Canary

Just as the ghosts had said, three days later, Shang Jiazhu arrived. He brought a group of demons and captured him once again, locking him in a golden cage.

He was like a canary, at the mercy of others, because he lacked the power to resist his current situation.

Shang Jiazhu smiled at him, a very cruel smile, as if looking at a lifeless object that could nevertheless bring him benefits.

The demons carried the golden cage and left the villa. The ghosts in the villa only stared at him in the cage with cold, gloomy eyes. Even after he was far from the villa, he could still feel their sticky gazes.

He sat in the cage as the demons spread their wings, carrying the golden cage into the Dark Hell.

They passed through layer upon layer of red corpse mountains of hell, reaching the deepest part of hell, where countless souls and resentments gathered. They looked furious, terrified, and desperate.

A massive and grand building stood there, surrounded by raging Hellfire, as if wanting to burn the entire structure down.

The main gates of the building suddenly swung open, and a wild wind carrying countless evil ghosts rushed out, swallowing the surrounding souls and resentments almost entirely.

"You've finally come..." an ethereal, illusory voice echoed in Shang Xing's mind, a voice full of allure and temptation.

A strongly built man stepped out of the building, wearing a hideous mask and holding a scepter. An invisible pressure spread around him.

Shang Jiazhu respectfully bowed to the man, but the man ignored him completely, staring only at Shang Xing: "Indeed, the Bride of Zhu Mian..."

The building's gates opened wide, the interior pitch black like a black hole swallowing everything, making one shudder.

"You've finally come."

The voice echoed in Shang Xing's ears again, like a whisper between lovers.

He clung to the golden bars of the cage, looking around to find the source of the voice, finally realizing it came from that pitch-black doorway.

In the next moment, a powerful suction force pulled him into the building's gates.

Before he could react, he had arrived in a dark space.

"You've finally returned, my love..."

The voice rang out once more.

He followed the voice and saw a man sitting on a chair. He was dressed entirely in black, with only a pair of eyes that were shockingly red.

A black snake was wrapped around the man's arm. The snake opened its mouth, flicking its crimson tongue, staring intently at Shang Xing, its body curving.

"Xing..."

The man stood up, slowly approaching Shang Xing, a bloodthirsty light gleaming in his eyes.

Shang Xing stepped back, looking at this man warily. He didn't know this man, yet the man seemed to know him.

The man stopped, advancing no further. He spoke: "I know you've forgotten me."

The snake crawling on his arm stretched out, and while Shang Xing was dazed, it slithered onto Shang Xing's hand. The cold snake body pressed against the skin of Shang Xing's arm, causing an uncontrollable shudder to surge from within his body.

"My name is Hua Jian, I am the Zhu Mian of Hell," the man reached out, grabbing Shang Xing's wrist. "And you are my wife, the Demon Bride."

As soon as he finished speaking, the snake wrapped around his arm suddenly vanished, as if merging into his flesh and bone, entering his body.

Hua Jian suddenly drew close to him, a powerful sense of oppression radiating from his body, making him feel as if he were about to suffocate.

He wanted to escape this feeling of constraint. He suddenly began to struggle, yet no matter what, he couldn't break free from Hua Jian's hold.

Clearly, this was the first time he had seen Hua Jian, but Hua Jian brought him a sense of familiarity, though the feeling of fear was so clear and deep.

Hua Jian raised his hand to cover his eyes, blocking the panic and helplessness in them, his voice carrying temptation: "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."

Everything that happened afterward was blurry. He only remembered the indescribable feeling of despair when surrounded by Hua Jian.

He faintly felt himself turning into a fragile canary, imprisoned by Hua Jian in an exquisite cage, losing his freedom forever.

He didn't know how much time had passed. Perhaps he and Hua Jian lived together for several years, or decades. Finally, one day, Hua Jian took him out of the exquisite golden cage.

Hua Jian wanted to marry him, wanting to bind their souls together forever.

At the wedding, he saw Shang Jiazhu, and also saw his mother, Xi. Xi's face was pale, her figure trembling slightly.

He actually felt the aura of the sunflower demon from Xi's shadow. It turned out the sunflower demon was hiding in Xi's shadow; he believed the sunflower demon would protect Xi.

After the wedding ended, he returned to the gloomy iron cage.

He lost track of time, not knowing how many years passed. One day, Hua Jian took him away from this place to a location filled with white camellias.

This place was called the Garden of Eden. White camellias bloomed brilliantly all over the hills, and nestled among the mountain flowers was an elegant, pure white villa.

He lived in that white villa from then on.

He could only stay in this place called the Garden of Eden, unable to leave.

He didn't know what the situation was like outside. Hua Jian would come to accompany him every day, and he was constantly looking for a way and opportunity to escape.

Until one day, he suddenly woke up. Opening his eyes, the entire Garden of Eden was silent. Hua Jian had left. He touched the bed, turned over, and saw a man behind him.

The man had long golden hair, and his clear blue eyes were like a clean sky. He looked like an angel fallen to the mortal world, pure and unstained by a single speck of dust.

"You were still defiled by Hua Jian," the man gazed at him, his eyes filled with regret and sorrow. "My beautiful angel, how did you still turn into a demon?"

The man said such incomprehensible words. Shang Xing frowned, staring warily at him: "Who are you?"

"I am your 'father'," the man smiled. "However, you used to always call me directly by my name, 'Tian Zhou'. So, you can just call me Tian Zhou."

"Tian Zhou?" Shang Xing murmured. This name gave him a very familiar feeling, as if he had called it many times before.

Hearing this, Tian Zhou's smile deepened, but in the next instant, he teleported in front of Shang Xing.

Shang Xing's chest instantly erupted in sharp pain. Tian Zhou's hand pierced through his chest and pulled back out. He saw his own heart beating in Tian Zhou's hand.

He stared at Tian Zhou, his mouth opening, but he couldn't say anything, and he collapsed.