Chapter 81

In front of the ruins, Bai Shuo froze at the teasing remark, momentarily dazed.

All these years, she had played the obedient fool, carefully concealing her thorns and true nature.

It was the only way to survive in this bizarre world of gods and demons, where anyone could crush her at will.

No one wished to die.

But Bai Shuo was not afraid of death—she wanted to live because only by living long enough would she have the slightest hope of fulfilling the promise she had once made.

A hundred years, a thousand years—you wait for me. Wait for me to ascend, to find you, to repay you.

From that night onward, her entire life had been consumed by this one obsession.

Her obsession outweighed even her life.

But now, Hua Hong had said that she hadn’t hidden her true nature well.

Why?

Bai Shuo didn’t need to ask herself—she was simply angry.

But at what? At the mighty Palace Master of Haoyue for bringing back a stranger without question? Or at him for recklessly using divine power on that girl despite his injuries?

Neither.

She was angry that Fan Yue’s favoritism and special treatment were no longer hers alone.

Slowly, realization dawned in Bai Shuo’s eyes as she turned to look at Hua Hong.

Hua Hong crossed her arms and smirked.

“Figured it out?”

Bai Shuo nodded, then turned and ran toward Fan Yue’s residence without the slightest hesitation.

If she was upset, if she had doubts, then she would ask and make things clear.

Hua Hong chuckled and muttered, “Well, at least she doesn’t hesitate.”

Bai Shuo ran swiftly, but as she neared the residence, she suddenly halted and looked up.

Under the vast moonlit sky, atop a stone pavilion, Fan Yue stood in his black robe, gazing at the moon.

The moonlight cast shadows on his profile—sharp brows like ink strokes.

Bai Shuo’s heartbeat faltered for a moment, and her steps slowed.

She had so much to ask, so much to say.

“Is there truly no way to remove the demonic energy from her body?”

Bai Shuo froze.

Fan Yue wasn’t speaking to her.

From somewhere, Long Yi suddenly flew into the pavilion, muttering, “Not exactly.”

Fan Yue lowered his gaze, staring straight at Long Yi.

Long Yi pig flapped its wings and landed before him.

“All demonic energy originates from the Demon God’s Jing Yuan. If you can find the Demon God, of course, you can extract it. But… no one knows where the Demon God is.”

Fan Yue’s gaze turned sharp.

Long Yi quickly raised one wing.

“Wait, wait! If you can’t find the Demon God, I do know where the Demon-Gathering Banner is. It’s a divine artifact of the Demon God, capable of commanding all demons. It holds a trace of the Demon God’s true divine power—definitely enough to extract the demonic energy from that girl’s body.”

Impatience flickered in Fan Yue’s eyes.

Long Yi, not waiting for him to ask, hurriedly raised its other wing.

“The Demon-Gathering Banner is in Jingyou Mountain.”

Fan Yue’s eyes narrowed.

“The fox clan?”

Long Yi flapped its wings furiously.

“You’re not thinking of breaking through the barrier outside Jingyou Mountain, are you?”

“What if I am?”

Long Yi choked.

“I’m telling you, if you want to cause trouble, at least know your limits! That barrier was set by Hong Yi. Even if you weren’t injured, even at full strength—”

Seeing Fan Yue’s expression, it was clear he wasn’t listening.

Finally, Long Yi couldn’t hold back.

“That girl—she wouldn’t happen to be the one you’ve been searching for all these years, would she?”

The question hung in the air.

The big demon—who had he been searching for? Bai Shuo had only ever known Fan Yue as the Palace Master of Haoyue, but before he became that, who had he been? Had there ever been someone he cared for, someone he held in his heart?

For the first time, Bai Shuo felt an overwhelming anxiety.

She tilted her head slightly, waiting for Fan Yue’s answer.

“I never saw her face clearly,” Fan Yue said coolly.

“But I know—she is connected to her.”

“Just connected? And you’re willing to take this risk? What you should be doing is gathering the remaining bodhi wood. Without it, you’ll die!” Long Yi scolded.

“I became a god for this very reason.”

Ten words, spoken as lightly as the wind and clouds.

Bai Shuo’s hand clenched tightly in her sleeve.

A dull ache spread in her chest, suffocating her.

Long Yi fell silent, then sighed and looked up at the silver moon hanging in the sky.

Beside the moon, the stars flickered dimly.

Long Yi thought—there had been no nights filled with endless stars in this world for many years.

“And what about Bai Shuo?”

Bai Shuo’s head snapped up.

