Yue Liangze would cross mountains and rivers just to see his beloved.

As soon as he entered South River City, he was intercepted by Cong Xiu, who wanted to challenge Yue Liangze for the Zhen Xianyu. If Cong Xiu won, he would make Yue Liangze retrieve the Zhen Xianyu and bring it back to the Western Sea’s Primal Beginning.

Yue Liangze said, “I’m injured like this, and you still want to challenge me?”

After a moment of silence, Cong Xiu drew his sword and said, “I apologize, but this might be my only chance.”

Yue Liangze didn’t back down, merely saying calmly, “Tell me where she’s training her beauty point, and I’ll fight you.”

Cong Xiu answered promptly, “Watchtower in South River City.”

Only then did Yue Liangze draw his sword.

Though wounded in the battle with Cong Xiu, he hadn’t lost. When Ling Luo asked about it, Yue Liangze remained silent only because he didn’t want her to focus on the Silent Night Sword. They should have more important things to discuss than how he was injured.

For Yue Liangze, the charm poison was just an excuse.

It wasn’t Ling Luo who pulled him into the abyss; he willingly jumped in himself.

Yue Liangze woke up earlier than Ling Luo and sat by the bed watching her for a long time. The arrogant and domineering demon lord when awake slept in such an obedient posture.

Her neck was slender, her wrists thin too—so thin he worried she was too skinny when he held them. This woman was soft and delicate by nature, yet had a cold, hard heart that he couldn’t seem to warm no matter what.

Before, he could only look; now he could touch, and the sensation made him think even more.

Yue Liangze felt he could hold all five of her fingers in just one of his hands. Ling Luo appeared so small and fragile in his eyes. How had such a delicate body endured so much hardship to reach this point?

People are selfish.

When you decide to protect someone, you stand in front of them to shield them from all harm, letting yourself get hurt to protect others. This kind of thing is always easier said than done.

Yue Liangze recalled what his master once told him: “Being a cultivator doesn’t necessarily mean saving people.”

What cultivators must do is oppose demons and monsters.

He also remembered Left White’s Heavenly Sword technique, which slaughters all demons and monsters.

Regardless of whether these demons harm people, whether they wish to reform, or whether they want to live peacefully with humans.

Left White followed the guidance of heaven’s way, maintaining an irreconcilable stance against demons and monsters.

The human realm was not a place they should be allowed to set foot in.

But demons are born from the heart, with humans as their source.

How could they possibly all be killed?

Yue Liangze knew he wasn’t worthy of being a cultivator, nor did he want to become a demon, and he couldn’t be an ordinary person either.

He just wanted to protect Ling Luo, to prevent her from being hurt again.

Because of this, Yue Liangze had become a monster in this world.

He looked down at the still-sleeping Ling Luo, reached out to gently stroke her hair, and said softly, “Don’t be too sad. You did nothing wrong.”

You did nothing wrong.

When Ling Luo opened her eyes in her dream, the real Ling Luo also woke up.

Outside the room was very lively, with many people seemingly talking. A dim golden light shone on the window. When she turned her head, tears slid from the corner of her eye onto the pillow.

Ling Luo was startled, raising her hand to touch the wetness at the corner of her eye.

Why was she crying?

She wondered this as she supported herself on the windowsill and looked outside. She could hear children’s voices and Madam Chen’s voice saying, “Aze, has Daoist Lord Ling not awakened yet?”

Yue Liangze made a sound of agreement.

Madam Chen said, “Should we wake her up to eat something before she goes back to sleep?”

Yue Liangze replied, “It’s fine, let her sleep a while longer.”

Just as he finished speaking, Ling Luo pushed open the door and came out, facing the sinking sun directly. The glaring light made her turn her head slightly.

Yue Liangze in the courtyard turned to look at her. Madam Chen smiled and said, “You’re awake! Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat? I prepared potato cakes and bean cakes earlier that can be heated up right away.”

“I’m hungry,” Ling Luo rubbed her eyes and said softly, “I want something made by Senior Brother.”

Yue Liangze had no objection. He put down what he was holding and went to prepare food for her.

Madam Chen, holding her child’s hand, approached Ling Luo and said, “Overnight, the mountain opened a path. Although Aze said it was some heavenly phenomenon that had nothing to do with you, everyone knows it was you, Daoist Lord, who helped open the road.”

Ling Luo was still rubbing her eyes. “It wasn’t me.”

Tears welled in Madam Chen’s eyes. Hearing this, she knelt, wiped her eyes, and smiled, “Daoist Lord, you are so benevolent, willing to open up mountains and clear paths for us. Such tremendous kindness and virtue, we will never forget for generations. Even if it wasn’t you, this heavenly phenomenon must have happened because of your presence. Regardless, we cannot forget your good deed.”

Ling Luo bent down to help her up, shaking her head slightly with a complex look in her eyes, only smiling when she raised her head.

She casually pinched the boy’s chubby white face and said, “In the future, he won’t have to climb such high mountain walls to go to the market, and he can see a wider world too. It’s a wonderful thing, so don’t cry anymore.”

