My Demon Friends-Chapter 488 - 470: Show Off Your Love Far Away_2
Rong Mingxia offered no response, simply letting him look.
Eventually, Huai Xu withdrew his gaze and asked Rong Mingxia, "Did he tell you he could help you, that he could give you power?"
Rong Mingxia lifted her head slightly, looking at him calmly.
Huai Xu pursed his lips into a smile, then fell silent again.
The cell fell quiet once more.
Then Zhou Li’s voice rang out; he had seemingly finally made a decision. "You went through a lot of trouble to escape from Beigao Te, only to end up wanting to stay in an even smaller place for a longer time?"
"This is my choice," Rong Mingxia stated.
"Don’t you want to get out? Don’t you want freedom?" Zhou Li asked, puzzled.
"Freedom..." Rong Mingxia smiled faintly, the first expression Zhou Li had seen on her face since they met. "Freedom can be running along a path through the rice paddies, it can be holding the hand of the person you love, or it can be taking a small step forward at the edge of a cliff... Freedom is the power to choose."
"So you chose to be jailed."
"It’s better than being there."
"So it was still a choice born of necessity," Zhou Li understood. "You feel you have no other options."
"Yes."
"You think the world outside is terrible," Zhou Li said again.
"Isn’t it?" Rong Mingxia fell silent again. "Just when I’d finally started to feel the world was beautiful, they ruined it all again."
"I see."
Zhou Li didn’t intend to delve deeper into this conversation, as it would turn into a debate—and a meaningless one at that. The end result would either be a standoff or simply the victor forcibly imposing their worldview onto the loser.
After a moment’s hesitation, he pulled a photo from his pocket; it was a photo of Rong Mingxia from the past.
He handed the photo over, whispering, "Think about it again. Maybe you can give yourself a chance... After all, thinking it over more can never be wrong."
Rong Mingxia extended her handcuffed hands and took the photo.
Looking at the unfamiliar girl in the photo, she remained silent, seemingly lost in thought or daydreaming again.
Zhou Li heard Yin Le’s phone call was about to end; he was currently asking his superiors about the next steps and speaking up for Rong Mingxia. He was trying to persuade them to influence the judicial process, considering the special circumstances, the nature of the event, and Rong Mingxia’s unique status. This young man was still quite naive.
At that moment, Rong Mingxia’s voice resurged somewhat unexpectedly, "Are there really unloving parents in this world?"
"Unfortunately, there are quite a few," Zhou Li replied.
"I used to scroll through video apps, watching clips online that said this universe is vast, and it wasn’t easy for life to emerge on Earth, so we should live well... If we can’t live the way we want, then what’s the point of struggling so hard to live?"
"Life isn’t long, but it’s not short either. Unfortunately, maybe our pasts weren’t good. Fortunately, our lives have just begun, and we’ve only just started to gain control over them," Zhou Li continued.
"Is that so..."
"I heard from Yin Le that you started working right after junior high, but you speak very logically. You must have had good grades before, right?" Zhou Li observed her quietly.
"Is that so..."
By then, Yin Le had hung up the phone and walked in. His gaze shifted back and forth between Zhou Li and Rong Mingxia. He didn’t say much and abandoned the previous topic, only saying, "Think about it carefully. I’ll come to see you again tomorrow morning. When I go out later, I’ll talk to them about improving your meals. Don’t be too scared, don’t overthink. I hope you can make the right choice then."
Rong Mingxia didn’t utter a sound.
Yin Le soon departed with Zhou Li; he needed to write a report on today’s events.
「It was ten-thirty at night.」
Zhou Li and Huai Xu walked side by side on campus.
"Why don’t you go home?"
"I haven’t stayed in the dormitory for a long time."
"TSK!" Huai Xu scoffed.
"Do you know that Demon?" Zhou Li knew Huai Xu reasonably well.
"I’m not sure, so I daren’t say."
"Tell me about it."
"No, it would be too embarrassing if I were proven wrong."
"There’s no one else around."
"Well, that’s true..." Huai Xu paused. "In ancient times, there was an infamous evil Demon, renowned in both the Heavenly Master Realm and the Demon Realm. Everyone called him the Confusing God."