Yes, what about her?

Fan Yue, what am I to you?

Never in her life had Bai Shuo felt such intense unease—not when she fled with Chong Zhao, not when she nearly died to an evil dragon’s claws, not even when Mumu vanished before her eyes.

But she never received an answer.

The same Fan Yue who had just declared, “I became a god for this,” remained silent.

It was as if he hadn’t even heard Long Yi’s question.

Or perhaps, he found it too bothersome to answer.

When Fan Yue stepped down from the stone pavilion, he only saw Hua Hong standing there, frowning.

The spot where Bai Shuo had stood was already empty.

“Palace Master, sometimes I really don’t understand you,” Hua Hong stretched lazily and said coolly, “If you don’t care, then why do all this?”

Fan Yue acted as if he hadn’t heard and walked away without pause.

“Hah, acting all high and mighty now,” Hua Hong scoffed.

Then she reached out, pinched Long Yi’s wing, and narrowed her eyes.

“Pig, what are you scheming? Do you think breaking into Jingyou Mountain is so easy? Aside from Phoenix Island, the fox clan is the only one with an unbroken lineage from ancient times. Do you think Chang Mei, that demigod, is just for show?”

“Hey, don’t slander me—I tried to stop him! I just couldn’t!”

Long Yi rolled its eyes. It tried to slip free from Hua Hong’s grasp, just as it had last time, but this time, Hua Hong didn’t let it go.

The Burning Heaven Staff swung down without hesitation, aiming straight for the pig.

The force of a peak demon Lord—firelight burst forth in all directions.

If it hit, forget Long Yi—the entire palace would be split in half.

At that moment, a thin layer of spiritual light suddenly enveloped Long Yi.

It seemed weak, yet the Burning Heaven Staff could advance no further.

Hua Hong’s expression shifted from casual to serious.

Within the glow, a slender hand caught the Burning Heaven Staff.

Long Yi transformed back into a young man, flicked his fingers lightly, and the staff flew back into Hua Hong’s grasp, making her palms sting.

What in the world is this pig?

Hua Hong was inwardly shaken, though her face revealed nothing.

When she first met Fan Yue, this pig had already been following him.

Hua Hong had never asked about Fan Yue’s past—it didn’t matter to her.

But Long Yi’s existence was strange.

If he were truly loyal, then why, after all these years, had Hua Hong never seen him lift a hand to help Fan Yue, no matter the danger?

Yet now, when the Demon-Gathering Banner was mentioned, he spoke up.

What was the difference?

“I won’t harm him,” Long Yi yawned, as if reading her thoughts, and strolled past her.

As he left, he casually added, “Oh, by the way, yesterday in Yuanling Swamp, they ran into Chong Zhao.”

So that’s how it was.

Hua Hong didn’t even need to think to guess why Fan Yue was acting this way.

Chong Zhao meant everything to Bai Shuo.

That was never in question.

Bai Shuo’s broken arm and her desperate defense on Phoenix Island had made that clear to everyone.

And her Palace Master, with his stubborn nature—he had bottled up a year’s worth of emotions without saying a word.

But yesterday’s encounter in Yuanling Swamp had likely ignited every suppressed feeling at once.

“Heavens, such loyalty! If we return to the Taichu Palace, I might not even have a place to stand anymore.”

From afar, Long Yi muttered under his breath.

Hua Hong, too far away to catch his words, simply shouldered her Burning Heaven Staff and swiftly made her way toward Bai Shuo’s residence.

That little half-immortal was tough, full of cunning ideas—too clever for her own good, almost demonic in intelligence.

But she had one fatal flaw: she feared getting hurt, feared being abandoned.

She had finally come to terms with her feelings, mustered all her courage to rush here, only to be met with silence.

Never mind the Haoyue Palace—even the Heavenly Palace themselves wouldn’t be able to keep her.

Meanwhile, Bai Shuo had returned to her own residence, soaked in a comfortable bath, then climbed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

She slept so soundly, as carefree as could be, that Hua Hong, who had kept watch outside for half the night, nearly thought she had misjudged her.

At dawn, the door creaked open.

Up in a tree, Hua Hong rubbed her eyes awake and spotted a lone figure, carrying a small bundle, silently stepping into the wind and snow.

She nearly whistled.

Ha! Didn’t I say? Even the heavens can’t predict her moves.

Bai Shuo trudged through the snow of the Extreme North, sinking with every step.

The fierce northern wind lashed against her face, nearly knocking her over.

