Zi Xiu felt these senior disciples were too harsh in their teaching, showing no empathy for the young palace master who had just become an orphan without parents. His paternal instincts overflowed as he pulled the poor child close, teaching him with gentle words and a soft voice.

Mu Xujing felt he had finally survived.

Chu Yi peeled the tangerine Mu Xujing had bought while looking at Ling Luo, giving her a once-over before coldly smiling, “Bought new clothes?”

Ling Luo lifted her chin with a proud expression.

Chu Yi bit into a tangerine segment and said, “Know your limits.”

Ling Luo: “I’m not afraid, so what are you afraid of?”

Chu Yi narrowed his eyes and said, “I’m afraid of Master.”

Ling Luo lowered her head, swirling the soup ladle in her bowl, “Why be afraid of Master? I haven’t done anything outrageous.”

Even if she had, she wouldn’t fear him.

Chu Yi seemed momentarily hesitant as if wanting to speak but stopping himself. In the end, he only glared at her without saying a word.

The funerals for all the Moon Palace’s victims were held on the same day.

White soul-calling banners hung throughout the mountain gates, appearing bleak from a distance. All instruments played soul-pacifying incantations, both gentle and sorrowful.

Bodies tainted with demonic essence after being killed by demons needed to be cremated.

Jiang Miao was among them.

Bu Xu and Mu Xujing stood at the front.

With the older generation gone, they would become the pillars of the Moon Palace.

Mu Xujing found this absurd and strongly refused.

After the funeral, he found Bu Xu and said, “I will leave this place. From now on, I have no connection to the Moon Palace.”

Bu Xu looked at him expressionlessly, “Where will you go if you leave the Moon Palace?”

Mu Xujing: “Back to where I belong.”

“Now that all demons have emerged and the world is in chaos, you want to hide back in the mountains?!” Bu Xu said, restraining his anger, “You think you…”

His words suddenly halted halfway as he noticed Ling Luo stopping at the doorway.

Ling Luo smiled with narrowed eyes, “Please, continue your conversation.”

Though she said this, she remained standing there, creating an unspoken pressure on Bu Xu.

Bu Xu was so stifled he couldn’t utter a single word.

Mu Xujing asked him, “Anything else you want to say?”

Bu Xu angrily said, “Leave if you want!”

Mu Xujing remained indifferent.

He turned and said to Ling Luo, “We’re done talking.”

“Then let’s go,” Ling Luo, who had been leaning against the doorframe, straightened herself, “He’s already waiting in North Court City.”

“He” referred to Yue Liangze.

Mu Xujing decided to take the old man back to the mountains.

Places with fewer people were safer now, as the demons escaping from the Moon Palace were only interested in large-scale revenge against humanity.

This was the third day since the emergence of all demons.

Mu Xujing walked out of the Moon Palace gates without looking back. Ling Luo gave him a spirit bird.

“Inside are recordings of over a hundred incantations of Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, and the Ten Thousand Phenomena. Study them when you have nothing else to do,” Ling Luo said as they walked. “Although you have the Half-Day Calamity Sword Technique, it’s best not to face cultivators who have crossed the life-and-death boundary until you’ve practiced to the point of non-existence, to prevent the evil energy within from being detected. Otherwise, your peaceful days will be over.”

Mu Xujing carefully stored the spirit bird and looked up at Ling Luo walking ahead.

Ling Luo said, “Though your sword technique is formidable, you know nothing about incantations, not a single one. Forget about people challenging you as the young palace master—if you’re unlucky enough to be found by demon cultivators, you’ll be crying.”

Mu Xujing said, “I don’t want to be part of the Moon Palace.”

Ling Luo: “Then be an independent cultivator.”

Mu Xujing: “I don’t want to be a cultivator either.”

Ling Luo said carelessly, “Then destroy your spirit veins.”

Mu Xujing: “…”

After thinking for a moment, he said diplomatically, “I also don’t want to become like Zuo Bai.”

Ling Luo smiled with curved lips, “What are you thinking? Without strength powerful enough to make others jealous to the point of madness, I guarantee you won’t become like her.”

Mu Xujing instinctively felt something was off about these words, yet couldn’t pinpoint the subtle issue.

Ling Luo: “Danshui Immortal will escort you back. I need to patrol the mountains with Senior Brother and the others. Now that disciples from the Twelve Great Immortal Sects are strengthening protection over their territories, occasionally going to other continents or towns—it’s getting busy. You can entertain yourself for now.”

