3 Chapter 3: False Hope

...

Ling approached Wang Lao with a menacing smile. "Wang Lao...*slap* wake *slap* up!*slap*"

Wang Lao tried to open his eyes only to be knocked unconscious once again by one of Ling's wake up slaps.

...

Wang Lao felt pain in his cheeks as soon as he wakes up.

"Wh-where am I... Why is it so dark in here?" Wang Lao complained as he was trying to suppress the pain from his cheeks using his hands.

Wang Lao felt chills on his back startling him. "Who..."

Ling shushed him because Wang Lao might alert the other demons. "You're in demon's territory. Keep your mouth shut or I'll shut you up for good." Ling said to Wang Lao coldly while looking at him like livestock. Wang Lao can only see the crimson eyes of Ling because of how dark it is in that room. The only light source was the glowing red core that was in the middle of the room.

Wang Lao almost pissed himself when he saw Ling's eyes but Wang Lao. "Who stares at someone like that. I feel like I'm in the presence of an Immortal God but I can't see his appearance. I better watch my mouth with him around." he thought to himself before nodding.

"Don't move and just stay in place. I will scout ahead and see if there are any demons along the hallway." Ling walked away but a slightly devilish grin can be seen before he vanished in Wang Lao's sights.

Wang Lao turned his back and noticed the red core in the middle of the room. Curiosity got the best of him and approached it. "What a large core. Beast cores shouldn't be this big. A treasure perhaps?" Wang Lao touched the red core.

The red core glowed even brightly and it gave off a terrifying aura, surprising Wang Lao. Wang Lao tried to protect himself from the terrifying aura but his mana was just getting devoured by the red core. "D-Da...mn it... Why can't I use mana..." he said while desperately waving his arms around.

Wang Lao was inches away from the exit of that Red room, but a familiar figure blocked his exit. "Y-you... Quickly! H-help me... You're not being affected by the terrifying aura so you must have a very powerful mana core... If you help me I will ask the Wang family to give work to you..." he said while desperately gasping for air.

"A little family wants the Heavenly Emperor to work for them? Are you kidding me? And why should I help you? You mocked me a while ago for being ugly. Right?" Ling coldly said angering Wang Lao.

"Y-you..." Wang Lao pointed at Ling before screaming in agony.

Ling didn't even look away when Wang Lao's body was being sucked dry of his mana or even flinched when he was being cursed or begged at by the dying Wang Lao.

...

After the red core was finished devouring Wang Lao's mana, the red core grew a bit, satisfying Ling. "Feed the red core with qi to grow even further. I changed my mind when those demons mentioned 'feeding the red core so it can grow larger'. I should feed it more using those demons and Wang Luo mana..." Ling talked to himself while looking at the core and on to Wang Luo's lifeless body.

A girl's voice resounded in the cave, screaming for help. Ling then followed his next plan. He hid Wang Lao's body somewhere around the cave and went further into the cave. As he walked further, the walls became more and more modern, with the cave walls becoming brick walls with torches hanging to provide lighting.

When Ling encountered an intersection, two demons were walking on the left side while another demon can be heard walking on the right side. Ling quickly turned invisible, avoiding being spotted by the demons.

"Did you hear something?" "Must be your imagination. Now on to...." the demons continued walking while the other demon from the right side was holding two pieces of meat. Possibly the food of their two prisoners. Ling followed that demon until he reached Wang Luo's location.

...

Meanwhile, inside a torch-lit cell room, an unconscious Wang Luo can be seen strapped at one corner while Qing Shao woke up free on one corner.

"Wh-where am I... Wang Luo!" Qing Shao rushed to Wang Luo's side trying to wake her up.

After a few shakes from Qing Shao, Wang Luo finally opened her eyes.

"Qing... Shao? Where are we? Why am... I chained to the wall?" Wang Luo noticed the chains on her hands and feet and panicked. "Qing Shao?! Where are we?! Quickly! Free me!" Wang Luo desperately begged Qing Shao.

