The surroundings seemed to fall into a damp, clinging silence. In the suffocating atmosphere, the youth whose features appeared finely carved, each stroke imbued with enchanting charm, turned his head to look at her with an expression that was indeed indescribably obedient.

Yet Xue Yu couldn’t help but recall that throughout those thousand years, Song Heng had looked at her with the same gaze – clean and pure, completely open, as if no speculation or suspicion should fall upon him.

A branch of the imperial lineage lurking by her side, using her appreciation and her reluctance to see warfare in the mortal world, finally achieving his deeply harbored purpose – this step by step, scheming and calculating, advancing strategically.

When the Fusang Tree originally established the three-way division, it was both for the consideration of all living beings in the world and as a reward for merit. Whether it was the Demon Capital, the Sacred Lands, the two imperial bloodlines, or those reclusive ancient noble families, all had received treasures and secret manuals worthy of being passed down through generations – these were the foundations that allowed them to stand firm and prosper endlessly.

Song Heng knew his identity, but he had never spoken of it, never mentioned a single word. He simply enjoyed the cultivation methods and secret manuals left by his ancestors while watching her busily running about, taking him in and out of various secret realms, searching for cultivation methods and paths suitable for himself.

He felt perfectly justified.

Then what about Su You? His talent, comprehension, and strength had advanced by leaps and bounds since that growth period passed. Those around him found it surprising yet enviable. Being so intelligent, had he never suspected his own identity, never questioned his origins?

If he were a great demon, hadn’t he felt even a trace of the inherited power that great demons were born with in their bones?

No one knew one’s own body better than oneself.

Yet for ten years, whether it was his confusion and bewilderment or his clarity and understanding, he had never spoken to Xue Yu about it.

This point was too similar to Song Heng. So similar that while Xue Yu’s mind told her to convince herself they weren’t the same type, she turned her gaze away, frowning as she fell into deep, heavy silence.

She was not alone – she had her subjects. She could not commit a second catastrophic mistake due to personal error or a moment’s misjudgment, nor would she have another chance to start over.

Xue Yu released that gorgeous feather covered in golden flowing light and said flatly: “Alright, get up.”

Sensing her obvious coldness and distance, the misty vapor in Su You’s eyes condensed into bewildered confusion. For the first time, he wanted to argue something, but when the words reached his lips, he fell silent, knowing she wouldn’t listen, nor did she want to.

Once a person’s suspicion arose, it could never be dispelled by a few words of explanation.

Crying out injustice to heaven and earth – forget about Xue Yu, even he himself had heard enough of it in Yedu’s private dungeons to be sick of it. So he understood better than anyone that it was useless, completely useless.

He stood up and retracted his wings. Xue Yu withdrew the barrier, walked to the desk, and without turning back said: “Go fetch Chao Hua.”

Su You slowly clenched his palms, hiding them in his sleeves. He said softly, “Alright,” and stepped across the threshold.

Inside the room, the brush Xue Yu had been holding paused, and when she put it to paper, it left a deep ink blot on the pristine white paper.

Soon after, Chao Hua entered with a stack of case files, her expression grave. She handed the materials to Xue Yu, lowering her voice seriously: “Young Lady, this records every case the Young Master has been responsible for from when he entered Yedu until today, as well as every personnel transfer he’s made. Please take a look.”

Inside Feiyun Peak, they couldn’t contact the outside world, but the Palace Guards held special positions. Xue Yu managed the leading few extremely strictly – every case handled, every decision made was recorded and carried with them. When examined, everything was clear at a glance.

Xue Yu had looked at Su You’s records many times before. Every previous time had been with appreciation, even anticipation. After reading them, she felt he should stand higher and go further. Only this time, she read from beginning to end with a constant frown.

Very clean – even viewing with suspicious scrutiny, it was still impeccably clean without any flaws. Every decision he made, every case he handled was extremely objective and perfect.

Through these case files between her fingers, she could even see that he was deliberately increasing the quantity and difficulty for himself, so that correspondingly fewer matters would reach her desk.