Mu Xujing nodded, responding softly.

Then he heard Ling Luo ask, “What’s the name of your mountain?”

She wanted to remember it, to avoid trampling this paradise when she eventually succumbed to demonic possession and went on a killing spree.

Mu Xujing said, “Tianzhao Mountain.”

Ling Luo: “…”

“Say that again?” Ling Luo turned to look at him, “Which mountain?”

Mu Xujing also stopped walking and honestly answered, “Tianzhao Mountain. It’s beyond Cloud Mountain, over a hundred miles across the river, very far from any town. It’s surrounded by forests and rivers. The end of the hundred-mile river crossing leads to Tianzhao Mountain.”

Ling Luo asked, “You live inside Tianzhao Mountain?”

Mu Xujing shook his head, “It’s too vast, with three boundary lines. Even the outermost boundary is intimidating. The mountain is unfathomable—people who venture too deep can’t find their way back. I can only reach near the boundary line. Later, because there were too many fierce beasts within, Uncle and I settled at the outermost foothills.”

Mu Xujing answered whatever Ling Luo asked without asking why in return, but he had already listed countless questions in his mind.

Why was she reacting so strongly to Tianzhao Mountain? Had she been there before?

Ling Luo’s expression was inscrutable as she scrutinized Mu Xujing.

Mu Xujing was sensitive to such examination, instinctively standing straight with tensed nerves, completely focused.

“So that’s where you live,” Ling Luo turned away casually. “Tianzhao Mountain is nice for retirement.”

Mu Xujing: “…”

Retirement?

This poor soul had died in the previous life inside the snow mountain seal, unable to return. Now his fate had been rewritten, allowing him to return to the mountains early to farm and retire.

Unfortunately, he wouldn’t last many years before Tianzhao Mountain would be trampled by the four forbidden beasts.

It was daytime, and North Court City’s streets were filled with many black and red-robed patrol officers from the Three Departments. People were buzzing about what had happened, while officials went door-to-door distributing talismans and posting notices of a curfew starting that day.

Mu Xujing would leave by boat via the waterway. On their way to the dock, Ling Luo took him to a flower shop to buy many seeds and saplings of various flowers and trees.

When Yue Liangze, who had been waiting at the dock, saw the two of them, Mu Xujing was carrying four or five potted plants of different sizes.

Faced with Mu Xujing’s familiar pleading look, Yue Liangze calmly asked, “You bought these?”

“I’m having him plant some for me in advance,” Ling Luo said righteously. “He has nothing else to do when he gets back anyway.”

Mu Xujing: “…”

I do, I do. I work in the fields from dawn till dusk.

Yue Liangze reached out to take two pots from Mu Xujing, gesturing for him to board the boat first.

Many people passed by around them. The two stood in a relatively secluded corner, looking up to see people crossing the stone bridge, as well as Chu Yi and Song Yuanyuan waiting not far away.

Chu Yi stood on the stone bridge with his arms crossed, looking down at the dock from his higher position. He found this situation ridiculous—how could he have allowed those two to be alone together?

Song Yuanyuan was using her jade communicator to send messages to friends. When she looked down, she unexpectedly saw Ling Luo standing on tiptoes to kiss Yue Liangze’s cheek, startling her into covering her eyes before peeking through a small gap.

Chu Yi: “…”

He gritted his teeth and said, “How outrageous!”

Chu Yi took out his jade communicator, about to text Ling Luo to show some restraint. But as he was typing, he saw Yue Liangze stretch out his long arm to pull her into his embrace and bend down to kiss her.

Song Yuanyuan was still smiling coyly when she saw Chu Yi swiftly draw the sword at his waist. She quickly held him down, saying, “Senior Brother, calm down!”

Yue Liangze said softly, “The demon king called Xumiu has also been released. He has some grudges with the Sacred Sword Sect. I’ll return to our sect first, then patrol from the southeast.”

Ling Luo lifted her chin proudly, “It doesn’t matter. It’s not like we haven’t been apart before.”

Yue Liangze fell silent upon hearing this.

Was this something to be proud of?

He began to doubt again whether this woman truly cared for him.

Yue Liangze said composedly, “If I go southeast, it might be a long time before I reach Tianji’s jurisdiction.”

Ling Luo still wore a proud expression, “That’s fine too. I’ll definitely kill all the demons in our jurisdiction cleanly—one comes, one dies.”

