On the other side of the folding fan lay an entire realm of mountains and rivers.

Mu Xuanling never imagined that within Nan Xuyue’s fans existed another world. As Sang Qi waved his sleeve, Nan Xuyue brought her into this fan realm.

Here, peace reigned. Birds sang amidst fragrant flowers, and streams gurgled gently, reminiscent of a utopian paradise.

Nan Xuyue, slightly out of breath, explained, “This is a small pocket dimension created by a Fashen-rank ancestor of the Yunxiu Manor. I’ve connected its entrance to the fan’s surface using an array. While we can temporarily evade Sang Qi here, it’s not a permanent solution. I’m unsure of the depths of his power. If he possesses Fashen strength, he could tear open a spatial rift and enter.”

Mu Xuanling’s face turned ashen. “He’s more terrifying than I imagined. All these years, he’s been concealing his true strength.”

“He deliberately lured away Xie Xuechen, so he likely doesn’t have the power to face him head-on,” Nan Xuyue said gravely, lowering his head in thought. “We only need to hold out for a short while. Once Xie Xuechen kills that demon Jiao, Sang Qi will have to retreat.”

“That demon Jiao is no ordinary beast,” Mu Xuanling’s face showed concern. “It was originally a Jiao King, defeated by Sang Qi, who then extracted its tendons and bound its soul, refining it into a magical tool. It exists in both physical and ethereal states, making it extremely difficult to deal with. Xie Xuechen’s Primordial Spirit absorbed the force of a Fashen’s self-destruction just days ago. His power hasn’t even recovered to seventy percent. I fear he might be injured again, allowing Sang Qi to strike.”

Nan Xuyue stared at her blankly, then suddenly laughed.

Mu Xuanling looked up in surprise. “What are you laughing at?”

Nan Xuyue sighed helplessly. “Even at this moment, you’re still worrying about him.”

Mu Xuanling’s eyelashes trembled as she lowered her gaze, unable to respond.

Nan Xuyue let out a soft sigh and gently asked, “You suddenly turned pale earlier. Was it the pain in your chest?”

Mu Xuanling nodded. “I don’t know why, but it suddenly started aching.”

She had experienced chest pains before, attributing it to the dispersal of demonic energy. But now, even after dispersing her demonic cultivation, the pain not only persisted but intensified.

“I’m only worried that this might be related to Sang Qi,” Nan Xuyue said, taking her wrist to carefully examine her pulse, but unable to discern anything definitive.

Sang Qi’s methods were difficult to fathom. Nan Xuyue’s mastery of arrays was unparalleled among humans, but Sang Qi’s manipulation of demonic energy was beyond mortal comprehension, a realm Nan Xuyue, as a mortal, could never hope to touch.

“Nan Xuyue,” Mu Xuanling took a deep breath, looking earnestly into his eyes. “If he comes after us again, don’t worry about me. If he captures me, it won’t be to kill me. I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t be foolish,” Nan Xuyue sighed. “You’ve dispersed your demonic cultivation, barely clinging to life. If he takes you back to the demon realm, even if you don’t die, your life would be worse than death.”

“I’m used to it. That’s my destiny, and it shouldn’t involve you. I shouldn’t be burdening you,” Mu Xuanling smiled faintly. “These few days since leaving the demon realm have been like a beautiful dream. Now that I’m awake, it’s time to return to reality.”

Nan Xuyue wanted to say something, but Mu Xuanling interrupted him.

“I understand your intentions, but I can’t accept them,” Mu Xuanling said, seeing the sadness in Nan Xuyue’s eyes and fighting back her guilt and heartache. “You’re a cherished friend, and I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

“Friend…” Nan Xuyue’s clear, deep eyes swirled with suppressed emotion. “I see.”

“You emerged from the darkness because of yourself, not because of my careless words,” Mu Xuanling sighed softly, unconsciously softening her tone as she couldn’t bear to see Nan Xuyue hurt. “I’m not worthy of such affection from you.”

Nan Xuyue suddenly let out a low chuckle. Mu Xuanling looked at his handsome profile in surprise, only to see a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Lingr,” Nan Xuyue suddenly changed the subject, “I seem to have left some words unfinished back in the dungeon.” Mu Xuanling furrowed her brow in confusion.

Nan Xuyue tilted his head slightly, his eyes as deep and dark as a starless night.

“You mentioned then that your father had spared the main culprit who harmed you,” Mu Xuanling said softly.

Nan Xuyue smiled. “Not entirely. At least, Madam Xue died.”

“Ah!” Mu Xuanling exclaimed. “Was she killed by your father?”

“She took the blame for Nan Xingye, shouldering all the crimes. She took her own life in front of me,” Nan Xuyue explained.

Nan Xuyue could never forget Madam Xue’s eyes as she died. She was smiling, satisfied that her son would gain everything, while she merely lost her life. To her, it was worth it.

