As a Sacred Pilgrim, Ming Li understood the nature of earth demons better than ordinary people.

When earth demons resurrect, they retain the same physical body. It was beyond question that no matter how many times they were reborn, they remained the same person. Certain special marks couldn’t be erased even through rebirth, like her god-slaying arrow.

So the person before her was both an earth demon and her martial brother.

Ming Li’s hand didn’t release his clothes, yet she allowed Zhou Zixi to intimately lower his head until their foreheads touched. Her gaze toward her martial brother was clear, calm, and rational.

No matter what happened, she was always this composed, difficult to unsettle.

Zhou Zixi carefully examined her features. He remembered everything, all those moments at Bei Dou: practicing at Falling Star Pool, climbing the ten-thousand-foot cliff, deliberately losing the Star Point competition so Ming Li would continue teaching him the Eight Demon Eyes, applying color to her lips under the snowy eaves, following behind his martial sister, countless times hoping she would turn back to look at him, then feeling both timid and fulfilled when she did.

He had once learned how to be “human” as an earth demon, but those things had been erased. The memories remained, and he knew those emotions were called “love.”

He liked Ming Li, or rather, loved her deeply.

Zhou Zixi knew how to write “love,” but could no longer respond to it as he once had.

“The reason earth demons are killed on sight throughout the ancient continent is because they are evil incarnate, excelling at malice, bringing disaster and death. They can sense and even understand human emotions, but cannot possess them themselves.”

“Just like what you said earlier, you like me, but you feel nothing here.” Ming Li pointed her index finger at his heart and said, “My father… also your master, once said that if an earth demon says they like you, treat it as a joke, because an earth demon liking you doesn’t conflict at all with them wanting to kill you.”

Zhou Zixi frowned slightly, saying with some displeasure: “I know that.”

In his mind, he instinctively thought, I haven’t forgotten.

Ming Li helped him rearrange the clothes she had just pulled open, saying calmly, “But whether earth demons have emotions, whether they understand what love is, whether they can be good and righteous people isn’t the most important thing. What matters most is that as long as they live, they will kill.”

As long as earth demons live, their killing intent never ceases.

“It seems the purpose of the earth demons’ existence is to kill every person in the world.”

After helping him fasten his clothes, Ming Li leaned back slightly to create distance and sat upright, as serious as when she used to teach him cultivation: “Earth demons awaken after killing their first person, receiving the inherited memories of the earth demon race, acting on instinct, creating disaster and misfortune for others, beginning endless slaughter.”

Zhou Zixi lowered his gaze to look at the clothes she had fastened and slowly straightened up.

“But you didn’t kill anyone while at Bei Dou. You were learning how to be human, and you had already learned.” As he straightened, Ming Li raised her head, her bright eyes reflecting Zhou Zixi. “Fortunately, you haven’t forgotten. All those memories are still there. Learning again shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Zhou Zixi sneered: “Why should I learn?”

Ming Li said, “Because you’re my martial brother.”

Zhou Zixi laughed at her: “I’m an earth demon.”

Ming Li said again: “Because I like you.”

Zhou Zixi looked at her silently without speaking.

Originally, Ming Li had planned to tell him this when he returned from the icy wastes, but never expected so many unexpected events would occur. So these words, spoken at such a time and place, took on a different meaning.

“How rare, a dignified Sacred Pilgrim liking an earth demon.”

Indeed, Zhou Zixi showed no emotional response.

He looked at Ming Li thoughtfully: “Martial Sister, your martial brother is different from before.”

“There’s no difference. You’ve always shown two different faces to me and others. This isn’t the first time I’ve known this.” Ming Li said seriously, “You just finally feel free to be yourself in front of me, too.”

At that moment, Zhou Zixi felt as if he couldn’t out-argue her.

His lowered eyelashes trembled slightly. He blinked slowly and said, “Aren’t you afraid that when I follow my instinct to kill, I’ll start with you?”

Ming Li said, “Love is also an instinct.”

Zhou Zixi said carelessly: “What’s that?”

Ming Li reached out her hand to him, saying with a hint of a smile: “Perfect. I’d also like to see what instinct you follow.”

Her virtual manifestation took form instantly. Broken arrows formed from Star Power flew toward both Zhou Zixi and her. Killing intent spread throughout the narrow, dim meditation room. As the broken arrow shot toward his heart, Zhou Zixi didn’t even think; his body moved on its own to intercept the arrow flying toward Ming Li’s heart.

Zhou Zixi crushed the arrow directed at Ming Li, while Ming Li destroyed the one aimed at him.

In that moment between life and death, he had reacted according to instinct.

Ming Li looked up at him with trembling eyelashes, asking: “What is your instinct?”

Zhou Zixi didn’t answer.

He had only been concerned with Ming Li and was still injured by the Star Power in the broken arrow. As a mere shadow, he shattered into fragments of light, merging with the darkness and dissipating.

But Ming Li had already obtained the answer she wanted.

*

Zhou Zixi’s appearance at least made Ming Li feel somewhat better.

Since her rebirth, all she had heard and seen was bad news. Although her martial brother’s situation wasn’t good either, it was certainly better compared to Qing Ying’s death.

After the instinct incident, Zhou Zixi didn’t appear again, nor did he allow her to enter his dreams.

On the third day, facing the empty meditation room, Ming Li finally couldn’t help saying: “I don’t need your answer anymore. Just come out and talk with me.”

There was no response.

She stared at the dark shadows for a while, then lowered her head, revealing a lonely expression.

That heartless earth demon emerged, leaning against the wall, saying lazily, “With only one meridian at full boundary, shouldn’t you be focusing on cultivation instead of wasting time here?”

