Chapter 423
Chapter 423 Holy Maiden
Baryl continued, “Simon may seem peculiar, but his intentions towards you are genuine. Do you understand why he took off his
ring earlier but then put it back on?”
Mauve glanced at Baryl, her eyes wet with tears. “Why?”
Baryl explained, “This ring is a treasure. Simon initially wanted to leave it with you, but he decided to take it back out of concern.
He didn't want the ring to inadvertently bring you any trouble or danger.”
Hearing that, Mauve burst into tears.
She sobbed for a while before wiping her tears dry and getting to her feet. Without hesitation, she ran out and headed toward
Heavenly Cave.
Simon thought he was doomed.
When he woke up, the sun was up.
To be exact, it was two in the afternoon.
Simon discovered he was lying in Baryl's bed. There was a glass skylight on the roof, allowing the sunlight to stream into the
room.
Through the sunlight, one could see the dust floating everywhere.
There was dust everywhere in this world, and with every breath they took, everyone would unknowingly inhale particles of dust.
However, the dust was barely visible to the naked eye.
Right now, Simon could see the dust clearly.
He sat up abruptly and realized his body was nursed back to health. The golden king silkworm in his body had disappeared,
along with the poison.
He felt free, relaxed, and strong again.
He was no longer restrained and could do whatever he wanted.
Simon let out a loud roar before he jumped off the bed and ran out of Baryl's house.
At the mountain's summit, Simon dashed out, his eyes fixed on the majestic expanse of mountains before him. The warm
sunlight embraced his body.
He could feel the exhilarating surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins, a sensation he had been missing for far too long.
He had been frustrated for too long.
However, Simon's delight didn't last for long. He suddenly realized something was wrong.
Why did my poison get cured suddenly? Did Marlington King finally take action?
That thought merely served to increase Simon's confusion.
He had only met Marlington King once, but he knew the latter well.
No one could make the king change his mind.
However, Marlington King ended up saving me. What made him change his mind? Also, where is Mauve?
Simon's confusion heightened.
Right then, Baryl stepped out of his neighbor's house with a bowl of medicinal broth.
Simon turned to look at Baryl, who gave him the bowl. “Eat up. This will aid in your recovery.”
Instead of accepting the bowl, Simon said, “I've recovered completely, so I won't be needing this.” He paused before asking,
“What exactly happened? Where is Mauve?”
Baryl gazed at him and replied, “Some things are best kept a secret. Since you've recovered, you should leave.”
As Simon's breath grew heavy, a realization struck him. The sudden recovery he experienced must have been connected to
Mauve.
Marlington King, who initially refused to assist him, eventually intervened. It became clear to Simon that Mauve must have made
a sacrifice to influence the king's decision and ensure his recovery.
Simon's eyes turned red as he felt a stab of pain in his heart. It felt that he had traveled back in time to the summer when Olive
died in front of his eyes.
He couldn't save her back then, so he refused to let Mauve sacrifice this time.
Ignoring Baryl, he made his way to Heavenly Cave.
“Simon!” Baryl called after him. He quickly ran forward to block Simon's path.
“Move!” Simon snapped coldly.
Baryl explained, “You'll never make it inside. Mauve has sacrificed a lot for you, so don't make her sacrifices go to waste.”
“What did she sacrifice?” Simon demanded.
Baryl's eyes dimmed. He looked up and disclosed, “Mauve has made an agreement with Marlington King to become the
perpetual Holy Maiden of Sacred Maiden Cave. She has pledged never to venture beyond the cave's boundaries, dedicating
herself to preserving her purity and providing her blood as sustenance for the holy king silkworm. This was the condition set forth
for his intervention to ensure your rescue.”
Simon's body trembled when he learned the truth. Gritting his teeth, he declared, “I must take her away with me.”
Baryl made a desperate attempt to sway him, “Don't be stupid. Marlington King and his followers aren't formidable solely due to
their cultivation abilities. It's their parasitic skills that make them truly terrifying. By entering the cave, you're only inviting doom
upon yourself. Furthermore, even if you were to die, Mauve would still be condemned to eternal imprisonment, tasked with
sustaining the holy king silkworm. Isn't it unbearably cruel to subject her to such a fate?”
Simon's eyes reddened as he retorted, “Are you oblivious to her tender age? She's being forced into a lifetime of seclusion all for
the sake of a wretched Parasite King. How could we tolerate such cruelty? Humans are above all beings, and yet she is
expected to sacrifice herself for a mere parasite?”
“But Marlington King doesn't think that way,” Baryl replied. “It was consensual. You've been saved, so Mauve must keep her
word.”
Simon remained resolute, his determination was unwavering. “I will not abandon her. Even if it costs me my life, I will rescue her,”
he declared firmly. With a forceful shove, he pushed Baryl aside and dashed toward Heavenly Cave as swiftly as a lightning bolt.
