Volume One: The Awakening of the Dragon Soul Chapter 29: Villains Are All Devils!

"The battle is over," Chairman Zhang said, turning back.

“You came just in time. Come give me a hand.”

“Uh… alright.” Mo Xing hesitated for a moment. The gentleman before him must want help pulling out those red infusion tubes, so he quickened his pace and walked over.

“Mo Xing? You… you're still alive?” Li Qingchi, lying on the ground, looked at Mo Xing running over, his face full of confusion, which soon faded.

Li Qingchi suddenly understood: it must have been Chairman Zhang who saved this freshman!

Mo Xing glanced at him, then skirted around as if Little Red Riding Hood had come upon the Big Bad Wolf.

A tremor passed through Li Qingchi’s heart. That look in Mo Xing’s eyes reminded him of his companions during the war years ago: a look mingling fear, anger, and perhaps hatred. And now, he himself was like the invading outsiders of the past, the word "guilty" written plainly across his face, an indelible mark.

...

“Um…”

Mo Xing heard Li Qingchi, lying nearby on the ground, suddenly speak. Turning back, he looked at him.

“The chains on Mian Hua are specially made. If you try to force them open, a mechanism will trigger and they'll self-destruct.” Li Qingchi smiled. “By then, his arm—"

"Damn!"

"You... you actually set another trap for us? Aren't you being a bit too malicious?" Mo Xing exclaimed in shock.

“Malicious? Compared to some people, I hardly qualify! Oh, and the key to the chains is in that greenish cabinet over there,” Li Qingchi said.

“Huh?” Mo Xing looked puzzled. The ruthless Li Qingchi suddenly seemed like a different person, telling them where the key was—as if he’d turned over a new leaf.

Mo Xing glanced over at Senior Mian Hua, who was still removing infusion tubes, saying nothing.

He looked back at Li Qingchi. Seeing him lying there, barely alive, it seemed unlikely he was up to any tricks—after all, he was utterly defeated now.

Mo Xing walked over, opened the greenish cabinet, and—there really was a bunch of keys inside!

He picked them up and headed back, still making a cautious detour around Li Qingchi as he passed.

"Wait… wait!" Li Qingchi called out again.

"What is it now?" Mo Xing asked, puzzled.

"That key ring…" Li Qingchi pointed at the keys in Mo Xing’s hand.

"Is there some trick? Or have you changed your mind?" Mo Xing asked.

“No more tricks.” Li Qingchi smiled, gathering his remaining strength, and unleashed a gust of wind element that shattered the keys in Mo Xing’s hand!

“Damn!”

Mo Xing was dumbfounded.

"That feeling when something you just gained is lost in an instant—like a match just struck, only to be snuffed out. Isn't it amusing?" Li Qingchi’s eyes seemed to say, 'If I can’t have it, neither can you.'

Too cruel!

As the saying goes, villains are devils—struck by thunder and lightning!

Mo Xing picked up the fragments of the shattered keys, cradling them in his hands with a pang of regret.

"It's alright, just come here first," a voice sounded behind him. Mo Xing turned to see the gentleman beckoning him, and Senior Mian Hua’s red infusion tubes had all been removed!

"O-okay." Mo Xing hurried over, clutching the bits of keys.

"The key for unlocking the chains is broken," Mo Xing said. "Without a key, the chains will..."

"I know," the other replied with a smile. "I heard your entire conversation."

"So what do we do?" Mo Xing’s heart tightened. He didn’t want to see Senior Mian Hua explode before his eyes.

“There’s always a way,” the man replied with a calm smile, betraying no hint of tension.

“Huh?” Mo Xing was perplexed.

“Chairman Zhang, truly a man who’s seen much—so calm even now!” Li Qingchi, still lying on the ground, suddenly burst out laughing. "The key is gone—are you going to make a new one?"

“You jest.” Chairman Zhang patted Mo Xing’s shoulder. “This sort of thing is best left to the professionals.”

“What? Me?” Mo Xing was bewildered. When did he become a locksmith?

“Yes,” Chairman Zhang murmured. “Your abilities can manage this. I believe in you.”

