The waters of the Nai River were bone-chillingly cold, yet different from ordinary river water. Though the current was swift, it possessed an eerily ethereal quality.

Mu Sui fell into the water and was swept away by the river. He bobbed up and down in the current.

In the dark chaos, the tiny sparks of light in the river water seemed to drill into his eyeballs and transform into scenes and voices in his mind.

These were all things he had desperately tried to understand before but could never comprehend.

He saw a snow-capped mountain, saw continuous peaks, where white snow and black bare stone created a striking contrast.

Between the peaks, on a narrow path, a massive boulder carved with the three characters “Zhuliu City” was visible.

Mu Sui felt like a snowflake caught in a fierce wind, swept through the boulder of Zhuliu City, through the mountain gate, along winding mountain paths, floating toward a great hall hidden among white snow and mountain stones at the peak.

The main seat in the great hall stood high above all others. To the right of the main seat lay a golden seal, displaying authority. Below the main seat, many people bowed their heads in reverence, and their voices calling to him finally became clear.

“Master.”

“City Lord.”

“Qianshan Jun…”

He saw a familiar figure respectfully bowing before him, reporting: “Master, Zhuliu City has gained a thousand gold…”

In the upheaval and confusion, as the chaos brought by the river water receded, Mu Sui steadied himself while floating. In the river water that resembled the night sky, he opened his eyes.

No longer was there chaos or confusion in his gaze.

He had remembered…

Everything!

Meanwhile, Meng Ruji lay sprawled at the ferry dock, watching Mu Sui being swept away by the Nai River. She immediately reacted, struggling to support her body and stand up. She grabbed a bamboo pole from beside the dock, wanting to fish Mu Sui back like she had seen Da Lu do with Xiao Hong before.

But when she extended the bamboo pole, Mu Sui was no longer using his hands to grab onto anything—he simply drifted away with the current.

Meng Ruji’s heart filled with panic, convinced that Mu Sui couldn’t swim. Clutching the bamboo pole, she ran downstream along the Nai River.

Before leaving, Meng Ruji didn’t even glance at Xiao Hong, but left him with these words:

“If he doesn’t return, you won’t stay either.”

Hearing this, Xiao Hong froze in place. For some reason, he suddenly shivered all over. He watched Meng Ruji’s figure disappear into the distance with her long bamboo pole and fell silent.

Da Lu, beside him, asked speechlessly, “What’s wrong with you?”

Xiao Hong was covered in sweat: “I was impulsive.”

“Provoking that woman was one thing…”

“I just wanted to scare him, didn’t expect it would be so easy…”

“This man looks like someone… didn’t you wonder about it after they left last time…”

“It can’t be… we put him on the boat. It’s only been a few days—could he come back?”

Da Lu also gazed in the direction Meng Ruji had chased, murmuring strangely: “Right, we’ve never heard of anyone coming a second time…”

But in fact, Mu Sui had indeed come for the second time!

Using all his strength, Mu Sui found a spot where the current was slightly calmer and struggled to climb out of the Nai River, gripping the rocks and crawling onto the shore.

He was soaked through, water droplets mixed with a strange light dripping from his head.

Unable to support his body any longer, drained of all strength by the river water, he collapsed exhaustedly on the riverbank.

Who would have thought that Nai River water, which could send people to their next life, could also return his lost memories.

He remembered!

He remembered everything…

The Place of No Refuge, Lord of Zhuliu City, wealth that could pile up mountains, known as Qianshan Jun—this was his identity!

A thousand gold to buy life—he had indeed already bought it once!

He had been to Mo Neng Ferry before, boarded the crossing boat, and returned to the mortal world he had always wanted to return to. He had even finally obtained that coveted Inner Core of legend, possessing the power of creation!

Thinking of this, Mu Sui pressed his hand against his dantian, keenly sensing the presence that was different from before. After confirming that his memories of leaving the Place of No Refuge weren’t just mad dreams, Mu Sui clenched his fist and struck the cursed soil of this Place of No Refuge, both furiously and weakly.

He had come to this Place of No Refuge again!

Once more!

“Lost wanderer.”

Mu Sui suddenly remembered that someone had once given him this fate reading with these three words.

At that time, Mu Sui was already the Lord of Zhuliu City, about to possess a thousand gold, enough to buy his life. His past and future were crystal clear to him; he knew better than anyone where he came from and where he was going.

But now…

This Place of No Refuge—coming and going, going and coming, back and forth like hitting a ghost wall. Mu Sui truly felt himself to be that fated “lost wanderer,” forever imprisoned by destiny in the maze between life and death.

How hateful…

And at this moment, what was even more hateful was the uncontrollable “gurgling” sound coming from his stomach.

After struggling in the Nai River water for so long, his body’s energy was rapidly depleting. Hunger once again invaded all his senses, making him want to eat the very soil beneath him to satisfy his hunger.

But at the same time, the warm Inner Core in his dantian was also emanating its unique power, maintaining his last shred of rationality.

Mu Sui held his breath and concentrated, trying to mobilize more of the Inner Core’s spiritual power for his use. But strangely, aside from the minimal spiritual power that was maintaining his sanity and being used unconsciously by his body, Mu Sui could not access any more power.

It was like gazing at a vast ocean, but only being able to take a handful of water to use.

This shouldn’t be the case.

Could it be that this Inner Core had special methods of use…

“Mu Sui! Mu Sui!”

Suddenly, urgent shouts came from the distance. Mu Sui turned his head toward the sky and saw Meng Ruji stepping on two broken silver ingots, controlling a formation as she flew overhead with a “whoosh.”

