Versatile mage c1 2021, p.139
Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 139
Mu Ningxue wore an expressionless face. However, her eyes displayed a hint of disgust at Liao Mingxuan. She always knew that Liao Mingxuan was narrow-minded.
"Xu Dalong, Xiao Feng, he's gone crazy. Tie him up!" Lu Zhenghe said.
"Why are you two being so obedient? Are you seriously going to follow his orders like dogs?" Liao Mingxuan said.
"..." Xu Dalong and Xiao Feng were left speechless. Why did they have to get ridiculed out of nowhere, too?
Either way, Liao Mingxuan did seem to have lost his calm. The group decided to tie him up too, and used a cloth to seal his mouth, not allowing him to continue ridiculing the people in the group.
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"What's going on here? First Ming Cong tries to force himself upon Bai Tingting, then Liao Mingxuan starting a fight with Lu Zhenghe?" Mo Fan asked.
"Don't ask me. Maybe it's because of the recent life-endangering experience. Everyone is feeling a great pressure on them, so they are unleashing their real thoughts from deep at the bottom of their hearts," Zhao Manyan proposed.
"I don't think we can continue with the mission."
"If we failed to complete the training, we will be getting less resources when we move to the main campus," Zhao Manyan sighed.
Before, the group would still gather together at the campfire and discuss some relaxing topics. At times, Peng Liang would burst out with a few lame jokes. However, it felt like the group had separated into their own groups. Those who were closer would sit in their groups together.
Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan sat together. Zhao Manyan curiously asked Mo Fan when he managed to earn Bai Tingting's trust, but even Mo Fan himself was confused.
The chat only lasted for a brief while when Mu Ningxue went up to them and cast a cold glance at Zhao Manyan, before looking at Mo Fan.
Zhao Manyan was a sensible man. He smilingly said, "You two chat, I'll check out Song Xia's injury."
Mo Fan was confused, too. He looked at Mu Ningxue with a puzzled expression.
Mu Ningxue was very gorgeous indeed. He would never get tired looking at her perfect facial features, not to mention her silver-white hair drifting in the wind. The sight alone could only be described as glamorous.
"Have you discovered something?" Mu Ningxue was the first to talk. Her eyes flickered as she was immersed in deep thoughts.
"Discovered what?" Mo Fan was utterly confused.
"Something isn't right." Mu Ningxue said.
"Not really, everyone has their own dark side. Ming Cong is lecherous to his bones. He has shown his true colors because of the pressure he's feeling. Liao Mingxuan is a narrow-minded person. He's always jealous when he sees someone else doing well. He's only telling us his true thoughts." Mo Fan held his hands behind his head.
"Someone else isn't behaving normally too." Mu Ningxue said.
"Who?"
"Bai Tingting. You aren't that close with her, and yet she rushed into your arms in front of the crowd. I don't think she's that weak of a girl," Mu Ningxue said.
"Maybe she has been secretly fond of me for a long time. It's normal. Aren't you the same, suddenly asking me to run away from home with you?" Mo Fan said with a smile.
"I was a silly little girl back then," Mu Ningxue calmly replied.
"But I agreed!" Mo Fan said.
"I'm sorry..." Mu Ningxue's expression turned slightly dull. She knew that incident had resulted in serious consequences for Mo Fan's family.
"You don't need to apologize to me. Even if you told me you wanted to leave the Mu Family now, I'd still accept it." Mo Fan said with a sincere smile.
"We have grown up now, so save the joke for yourself." Mu Ningxue did not react to his words. Her expression was calm as usual. What could have happened to her, to turn her into such an icy person...
"I wasn't joking. I agreed without hesitating when you said you wanted to escape from the control of the family. Do you know why?" Mo Fan said, looking into her cold eyes.
Chapter 294 - Bewitching the Heart and the Soul, Part II
"Because in my heart, you're like the pretty yet mysterious princess living in a castle. Not many people would have the chance to run away with a princess, just like a fairy tale. I thought many things would happen when we were on the run. Unfortunately, we were caught and brought back fairly quickly."