There weren't many things Simon cared about.
When he was nine, he was forced to kill Coco, his pet bulldog.
When he was eighteen, he watched Olive die after getting gang raped.
Every time something like that happened, he could only watch on as there was nothing he could do.
He refused to feel helpless this time when Mauve was in danger.
He was determined to go to any lengths, even if it meant laying down his own life in his unwavering quest to save her.
Shortly after, Simon arrived at the entrance of Heavenly Cave.
This time, two other disciples were guarding the entrance. They were both shocked to see Simon as his eyes were unnaturally
red.
“You're Simon Sandler, right? Are you here to see Marlington King?” one disciple asked.
Simon nodded without a word.
The disciple told him, “Okay, you can head in. Marlington King has instructed us to allow you entry.”
Simon strode into the cave and soon arrived at Marlington King's stone chamber.
Marlington King looked the same. He glanced at Simon before flashing a smile. “You seem to be recovering well.”
Simon declared firmly, “I have come to take Mauve with me. Once she is safe, I will bring another young lady to take her position.
I advise you not to compel me to resort to force.”
Marlington King said calmly, “That's impossible. We've made a deal. Since she got what she wanted, she would have to keep her
word. I cannot accept any other innocent young lady you attempt to substitute in her place.”
Rage ran red through Simon's brain as he declared, “You sly b*stard! I didn't plan on going on a killing spree, but you're forcing
me to do it. I shall ask you one last time. Will you release her or not? If you don't, I'll kill everyone within Heavenly Cave!”
Marlington King responded calmly, “Well, I don't think you're not capable of doing that.”
Simon snorted icily and said, “Very well. You believe I will engage in combat with you, huh? You clearly don't know me well.” With
that, he disappeared from the stone chamber in a flash.
Marlington King could barely hide his shock. He had spent his entire life in the stone chamber, focusing on nurturing parasites.
Naturally, he lacked the cunning streak displayed by Simon. He assumed Simon would engage in a fair and impartial battle with
him, but he was wrong.
Back then, when Simon fought against Jonathan on the deserted island at Norham, he displayed his exceptional prowess by
nearly single-handedly wiping Jonathan and his forces out. This incident served as a testament to his remarkable abilities and
combat skills.
Outside the stone chamber, Simon bumped into the two disciples.
Bursting into laughter, he grabbed one disciple and threw him to the wall, causing him to die on the spot.
Simon then bit another disciple's neck and sucked out a mouthful of blood.
Right then, Marlington King stepped out of his stone chamber. Seeing that, Simon threw the disciple's body at him.
“Sly b*stard, you're an expert on the Marlingtonian parasites. I know how capable you are. Do you seriously think I'll fight against
you?” Simon sneered.
“I have taken the lives of only two disciples thus far. If you persist in holding Mauve captive, I will not hesitate to take more lives,”
he warned. “Let us see if the lives of your disciples hold greater value to you, or if the holy king silkworm takes precedence.”
Marlington King broke into a cold sweat. “Okay. I'll take you to Mauve.”
Simon told him, “You must release her, and I want to see her in one piece. Do you think I'll fall for your trick?”
Marlington King said gravely, “It is not a matter of my refusal to release her. At present, the holy king silkworm thrives on the
nourishment of Mauve's blood. If she were to leave Holy Maiden Cave, both she and the holy king silkworm would meet their
demise.”
Simon's body quivered uncontrollably. His fury surged as he vehemently proclaimed, “You despicable old scum! Everyone in
Heavenly Cave shall meet their maker!”
“Wait a minute!” Marlington King interjected hastily when he saw how upset Simon was.
Simon glared at Marlington King, his eyes red with fury. He had exercised restraint for far too long, and his patience was wearing
thin. If Marlington King didn't provide a solution, he would die along with everyone today.
After killing Coco and watching Olive die, Simon refused to feel helpless for the third time.
I won't let that happen!
Marlington King explained, “If a man is willing to become one with her, there's a chance he might attract the holy king silkworm to
enter his body. That's the only way to save Mauve.”
“How can I be sure that you're telling the truth?” A complicated look crossed Simon's eyes.
Marlington King shrugged. “I won't lie to you. I can't help it if you don't believe me and choose to kill everyone inside Heavenly
Cave.”
Simon's gaze bore into Marlington King. He knew the latter somewhat well.
Despite holding the esteemed title of a king and possessing expertise in parasites, coupled with a formidable level of cultivation,
Marlington King proved to be naive. His assumption that Simon would engage in a fair and honorable confrontation revealed
that.
It was unlikely that he would lie. However, there was a possibility that he might learn from his mistake and set Simon up.
“I can believe you if you agree to take this Maleficent Lethal Pill,” Simon announced as he pulled a Spirit Gathering Pill from his
spatial ring.