Chapter 140: What Has Brother Mu Turned Into???

Chapter 140 What the Heck Did Brother Mu Turn Into???

As Chao Huangmu descended.

The once sunny puppy who came here had now morphed into a gloomy mess.

His originally bright, smiling puppy-dog eyes were now shadowed—honestly, going dark really does add some edge.

At first glance, he’d shifted into the fierce, dependable wolf-dog category, though his expression still carried a hint of awkwardness.

Chu Zao grabbed hold of Chao Huangmu.

"Mind explaining?"

You’re seriously unpredictable.

But then Chu Zao turned his gaze to the even gloomier Xi.

"Your psychic energy... feels off."

"Yeah—" Xi stared blankly at the sky, covered in wounds and on the verge of vomiting blood from the pressure of Chao Huangmu’s psychic energy. "Just put me out of my misery, will you?"

Not only was he in such a pathetic state, but now he was completely alone—and of all people, he had to run into Chao Huangmu. Honestly, Xi least wanted to meet this guy. Back when Xi was barely twenty, still childish from long-term lab confinement, he’d disliked and resented Chao Huangmu. Now, as a middle-aged man, Xi simply went expressionless and gave up—ah, might as well just die.

"Not happening."

Chu Zao still held onto Chao Huangmu, blinking at Xi.

"In a way, the exposure of the Hymn Organization was partly your doing. Killing you when you could still be saved would be called biting the hand that feeds you."

Chu Zao said this very seriously, and very politely.

"Hello, my name is Chu Zao Dwight, from Saint Cas. What’s yours?"

Xi stared up in disbelief—he wasn’t sure if he’d heard correctly.

Now of all times?

Hah?

You’ve got to be kidding me.

But the young boy before him had an earnest, bright-eyed gaze, and everything he did felt utterly natural—no hidden agenda, no pretense. Which only made it more unnerving, leaving Xi at a loss for how to react.

Shenghua had a point about one thing.

In this star system—there probably really was no one more genuine, fiery, and downright baffling than Chu Zao.

"Do you know where we are? Got any intel?"

Xi ignored all of it.

He thought—

For someone like Shenghua, it was no surprise she couldn’t help but be drawn to him. But he was completely different.

He’d had enough of all this. He trusted no light—most of it was fake, like soap bubbles—gone at a touch.

Xi gave a hollow laugh—then closed his eyes and shut his mouth for good.

After landing, Chao Huangmu was grabbed by the wrist. His mind was in such turmoil it felt like boiling, making it impossible to think, yet his eyes remained fixed on the hand gripping him.

Only when he heard a scornful snort beside him did Chao Huangmu suddenly turn his gaze—

The next moment, Xi let out a muffled groan, forcing his eyes open again to look at Chao Huangmu beside Chu Zao.

This person, whose attitude was clearly strange and whose relationship with Chu Zao seemed equally odd at the moment, was staring at him with an utterly expressionless face—those eyes held not a trace of emotion, even more terrifying than the last time they had met. The spiritual energy behind him had solidified into a tangible form—a horrifying, snarling dragon.

Never mind whether this guy had fought with his Little Highness, triggering such a brutal, overpowering suppression of his spiritual energy, even with a rabid, feral intensity.

Just the fact that the spiritual energy behind him was unmistakably that of the Soul Race—what the hell was this?

Wasn’t he a hybrid?

Why did he seem even more unhinged and dominant than any Soul Race Xi had ever known?

He had never seen such a clear and unmistakable manifestation of Soul Race spiritual energy.

And so blatantly deranged.

Chao Huangmu lowered his gaze, staring at Xi.

Slyly pulling strings in the background—

Xi hated Chao Huangmu. Talk about irony. Amnesiac Chao Huangmu took one look at Xi and loathed him.

Especially that similarly detestable spiritual energy.

But Chao Huangmu bit back his fury. He stayed, giving his hand a sharp tug.

Chu Zao, still focused on Xi, turned to look at Chao Huangmu.

Chu Zao’s hand remained wrapped around Chao Huangmu’s wrist.

He sensed the other’s aura, his warmth, the beat of his pulse.

Even the subtle shiver under his skin.

Xi, who remained defiant and hellbent on self-destruction, was Chu Zao brushed him aside for now. He decided to address Chao Huangmu’s situation first.