Qing Shao was also panicking, trying to think of a way to break Wang Luo's chains and at the same time, thinking why they were there. "Luo'er d-don't you worry..." Qing Shao said before trying to break the chains with his mana. "Wh-why is my mana being absorbed by something?" Qing Shao was at his wit's end. He sat down in the corner he was once in and began shivering and muttering words like "It's okay I'm THE Qing Shao... I'm famous... My family is also famous." while laughing endlessly.

"Qing Shao?" Wang Luo called out to him with a worried look and tone. "W-will you he-help me? Q-quickly! Y-you're one of the best disciples of the Blue dragon Academy right? I personally know because I was there watching you when you were fighting in a contest."

Qing Shao glanced at Wang Luo, before continuing to laugh again and mumble words praising himself. "I'm the best... The most handsome... Yes... I am..."

Wang Luo was crying for help, screaming even, but Qing Shao only sat in his corner with his eyes wide open staring at the damsel in distress.

After a while, the two heard footsteps outside scaring them. The door creaked open horrifying them.

A red-faced demon with two short horns greeted them with two-pieces of meat on a tray. "Eat up especially you young man. You will be fed to the insect demons later so make sure to digest that piece of meat thoroughly and you woman will be going to the leader's sleeping quarters tonight so make sure to eat moderately because I heard all human women who ate a lot before going, died while having fun with the leader. It was a pain in the ass to clean so listen to me or I'll eat you up right here and now."

After they heard that, Qing Shao stood up, kneeled in front of that demon, and began to beg, banging his head against the floor. "Please... Don't kill me... I'm still young... If you want someone to feed those demons then... Let it not be me... I will even join your ranks and go to war with the humans... Just please don't let me die..." his voice breaking down amusing the demon.

"Then who should I feed to them then?" the demon asked but he already knew the answer. He just wants to see humans tremble in fear and fight with each other.

"Her! Feed her to the demons! She's just a Mana Absorbing Mage while I am at the Body Transformation state. I am also a peerless genius so I am confident I can help you rise. You look strong, maybe you're the leader. Come on free me and just feed her to the insects." Qing Shao threw his honor and began to hug the demon's legs and bowing in front of him even kissing and licking his feet.

When Qing Shao said this, Wang Luo was greatly affected. The strength Wang Luo had in her legs went away and she fell on the floor crying. "I trusted you and I even liked you. I thought you truly loved me and I kept my feelings hidden from you, trying to tell them at the right moment." Wang Luo confessed but Qing Shao just brushed it off and kept on begging.

"Look she said she loved you, are you not gonna answer her back?" the demon asked Qing Shao with a wide, irritating-to-look-at smile.

Qing Shao temporarily stopped begging and looked at Wang Luo with fear in his eyes. "I only loved you because you're family was famous. My family is famous but it cannot compare to you're Wang family. I only loved you because I just wanted to at least make love with you once and after, I will make an excuse and stay away from you forever..."

Qing Shao kept on telling Wang Luo the reason he loved her. All of which broke not only her heart but also her hope and spirit. Wang Luo looked at the floor helplessly crying and depressed. The pain she was feeling cannot be described in words.

The demon clapped the stop Qing Shao from talking any further. "You, you're amusing. I'll try and persuade the leader to let you go and join us." the demon patted Qing Shao like a dog.

Qing Shao was filled with hope after the demon said that. "Th-thank you! I will like to call you brother or father from now on." an imaginary tail can be seen wagging from Qing Shao.

"You can call me whatever you like... Eat your food before it becomes cold." the demon said gently before going out the dark hallway and locking the dimly-lit cell room.

...

"Humans really are easy. Making them fight each other is alright for me but giving them hope in the beginning and cutting it in the end, is much more amusing... I can't wait to see what faces they will make when that time comes." the demon thought to himself while smiling grimly.

On the other side of the dark hallway, a pair of crimson eyes opened and a smile was seen before completely vanishing once again.