Mortal Dawn and Dusk, My Eternal Life - Chapter 45

The cold and damp air, mixed with a faint smell of mildew and… a hint of elusive blood, irritated Gu Mingxuan’s nostrils. His head ached intensely, and dull pains still resonated from the back of his head and neck, after-effects of being struck by a heavy object.

He slowly opened his heavy eyelids. What greeted his sight was a dim and unfamiliar scene. He found himself lying on a cold stone bed, his hands and feet bound by thick iron chains, secured to the wall.

Where… where is this?

He struggled to recall what happened before he lost consciousness. Old Master Du… the secluded courtyard… the abandoned study… the suddenly appearing black-clad figures…

Damn it!

Gu Mingxuan cursed inwardly, suddenly sitting up, the iron chains rattling with a harsh sound. He had actually… fallen for that old fox’s trick! He had clearly felt something amiss with Old Master Du’s decaying life force when they shook hands. He had clearly felt a hint of suspicion about his deliberate warmth and sorrow. Yet, driven by his eagerness to solve the case, and… that ill-timed “compassion,” he had easily trusted him, ultimately falling into this meticulously planned trap!

Truly… utterly foolish!

Gu Mingxuan helplessly shook his head, a self-mocking bitter smile playing on his lips. It seemed that whether as “A-Mu” or “Gu Mingxuan,” his weakness for trusting others was hard to shake off.

He tried to tug at the iron chains on his wrists, finding them tightly secured, but not impossible to break. He took a deep breath, channeled his strength, and gave a sharp tug with his wrist!

“Snap!”

A crisp metallic sound rang out, and the thumb-thick iron chain was actually snapped by his sheer force! Immediately after, he used the same method to break the iron chains on his feet one by one.

After flexing his somewhat stiff limbs, Gu Mingxuan began to meticulously examine the secret chamber that imprisoned him. The chamber was small, about seven or eight square meters, surrounded by hard bluestone walls. Only a thick iron door was tightly shut, and there seemed to be some kind of restriction on the door. He walked to the iron door and tried to push it; as expected, it didn’t budge. It seemed getting out of here wouldn’t be so easy.

So be it. A cold glint flashed in Gu Mingxuan’s eyes. He wanted to see what kind of trick this hypocritical Old Master Du was truly up to! Why did he capture him here, and what did he intend to do to him? He began to search everywhere in the secret chamber, hoping to find some useful clues.

The furnishings in the secret chamber were simple. Besides a stone bed, there was only a dilapidated wooden cabinet and a dust-covered table. The wooden cabinet was empty; there was nothing inside. On the table, however, some papers were scattered, on which strange runes were drawn with cinnabar. They looked like some kind of Daoist talismans, but they exuded an indescribably sinister aura.

Gu Mingxuan picked up a talisman paper and examined it carefully. Although he couldn’t understand the meaning of the runes, he could clearly feel that the talisman paper emitted a… greedy aura for life force, identical to the bloodthirsty impulse within him! It seemed this Old Master Du was indeed no good! He captured him, probably… also for the abundant life force in his body!

Night deepened. Outside the secret chamber, there was no light and no sound, as if it were cut off from the world. Gu Mingxuan didn’t know what time it was, nor how Su Mingyue was doing… that woman who had engaged in a battle of wits with him at the police station, yet also filled him with a strange admiration. He was somewhat worried. If Old Master Du’s target wasn’t just him, then Su Mingyue… would she also…? This thought made his heart clench.

Meanwhile, in another, even more sinister and terrifying underground prison deeper within the Du Mansion, Old Master Du was panting heavily, his face somewhat distorted by the uncontrollable emptiness and pain within him. His brocade robe now seemed a little loose, as if he himself had shrunk. He knew that the “medicine” in his body was about to wear off, and the torment like ten thousand ants gnawing at his heart was about to descend again. He… would need to consume a new “supplement” soon!

He staggered to the deepest part of the prison. Here, unlike the iron cages holding various spirits and demons outside, there was only one massive cage made of black profound iron. The walls and ceiling of the cage were covered with dense golden talismans, emitting a powerful suppressing force, tightly holding down the sky-reaching demonic qi within the cage.

Inside the iron cage, a woman in red robes was bound to a cold stone pillar by several golden-glowing talisman chains. The woman’s beauty was enchanting, her peach blossom eyes still carrying a hint of captivating charm even in this predicament. However, her face was exceptionally pale at the moment, and a trace of dried blood lingered at the corner of her lips, clearly indicating severe internal injuries. She was none other than the fox demon that had cultivated for at least five hundred years.

