Rushing out of Shunyi Town, they were met with blinding daylight. Outside, dawn had already broken, but looking back, Shunyi Town remained shrouded in darkness, its deep resentment making one’s skin crawl with fear.

“Young Master! The Young Master is here!”

The Qilin Guards, who had passed through the forest mist but couldn’t enter Shunyi Town, were moved to tears when they saw Gan Mao emerge. They rushed forward to protect him from any unexpected dangers.

Just as Chu Yi was about to ask the pair about his reckless junior sister’s whereabouts, he saw Ling Luo slowly emerging, leading Yue Liangze by the hand.

This girl.

He had been anxiously trying to enter the town to save her, fearing his troublemaker junior sister might be torn apart by evil spirits and unable to rest in peace. Yet here she was, acting like a young lady returning from a midnight tryst with her lover, without the slightest hint of panic.

He had worried for nothing.

While Chu Yi was rolling his eyes in exasperation, Yu Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward, “Ling Luo, are you injured?”

Upon seeing Yu Xiu, Ling Luo immediately released Yue Liangze’s hand and ran over to him. “Second Senior Brother, how could I possibly get hurt?”

Yu Xiu, however, noticed the bloodstains on her clothes and frowned, “Then where did these bloodstains come from?”

“It’s nothing, someone else’s blood,” Ling Luo lied without changing her expression.

Chu Yi asked, “Who is this ‘someone else’?”

Ling Luo replied, “Someone else is someone else, certainly not me.”

She glanced toward the Nanshan Xuehe sect members in the distance. There were more of them than before. Feng Tianyao was holding his sword in frustration: “Why can that demon enter when this young master cannot!”

The young man beside him, Yu Cang, helplessly explained, “Because he’s a demon, of course he can enter a ghost town.”

Feng Tianyao turned to glare at him: “Do I need to become a demon just to enter a ghost town?!”

Yu Cang smiled good-naturedly.

Ling Luo looked away, just as Chu Yi sneered, “You’re always so reckless. Your Second Senior Brother was so worried he couldn’t get in that he was about to send a message to Master to come rescue you.”

“The one guarding this place is quite a major figure, so it’s not surprising you couldn’t enter,” Ling Luo said. “The Sword Immortal of Nanshan Xuehe, Left White True Lord, is guarding it inside.”

At the mention of Nanshan Xuehe, everyone involuntarily looked toward Feng Tianyao’s group. Feng Tianyao also looked over, somewhat confused.

Before he could speak, Qin Yuan, whose eyes were red from crying, cursed, “Your Xuehe sect is too much! Left White True Lord was such a gentle and kind person who even contributed to Xuehe, yet you abandoned her to be abused by others!”

Feng Tianyao’s face was full of questions: “Who is Left White True Lord?”

Yu Cang quietly reminded him: “This person is forbidden to be mentioned in our sect.”

“Why can’t we mention her?” Feng Tianyao also asked softly, “What did she do?”

“She was a senior who passed away early, with the title ‘Left White,’ who practiced the Fang Tian sword technique,” Yu Cang said. “She was expelled from the sect for betraying it to demons.”

Feng Tianyao raised an eyebrow after hearing this and looked at Qin Yuan, “A person who betrayed us to demons?”

“What betrayal!” Qin Yuan raged. “She never allowed her heart demon to harm anyone, even until her death!”

Feng Tianyao didn’t believe it: “If that were true, how could her spiritual meridians have been removed?”

Qin Yuan angrily recounted the story of Shunyi Town with great emotion.

First, she reminded everyone of Left White’s glorious deeds from years ago, then contrasted it with her miserable life after marrying into the Zhao family.

The onlookers were stunned, and some even secretly wiped away tears.

Feng Tianyao also felt that this female sword cultivator had suffered terribly. That Zhao man was inhuman, and the people of Shunyi Town were all fools. But this concerned the Xuehe sect, and he wouldn’t allow others to slander it, so he said: “Who knows if what you’re saying is true or false! Anyway, if her spiritual meridians were removed, she must have done something unforgivable!”

