Chapter 371

Pei Ji had lost his memories.

To him, the young girl before him was merely a stranger he had known for less than a day.

Ning Ning thought to herself that if she suggested sleeping beside him, it might make Pei Ji feel uncomfortable.

Understanding boundaries, she lowered her gaze and said, “You can sleep on the bed, and I’ll rest by the table. How about that?”

Pei Ji was silent for a moment before his dim eyes responded with a quiet “Mm.”

The faint light of the candle in the corner was filtered through the screen, casting a thin, gauzy glow.

Pei Ji was very well-behaved as he lay quietly on the bed without making a sound.

The events of the day had been overwhelming.

Ning Ning, unable to sleep for the time being, leaned on the table in a daze.

Suddenly, she sensed a faint trace of demonic energy.

… Of course.

Because of his bloodline, Pei Ji was susceptible to demonic energy disturbances.

Her drowsiness disappeared instantly.

Ning Ning looked toward the bed not far away.

“Pei Ji?”

There was no response.

Her heart sank as she walked over, only to find that Pei Ji had curled up entirely under the blanket, just as he had done that morning, his small body shrinking into itself.

In the flickering candlelight, wisps of sinister black energy intertwined with his hair, seeping out from under the blanket.

When demonic energy surged, it wreaked havoc on one’s meridians, inflicting unbearable pain.

Even as a young man, Pei Ji had to grit his teeth and endure it.

How could a young child, without even the basics of cultivation, possibly cope?

Ning Ning reached out to lift the blanket but found it held firmly in place by another force—

Pei Ji was clutching it tightly, refusing to let her pull it back.

“Pei Ji.”

Her tone carried no impatience.

Standing close, she gently coaxed him through the blanket, “Be good. Come out.”

Her voice carried an almost hypnotic quality.

Dizzy from the agony, the boy’s mind wavered, and for a moment, he nearly obeyed her command to lift the covers.

But he didn’t want Ning Ning to see him like this.

In this world, people loathed the demon clan, seeking only to kill them.

And now, in his grotesque state, with his demonic appearance distorted and unsightly, he feared her disgust if she saw him.

Pei Ji didn’t want to frighten her.

He feared her rejection.

As the demonic energy surged violently through his body, tearing through his internal organs like knives, Pei Ji gritted his teeth and endured, unsure how else to cope.

He had tried so hard to remain silent.

Why had she noticed something was wrong?

Pain and darkness filled the space beneath the blanket.

The boy’s trembling grew uncontrollable as the torment intensified.

Suddenly, something slipped under the blanket from his side.

Unlike his mother’s past scorn and harsh words, Ning Ning’s hand awkwardly fumbled through the bed, sliding from his shoulder downward until it finally held his hand.

A new sensation—utterly foreign to him—began to flow into his body.

She was touching him.

Her spiritual energy was gentle and pristine, quietly dissipating the raging demonic energy within him.

Pei Ji froze, feeling her warmth, and for a moment, he forgot to tremble.

When the pain subsided slightly, he heard Ning Ning’s soft voice, “Come out, okay?”

It was a tone impossible to refuse.

The beige blanket shifted slightly.

Pei Ji bit his lip and lowered his head as he pulled it back, exposing his curled-up form.

Pei Ji didn’t dare look at her.

But Ning Ning moved closer, undeterred.

Pushing through the layers of ominous black mist, Ning Ning drew him into her arms.

“I’m… sorry.”

Pei Ji trembled all over, his voice quivering uncontrollably.

“I… I’m…”

He was the child of a demon.

He must look terrible now—his eyes blood-red, his body shrouded in black mist, veins bulging hideously.

In the past, when the demonic energy flared up in the cellar, his mother would look on in fury, watching him writhe in pain with cold disdain, hurling insults and curses without restraint.

A demon, a bastard, a monster—those words and worse.

Now, someone was finally willing to smile at him, to carefully hold him close.

He couldn’t bear for Ning Ning to feel the same revulsion his mother did.

The embrace around him tightened.

The flickering candlelight illuminated his ragged breaths and muffled sobs, accompanied by Ning Ning’s soft sigh.

“Why are you apologizing? ‘I’m sorry’ isn’t meant for this.”

“It’s just demonic energy. It’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Her hand gently stroked his back, over and over, until his trembling gradually subsided.

“Like sword energy or spiritual energy—or any other kind of energy—it’s neither good nor bad by itself. The real problem is when it’s used for evil. Even sword energy, in the hands of someone wicked, is a loathsome thing.”

Of course, Ning Ning understood what he was thinking.

Back when Cheng Ying lost its memories as an ancient divine sword, it had been no different from an ordinary middle-aged man.

Ignorant of demonic energy, all it could do was clumsily comfort Pei Ji during his attacks, offering no useful solutions.

So Pei Ji’s only understanding of demonic energy came from his mother.

And what good could she possibly have said about it?

A pang of sourness and heartache filled her chest as she spoke with unprecedented seriousness: “You’re not a bad person… I don’t hate anything about you.”

Pei Ji’s back stiffened.

Gentle spiritual energy flowed like a stream, rising along his spine and coursing through his meridians and blood vessels, slowly filling his entire body.

Ning Ning said, “I’m here. You’ll be fine. Don’t be afraid.”

Warmth enveloped the boy completely.

Though still young, Pei Ji had already learned to construct a hardened shell, one meant to protect him from harm.

It was meant to be unbreakable.

But now, that shell shattered effortlessly, exposing the fragile heart that cowered within.