After a long while, Xue Yu sat back in her chair, threw the thick stack of papers on the desk, and pressed her fingertips lightly against the chair’s edge, asking Chao Hua: “What do you think of him as a person?”

Chao Hua was somewhat confused.

Xue Yu’s regard for Su You was known to all, and facts proved that the latter lived up to this trust and appreciation. But things had been fine during the day – how had everything changed in the blink of an eye after sunset?

Confused though she was, when asked this question, Chao Hua still restrained all emotions and answered in a businesslike manner: “Excellent, strong in all aspects. In terms of sharing Your Highness’s burdens, this subject feels inferior.”

After speaking, she asked: “Your Highness, what’s wrong? Does Su You have some abnormality?”

Xue Yu tilted her head slightly, looking at the tree full of apricot blossoms gradually dimming in the twilight outside the window. Her voice lowered considerably, with a hint of self-mockery: “Once bitten by a snake, one fears ropes for ten years – this probably describes this kind of feeling.”

Chao Hua paused and reminded: “Your Highness, these files are kept by one Young Master and two Commanders of the Palace Guards. Now that I’ve taken them out, Su You might notice.”

“No need to hide it.” Xue Yu didn’t even lift her eyes: “It can’t be hidden from him anyway.”

“Let things be as they should be.” After saying this, she composed herself and stood up: “I’m going to see Jiu Feng.”

In the easternmost room on the second floor, Jiu Feng’s fingertips lazily spread out, falling into Feng Shangyu’s palm, curling quietly for a while, then bouncing about actively. After playing for some time, she lifted her eyelids to look at Sui Jinyu sitting steadfastly across from her: “Knowing that the Demon Capital’s urgent summons can’t move your Sui family, what do you want? Speak.”

Sui Jinyu leaned forward slightly, his pitch-black pupils turning cold as he said seriously: “The old rules – I want to investigate the Northern Wasteland.”

Jiu Feng took a deep breath. She held up three fingers to him, almost pushing them to his face: “If I remember correctly, this is the third time I’m telling you this. Sui Jinyu, if your Second Noble Family has time, you might as well go outside and walk around, understand the basic situation of this world. No matter how reclusive you are, you can’t become so otherworldly, right?”

“Sacred Lands really aren’t something you can investigate just because you want to. Last time helping you investigate Xihe was already an exception.” Jiu Feng continued: “I know what you want to say – the Demon Capital has the strength to fight the Sacred Lands, we’re not afraid of them, but don’t forget there’s still the Heavenly Book and Fusang Tree, and both those things reside in Xihe!”

“Then what about my brother?” Sui Jinyu asked with a half-smile after listening: “Just stop looking?”

Since the Sui family emerged from nowhere, for nearly ten years, “brother” had become the two words Jiu Feng most couldn’t bear to hear.

The Wen family was brought down because of this brother. Immediately after, they forcibly searched the major families of the Demon Capital, from the top thirty to the top fifty, then to the major beast fighting arenas, Tongtian Restaurant, and Broken Mountain Range – it wouldn’t be excessive to say they turned everything upside down.

With the Wen family as a cautionary example, the top ten families held their noses and watched coldly as they made a mess, thinking that after enough time passed without seeing hope, they would eventually settle down. Who would have thought they’d set their sights on the mortal world.

For quite a long period, the leaders of major families often received spirit talismans that ignited out of nowhere, with complaints on the other end that were either tactfully subtle or furiously raging, saying the Demon Capital’s recent actions were too arrogant and hoping both sides wouldn’t break the hard-maintained peace.

One or two families, the Demon Capital could still scoff at, but over time, they were shocked to discover that the Demon Capital was now making enemies worldwide.

Jiu Feng’s maternal grandfather thought something was wrong. After investigating, he was immediately dumbfounded.

Logically, any family looking for people or things would proceed quietly, taking gradual steps, but the Sui family wasn’t like this. Their methods were quite simple and brutal – either forcibly acting and soul-searching, or sitting in someone else’s sect and bluntly asking the sect leader and elders.

