"Don't come any closer," Sa Wu pleaded, her voice cracking with fear. She was truly terrified, despite Li Er's benevolent and kindly demeanor. To her, the old Taoist was more frightening than any demon. The shadows of the past still haunted her, a stark reminder of the time she had audaciously trespassed into the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, seeking Pangu's blood. Little did she know, she was walking into a trap.
The wicked old man had suddenly appeared, slapping a yellow talisman onto her forehead. Her freedom was gone. She became unpaid labor, hopping around like a little zombie, hauling black bricks for a full decade. The memories were etched into her mind, leaving a deep, indelible scar.
"Ji Mo, you traitor, you sold me out?" Sa Wu, seeing how familiar Ji Mo and Li Er were, felt like a child being trafficked and willingly delivered. Enraged, she grabbed Ji Mo's hand and planted a kiss on it.
The next moment, she gasped in pain, crying out. How could this fellow be human? His skin was so tough that even with all her might, she couldn't leave a single tooth mark.
Ji Mo, falsely accused, glared at Li Er. "Hmph, you can't judge a book by its cover. Old Li, I never expected you, who preaches morality and righteousness, to be so hypocritical. To have ill intentions towards a young girl! I knew it, you old scoundrel are truly wicked."
Li Er looked innocent. Was it really that bad to have Sa Wu haul bricks day and night for a few years? After some explanation, Ji Mo finally understood the whole story. It turned out Li Er was building a doomsday shelter beneath the Mausoleum of the First Emperor when Sa Wu stumbled upon him. Naturally, he made use of the free labor. Thus, the unfortunate Sa Wu was exploited by Li Er, working for him for free for ten years.
According to Li Er, he had been quite merciful. The doomsday shelter was of paramount importance, and anyone who dared to pry was quietly eliminated, vanishing without a trace. Because he liked Sa Wu, he didn't silence her but merely punished her by making her haul bricks for ten years before letting her go.
"But you were wrong too. Working is one thing, but slapping a talisman on her and making her work day and night without rest? That's too much. You're too heartless," Ji Mo sided with Sa Wu, believing Li Er was in the wrong.
Li Er chuckled sheepishly. "You wouldn't understand. Let me tell you, you probably don't know how fun it is when little Sa Bao hops around. She's so adorable, she melts my old heart."
Ji Mo glanced at Sa Wu, and the image immediately formed in his mind. He eagerly asked what kind of talismans were used and how they were drawn. Only when he saw Sa Wu grinding her teeth and giving him a murderous glare did he stop.
Ji Mo quickly changed his expression. "Let bygones be bygones. From now on, Old Li, you can't have any more designs on Sa Wu, and you must make amends. Sa Wu hasn't grown up; can you help solve that?"
"Eternal youth, unchanging beauty – isn't that what many people dream of? Why must she grow up?" Li Er said enviously, trying to persuade him. "The older you get, the lonelier and more anxious you become. More importantly, when you grow up, you won't be as cute when you hop around..."
Halfway through his sentence, Sa Wu's murderous gaze shifted from Ji Mo to him. Seeing this, Li Er immediately became serious. "As the saying goes, 'Yin alone does not produce, yang alone does not grow.' Little Sa Bao is a wisp of primordial blood essence, possessing extreme yin attributes. If she absorbs a drop or two of extreme yang Pangu blood, she might get better."
"I swallowed all of Pangu's blood. Are there any other ways?" Ji Mo continued to inquire.
Li Er stroked his long beard and said, "That makes things a bit difficult. Perhaps we can try the method of Yin and Yang co-existence. Once a man has a woman, he will grow into an adult overnight, and vice versa for women."
Sa Wu pondered this, secretly glancing at the simple-minded Ji Mo, her delicate face flushing crimson.
Ji Mo stroked his chin and muttered, "Although Sa Wu looks young, her actual age is quite considerable. Finding a partner might be difficult." He was still analyzing seriously when he saw Sa Wu pounce on him like a berserk tigress, clawing, punching, and hitting him.
"Hey, hey, stop it! You're so fierce, no one will want you." Ji Mo dodged, trying to escape, unable to understand why the girl was suddenly so angry. It was utterly baffling.