Qin Yuan: “She still shouldn’t have been treated like that!”

Feng Tianyao: “That was done by the Zhao family. What does it have to do with our Xuehe sect?!”

Gan Mao, who was eating food and fruit handed to him by the Qilin Guards, threw a small plate toward Nanshan Xuehe in anger: “I saw it with my own eyes and experienced it myself! Don’t try to deny it!”

Jiang Jun quickly pulled him back, not wanting him to get involved in this matter.

The two sides became increasingly angry as they talked, showing signs of wanting to fight. Yu Cang held Feng Tianyao back and tried to soothe him: “Calm down, calm down. I think we should report this to the Sect Leader. After all, it concerns our sect, and it’s not good to just leave it unresolved.”

Yu Xiu held back Qin Yuan and said softly: “This matter has been reported to the Grand Sect Leader. They will resolve it.”

“If you don’t believe it, why not go in and see for yourself?” Chu Yi drew his sword and walked toward Shunyi Town, which was once again shrouded in ghostly turbulence.

Ling Luo glanced at him: “What are you going in for?”

Chu Yi replied without looking back: “To see the legendary Fang Tian sword technique.”

Quite a few people followed him.

Yu Xiu was somewhat worried and wanted to stop them, but he saw Ling Luo shake her head and gesture toward Yue Liangze, who was playing with Feiyun Ting nearby.

Yue Liangze said quietly: “Zhen Xianyu is in the Siming Tower. With Chu Yi there, nothing will happen, but he won’t be able to disrupt the formation of Shunyi Town.”

“Zhen Xianyu is inside?” Yu Xiu was stunned.

Yue Liangze made a sound of affirmation and moved his hand over Feiyun Ting to transmit a message: “I have already informed Senior Brother about this matter. Senior Brother says not to worry about Zhen Xianyu, but to pay attention to the White Bone Demon’s subsequent plans.”

Yu Xiu frowned: “True Lord Bai Zang was right.”

Yue Liangze looked at Ling Luo and said softly: “Senior Brother wants me to return to the sect immediately. You can enter and exit Shunyi Town now, but still be careful not to provoke the heart demon.”

While Yu Xiu was still thinking about Left White and the White Bone Demon, Ling Luo asked: “Why is he calling you back?”

Yue Liangze shook his head slightly without explaining. He looked at Ling Luo, his gaze slightly hesitant.

Ling Luo noticed he had something to say and blinked: “What is it?”

“Give me your jade communication device… your spirit link,” Yue Liangze said, trying to appear calm. “If the White Bone Demon has further plans, I can inform you.”

Ling Luo didn’t think much of it and took out her jade device for him.

After adding her as a friend, Yue Liangze returned the jade to her and mounted his sword: “Then I’ll go first.”

Ling Luo looked at the jade device, nodding without raising her head. When she looked up again, there was no trace of him in the bright daylight.

Looking back at the jade device, she couldn’t help but smile.

Feng Tianyao was determined to enter Shunyi Town, and Yu Cang couldn’t stop him, so he could only accompany him inside.

As groups of people came and went, the sky quickly darkened.

Gan Mao had already been sent back to Pingxiao City, and cultivators from various immortal sects had gone to explore Shunyi Town, leaving Ling Luo and her companions temporarily speechless.

Ling Luo looked at the motionless Mu Xujing and asked: “Where are you heading next?”

Mu Xujing gazed silently at the ghost town below for a long while before saying: “Nanshan Xuehe.”

“Hmm?”

“She’s already on her way to Nanshan Xuehe,” Mu Xujing said. “This is the last of the immortal sects to visit, after which she’ll return to the Moon Palace.”

Ling Luo was also looking at Shunyi Town below. After hearing this, she said calmly: “If you return to the Moon Palace, you’ll need to be careful.”

