The Demon Lord's death in the original novel made many fans rage, receiving a review bomb… turning the once rated 4.7 novel into a whooping 3.5
It seemed as if the numbers would only go further downhill.
I mean… the demon lord was described as the most beautiful being in the intire novel with his defined features, the author used so many fancy words just to describe a single guy, the author spent less time describing the main character, Jun Yuxuan's looks! Along with the demon lord's sad backstory and unrequited love, only to sacrifice everything to Yuxuan and die miserably due to getting betrayed by Yuxuan.
Xue Huan tried his best to not start running around screaming his head off in order to stop the headaches.
He didn't transmigrate, he was definitely Xue Huan and Xue Huan is definitely him.
His reincarnation.
His newer self finally knew why 'Xue Huan' was so devoted to the demon lord.
The demon lord grew up on a sect, he wasn't one of the sect members but an ingredient for their pills… and Xue Huan was one of them too.
Liùshí was Xue Huan's original name, he had great roots but a fragile body, making him survive for quite a long time left in the shelf for years.
In other hand, Wushí-èr, a kid with an excellent root, constitute, talent, clean and healthy body free from impurities, was the best pill ingredient.
There were still many ingredients left until his turn yet…
The small kid sat on a rock surrounded by the bamboo forest, his long black hair shone under the sunlight, his long eyelashes drawn over his beautiful eyes that had matching color with the bamboo forest surrounding him.
Liùshí's breathe was taken away from him at that moment.
He approached the kid, clearing his voice before asking "What's your name?"
The kid stared blankly at him.
Liùshí cleared his voice once more and said even loudly this time, "What's your name?"
Liùshí stared at the still silent kid with his sparkling purple eyes, his curly hair gathered into a one big messy ponytail waving with the wind.
"Wushi-er"
Liùshí finally heard a response, his eyes sparkling even more. "Nice to meet you, I'm Liushi!"
He was glad that this kid's number was still far off in the back… he really wanted to know more about this kid.
The areas allowed to the ingredients were very limited, obviously leaving Wushi-er with nothing much to do other than listening to Liùshí talk into his own world for hours and hours.
"Did you know that there's a thing called a smartphone? It's very useful in a small space like this where the boredom will kill you first before the crazy lunatics trying to turn you into a pill kill you… when they should make themselves as a pill to be useful for once…" Liùshí let out a sigh.
Wushi-er listened to every word of his weird talks without letting out a single complaint much less a word.
Until Liùshí commented about the sect disciples which finally got a small laugh out of him.
Liùshí's eyes sparkled once more, opening his mouth to say "You should smile more." His mouth turning into a wide smile as if to demonstrate how to smile.
Too bad that was the last time 'Wushi-er" would rever smile.
The sun was already setting when Liushi finally had sore throat from talking too much.
He looked at the boy, seeing that the boy wanted to sit on that rock for longer, he quietly took his leave.
Liushi skipped along the bamboo forest down the dirt path.
He reached the outskirts of the 'shelf'
He looked around, spotting a young boy in one of those purple sect uniforms, his purple eyes looking here and there waiting for someone… Liushi happily smiled and ran towards him while calling out the boy's name.
The boy in the sect uniform smiled back, handing him two pieces of moon cake.
Liushi immediate stuffed one inside his mouth, savoring every bite while putting the other one in his pocket.
"I'm sorry that I could only get two pieces…" the purple uniformed boy sighed apologetically.
Liushi responded with a simple "It's ok" with his mouth full.
Liushi and the boy were twins, but Liushi got kidnapped, becoming an ingredient. The other twin had no idea that he would make it into this sect only to find his long lost twin.
"Don't worry Xue Huan, I'll quickly get stronger and take you out of here, my master is postponing your turn as best as he can… and you'll soon be freed if I continue working harder!"
Liushi… no Xue Huan, could only give a small laugh.
He knew that was impossible.
The sun could be barely seen now.
Liushi quickly finished his talk with the purple uniformed boy and quickly ran back to the shelf.
——
The shelf was quite.
Seeing that a certain boy's bed was empty, Liushi went outside back to the stone.
There sat the boy, his long black hair reflecting the moonlight this time… how come he's still beautiful even though it's not the full moon and you can barely see his features??? The world was unfair indeed.
Well they're both ingredients for pills at the end, so perhaps the world is fair.
Liushi sighed, taking out the moon cake that he has saved.
He knew the boy wouldn't respond to his question so he just put the moon cake down on the boy's hand.
Taking a sit right next to the boy on the rock.
They stared at the sky… eventually falling asleep with the warm wind blowing past them.
The same days repeated, waking up, one side chatting the day away, going to see his twin brother, coming back to the rock to share a snack, falling asleep while looking at the stars.