"Can we talk?" Chu Zao looked up at Chao Huangmu. "I brought some things. See if they jog your memory."

Bringing up memories just pissed Chao Huangmu off. He bit back a retort. Sure, he needed an ally—but he wasn’t so easily controlled.

But after another glance at Xi, Chao Huangmu practically sat down, jaw clenched.

"Ah… what’s this supposed to be?"

Chao Huangmu raised his eyes, narrowing them slightly, his voice feigning indifference.

The angle sharpened his glare, making him look downright threatening.

Like cooperation was the last thing on his mind.

Chu Zao sat down as well, the two now beside Xi.

Xi, dazed, struggled to tilt his head slightly—truth be told, the agony pinned him, leaving him finger by finger paralyzed.

He could only watch as the two of them used him as a background prop.

Xi: "...Hey!!"

Am I just a prop in your little game??

However, Xi’s barely noticeable protest, of course, went ignored.

Chu Zao pulled out mementos one by one.

"Remember this?"

A beautiful stone he had once given Chao Huangmu—he’d kept a matching one.

Chao Huangmu merely lifted his eyelids for a glance.

"Nope."

"How about this?"

The first candy he had given Chao Huangmu—this very kind. Brother Peng said Chao Huangmu never ate it—probably expired ages ago—yet he still kept it.

This time, Chao Huangmu answered even more smoothly: "Not a clue."

That attitude said it all—

Chu Zao narrowed his eyes.

Locking eyes with the guy in front of him.

Chu Zao still wasn’t quite used to it—

He still wasn’t used to the fact that, away from him, Chao Huangmu was a real pain.

He’d hound people relentlessly for what he wanted, but couldn’t be bothered with anything else.

After a series of questions—

Chu Zao decided he might need to drag Chao Huangmu back to Saint Cas for a brain scan. This wasn’t gonna be a quick fix.

Fists clenched, Chu Zao—outwardly calm—suddenly demanded: "Do you want to regain your memories?"

Chao Huangmu shot back without thinking: "Hell no—"

The second the word left his mouth, he stiffened.

His breath caught in his throat.

Not guilt—it was Chu Zao, who’d always held power, righteous, kind, brave—but still every inch a Crown Clan noble at heart—who had grabbed him by the collar.

Chu Zao hauled Chao Huangmu up close.

His fist cracked against Chao Huangmu’s skull.

Head throbbing, Chao Huangmu glared up, teeth bared, rage twisting into a smirk—but it vanished before it could fully form.

The candy’s sweetness—thickened in the air.

Chu Zao’s amber eyes burned into his.

"Chao Huangmu, you bastard, you’re not even trying to work with me!"

Chu Zao, with his proper upbringing, didn’t bother with shouting matches.

Saint Cas had professional diplomatic departments to handle such issues, while the Crown Clan dealt with them more directly—confrontation had been their go-to move for thousands of years.

Even when cursing, the words he used were weak and toothless.

But unlike his agitated actions and content, his voice was a bright, boyish sound, steady and calm.

So damn cute.

How could even his cursing be this cute?

Chao Huangmu was stunned, hardly noticing Chu Zao smacking his head—or perhaps Chu Zao held back, threatening to "beat him up" but barely tapping him. Compared to the headache Chao Huangmu was enduring, it was nothing. That was, until Chu Zao swiftly unwrapped something and popped it into his mouth.

The sudden burst of sourness made Chao Huangmu’s face twist instantly.

*"What the hell?"*

—Sour to the point of distortion.jpg

"What did you just stuff in my mouth?"

Chao Huangmu held the sour candy in his mouth, his hand reflexively gripping Chu Zao’s wrist.

His headache pulsed harder—

Chao Huangmu thought—he craved his partner even more desperately.

His brain was on fire, screaming.

Yet, even in this state, Chao Huangmu kept his wits about him, as if the pain hadn’t yet reached his limit—just made him a little sluggish.

"Sour candy," Chu Zao said.

"The exact ones you used to shove at me."

"I gave you…"

Chao Huangmu didn’t even finish.

Chu Zao cut him off, continuing, "You gave it to me. We grew up together. I knew you spent holidays alone at the military academy, so I often invited you to the royal court. You were my best friend, the one who got me, my partner, the guy who swore he’d always have my back—someone irreplaceably important to each other, even if Mu-ge always embarrassed himself in certain situations—"

It was a different perspective, a different memory.