After the commotion subsided, Li Er led them down into the Mausoleum of the First Emperor and entered the doomsday shelter. The so-called shelter was more aptly described as a Peach Blossom Spring. It was not just a dwelling but a small world. Clearly, Li Er had invested a great deal of effort; it was almost a perfect world. The climate was pleasant, flowers bloomed everywhere, the scenery was picturesque, birds sang and flowers perfumed the air, brimming with life, like a fairyland.
"Old Li, you've got some serious stuff here. Even if the outside world is destroyed, this place is enough for tens of millions of people to survive the apocalypse without worry." Ji Mo exclaimed sincerely. If the Dark Harvest was truly unstoppable, this would be humanity's last hope. Of course, this was assuming it could be kept completely hidden from the Source of Darkness.
Li Er's face lit up. This was his masterpiece, the culmination of all his efforts. Being recognized filled him with joy. "Little Sa Bao, you worked hard hauling bricks, and you have your share of credit. Find a place you like and build your cave dwelling. Stay here."
This statement meant Sa Wu was recognized and qualified to reside in the shelter. Sa Wu's face immediately broke into a wide smile, and she hopped off to find a suitable spot. Ji Mo, on the other hand, was interested in how to create a small world and began to ask Li Er for guidance. He planned to upgrade the Sky City and transform it into another doomsday shelter.
As they were discussing, a clear and melodious voice rang out. "Old Li, I've come out of seclusion. You promised me you'd return my Mo Mo to me. If you break your promise, I'm not done with you..."
Hearing the voice, Ji Mo's body trembled, and he slowly turned his head. With eyebrows like emerald feathers, skin like sheep fat, bright eyes, and white teeth, a peerlessly beautiful and refined woman appeared before him. The woman also saw Ji Mo at a glance, and tears immediately welled up in her clear eyes.
After all, they were childhood sweethearts. Even after more than ten years apart, they recognized each other instantly. "Mo Mo." "Sister Bao'er." Their eyes met, and they were speechless, choked with emotion. A thousand words surged in their hearts, but they didn't know how to begin. They gazed at each other and took a step closer.
In Leng Bao'er's eyes, there was only Ji Mo. She opened her arms and tightly embraced him, sobbing, "Mo Mo, you're finally back." "Mmm! Sister Bao'er, I missed you so much." Ji Mo wrapped his arms around Leng Bao'er's waist, inhaling her familiar, refreshing scent and feeling a long-lost warmth.
"Mo Mo, how have you been all these years? Have you been starving or freezing outside? That Old Li is such a scoundrel, taking you away when you were so young and leaving you to live alone. Your life must have been so hard," Leng Bao'er said, pressing against Ji Mo's chest, pouring out her endless concern and hating Li Er. She said tenderly, "When I learn enough skills, I'll definitely beat him soundly to avenge you."
Ji Mo nodded. "Mmm, I'll find a sack later and find an opportunity to tie him up and beat that old scoundrel."
Li Er's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, his forehead covered in black lines. Are these two brats conspiring loudly in front of me, treating me as if I don't exist? Hmph, you want to beat me? Practice for another hundred or eighty years at least. But when he saw Ji Mo giving him a mischievous look, he inexplicably felt a pang of panic, a strong sense of crisis. "An illusion, it must be an illusion. This kid, he couldn't possibly be stronger than me already, could he?" Li Er's scalp tingled; the more he looked at Ji Mo, the more something felt off.
With the third wheel present, Ji Mo and Leng Bao'er didn't dare to hug for too long and soon let go of each other. Leng Bao'er examined Ji Mo, frowning slightly, and noticed the traces Sa Wu had left. She subtly took off the pink hair tie from her head and handed it over.
Ji Mo froze instantly, his mind flashing back to some unpleasant childhood memories. He looked crestfallen, his face full of refusal. "Sister Bao'er, I haven't wet the bed in a long time! You don't need to tie it up, right?" He still vividly remembered being tricked by Leng Bao'er when he was young and ignorant.
Hearing this, Leng Bao'er couldn't help but burst into laughter, her body shaking with mirth. "My Mo Mo hasn't changed at all; he's still so silly." She directly put the hair tie on Ji Mo's left wrist and instructed, "Wear it properly for me. Don't take it off."
"That's not good, it's too feminine..." Ji Mo was reluctant, but seeing Leng Bao'er's expression change, he quickly amended, "Mmm, pink, it suits a tough guy like me. I'll wear it properly and never take it off, even if I die."