Chapter 8 - It’s the Boss From the Very Beginning

"Woman, where did you come from?"

Wen Ruan thought, “...Your subordinate just asked that question.”

The cavern before her was many times larger than the previous one. The fluorescent stone she held in her hand dropped to the ground, illuminating this new world.

Countless stalactites hung from the ceiling, with droplets of water falling and converging into a stream that flowed towards an underground river.

Vines bound Wen Ruan's wrists, suspending her in mid-air above the dark river. She swung back and forth like a pendulum, guided by an unknown breeze in this space.

Hmm, it feels quite chilly.

A gigantic black snake coiled on a stone pillar in front of her. Its orange vertical pupils were fixed on Wen Ruan, and its tone carried a hint of indifference and arrogance as it spoke:

"Woman, you can't escape from the palm of my hand."

Wen Ruan thought, “...Wake up, buddy. You're a reptile, the limbless kind.”

Seeing her remain silent, the large snake swayed its thick body and said, "Hmph, all I want is your child. Besides the child, I won't give you anything, not even love!"

Wen Ruan thought, “...How many arrogant bosses has this snake devoured? Its arrogance is off the charts.”

Wait a minute, a child?!

She felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't help but exclaim, "What child?!"

The snake replied casually, "Our child."

"Our what?!"

"Our child."

"Who is having a child with you?!"

"You."

"What child?!"

"Yours and mine..." The snake bit its tongue and, seeing her frantic struggle, became furious.

"It should be your honor that I took an interest in you. What do you mean by this?"

"Bro, let's forget about having a mixed-race child," Wen Ruan pleaded with a mournful expression. "Just think about it, what if they grow up and are mocked for having a human mother? It would be so difficult for them."

"What do you know? A well-mixed bloodline can produce geniuses," the snake said with a "whoosh", transforming into a narrow-eyed man dressed in black. He stepped through the air and appeared before her.

He shook his head and said, "The current Demon Lord is a mixed-blood, and do I need to mention how powerful he is?"

Wen Ruan was startled. Mu Zhe’s mother was a human?

This piece of information wasn't mentioned in the original book.

In fact, the original text provided very little information about Mu Zhe’s storyline.

The only memorable part was the ending where he and the main characters died after killing each other.

"Rip—"

Her clothes were violently torn apart, and her skirt became noticeably shorter in the blink of an eye. Wen Ruan trembled in fear, frantically kicking her legs in mid-air.

"What are you trying to do? I warn you not to mess around!"

Once again, there was a "rip" sound, and her skirt became even shorter. The black snake smirked wickedly.

"Scream all you want. Shout until your voice breaks. No one will come to save you." It laughed.

Her heart raced, and she couldn't wait for her spiritual power to recover any longer. She desperately called out to 996 within her consciousness.

"I want to travel through time, hurry up!"

Before 996 could respond, a loud noise came from the entrance of the cave.

"Boom!" The entire cavern shook violently, and stalactites fell down in a cascading manner.

Wen Ruan's heart trembled. Was it an earthquake?

The black snake also stopped its actions, a trace of vigilance flashed in its eyes. It returned to its original form, coiled on the stone pillar, exuding a strong sense of battle-readiness.

"Who goes there?"

Accompanied by echoing sounds, a series of footsteps, neither light nor heavy, resounded from the cave entrance. Each step seemed to crush the hearts of those who heard it.

In the dense darkness, a young man emerged.

He wore a half fox mask, had a slender and upright figure, and stood between light and darkness, resembling a straight and sharp sword.

An invisible pressure spread, and a gust of wind blew, rustling Wen Ruan's long hair.

She looked at the newcomer, feeling stunned. Isn’t he the boss who robbed the tavern?

Why is he here?

"Host, are we still going to do it?" 996 weakly asked.

"Not for now."

While it's possible to make advances, it's still better to owe as little as possible and repay what's owed.

Her gaze lingered on the young man for a moment, instinctively comparing him to the previous incarnation of the black snake.

Indeed, it's not scary to be caught wearing the same outfit. After all, only the one who looks ugly will be embarrassed.

Even with a mask, the boss' overwhelming victory was ensured by his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs.

The black snake hissed and spat venom, shouting loudly, "Who are you, and why did you trespass into my abode?!"

Before it could finish speaking, a tremendous pressure descended like a mountain, instantly pinning it to the ground.

The black snake struggled to lift its head, only to find that it couldn't see through the young man's cultivation level, which terrified it.

The masked youth approached at a leisurely pace and gave it a cold glance. "You dare speak to me?"

Wen Ruan thought, “...Such an overwhelming kingly aura.”

Mu Zhe casually flicked his finger.

With a loud bang, the black snake's head exploded like a firework, splattering putrid blood everywhere. Wen Ruan, suspended in mid-air, perfectly caught some of it on her face.

Feeling the stickiness sliding down from her forehead to her cheeks, she felt a strong sense of despair. I'm dirty now.

Mu Zhe glanced at Wen Ruan, who was swinging freely in mid-air, and his gaze briefly paused on her exposed legs. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly and said with a disdainful tone,

"So useless."

If you're so capable, then remove the protective barrier before you speak.

Wen Ruan gave him a fierce look of contempt with her eyes.

With her spiritual power mostly restored, she rotated her wrist and condensed an ice blade to cut through the vine.

The vine instantly snapped, and with a "plop", she fell into the dark river below.

Wen Ruan's arm had long been dislocated, and she clumsily thrashed about in the water. The cold air surged from her feet to her head, freezing her to the core.

She choked on mouthfuls of water and managed to squeeze out half a sentence:

"Bo… boss..."

Save me, save me, save me, save me, save me, save me!

She desperately conveyed her message through her frantic eyes.

Mu Zhe stood by the shore, gazing at Wen Ruan's contorted face, and suddenly burst into laughter for no apparent reason.

His voice was like shards of ice hitting a wall, carrying the unique clarity of a young man. The echoes collided with each other and reverberated far, far away within the cave.

Wen Ruan thought, “...Are you insane?!”

After he had laughed enough, he beckoned her with a flick of his finger, creating a burst of energy that pulled her up from the water. He calmly looked at her.

“You washed up quite well."

Wen Ruan's face turned blue from the cold, her teeth chattering uncontrollably. Water dripped from her long hair, forming small puddles on the ground with each blink of her eyes.

Her soaked clothes clung tightly to her body, accentuating her graceful curves. She shivered as she tried to use her techniques to evaporate the moisture from her body, but she couldn't gather enough energy to do so.

She could only cast her gaze upon Mu Zhe, once again conveying her desperate plea.

Save me, save me, save me!

"You're truly useless," Mu Zhe scoffed lightly and turned to leave.

Wen Ruan, who had been trembling like a sieve, suddenly stopped. She touched her clothes, which had dried instantly, and blinked her eyes.

Is this what they call being double-faced?

This person is very mysterious, and his cultivation level is high. Judging from the previous encounter, he should undoubtedly be from the Demon Clan.

She didn't discriminate against the Demon Clan, but since she was about to go undercover in the Demon Realm, it was better to have less contact with them to avoid any complications.

Thinking of this, she gathered her long hair and prepared to turn around and leave, but then she felt it would be impolite.

After all, he had just saved her, not once but twice.

"Thank you for your help. I'll take my leave now." Wen Ruan waved her hand towards his back. "Goodbye, take care of yourself."

The young girl's voice was crisp and loud, but Mu Zhe couldn't pretend not to hear it.

What's there to say to a person who is as weak as an ant?

He paused for a moment, but suddenly, a sharp pain burst from his chest.

With a thud, the young man collapsed to the ground.

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