Re-birth: The Beginning after the End - Chapter 184

Chapter 184: WHY ARE YOU REALLY HERE?
When Li Hua pushed open her door, she wasn’t even surprised to find Mo Xing sitting on her bed, looking entirely too comfortable for someone who had no right to be there. She rolled her eyes, wondering if she should even bother telling him to leave anymore.

“You shouldn’t demonstrate techniques from the Sixth Realm so openly,” he said without preamble, his usual playful demeanor replaced by something more serious. “The elders might have been impressed, but they were also curious. Questions about unusual abilities tend to lead to unwanted attention.”

His words made her pause. He was right, of course. She had gotten carried away trying to prove herself, forgetting that some of her abilities were better left concealed. Still, she couldn’t help but arch an eyebrow at him. “Says the man who vouched for me.”

“Because I spoke of your strength, Little Tempest, not its origin.” His smile returned, though something serious lingered in his gaze. “Some mysteries are better left mysterious, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I need to study,” she said pointedly, hoping he’d take the hint.

“Then…study.”

“Master.” Little Firefly called out into her consciousness from his position in her inner space. “Why don’t you bring the cauldron out here? We could channel herbs from the garden, and—”

Why would you even suggest that? Li Hua’s internal voice carried exasperation. I’m already exposing too many secrets as it is.

Well, Little Firefly’s response carried an unusual note of mischief that made her suspicious, if you expose something, he might be willing to do the same.

That’s not the point! Li Hua felt a headache forming.

Mo Xing tilted his head, watching her with an unreadable expression. “You seem troubled, Little Tempest. Are you worrying about something?”

Li Hua sighed, running a hand through her hair. “No. Just debating whether or not I should be kicking you out.”

He smirked. “Would you like me to pretend that threat still works?”

She scoffed but didn’t bother pressing the issue. He always had a way of making himself at home wherever he pleased. Instead, she focused on the weight of Little Firefly’s suggestion, her fingers unconsciously tapping against the wooden desk.

If I expose something, he might be willing to do the same.

The thought lingered. Mo Xing had always been too enigmatic, too knowing. He had vouched for her, but not recklessly. He understood things she hadn’t even spoken aloud. The way he’d recognized her techniques from the Sixth Realm, how he seemed to anticipate her every move—it wasn’t just careful observation. There were too many layers to his knowledge, too much hidden behind that playful smile.

And if that was the case, what exactly was the mysterious Mo Xing hiding?

She turned to face him fully, her previous hesitation transforming into quiet determination. “Why are you really here, Mo Xing?” The question carried none of her usual deflective frost. “And please don’t say it’s because you miss me.”

For the first time, she saw genuine hesitation flicker across his features. But before he could weave another elegant evasion, she cut through the moment with practiced precision. “The truth, please,” her voice was steady, deliberate. “We’re both adults here. I don’t want this misunderstanding bullshit.”

The memory of Li Min flashed through her mind—how a lifetime of small misunderstandings had grown into an uncrossable chasm between them. Some prices were too high to pay twice, some lessons too painful to ignore. Whatever game Mo Xing was playing, she wanted the rules laid bare.

He was slightly taken aback but then she heard him chuckle, “I don’t want this misunderstanding ‘bullshit’ either.”

She watched as he waved his hand, and suddenly the shadows in her room began to move. Something stirred in her memory—a feeling of recognition she couldn’t place, shouldn’t have. The darkness converged into a lone figure, and despite never having witnessed such power before, Li Hua felt an inexplicable familiarity with the way the shadows danced to his will. It was like remembering something from a dream she’d never had.

“Master.” The shadow greeted as it took human form, its voice carrying echoes of ancient depths.

“Would you please inform Little Tempest what we’re up to?” Mo Xing asked as he stretched out fully on her bed, seemingly unconcerned with how his casual display of power had affected her.

“Mistress.” The shadow greeted.

“I’m not his-” Li Hua started, heat rising to her cheeks at the implication, but Mo Xing’s amused voice smoothly interrupted her denial.

“One day, little tempest,” Mo Xing’s voice carried that dangerous mix of promise and amusement that never failed to make her pulse skip. His certainty about their future made the simple words feel more like a vow than a tease.

He waved his hands in the air, and the shadow man spoke, “Souls have appeared in this world that don’t…smell like this world’s inhabitants. It’s not a large number, nor is it growing, but the pattern is strange. Our recent discovery shows… inconsistencies.”

Li Hua’s heart thundered against her ribs, though years of assassination training kept her expression neutral. Li Min—could her sister really be here? She forced her voice to remain steady. “How many souls have appeared?”

“Mistress, since your arrival, four souls have manifested.”

Li Hua’s careful composure slipped for a fraction of a second. “You know when I arrived in this world?” The question emerged sharper than she intended, revealing her surprise.

