Falling into Darkness: Pre

[Gentle, scheming beauty of a master x vicious demon lord, lovesick and devoted]

Everyone said that Wu Mian was a beauty the immortal sects had not seen in a hundred years.

His beauty was more than just his looks. He possessed an astonishing, flawless splendor that outshone every other beauty.

When he was still learning to speak, every elder who saw him praised his excellent spiritual aptitude. During the chaos in Gujinling, when his parents died, the respected Clan Leader Yao took him into the Yao family and cared for him in every way. At seventeen, he slew the Plum Demon, which had left all the immortal sects helpless, avenging his parents and making his name in a single battle.

It was then, amid the endless snowstorms on Plum Mountain, that he took in Yiheng, the unlucky disciple whose spiritual marrow would later be extracted.

Not long ago, people would still say this when they met him: "If the Heavenly Dao still existed, Young Master Wu would probably have ascended eight hundred years ago! He'd never be sitting at the same table as the likes of us!"

Wu Mian would always respond with a dignified smile. When he was in a good mood, he might even add, "You're all too kind... You flatter me..."

But every smile and frown of his seemed to cast a bewitching spell. When someone met his gaze, they would immediately look away and pretend to sip their tea, or turn their eyes toward the window... Yet no one could truly take their eyes off him.

He truly lived up to the saying, "Who in all the world does not know you?"

But everything changed after he went to Gujinling under the pretense of saving someone, only for his attempt to summon a soul to fail.

When his scheme fell through, he drained the spiritual marrow from Yiheng, the disciple he had raised for over a decade, and drove him down the mountain! Then came the events in Gujinling, his imprisonment, the hatred of the crowds... and now he was on the brink of death.

The jade-faced immortal lord who once made everyone hold their breath now had only a thread of life left.

How tragic... How pitiful...

The adoring gazes that once surrounded him vanished in an instant. Everyone could only sigh that Yiheng had finally avenged himself... Perhaps now the world would know a few years of peace!

Unexpectedly, that was when disaster struck.

"Guards! Someone is trying to break Wu Mian, that fiend, out!"

"Who would dare? What a grave crime it is to trespass in Gujinling! Have they learned nothing from what happened before?"

"Hmph! Look at how little spiritual power Wu Mian has left. It doesn't matter which heavenly king comes to save him, he won't escape!"

More unbelievable still, the heavenly king who came actually did save him!

No!

"Save" was the wrong word. It should have been "kidnap"!

Yiheng, the very disciple Wu Mian had drained of his spiritual marrow and driven down the mountain, had come to rescue Wu Mian... With his baleful aura, he swept through Gujinling. He not only took Wu Mian away, but also set fire to the prison and raided the immortal clans of the southeast, turning that priceless land into the demon city of Wulang!

All glittering on the outside, rotten within!

Just like his master!

The former admirers who had once been desperate to fawn over Wu Mian now gnashed their teeth in hatred. Little did they know that Yiheng, whom they had cursed countless times, was waiting in his demon city for the beauty to wake.

"Master, were you looking for this just now?"

Yiheng toyed with the jade bangle in his hand with studied indifference, but the longing in his gaze as he looked at Wu Mian was impossible to hide.

Wu Mian stared at his cold, pale hand, the plum-green bangle resting against it, and rasped, "Why did you save me?"

The moment he asked, Wu Mian secretly mocked himself.

What other reason could there be?

No matter how magnanimous Yiheng might be, Wu Mian himself had erased his memories, extracted his spiritual marrow, and driven him down the mountain... What could he want besides revenge and repayment?

With death his only option anyway, dying at Yiheng's hands was better than being killed by that person.

So he recklessly provoked him. "Yiheng, I dare say I'm deeply grateful that you saved me... But I can't give you back your spiritual marrow."

Yiheng sneered.

"Does Master think I brought you back for that?"

What else could it be...?

After being locked up for so long, Wu Mian's body was much weaker than before. As they spoke, crystalline beads of sweat ran down his jade-white, delicate face and dampened the bedding.

He had schemed and planned, only to end up with nothing, and now he was about to drag Yiheng back into this deadly trap.

No... Absolutely not!

Wu Mian's fingertips trembled faintly... But just as he was about to be swallowed by a nightmare, Yiheng suddenly brushed his eyelashes.

He leaned close to Wu Mian's ear and lowered his voice. "Master, if you're going to go to such lengths..."

Wu Mian's breathing grew increasingly ragged...

"Then I'll just have to see this through with you!"

The half-open bed curtains were abruptly drawn shut. The bewitching mist grew so dense it forced its way through the glazed windows, sweeping in with irresistible force alongside the ceaseless sound of dancing beyond the room.

Notes: 1. The author likes flashbacks, so this story contains some, but not a lot. ദ്ദി ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ )

2. Since the story involves past and present lives, the author chose to keep the protagonists' names the same throughout. Don't find it strange! ᐡɞ̴̶̷⌁⚇⌁ɞ̴̶̷ᐡ

3. The story includes a bit of a substitute trope, but it doesn't happen between the protagonists. The couple is very much in love. 𓆩♡𓆪

Entering the Demon Path is a very daring attempt by the author, who hopes that all the visitors to Planet MUXI will have a particularly happy and joyful experience. ૮๑′0`๑ა

Theme: Though I try not to think of you, I cannot forget.