Unlike those dark memories.

Chao Huangmu thought—he glanced at the stuff he hadn’t bothered examining earlier. He’d only wanted to dodge the topic and take Chu Zao to see his den.

The past was something he instinctively rejected and chewed over angrily.

But hearing it like this… maybe it didn’t suck so much?

His sharp canines crushed the sour candy, releasing the filling and intensifying the sourness. Chao Huangmu’s face scrunched up even more, unable to hold back. His big, puppy-dog eyes welled up slightly, pained and conflicted as he stared at Chu Zao—like a poor, kicked puppy.

Chu Zao froze for a second, then, in the next moment, the anxious Chu Zao suddenly laughed.

"Mu-ge, you haven’t changed a bit."

Though he looks a bit tougher-looking now, but inside, he’s still the same.

Chao Huangmu wasn’t listening to a word Chu Zao was saying.

His collar was still gripped in Chu Zao’s hand, getting yanked.

His eyes reflected Chu Zao’s image—damn cute.

He wanted to take him back and place him among his collection of glittering trophies…

After listening for a while, the guy who had been silent, looking fed up, finally snapped.

"Hey—"

Do y’all even treat him like a person?

What is this?

Arguing or flirting?

And you, kid, got some balls—aren’t you afraid those overbearing Crown Clan elders will come after you for treating the little one like this? And what’s this about memory loss or not?

Goddammit, he still found Chao Huangmu annoying, especially since the guy was subtly suppressing his mental energy while talking to Chu Zao. It made him even more irritated.

What sin did he commit in his past life to suffer like this when I’m about to die?

"Are you done sulking?"

Chu Zao let go of Chao Huangmu’s collar and instead latched onto his wrist, then turned to look at Xi.

Xi: …

You weren’t just waiting for him to snap, were you?

Typical Crown Clan—sneaky bastards! Damn it!

Xi sharply turned away, trying not to appear so pitiful—he already felt miserable enough. To end up like this right before death was just too pathetic. He didn’t want to die in front of his supposed enemies looking like this.

His voice was hoarse and icy: "I know nothing. If you really want to thank me, just give me a clean kill—just end me. And, from another perspective—"

Xi suddenly remembered something and let out a cold laugh: "I’m from the Hymn Organization’s lab, always been your enemy—I never once considered standing on your side."

So—cut the crap with your fake thanks. He never held back on missions either.

"But you’re not on the Hymn’s side either, are you?"

Chu Zao rested his chin in his palm, looking down at Xi lying on the ground.

Those who truly harmed Saint Cas were either on the wanted list, had only given orders without acting, or had already been dealt with by the Crown Clan.

And the fact that Chu Zao hardly recognized Xi until now was proof enough that Xi likely hadn’t contributed much to the Hymn Organization’s crazy stunts across the galaxy.

That was indeed the case.

As a rare successful experiment, Xi had once been Zhenjie’s golden boy—so after the Hymn Organization lost several high-ranking members, he was assigned as Shenghua’s observer, tasked with watching Shenghua’s every step.

He really was barely in the field.

But during this time, he was persuaded by Shenghua—that the one he should hate most was the Hymn Organization.

But was it worth sacrificing his own life? Before all this, Xi didn’t know.

Xi also didn’t understand why he was still clinging to life—why he still wanted... to live.

He was just an overlooked experiment, after all...

"Isn't this for the best?"

Chu Zao spoke again.

"You must know a lot about the Hymn Organization’s inner workings, right? Even if the Hymn Organization’s higher-ups disappear, as long as those mad ideologies persist, they won’t stay quiet for long. Staying alive means you can accomplish more."

"And you don’t have to worry too much. Saint Cas has the most advanced mental energy center."

Chu Zao looked at him.

"I hate the Hymn Organization, so I want to work with you to deal with what’s left of it. If you insist on dying now, it’ll just slow down my progress in seeing your new plans."

Blunt and to the point, his voice soft—no lofty rhetoric.

Yet, at the moment when Xi was in unbearable pain, ready to let go of his will to live, it gave him an excuse and reason to cling on once more.

