The Past Is Too Painful to Recall

Once inside, it was indeed just like in the game: layer upon layer of deep, secluded gates and courtyards, grand gardens and mountain scenery set against towering gates and massive halls, all lending the place an imposing grandeur. Hidden within these mountains was such a manor-like complex, its splendor forming a stark contrast with the gloomy passageway outside. It was truly breathtaking.

Gao Xu had no mind to appreciate the scenery. Instead, he focused entirely on finding cover, doing his best to conceal himself while searching for where the abducted girls were being held.

The battle and conversation between Lin Tiannan, the Snake Demon, and the Fox Demon earlier had been part of a fixed plotline, explaining why Lin Tiannan had failed to appear in time later on.

There had been one enormous regret in Gao Xu's original plans, something he had been unable to remedy because his strength had not been sufficient to account for everything. Yet this fixed plotline had now given him an excellent opportunity to infiltrate the Snake Demon's lair ahead of time. Gao Xu had barely hesitated before choosing to take the risk and sneak inside.

Faint voices came from within the cave dwelling. Gao Xu moved with extreme speed, following the sounds until he arrived before a stone chamber.

Just as his hands touched the stone door, scene after scene involuntarily resurfaced before Gao Xu's eyes. His hand trembled slightly, and he froze.

"Hero, have you come to save me? That's wonderful!!!"

"I can finally see Father again. He's getting old, and his legs aren't very nimble anymore. I wonder whether his old illness has relapsed this past year? I'm so worried..."

"I don't want to die... I don't want to die... I still have to go home and take care of Father... Hero, didn't you say you could save us? Wh... y... mmph..."

That face filled with heartfelt joy and admiration!

That smiling face, chattering all the way about her worries and trivialities!

And...

That profound terror, confusion, and despair!

He still remembered how, after narrowly escaping death that time, he had spent the following month waking from similar nightmares every night. The moment he closed his eyes, he saw girls cut in half at the waist by a giant sickle, their intestines, lungs, blood, and flesh spilling across the ground, yet still clinging tightly to his legs as they wept and questioned him over and over. Their delicate faces were smeared with blood and tears, grief and fear.

Girls who had been so vibrant and full of life moments ago had turned into "candles" severed at the waist. The two scenes overlapped, finally freezing on a coquettish face. Crocodile tears slid down her cheeks as she murmured, "Actually, I didn't want it to be this way either, but my charm skill is too low-level. If I don't find a way to make all of you mentally collapse, the chances of failure will be much greater~"

"Tang Mei'er!!!"

Thinking of the past, the hatred in Gao Xu's heart swiftly surged to its peak. His eyes turned bloodshot, and his face twisted into something incomparably savage. Fortunately, he was no longer the inexperienced man he had once been. He quickly reined in his emotions, and after several deep breaths, regained his calm.

To prevent the girls inside the stone chamber from crying out at the sight of a stranger and attracting the Snake Demon, Gao Xu first knocked lightly on the stone door. When a thin girl opened it and peered outside in confusion, he pulled her aside.

The girl's face immediately went pale with fright, but Gao Xu was quick enough to stop her scream in her throat.

Gao Xu knew these girls had been imprisoned for too long and were as skittish as startled birds. He hurriedly explained everything in a gentle tone. Only after seeing her nod did he release her.

"Sir, have you come to save us? Did you drive away the King and Madam?" The girl examined Gao Xu. Apparently won over by his bearing, she immediately looked at him with eyes full of hope and longing.

Hearing those familiar words, Gao Xu felt a stab of pain in his heart. He shook his head. "Miss, listen to me. We are still in danger. Go back into the stone chamber immediately and tell the others that I have come. Make sure they do not make any noise. Continue as usual, and let everything remain unchanged!"

The girl nodded, bent at the waist, and returned to the stone chamber. Before long, she poked her head out again and waved for Gao Xu to enter.

Once inside, Gao Xu discovered that the chamber was very simply furnished. Aside from stone beds and stone tables, there were several looms, likely used to make clothes for the Fox Demon.

There were more than a dozen girls in the stone chamber. Every one of them had pale skin and sallow faces. The braver ones looked at Gao Xu with hopeful eyes, while the more timid ones hugged their knees and buried their heads, like ostriches.

