Gui Diao Tang paid no attention to Bujiang, still carefully scattering those flower seeds bit by bit, as if certain that these seeds would bloom into flowers.

Bujiang thought to herself, no wonder the succubus called him a fool. Even if he scattered flower seeds here for a lifetime, it would be impossible for his wishes to come true.

She knew that growing human world flowers on Heishi Mountain was like a fool’s dream, but perhaps because his manner of planting flowers was too determined, or perhaps driven by some hidden curiosity and hope, Bujiang would come to Heishi Mountain at the same time each day to watch Gui Diao Tang plant flowers.

One day, two days, three days… one month, two months, three months…

The flower seeds didn’t bloom. Heishi Mountain remained bare.

Bujiang sat in a tree, looking down at Gui Diao Tang, who was scattering flower seeds below, speaking carelessly: “Why be so persistent? You’ve seen for yourself that Heishi Mountain simply can’t grow flowers.”

Gui Diao Tang not only scattered flower seeds but also watered them with his demonic essence, trying to nurture and protect these fragile seeds to grow. In Bujiang’s eyes, it was truly quite foolish.

Gui Diao Tang ignored her teasing and turned to continue walking forward. Bujiang jumped down from the tree and said, “You can’t grow flowers here. I’ve tried – it doesn’t work.”

Gui Diao Tang’s steps paused. He turned around and, for the first time, looked directly at Bujiang.

Bujiang said, “I used to plant flowers here, too.”

He looked at her quietly for a long time before asking, “What was the result?”

Bujiang shrugged: “Not a single one grew.”

The first time Bujiang left the Demon Realm to go to Duzhou, she fell in love with a man. He was an ordinary mortal, not a cultivator, didn’t know martial arts, just a young master from a wealthy family. He was born handsome and gentle, a gentleman like jade. When Bujiang drew close to speak with him, he would blush.

That young master’s family had a large medicinal garden. In the southeast corner of the garden, a separate plot had been set aside specifically for flowers. It was planted full of peonies, tree peonies, corn poppies, Chinese roses… a large patch of vibrant colors that Bujiang loved very much.

She spent some happy days there.

It was just that demons were naturally passionate and romantic, and besides, humans and demons were different – ultimately, they couldn’t reach the end together. In the end, Bujiang had to leave Duzhou and return to the Demon Realm, while that shy young master’s family was discussing arranging his marriage next month to a bride of suitable social standing.

The young master didn’t know Bujiang’s demon identity. He only thought this heartless woman was about to abandon him for power and wealth. On the long steps in the mountains, he caught up to her breathlessly and handed Bujiang a handful of flower seeds.

The young man’s eyes were red-rimmed. He pressed his lips together, not looking at Bujiang’s face, and said in a muffled voice: “Don’t you like flowers? Take these flower seeds. When you return to your hometown and plant them in your courtyard… perhaps you’ll occasionally remember this place.”

Bujiang was silent for a long time before finally accepting the flower seeds.

She brought the flower seeds back to Heishi City and planted them on Heishi Mountain, watering them with much of her demonic essence and tending to them daily. But these flower seeds never bloomed. Later, she couldn’t bear it anymore and dug up the soil, only to find that most of the seeds had rotted away or had been hollowed out by insects in the ground.

She sat in front of the flower seeds in a daze for an entire day. The succubus came looking for her and, seeing her like this, snorted: “Has your brain been filled with water, planting flowers here? Don’t you know? In the Demon Realm, you simply can’t grow flowers from the human world.”

Some things were destined to be impossible to force.

Bujiang later returned to that place from years ago. The young master’s family had fallen into ruin and lived in poverty. The medicinal garden had been entirely sold to other families, who had turned over that plot to plant fruit trees. Those clusters of blooming flowers could no longer show any trace of the past. The once handsome young master had now become a hunched, white-haired old man. As he walked past her, his aged eyes couldn’t see her appearance, and he only asked in confusion: “Miss, who are you looking for?”

Bujiang stood calmly for a moment and said, “I found the wrong person,” then turned and left.

The rain was still pattering down. Looking at the blue-robed man before her, she suddenly felt he overlapped with that young version of herself who had planted flowers here years ago.