Mu Ningxue fell silent.
A moment later, she spoke, "You're strange, just like them."
"I think so, too." Mo Fan shrugged. The smile on his face remained the same. It was hard to tell if he were being serious, or fooling around.
"Then there's no need to say this now." Mu Ningxue was more concerned about the current situation.
"But I'll always keep the promise I made."
"Is there any meaning to it? You know that it's naive, just like a fairy tale. The Mu Family is no longer the same. Don't make it harder for yourself. Besides, I'm no longer interested in you," Mu Ningxue said frankly.
It had been many years ago. Mu Ningxue totally ignored her past, since she was so focused on her cultivation. She was only feeling guilty for causing trouble to Mo Fan in the past, nothing else. She did not want Mo Fan to misunderstand her.
"That's because you haven't really discovered my charm under my sloppy appearance!" Mo Fan said shamelessly.
"You're strange. I mean it. But, maybe it really is something you want to say in your heart. I'll give you the answer, too. They've already arranged a fiancé for me. Even though I don't have any feelings for him, romance isn't really that important in my heart. Therefore, you should stop assuming that I'm feeling troubled because of the arrangement. It's just that I don't really care, that's all," Mu Ningxue told him.
Even Mu Ningxue felt strange when she finished her sentence. She would never reveal her inner thoughts to anyone. On second thought, maybe she was just trying to have Mo Fan give up on her. He had Innate Double Elements, which guaranteed he'd have a brilliant future. He did not need to go against such a formidable power just because of some promise he made in the past.
Mo Fan subconsciously smacked his lips.
With Mu Ningxue's mindset, she would definitely be the perfect candidate to cultivate some merciless martial arts, or it would be a waste to her peerless beauty and her inviolable aura!
That being said, at least she was being honest with him.
Isn't she similar to the femme fatale in ancient times? Only the one that conquers the entire nation is able to win her heart in the end?
Mo Fan suddenly felt like he had found a challenging life goal.
As a matter of fact, Mu Ningxue was like his first love. If he were asked if he could let it go, his answer would surely be yes, but...
The question was, why would he let it go?
The reason a man worked hard was to become stronger, have more money and power, just so he would have more freedom when making choices. He would not need to follow orders just to put food on the table. He would not have to struggle making a decision if he should give up on his job when he met his true love and was considering to move to the city she lived in. He would not have to give up on something that he really liked, and end up comforting himself by saying, "Maybe I'm not that fond of it after all."
Would it matter if Mu Ningxue had a marriage agreement with someone else? With enough power, he could decide to intervene or not, instead of being forced to give up, then hide in a little corner and feel emotional.
At least, she had already made it clear. It did not matter who she was with, so either whether it was with someone arranged to her, or someone that had stolen her away, it would make no difference!
As a man, he should be like a tyrannical CEO!
A toad that did not dream of eating swan meat would never be a good toad. Besides, he was not a toad, but a handsome...
----
The atmosphere in the church was abnormal throughout the night.
As Mo Fan was about to hide his ambitious plan deep inside his heart, a soft ripple appeared from the pendant on his neck.
The soft ripple slowly traveled into Mo Fan's mind.
The ripple contained a magical mental force, which suddenly calmed Mo Fan's thoughts, as if he had been placed inside a tub of cold water. It felt like he had just woken up from a strange status.
His gaze became clear as he woke up..
He looked at Mu Ningxue's departing figure. It turned out that his stubbornness had prevented the conversation from going on.
"Ningxue, wait," Mo Fan called out.
Mu Ningxue turned around and glanced at him. She realized that Mo Fan was extremely different from his previous impudent behavior. It felt like he had just woken up from a nightmare.
"What else are you trying to say?" Mu Ningxue probed, as she was uncertain too.
"Something is strange." Mo Fan said sternly in a deep voice.
Mu Ningxue nodded as she realized that Mo Fan had become rational, "Looks like you were the same as them."
"We'll talk about that later. It feels like some kind of bewitching spell. I'm wearing something called a Focus Magic Tool on my neck, which is able to keep myself focused. It managed to protect my mind with its power, which helped me to wake up from its effect," Mo Fan said grimly.
