After watching the entire memory segment, Hei Xiaohu finally let out a long sigh.
A bitter smile appeared on his face as he looked towards the group chat.
[Young Master of the Demonic Sect: Group Owner, I was being presumptuous. If the truth back then was really like that, then there truly is little possibility of reconciliation.]
Putting himself in their shoes, if he were Hongmao, he also couldn't let go of Heixin Hu, who caused his father's death.
[Dark Group Owner: However, you don't need to be so absolute. Didn't you mention earlier that the Snow Sarira, combined with lightning on a rainy night, can resurrect the dead? If you can find that Snow Sarira and resurrect Baimao, given Hongmao's character, he would definitely serve you for life, absolutely loyal.]
[Young Master of the Demonic Sect: But my father's internal injury...]
Hei Xiaohu shook his head, a resolute expression appearing on his face.
He couldn't abandon his father's life in exchange for a powerful subordinate.
Even if that subordinate was Hongmao, one of the Seven Swords, it still wouldn't do.
[Dark Group Owner: Don't worry. Your father's internal injury doesn't require something as precious as the Snow Sarira. The effects of the Heavenly Demon's Wild Dance Divine Art and the Blood Demon Madness Pills are indeed terrifying, but under heaven, there are quite a few methods to resolve them.]
[Dark Group Owner: In the Santai Pavilion on Santai Mountain in Hangzhou, there is a divine object called the 'Pure Essence Pearl'. It is the purest object in the world, capable of restoring all things. If ingested, it can even increase one's power by a hundred years. Using it to treat your father Heixin Hu is the most suitable divine medicine.]
[Young Master of the Demonic Sect: Santai Mountain? Santai Pavilion? Where is that? I'm familiar with all the major sects in the Central Plains martial world, but I've never heard that name.]
Hei Xiaohu sent a message looking completely baffled, which instead made Hattori freeze.
'That shouldn't be.'
'Santai Mountain and Santai Pavilion are from the sequel to the original work, 'Hongmao and Lantu: Brave Return'. Judging by the timeline, they should have existed long before now.'
[Ding! Reminder: The divine object mentioned by the Group Owner belongs to the 'Brave Return Parallel Dimension'. Its plot development and character settings have extremely subtle differences from the dimension where group member Young Master of the Demonic Sect resides.]
[Ding! Reminder: The host can invite group members from the 'Brave Return' dimension. In that dimension, there are characters suitable for darkening.]
'So that's how it is.'
Hattori immediately understood, feeling a sense of relief.
To be honest, when he watched Brave Return, he also found it hard to believe it was the orthodox continuation after the original Seven Heroes.
Because it was too clichéd!
In the plot of 'Brave Return', the Seven Swords, while chasing the impostor Little Black, accidentally fell into the Fountain of Youth and turned into infants.
Only Hongmao and Lantu did not revert to childhood, but one lost all his power, and the other lost her memory, ending up on Phoenix Island.
Hongmao suffered all kinds of humiliation, his internal energy completely gone.
Overnight, he went from the esteemed master of the Changhong Sword to a menial disciple bullied by everyone.
Princess Lantu's experience was even more infuriating. After losing her memory, she almost entered the bridal chamber with Hantian, nearly losing her virtue to him.
Under such circumstances, if Hongmao didn't turn dark, it would defy all justice.
[System, invite the Hongmao from 'Brave Return' to join the group.]
[Ding! Master of the Changhong Sword has joined the group chat.]
At the same time, in the 'Brave Return' dimension, Hongmao sat miserably in the Fountain of Youth, looking at the five crying Seven Swords around him, unsure whether to laugh bitterly or sigh.
Everything happened too suddenly.
[Young Master of the Demonic Sect: Group Owner? This 'Master of the Changhong Sword'... could it be the Hongmao I know?]
[The Strongest Assassin of Xuanwu: Oh ho, interesting. Could it be another pair of group members like Sasuke and Naruto, acting out a love-hate drama?]
[The Dead-Last Jinchuriki / Second Pillar Thinks He Can Do It: Piss off! Who has a love-hate relationship with him!]
[Cat Burglar: Welcome, new group member. If you have any worries, you can tell the Group Owner.]
[True Love Is Agumon: Yes, the Boss is awesome. No matter what world you're from or what miserable past you have, he can help you solve it.]