How strange that one day she would be admonished by her martial brother to cultivate diligently.

Ming Li curved her lips slightly, looking up: “Where are you imprisoned? Who did it?”

Zhou Zixi repeated his earlier statement: “I’ll handle my affairs.”

Ming Li asked: “Cui Yaocen?”

Zhou Zixi raised an eyebrow slightly, saying nothing.

Ming Li continued: “Was it you who stole Nan Que’s sect-protecting treasure, the Boundless Mirror?”

Zhou Zixi asked leisurely: “Does martial sister want me to return it?”

Ming Li shook her head: “Well stolen.”

But Zhou Zixi said, “It wasn’t me.”

Ming Li lifted her head to look at him. Zhou Zixi spoke in a chilling tone: “I was at Bei Dou behaving properly, busy trying to please you. When would I have had time to go to Nan Que to steal things and cause trouble?”

Noticing Ming Li’s gaze, he said before she could ask: “There are as many earth demons in the south as in the north, and I don’t know all of them. Oh, but I do know the father of that little ghost by your side quite well. He used my Seven Star Token to summon Fu Yuan and the others, causing the Bei Dou disciples to expose their location in Zhu Que State, leading Cui Yaocen to track them down. Tsk.”

Ming Li said, “You gave him the Seven Star Token, and Fu Yuan and the others appeared because it was your token.”

Zhou Zixi laughed slightly: “Is martial sister blaming me for exposing them?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Ming Li shook her head. “I wanted to tell you that after you were imprisoned and disappeared, our fellow disciples at Bei Dou never stopped looking for you.”

Zhou Zixi asked with genuine curiosity: “Didn’t you look for me?”

Ming Li was taken aback by his question, unable to help thinking about how many times Zhou Zixi must have died during the five years after her death.

“I did look,” she said.

But Zhou Zixi replied: “Your answer was slow, martial sister. When you lie, don’t show a hesitant expression.”

Ming Li couldn’t help smiling: “You said you were going to the icy wastes with my brother…”

Zhou Zixi suddenly turned to look at her and said, “The first person I killed was your brother.”

Ming Li saw right through him and smiled: “I understand the malice of earth demons better than you do.”

Zhou Zixi saw that she wasn’t frightened at all, and pressed his lips together in boredom.

Ming Li asked him without reservation: “But I truly haven’t had news of him for a long time. Didn’t my brother go to the icy wastes with you?”

Zhou Zixi said lazily, “That was just a pretext. We went our separate ways as soon as we left the mountain. He went to the imperial capital, and I went to the icy wastes alone.”

Ming Li asked: “What did you go to the icy wastes alone for?”

Zhou Zixi didn’t answer.

He had become wilder than before, refusing to answer what he didn’t want to, yet readily speaking what he previously dared not say.

Just as Ming Li had said earlier, her martial brother hadn’t changed; he had simply become brave enough to be himself in front of her.

Ming Li’s mood improved just by looking at him. It didn’t matter if her martial brother had become somewhat rebellious; she liked him anyway.

“If you don’t want to tell me, then don’t. I’ll keep searching. If you’re not in Nan Que, I’ll resolve Qing Ying’s matter first,” she said softly. “Everyone thinks Qing Ying died at Bei Jing Gui Yuan, but she was brought to Nan Que and died from the blood nurturing technique.”

Zhou Zixi said expressionlessly: “What good end could she expect, falling for a coward like Cui Yuanxi?”

Ming Li wasn’t hurt or angered by the coldness in his words, because she understood that her martial brother’s emotions were now diminished, or rather non-existent. Such words were understandable. What she couldn’t understand was the content of his statement.

“Who likes whom?” Ming Li was shocked. “Why would Qing Ying like Cui Yuanxi?”

“Right, she never told you about this.” Zhou Zixi looked at Ming Li with a half-smile. “This coward knew he would expose his identity if he entered Bei Dou, so he only dared to meet her outside and used sweet words to trick her into not mentioning him to others.”

He had never shown Cui Yuanxi a pleasant face. He and Qing Ying had argued several times over Cui Yuanxi. Once, they even came to blows, but Zhou Zixi didn’t dodge, allowing her to cut a long gash across his face.

Qing Ying was stunned at the time, and when she realized what had happened, she became so anxious she nearly cried, hastily apologizing.

But Zhou Zixi had turned to find Ming Li, only saying he was injured and in pain, without mentioning a word about how he got hurt.

Qing Ying felt guilty and obediently stayed at Bei Dou for two months without going down the mountain to see Cui Yuanxi.

At that time, Zhou Zixi didn’t know Cui Yuanxi was the Young Master of Nan Que. He only felt this person had ill intentions and told Qing Ying not to get too deeply involved. By the time he learned Cui Yuanxi’s true identity, he no longer had the opportunity to advise Qing Ying again.

After learning of the entanglement between Qing Ying and Cui Yuanxi from Zhou Zixi, Ming Li remained silent for a long time, not speaking even after Zhou Zixi grew bored and left.

Her current martial brother couldn’t empathize with Qing Ying’s situation, but Ming Li could.

From these fragments of information, she pieced together the full picture of what had happened. It was difficult to imagine Qing Ying’s feelings when she died after being betrayed by the person she liked. Although Ming Li had already deduced that Cui Yuanxi was the main culprit days ago, she hadn’t imagined this additional layer of Qing Ying’s affection, which magnified all the harm done many times over.

Cui Yuanxi, such a person…

His death would not be enough.

*

Ming Li heard the creaking sound of the meditation room door being opened from outside. Qian Li poked his head in, carrying a bag of sweets: “Zhou Li, are you alright? The three-day confinement period is over. You can come out now.”