As Chen Ying was still processing the shocking truth about her mother, the Flame Witch finally understood the full picture.
She never would have imagined that the person she had saved would have spied on her memories. Worse yet, that person even used her own daughter to betray her! This was something the Flame Witch simply couldn't tolerate. In an instant, a terrifying wave of fire erupted, filling the entire sky!
As the scalding fire surged into the sky, everyone felt the intense anger emanating from the Flame Witch.
"Mo Fan... So you're saying that she is my real aunt?" Zhao Manyan asked, still trying to wrap his head around the situation.
"Yeah," Mo Fan replied, a little exasperated by Zhao Manyan's slow realization.
"So, the woman pretending to be my aunt back home is fake?" Zhao Manyan continued.
Even Mu Nujiao couldn't take it anymore. She explained, "The woman back home is the one who was saved. Or more accurately, she stole Chen Ying's mother's memories."
Zhao Manyan finally seemed to get it, nodding as if it all made sense now.
After understanding the situation, Chen Ying turned to Mo Fan and Xin Xia, expressing her gratitude.
"Please tell your mother that I came here for the Flame Belle." Mo Fan said after Chen Ying and her mother finished their emotional reunion.
He didn't want to pretend he was entirely selfless—his goal had always been to get the Flame Belle, and maybe save her mother in the process.
At this, the Flame Witch calmed down a bit.
However, when she learned that Mo Fan wanted to take the Flame Belle, she hesitated. Although he had helped reunite her with her daughter, the Flame Belle had once saved her life.
"If you give me the Little Flame Empress, I will make her much stronger." Mo Fan said earnestly. He didn't offer too many promises, but his sincerity shone through.
As they say, sincerity is the ultimate weapon!
"Woo..." The Flame Witch let out a soft hum after a long pause.
Mo Fan didn't understand what it meant, so he turned to Xin Xia for help.
"Mo Fan, she says that you can take the Flame Belle, but you must promise not to use her as a tool for personal power struggles." Xin Xia translated.
"I swear, the only thing I care about is killing monsters and growing stronger. I have no interest in political games." Mo Fan replied confidently.
The Flame Witch studied Mo Fan. Although he was still young, he was already a high-level mage. Even in her prime, her talent couldn't compare to his.
However, she wasn't sure if Mo Fan's strength came from his own hard work or from other sources.
"Woo..." the Flame Witch hummed again, and Xin Xia explained further, "She says the Flame Belle hasn't fully awakened yet and needs at least six more months. She's asking if you're willing to wait that long."
Internally, Mo Fan cursed. Six months?! This was obviously her way of testing him.
But it was understandable—after all, she wanted to ensure the Flame Belle would be in good hands.
Though it annoyed him, Mo Fan decided to bear with it. "Fine, I'll wait." he said, suppressing his frustration.
"We can't stay here for six months." Zhao Manyan pointed out. They had their own duties to attend to—missions to complete and schools to return to.
Mu Nujiao and Xin Xia also had their training to continue, and even though Zhao Manyan didn't care about such responsibilities, he wasn't eager to stay in this isolated place for that long either. The only ones who might be willing to stay were Chen Ying and Ling Ling.
Chen Ying had just reunited with her mother, and Ling Ling didn't care much about school, preferring to stay with Mo Fan.
"But getting back won't be easy." Xin Xia said. "The Sha Wang River riot earlier is still affecting my ability to control it with my psychic magic."
Zhao Manyan groaned in frustration. He liked resources as much as anyone, but being stuck here wasn't his idea of fun. Sure, there were women around, but one was his cousin, another was Mo Fan's girl, and the rest were connected to Mo Fan in some way!
"I think the effects of the firestorm will fade in a few days. It should be safe to cross the Sha Wang River then." Mo Fan reassured them.
He knew Chen Ying's father and others, like Nan Jue, would be arriving soon. They had their own methods to cross the river, so there wasn't much to worry about.
But the thought of waiting six months for the Flame Belle still bothered Mo Fan.
Sometimes, helping someone else resolve a tragedy ends up being an inconvenience for yourself!
That night, the dark sky was peaceful and still. In the late hours, a thin layer of mist appeared, veiling the stars and casting a soft, dreamlike glow over the quiet flat-top mountain and forest. The scene was hauntingly beautiful.
Mo Fan sat under the towering star-shaped tree, looking out over the endless wasteland.
"Mo Fan, you don't need to worry. What's meant to be yours will be yours in the end." Xin Xia said softly as she joined him, sensing his slight frustration after the Flame Witch's decision.
"Xin Xia, you know what this tells me? It's hard to be a good guy. Sometimes, it's better to be a little bad." Mo Fan remarked.
Xin Xia paused for a moment but didn't dwell on his words. Instead, she continued to offer him gentle comfort.
The next day, after spending the night on the mountain, the group started planning how to gather some resources when suddenly Zhang Xiaohou exclaimed, "Hey, look! A group of people is coming this way!"
Everyone rushed over to where he stood, and sure enough, they saw a team approaching.
Leading the group were Zhao Manyan's uncle, Chen Ying's father Zhao Yulin, and a mysterious figure wrapped in white cloth.
As soon as the Flame Witch saw the newcomers, she glared at the white-cloaked figure with fury in her eyes.
Chen Ying's heart wavered as she saw the woman she had long believed was her mother wrapped in those white linens.
When Zhao Yulin and his team reached the group, they were shocked to see Mo Fan and his companions standing under the giant tree, with the Flame Witch floating nearby.
"Chen Ying, come here." the white-cloaked figure called out, confused by the situation.
Chen Ying hesitated.
"What are you doing? Don't you listen to your mother anymore?" the white-cloaked woman scolded when Chen Ying didn't respond.
Zhao Yulin was equally puzzled. Why were his daughter and Mo Fan standing next to a monster that wasn't attacking them? And what was that strange fruit over there?
"Woo...!" the Flame Witch suddenly released her full monarch-level power.
The immense pressure of the monarch's aura swept over Zhao Yulin's team, causing them all to feel its oppressive force.
Sensing the danger, the white-cloaked woman panicked and threw a sinister-looking dagger to Chen Ying. "Quick, Chen Ying! Stab that monster in the back, or we're all going to die!"
At that moment, Chen Ying knew for sure that this woman was not her real mother.
What kind of mother would ask her own daughter to backstab a powerful monster? That was nothing short of suicide!
"Why are you hesitating? She can't hurt you! Do it now!" the white-cloaked woman demanded, growing more desperate.
But just as the Flame Witch was about to act, Mo Fan suddenly threw a punch straight at the white-cloaked woman!
Everyone was stunned. Where did this kid come from, and why was he attacking his fellow humans instead of helping them?!
(End of Chapter)