The shadow man nodded, glancing back at Mo Xing briefly before returning his hollow gaze to her. “Yes, mistress. Your arrival created distinct… ripples.”

Li Hua felt as though the room had suddenly tilted. Ripples? The idea that her arrival had been not only noticeable but trackable sent a cold shiver down her spine. She swallowed imperceptibly, forcing her racing thoughts into order. Focus on what matters now. One problem at a time.

She leaned forward slightly, quickly regaining control of her expression despite her inner turmoil. “And you’re investigating this realm specifically? This sect?”

“Mistress, there is only one otherworldly soul here besides yourself.” The shadow’s form rippled slightly as it delivered its report. “Our discovery shows that three souls have also manifested in the realm above—in the Profound Valley.”

“The Profound Valley?” Li Hua echoed, as she took this new information in. Her lips parted to form further questions, each more urgent than the last, but—

“Return,” Mo Xing commanded, his tone gentle yet absolute.

The shadow servant inclined its formless head in immediate obedience. Its silhouette rippled like ink dropped in water, edges blurring before it collapsed inward. The darkness that had been its form seemed to slide across the floorboards like liquid night, flowing back toward Mo Xing’s shadow and merging seamlessly with it. Within seconds, the room’s natural patterns of light and shadow reasserted themselves, leaving no evidence the entity had ever existed.

Mo Xing sat up and stared at her, his expression softening into something more personal. “Little Tempest. Now you know my reason for being here – though it is an important matter, I truly did miss you. As a matter of fact—”

“Have you met those souls yet?” Li Hua interrupted, her usual composure cracking under the weight of possibility. “What about the one here, have you found them? It?” The questions tumbled out before she could arrange them with her usual care.

Mo Xing’s eyebrow rose slightly, “Anxious are we?” His tone suggested he was carefully cataloging her unusual urgency.

“Answer my questions.” Li Hua snapped back, her patience wearing thin.

“I’ve met only one, and the one here…has not been located yet.”

Li Hua nodded, releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“Are you keeping tabs on these souls? Why?” The questions came sharper than she intended. “Is that why you’re here keeping tabs on me?”

The moment the words left her lips, a strange disappointment settled in her chest. She hadn’t meant to sound so accusatory, but more than that, she found herself disturbed by the possibility that his attention was merely professional surveillance rather than genuine interest.

Mo Xing’s expression shifted, the playfulness giving way to something raw and genuine that made her breath catch.

“No, Little Tempest,” he said quietly. “I’m not here to keep tabs on you. The souls piqued my curiosity, yes, but you…” He climbed off her bed and moved closer, his golden eyes holding hers with unexpected intensity. “You draw me in ways I can’t fully explain. Mentally, physically…” his voice dropped lower, “spiritually.”

His fingers brushed against hers, so lightly she might have imagined it. “There’s something about you that feels familiar, like an echo of something I’ve been searching for without knowing it. When I’m with you, the darkness inside me…” he hesitated, as though the admission cost him, “it quiets.”

Li Hua felt her pulse quicken, the honesty in his words catching her off guard. For a moment, she allowed herself to be caught in the gravity of his confession—the vulnerability in it both disarming and dangerously appealing. His touch lingered on her skin like a whisper of something that could be, something that frightened and thrilled her in equal measure.

But years of survival had taught her that beautiful words often concealed the most dangerous intentions. She gently withdrew her hand, her walls rebuilding themselves brick by careful brick.

“You’re still withholding a lot of information, aren’t you?” She studied his face with the same careful attention she’d once given to opponents across negotiation tables. The shadow servant’s report had felt deliberately incomplete, like a carefully edited document meant to reveal just enough while concealing the most crucial details.

“Of course, my Little Tempest,” his smile held equal parts admission and challenge. “Though I notice you haven’t shared all your secrets either.”

Li Hua’s fists clenched at her sides, knuckles white with tension. She couldn’t argue with that observation—her own secrets were woven together like an intricate web. Pull one thread, and the entire pattern might unravel. The CEO, the assassin, her inner space… She understood all too well why he might choose to reveal his truths in carefully measured portions.

“You’re looking tense, Little Tempest.” His voice dropping to a more dangerous tone. “Is there anything I can help with to help release that tension?”

Li Hua looked at him, and suddenly a thought crystalized in her mind—sharp and clear. Her lips curved into a knowing smirk that made his eyes narrow with interest.

“Why, yes,” she said, her voice carrying an edge of challenge that seemed to catch even Mo Xing off guard. “Know somewhere we can go with more privacy?”

Li Hua watched with carefully concealed pleasure as Mo Xing’s careful control wavered. His adam’s apple bobbed once, and his eyes—those golden eyes that usually seemed to swallow her whole—now showed his own vulnerability, pupils blown wide until only a thin ring of gold remained. For once, she had managed to catch the mysterious Mo Xing off guard, and the satisfaction of that small victory hummed beneath her skin.