'Solve?'
Hongmao looked at the miserable scene around him and shook his head.
[Master of the Changhong Sword: How can it be solved? Besides that elusive Pure Essence Pearl, what else can save them?]
[Master of the Changhong Sword: But with my current power, talking about the Pure Essence Pearl...]
Hongmao sighed, both helpless and worried.
Since the Seven Swords merged, he had experienced many hardships and dangers.
Defeating powerful enemies again and again, only to be knocked down into the trough again.
Poisoning, injury, heavy blows, comrades in life-and-death crises.
Such things happened almost every day.
Even chasing a small-time impostor led to falling into the Fountain of Youth, suffering such an abrupt, drastic change.
Even with Hongmao's resilient character, sometimes he couldn't help but sigh a couple of words.
"Is heaven too unfair to us chivalrous warriors who uphold justice?"
[Young Master of the Demonic Sect: @Master of the Changhong Sword, Are you the Hongmao I know? I am Hei Xiaohu, Young Master of the Demonic Sect.]
[Master of the Changhong Sword: !!!]
In the Fountain of Youth, Hongmao's pupils contracted sharply, his face shocked.
'How could it be?!'
'Didn't Hei Xiaohu already die in the minefield?'
'The Demonic Sect affair ended ten years ago… how could he come back to life ten years later?'
[Dark Group Owner: @Young Master of the Demonic Sect @Master of the Changhong Sword, No need to question. Hei Xiaohu, he is indeed Hongmao, but not the one you know.]
[Young Master of the Demonic Sect / Master of the Changhong Sword: Group Owner, what does this mean?]
[Dark Group Owner: Simply put, this Hongmao comes from a parallel world ten years after your current time, Hei Xiaohu. In that world, you did not join the group chat, died tragically in the minefield you laid yourself, and the Demonic Sect was eradicated by the Seven Swords.]
[Young Master of the Demonic Sect: So that's it. Now I understand.]
[Master of the Changhong Sword: Understood?! Hei Xiaohu, aren't you surprised and angry?]
Hongmao looked at the group chat before him, questioning with surprise.
In his impression, Hei Xiaohu was paranoid, insane, and stubborn.
Hearing the news of the Demonic Sect's destruction, he would definitely fly into a rage, even cursing this person calling himself the Group Owner, which wouldn't be unexpected.
[Young Master of the Demonic Sect: Why should I be angry? The 'me' in that parallel universe was just a muddle-headed, good-for-nothing simp. It's fine if it was destroyed.]
[Young Master of the Demonic Sect: But you, why were you pulled into the group by the Group Owner? You led the Seven Swords to defeat the Demonic Sect that dominated the martial world ten years ago. Ten years later, could there be an enemy stronger than the Demonic Sect that pushed you into a desperate situation, even making you think about darkening?]
Hei Xiaohu stroked his chin, asking with interest.
[Master of the Changhong Sword: This...]
Looking at the message from someone who should have been dead, scenes from the battle against the Demonic Sect ten years ago surfaced one by one in his mind.
A bitter curve involuntarily lifted the corner of Hongmao's mouth.
Thinking about it now, back then, the Demonic Sect was at its peak.
They were the weaker side, growing stronger step by step.
It wasn't until the Seven Swords merged and he himself mastered the tenth level of the Fire Dance Cyclone that they finally defeated the invincible Heixin Hu.
The entire process was undoubtedly difficult.
But it was epic and touching, something to be proudly told to future generations.
Look, this is the Seven Swords, the brave and resilient Seven Swords.
Especially Hei Xiaohu.
Close in age to himself, yet possessing extremely profound internal energy.
Even the combined force of four swords could only barely hold him off.
That overbearing figure was the opponent Hongmao most admired in his youth.
But now?
A tiger fallen on the plains. The Seven Heroes who once defeated the Demonic Sect suffered humiliation again and again.
No opponents like Hei Xiaohu, no bosses like Heixin Hu.
Only successive accidents, coincidences, chances…
Weakening the powerful Seven Swords in various ways!
It's frustrating!
[Master of the Changhong Sword: These past ten years... let's not talk about them. Thinking back, the time when we fought wits and bravery against the Demonic Sect was actually the most satisfying period.]