To put it nicely, it was asking; to put it bluntly, it was no different from interrogating criminals.

It would be strange if they could find anyone! They were lucky not to be attacked by groups.

With no choice, the Jiu Feng family had to step forward to help find solutions, to give an account of whether the person was dead or alive, just to stop them from making such a big commotion.

As a result, after tea and pleasantries, when they got to the main topic, Jiu Feng’s people asked – such a small child, how could he be taken to the mortal world? They wouldn’t say. They asked what the child’s true form was, what his divine abilities were – they still wouldn’t say.

The Jiu Feng family had never encountered such an absurd situation. In the end, they could only perfunctorily say that next time they wanted to do something or investigate some family, they should give advance notice so they could resolve what could be negotiated, avoiding disputes.

So far, Sui Jinyu had made requests twice – once to investigate Xihe, now to investigate the Northern Wasteland.

Jiu Feng restrained herself, pressing hard on her brow: “I can still understand you investigating Xihe, but why investigate the Northern Wasteland?”

Sui Jinyu frowned, explaining in a few words: “Ancestral talent. My father glimpsed a corner of the world’s iceberg. My brother once had entanglements with people from the Northern Wasteland, had dealings with them.”

Jiu Feng asked sternly: “Heaven’s Eye?”

Sui Jinyu didn’t respond. He slowly stood up, pressing the token in his palm onto the table in front of Jiu Feng: “The Jiu Feng family works hard. If there’s anything we can help with in the future, we won’t decline either.”

After his figure disappeared from view, Jiu Feng gritted her teeth viciously, slapping that token with earth-shaking force, saying to Feng Shangyu: “Did you see that? After barely saying two sentences, he puts on the high hat.”

Not long after her words fell, knocking sounds of “thud thud” came through, and Xue Yu’s clear, cold voice followed: “It’s me.”

Jiu Feng tossed the token into her spirit ring and called out: “Come in.”

Xue Yu took a seat. This was the second time the two faced each other that day. She pressed her lips briefly, simply repeated the conversation among the Sacred Land inheritors from earlier, then said straightforwardly: “Ten years in Feiyun Peak, the Human Emperor matter cannot be resolved and can only be addressed after leaving.”

“The explanation that should be given has been given. When will you release the human cultivators in Xiaonan Mountain City?”

“Releasing people can be done anytime.” Jiu Feng wasn’t meeting her for the first time either. Her eyes shifted slightly as she also straightforwardly made her request: “One of your three people, whether Commander or Young Master, must stay behind to enter the Secret Realm Abyss with me. I don’t care what you do or fight for inside, but you must help me gather all the medicinal catalysts needed for the Yu Qingdan antidote.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t bully anyone. After the antidote is prepared, you can leave anytime.”

This request was within Xue Yu’s expectations. She agreed without any emotional fluctuation: “I’ll go.”

Jiu Feng’s nodding motion stopped halfway, freezing in surprise. She rubbed her ears, asking somewhat hesitantly: “Who?”

“Me.” Xue Yu looked at her, enunciating clearly, giving no chance for mishearing.

Jiu Feng perked up, seriously observing her. After a while, she raised her eyebrows: “That’s fine, but aren’t you looking for opportunities anymore?”

Xue Yu was silent for a long while, her lips barely moving: “Some inconspicuous spirit medicine catalysts can be found at the secret realm’s periphery. Find these first, then look for the main portion after entering the Secret Realm Abyss. With proper arrangement, it won’t take much time.”

Feiyun Peak’s deliberate advancement, combined with memories from her previous life, meant that compared to others, Xue Yu truly didn’t feel such heavy pressure and crisis regarding finding opportunities.

She even had an indescribable intuition that their opportunities might have already been prepared by the Fusang Tree.

If that were truly the case, it would be no different from delivering opportunities.

Seeing her say this, Jiu Feng nodded without further comment.

She straightened up, her gaze moving from Xue Yu’s cascade of black hair to her wrist loosely adorned with a lustrous jade bracelet, finally meeting her clear, cold almond eyes that rarely showed ripples. Suddenly interested, she asked: “Who made you angry?”