“I was angry at first, because of my father’s unfairness and favoritism. But at that moment, I was suddenly left with only envy,” Nan Xuyue said with a faint smile. “Someone loved him so much that they would gladly die for him.”

“And in this lifetime, I will never encounter such a person.”

It was only later that Nan Xuyue understood that the regret of this loss had become his heart demon.

Seeing Mu Xuanling’s ardent and sincere love for Xie Xuechen, and her selfless devotion, he finally understood what he had missed.

He found himself both pitiful and laughable. Did he fall for Lingr as a person, or did he fall for her deep, unwavering love for another?

Even the wisest in this world cannot unravel the mysteries of love. He could only follow his heart, tightly grasping her hand at this moment.

Suddenly, this pocket dimension began to shake violently. Nan Xuyue shielded Mu Xuanling behind him and said in a deep voice, “He’s here.”

A black rift tore open in the sky, and a pale hand reached out from it. Demonic energy surged, and the space around them trembled, on the verge of collapse.

Nan Xuyue’s expression grew grave. He knew he couldn’t sustain this space any longer, yet only half an hour had passed.

The rift in the sky suddenly expanded rapidly. Nan Xuyue tightened his grip on Mu Xuanling’s hand. Abruptly, the entire space shattered like broken porcelain. Mu Xuanling felt her body lighten as she and Nan Xuyue fell to the ground.

They were still in the same place, but Sang Qi now held a crumpled fan in his hand.

“For a mortal, you did quite well,” Sang Qi didn’t hesitate to praise. “So, I think I’ll kill you now.”

Mu Xuanling’s pupils constricted. She saw Sang Qi’s fingertip twitch, and her body reacted before her mind could, pushing Nan Xuyue away and shielding him. A black palm struck Mu Xuanling’s back. Even though Sang Qi had dissipated most of the demonic energy at the last moment, Mu Xuanling was still sent flying, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

“How foolish,” Sang Qi frowned, disappearing from his spot and reappearing beside Mu Xuanling, scooping up her severely injured form into his arms.

Mu Xuanling was in excruciating pain, unable to resist, but still clung to a shred of consciousness. Her weak voice came out in fragments, “Sang Qi… if you kill him… I’ll… take my own life.”

“Heh,” Sang Qi sneered, “You’d go this far for someone you don’t even like? Is your life really that cheap? Or perhaps, you truly don’t want to live anymore?”

Her long lashes fluttered weakly, but she didn’t answer Sang Qi’s questions.

A sharp sword intent shot towards Sang Qi’s face. His expression turned solemn as he vanished from the spot.

Xie Xuechen, half-covered in blood, appeared before Sang Qi. The sword energy from Jun Tian Sword remained as fierce as ever.

To have defeated the demon Jiao in just half an hour—Sang Qi was inwardly shocked.

“It seems Sect Leader Xie has paid quite a price,” Sang Qi observed the blood on Xie Xuechen’s body thoughtfully. “Hmm, to rush here and stop me?”

Xie Xuechen didn’t waste words with him. Jun Tian Sword rose again, moving at an incredible speed that produced a sharp whistling sound. Sang Qi’s silver eyes narrowed as he formed a shield of demonic energy in front of him, his form flickering as he reappeared ten zhang away.

Xie Xuechen pursued relentlessly, droplets of fresh blood falling from his feet into the snow, resembling red plum blossoms.

“Sect Leader Xie, you’re at the end of your strength now. If we truly fight, you may not be my match,” Sang Qi’s voice carried from afar. “Is it worth engaging in a life-and-death battle with me for Mu Xuanling?”

Xie Xuechen pressed his lips together in silence.

That demon Jiao, empowered by the array, had been incredibly difficult to deal with, existing in both physical and ethereal states. Xie Xuechen, worried about Mu Xuanling’s safety, wanted to end the battle quickly. There was only one way: to exert all his strength and encompass the entire demon Jiao within his attack range.

If he couldn’t find a solid target, he’d treat everything as solid and strike.

Pushing the Jade Heavenly Gate Breaking Array to its limit, he entered the array himself, risking mutual destruction to slay the demon Jiao with his sword. He then immediately rushed into the city to find Mu Xuanling.

But he was still a step too late, allowing Sang Qi to abduct Mu Xuanling.

“Sect Leader Xie,” Sang Qi’s voice was full of malice, “Let me tell you something. Little Lingr approached you under my orders, aiming to obtain the Jade Heavenly Scripture. She never truly liked you.”

Xie Xuechen’s sword pierced through the void, striking space, but a trace of blood seeped from the sword tip.

Sang Qi’s form became visible, his face pale, silver eyes flashing with an odd light. “You don’t believe what I said?”

Not only did he not believe it, but he had also used the opportunity to locate Sang Qi’s position.

Xie Xuechen’s raven-blue hair danced with the surging spiritual energy, the golden light of his long sword reflected in his phoenix eyes, emitting a formidable radiance.