She wiped her stinging cheek and grinned.

“Are you stupid, Bai Shuo? You’re an Immortal Lord now—you can fly.”

With a whoosh, she shot up toward the sky.

But she overdid it, soaring too fast and too high.

Hua Hong, following not far behind, hadn’t expected Bai Shuo to suddenly take off.

She was just about to stop her when—

Bang!

Midair, spiritual energy burst apart.

The little half-immortal slammed into a silver barrier.

The barrier didn’t even tremble.

Bai Shuo, like a falling star, plummeted straight down.

Thud!

A crater formed in the snow as Bai Shuo struggled to her feet, dazed.

She looked up at the dazzling, shimmering barrier and scowled.

Not far away, Hua Hong barely held back a laugh.

That barrier had been removed ever since Bai Shuo entered the Haoyue Palace a year ago.

When had it been put back up?

Well then, her palace master truly had eight hundred tricks up his sleeve.

“What were you thinking? The Three Demigod of the Demon Realm have fearsome reputations. You think you can just waltz in and out of their lair as you please?”

A familiar voice came from the other side of the barrier.

Bai Shuo turned to see Mu Jiu lying in a snow pit, looking at her through the translucent shield.

“What are you doing here?”

“What else? Spent the whole night trying to get through this demigod barrier. Didn’t work. Figured I’d try digging under it instead.”

Bai Shuo glanced at the hole in the snow and, for the first time in her life, was speechless.

“People say you’re smart. Honestly, I think you’ve insulted the word.”

“Mock me all you want, little half-immortal. In the face of absolute power, even stupidity has its advantages. If I dig deep enough, she’s bound to notice. Maybe she’ll let me in.”

Mu Jiu picked at his ear, pretending not to hear her ridicule.

Not far away, Hua Hong, for some reason, felt secondhand embarrassment just looking at Mu Jiu’s face.

Bai Shuo studied the barrier, resting her chin on her hand.

Then she suddenly said, “This wasn’t here when I arrived.”

She paused, glancing at Haoyue Palace.

“And it wasn’t here when I left yesterday.”

Mu Jiu froze.

“What are you saying?”

Bai Shuo turned back to him, her mood unexpectedly bright.

“I’m saying—you’re really unlucky.”

Mu Jiu had a feeling this little half-immortal was suddenly in a much better mood.

Then he caught sight of the small bundle she carried and blurted out, “You’re not running away from a wedding, are you?”

Bai Shuo blinked. “What wedding?”

“Word’s all over the place. They say you’re the one the Master of Haoyue Palace has been searching for all these years. That he’s willing to turn against the entire Immortal Clan just to bring you back and make you his palace consort. But some say the little half-immortal from Piaomiao is trapped in Haoyue, unable to break free—that she willingly fed herself to the demons so that the Master of Haoyue would rescue her true love, Chong Zhao, on Phoenix Island. So, little half-immortal, which story is true?”

Bai Shuo had been listening with great interest up to the first half.

But the second half—what an outrageous misunderstanding!

She was just about to refute it when a flash of silver light streaked past, and Fan Yue landed in front of the barrier.

Hua Hong, who had just been about to take a step forward, silently withdrew her foot.

This fox… what impeccable timing.

He’s practically asking for death.

Fan Yue’s gaze fell on Bai Shuo’s bundle.

His eyes turned cold as snow swirled around him.

Mu Jiu, unable to hold back, sneezed in the freezing air.

“Palace Master, I—”

Bai Shuo had barely spoken when Fan Yue’s icy stare turned even frostier.

He grabbed her wrist, his spiritual light flaring, and vanished with her into Haoyue Palace.

Hua Hong clapped the snow off her hands, ready to leave, when she heard movement behind her.

Turning around, she saw a small fox curled up in the snow, shivering violently—still digging.

She took a few steps forward and swung her Burning Heaven Staff, pulling the fox into the barrier and sending him tumbling face-first into the snow.

“Ah Huo!” Mu Jiu beamed, scrambling to his feet.

He hurried after her.

“You saw me digging and came to fetch me, didn’t you?”

“Shut up.”

Hua Hong’s forehead twitched as she strode through the snow without looking back.

She didn’t see the smirk at Mu Jiu’s lips.

That little half-immortal crashing into the barrier had made such a commotion—of course, Fan Yue would come to check. And as Haoyue Palace’s greatest general, Demon Lord Tianhuo, how could she not come to take a look?

Haoyue Palace, master and servant alike—so easy to fool.