Deceitful Demon Heart

The soundproof field abruptly vanished.

In the dead-silent cafeteria, even the air seemed to freeze.

Xia Yan's mountain-like frame turned toward Chu He, and his booming voice crashed down with unquestionable authority.

"Kid, come with me!"

Chu He's heart tightened. He instinctively looked at Xia Yao.

But Xia Yao only reached out and gently brushed his cheek with her cool fingertips. Her pitch-black eyes reflected nothing but his image, focused and pure.

"Don't be afraid."

Her voice was soft, yet carried a reassuring strength.

"As long as your feelings for me are genuine, you'll be fine."

Chu He's mind buzzed.

There was so much to unpack in those words!

They had only met yesterday afternoon, slept together that night, met her family today, and now he was facing the ultimate test of whether his feelings were genuine! Things weren't even moving this fast in a rocket!

Xia Yao couldn't have made her meaning clearer. The key to the test ahead was "genuine feelings."

But... were his feelings for her genuine?

Chu He searched his heart. Everything had happened too fast, so fast that even he felt a little dazed.

Standing off to the side, Xia Yan's face was livid. Seeing his own niece act like she'd completely forgotten which side she was on left him feeling stifled, but he couldn't very well lose his temper.

He'd originally prepared a whole routine, planning to scare off this human kid who didn't know his place with a few terrifying sights.

But now, he'd changed his mind.

Ordinary intimidation probably wouldn't work on someone who could wrap his niece around his finger.

His precious niece was practically turning into a lovesick fool.

He'd have to get serious and strip away every last one of the kid's disguises!

Xia Yan said coldly, "All right. We'll do it here. I've changed my mind!"

Without another word, he turned and went back into the kitchen. A moment later, he came out carrying a silver tray.

"Bang!"

He slammed the tray onto the table. The crash made everyone's heart jolt.

The object on the tray seemed to lower the temperature in the entire cafeteria by several degrees.

It was a heart.

A pitch-black heart, still beating faintly. Strange, twisted, dark-red demonic markings covered its surface, and with each beat, they seemed to come alive, flashing with an ominous crimson light.

[Dragon Country Livestream]

"Holy crap! What is that thing? It looks evil!"

"A heart? What's that big guy planning to do?"

"Something's not right! God Chu's in for it this time!"

The hearts of Dragon Country's viewers seemed to beat in time with the organ, all of them on tenterhooks.

Xia Yan looked down at Chu He, his voice devoid of warmth, like a Siberian cold front.

"This is the 'Deceitful Demon Heart.' It feeds on lies."

He extended a thick finger and tapped the heart.

"Hold it in your hand. If even half a word you say is false, it'll drain your life force in an instant and turn you into a dried-out corpse."

"But if your feelings are genuine..." Xia Yan paused, the corner of his mouth twisting into a cruel smile. "It'll wither."

A chill ran down Chu He's spine. It was practically a death sentence.

Xia Yao's expression changed at once. She started to speak, but Xia Yan stopped her with a stern, knife-sharp glare.

Everyone in the livestream understood what was going on.

"FUCK! It's a trap! Chu He definitely approached that female ghost to save his own skin. How could his feelings be genuine?"

"It's over. He's dead for sure! There's no way out of this!"

"Not necessarily. Maybe Chu He fell in love with the female ghost at first sight, or maybe she already won him over in bed."

"Could happen, but everything moved too fast. Look at God Chu's face—he's shocked and scared! He doesn't even know what he feels!"

"Experts in Dragon Country, hurry up and think of something!"

At Dragon Country's command center, everyone had gone deathly pale. They understood better than anyone that in the National Destiny Game, survival came first. Using the rules and the supernatural beings were all survival strategies. Under the Deceitful Demon Heart's judgment, that original motive was a sin—a lie!

Yet under everyone's watchful eyes, Chu He suddenly smiled.

His mind flashed back to the absurd events of the past two days: Xia Yao's bizarre thought process, learning how to date from some brainless novel despite her icy exterior; the petite figure she'd put in front of him to protect him.

This girl was cute, powerful, and lonely.

Being with her was thrilling, but it really was... wonderful.

Meeting Xia Yan's judging gaze, he calmly reached out. As Xia Yao watched anxiously, he took the still-beating black heart in his hand.

It was cold and slick beneath his palm, its powerful beats pulsing against him. An evil will began creeping from his palm toward his mind.

"Uncle," Chu He said, his voice calm and clear as it rang through the cafeteria. "I admit that at first, I approached Xia Yao to stay alive."

The instant he finished speaking, the red light on the Deceitful Demon Heart flared. It greedily began draining Chu He's life force!

Killing intent flashed in Xia Yan's eyes. The hand gripping his bone knife bulged with veins!

Xia Yao's whole body tensed with worry. She was almost ready to intervene, whatever the consequences!

But Chu He's next words froze everyone and every supernatural being in place.

"But that was only 'at first'!"

His voice suddenly rose. He looked straight at Xia Yao, his eyes filled with remorse, tenderness, and a resolve he'd never shown before.

"Things are different now!"

"I spent a night with her unlike anything anyone else could imagine. I learned how lonely she was beneath that seemingly powerful exterior. I want to stay by her side and protect her—not because of her strength, but because in this cold, eerie world, she's the only one who's given me the purest warmth! I want to bring her warmth, too."

"My feelings are genuine, regardless of my past motives for staying alive!"

"They're about me—and the future I want to create with her!"

Those words exploded in Xia Yan's mind like a thunderclap!

The exploitation of the past had been a lie!

The promise of the future was real!

These two utterly opposing emotions existing in the same heart were an impossible, fatal logic virus for the Deceitful Demon Heart, which only understood binary choices!

"Bzzz—!"

The heart let out a shrill wail. The red light that devoured life and the dead-gray light that represented truth began flashing back and forth wildly. The two forces collided violently inside it, making its beats faster and more erratic by the second!

It had fallen into a logical paradox unlike anything it had ever faced!

"Cr... Crack!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out. The demonic markings on the Deceitful Demon Heart fractured one by one, and cracks spread across its surface.

"Bang!"

Finally, with a muffled boom, the heart could no longer withstand the conflicting forces. It burst apart, scattering black dust that vanished into the air.

It... had been talked to death!

Xia Yan's mountain-like frame swayed.

He looked at Chu He's perfectly unharmed hand, which didn't even have a speck of soot on it, then at Chu He's smiling face. For the first time, Xia Yan's pitch-black eyes showed utter disbelief.

This kid...

He'd actually talked the Deceitful Demon Heart into... breaking down?!

After hearing those words, Xia Yao was deeply moved, her eyes reddening. Now that she saw Chu He was safe, she couldn't hold back any longer. Once again, she clung tightly to him and buried her face in the hollow of his neck.

Chu He felt Xia Yao's body grow very light.

Xia Yan glared at Chu He, anger, shock, and admiration mingling on his face. At last, they gave way to a meaningful snort. "Not bad. But a silver tongue won't necessarily save your life. The real test is in the kitchen!"

With that, he turned sharply, his enormous shadow looming over Chu He.

"Follow me!"