The Whole World Wants Me To Get Divorced chapter 26

Spirit Bones

Wen Yan took a long time to gradually regain consciousness after being knocked out by the demon. His head still ached.

Struggling to open his eyes, he saw stars and took a while to figure out where he was. Contrary to the typical kidnapping scenarios in TV dramas where hostages were thrown into warehouses, his surroundings were quite picturesque. It seemed like a back garden, with various flowers and trees surrounding him. Looking up, he could see a large lake with clear water and swimming fish.

He was tied up but comfortably placed under a tree, given a soft blanket and a cushion, resembling a casual outing.

The demon who had kidnapped him was sitting in a bamboo chair across from him, smiling gently. His face was unremarkable, making him seem like a humble and easygoing person, he was the head of the Zhuyan Clan, the least noticeable among the four clans. A few days ago, he had welcomed Wen Yan and Rong Xiao at the station with the leaders of the other three clans.

Compared to the beautiful Mermaid(Merfolk) Clan leader and the vibrant Phoenix Clan leader, the Zhuyan Clan leader was almost featureless, like a neighbor who had accomplished nothing in his forties. It was impossible to guess that he was an antagonist.

Wen Yan looked at him for a while, his gaze stern. Zhu Yun, shaking a fan in the autumn breeze, seemed far from a serious demon. Seeing Wen Yan staring at him without panic, he became intrigued and asked, “Do you have any questions for me?”

Wen Yan indeed had questions.

“What’s your name again?” Wen Yan pondered for a moment but couldn’t recall. “Zhu something?”

Zhu Yun paused the fan for a moment and then resumed.

“Zhu Yun,” he answered.

Wen Yan then remembered, finding the name rather unremarkable, explaining why he couldn’t recall it.

Looking at Wen Yan without much surprise, Zhu Yun became amused and asked, “Aren’t you curious about why I kidnapped you?”

“Of course I am, being that I have no grudges with you,” Wen Yan scoffed. “You’re probably after me to threaten Rong Xiao. It’s a classic move in TV dramas. Kidnap the loved one, and the protagonist surrenders.”

Unfortunately, even though he claimed to be Rong Xiao’s fiancé, he hadn’t yet ascended to the position of Rong Xiao’s beloved.

Wen Yan examined Zhu Yun’s unremarkable face, thinking he looked like the kind of antagonist that couldn’t be whitewashed. If Zhu Yun were a handsome guy, there might be a hidden subplot, but looking ugly meant he was doomed, likely to be slapped to death by the protagonist.

“Not that I’m saying, but Shadow Mountain City isn’t that big. Do you really think Rong Xiao can’t find you?” Wen Yan attempted to talk some sense into this kidnapper. “Moreover, even if you manage to gain something by holding me hostage, Rong Xiao will hunt you down to the ends of the earth. Why bother? It’s better to let me go, and we can pretend nothing happened.”

Zhu Yun chuckled.

“Little one, You’re quite amusing, joking around in such circumstances,” Zhu Yun spoke gently, delivering lines typical of an antagonist. “But you’ve guessed wrong this time. I don’t plan to use you to threaten Rong Xiao. What I want is your innate spirit bone and your life.”

Wen Yan instantly became uneasy.

Darn it, he had been around Rong Xiao for too long, forgetting that in the eyes of other demons, he was a big piece of meat. The danger of losing his life and being treated as a bargaining chip were two different levels of risk.

“You don’t need to worry about me. Even if I think I can’t escape, I haven’t planned on trying.” Zhu Yun reassured him.

He folded his fan and lightly waved it. The trees and flowers that had blocked Wen Yan’s view moved aside, revealing the scenery behind.

Wen Yan widened his eyes.

He saw many demons dressed in the gray family robes of the Zhuyan Clan, both male and female, busily drawing a magic circle. With his top-ranking education in the Demon Academy, he could tell that the substance used for the magic circle wasn’t paint but blood.