Mu Xujing’s expression remained as gloomy as ever, showing no emotional fluctuations.

He received a message from the Moon Palace at sunset and returned to Pingxiao City.

The brave ones had all gone into Shunyi Town to witness for themselves, and when they came out, each had a complex expression.

Some were sobbing, some had bloodshot eyes, and others cursed loudly, from Zhao Lang to the foolish commoners, and then to Nanshan Xuehe—Feng Tianyao kicked out: “What does this have to do with our Xuehe sect! Do you want to fight? Come on then!”

Yu Cang pulled him away: “Let it go, let it go. We’re all immortal sect cultivators, we shouldn’t fight among ourselves.”

Feng Tianyao exploded even more after hearing this: “Who’s one of them!”

Yu Cang said: “The Sect Leader has been informed of this matter and will make a decision. We came this time to help the Sacred Sword Sect find the sword. Since Zhen Xianyu has also been found, let’s return to the sect first. Your wife is still worried about your injuries from the last duel, so hurry back to set her mind at ease.”

Feng Tianyao complained: “You know how to bring up the worst topics. That little injury was nothing!”

As he spoke, he glanced in Ling Luo’s direction.

Yu Cang feared his hot temper would lead him to pick a fight, so he pulled him farther away from Ling Luo.

Ling Luo was leaving with her senior brothers and asked Qin Yuan: “Where are you heading next?”

Qin Yuan said worriedly: “My sword was swallowed by the evil spirits of Shunyi Town, and I also lost my magical artifact inside. Next… I’ll return to Tianji to choose a new sword before going back into the world.”

“No need, take this,” Ling Luo handed her long sleeve to her.

“Eh?” Qin Yuan held the divine weapon with a bewildered expression. “This is a divine weapon? No, no, take it back!”

She tried to return the long sleeve to Ling Luo, but Ling Luo wouldn’t take it back. She said: “You’d have to choose a sword when you go back anyway, so this one is perfect.”

Qin Yuan said: “This is too precious!”

Ling Luo raised an eyebrow: “What’s so precious about it? Nowadays, which immortal sect disciple doesn’t run around with divine weapons?”

Qin Yuan was speechless, inwardly screaming that such treatment was only for personal disciples like Ling Luo! Other disciples would be lucky to have a high-grade weapon, let alone dream of divine weapons!

“I’m going sword-hunting next, come with me,” Ling Luo said.

She wanted to observe Qin Yuan more closely and speak with the Heavenly Dao again.

Only then did Qin Yuan’s attention get diverted, and she asked curiously: “You’re going sword-hunting? Where are you hunting for swords?”

“To a very distant place,” Ling Luo raised her hand and made a gesture in the void.

With all leads on Senior Sister Tian Rong’s matter completely severed, and after Tianji’s people had wandered around Pingxiao City for several days without any further news, they all withdrew.

Chu Yi thanked the heavens and earth; he could finally return to Tianji for a rest.

As for the White Bone Demon and Left White’s heart demon, all the sect leaders had issued a cultivation worldwide arrest warrant, so it was no longer his concern. He mounted his sword directly back to Tianji.

Learning that Jiang Miao had already gone to visit Nanshan Xuehe, Ling Luo didn’t stop Chu Yi any further. She left Pingxiao with Qin Yuan to hunt for swords.

The night she left Pingxiao City, she spotted Mu Xujing, who had left the city a few days earlier, returning.

Mu Xujing was accompanied by people from the Moon Palace. She didn’t greet him, merely passing by in the bustling market.

Envoys from North Court Moon Palace went to Duke Gan’s mansion and took someone away.

The White Bone Demon had declared he would avenge his dead master.

Although the major immortal sects had issued arrest warrants, some individuals were waiting to see Nanshan Xuehe in trouble, because Left White had been a disciple of Xuehe, and the fury of the Twenty-Six Demons would implicate Xuehe.

