Chapter 25: The Past and the Transaction

Although Ningjing was making cute gestures, coupled with what she was saying, Qian Cangyi only felt terrified and a chill running down his spine.

Yan Ruoxuan seemed to be the beginning of everything, yet the true mastermind behind the plan was Deng Ling. Deng Ling was the one pulling the strings from the shadows.

"Deng Ling, why did you do this?" Mo An, who was controlling Qian Cangyi's body, asked in an agitated tone.

Ningjing took a few steps, then turned her back to him and said in a soft voice, "Brother Mo An, I told you before, when my parents were young, they once joined a mysterious cult. Later, I don't know what happened, but most of the cult members died, leaving only a few survivors. Of course, that included my parents, and afterwards, they packed up everything and stored it in a box."

"When I was thirteen, I accidentally opened the box containing the documents from back then. Inside, I found a book called *The Funeral of the Moon God*, which recorded things related to Hifang Island."

"Back then, the cult members went there and were almost completely wiped out. However, the book heavily emphasized one point: the Moon God of Hifang Island could indeed grant people's wishes, any wish at all."

"After the events of a year ago, I spent a dark month in despair, and by a twist of fate, I opened the box again."

"As long as we go to Hifang Island, everything can start over. That's why I had Sister Ruoxuan bring us here."

With that, the sound of soft sobbing came through. Ningjing raised her right hand, seemingly wiping away tears.

"What on earth happened a year ago?" Qian Cangyi asked, his voice resonant. Of course, it was still Mo An controlling the body.

"A year ago..." Ningjing turned her head back, her eyes swimming with tears.

"What happened?" Qian Cangyi asked in a gentle tone.

At that moment, a glaring red light shone from behind, growing closer and brighter by the second.

Qian Cangyi found that he was able to control his body again. He turned his head and saw a mysterious and eerie door sliding toward him. Before he even had time to react, his entire body was swallowed by the door. The next second, Ningjing was also engulfed by the red light.

……

On the other side, Mastermind was still running. He felt the stabbing pain in his chest growing more and more intense.

Ahead, the backpack he had discarded earlier appeared. Mastermind sped up, picked up the backpack, unzipped it, took out the painkiller, dropped the backpack, unscrewed the bottle, and swallowed two pills.

A dozen minutes passed.

The painkillers had taken effect, but the excessive consumption of physical stamina also left Mastermind panting heavily.

Ahead appeared a door—the very door leading from the palace into the spiral staircase. He had run all the way back now.

"The time doesn't match up, but whatever." Mastermind clenched both fists and picked up his pace. "I remember the head on the stick saying earlier that she wanted a body. Although it's not a match, maybe this is the kind of strong body she wants."

Compared to the slow walk while observing the murals, running quickly through the palace did not take much time.

Before long, Mastermind had run out of the palace and once again arrived at the terrifying zone densely packed with human heads. The headless brawny man followed him out.

The surrounding heads heard the noise and slowly opened their eyes. When they saw the headless brawny man, anxious cries burst from their mouths.

"Give it to me!"

"Give it to me, give it to me!"

"I want it!"

The voices rose and fell in waves, sounding like a tidal surge.

Mastermind ignored them. He concentrated fully, searching for the distinctive head he had seen before. The other heads were out of the question because they were unsafe; only a head that remained calm even in extreme circumstances and could converse normally possessed any value for exploitation.

Soon, Mastermind spotted a head on his left, quietly watching him with eyes full of pity.

This head was precisely the female head Mastermind had been looking for.

"Hey, does this meet your requirements?" Mastermind pointed his right thumb at the headless brawny man following closely behind not far away. "If so, can you tell me what to do?"

"Yes. Pull up the stick beneath my head." The female head blinked slowly.

Mastermind did not hesitate. Following the female head's instructions directly, he gripped the blood-stained stick with both hands and pulled upward with all his might.

The female head furrowed her brows tightly, appearing to be in agonizing pain, yet she still did not say a word.

As Mastermind pulled on the blood-stained stick, he felt an abnormal and severe discomfort in his chest. However, given the emergency, he could only clench his teeth and try his best to push through it.

"Hah!"

The soil beneath the blood-stained stick began to loosen, and then the stick was pulled free.

Mastermind looked down at the hole left by the stick, his expression astonished. He had not expected there to be another head underneath, and this one belonged to a male.

As soon as this head was pulled out from the ground, it began to curse furiously, hurling harsh words. However, the target of its curses was not Mastermind, but the female head instead.

"What on earth are you trying to do, you bitch! Slut!"

The female head paid no attention to the insults whatsoever. Instead, she said to Mastermind in a calm voice:

"Place him onto that body, and our transaction will be considered complete. I will tell you about the Moon Shadow Curse."

Mastermind quickly did as the female head instructed. He pulled out the male head from below and threw it toward the headless brawny man.

After catching the head, the headless brawny man—just like when he had grabbed Xiao Tian earlier—placed the head onto his neck. Once fitted securely, the brawny man seemed extremely satisfied, turned around, and walked back into the palace.

Throughout the process, the male head continued to hurl curses.

"From now on, we are even," the female head said to the male head. Then, she looked at Mastermind. "Can you plug the blood-stained stick back in?"

Mastermind nodded, grabbed the blood-stained stick with both hands, and lifted it. But suddenly, he felt his vision go dark and his legs turn to jelly. He took two steps back, stabilized himself, and then slowly walked over to the hole he had just pulled it from, inserting the blood-stained stick back into the earth.

"You are heavily injured," the female head asked with a hint of concern.

"I'm fine. Tell me about the Moon Shadow Curse quickly," Mastermind shook his head, pressing his left hand against his chest.

The female head began to explain:

"The Moon Shadow Curse is not merely a curse. Those who manifest the Moon Shadow Curse are all people influenced by the Moon God's power—meaning they have all made a wish to the Moon God."

"To lift the Moon Shadow Curse, it is very simple: have the Moon God take back her power. Of course, the wish that was granted will also be revoked along with it. Naturally, this assumes the Moon Shadow Curse has not yet taken full effect."

"You need to find the Moon God Altar. That is your only way to survive."

"I don't know where the Moon God Altar is, but it is definitely on Hifang Island. Moreover, you will surely be able to find it, though the Moon God Altar will not appear on its own."

"That is all I know. Your condition looks very bad; you need treatment. Where are your companions?"

Hearing this, Mastermind felt the world spinning around him. It seemed as though even the air had turned scorching hot and could no longer be inhaled. He took two steps, and then collapsed to the ground.

"The Moon God Altar..." he panted, attempting to drag himself back up, but his entire body was devoid of strength. Then, his vision went completely black, and he lay flat on the ground.