The thin girl from earlier was named Xuehui. She was the daughter of a private-school teacher in Suzhou City and had received a fair education. Among all the abducted girls, she held the greatest authority.

True to the name Xuehui, she was intelligent and clear-minded. This could be seen from the very first thing she said, which directly concerned the Snake Demon and Fox Demon.

When Gao Xu had avoided answering earlier, intense disappointment had already appeared on Xuehui's face. Yet she remained very calm and asked Gao Xu to carry word home and reassure their families. The other girls, hearing this, lost all hope of escape, and tears immediately began to flow. For a time, sobbing filled the chamber.

Gao Xu waited quietly as Xuehui comforted the other girls one by one. Looking at her with approval, he felt there was no need to beat around the bush with her and said directly, "I truly have come to save you, but this rescue may be very different from what you imagined!"

Xuehui blinked and hurriedly asked what he meant. Gao Xu paused slightly, as though considering his words, but in the end, it became a sigh. "Perhaps none of you would expect that in a little over half an hour, a group of martial arts heroes will come here, knock open the stone door, and claim they have come to save you..."

This should have been good news, but Gao Xu's expression and tone clearly told the girls that things were not so simple. Sure enough, the turn came next. "But they have not come sincerely to save anyone. They have come to curry favor with the lord of Lin Family Fort and exterminate demons!"

"Exterminate demons... save people... aren't those the same thing?" one of the braver girls asked in confusion.

"If they truly had the strength to drive away the Snake Demon and Fox Demon occupying this place, then yes, they would be the same thing!" Gao Xu gave a bitter smile and spoke words that terrified the girls. "Unfortunately, they do not. Therefore, they must resort to certain cruel and bloody methods. One of them is using your lives to enrage the Fox Demon!"

"But aren't demon hunters all great heroes and good people? How could they..."

The moment he said this, noisy discussions erupted. Most of the girls declared their disbelief, while some could only tremble in terror and cry softly. Only Xuehui looked thoughtful. After pondering for a while, she asked three questions in succession. "Why were you able to arrive here before them, sir? How did you learn of their plan? And in your opinion, how should we unfortunate women respond?"

Gao Xu smiled faintly and replied without haste, "Those are good questions. I was able to arrive here first because Miss Dongmei of Lin Family Fort asked me to rescue her cousin Xiaohui. Lord Lin takes this demon-extermination operation very seriously. Earlier, he even had us rest for several hours to recover our strength. During that time, I happened to overhear their unspeakable secrets. As for how you should respond, I would first like to ask Miss Xuehui something. How do you feel the Snake Demon and Fox Demon have treated you?"

At the mention of Dongmei's name, a strange glint flashed through Xuehui's eyes before quickly vanishing. Faced with Gao Xu's question, she immediately replied, "To be honest, the King and Madam have not treated us harshly. They are not as frightening as the demons in the stories. But we all want to return home and serve our parents. We do not wish to remain in this sunless place."

"I see that although your constitutions are weak, there are no wounds on your bodies. I assume the Snake Demon and Fox Demon have not abused you, which is why I asked. I understand that you are eager to return home, but you have only one life. Will you seek momentary satisfaction, only to bring your families the terrible news of permanent separation? Or will you seek lasting safety, endure a few more days if necessary, and ultimately be reunited with them? Think carefully about which path you should take!"

Gao Xu also knew there was little use in saying more under such circumstances, so he laid everything bare and placed the cruel truth before them without reserve. "I hope you understand one thing: if you wish to escape safely, the most important matter is whether those coming to save you can defeat the Snake Demon and Fox Demon. Otherwise, no matter how many sweet words they offer, they will amount to nothing but flowers in a mirror and the moon in water!"

After saying this, Gao Xu turned and left. He had said everything that needed to be said and had done all he could. If these girls refused to heed his warning and still allowed Tang Mei'er to manipulate them into sacrificial pawns, then all he could do was sigh in regret. He would no longer bear any burden of conscience.

Leaving the stone chamber, Gao Xu estimated that Tang Mei'er and the others would be arriving soon, so he headed toward the cave entrance. Yet just as he rounded a corner, a flash of red suddenly entered his sight...