But today was a bit different, he told his twin brother about Wushi-er.
"The heaven really is unfair… how come Wushi-er has silky smooth hair while I have curly hair that won't go down no matter how I comb it? How come he has fair pale skin after sitting on a rock, in the sun for 24/7 while I manage to get irritated skin no matter how much I try?"
The list went on until his twin stopped him.
"Stop insulting your face won't you? You know we have the same face… you can't insult yours without insulting mine…"
"Oops forgot about that."
Liushi laughed.
His twin rolled his eyes.
They were nothing alike… Liushi couldn't go a single minute without opening his mouth with chatters while his twin barely opened his mouth, even if he did, it was only to use his sarcasm.
Actually… never mind, they were exactly alike.
Liushi took the snacks from his twin as always and ran back to the inner shelf.
As time passed, Liushi and Wushi-er grew closer… but Liushi knew that his turn was coming.
When the disciples came to the shelf to prepare the ingredient and announce the next ingredient, Liushi held tightly unto Wushi-er's hand.
What came out of the disciple's mouth was shocking… "Next ingredient in line is number Wushi-er"
Liushi dropped his hand and stared into the boy's eyes.
Perfect weather, warm sunlight shining down on them, the cool wind softly passing by.
That day was the day Wushí-èr was chosen to be used.
The day Liushi chose to help Wushi-er escape.
The day number 61 and 52 died.
——
Liushi went to find his twin at sunset, he didn't use his sarcasm today, he didn't talk much at all, which made his twin raise his brows.
"Did something happen? Did you number get called?!"
"No… Wushi-er got called…" Liushi chocked the words out.
His twin fell silent, "It's not like this is the first time someone you've gotten closer to got chosen. Plus, it's not like he'll be throwin into the pot right away, they'll take him away in a month after his name is called."
Liushi couldn't be helped but feel hurt by his twin's words.
He's not in his position, you can never get used to loosing someone you hold dear.
Liushi left early, realizing his twin isn't fit to be a therapist.
At least it seemed like his twin will be of some help… Liushi has stolen the sect uniform… if he were to wear it… no one could tell that he was Liushi!
Disciples bringing an ingredient out the shelf wouldn't be weird either since the ingredient chosen today will be taken by one of the disciples into the kitchen soon.
Liushi had to be faster than them.
Liushi head to the rock… "Of course Wushu-er is actually indoor for once when I need him out here the most…" Liushi groaned.
He quickly put on the uniform, heading to the inner shelf when the guards recognized him, greeting him by saying, "This disciple greets his senior, inner disciple Jun Yuxuan!"
Liushi gave a small nod.
That wasn't Liushi's name, meaning his disguise worked!
Liushi walked in, seeing the boy sitting on his bed as expected.
The boy's eyes had a surprised spark, immediately hiding them back.
"Wushi-er… follow me."
The two boys made it safely to near the exit, only needing to pass the kitchen before finally escaping.
Suddenly, a purple stream of light was fired towards Wushu-er.
Thankfuly Liushi was close enough to block it with his body.
Liushi grabbed Wushi-er and ran.
———
Wushi-er stared at the boy bleeding to his death after taking a blow for him.
It felt like yesterday when the boy was alive and talking without saving a single breathe.
Perhaps it was due to the fact that indeed it was just yesterday when the boy was alive and well.
The boy used smiled and asked, "What's you're real name?"
"Zhi You"
The boy laughed, "Freedom? What an ironic name for our situation." He used his last strength to run the opposite way from Wushi-er, making as much noise as possible… leading the pursuers away.
Zhi You didn't get to hear the boy's real name.
————
Liushi was dragged back to the sect into the kitchen.
A huge pot stood in the middle, screaming of the boy who was just taken off the shelf today could be heard inside the pot.
Liushi was thrown in.
————
Wushu-er tried his best to survive in the outside world, he was truly a genius… no wonder the sect tried to use him so fast.
He created his own cultivation method based on the sect disciples… but a bit different, more violent, destructive, destroying everything including the one cultivating that method.
The demonic way was created.
He had hundreds and thousands of followers yet no one knew his name.
The first thing he did was destroy the sect… without the sect and without Liushi, no one knew of the demon lord's true name nor the fake one.
———
Perhaps the heaven heard his desperation, or perhaps it was just the old pot finally done with being abused for centuries, the pot broke.
The boy who was thrown earlier than him has turned into a pill but Liushi who was just thrown in was still alive.
He took the pill, gaining enough energy to escape.
Was it due to the event of him almost turning into a pill? His blood could heal or boost cultivation levels, his looks have also changed, his hair color from dark brown to light ash, his purple eye color into dark red.
It seems like his features also got sharper too, making his once round soft eyes disappear into a sharp fox eye.