Chapter 22
He was also a young man, dressed in a white robe adorned with cloud patterns, wearing a purple-gold crown. The skin on his neck bore faint, scale-like markings.
His delicate features were contorted, struggling with an inner turmoil.
Murong Xiao?
The name surfaced in Li Mo's mind.
So he used his Tianming Divine Eye to take a closer look.
【Name: Murong Xiao.】
【Age: 16.】
【Physique: Mingjiao (鳴蛟) body.】
【Realm: Qi and Blood Realm, Five Meridians.】
【Destiny: Blue with a hint of black.】
【Evaluation: His father is a man of virtue, while his mother is a shapeshifting dragon. He possesses a kind nature but is heavily influenced by his bloodline. If he can harness the strengths of both, his future is limitless; if he succumbs to their weaknesses, he could bring disaster to the region.】
【Recent Encounter: Influenced by murderous intent, his demonic nature is awakening. If not extracted in time, he may undergo a drastic change in temperament!】
Murderous intent invading his body?
The last time Li Mo checked Murong Xiao's destiny, it was blue with a hint of purple.
Now it had turned blue with a hint of black!
It was clear that this half-demon's true inheritance was at a life-and-death crossroads.
One thought leads to heaven, another to hell.
---
**Chapter 19: Murong Xiao's Past - Li Mo's First Experience with Cross-Training**
His name was Murong Xiao, raised by his grandfather since childhood.
He was not always regarded as a genius.
From a young age, he bore scale-like markings on his body, which often made him a target for bullying by other children.
Every time he returned home from the private school, covered in dirt and bruises, his grandfather would scold him for being too kind and timid, unable to fight back even when beaten.
But only he knew the truth.
When faced with fists and kicks, what terrified him was not the fear of losing, but a voice deep within him that whispered:
"I'm hungry."
So he dared not retaliate.
He feared that if he saw blood, he would lose control of that ravenous self.
As he grew older, that inner craving gradually faded, yet he maintained a vegetarian diet.
Murong Xiao believed he had become just like any normal person.
Until today.
He had arrived at the second level of the Divine Edge Cave.
"You are a jiao (蛟), a born great demon, yet you refuse to consume blood food?"
"Stop denying who you are."
"Return to your true self, and you will never be bullied by the weak again..."
The suppressed nature within him had never truly disappeared.
It was like a pile of dry hay, accumulating over time, waiting for a spark to ignite a raging fire.
Just as Murong Xiao felt his consciousness slipping away, scales nearly covering his cheeks...
In the next moment.
Someone pried his mouth open and stuffed something inside.
It was round and plump.
Before he could even taste it, it rolled down his throat.
Miraculously, his mind quickly cleared.
Murong Xiao blinked in confusion and saw a boy about his age standing before him, handsome and beaming with sunlight.
He held a porcelain vial, from which a fragrant aroma wafted, refreshing his senses.
He recognized him as the boy who had also been accepted as a true disciple during the initiation ceremony.
"You’re finally okay."
Li Mo sighed in relief.
That was close.
In this second level, there were hardly any people, and he was the closest to Murong Xiao.
If Murong Xiao had succumbed to the murderous intent, he would have been the first target.
"Thank you."
Murong Xiao whispered his gratitude.
Even he, who was not the sharpest, understood that this boy had saved him.
What he had just swallowed was likely a precious elixir.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have had such an effect.
"Thank you, Brother Li, for your help. I was momentarily careless and fell under the influence of murderous intent."
"That’s probably not the only issue, right?"
"Huh?"
Murong Xiao's expression stiffened as he looked up.
He felt as if the other boy's smiling eyes had seen right through him.
"I’ve read in an ancient text that half-demons are often influenced by their bloodlines."
"The higher the bloodline's rank, the deeper the influence. If not controlled, their demonic nature can awaken... Your bloodline must be of the jiao dragon type..."
"I just saw horns growing from your head..."
Before Li Mo could finish, Murong Xiao's expression shifted several times.
Finally, his face darkened, as if he had made a decision.
He took a step forward, slowly approaching.