Xue Yu frowned: “What?”

“Tsk.” Jiu Feng shook her head, her pale fingers pointing at her own forehead and mouth corners through the air: “The words ‘unhappy’ are written all over your face, so obvious – what’s there to deny?”

“Speaking of which, I’ve dealt with quite a few Sacred Land inheritors. It’s not uncommon to see them jumping mad over trivial matters, but seeing this kind of anger emotion on you is truly rare.” Jiu Feng patted Feng Shangyu’s hand: “I always see you like a snow person – I thought you were naturally emotionless.”

Xue Yu rose without expression, neither confirming nor denying. She acted as if she hadn’t heard these words, only giving a soft reminder before leaving: “Remember to release the people, before dark.”

After leaving, walking in the long corridor, she recalled Jiu Feng’s teasing, joking words in her mind and paused almost imperceptibly, her fingers touching her brow.

Unhappy.

She indeed was.

A little unhappy.

Inside Feiyun Peak, Yedu members scattered to find their individual opportunities, but when truly encountering treasures, everyone followed the principle of keeping benefits within the family, mutually notifying each other.

Su You finished receiving spirit talisman after spirit talisman that kept igniting, lowering his eyes as he leaned against an apricot tree, standing in the wind for a moment. The longer he stayed, the larger the void in his heart grew, the gloom in his eyes almost condensing into heavy dark clouds.

Previous life.

He repeated this term over and over several times.

When night completely fell, Xiaonan Mountain received permission to go out, causing wave after wave of excitement. In the medium-sized city, countless lights lit up, hanging leisurely at corners and eaves. When the wind blew, they connected into a swaying line.

Su You, wrapped in cold air, returned to his room. Just as he pushed open the door, he keenly sensed something. By the firelight, he squinted at the desk where brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were neatly arranged. The stack of materials on top was placed in perfect order, but he knew at a glance.

Someone had gone through them.

Who would take such things?

If not Chao Hua, then Chou Li.

Without doubt, no need to think further – she was investigating him.

Su You leaned against the sword tip, most of his body weight against the wall by the threshold. He raised his chin, exposing a smooth, sharp line, yet his expression wasn’t clear.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, only feeling like he was trapped in a cage. He was clearly a caged beast, waves in his heart surging thousands of layers high, yet still restraining and binding himself with lingering concerns.

But the more this continued, the more he thought, until finally it was almost uncontrollable.

What’s next?

He wondered if next she would strip him of his Young Master position, transfer him away from her side, gradually leaving him to his fate, ignoring and not caring?

When she let him join the inner circle, step by step promoting him, overturning his case, giving him the Young Master position – when doing these things, she never said a second word. So when taking these things back, would she be equally decisive, not blinking an eye, not furrowing a brow?

Then what would he do?

Su You slowly lowered his eyes, long lashes casting shadows. The hand holding his sword showed distinct veins on the back, wrist bones slightly protruding, skin so pale it was nearly transparent.

He simply couldn’t think about these things.

Late at night, Su You finally moved his fingers. He walked slowly to the desk, arranging the materials recording his every action page by page, smoothing them out, restoring them to their original state, then picked up his sword and leaped from the window like a ghost.

Leaving Xiaonan Mountain along with the human cultivators were people from various Sacred Lands. Now that matters were resolved, every extra day they stayed was a day wasted.

Chi Shui was part of the exodus from the city.

Lu Chengze and Yin Ling didn’t get along well. The latter, not trusting him, had burned the midnight oil correcting those over four hundred wrongly judged cases and gritted her teeth writing a summary report. Now whenever she saw Lu Chengze, nothing was right – nose wasn’t nose, eyes weren’t eyes, full of sarcasm.

Naturally, the two chose to travel separately.

Who knew that just after leaving Xiaonan Mountain, reaching a broken mountain range, Lu Chengze stepped into a sword qi barrier like quicksand.

He reacted extremely quickly, almost simultaneously sensing it and leaping out four or five steps like smoke, then with a wrist movement, his jade fan opened and closed, making all the wind into attacking moves, sweeping upward in layers, enveloping the humming spirit swords floating around.

