Versatile Mage

Chapter 3146  Betrayal

As night fell, the royal court became unexpectedly lively. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Many half-humans in lavish robes and crowns showed up at the main gate. Despite their scary, greasy, and strange faces, they were all well-dressed. They looked like nobles attending a ball if one ignored their heads.

Zhao Manyan woke up amid this joyful atmosphere.

He realized that he had dozed off somehow. His stay in the Galaxy of the Yin Energy God had made him weak.

Just then, a woman with a rabbit head said, "You should get up and get ready."

"I'll dress myself. You don't have to help me," Zhao Manyan replied as he flipped his golden hair. He was giving off lover-boy vibes.

"Okay, that's better. We thought that you wouldn't cooperate and that we'd have to cover you in spices," the rabbit-headed woman said.

"Where's the Dragon Duchess?" Zhao Manyan asked.

He remembered his mission well: He needed to distract the Dragon Duchess.

Her power should be second only to the Dark King's. When she walked through the streets at night, everyone in the ancient dark city stayed inside their houses. So, she had to be really terrifying.

"She's getting ready as well. Many nobles are coming to offer gifts today, and there's going to be a big dinner party. The Dragon Duchess thinks you look handsome and wants you to be her companion tonight. You're the only one she has chosen," the rabbit-headed woman said with a smile.

"She has good taste." Zhao Manyan nodded. He tried to appear more obedient.

…

Mo Fan and Asha'ruiya thought that the royal court would be as quiet as it was the previous night, but they were wrong.

Suddenly, many half-humans dressed in fancy clothes arrived at the royal court. They seemed to be celebrating something and appeared proud to be there.

"What should we do?" Asha'ruiya asked.

"We can only go out. What else can we do?" replied Mo Fan.

"Should I change my clothes first?"

"Yes! Hey, Asha'ruiya, you don't have to treat me like a friend here. You can change right next to me. I won't do anything to you."

Asha'ruiya ignored Mo Fan's crude remark and left.

…

Soon, Mo Fan pulled out a formal outfit from his Space Bracelet as well.

Luckily, these half-humans initially looked human. Their faces only revealed their true evil nature after they stayed there for a long time.

As such, even though Mo Fan and Asha'ruiya resembled humans, they would not stand out. After all, many travelers in the ancient dark city still looked human.

Mo Fan slowly stopped suppressing his presence.

He needed to confirm whether the Chess King was asleep or just napping.

As he revealed his presence, there was no reaction from the Chess King's side.

Mo Fan was relieved.

It seemed that they were right.

The Chess King would sleep to bring about the night.

…

Security was not very tight, and there were no proper guards.

Mo Fan and Asha'ruiya reached the Heart Palace without any obstacle.

It was a giant heart-shaped palace made of red agate stones. It looked a bit creepy from afar, but it had a captivating charm up close.

"Mu Bai's in there," Mo Fan abruptly said with a serious expression.

"How do you know?" Asha'ruiya asked in puzzlement.

"The Evil Saint King has Eight Souls, and he's now my Righteous Soul. I can't become the Evil Saint King without him," Mo Fan explained.

"Do you sense his presence?"

Mo Fan nodded. The feeling was intense. It felt like a part of him was locked in the prison ahead.

"But something feels off," Asha'ruiya said.

Her eyes shone as she looked around. All of a sudden, she looked up in surprise and saw a face in the dark sky.

The face was cold and imposing. Even though its eyes were closed, it still felt as if the face was constantly watching over everyone on the ground.

The beings on the Dark Plane had very little freedom or privacy. They all lived under the influence of powerful beings. Unlike a place where growth and social advancement were possible, the Dark Plane was controlled by an unseen force that divided society into distinct levels of power and authority.

The thin layer of water clearly depicted who held the power and who were the commoners.

Asha'ruiya trembled as she realized that the Dark King of the ancient dark city was quietly waiting for something.

"Mo Fan… can I go in first and check the place out?" Asha'ruiya asked.

"Why? What if it's dangerous inside?" Mo Fan was baffled.

"I have a bad feeling," Asha'ruiya explained.

"In that case, we should go in together. I don't want you to get hurt because of me," Mo Fan replied.

"There aren't any strong guards inside," Asha'ruiya reassured him.

"I know."

"Trust me. Let me go in first," Asha'ruiya said seriously.

"I—"

"I know you have a bit of that old-school male mentality and don't want me to lead the way. But sometimes, you have to trust a woman's instincts," Asha'ruiya said.

Seeing how determined she was, Mo Fan could not say anything else.

Finally, he nodded.

"I'll stay here," he said.

