Chapter 187 Strange Encounters

Mingmei had very few clear memories of her childhood visits to the demon clan, but the feeling she got here wasn't bad.

There was a defensive formation specially set up by the demon clan at the northernmost border, isolating the inside from the outside world. Upon entering the formation, the colors of the world seemed to shift.

The lush plants growing around were all things she didn't recognize.

Mingmei looked at everything before her, and a sense of familiarity gradually welled up within her.

Mei Shi's arrival was a grand event for the demon clan. Even those who had been traveling abroad for many years returned, some bringing friends they had met along the way.

Walking down the central street of the northernmost city, Mingmei watched the bustling scene with demons crowding the street. Seeing them all looking at her—oh, rather, at the person holding her—Mingmei felt a sense of pride and excitement.

These people had witnessed the brilliance of her parents in their prime.

Mingmei couldn't help but recall the grand occasion when her brother reappeared in the empire. They were creating their own miracles in different eras.

As emotions stirred within her, Mingmei spotted an unexpected figure in the crowd!

Xie Chen, wearing a blue robe and a black cloak, only showed half of his face, but that half was enough to make her tense up!

*Why is he here?*

Mingmei's expression darkened as she stared at Xie Chen, who was wearing a black cloak on the edge of the crowd.

*Of course, it's because of love!*

Gui Gui was also very excited to see Xie Chen. It didn't sense its host's unease and was enthusiastically promoting the touching story of her and Mu Chen over the past six months.

However, after Gui Gui's long speech, Mingmei didn't show the emotion it expected. Instead, her face was as dark as water, as if she was greatly troubled.

*You're saying that person is Mu Chen?*

Mingmei frowned, still being held by her mother. She even rubbed her eyes and looked again at the place where the figure had disappeared into the crowd, momentarily stunned.

*But I don't think that person is Mu Chen.*

Mingmei instinctively denied the possibility. Even though the game's settings caused her to forget her reunions with Mu Chen time and time again, she wouldn't be so forgetful as to not recognize Mu Chen standing right in front of her.

*The feeling he gives me is strange. It's not A-Chen.*

Even though it was just a fleeting glimpse, the more Mingmei thought about it, the more she felt that the person she had just seen wasn't Mu Chen.

*Could it be that his body has been taken over by Xie Chen again?* Gui Gui's heart skipped a beat as it came up with a bold idea.

It hadn't considered this possibility before. Moreover, every time Mu Chen and Mingmei reunited and recognized each other, he never indicated that he wasn't from this world, nor did he reveal the true relationship between Mingmei and him!

Could it be that there was really someone else inside Mu Chen's body, watching all the time, and ready to emerge at any moment?

*Maybe you just saw it wrong, Host? He's supposed to be in Bu Tian Sect. How could he be in the demon clan's territory? The Bu Tian Sect leader wouldn't agree to that, would he?*

*So, if I saw it wrong, then you saw it wrong too, Gui Gui?*

Being questioned like this, Gui Gui didn't know what to say.

It saw what the host saw. It wouldn't mistake that familiar face under the cloak either.

But now that it thought about it, the temperament was indeed very different from Mu Chen's.

*If that really isn't Mu Chen himself, then the one controlling the body being here is probably not a good thing.*

*Absolutely!*

Gui Gui and Mingmei discussed it and secretly raised their guard. Then, Mingmei looked around at the crowd again, trying to find that person's figure, but he was nowhere to be found.

However, in the process, Mingmei didn't expect to see a few more unexpected people.

Lu Xiaoyao, Julian, and several other cooperating players were standing in the crowd on one side of the street, while on the other side, Mingmei saw Lou Jia and Lu Gui, dressed in demon cultivator attire.

"Oh my god... isn't that..."

Lu Xiaoyao, who was watching Mingmei's family leave in the crowd, saw Lu Gui in the crowd on the opposite side at a glance.

Lu Gui naturally saw Lu Xiaoyao at a glance as well. Compared to Lu Xiaoyao's surprised expression upon seeing him, he reacted more quickly and turned to leave.

That guilty reaction almost made Lu Xiaoyao shout out loud in front of everyone, but fortunately, Julian noticed in time and stopped her.

"What's wrong?"

This time, after receiving Lu Xiaoyao's message, Julian and the other Linjing City players had also heard the news and were planning to come here.

Lu Xiaoyao joined them after learning about it, but Zhen Po wasn't among them.

Just now, Julian was still marveling at how different the demon clan's living environment was from the outside world when he suddenly sensed Lu Xiaoyao's movements behind him. So, he turned around and caught Lu Xiaoyao just as she was about to shout.

"I just... saw my brother." Lu Xiaoyao blinked her eyes, confirming that she hadn't seen wrong, and stared at Julian as if talking to herself, saying, "Do you think my brother is a good person or a bad person?"

"Don't know." Julian glanced at the black nameplates hanging on Lu Xiaoyao and his own waist, and lowered his voice, "No matter what, we didn't come in through legitimate means. Don't expose yourself unless absolutely necessary."

"I know."

Not long after, Lu Gui, who was trying to avoid Lu Xiaoyao, was found by Lou Jia, who had just been separated from him.

"What are you doing? Wandering around as soon as we got in?"

This time, Lou Jia had passed the news to Lu Gui in advance. With his status in the Joyful Union Palace, he naturally had access to certain information. He also gave Lu Gui the information they had discovered about the insect race.

This insect race didn't know what kind of identity it had acquired in the game, but it seemed to be connected to the demon clan.

Lou Jia and the disciples of the Joyful Union Palace had captured insect-type evil beings alive before. Due to a moment of carelessness, they had allowed the crazed evil being to rampage through the Joyful Union Palace, running into the hands of the Palace Master, Qing Mian.

Naturally, Qing Mian noticed something was wrong.

It was then that Lou Jia learned that the method of transforming these evil beings was related to a forbidden technique that the demon clan had long abandoned.

Therefore, as Lou Jia had expected, Lu Gui insisted on coming after the news was spread.

So, Lou Jia helped Lu Gui obtain the identity of a Joyful Union Palace disciple with great difficulty. But as soon as they entered, he lost him. If Qing Mian were here, she would have immediately discovered Lu Gui's impersonation!

If that happened, he would inevitably suffer as well.

Just now, when he couldn't find Lu Gui in the blink of an eye, Lou Jia had already thought about how to shift the blame and escape if Lu Gui was discovered later.