The Growth of a Titan in the Cultivation World-Chapter 125 - 122- The Denouement

"...So, the Nian Beast’s nervousness and desperation to keep his identity increased. How else was he going to devour the children in the Alvian Realm without this powerful Deity knowing? Filled with desperation, the Nian Beast acted before Su Moon could react. Su Moon was more powerful, and he was suspicious all along, but this monster had the face of this son. How complicated his emotions must have been to not even be able to raise a hand against someone with his son’s face, despite seeing his incoming death? The Nian Beast jumped up from his seat knocking it over and successfully slashed Su Moon’s throat.

"However, at this time, the real Su Jin entered the office and a fight broke out. It ended with the Nian beast winning. Then hoping to make this look like a planned assassination, the Nian beast went to the little girl’s room and killed her while she was still smiling having seen her older brother’s face. He then went to the mother’s room and sneak-attack her from behind, before killing her on the bed too."

Sol’s explanation was extremely lengthy, but he suddenly paused here and then looked at Yoon-Jae.

"After everything you did, perhaps you then realized that not everyone would believe that you were the only survivor of an assassination attempt like this. Or something occurred that made you change your mind to go through with this. You wanted to start over, maybe in a completely different place so you can continue eating. So, what did you do? You restored Su Jin’s original appearance and your own from all those years ago, you then swap that appearance with the first servant’s own. After that, you killed the first servant and set it up to look like he killed Su Moon and then Su Jin in this office. With your new appearance as the first servant, you went to leave, but you had no idea that Su Moon had placed a Grand Formation around the palace that traps his murderer. Or perhaps you knew. Maybe you also knew the same thing would happen if you killed Su Jin, so that’s why you only imprisoned. You thought that with your abilities to switch appearances, you could fool the Formation Array and easily escape."

Sol paused once again and looked up at Yoon-Jae, but seeing that he showed no change in expression, he continued.

"Frustrated, you waited for someone, anyone to enter this palace. If there was more than one person you would disguise as someone in that group and wait for someone to pass the trial because if the trial is completed, the Formation Array will be released. You couldn’t do it yourself since the Formation Array still recognizes you as the killer despite changing your identity. But humans are greedy. After many years of waiting, an influx of people suddenly started entering this palace. However, those people, who were likely from the Great Clans and Holy Sects in the past, only fought with each other for a chance to complete the trial. They fought until time ran out and they were trapped in here with you."

After saying all of this, Sol looked at the ceiling in silence.

"Are you finished with your crazy talk? I must still be asleep, are you even thinking straight Sol?"

Yoon-Jea finally said after a while of not speaking, and he looked angry.

Sol looked away from the ceiling and smiled at Yoon-Jae, no, the Nian Beast.

"In order to make this look like an assassination attempt at first, you switched appearances with Su Jin, so the Formation Array recognizes both Su Jin and you as the killer. Your ability is pretty strong, but that has become a problem for you in this situation. Your first switch with Su Jin confused the Grand Formation Array to believe he was the killer, but your second switch with the first servant caused the Grand Formation Array to catch on to what was going on, trapping you here. So, do you want me to dip my finger in Su Jin’s blood and complete this trial so I can escape?"

"Sol, aren’t you being a little paranoid?"

Sol looked down and a sad expression appeared on his face.

"What did you do to Brother Yoon-Jae? If you hurt him inside that void, I’ll never forgive you."

"Sol..."

Yoon-Jae said with a frown.

"I wanted to act as casual as I could when I figured out your identity back in the room, but I almost erupted in anger when you took Little Zeel as a hostage. Give him back and I’ll open the Formation Array."

Upon hearing that, Yoon-Jae suddenly recalled Sol’s words at that time, and his face soon relaxed, while his grip on Little Zeel tightened.

Sol’s eyes suddenly flashed with a murderous light, and he placed his hands on the desk before leaning forward like he was ready to pounce.

He had accidentally placed his hand in Su Moon’s blood that was on the table, but he didn’t seem to care.

"Sol, you’re the one who’s been going on and on about solving this mystery. You claim I’m the Nian Beast and that I set up this entire murder mystery so I can passively watch as you solve it by using Su Jin’s blood. Then the Formation Array will open, releasing me. But if I was the Nian Beast, I would just happily solve this game myself then concoct a situation where I accuse someone else of being the Nian Beast. Wouldn’t that person do everything in their power to prove they’re not the Nian Beast? They’ll even offer to open the Formation Array because the Nian Beast wouldn’t be able to do it. So, do you want me to open the Formation Array so I can prove I’m not the Nian Beast and free you? I’ll do it, but you have to release me and tell me where my friend is. If you hurt him, I swear I’ll make you regret it."

Yoon-Jae’s grip on Little Zeel tightened even more, and Sol could be seen gritting his teeth.

"BASTARD! LET GO OF MY FRIEND!!"

Sol suddenly roared and leaped from his chair to attack Yoon-Jae.

Yoon-Jae immediately pulled his head back to dodge Sol’s swipe, but the chair tilted back.

Yoon-Jae hurriedly tried to correct his posture as the chair fell, but he was so unbalanced that his body almost fell back to where Su Jin’s corpse was.

Luckily, he was able to shift his body in time to dodge Su Jin and his suppressive aura.

Yoon-Jae then turned to look at Sol who was glaring at him with bloodshot eyes that had immense rage pouring out.

He instinctively touched his neck. If Sol had at the very least a short sword in his hand when he made his move, his neck would have been sliced open... Just like the injured Su Jin had.

BANG!

Sol suddenly slammed his hand on the desk sending the already scattered papers on it flying away.

He then used this momentum to leap over the desk and charge at Yoon-Jae, who turned and ran.

Swoosh!

Yoon-Jae zoomed out of the office through the wide-open door.

Sol chased after him, but as he was doing so, he suddenly turned and flicked his finger which had golden blood on it onto the rune array in the center of the room.

The rune glowed before a smaller version of it branded itself on Sol’s right palm.

Everything happened extremely fast and the two were out the door in a flash.

Yoon-Jae suddenly slowed down so Sol could catch up.

"Tell me what happened back there!"

Yoon-Jae immediately yelled, he wanted answers.

Sol shook his head.

"No time to talk, just run!"

While their figures were sprinting down the hallway, inside the office, a ghastly black energy began emanating from Su Moon’s body in the corner.

"You fucking brats dare play me for a fool!!"

A distorted and bone-chilling voice resounded in the room. Then all of a sudden, the illusion faded.

No longer was the room and the palace luxurious, or the dead bodies fresh.

The palace slowly began to gain a decrepit look, while the two dead bodies in the center of the office became mere bones; like they have been decomposing for tens of thousands of years.

What also changed was the suppressive aura around the first servant with the dagger in his had disappeared like it never existed. But the suppressive aura around Su Jin was still there.

BANG!!

The doorway to the office was destroyed and a torrential amount of dark aura poured out into the hall.

Sol and Yoon-Jae looked back and saw a hideous creature slithering its way out of the office.

It was without a nose, eyes, or ears, only a mouth so it could wholeheartedly focus on eating.

It had a ghastly black slender body that could easily slip through the smallest of gaps in doors and windows.

Its four legs were slender as well, good enough to allow it to walk on thin glass and not break it. Or good enough to walk in the middle of the night without making a sound.

It had several arms too, fitting enough to capture and carry numerous children back to its cave to devour them.

This creature was pure nightmare fuel.

It was a Nian Beast.