Li Mo instinctively took two steps back, feeling a bit wary.
Could Murong Xiao be having a mental breakdown and want to silence him?
Just as this thought crossed his mind...
Thud—
Murong Xiao knelt down decisively.
He knelt with such force that the stone tiles beneath him cracked.
"Please, don’t tell anyone else."
Li Mo: "....."
The Tianming Divine Eye had evaluated him as kind-hearted, and indeed, he was quite benevolent.
He suspected that if he whispered in Murong Xiao's ear, "You wouldn’t want others to know about your half-demon body, would you..."
Any request he made afterward would likely be accepted.
"Isn’t Elder Hanhe aware of your half-demon nature?"
Reining in his mischievous thoughts, Li Mo felt puzzled.
Murong Xiao replied bitterly:
"You know, the people of Ziyang Mansion call me Qilin'er (麒麟儿)... That’s actually a lie my grandfather spun."
Through Murong Xiao's explanation, Li Mo finally understood the reason.
Mingjiao is a disaster beast.
Once it appears, it brings about a storm of bloodshed.
Years ago, Murong Xiao's father brought back a woman, who was Murong Xiao's mother.
They married shortly after.
However, it wasn’t until she became pregnant that the head of the Murong family realized his son was a formidable person, even more impressive than Xu Xian.
Many events transpired in between.
But in the end, Murong Xiao was born safely.
The family head knew that a half-demon's nature couldn’t be hidden, so he chose not to conceal it, instead spreading rumors throughout the city.
Over time, everyone in Ziyang Mansion came to believe that Murong Xiao bore a trace of the water qilin bloodline.
The qilin is a auspicious beast.
Eventually, Murong Xiao became known as Qilin'er.
"......."
Li Mo was deeply shocked.
Your whole family is something else.
"Don’t worry, I’ll keep it to myself."
"But even if I don’t say anything, you’ll eventually slip up."
"Sigh..."
Murong Xiao fell silent for a long moment, letting out a deep sigh.
He knew this all too well.
Even if he got through this ordeal today, what about the future?
As a martial artist, he couldn’t just be a nice guy for the rest of his life, could he?
At that moment, Murong Xiao's eyes suddenly lit up:
"By the way, what kind of elixir did you give me earlier, Brother Li?"
"Here, this is called Qingxin Dan (清心丹)."
Li Mo handed him the vial.
"Qingxin Dan?"
"I’ve taken it before, but it didn’t have such an effect..."
Murong Xiao poured out a pill, examined it, and his expression dimmed again.
This was indeed Qingxin Dan.
But it was a six-patterned one!
A six-patterned elixir, even the simplest healing pill, is rare and precious, far exceeding its intrinsic value.
No wonder it worked so well...
Even though the Murong family held considerable power in Ziyang Mansion, such elixirs were still hard to come by.
Because even if they were refined, alchemists typically wouldn’t trade them.
"Alright, I’ll take my leave now. I still need to practice."
At that moment, Li Mo waved his hand.
"Brother Li, your elixir!"
"Keep it for yourself. A man’s knees are worth gold; it’s not like I didn’t receive a great gift from you."
"Huh?"
"As for the bloodline issue, I’ll go back and look through that ancient text again. There might be a solution."
"Huh??"
Murong Xiao stood there, dazed, still holding the porcelain vial.
He had grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth, but this was the first time he felt his imagination limited by poverty.
No way, man.
A six-patterned elixir.
And not just one, but a whole vial!
He had no idea how much this was worth.
Because in the hands of someone in need, it was priceless.
Murong Xiao suddenly felt a pang of regret.
Having knelt, he should have knocked his head a few more times in gratitude.
He wanted to chase after Li Mo, at least to say a few words of thanks.
But after taking just a few steps, he stopped.
Because he realized he couldn’t follow Li Mo any further.
"Brother Li, Li Mo!"
"That’s the third level!"
Murong Xiao's voice echoed in the cave.
With his own physical strength, he could only reach the middle of the second level.
Qi and Blood Realm, the third level of the Divine Edge Cave?
Just the thought of it sent chills down his spine!
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