Mu Sui: “…”

Exhaustion and hunger entwined around Mu Sui. Every muscle in his body was powerless, including his vocal cords.

Mu Sui listened as Meng Ruji’s voice grew distant, sighing inwardly.

This legendary Demon Lord…

Didn’t seem as clever as the legends claimed…

He closed his eyes. Before long, another “whoosh” swept past his face, stirring his hair and heartstrings. When he opened his eyes again, Meng Ruji had descended from the sky and rushed anxiously to his side.

Not bad, not too stupid…

Mu Sui thought, feeling Meng Ruji’s hands pressing against his chest.

“Mu Sui!”

The wind she brought, mixed with her scent, made him almost instinctively want to move closer to her, to depend on her.

Previously, when Mu Sui had no memories, he didn’t understand why he felt this way about Meng Ruji. He simply followed what seemed like animal instinct, craving Meng Ruji’s voice, gaze, warmth…

But now, Mu Sui knew.

This was his fate as a Life-Sustaining Object—an irrepressible longing and dependence on the Half-Dead person bound to him.

Last time, when Mu Sui came to the Place of No Refuge as a Half-Dead person, his Life-Sustaining Object was a rabbit.

That rabbit’s feelings toward him were the same as his previous feelings toward Meng Ruji. The rabbit would cling to him, stay close to him, until he bought his life with a thousand gold and the rabbit severed their “contract.”

Half-Dead people would suffer unbearably when separated from their Life-Sustaining Objects, and since Life-Sustaining Objects came in all forms, if they were living beings, they would feel extreme spiritual emptiness, making them want to stay by the Half-Dead person’s side at all times.

Like a companion, yet like a curse.

Just like now, with Meng Ruji’s hands on his chest, this warmth could burn through his skin and iron straight to his heart, making him…

“Ugh…”

Mu Sui let out a muffled groan.

Because Meng Ruji’s hands on his chest suddenly pressed down hard, with enough force to nearly break his ribs.

“Spit it out!” Meng Ruji shouted anxiously. “Quick, cough up the water you choked on!”

Mu Sui nearly coughed up blood…

After pressing up and down four or five times, seeing Mu Sui’s face growing paler, Meng Ruji’s heart tightened. She immediately released his chest, pinched his nose with one hand, lifted his chin with the other, then pressed her entire face down!

Watching the distance between their lips grow smaller and smaller, Mu Sui’s heart beat wildly. He used almost his last bit of strength to turn his face away.

Meng Ruji’s mouth landed directly on his cheek.

Her lips were warm and soft. This momentary touch felt like a fire-laden blade, breaking through all defenses, cutting through all sensations in his body—including hunger—and directly impacting the deepest recesses of his mind.

Mu Sui’s brain nearly shut down.

Meng Ruji was completely unaware of his reaction.

After blowing a breath against Mu Sui’s face, she realized something felt wrong.

Meng Ruji pulled back and saw Mu Sui lying on the ground, head turned aside, eyes closed, jaw clenched tight, breathing rapidly, cheeks flushed, and ears turned purplish-red.

“No… need…” Mu Sui squeezed out two syllables through his dry, constricted throat.

Only then did Meng Ruji react: “Mu Sui, are you okay?”

She had nearly made him not okay!

After a long while, his frantic heartbeat and rapid breathing finally subsided, but the “gurgling” sounds from his stomach became even clearer and louder.

This sound was very familiar to Meng Ruji, and she immediately understood:

“Wait here. This place is close to the inn from before. I’ll use these silver ingots to fly over and find you something to eat. I’ll be back soon—don’t worry, don’t be afraid, wait for me! Don’t move!”

Like caring for a child, she gave him countless instructions before taking out her silver ingots and beginning to set up formations to control spiritual energy. In the blink of an eye, she hurriedly flew away on the wind just as she had arrived.

Mu Sui watched her figure disappear before having enough mental capacity to think about his situation.

He had just observed the techniques Meng Ruji used—her formations were exquisitely precise. As rumored, this Demon Lord, who had nearly ascended the throne of Hengxu Mountain, could use the least amount of her spiritual power to control the most spiritual energy.

One could imagine that when she possessed an Inner Core, combined with such ingenious formations and techniques, she could indeed possess the power to change heaven and earth.

The Inner Core in his body…

After pondering, Mu Sui concluded that perhaps only Meng Ruji could skillfully control it.

He needed to find a way to make Meng Ruji tell him how.

Moreover, he couldn’t let Meng Ruji know his true identity yet.

In the Place of No Refuge, money was life. If she knew he was the Lord of Zhuliu City, given her current fatal attraction to him, who knew what she might do?

Previously, when he knew nothing, Meng Ruji had shown him some conscience. He could continue pretending to be simple-minded, extract all her secrets about the Inner Core, and then Meng Ruji would be completely at his mercy…

Mu Sui had made up his mind to use Meng Ruji like a tool, but when she returned shortly after with an armful of fruits, the first thing Mu Sui noticed was that the wound on her forehead had split open again.

“That broken inn had nothing—just firewood. Those bandits probably wanted to roast me alive! So unlucky!… I found some fruits in the nearby forest. Eat these first.”

As Meng Ruji spoke, she skillfully peeled the fruits and fed them to him.

Meanwhile, Mu Sui, who had been warning himself repeatedly in his mind to treat Meng Ruji as a tool, opened his mouth during his extreme hunger. But instead of biting the fruit, he spoke in the hoarsest, weakest voice:

“The wound has split open…”

His heart ached…

Why did he say that? Why couldn’t his mouth be controlled?

After speaking, Mu Sui began cursing himself internally!

How despicable!

Damn it! My mouth won’t obey me!