"I think I’ve read about him in books," Zhou Li said.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Zhou Li thought for a moment. It did sound quite similar.
Among many evil Demons, the Confusing God was a legendary figure. Records about him were numerous, yet all very unclear.
Evidently, the Confusing God was extremely powerful.
Although many ancient deities, spirits, and monsters were related to Demons, it was rare for anyone to directly call a Demon a ’god,’ which in itself spoke volumes about that Demon’s capabilities.
The reason the people of the Yin Yang Temple called him the Evil God was because, during a certain period when relations between human kingdoms and the Demon Kingdom were tense, even leading to war. The world was troubled, with Demons appearing in many places, leaving behind many tales of Demons causing harm. This was especially true in remote areas; the more remote, the more susceptible they were to Demonic chaos. Yi Province was already mountainous, and the Yin Yang Temple was situated atop a large mountain, making it vulnerable to Demon attacks. However, the Evil God effortlessly protected the tranquility of the Yin Yang Temple for hundreds of years, serving as the Guardian God of the small mountain village.
In this regard, the origin of the name "Confusing God" was much more legendary than that of the "Evil God."
It was said that the Confusing God enjoyed helping those who had suffered great injustices. As if from a divine perspective, he helped people rise up and resist. However, their methods of resistance were brutal and bloody. Some books stated he would respond to people’s calls; others said he could sense people’s emotions; still others claimed he could amplify people’s emotions, leading them astray. In any case, those chosen by him often became fiends, and he sought no reward.
It seemed he did it merely for amusement.
However, no book had ever described the Confusing God’s appearance; it seemed no one had ever seen him. He was just a voice that appeared in the minds of the chosen, like an inner demon.
According to the historical records of Heavenly Masters, the Confusing God was inseparably linked to many periods of national turmoil. These included tyrannical rulers, uprisings against oppression, and rebellions, all of which caused widespread suffering and left the populace struggling to survive. Thus, there was a time when the Heavenly Master Realm even launched a campaign to hunt down the Confusing God, but unfortunately, it ended in vain.
"Have you ever seen the Confusing God?"
"No, I don’t even know who has seen him," Huai Xu said. "Perhaps in the entire Demon Kingdom, only two or three Demons might have seen him."
"Such as?"
"For example, the Elm King; she is the Lord of All Demons. Even an evil Demon like him, she might have seen. And our teacher—he certainly has the ability to find the Confusing God; it just depends on whether he wants to or not," Huai Xu analyzed, stroking his chin. "The Confusing God angered both the human and Demon Worlds. I heard Zhisha once led his subordinates to hunt him down. I don’t know the outcome, but most likely, they failed."
"I see..."
Zhou Li felt somewhat disappointed.
If even Zhisha leading the Blood Demons had failed, then this matter was truly difficult.
Blood Demons are predators among their kind, naturally possessing strong abilities to hunt other Demons. They might not be weaker than Huai Xu, just not as fast. Moreover, Blood Demons are formidable fighters. Zhisha is even more capable in combat than Huai Xu. He once led the Blood Demons to besiege the Evil God. The outcome was that the Evil God was severely injured and fled, eventually collapsing in a small mountain village.
"SIGH..."
Shaking his head, Zhou Li walked into the dormitory area and sent a message to Brother Nan.
The dormitory area was dimly lit and exceptionally quiet, with hardly anyone walking around. But from afar, he saw a figure pacing back and forth at the entrance of the dormitory building with a phone, as if waiting for someone. When she saw him, she immediately ran over.
"Why are you sleeping in the dorm? Where did you go today?"
"I went out," Zhou Li said, walking up to Brother Nan and reaching out to hug her. The soft sensation eased his heart considerably.
"Where did you go?"
"What are you doing?"
"I’m asking you!"
"I’ll smack you!"
Brother Nan raised her hand threateningly but didn’t strike. Instead, she patted Zhou Li’s head as if he were a small pet and lowered her voice, "Keep your public displays of affection more discreet. The Dormitory Auntie loves to spy on my dates."
Zhou Li smiled.