Nanshan Xuehe and Tianji Island in the East had always been on good terms, and their sect leaders were close friends. Tianji responded very actively to this matter.

While others were concerned about the White Bone Demon, either actively opposing him or gloating and waiting to watch the drama unfold, only Taichu in the Western Sea was still worrying about Zhen Xianyu.

Bai Zang had stayed at Taichu for a long time and bid farewell today, with the Taichu Sect Leader personally seeing him off.

The Sect Leader said: “Zhen Xianyu has been pulled out by True Lord Danshui. We know this request may be asking too much, but we still hope he can bring Zhen Xianyu back.”

Bai Zang smiled lightly: “He never wanted this sword in the first place. If you hadn’t gone out of your way to set up a formation to switch the sword, the White Bone Demon would not have succeeded.”

The Taichu Sect Leader was quite embarrassed by his words, his old face reddening. He clasped his hands again, but before he could speak, Bai Zang, also with clasped hands, interrupted him: “Please don’t put me in a difficult position, Sect Leader. Currently, Zhen Xianyu is in Shunyi Town outside Pingxiao City. Danshui has sworn never to touch Zhen Xianyu again in this lifetime. If you want to retrieve Zhen Xianyu, Taichu doesn’t need to rush; take your time.”

The subtext: The Sacred Sword Sect won’t compete with you for it.

Bai Zang turned around with a smile and descended the mountain.

Although the Golden Luan Pool Banquet had long passed, Western Sea City remained bustling.

Zi Xiu waved to him on the busy streets of Western Sea City: “Brother Bai! Are you leaving Taichu to return to the Sacred Sword Sect?”

“Not returning,” Bai Zang wandered with a small wine flask in hand. “Confusion demons have emerged in Feng Zu Country, causing trouble in the capital city and killing many people. I’ve accepted a request to exorcise demons.”

“Feng Zu Country? That’s quite far. Confusion demons emerging is truly troublesome,” Zi Xiu stroked his chin. “Recently, there’s also a White Bone Demon causing panic everywhere. These demons and spirits are really… sigh, even a leisurely person like me has to go back to help keep watch.”

Bai Zang was surprised: “Tianji doesn’t lack manpower, why did they call on you too?”

Zi Xiu walked beside him: “Indeed! Although I go wherever there’s excitement, I always avoid the kind that could cost me my life.”

Bai Zang comforted him: “I’m sure they won’t ask you to do anything difficult. Rest assured, since this White Bone Demon wants revenge, he’ll prioritize those who offended him.”

Zi Xiu quickly shook his head: “Then it has nothing to do with me.”

The two said goodbye outside Western Sea City and departed in different directions.

Finding the journey to Feng Zu Country boring, Bai Zang sent a message through Feiyun Ting asking what his little junior brother was doing and whether he wanted to join him.

Yue Liangze encountered demons causing trouble on his way, delaying his return to the sect, and had just arrived.

Passing through endless snow plains, he saw lush mountains and seas, filled with the fragrance of flowers.

When he returned to the Sacred Sword Sect, he was summoned by his master, Eccentric True Lord, to the Well Chamber.

Yue Liangze knelt outside the curtain of the Well Chamber and recounted everything he had seen and heard in Shunyi Town of Pingxiao City.

The only thing he omitted was his speculation about Ling Luo’s injury.

Separated by a curtain, Eccentric True Lord was arranging the bookshelf inside, taking various books from the table and carefully placing them in compartments.

“The year I saw her, she was accompanied by a sixteen-year-old child, gentle in temperament, but a half-demon,” Eccentric True Lord said unhurriedly. “The offspring of humans and demons, recognized by neither humans nor demons, called monsters by the world.”

In this world, there are demons, spirits, and monsters that cannot be categorized as either.

Although humans and demons could mate, it was extremely difficult for them to produce living offspring, making human-formed half-demons exceedingly rare.