The child didn’t understand why his mother was crying and excitedly shouted, “Mother, Mother, I want to play over there again! The mountain split into two halves, turning into two tall mountains!”

Madam Chen wiped her tears and smiled, “Alright, alright, we’ll go see with your father.”

She tactfully left the space to the pair, taking her child outside and also asking the villagers not to disturb them.

Ling Luo went to a corner of the courtyard to wash her face with clean water, washing away that heaviness, feeling the coolness of the evening breeze on her face.

She tilted her head to look at the kitchen where Yue Liangze was skillfully lighting the fire and chopping vegetables.

Ling Luo lowered her head again and washed her face once more. Her jade communicator had been buzzing continuously, and several times Yue Liangze had looked at her with an expression that seemed to silently ask, “Aren’t you going to check your jade communicator?”

Ling Luo walked to the kitchen door and asked, “Why do you keep looking at me?”

Yue Liangze: “…”

He reminded her, “Your jade communicator has been ringing.”

“Let it ring,” Ling Luo didn’t enter, just stood in the doorway, half her body in light and shadow. She said somewhat lazily, “I know who it is without looking.”

Yue Liangze: “How do you know?”

Ling Luo said disinterestedly, “Only my First Senior Brother would keep sending messages non-stop without giving up when he gets no response.”

Chu Yi, huh?

Yue Liangze glanced at her from the corner of his eye, only to find Ling Luo looking at him. He suppressed his thoughts and asked, “Couldn’t it be someone else?”

Seeing he didn’t believe her, Ling Luo took out her jade communicator, opened the message, and showed him: “See, I told you it was him.”

Chu Yi: “You’re not dead?”

“I thought you had turned to dust after no news for ten days or half a month.”

“If you’re getting the sword, just get it. Couldn’t you say something after you got it?”

“Even if you didn’t find the sword, besides me, your Second Senior Brother and Master wouldn’t laugh at you. What are you hiding from?”

“???”

“Make a sound if you’re not dead!”

“Qin Yuan has returned, where are you wandering off to?”

“Oh, so you’re going to pass by home three times without entering? Did you do something you can’t face me with that you don’t even dare to respond to the jade communicator!”

“Ling! Luo!”

Yue Liangze: “…”

He turned away with a look of second-hand embarrassment and continued chopping vegetables, saying, “Your Senior Brother is worried about you.”

“What’s there to worry about me? He should worry more about himself,” Ling Luo carelessly replied to Chu Yi’s message.

After receiving her message, Chu Yi immediately replied angrily: “Yesterday, Master learned that Qin Yuan had returned to Tianji, but you hadn’t. He was as cold as ice, and Yu Xiu didn’t dare to approach him. The old man made me practice swords for a whole day. Either you come back now, or never come back!”

Ling Luo replied expressionlessly: “Senior Brother if Master finds out I replied to your message but not his, how many more days do you think you’ll have to endure beatings?”

Chu Yi: “…”

He immediately deleted Ling Luo’s spirit trace from his jade communicator.

Yun Shouxi passed by, glanced at his eldest disciple holding the jade communicator, and asked calmly, “Did your Junior Sister reply?”

Chu Yi said with an unchanged expression, “No, she’s not in my jade communicator.”

Yun Shouxi looked at him with a calm expression, listening to his eldest disciple make up a story: “I accidentally deleted her some days ago and haven’t added her back yet.”

“Really,” Chu Yi showed his jade communicator to his master.

Yun Shouxi laughed lightly, lowering his brows as he left: “After dinner, come to Upper South Garden. I’ll check your recent curse ritual practice.”

Chu Yi: “…”

Again, me?!

Dead junior siblings but not dead senior brothers. Chu Yi, with a gloomy expression, went to find Yu Xiu and threatened him to come along later.

Yu Xiu, receiving this sudden calamity, was completely bewildered.

Ling Luo turned off her jade communicator, leaving her senior brothers to fend for themselves.

She looked at the person before her, who was in her dreams and reality.

Yue Liangze heard her ask, “Do you hate demons?”

Caught off guard by the question, Yue Liangze turned to look at her: “Hmm?”

Ling Luo repeated, “Do you hate demons?”

“Why ask this suddenly?” Yue Liangze turned his head away, his expression unchanged.

Ling Luo said, “I just want to know if you hate them or not.”

Yue Liangze’s vegetable-cutting motion paused, and only after a moment did he make a sound of agreement.

Ling Luo asked again, “Do you hate them a lot?”

Yue Liangze said, “Extremely.”

Ling Luo fell silent.

Her expression was somewhat conflicted as if several people were chattering in her mind. One wanted to mock, another wanted to get angry and command him not to hate, and others were asking countless questions and whimpering.

In the end, she said nothing, silently letting the topic drop.

After eating and drinking her fill, Ling Luo finally perked up a bit, but her gaze kept falling on Yue Liangze, unable to shift away.