Mu Ningxue's expression turned serious too. She was having similar speculations. Since Mo Fan's Focus Magic Tool had shown a reaction, it had proved that the group was under some bewitching effect.
"Ming Cong has forced himself upon Bai Tingting because he was fond of her at the start. It provoked him to put his l.e.w.d thoughts into action. Liao Mingxuan is jealous of you, and is not satisfied with Lu Zhenghe, so he lost control and scolded him too. Bai Tingting has a good impression of you. After experiencing a great fear, she subconsciously feels like you're the only one she can rely on.
"And you… Well, you know it yourself." Mu Ningxue said.
Mo Fan felt extremely awkward. The secret that he had hidden in his heart was just exposed like that, even though he had pretended as if it no longer bothered him.
He sighed and forgot it for now. He should focus on resolving the difficult situation the group was in now.
"Ming Cong was the first person to act strangely. I'll ask Bai Tingting where he went before it all happened," Mo Fan said.
Mo Fan walked toward Bai Tingting. The latter seemed to be staring at Mu Ningxue with a hint of hostility. For some reason, Bai Tingting was still hostile to Mu Ningxue in her heart.
Mo Fan walked up to Bai Tingting and placed the Focus Magic Tool in her hand.
The same ripple was emitted, and Bai Tingting shuddered. As her pupils regained focus, her eyes had a much clearer look.
Bai Tingting blushed when she recalled what she had done. She did not even dare to look Mo Fan in the eyes.
"It's alright. Don't worry. I kind of know what's happening. I just want to ask you, do you know where Ming Cong went to before? The church should be tightly sealed, and I don't see any signs of demon beasts nearby..." Mo Fan asked her.
Chapter 295 - Fighting One Another
"I did ask him to get some water. He must have gone to the pond nearby," Bai Tingting said with her face all red.
"Mm, okay. I'll go check it out. Try and guard your mind with your will. That thing is able to bewitch people without them knowing and magnify their emotions," Mo Fan told her.
"Ok, sure!" Bai Tingting nodded.
Mo Fan told Mu Ningxue to keep an eye out. Since it was hard to tell how many people were being affected, Mo Fan did not tell the group about his finding.
The Focus Magic Tool could only protect his own mind. He was able to wake Bai Tingting up, as she was not deeply affected yet. As for Liao Mingxuan and Ming Cong, he would not be able to wake them up, so it was better to leave them tied up.
Mo Fan pretended to go on patrol nearby, but he was actually heading to the pond that Bai Tingting had mentioned.
The first person to go crazy was Ming Cong, and the only time he left the church was to get some water. Therefore, the pond was definitely where it all started!
---
The whole city was deadly quiet as midnight approached. He could barely hear some faint cries in the distance, which belonged to some nocturnal beasts looking for food.
The grim moonlight revealed the silhouettes of the dilapidated buildings. Mo Fan was rather courageous, as the others would not dare to leave the relatively safe church on their own in the middle of the night...
The Shadow Element granted Mo Fan the ability to see to a certain range in the dark. He soon located the fountain Ming Cong had gathered the water from.
Mo Fan did not approach it straight away. He investigated the surroundings instead.
As he approached a muddy area, he suddenly discovered a pile of bones lying under his feet. It was in such a mess that he could barely identify its species.
Mo Fan had seen a fair amount of bones before, but when he explored the bushes nearby, he discovered even more piles of bones ahead...
There were enough bones to lay a fifty-meter path from his feet. Furthermore, since the place was slightly sunken, it looked like a mud pit filled with bones!
The bones were quite terrifying under the cold moonlight. It was impossible to count the actual numbers of corpses around him. The problem was... the place did not seem dangerous at all. Why would there be so many bones here?
Mo Fan continued the search, and ended up stumbling into a few beasts who seemed to be fighting against each other. They were tearing at each other ferociously.
On a closer look, the beasts turned out to be several One-eyed Magic Wolves!