"Okay. I'll be right back," Asha'ruiya replied.

…

Mo Fan stood outside the Heart Palace.

However, the thin layer of water on the ground started to act strangely. It was usually as calm as a mirror, but it began to ripple.

As a result, Mo Fan's skeletal reflection became blurry.

The wind started to blow, and even the tall city walls could not stop the chilling cold.

Mo Fan sensed the odd atmosphere.

However, he was unfamiliar with the place. Unable to come to any clear conclusions, he decided not to dwell on it.

Either way, he had to save Mu Bai.

He could only face whatever came his way.

…

Meanwhile, Asha'ruiya made her way into the Heart Palace.

Inside, she saw a person suspended at the center.

His chest was bare, and he was covered in wounds. However, his severe wounds were not the most horrifying part; it was the layers of wounds that he had.

It meant that this was not the person's physical body, but his True Soul. His True Soul had been pulled out and locked at the center of the palace. He had also been punished and reconstructed repeatedly, which resulted in layers of horrifying wounds.

Even so, he was still "alive."

The look in his eyes was firm but indifferent. Normally, a True Soul enduring such punishment would become numb, but he was different.

When he noticed someone entering, he did not even look up. He seemed used to different executioners from the Dark Plane coming to torture him every day. Yet, he never lost himself during this ordeal. Instead, he grew stronger, and his soul shone brighter.

He sensed a familiar presence and felt that it must be someone he had met in the mortal world.

Right then, he raised his head. Instead of looking at the person, he looked at the skeletal reflection in the rippling water.

It was a Fallen Angel who also paraded the mortal world.

Mu Bai was surprised to see who it was. He did not expect her to be working for the Dark King.

"I'm sorry," Asha'ruiya apologized with a slight bow and a hint of guilt.

"No worries. I don't mind it being you. Seeing a familiar face makes things a bit more cordial at least. It reminds me of my days in the mortal world," Mu Bai replied.

"I'm not here to torture you," said Asha'ruiya.

"Why are you here then? You're not here to save me, are you?" Mu Bai forced a smile.

"I made the choice you were unwilling to make," Asha'ruiya explained.

As soon as she finished speaking, Mu Bai's eyes turned cold.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The chains on his body clashed loudly as he struggled, and his damaged soul tensed. This resulted in bulging veins and more apparent muscle lines.

For a moment, it seemed like he could break free from the everlasting chains with his own strength.

"You… You made a deal with them!" Mu Bai said angrily.

"If I had refused, wouldn't I have ended up like you?" Asha'ruiya replied.

"How could you betray your friend?!" Mu Bai shouted.

"I'm a woman and a treacherous one," Asha'ruiya replied.

"Where is he?!" Mu Bai demanded.

"He's just outside the palace. Can't you sense him?" Asha'ruiya said.

"You're the one who led him to the Dark Plane and brought him here?!" Mu Bai asked.

"He asked me to be his guide on the Dark Plane," Asha'ruiya explained.

"You wicked, despicable woman. When I become the king, I'll destroy you and cast your soul into hell!" Mu Bai cursed her.

"It's true that you're strong. Even with such harsh punishment, your will remains unbroken. In the future, you'll surely be the ruler of the Dark Plane. But not everyone can endure this like you. The ancient dark city has thousands of beings. They were once brilliant geniuses and heroes. Yet, they ended up with ugly faces and wandered as beasts for a small chance to survive in this world. I'm no different. Isn't betraying a friend the easiest thing to do?" Asha'ruiya calmly said.

Mu Bai's eyes turned red as he glared at the stunning woman. Even though she had a captivating appearance, her skeletal reflection showed that she was slowly gaining a fox's cheekbones!

It seemed that she would eventually bear a fox's head—a symbol of deceit and betrayal in hell—and endure the punishment of a thousand blades piercing her heart!

"Six Wings, I'm giving you a chance to change. I'll forgive you. When I reach the peak of power and rule over this prison, I'll spare you. Just go out right now and tell Mo Fan that this is a trap set up for him. I swear on my True Soul that I'll forgive all your wrongdoings!" Mu Bai said.

"There's no guarantee that you'll become the king. There's only a one-third chance of it happening."

"You should know that if you make the wrong move and fall into my hands, I'll make you suffer the most severe and enduring punishment in the ninth circle of hell!" Mu Bai took a deep breath, and the look in his eyes was chilling. He did not seem like a prisoner undergoing punishment but a saint enduring rigorous spiritual practice.

"We, the people of darkness, are all helpless," Asha'ruiya replied.

"What did you betray? What did you betray when you were young?!" Mu Bai suddenly asked.