Xi’s lips parted a few times before he finally closed them, only managing a sullen, "Do what you want."

If that’s how it is—if you've always been like this...

Xi thought—inside the Hymn Organization, witnessing all the sordid affairs, the secret dealings and conspiracies between nations, if Chu Zao had always been like this...

Then Shenghua’s reckless pursuit made perfect sense.

With her status and power to command legions, she shouldn’t have needed to look up to someone like this...

Xi let out another pained grunt.

And Chu Zao finally realized why Xi had been gritting his teeth.

Chu Zao looked down and saw the black psychic dragon tail behind Chao Huangmu repeatedly whipping at Xi’s psyche. Chu Zao: "..."

"Brother Mu, what are you doing?"

Chao Huangmu instantly averted his gaze and stopped his actions, springing to his feet.

He looked down at Chu Zao and mumbled something inaudible.

"Wait for me. I’ll be right back."

Xi thought to himself: Why bother with him?

He’d just bring back all his gemstones and show Chu Zao what he planned to decorate their nest with—a nest gleaming with treasures.

"You—"

Since Chu Zao had secured Chao Huangmu’s psychic energy with a knot on his crown, Chu Zao had no fear of Chao Huangmu wandering off.

But Chao Huangmu was already taking off mid-sentence, soaring away in a rush.

The sky—dark clouds loomed closer.

The wind began to blow, its strength gradually increasing.

Fine raindrops whipped against their faces, carried by the wind.

A cold that cut to the bone.

Dan, watching from nearby, glanced at the sky and wiped the side of his face with his hand.

"Did the rainy season come early?"

Desmond’s head jerked up, his trademark smirk vanishing, replaced by a hint of heaviness.

"No good can come of this."

"Yeah—"

A moment later, Desmond froze, tilting his head slightly as he listened carefully. "You hear that?"

"What?"

Dan turned to him.

"Sounds like monsters—and dragons—on the move."

Desmond reached out, pushing aside the branches blocking his view.

Meanwhile, Chao Huangmu was a blur of motion.

Especially now that the rain had started.

Rain was coming—would that pretty little gem still be there when he got back?

And damn annoying—where’d that weirdo even come from?

Chao Huangmu doubled back to his chosen hideout—though he had already reconsidered on the way. It was still too far from Chu Zao's location. Speed wasn’t the issue—Chu Zao’s disapproval was, so it wasn’t suitable for a den.

He scooped up the gems and anything else that glittered, carrying them as he spread his wings and flew toward Chu Zao’s position.

The rain hadn’t really begun, just a stray drop or two hitting him.

But right before he reached his destination—

Chao Huangmu was intercepted.

A figure cloaked in fabric, arms laden with glittering loot, hovered mid-air. Behind him, shadowy psychic wings snapped open, and at his side, a psychic black dragon loosed a thunderous roar at the surrounding threat.

Ahead waited not just dragons—but a nightmare of twisted creatures.

They’d cut off every exit.

"Back off—"

Without Chu Zao nearby, Chao Huangmu’s headache dulled, replaced by a colder, more terrifying demeanor.

But the alpha dragon roared and lunged straight for him. The encircling dragons’ eyes burned with frenzy—like they’d snapped.

"Freak—kill it—"

A rasping voice grated out, making Chao Huangmu’s skin crawl.

"What the hell are they doing?"

Chao Huangmu let out a cold laugh.

"Are these lunatics out of their minds?"

Chao Huangmu showed no mercy either. His massive black dragon instantly plunged into the group of dragons, ripping through them. He himself clutched the shimmering objects in his hands as if guarding his last dime, occasionally shredding any monsters that charged at him.

Yet, monsters kept pouring in relentlessly.

A cacophony of dragon roars erupted, seemingly intent on completely engulfing Chao Huangmu.

His psyche wavered for a moment.

Chao Huangmu sidestepped.

Then he watched as the frenzied dragons charged straight at him.

Among them, numerous pairs of blood-red eyes suddenly snapped open, fixating intently on Chao Huangmu—going berserk up close.

*Destroy everything.*

Already in an extremely unstable state, Chao Huangmu was slightly restrained by the shimmering fragments in his hands, and now surrounded like this, the past he refused to recall seemed to flood back once more.

"You must remember the past—"

"Why? I was abandoned. I don’t wanna remember how I was abandoned."