“How? Give me a hint!” Mo Xing still didn’t understand what Chairman Zhang meant.

“Elemental power,” Chairman Zhang explained.

“Oh!” Mo Xing’s eyes lit up as if enlightenment had dawned on him.

Of course! Ice! Just as when he’d made an umbrella and a longsword before, he could create a new key the same way. And unlike large objects, a key wouldn’t take long to craft.

But… “I don’t have a template,” Mo Xing sighed.

“Isn’t that what you’re holding?” Chairman Zhang shrugged. “Think about what you’re best at.”

What he was best at…

“Seems… I don’t really have one,” Mo Xing scratched his head.

Chairman Zhang stroked his forehead, lips moving slightly.

Lip reading!

“Oh!” Mo Xing finally understood. Chairman Zhang, you could have just said it outright, instead of making me guess.

Mo Xing closed his eyes, concentrated, and channeled his power into the fragments in his hand.

Li Qingchi, though staring at the ceiling, could still see the two of them out of the corner of his eye.

He didn’t believe it—could Mo Xing really make a new key? Ice element could create objects, but there were so many problems! A key, though small, required intricate detail. Just mastering the details would take time! And even if he managed, controlling the temperature was tricky—ice keys weren’t as sturdy as metal, they’d break in the lock! Besides, the original key was shattered and there was no complete template—what could they possibly make?

“It’s done!” Mo Xing’s triumphant cry rang out, and Li Qingchi was stunned. What happened? The key was made? He wanted to get up and see for himself, but his cursed body wouldn’t move, as if paralyzed. It couldn’t be a side-effect of the drugs, could it? Or maybe Chairman Zhang’s sword had a paralysis effect? That would be absurd!

“Thanks to Brother Qingchi for the materials!” Chairman Zhang gestured his “respect,” then walked with Mo Xing toward Mian Hua.

How humiliating!

He was supposed to be the villain!

A genuine, bona fide villain! This was too humiliating! But then… come to think of it… it had been a long time since he’d felt this way.

All these years, he’d always looked down on the weak, bullying or mocking them. Training was just to grow stronger, so he could torment more people. It had felt good—really good…

No, that wasn’t right!

He hadn’t always been like this!

What had changed him?

Was it his nature?

No, it was… the war! That war the outsiders had waged against them!

Mo Xing used the key to unlock the chains on Senior Mian Hua’s arms and legs, and then, with Chairman Zhang, carried him aside and made him comfortable. Chairman Zhang even drew some medical tools from his storage bracelet to treat Mian Hua’s wounds.

What surprised Mo Xing even more was that Chairman Zhang produced biscuits and snacks for them, then set up a small stove, releasing fire element to light it and keep them warm.

He was like… Doraemon!

“Doraemon” stormed into the lab, defeated the demon king, rescued Mian Hua, and now the three sat around the stove, eating snacks.

What a story!

“Hey!” Li Qingchi, lying nearby, called out. Mo Xing turned to look at him.

“I still don’t understand—how did you make the key?”

“It’s not exactly making it. My special ability restored the key to its original state,” Mo Xing replied.

“Oh? Special ability?” Li Qingchi asked. “Tell me about it.”

“It’s water—” Mo Xing began, but was stopped by a gesture from Chairman Zhang.

“Li Qingchi, communication goes both ways. Why don’t we talk about you first?” Chairman Zhang said. “Like, why did you set up this lab here? Or why did you join the Dark Sect?”

Mo Xing suddenly realized—this man was from the Dark Sect! He’d almost been tricked into revealing his power, the Water Dragon God’s strength! Thankfully, Chairman Zhang intervened in time, or he’d have given everything away.

“And why should I?” Li Qingchi smiled.

“Because of your eyes,” Chairman Zhang replied calmly. “I can see you have a story—a memory you can never forget.”

Li Qingchi’s lips twitched and he fell silent. Mo Xing thought of saying something, but seeing both men quiet, he continued eating.

After a long while, Li Qingchi finally broke the silence.

“In truth, it’s a long story—a story about myself and my homeland.”