Yue Liangze couldn’t help but ask, “Is there something on my face?”

Why are you suddenly staring at me?

Ling Luo answered righteously, “What’s wrong with looking at you?”

Yue Liangze: “…”

Nothing’s wrong, look all you want.

Because of the mountain path, the entire village was excited and jubilant. They gathered to hold a grand feast, even buying fireworks to celebrate. At night, there were loud bangs, and brilliant fireworks bloomed in the ink-black night sky.

Ling Luo and Yue Liangze went out for a walk that night.

They avoided the crowded main road, taking a narrow ridge path, circling the terraced fields round and round to reach a high place. Looking back, they could see the brilliant fireworks in the night sky.

Even from such a distance, they could hear the sound of musical instruments coming from the brightly lit areas.

Ling Luo sat in the high place, silently watching for a long time.

She didn’t speak, and Yue Liangze quietly accompanied her.

After the fireworks ended, Yue Liangze noticed she still hadn’t spoken, so he crouched down, gently pinched her chin to turn her face toward him, and asked, “Why aren’t you happy?”

Ling Luo stared at him blankly: “You’re quite bold, daring to touch me.”

“You touched me first,” Yue Liangze pointed at her hand that had been clutching his sleeve without letting go.

Ling Luo: “…”

She snorted lightly, turning her face away, only to be pulled back by Yue Liangze to look at him.

Though he didn’t ask again, he waited for Ling Luo to answer.

So Ling Luo said, “You make it impossible for me to be happy.”

Yue Liangze never expected such a harsh verbal blow to land so precisely on him.

Ling Luo said softly, “Many things you do make it impossible for me to be happy.”

Yue Liangze asked in a muffled voice, “What did I do?”

Ling Luo slowly raised her eyes to look at him. The moonlight was magnificent, and those beautiful dark eyes before her reflected only her.

She couldn’t help but think of Yun Shouxi.

During those days, Yun Shouxi’s eyes also held only her, and she could only see herself in the man’s eyes.

But in those beautiful eyes, she was fierce and resentful, along with fearful vulnerability.

Ling Luo reached out to cover Yue Liangze’s eyes.

Her other arm wrapped around Yue Liangze’s neck as she leaned against his back, saying fiercely, “I don’t want to walk back.”

Yue Liangze silently stood up with her on his back.

He asked again, “What did I do?”

Ling Luo snorted, “Even if I told you, you wouldn’t remember.”

Yue Liangze frowned: “Tell me.”

So Ling Luo made things up: “You didn’t make me brown sugar cakes for dinner, didn’t save me any breakfast or lunch, your tone was too harsh when you asked if I wanted to bring water, you didn’t wake me up early, you played with the children but not with me, you didn’t let me see the sunrise—”

It was all nonsense.

Yet Yue Liangze listened seriously.

As Ling Luo spoke, her voice grew quieter and quieter. She tilted her head to look at him, puzzled: “Why aren’t you refuting anything?”

Yue Liangze looked at the path ahead and answered, “What you say makes sense.”

Ling Luo: “…”

What sense does it make?

She couldn’t help but laugh, even as she cried.

By the time they returned, it was already deep into the night, yet some villagers were still outside drinking and laughing.

Yue Liangze had helped the Chen family’s little boy get rid of a nightmare demon, and the Chen couple thanked him profusely again.

Ling Luo was still somewhat tired. She fell back onto the bed but had no desire to sleep.

When she closed her eyes, all she saw was Yue Liangze.

Yue Liangze kneeling at the Holy Sword Sect.

Yue Liangze said she was radiant.

Yue Liangze takes his sword down the mountain.

Yue Liangze saying that sentence about his beloved—

Yue Liangze, Yue Liangze!

Damn, this moon!

Disturbing her mind!

Ling Luo angrily turned over and got up, quietly opening the door and going to Yue Liangze’s room.

She went there but hesitated outside the door, not daring to knock.

Yue Liangze sensed her outside the door but didn’t disturb her, wondering what Ling Luo was going to do.

Until a downpour suddenly began, with thunderous roars.

Ling Luo was caught off guard by the heavy rain, getting completely soaked.

Yue Liangze instantly opened the door, pulling the foolishly standing Ling Luo inside.

The rainstorm came suddenly, making a rushing sound.

Yue Liangze wiped the water from her face, his expression unfathomable as he said, “You stood outside for so long just to wait for this rain?”

Ling Luo: “…”

I hesitated to see you, and you say I was waiting for the rain!

Is this how you treat your beloved?

She angrily turned to leave, but Yue Liangze pulled her back.

Seeing him use a fire ritual technique, Ling Luo said, “Why do you solve everything with curse rituals? Is spiritual power so impressive?”

Yue Liangze found her words puzzling, so he extinguished the fire ritual and looked up at her.

Ling Luo was also looking at him.

Outside the window, the sound of night rain continued.

Yue Liangze looked at her, not using curse rituals, but held his sleeve and gently wiped away the water droplets with a soft motion.