She smiled: “Are you planting flowers here for a woman?”

The way he looked at those flower seeds was gentle and full of memories, which made this demon look very much like an ordinary mortal.

A fragile mortal who would feel sad about flowers blooming and withering.

Bujiang walked to Gui Diao Tang’s side and opened her palm. From her palm, brilliant seeds gradually floated up. These seeds were all very beautiful, colorful, and even glowed. She casually threw them, and the flower seeds fell into the soil below.

Gui Diao Tang looked at her indifferently.

“Human flower seeds cannot grow here, except for this kind of demon flower.” Bujiang smiled. “Whether Ghost Head Flowers or Love Flowers, they can all grow on Heishi Mountain. They also look very beautiful, even more dazzling than these human flowers, except for one thing.” She chuckled softly. “They’re poisonous.”

She looked at Gui Diao Tang, the corner of her mouth curving upward: “If you want to plant flowers here, you’d better plant these demon flowers. They’re not as fragile as human flowers – they don’t need watering, they can grow just by being scattered.”

Gui Diao Tang stood up, his voice calm: “I don’t like them.”

“Why not?” Bujiang spoke with interest. “You’re a demon – you should like demon things. Could it be that in your heart, the Demon Realm is inferior to the human world?”

He didn’t speak and left, supporting his blue paper umbrella.

Bujiang didn’t care about the flower seeds she had scattered. Even if demon flower seeds were scattered on the most barren land of Heishi Mountain, they could take root and sprout – she did not doubt this. Some beauty in the world needed careful nurturing, while for some beauty, such care was superfluous.

She didn’t go to Heishi Mountain to watch Gui Diao Tang plant flowers for a long time after that.

Winter soon arrived, and heavy snow began falling in Heishi City.

The snowflakes were large and thick, wrapping the entire city layer by layer. The pitch-black mountain wilderness was painted with a layer of silver-white, giving the daylight in Heishi City a second color.

For some reason, Bujiang suddenly thought of those flowers and that demon who planted them.

She heard that Gui Diao Tang’s cultivation was growing rapidly. Under this person’s Heavenly Demon essence, the spiritual veins of the Demon Realm began flowing again. He would become the tenth Demon Lord of Heishi City. A demon man tainted by power and seated in a high position should no longer remember those flowers.

Snow piled up like jade in the forest. In the grove, she saw Gui Diao Tang.

Outside his blue robe, he wore a snow-white cloak. His entire appearance looked pale and handsome, like those frail and sentimental young masters of the human world. The blue-black Demon Lord essence condensed in his hands formed a small barrier, protecting a cluster of flowers under the tree completely, untouched by wind and snow.

“This is…” Bujiang’s gaze froze.

Those flowers bloomed in vivid colors, each one alluring and dazzling – they were blooming demon flowers.

The human seeds that Gui Diao Tang had scattered ultimately couldn’t grow in this place, and what he protected with his Demon Lord essence were demon flowers that wouldn’t be broken by ordinary wind and snow at all.

Bujiang looked at everything before her with bitter feelings. After a long while, she spoke softly: “Don’t you know? Demon flowers aren’t as fragile as human flowers. This wind and snow can’t hurt them.”

Gui Diao Tang looked calmly at the cluster of flowers blooming under the tree, as if what he was doing was the most ordinary thing. He said, “Aren’t they also flowers?”

Bujiang was stunned.

His voice was also calm: “Besides, they’re also very beautiful.”

Countless silver-white snowflakes fell from the dim sky, fluttering down onto this blue-robed man, covering his cloak with a layer of fluffy snow. His eyelashes were also touched with snowflakes. Between heaven and earth, on the pitch-Heishi mountain, he became a unique stroke of blue ink wash.

For the first time, Bujiang felt that this cold, dull, and uninteresting black mountain had become elegant and moving.

After a long time, she looked at the person before her with a beaming smile: “It seems our thoughts are very much aligned. I like people who know how to appreciate beauty.”

“Gui Diao Tang.” She walked toward him, staring into his eyes as she spoke. “My name is Bujiang.”