“Speak! What other method do you have to free this old man from this inhuman, demon-like state?!” Old Master Du stood outside the iron cage, his voice hoarse with accusation, his eyes filled with venom and… a hint of deep regret. If he hadn’t believed this demoness’s false words back then, how could he have fallen to such a state today!

The red-robed fox demon heard this, slowly raised her head, and looked at Old Master Du’s face, twisted by pain. A sarcastic cold smile curved her lips.

“Hehe… Old Master Du, your words are truly… different from before.” The demoness’s voice was somewhat weak, yet still retained its alluring charm. “Back then, it was you, old man, who saved this humble one’s life in the mountains, flattering and questioning this humble one in every way, just to seek the method of eternal life. This humble one, seeing your ‘sincerity,’ then told you the secret art of ‘devouring elixirs to transform into a demon and share lifespan with heaven.’ What? Do you regret it now?”

Old Master Du’s face turned green then pale as his secret thoughts were exposed, and the rage in his eyes grew even fiercer. “Silence! You demoness!” he roared. “If not for your clever words and charming appearance back then, claiming that by consuming the demonic elixirs of other demons, one could absorb their essence and share lifespan with heaven and earth, how would this old man… how would I have become like this?!”

He would never forget. Back then, he was critically ill and on the verge of death. Just as he was utterly disheartened and prepared to end his miserable life, he unexpectedly rescued a red fox, captured and severely injured by some Daoists, during a trip to the mountains. That red fox was the true form of this demoness. He brought the red fox home and meticulously cared for it. After the red fox recovered from its injuries, it transformed into a human form, thanking him profusely.

At that time, Old Master Du was already tormented beyond recognition by illness. His desire for life had reached its peak. Seeing this demoness’s great supernatural powers, he pleaded bitterly, hoping to obtain the method of eternal life from her. The demoness initially refused, but under Old Master Du’s repeated entreaties, she finally “relented” and told him a “secret method”—by devouring the demonic elixirs of other demons, one could seize their cultivation and turn their demonic power to one’s own use, thereby achieving longevity, and even eternal life.

Old Master Du at that time was already overwhelmed by the fear of death and the craving for eternal life. How could he discern the truth or danger of this secret method? He immediately squandered his family fortune, recruited strange and extraordinary individuals, and searched everywhere for demons, seizing their demonic elixirs, and consuming them one by one.

At first, the effect was indeed remarkable. His previously decaying body, after consuming several demonic elixirs, miraculously regained its health, even becoming stronger than before, and his appearance also became much younger. This made him ecstatic, and he consumed demonic elixirs even more frantically, believing he had truly found a shortcut to eternal life.

However, he never imagined the terrifying price hidden behind this evil art! As he consumed more and more demonic elixirs, the demonic power within him became increasingly complex and uncontrollable. His body began to exhibit some strange demonic characteristics, such as sharp nails and eyes that glowed eerily at night. Even more terrifying, he found himself developing an uncontrollable craving for human flesh and life force! He became… neither human nor demon! During the day, he was indistinguishable from ordinary people, but at night, he began to emit demonic qi! That’s why he had always hidden in that room filled with incantations, to suppress the demonic qi!

By the time he finally realized that he had been deceived by this demoness, and that what he had cultivated was not some righteous method of eternal life, but a suicidal evil art, it was already too late. The demonic power within him had completely fused with his bloodline and could no longer be separated. Moreover, as time passed, the demonic power would continuously consume his own life force, causing him to suffer faster aging than ordinary people. Unless… he could constantly consume the life force of other humans to compensate for his own depletion. He had completely transformed into a monster that needed to sustain its life by draining others’ life force!

In a fit of rage, he found the experts who had helped him capture demons back then, and at a great price, he finally captured this fox demon who had led him astray. He then sealed her in this dark underground prison, tormenting her day and night, forcing her to reveal the method of dissolution. Unfortunately, this fox demon was also stubborn. No matter how he threatened or enticed her, she refused to reveal the true method of escape. Instead, she often mocked him, further fueling his rage.

“Hmph! Old Master Du, do you think this humble one doesn’t know what you’re planning?” The red-robed fox demon looked at Old Master Du’s face, twisted by pain, and sneered, “This is the retribution for your greed! You just wait to be tortured to death by that complex demonic power and endless emptiness! Hahahaha!”

The demoness’s laughter echoed in the sinister dungeon, filled with schadenfreude and venom.

“You… you b***h!” Old Master Du trembled with rage. He violently stepped forward and, through the iron cage, fiercely slapped the demoness’s face!

“Slap!”

A crisp sound of a slap. A clear handprint immediately appeared on the demoness’s face, and a trace of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth. But her eyes still held a look of disdain and mockery.

Old Master Du looked at the demoness’s defiant expression, and the anger and despair in his heart intertwined, almost consuming him.