I had barely caught my breath on the bed when a commotion suddenly erupted outside—chaotic shouts mixed with furious yelling:
“Catch him! Don’t let him escape!”
The sound sliced through the air like a blade, and my stomach tightened instantly. Sothing was wrong again. Trouble had co knocking—again.
The mont my foot touched the floor, the door was kicked open with a loud bang, nearly sending sprawling.
It was Mu Cangli.
And it was the first ti I had ever seen him like this.
His hair was completely undone, soaked through as if he had been dragged through a river. His clothes clung to him, his breathing was ragged—he looked like a drowned dog. A drowned dog that had also been struck by lightning and thrown back into the water for good asure.
“What… what happened to you?” I rushed over to steady him, already feeling my pulse hamring.
He gasped, words breaking apart between breaths. “Quick… hurry…”
I nodded instinctively and grabbed him, charging straight toward the door.
And the mont we burst out—
We slamd directly into Hua Xiang’s furious face.
Behind him stood little Lian, expression colder than ever.
I staggered so hard I nearly face-planted, instinctively trying to shove Mu Cangli aside—
And only then did his sentence finally complete itself:
“—Quick—hide!”
…
Could you please finish a sentence before scaring people half to death?!
I hurriedly tried to explain. “I can explain! Lian, I was just helping him—he’s injured! Look at him!”
Little Lian covered his ears. Not listening. Not at all.
I pushed harder. “Think about it! One weak, one basically disabled—do we look like people stupid enough to run in front of you guys?”
Hua Xiang imdiately snapped, “Who’s disabled?”
I pointed at Mu Cangli. “Him!”
Lian leaned in slightly, frowning. “Who’s weak?”
I pointed at myself. “!”
Hua Xiang widened his eyes. “Who said he was disabled?!”
I looked again at Mu Cangli, checking him over. Only wet clothes, exhaustion, no blood, no visible injuries.
I exhaled slightly in relief. “Hey… what exactly did you do in there?”
Hua Xiang said coldly, “He caused chaos in the dungeon, nearly destroyed the eighteenth-level chanism array, injured two of my n, and damaged the chains and cell doors. All of that goes on your tab.”
I glanced at Mu Cangli. “Didn’t know you had that kind of combat power.”
Then—
Mu Cangli suddenly scread.
High-pitched. Sharper than a cat being strangled.
Before I could react, he shot upward like a wild monkey.
In seconds, he was on the roof.
His wet hair clung to his face, his eyes glinting with sothing utterly wrong. Nothing human.
I froze. “Mu Cangli—what are you doing?!”
He didn’t respond.
Instead, he crouched on the roof and started tearing tiles off—one after another—flinging them downward like a man possessed.
Crash. Crash. Crash.
“Stop! Stop throwing things! That’s property damage!” I shouted.
Lian and Hua Xiang stood below, both stunned.
But Mu Cangli only laughed, breath ragged. “Destroy it… all of it!”
Lian frowned sharply. “Sothing’s wrong—he may be poisoned!”
“Poisoned?” I looked up.
He was stronger than ever now, tearing tiles like paper.
I felt a chill.
“At this rate the roof will collapse in minutes!”
I shouted again, “Mu Cangli! Stop!”
Lian added urgently, “It’s Seven-Step Madness! Hua-ge, get the antidote!”
Hua Xiang spat once and ran off imdiately.
Mu Cangli, anwhile, had started throwing roof tiles directly at us.
I instinctively tried to hide behind little Lian, then imdiately realized:
This five-year-old body would absolutely not stop a flying roof tile.
Lian glared at .
So I dragged him back inside instead, half-shutting the door.
“Mu Cangli, listen to ! You’re fine! Just calm down! Sit down! Stop dismantling the roof—you’re very strong, okay? But please stop!”
Completely useless.
Chaos above. Tiles flying. panicking behind a door. Lian looking like he was about to develop a migraine at age five.
Finally, Hua Xiang returned with an antidote box.
He leapt onto the roof and grabbed Mu Cangli, trying to force the dicine into him.
But Mu Cangli suddenly overpowered him, flipping him beneath him instead.
They struggled violently.
Then several Blood Lotus Cult mbers rushed in, helping restrain him. Only then was he dragged down and forced to take the dicine.
After everything finally cald, Lian crouched beside Mu Cangli and said quietly, “In about one incense stick of ti, he should wake up.”
I wiped sweat from my forehead.
Please don’t let anything else go wrong.
One incense stick later.
Mu Cangli slowly opened his eyes.
The madness was gone.
The confusion too.
For a mont, I thought he had recovered.
Then he opened his mouth and said:
“Mother.”
Silence fell instantly.
I stared at him. “...Who is he calling?!”
Both children stiffened.
Lian frowned. “Sothing’s wrong. Stabilize him.”
Mu Cangli started struggling again. I rushed forward, trying to hold him, but he shoved back effortlessly.
Hua Xiang imdiately stepped in and struck several acupoints.
Pop.
His body went limp like a drained fish, twitching once before collapsing flat on the ground.
Finally still.
I sighed in relief.
But then—
Lian tilted his head slightly, expression unfocused.
“I feel like… I’ve seen this before.”
Before I could respond, a loud commotion erupted outside again—crashes, shouting, chaos.
Lian and Hua Xiang exchanged a look.
“We’ll go check,” Lian said. “Stay here.”
And they rushed out.
I muttered, “This place is way too familiar for my liking…”
I tried to drag Mu Cangli onto the bed when—
BANG!
The window exploded open.
A figure flipped inside.
I startled so hard I dropped Mu Cangli back onto the floor.
I looked up.
It was Lian.
No—older Lian, the one belonging to my tiline.
His expression was grave.
“I know what’s happening,” he said.
“This is a formation.”
“And it’s because we failed to make Hua Xiang block the sword for my younger self.”
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