In the center of the circle was a colossal bronze-colored skeleton, ferocious and imposing, standing in the eye of the formation.

Wen Yan had seen this skeleton yesterday; it was the ancestor of the Zhuyan Clan.

This skeleton was supposed to be in the City Lord’s Mansion, but now it appeared here. A sense of impending doom crept over him.

“That is our great ancestor,” Zhu Yun, who knows when he walked to Wen Yan’s side, stared almost obsessively at the huge skeleton. “He is an inviolable great demon, he led our Zhuyan Clan to glory. If he hadn’t fallen, we wouldn’t have to be confined to a mere place in Shadow Mountain?”

Zhu Yun’s gaze toward the skeleton was too crazy, like looking at some fanatical belief.

Unable to help himself, Wen Yan shifted his butt, trying to move away from this mental patient.

But Zhu Yun had no intention of letting him off. He looked down at him and said, “Have you guessed what we’re going to do with you?”

Wen Yan didn’t want to guess; it wouldn’t be anything good anyway.

Zhu Yun bent slightly and smiled, saying, “Our Zhuyan Clan has been waiting for this day for too long, a hundred years. We’ve been searching for a way to awaken our ancestor. Now that we have performed the summoning ritual for our great ancestor, once we refine your spirit bone and offer it as a sacrifice, he will be able to return to the world. By then, do you think I would still fear Rong Xiao?”

Wen Yan couldn’t accept this.

He really wanted to argue with Zhu Yun. Even if your ancestor comes back to life, he can’t beat Rong Xiao.

My husband is the best in the world!

But Zhu Yun misunderstood the expression on his face.

Zhu Yun leisurely enjoyed watching his clansmen prepare for the refining ritual and casually reminded Wen Yan, “You don’t need to fantasize about Rong Xiao coming to save you. The seal has a problem. He’s currently inside Shadow Mountain and can’t get out. By the time he receives your message, you’ll already have turned into a pile of bones.”

Wen Yan almost wanted to curse loudly.

From the beginning, the Zhuyan Clan had planned to kidnap him to resurrect their ancestor, and it had nothing to do with Rong Xiao or the struggles in Shadow Mountain. It was purely a group of fanatics trying to create a personal cult, attempting to exchange him for their ancestor’s return from the underworld.

He looked at Zhu Yun suspiciously. “Did you also orchestrate the invitation for me and Rong Xiao to the Feather God’s Celebration as well?”

Zhu Yun made no attempt to hide it and praised him happily, “you are indeed perceptive.”

Wen Yan held back a belly full of dirty cuss words.

He didn’t plan to argue with Zhu Yun verbally.

Leaning against the tree, he looked as if he were angry with Zhu Yun, but he was actually using the cover of his position to try to bring his two hands closer together.

On his wrists, there was a bracelet.

Hanging under the bracelet was a fiery red glass bead.

This was given to him by Rong Xiao as a protective measure during his business trip. If he crushed it, he could summon Rong Xiao.

Seeing Zhu Yun’s calm demeanor and assessing the surroundings, which seemed to be a well-hidden place, at least not easily discoverable, he estimated that it was definitely a covert location. Moreover, it appeared that a considerable portion of the Zhuyan Clan was involved.

Committing crimes as a group.

And a resolute one at that.

Wen Yan felt like his brain was going bald, experiencing a genuine sense of crisis.

In the City Lord’s Mansion of Shadow Mountain, everything was in chaos.

When Wen Yan went out, the City Lord’s Mansion didn’t actually let him go out alone. They assigned casual personnel to discreetly follow behind him.

After all, he was the precious little bride. If something happened to him in Shadow Mountain City, they might all be sacrificed to the heavens by Rong Xiao.

However, never in their wildest dreams—

Wen Yan actually disappeared from under their noses.

The City Lord was distressed and wanted to jump into the sea.

Wen Yan was a naturally-born spirit bone, a tonic for the demon race. Losing him in Shadow Mountain, where demons were plentiful, was unimaginable. 

