Free Web NovelChapter 12: Chapter 12—Powerful Bizarre
Chapter 12—Powerful Bizarre
"You can’t escape, Young... master."
A sharp, chilly voice cut through the room.
Swish!
Lin Mei—the fox Bizarre—vanished from her position and reappeared directly in front of Mo Yong, who had crumbled to the grassy ground in sheer terror. A yellow puddle spread beneath his legs. He had soiled himself for the second time in a few hours.
Lei Cheng shook his head slowly. ’What is happening? How did my own maid become a fox Bizarre?... Or when was she taken over?’
He went through his memories of her—she had always seemed like a perfectly ordinary human.
’Wait.’
His eyes snapped open. ’The very first question she asked—"What if Yun Che was sleeping?" She was trying to redirect my order. Trying to stop me from calling him. But why?’
His thoughts were cut short as a scream tore through the air from outside.
"No—I am not—!"
Lei Cheng snapped his fingers immediately, cutting Mo Yong off before he could reveal anything further.
Lin Mei grabbed Mo Yong and hurled him back through the window into the room, then leapt in after him in a single fluid motion.
Thud!
Mo Yong hit the floor and roared, wild-eyed. "I’m not Lei Cheng! You fox—listen to me!" He screamed at the top of his lungs—yet neither Lin Mei nor Lei Cheng so much as glanced in his direction.
Crack! Crack!
Lin Mei tilted her head and shifted back into human form, smooth and unhurried.
Lei Cheng stood still, fists clenched behind his back. ’What now?’
Lin Mei turned toward Mo Yong—who appeared completely frozen to her eyes, not a single muscle moving, a statue. But in Lei Cheng’s eyes, it was entirely different. Mo Yong’s voice cracked, turning rough, yet he kept screaming. "You Bizarre—"
Lin Mei crouched and tore open the front of the crimson dragon robe and the inner garment beneath it without hesitation. A tanned, muscular chest came into view—lean and clearly defined, unmistakably the body of a martial artist.
"Damn it." Her brows furrowed deeply. She turned her head swiftly toward Lei Cheng. "Where is the mark I asked to be planted?"
Lei Cheng’s thoughts jolted violently. His mouth opened slightly. ’So it was her. She is the one behind the original Lei Cheng’s death.’
He reached into his pouch and pulled out the talisman, holding it up between two fingers.
"Ah. So that’s how it is." Lin Mei nodded slowly, eyes softening.
"Yes," Lei Cheng added quickly. "I tried my best—but this thing interfered."
"Those talismans interfere with our work." Her voice roughened slightly. She bit her lip, then locked eyes with him and tilted her head. "Young Master had called you this morning—what did he ask you?"
Lei Cheng’s pupils shifted slightly. ’So that’s how it is. She had asked, "What if Yun Che was sleeping?"—she was trying to redirect my summons without raising suspicion. She wanted to prevent me from calling him at all.’
"Not much," he replied smoothly. "He only asked how he had fainted—and how he had been carried home."
Lin Mei pressed a hand to her chest and let out a quiet breath. "Good..." A manic grin spread across her face. "For you, that is." Her eyes stayed locked on his.
’Would she have killed me if I had said something else?’ Lei Cheng’s gaze shifted briefly toward Mo Yong.
The moment Lin Mei noticed the shift, she spoke without turning around. "It doesn’t matter now. The endgame is near."
"Endgame?"
Her expression went cold. "Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask."
Crimson energy erupted from her body—a massive layer expanding outward in every direction. The entire room grew heavy and oppressive, the air itself pressing down like a physical weight. Lei Cheng felt an enormous force bearing down on his back, driving him toward the ground. Just as he was close to kneeling—
He snapped his fingers.
The crushing force vanished from his body instantly. He steadied himself, patting his racing heart.
In Lin Mei’s eyes, Lei Cheng—wearing Yun Che’s form—was already on his knees, forehead pressed to the floor.
"Good." Lin Mei nodded with quiet satisfaction and turned away. She hadn’t noticed the illusion.
She walked slowly toward Mo Yong, raised her palm, and murmured, "Marking Fox Groom." A large crimson circle several feet tall materialized in front of her—a golden fox symbol blazing at its center. She brought her palm down in a sharp motion.
The crimson circle descended and landed squarely on Mo Yong’s chest.
In the next moment, Mo Yong’s entire body shook violently. Lei Cheng quietly dismissed the illusion on Mo Yong, keeping only his appearance as Lei Cheng intact. Lin Mei tilted her head, studying Mo Yong’s reaction, and nodded.
"Yes. This is the correct reaction." frёewebηovel.cѳm
She turned to face Lei Cheng’s illusion directly and reduced the pressure slightly. The illusion of Lei Cheng raised his head.
"Don’t forget the restriction I placed upon you. I believe you have already experienced what it feels like."
’Restriction... No wonder she summoned Mo Yong at the end.’ Lei Cheng frowned.
Noticing his silence, she raised her palm—a yellow circle began to form.
"No!" Lei Cheng’s voice came out sharp and fast. "I know. I’ll obey your command."
’Damn it. If only I could kill her.’
He clenched his jaw, standing just a few inches from the illusion of himself kneeling on the floor. ’Illusion. It is extraordinarily useful—but it cannot touch reality.’
His Illusion Intent could influence all five senses of an ordinary mortal—make them experience pleasure, fear, agony, anything. But no matter how perfectly convincing the illusion, it could not alter the physical world at his current level. ’I need to comprehend Illusion Intent to fifty percent before even a fraction of it can affect reality.’ He clenched his fists.
Lin Mei glanced back at Mo Yong. He had gone completely still. The crimson circle on his chest had shrunk to the size of a fist, its color fading from vivid crimson to a dull gray with only a faint flicker of red still burning within it. Mo Yong had grown visibly thinner, dark circles appearing beneath his eyes. He didn’t move at all.
’He must have been weakened to his limit.’ Lei Cheng recalled his own experience with the mark.
The crimson energy on Lin Mei’s body disappeared. The oppressive force on the illusory Lei Cheng lifted. Lei Cheng made the illusion rise to its feet immediately and bow its head. "I’ll obey your command."
"Good." Lin Mei nodded with a faint smile, eyes still fixed on Mo Yong.
She hissed, "Young Master... look into my eyes."
Mo Yong didn’t move a fraction.
She simply raised her foot and stomped lightly on his chest.
Thud!
Mo Yong’s body twitched. His head turned slowly—mechanically—toward Lin Mei. Their eyes met.
A golden glow ignited in her eyes.
In the very next moment, the same golden glow bloomed in Mo Yong’s.
"Stand up."
Mo Yong stood. Blank. Empty. A puppet.
’She took control of him.’ Lei Cheng screamed it inside himself. He studied Mo Yong carefully and noticed something else—his eyes had lost all clarity, and he appeared to have lost twenty to thirty percent of his weight.
’She fed on him... I need to find out what that mark took.’
He raised his palm and pushed his Illusion Intent to its absolute limit.
Lin Mei suddenly felt the ground vanish beneath her feet. She floated upward—weightless—as her surroundings dissolved entirely. Pure golden clouds stretched beneath her in every direction.
