hell do you want?!"

"Hush, don't move. It's just a spell of kindness."

"I don't give a damn if it's a spell of kindness or disgust. Can't you just stop disgusting me? Get lost!!"

"Mo Ran," the man sighed softly as he drew a rune slowly on Mo Ran's forehead, "how could you bear to make me leave?" He paused before murmuring the incantation again, "If the heart is not like water, the will cannot be still; the gate of the heart... opens."

Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed at his chest!

"You..."

The ice curse suddenly lifted, and Mo Ran stumbled, his face pale as he slowly knelt on the ground.

"You still haven't thanked me," the man in black lowered his eyelids, his expression indifferent as he gazed down at him for a moment before saying coolly, "I have amplified all the emotions in your heart. Your loves and hates are now more distinct. This way, you should finally see clearly what's in your own heart, right? If even after this, you still don't know to do everything in your power to protect Shi Mo, and be willing to die a thousand deaths for him, then you... truly are useless, just a disposable pawn!"

So this Kindness Curse was meant to intensify one's feelings of love and hatred, making them more vivid?

Why would this person go to such lengths to preserve Shi Mo's life...

...a water elemental...

These were the final jumbled thoughts that raced through his mind before his consciousness began to fade.

With a thud, Mo Ran fell to the ground, his long, dense eyelashes casting shadows on his cheeks. The man in black stared at him coldly for a moment before slowly bending down. He first checked Mo Ran's pulse, pondered for a while, and then raised his hand, a ball of blue light condensing in his palm.

"Erasure," the man in black whispered softly. The blue glow intensified, and Mo Ran's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

When he awoke, he would only remember having summoned the Divine Martial, but it not appearing. All other events would be forgotten; he would never know of another person who had been reborn in this world.

The effect of the Kindness Spell, though only lasting for a few days, could effectively guide those in confusion toward their true feelings.

"The spell amplifies emotions. When you wake up, you might find yourself falling even more in love with Shi Mingjing, so much that you'd be willing to dig out your heart for him," the man in black said coolly.

"Until we meet again, Emperor of Trampling the Immortals."

After a night of turmoil, everything settled down. The next morning, Mo Ran opened his eyes and found himself still lying beside Chu Wanning's bed. He turned his head slightly. It seemed the window in the guest room had been blown open by the wind during the night, half-closed and half-open, gently swinging with the morning breeze and creaking against the wooden frame.

The room was quiet. Without looking at the bed, Mo Ran knew that Chu Wanning was still asleep.

Outside the Half-Curtained Pavilion window was a crab-apple blue sky. The sun had yet to break through the clouds, and early mornings were often pale and colorless. The sun had not yet bestowed its warmth upon it. Few people were awake, and even fewer bothered to dress up or warm their weary, haggard faces.

In the breeze blowing in, there was a hint of the pungent scent of dewy grass.

Mo Ran lay there for a moment, letting his consciousness return. Then he sat up, only to feel a sharp pain in his shoulder.

Strange, when did his clothes tear, revealing dried blood underneath?

He was stunned for a moment.

Didn't you go out last night to search for the Unreturning? I remember it didn't react, so it must have been a fake. After that...

Ah, I can't recall.

Looking around, he noticed a protruding nail on the dark brown floor. Perhaps that was what had scratched him; had he really slept so soundly to be unaware of it?

Pulling on his robe, he got up and looked at the bed.

Chu Wanning was still lying there, high and mighty as usual. Although Mo Ran had long grown accustomed to being beneath him, settling for scraps like the floor at the foot of the bed for a night's rest, he inexplicably felt furious today. Staring at the man's profile, he gritted his teeth.

"Why do I always have to sleep on the floor while you get the bed? Respecting your elders is right, but isn't there also a saying about caring for the young?"

Mo Ran was distinctly displeased.

Thinking about the nail on the floor that had injured him for no reason, his resentment grew.

It was still early, and he wasn't willing to suffer any longer by sleeping on the ground. He decided to simply lie down on the bed and catch some more shut-eye.

The two of them, one facing left and the other right, occupied the spacious bed without touching each other.

Once we embraced in dreams, now we sleep divided by a boundary.

In our previous life, our bodies were intertwined, so close that during our most fervent days, he wouldn't even withdraw after our intimate moments each night. Yet, here we are now, lying at opposite ends of the same large bed, drifting into slumber like this.

Author's Note: Merry Christmas, everyone! There will be a flashback scene tomorrow involving some steamy action!

Today, there's a lovely Christmas illustration drawn by doublesaya, depicting Master Fei as a modern teacher and Shi Mo as his student, with a white cat sneaking cake and a puppy stealing a kiss from the cat, 2333~ Plus, there are adorable q versions of Shi Mo and Mengmeng, with Mengmeng's expression being absolutely adorable, a hundred points for sure!

You can find it at the link: shu#

Alternatively, you can check it out on Weibo, where I've already shared it. Just search for "Plump Devil King" on Weibo!