The City Lord of Shadow Mountain sat on a chair, his face pale, envisioning himself being incinerated by Rong Xiao.

Rong Xiao had been uneasy throughout the day.

Since the morning, he had been inside Shadow Mountain’s cave, repairing the magic seal. After he and Yu Bu Wen entered, to prevent anyone from disrupting the process, he set up a barrier at the entrance of the cave.

But he discovered that the magic seal had been intentionally damaged. The missing piece wasn’t due to a natural disaster or internal issues; someone had ruthlessly tampered with it from the outside.

He coldly said to Yu Bu Wen, “Go out and find out who has been here. Identify who maliciously damaged the seal, and send them to the Demon Control Bureau for questioning.”

Yu Bu Wen was playing a card game on the side, he responded perfunctorily.

There was no signal inside this mountain.

He was extremely bored, so he could only play games on his phone.

After a while, he heard Rong Xiao ask, “Before you came out today, was Wen Yan in a better mood?”

Yu Bu Wen’s hand trembled, and the solitaire game he had just set up vanished.

He looked at Rong Xiao inexplicably and said, “Sir, why did you provoke him in the first place?”

Rong Xiao remained silent and continued drawing the seal.

Yu Bu Wen sighed, finding Rong Xiao’s current behavior puzzling. He had been working for Rong Xiao for hundreds of years, and he had never been as confused by Rong Xiao’s actions as he was now.

If Rong Xiao didn’t like Wen Yan as he claimed, why was he still holding on to him? Yu Bu Wen had never seen Rong Xiao tolerate anyone to this extent. It was as if he was holding him in the palm of his hand.

“The young master said he will move out,” Yu Bu Wen added, “He felt that since you don’t like him, living with you would be a nuisance to you. It’s better to part ways and live happily.”

Rong Xiao scolded, “What nonsense is he up to? Does he want to be kidnapped by monsters without my protection?” Rong Xiao said in a low voice.

Rolling his eyes, Yu Bu Wen said, “Talking to me won’t help; you should talk to the young master. Besides, I don’t understand. The young master looks good, and he’s cute. If he confesses to you, why not accept? After all, sooner or later, you will marry him. Why reject him?”

Rong Xiao lowered his eyes.

After a while, he finally answered Yu Bu Wen’s question.

“Wen Yan is still too young. If he stays with me, it won’t end well for him.”

The statement sounded strange.

But Yu Bu Wen didn’t have time to ask.

Rong Xiao had just finished drawing the last stroke, and the magic seal was restored to its original state. The cave emitted a brilliant light, and the intricate magic patterns were reflected on the surrounding mountain walls.

Rong Xiao cut his own hand, and blood dripped from his wrist onto the magic circle, completing the final seal.

It wasn’t until the light in the cave dimmed that Rong Xiao stopped the bleeding on his wrist.

“Let’s go,” he said to Yu Bu Wen.

The long corridor was pitch black, but fortunately, both of them were monsters and didn’t need light to see.

Yu Bu Wen frowned, contemplating Rong Xiao’s last words; something about them felt off.

But before he could ask anything,  the monsters from the City Lord’s Mansion, who had been waiting outside, rushed towards them.

“Mr. Rong,” the monster speaking, had a trembling voice, evidently afraid of Rong Xiao’s anger. “The young master has been abducted by the Zhuyan Clan. It just happened, a little over half an hour ago. But we couldn’t find the young master’s whereabouts in the Zhuyan Clan’s territory.”

Rong Xiao’s face did turn extremely frightening.

Yu Bu Wen, standing behind him, also had a dark expression.

But Rong Xiao didn’t have time to deal with these trembling monsters. The fact that Wen Yan had been abducted meant something, and no one understood it better than he did.

“Go find him now,” he hastily said before flying away with Yu Bu Wen.

Shadow Mountain was just a small town. Even if they had to dig three feet into the ground, they had to find Wen Yan.