“Left White took a half-demon as her disciple. She believed this child had a human heart and appearance and could be educated, but he still had demon blood and couldn’t be accepted by this world. So she exchanged her spiritual meridians for his, washing away his demon blood.”

Eccentric True Lord carefully stacked the books, speaking without any emotional fluctuation: “Nanshan Xuehe doesn’t accept half-demons, nor could they accept her taking a half-demon as a disciple, which led to their break.”

Yue Liangze listened silently.

Eccentric True Lord: “This was the explanation Nanshan Xuehe gave me afterward, which is what I know, but what I know is sometimes not the truth.”

Yue Liangze: “Does Master believe there is more to the story?”

If the spiritual meridians were for her disciple, why did she marry?

Eccentric True Lord didn’t answer but asked instead: “Your Second Senior Brother’s wounds have long healed, yet he still refuses to go into the world. Do you know why?”

Yue Liangze’s expression remained calm. He knew, but he didn’t want to answer.

Eccentric True Lord didn’t mind and continued slowly while arranging the books: “Your Second Senior Brother is someone who enjoys the liveliness of the mortal world, often staying outside so long we can hardly call him back. Years ago, after his battle with the Ya Demon, he saved countless people, both mortals and cultivators. But when he returned seriously injured, he discovered he was being followed, so he deliberately took the wrong path. When the two sides clashed, he found that the followers were cultivators from various immortal sects. They were trying to find the location of the Sacred Sword Sect, and when their identities were discovered, they tried to kill him.”

“He didn’t die at the hands of the Ya Demon but almost died by the swords of the cultivators he had saved.”

Since then, Chang Ying no longer liked to leave the mountain.

Yue Liangze listened quietly and then said softly: “The major immortal sects fear the True Lord’s decree and want the Sacred Sword Sect’s entrance to immortality.”

“The entrance to immortality, becoming immortal in one step,” Eccentric smiled. “How many people yearn for this one step to immortality, but the entrance to immortality in our sect, although it may lead to becoming immortal in one step, once entered, one can never return to this world. The two characters for ‘immortality,’ they have misunderstood.”

“Your Eldest Senior Brother cannot enter the world, your Second Senior Brother’s heart is wounded, your Third Senior Brother appears accommodating but is cold-hearted and indifferent—perhaps he wouldn’t care much even if everyone in the world died—as for you, your thoughts are not on these matters.”

Eccentric turned to look at his disciple outside the curtain: “Chang Ying says you’re dull, without your ideas, only following orders. That statement is half right.”

“You simply don’t want to think for yourself.”

Yue Liangze glanced at the sword at his side and said softly: “I’m not suitable.”

“Not suitable for what?”

“Being a cultivator.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to save people.”

Eccentric said: “You don’t want to harm people, nor do you want to save them.”

He asked: “Then why did you agree to return to the Sacred Sword Sect with me back then?”

Yue Liangze answered: “I don’t want to harm people.”

Eccentric’s expression was kind, and hearing this, he shook his head lightly.

“Your master has never taught you that cultivators must save people,” Eccentric lifted the curtain and came out saying, “The True Lord’s decree is held by your Third Senior Brother. He knows what to do. You’ve been in the world for three years, but this is your first contact with the major immortal sects. I hope you can think more about this.”

“Think for yourself, and also think about yourself.”

The master left, leaving him alone in the Well Chamber facing shelves full of ancient books, every breath filled with the scent of decaying pages.

Yue Liangze closed his eyes to meditate.

Both Wusheng and Duanyi quietly kept him company.

He dreamed of things from long, long ago.

The summer night wind, starlight in the darkness, fireflies and wildflowers by the riverside. A man carrying a heavy sword led him through the night, and across the river were people laughing and setting lanterns afloat.

The man handed him a glowing pinwheel and a box of candy, saying softly: “Yue Liang, this is your mother’s surname. It’s very special, very pleasant to hear, and also… very beautiful.”