“The Seventh Prince of Beili,” Su Muyu slightly furrowed his brows. “I’ve met another prince of yours, and he looks very different from you.”

Xiao Yu smiled: “Which one?”

“The Sixth Prince, Xiao Chuhe,” Su Muyu replied.

The smile froze on Xiao Yu’s face, and he frowned: “Oh, him.”

“Prince Xiao Yu is the child of Consort Xuan, born on the same night as the Sixth Prince, just slightly later,” Jin Xuan said slowly. “Clan Leader Su should have met Consort Xuan before.”

Su Muyu nodded: “Yes, I have. During our final battle to kill Ye Dingzhi, when we were in a desperate situation, it was Consort Xuan and the Lone Sword Immortal who arrived and stopped Ye Dingzhi.”

“Indeed. In that case, Consort Xuan could be considered your savior. How interesting,” Jin Xuan smiled slightly. “Do you also know about Consort Xuan’s relationship with the Shadow Sect?”

Su Changhe said in a deep voice: “Consort Xuan is Yi Bo’s only daughter, a sacrifice in the marriage alliance between the Shadow Sect and the former Jingyu Prince’s Manor.”

“Yes. So Prince Xiao Yu is actually Yi Bo’s grandson,” Jin Xuan kept his hands tucked in his sleeves, speaking nonchalantly.

Su Changhe and Su Muyu exchanged glances, both seeing gravity in each other’s eyes. They had just been through a major battle and were severely weakened, yet this Chief Eunuch Jin Xuan who suddenly appeared before them was even more formidable than those they had just fought—an opponent they would struggle to defeat even at full strength.

Jin Xuan slowly rubbed the ring on his left hand with his right hand tucked in his sleeve. He seemed to enjoy these moments of silence, as if everything was under his control.

“Chief Eunuch,” Xiao Yu called softly.

Jin Xuan smiled at Su Changhe: “Clan Leader, your killing intent is too fierce. I feel as if winter winds are cutting across my face.”

Su Changhe gave a cold laugh: “When facing the palace’s strongest fighter, one might be killed with a moment’s carelessness. How could I suppress my killing intent?”

“What about Clan Leader Su?” Jin Xuan turned to Su Muyu.

“If you’re here for revenge, we shall fight. But from your manner, that doesn’t seem to be your purpose,” Su Muyu responded.

Jin Xuan nodded: “We don’t care about Yi Bo’s death. However, according to tradition, after his death, the Shadow Sect’s successor should be…”

“Me,” Xiao Yu continued.

“The Shadow Sect?” Su Muyu straightened slightly.

“Clan Leader Su, I can feel your killing intent too,” Jin Xuan smiled, seemingly unbothered. “It seems you both dislike the name ‘Shadow Sect,’ so after tonight, there will be no more Shadow Sect, only Dark River.”

Xiao Yu nodded: “The Shadow Sect will completely vanish from this world with this great fire.”

“Making the Shadow Sect disappear from this world isn’t an easy task, and this fire alone won’t achieve it,” Jin Xuan said mysteriously. “Everything about Dark River will soon be uncovered, and you’ll truly be hunted as criminals. Wanting to walk from darkness into light—yet often more dangers lurk in the light.”

Su Changhe pondered briefly, suddenly sheathing his weapon and straightening his back: “So you’ve come to negotiate terms.”

Jin Xuan smiled: “Is that what this is?” He extended one finger, pointing lightly at Su Changhe.

Su Changhe struck out with his palm to counter the qi attack, but felt it dissipate upon contact. When he regained his senses, he felt his internal energy churning, only managing to suppress it through forceful circulation. He frowned: “What martial art is this?”

“Let’s just say it’s quite an interesting one,” Jin Xuan smiled.

“I will take over the Shadow Sect’s forces, but there will no longer be a Shadow Sect in this world. Everything that happened tonight will be just an accident. And Dark River, from tonight onward, will simply be Dark River,” Xiao Yu said slowly.

“The conditions?” Su Muyu asked gravely.

“There are no conditions for now,” Jin Xuan lightly swept his sleeve. “Dark River is a powerful entity. We simply wish to gain a powerful friend—is that reason enough?”

“That reason is rather laughable,” Su Muyu said sincerely.

Jin Xuan paused: “Clan Leader Su, you are quite interesting.”

“No one would pay such a heavy price just to gain a friend unless that friend would be very useful,” Su Muyu looked up. “But if it’s for utilitarian purposes, then it’s not really friendship—these concepts contradict each other.”

“That’s Clan Leader Su’s definition of friendship. I believe the Clan Leader has a different definition,” Xiao Yu looked at Su Changhe.

Su Changhe grinned: “My definition of friendship is Su Muyu.”

“How touching,” Jin Xuan looked up at the bright moon.

“Regardless, if the Chief Eunuch is truly willing to help,” Su Muyu said solemnly, “Dark River will remember this favor.”

Su Changhe shrugged: “After all, we don’t have any other choice, do we?”

“Then, until we meet again,” Jin Xuan and Xiao Yu stepped aside, clearing a path.

“Farewell,” Su Muyu and Su Changhe immediately passed by them, heading toward the Shadow Sect’s main gate.

Jin Xuan and Xiao Yu continued forward, and Xiao Yu asked quietly: “Do you think they took what we left for them?”

Jin Xuan watched the gradually collapsing Hall of Ten Thousand Scrolls: “Given what we just saw, they certainly did. The brotherhood between them is even deeper than we imagined.”

“That makes things interesting,” Xiao Yu smiled coldly.

“Friends?” Jin Xuan lowered his head and smiled. “We do need friends, but one is enough.”

“May I boldly ask the Chief Eunuch, who do you think is more likely to eventually come to our side? Su Changhe or Su Muyu?” Xiao Yu asked.

Jin Xuan thought for a moment: “Su Changhe, I suppose. I feel he walks the same path as us.”

As they approached the main gate, Su Muyu suddenly took out a stack of papers from his robes: “Changhe, this is for you.”

Su Changhe took them: “What are these? From the Hall of Ten Thousand Scrolls?”

“These were in your section. I didn’t read them, but I guess they contain records of your origins,” Su Muyu replied. “Haven’t you always remembered things from your childhood? Perhaps reading what’s written here might help.”

Su Changhe hesitated, then shook his head with a smile. He raised his hand high, and a gust of wind scattered the papers to pieces. “What does the past matter? From now on, Dark River, you and I—we only have tomorrow.”