Chapter 20: A Reckoning with the Nightmare Lord

Meng Ruji clutched the "life-saving" pill wrapped in oil paper in one hand and held a small purse in the other, making her way along the forest path back to the dilapidated wooden house. The coins jingled softly inside the purse—there were still ten left. It wasn’t that Meng Ruji had resorted to begging for food along the way, but at the medicine shop, she had stopped the shopkeeper from placing the pills in a luxurious box. Not wanting anything flashy, she saved ten coins by opting out of the fancy packaging.

Ten coins might not be much, but it was enough for her and Mu Sui to eat for a day. With some foraging in the forest, it might even last two days. She felt relieved that she had bought the little green pill yesterday; otherwise, who knew what the price might have been today—perhaps eight silver and five coins... 

Anxiety gnawed at her as she pondered her luck. As she sighed, a cool breeze stirred through the forest, chilling her face. Something felt off. Just as she began to scan her surroundings, a sorrowful male voice echoed through the trees:

"Meng Ruji..."

The voice sent a shiver down her spine. She frowned, puzzled by who might know her name in such a remote place. Suddenly, a hand emerged from behind her!

Meng Ruji's expression hardened, but before she could turn to look, the hand slammed down on her shoulder.

"Nice to see you again!"

The force knocked her off balance. She lost her grip on the purse and pill, sending them tumbling to the ground. The purse landed nearby, but the pill rolled into the grass and vanished.

It felt as if her heart had rolled away with it.

"Eight silver!" Meng Ruji cried out, momentarily forgetting the person behind her. She threw herself to the ground, frantically searching the area where the pill had disappeared. The purse was quickly recovered, but the pill was nowhere to be found.

As she desperately searched, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. A voice, calm yet slightly amused, asked, "What are you looking for? Won't you even look at me?"

Meng Ruji looked up, her glare fierce.

The man was thin, dressed in a dark robe, and his face was obscured by the shadows. Meng Ruji didn’t care to see his face; her mind was fixated on the missing pill. "I don't care who you are," she spat, "if I don’t find that pill, I’ll tear your head off!"

The man seemed taken aback but then touched his nose and squatted down beside her, joining in the search.

"What does it look like? A pill?"

"It’s wrapped in white oil paper, about the size of a fingernail."

The wind rustled through the trees, and for a while, they both silently combed through the underbrush, not missing a single leaf.

The scene was odd but strangely peaceful.

"Is this it?" the man asked, holding up the pill wrapped in oil paper.

Meng Ruji leaped to her feet. "Yes!" She snatched the pill from him, cradling it protectively. "Thank goodness it's not lost... my eight silver."

"Is that what it’s called? 'Eight Silver'?" the man asked curiously.

"It's worth eight silver," Meng Ruji explained solemnly.

As she spoke, she finally took a good look at the man squatting beside her, and she froze.

"You..."

The man smiled, propping his cheek on his hand as he gazed at her. "Ah, so you do remember me, Xiao Meng."

His skin was as white as snow, his hair dark as ink, and when he smiled, his red lips and bright teeth were more beautiful than a woman’s.

Meng Ruji remembered him—how could she not?

The man who had given her the inner elixir, the one who had made her a half-demon, was the very same person who had nearly destroyed the world with that harmless smile.

"Yan Tianjun... Mo Li."

"Yes, it’s me."

Meng Ruji was stunned into silence. Staring at his familiar smile, long-buried memories began to surface. 

A long time ago, Meng Ruji had been an ordinary girl living in the most ordinary village, near the most ordinary river. But the day she met Yan Tianjun, her world had been thrown into chaos. 

Her entire family had perished for various reasons—illness, starvation, accidents during their flight from the village... Only Meng Ruji, a skinny girl, had survived, clinging to life like an ant to its dilapidated home.

But Yan Tianjun Mo Li was no ordinary man. Everyone said the chaos in the world began with him. He was a half-demon, power-hungry, and determined to be the sole ruler of all. He was notorious for his mercurial moods, his bloodthirsty nature, and the countless lives he had taken.

The day Meng Ruji met him, she had been starving for three days, digging for roots in the forest near her home. The corpses of those who had starved to death littered the area. She knew that if she didn’t find something to eat soon, she would join them.

And then, in her hunger-induced haze, she saw a man emerging from the forest.

His face was pale, his dark robe soaked and clinging to his body. The grass beneath his feet was stained with blood, and the crimson streaks on his too-white skin made the blood appear even more shocking.

"Farm girl," he said when he saw her, "well, well, an ordinary farm girl... What's your name?"

Mo Li crouched in front of Meng Ruji, his hand reaching out to grip her chin.

Meng Ruji wanted to struggle but couldn’t. Even though this "big shot" looked severely injured, he was far stronger than she could ever hope to be.

She had no choice but to answer obediently, "Meng..."

"Xiao Meng," he interrupted, clearly uninterested in hearing the rest. "I've just made a decision. I’ll keep walking west until I meet the first person, and I’ll give them something."

It was absurd, but he clearly wasn’t giving Meng Ruji any choice. As he spoke, his mouth opened slightly, and a golden bead of dazzling light began to form.