It was like the One-eyed Magic Wolves shared a great hatred of one another. Every bite was aimed at the vital parts. Blood was splattered everywhere, producing quite a gory sight in the middle of the night.
"That's weird. One-eyed Magic Wolves usually live in packs. It doesn't make sense for them to fight each other." Mo Fan hid in a corner and watched the One-eyed Magic Wolves attacking one another in a crazed manner.
Eventually, some of the One-eyed Magic Wolves were bitten to death by their own kindred. The last one standing dropped to the ground with severe injuries. The scattered grass was fully covered with blood, and the smell of it lingered in the air.
Mo Fan was utterly confused. He cast a glance at the eerie pond nearby.
No shit, this place is too weird. I better have everyone leave at once.
The mud pit filled with bones, the One-eyed Magic Wolves killing each other... there must be something that was controlling the minds of the beasts!
Mo Fan did not dare to venture any deeper, as he didn't know if they were any powerful beasts hiding in the water. The piles of bones were a good indication that it was not something he wanted to mess with.
Mo Fan turned around and headed back to their camp at the church.
---
Along the way back, he suddenly felt strong energy coming from the church.
Fire!
A bright fire!
As he got closer to the church, his sight was filled with a blazing red!
The previously peaceful church was now engulfed in flames. Several figures were scattered across the place, with Star Patterns being summoned and aligned...
Mo Fan was stunned. He had no idea what had happened at the church in the brief period he was away.
He did not dare to waste another second. His body turned into a puff of shadow and disappeared into the darkness as he moved rapidly toward the church.
The church had been set aflame. The light from it lit up the entire place.
As soon as Mo Fan arrived, he saw Bai Tingting and Peng Liang supporting Song Xia, who still couldn't move, as if they were the survivors of a calamity.
On the other side of the church, Mo Fan saw Mu Nujiao and Luo Song fighting each other. The two were already casting Intermediate Spells, not planning to give their opponent any chance of surviving.
Why would Mu Nujiao suddenly fight with Luo Song? Did Luo Song do something l.e.w.d to her, too?
That was totally unforgivable!
"Hey fatty, you dare touch my Jiaojiao, I'll crush you into pieces!" Mo Fan was infuriated. He had already summoned pillars of flame on his hands.
"Screw you, she attacked me first! Mo Fan, is this how you repay my kindness?" Luo Song was utterly terrified.
Luo Song was already weaker than Mu Nujiao to begin with. He was forced to use his equipment to just barely hold his ground. If Mo Fan were to join the battle, he would really die an instant death! These assholes were f**king crazy to attack their allies without any mercy!
Mo Fan took a closer look and saw a red mark on Mu Nujiao's forehead, coming from under her skin. It somehow added a hint of evil to the dignified and graceful Mu Nujiao… It did give her a different kind of charm...
"Even Mu Nujiao is affected! Damn it, it was only magnifying their emotions before. Why would it suddenly make them fight against each other? They are just like the One-eyed Magic Wolves..." Mo Fan exclaimed in astonishment.
He would not allow himself to attack Mu Nujiao, since he would feel the pain himself if he were to injure her.
"Fatty, try to hold on. Don't hold back, but try not to harm her. I'll find the culprit behind this as soon as possible!" Mo Fan said to Luo Song.
Luo Song almost felt like crying. What do you mean, try not to harm her? I'm about to be crippled by her instead!
===
Mo Fan disappeared into his shadow and proceeded to the other side of the church.
He soon discovered Zhao Mingyue and Zheng Bingxiao being flanked by Shen Mingxiao, Qingqing, and Zhao Mingyue.
A terrifying rock golem with the height of a three-story building stood beside Zheng Bingxiao. Its strength was utterly shocking. A single punch from it could produce a wave of earth over ten meters tall...
Zheng Bingxiao had hidden his true strength. He already had a Warrior-level Contracted Beast!
The Giant Earth Fusion Golem swung its bulky arms to shield itself from Zhao Mingyue's Intermediate Fire Spell. The overwhelming power of the Fiery Fist was only able to knock it back a single step!
"Such a powerful beast!" Mo Fan murmured.