“I’ve heard Song Heng speak of your arrogance, but I truly didn’t expect to experience it personally one day.” Lu Chengze landed lightly, staring at Su You who materialized before him, asking sternly: “Ambushing a Sacred Land inheritor at midnight – do you know the consequences if Xue Yu learned of this?”

What answered him was the soft sound of footsteps.

One step, two steps.

When he completely emerged from the frost-colored sword intent, Lu Chengze saw his appearance clearly and couldn’t help but freeze.

Honestly, he hadn’t seen Su You many times, but not few either. In the past, the latter followed beside Xue Yu like spring breeze and bright moon, verdant pine and green bamboo – sweet when smiling, even when frowning showing youthful vigor and spirit.

But now, he wore oversized black silk robes that made his skin appear sickly pale, wrists and ankles exposed, lean and frail, showing the fragile illusion of something that would break at a touch. His eyes hung low, holding an imposing sword in his hand.

This state was very demonic.

Su You slowly pressed his lips, raised his eyes to look at him, saying softly: “She won’t know.”

Lu Chengze squeezed out a laugh from his chest, squinting at his brazenness: “I know Xue Yu’s skill at training people is superb – one has already been proven. As for you, let me experience it now.”

“Fifty moves without falling behind, and I’ll answer two questions for you.”

What answered him was the suddenly surging sword intent within the barrier.

For a moment, sand and stones flew within the barrier, mountains and rivers collapsed. Between sun setting and moon falling, the hurricane grew stronger and stronger, and Lu Chengze’s expression grew darker and darker.

From initially holding back strength to now going all out, they had only exchanged ten moves.

Lu Chengze was thoroughly frustrated. Unlike Song Heng who accumulated strength and advanced rapidly through ancestral spiritual power, he was a Sacred Land inheritor – in terms of strength, he truly had nothing to worry about.

He could accept being suppressed by Xue Yu, who was also a Sacred Land inheritor, but Su You, no matter how outstanding he was, was still just a Young Master beside Xue Yu, essentially no different from an attendant. If he couldn’t even defeat him, truly, he might as well hand over Chi Shui’s future sovereign position to Yin Ling.

Chi Shui couldn’t afford such shame.

Lu Chengze exerted force, but incredibly, the more they fought, the stronger his feeling of inadequacy became.

He even felt like he was facing a prehistoric beast without weaknesses – that seemingly frail body feared neither precise technical duels nor flesh-and-blood close combat.

At the fortieth move, Lu Chengze had a lock of hair cut off. His pupils contracted and he couldn’t help but retreat a step, then was forced by the pressing offensive to retreat two steps, three steps, even ten steps.

At the fiftieth move, Lu Chengze clutched his chest, breathing heavily, forcing out a mouthful of stagnant blood.

Su You sheathed his sword. At his waist was a visible bright red wound that he ignored completely. His eyes fell directly and indifferently on the rather disheveled Lu Chengze, saying without mercy: “You lost.”

Lu Chengze couldn’t help but clench his palms.

“I don’t go back on my word.” He straightened up, finally looking at Su You with serious regard: “Two questions – ask away.”

“When did the matter between Young Lady and Song Heng happen?” Su You turned his head, his fingertips gently pressing away a trace of blood at his eye corner – the motion was heart-stopping, yet when the words “Young Lady” emerged, they carried honey-like lingering sweetness.

Lu Chengze bent to cough twice before saying, “Have you heard the term ‘previous life’?”

Su You pressed his lips, his eyes growing extremely gloomy.

After a long while, he asked his second question, his voice so light it was bone-chilling: “What did Song Heng do? Or rather, why did Young Lady separate from him?”

Lu Chengze fell into an eerie silence for a long moment.

In a while, he extended his palm, rubbing his brow. At this moment, even if he wanted to make excuses for Song Heng, he couldn’t speak against his conscience.

“He found someone else, and then sealed Yedu’s Baizhong Mountain.”