"Don’t wanna remember the sensation of blades sinking into flesh."

"Don’t wanna remember those crazed eyes—would he become like that too?"

Chao Huangmu paused slightly mid-air. His spectral black dragon, which had been tearing into the surrounding dragons, writhed momentarily, as if undergoing some mutation, its screams escalating into agony.

The screams in Chao Huangmu’s mind, the ones that felt like scorching his skull, also shifted—amplified by external forces, driving him to wield his power with increasing frenzy, dripping with temptation.

"—Yes, the Soul Race always ends up this rabid. The longer you struggle, the more you suffer."

"Right…"

"Of course… Who gives a damn?"

Even his own kin didn’t care.

Chao Huangmu’s eyes turned hollow—his expression uncannily like when the people of Saint Cas first found him.

But the next moment, a streak of light—an arrow—whizzed past him.

He heard unfamiliar voices.

"Are these dragons insane? Actually side with freaking monsters?"

"Have our clansmen arrived nearby? Oh, well, wait—movement over there."

"Hey, Chu Zao’s airborne—cover him! Desmond—"

"Shut it, Dan."

Most of the shimmering fragments in his hands had already spilled, leaving only a small handful. Chao Huangmu gripped the remnants.

His face twisted with fury, teetering on the edge of sanity. He wanted to destroy everything around him, but he knew that if he fully embraced that thought, he would completely lose it—like a dam bursting.

Until someone caught him.

The rain came down harder, icy rain pelting his face.

"Chao Huangmu!"

He heard someone shout his name by his ear, gripping his hand.

That little one from the past—frenzied, hellbent on destruction—was also caught by the hand, abruptly yanked out of the murky past that had nearly swallowed him.

In that instant, Chao Huangmu came to his senses. His wings went still behind him as a dragon came diving down from above, the one holding him descending with him until they landed.

Chao Huangmu slowly lifted his head, his face streaked with blood—not just his own, but mostly from the dragons. His rage radiated off him. His expression was blank, as if devoid of any emotion, exhausted as he stared straight at Chu Zao—at the reflection of himself in Chu Zao's eyes—

So hideous.

His appearance was hideous.

The transformation of the black Psychic Dragon above him suddenly stopped as it dove straight for Chao Huangmu’s head, fusing with him in that instant.

"Brother Mu, are you okay—"

A voice sounded in his ear, arms wrapped around his chest and waist, with that familiar candy-sweet smell—

Chao Huangmu knew he was done for. He blinked blearily at Chu Zao, still managing to grumble, "I'm not—"

But his words cut off abruptly.

Chu Zao had sensed something was wrong earlier and, after locking eyes with Desmond, hurried over. Now, before he could even react, Chao Huangmu—who had been much taller than him—suddenly began shrinking, rapidly becoming... something tiny?

Instinctively, Chu Zao shrank as well, his snow-white fluffball form bracing against the gradually darkening little lump.

He froze for a moment.

What had Chao Huangmu turned into?

—Matte-black little dragon horns, pitch-black scales, gold-flecked eyes. A scaled tail dragged behind him, and above it, two tiny wings stretched out with effort, trying to shield the white fluffball from the rain. He looked bedraggled, dazed, fierce—yet his gaze was almost puppy-like.

Was this... a small black dragon?

The white fluffball propped up the black small dragon, honey-colored eyes lifting to meet his.

For a moment, Chao Huangmu was lost in a daze—as if at some point in the past, it had been like this too, hiding from the rain or something else—

Water droplets falling from the sky, the dampness around them, the muffled sounds of distant commotion, something about potatoes—but none of that mattered. What mattered was the same pair of eyes looking up at him.

It made him pause, made him lean in, made him press a feather-light, cautious kiss against the white fluffball—he needed a mate.

The rhythm of his heartbeat, every reaction that had just surged through him—everything shouted that he was a goner.

Chao Huangmu thought this, but his agitation was suppressed—because of Chu Zao, because of this fluffball holding him up. He was being seen, being 'favored'—not disregarded.

Beyond the initial instinctive attraction he'd felt toward Chu Zao, the same way he was drawn to anything shiny—

He was supposed to be doomed.

In front of Chu Zao, reasonably, undeniably, perfectly doomed.