Chapter 99: Chapter Ninety-Nine: First Encounter with the Mist Demon

Luo Changfeng's hands moved faster than his mind; after he drew the Breaking Cloud Sword, he finally thought to scold Shi Ran: "You still dare to order your eldest senior brother around? You've gotten bold!"

Shi Ran stuck out her tongue from behind Mei Ruoxue: "Go, eldest senior brother! I'm rooting for you!"

They didn't even take this little mist demon seriously, laughing: "We've seen all kinds of demonic beasts in the secret realm—why would we fear this little mist demon?"

But this little mist demon is far more formidable than the straightforward demonic beasts in the secret realm.

Under Luo Changfeng's command, the Breaking Cloud Sword sliced the mist and rose; Gu Yusheng's Chasing Moon Sword also shone like the moon breaking through the void; the two swords dispersed the fog, leaving only a clear world.

Shi Ran watched, delighted, and said, "Exactly like that—let's show our sect's might!" Before she finished speaking, Mei Ruoxue suddenly felt her hand go empty—Shi Ran had vanished into thin air!

"Shi Ran!" Mei Ruoxue exclaimed in shock; the light of her Melancholy Song Sword flared instantly, yet it could not pierce this strange, thick fog.

"It's over, we're doomed! The master will expel me from the sect!" Luo Changfeng's face changed drastically; he took out a golden folding fan, formed hand seals, and dozens of golden rays shot from the fan's ribs, tearing a gap in the mist. But the gap vanished in an instant—there was no time to see where Shi Ran had been taken.

Gu Yusheng gritted his teeth: "It's an illusion technique! This mist demon can actually perform such a superb illusion! They underestimated it—no one expected a little demon to use a feint-to-the-east, strike-to-the-west tactic."

Just as the three grew anxious, Shi Ran found herself standing in a vast white space. She touched the lotus mark on her forehead and noticed it was faintly heating up.

"Little girl, don't be afraid." A hoarse voice came from all directions: "I'll show you the truth."

The mist suddenly cleared, and before Shi Ran's eyes appeared a scene:

—Before the Floating Dream Sect's mountain gate lay corpses everywhere. She saw Mei Ruoxue kneeling on the ground, covered in blood; Gu Yusheng's sword was broken in two; Luo Changfeng lay in a pool of blood, life or death unknown...... Master, Master was pierced through the chest by a long sword!

"No!" Shi Ran screamed, shaking her head desperately: "This isn't real! They were clearly......"

"This is what will happen in three days." The voice sighed: "And all of this is because of you. Because of the seven-colored fire lotus on your forehead—if you give that lotus to me, I will naturally help you avoid danger… How about it, what a bargain!"

Shi Ran trembled all over; the lotus mark on her forehead suddenly burst into blinding light. She felt her head about to split, and countless fragmented memories surged like a tide:

The cold cave, the huge skeleton, and...... a girl standing before the skeleton, holding a long sword, her body covered in scars.

"Do you remember?" The mist demon's voice suddenly turned sharp: "You're not Shi Ran at all! You're......"

"Shut up!" A fierce shout suddenly exploded.

Luo Changfeng's figure burst through the mist and grabbed Shi Ran. Blood stained the corner of his mouth—he was clearly wounded, but his eyes were resolute: "Shi Ran, don't listen to it! Let's go home!"

Shi Ran stared blankly upward, seeing Mei Ruoxue and Gu Yusheng also rushing over, covered in wounds. The three shielded her in the middle, as if they had done this countless times before.

The mist demon let out an unwilling howl, the thick fog began to churn violently. Luo Changfeng slapped a golden talisman onto the ground and shouted: "Break!"

In the blinding golden light, the last thing Shi Ran saw was the determined backs of her three senior brothers and sisters. She bit her lip, feeling utterly useless.

The golden light faded, the surrounding mist receded like a tide, revealing the original forest scenery. Shi Ran felt her legs go weak, barely able to stand, and Mei Ruoxue caught her.

Shi Ran lifted her gaze to her senior brothers and sisters; tears streamed down before she could speak: "I… it said it wanted what lotus… I'm scared… but…"

She couldn't do anything, as if her body were bound; she tried to draw talismans like the eldest senior brother, but her mind was blank; she also tried to wield a sword like Gu Yusheng, but she had no sword at all…

She could do nothing, only able to be slaughtered at others' mercy…

"All right, all right!" Luo Changfeng patted Shi Ran's shoulder: "Being afraid is natural; just stay close to your senior sister. When we reach Qingxi Town, I'll buy you some wontons, okay?"

Shi Ran nodded, still worrying about the lotus on her forehead: "That dead pervert just now was still thinking about my little lotus…"

Luo Changfeng sighed: "Don't worry. It's just a measly mist demon daring to act arrogantly before our Floating Dream Sect. Your senior brother is who? Just a tiny mist demon—easily handled!"

Gu Yusheng sheathed his Chasing Moon Sword, frowned slightly, and bluntly broke Luo Changfeng's boast: "This demon isn't simple; it can actually perform such a superb illusion, and…" He glanced at Shi Ran, wanting to say more but stopped.

Shi Ran's heart tightened; she instinctively touched the lotus on her forehead. At this moment, it had returned to calm, but the burning sensation seemed to linger.

"Anyway, let's leave this place first!" Mei Ruoxue looked around: "I always feel this mist demon won't give up."

The four quickly left that forest. Arriving at an open creek bank, they set up precautions to ensure safety before finally relaxing.

Shi Ran sat on a stone by the creek, lost in thought, silent for a while. Luo Changfeng crouched before her: "Sorry, little Ranran, it's too late today—we can't make it to the temple fair. How about we go to Qingxi Town tomorrow?"

Shi Ran nodded, hesitated a moment, then related the mist demon's vision and those words. After finishing, she lifted her head to look at Lu Changfeng, eyes full of doubt: "Eldest senior brother. Could that blood‑covered person be me? What kind of person was I before?"

"Oh dear!" Luo Changfeng groaned: "When I first met you, you were just a stubborn little girl. You always have to compete over everything, especially with your senior sister!" Saying this, Luo Changfeng and Shi Ran unconsciously turned to look at Mei Ruoxue, who was chatting with Gu Yusheng.

"Actually, your senior sister isn't exactly kind to you, but she's not outright bad either—after all, we're from the same sect, and later……"

Shi Ran waited a long time, but never heard Luo Changfeng's "later on," and she also asked again: "What happened later? Did I change after that?"

Luo Changfeng muttered to himself: "It's not just a change—she's practically a different person. But he couldn't say whether this change was for better or worse."

He continued: "After that, nothing much—just ran into a very powerful great demon. We weren't there; you defeated him, but it made you lose your memory!"

Shi Ran felt no inner turmoil; she thought the person Luo Changfeng described didn't seem like her. But seeing Luo Changfeng's expression, she couldn't ask anything more.

"I'm hungry!" Shi Ran had no choice but to say, "Senior sister, can we eat now?"