That wasn’t the point.

Yue Liangze continued, “Tianji isn’t in that direction.”

Ling Luo blinked at him, “Are you going to Tianji?”

Yue Liangze: “…”

Forget it.

“No,” he said softly, meeting Ling Luo’s bright, clear eyes. “I’m going in a direction where I won’t meet you. You must protect yourself well.”

Ling Luo raised her eyebrows and smiled, “Looking down on me, Danshui Immortal?”

Yue Liangze: “I know you’re very capable, but this is different. Ling Luo, whenever I’m not by your side when I can’t see you, I’ll always worry about how you’re doing.”

Because he felt the mortal world was full of suffering.

With countless calamities and endless evils.

He only trusted his strength.

Ling Luo blinked, smiling brilliantly at him, “Then come see me soon.”

“Or I’ll come find you soon.”

A horn sounded from the ferry, reminding him time was short.

Yue Liangze said, “I’ll come see you soon.”

But Ling Luo said, “We have plenty of time. Don’t rush.”

Yue Liangze’s gaze softened momentarily before he turned and boarded the boat.

Ling Luo watched as the boat departed.

The vessel dragged long traces across the thick water surface, and the wind near winter turned very cold.

She vaguely recalled once standing here watching someone else leave.

In her previous life, when leaving the Moon Palace, she had returned briefly after forgetting something. Coming out, she encountered Yue Liangze also descending the mountain gate. He was composed, with his black sword fastened at his back, strolling along the flowery path.

Ling Luo inwardly complained about the coincidental meeting. Having been cautioned by her master not to get too close to people from the Sacred Sword Sect, and because this person had stolen her spotlight without even greeting her first, Ling Luo remained silent, pretending not to see him.

Hmph, why should I greet him first?

The two walked one in front of the other, quietly for a moment, until her skirt got caught on a flower branch, making her stop and look down.

Yue Liangze, walking ahead, also stopped and turned his head.

Ling Luo noticed his glance and felt annoyed. She bent down to free her skirt from the flower branch, when a beam of sword light flashed before her eyes, firmly pinning the branch. The earthy brown flower branch dissolved into black demonic energy.

Yue Liangze said, “That was a small trap left by the Stone Flower Demon. It likes to target young girls.”

Ling Luo was internally furious at the embarrassment. When she straightened up, she fiercely retorted, “Do you think I don’t know that?”

Yue Liangze fell silent.

He had only used this as an opportunity to talk to Ling Luo, unaware she would respond so fiercely.

The helpless Danshui Immortal thought for a moment and said, “The mountain path is still long. There may be more along the way.”

Ling Luo: “Do you think I don’t know that!”

Yue Liangze: “…”

He truly didn’t understand what he had said wrong to make her so puffed up with anger.

Yue Liangze quietly closed his mouth and walked, his peripheral vision unconsciously monitoring the person behind him.

When they entered North Court City, Ling Luo finally asked, “Where are you going?”

Yue Liangze: “The dock.”

Ling Luo: “Taking a boat?”

Yue Liangze nodded in response.

Ling Luo made an “oh” sound and brushed past him.

She went to the market and bought a small potted tangerine tree, full of golden little fruits.

After making her purchase, Ling Luo hurried to the dock. Not seeing Yue Liangze, she summoned a spirit bird to fly to the boat to find him.

When Yue Liangze was drawn by the spirit bird and walked to the deck to look down, he saw the young woman holding a small tangerine tree, looking at him across the bustling crowd. Her beautiful eyebrows were slightly arched, both charming and haughty.

Ling Luo handed the small tangerine tree to Yue Liangze, huffing lightly, “Thank you… for earlier. The ferry smells unpleasant. Here’s a tangerine tree for you—it can refresh your mind and smells nice.”

Yue Liangze accepted the small tangerine tree, the faint gloom between his brows dissolving as his lips curved slightly.

Ling Luo: “Don’t smile!”

Yue Liangze responded with a sound of agreement, holding the small potted tangerine tree, “I’m not smiling.”

Ling Luo waved her hand, signaling him to hurry along. Hearing the horn sound from the boat, she turned to leave.

The ferry departed, and many farewell calls echoed from the dock.

As Ling Luo walked away, she couldn’t help but look back.

Many people stood at the deck railing, waving goodbye to those on shore. Ling Luo immediately spotted the man holding the small tangerine tree.