"I’ll give you a gift, straight to the heavens."

He blew the golden bead, and it pierced Meng Ruji’s forehead, sinking in as if it belonged there, regardless of whether she wanted it or not.

As this overwhelming force entered her, Meng Ruji felt as though she was being torn apart. Every inch of her skin, every nerve, screamed in agony, but her throat couldn’t produce a sound.

Mo Li released her, letting her collapse to the ground. He stood over her, looking down as if she were no more than an ant.

Despite the unbearable pain, Meng Ruji memorized Mo Li’s face.

For days after receiving the inner elixir, Meng Ruji drifted in and out of consciousness. When she finally emerged from the torment of near-death, she found herself transformed into a half-demon, no longer easily hungry, no longer fragile.

She heard rumors that Yan Tianjun had died, killed by immortals and demons alike.

With the power of the inner elixir, Meng Ruji had narrowly escaped death several times in the ensuing chaos and eventually founded Hengxu Mountain, where she soon ascended as the Demon King.

She later understood that obtaining the inner elixir had been both an opportunity and a turning point—a chance to "reach the heavens," as Mo Li had put it. Yet the pain of that transformation, along with Mo Li’s cold face, remained an indelible scar on her soul, a nightmare that haunted her every year.

Just as his title "Nightmare Lord" suggested, Mo Li had become a nightmare to the world—and to her. And now, after countless years of healing and finally putting those nightmares to rest, here he was, smiling and calling her...

"Xiao Meng."

A chill ran down Meng Ruji’s spine. She shot to her feet and began walking away as fast as she could. But Mo Li also stood, matching her pace step for step.

No matter how fast she walked, he kept up. She didn’t stop, and neither did he.

When Meng Ruji realized they were nearing the broken wooden house, where Mu Sui might be, she panicked. She couldn’t afford a confrontation—not with Yan Tianjun, the man who had once turned the world upside down!

She abruptly changed direction, running several dozen feet away from the house.

Mo Li, puzzled but unfazed, followed her, shadowing her movements.

"What do you want?" Meng Ruji demanded, her face darkening as she turned to confront him.

Mo Li nearly bumped into her but stopped just in time, giving her a gentle smile. "Nothing. I just want you to take care of me in my old age."

Meng Ruji had been prepared to refuse him no matter what, but his words made her pause. "Old age?"

Mo Li nodded, as if what he had just said made perfect sense. "Yes, old age."

Meng Ruji stared at him like he was mad.

But then again, the Nightmare Lord had always been a madman. Everything about him, from his past actions to his gift of the inner elixir, screamed of a man who acted on whims.

But Meng Ruji quickly regained her composure and rejected him outright. "What serious illness do you have?"

Meng Ruji had planned to refuse Mo Li’s request outright, regardless of what he said. But when she heard the words "old age," she couldn't help but respond with a confused "Huh?"

Mo Li nodded seriously, confirming, "Yes, old age."

Meng Ruji stared at him, bewildered. Given his past actions and his role in giving her the inner elixir, it wasn't surprising that he might be somewhat unhinged. Nevertheless, she focused on the matter at hand and rejected him firmly.

"What's your serious illness?" she demanded.

"I have no serious illness," Mo Li replied calmly. "I can still take care of myself, and my legs and feet work fine. I do, however, experience occasional backaches and get tired more easily."

The more Meng Ruji listened, the more absurd it seemed. She looked at him with exasperation. "Nightmare Lord."

Mo Li waved his hand dismissively. "Why continue calling me that? If you prefer, you can address me as ‘ancestor.’"

Meng Ruji wanted to call him an old fool. "First, I don’t know you well enough."

Mo Li raised an eyebrow, as if hurt. "Is that so? I left all my property to you."

"What property?" Meng Ruji demanded.

"The inner elixir."

Meng Ruji started to retort, but then paused, realizing he was right. That inner elixir had indeed been given to her.

"That’s not what I asked you for," she said, regaining her composure. "I have nothing to do with you."

"Isn’t it customary for someone who inherits property to care for their elder relatives?" Mo Li asked.

"Who is your family?" Meng Ruji shot back.

Mo Li persisted, "What do you intend to do with my inner elixir? I've been in Wuliu Land for many years. I heard that a demon king, Meng Ruji, who had the power of the inner elixir, established her own sect, Hengxu Mountain. Without my inner elixir, you might have starved to death in that forest, Xiao Meng."

Meng Ruji was left speechless. When it came to financial disputes, she struggled to find a favorable angle. After a long pause, she rubbed her temples and said dryly, "Then... it's not my responsibility to care for you in your old age."

"You can't be like this," Mo Li sighed, speaking with a serious tone. "You can't just do as you please and avoid responsibility. And—"

"Enough with the excuses. You should have died a long time ago!" Meng Ruji cut him off.

"Exactly," Mo Li said. "I did die long ago. I found myself in a place with no shelter, weary of life, and turned into a stone in the Nai River. I nearly lost consciousness. But you revived me, Xiao Meng. Isn't it your responsibility to care for me in my old age?"

Meng Ruji looked at Mo Li for a long moment before responding with a short, incredulous breath. "Huh?"

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