At that moment, a circular portal opened in the void, revealing a faint crimson moon. Sang Qi sighed in relief, stepped back, and his form flashed into the portal. Xie Xuechen pursued like lightning, willing to enter the demon realm despite his grave injuries. However, a black shadow suddenly appeared, blocking the portal.

The shadow transformed into a humanoid figure, neither male nor female – it was the Desire Demon.

Xie Xuechen was delayed for a breath and completely lost track of Sang Qi.

The Desire Demon faced the murderous Xie Xuechen with a mix of fear and desire, its entire demonic form trembling. It lusted after Xie Xuechen’s beauty, especially the sword god bathed in blood, which held a uniquely tragic and heroic flavor. It swallowed hard, unable to control its fear of power.

The one who should be experiencing shock, worry, and fear should be the Infatuation Demon. As the Desire Demon, it should only indulge in pleasure, not fear.

The Desire Demon transformed into Mu Xuanling’s appearance and said with a forced smile, “Sect Leader Xie…”

Before it could finish, it was turned into a puff of black smoke by Jun Tian Sword’s energy.

Xie Xuechen coldly gazed at where the portal had disappeared. The last of his strength suddenly dissipated, and he swayed, falling from mid-air. Jun Tian Sword transformed into a small golden boat, carrying him down onto the snow.

The snow beneath him slowly turned red, and a white jade hairpin fell from his bosom.

He had redeemed the hairpin from the noodle shop. The cool jade had been warmed by his palm. He wanted to return it to her, yet selfishly wished to keep it.

Let Lingr stay in Yongxue City…

This thought echoed in his mind repeatedly.

But he still couldn’t keep her.

When facing the demon Jiao, he knew his choice. Between Lingr and Yongxue City, he ultimately chose the latter.

Mu Xuanling awoke to excruciating pain. Her back felt as if it were on fire, the pain spreading to her heart and lungs, causing her to cough lightly.

“You’re awake,” Sang Qi’s voice came closer, his black robe appearing in her vision.

“If I hadn’t withdrawn my power, you might have died,” Sang Qi sneered. “What’s this? Don’t you like Xie Xuechen? Or have you changed your heart and fallen for that cripple?”

Mu Xuanling pressed her lips together, refusing to speak.

She was lying in Sang Qi’s pill refining room, surrounded by various pills and magical tools. This was the most familiar place to her for the past seven years. Here, Sang Qi had taught her much but also caused her unbearable pain. Each time the demonic energy cleansed her body, it was like torture.

Sang Qi crouched down in front of her, gripping her thin chin and forcing her to look up. His silver eyes gleamed with malicious amusement. “Looks like you’ve suffered quite a bit. You practiced demonic cultivation for seven hard years, only to have it dispersed by Xie Xuechen. Yet you seem quite pleased about it.”

Mu Xuanling lowered her eyes, unwilling to speak to him.

“The child has grown up and become more rebellious. Won’t even listen to her master anymore,” Sang Qi increased the pressure of his grip, leaving red marks on Mu Xuanling’s pale cheeks. She frowned slightly.

“When I gave you Half-Day Splendor, didn’t I tell you to get close to Xie Xuechen, make him like you, but not to fall for him yourself?” Sang Qi sneered. “Seeing your defiant expression, you seem quite dissatisfied with me. Little Lingr, no matter what, I was the one who rescued you from Mingyue Manor and taught you skills. You called me master for seven years. Now that you’ve found someone you like, you don’t recognize your master anymore?”

Mu Xuanling clenched her teeth, enduring the pain in silence.

“Now you won’t even speak a word to your master,” Sang Qi clicked his tongue, shaking his head as he released his hold on her. “I know you hate me in your heart. All these years, the thought that kept you alive, the strength that helped you endure the pain of demonic energy cleansing, was revenge.” Sang Qi curved his lips into a smile. “You’ve always wanted to kill me.”

Mu Xuanling was startled, her pupils contracting as she stiffly looked at Sang Qi.

He knows?

Sang Qi laughed. He slowly straightened up, his slender hand resting on Mu Xuanling’s head. Looking down at her with a smile, he said, “How could I not know? Do you think among so many half-demons, I took you as my disciple solely because of your good aptitude?”

“Why…” Mu Xuanling asked hoarsely.

“Because when you were unconscious, I searched your soul,” Sang Qi smiled cruelly. He had seen the most important moments of her life in her consciousness. “I know there’s someone you hold dear in your heart, someone who died to save you. I even know that person is Xie Xuechen, but it seems you don’t know that.”

“You knew…” Mu Xuanling’s entire body trembled violently, tears streaming from her eyes. She glared at Sang Qi with hatred. “So you knew everything all along, but why?”

“You mean why I hid it from you?” Sang Qi smiled. “That’s a rather foolish question. Think about it, why would I tell you?”

Sang Qi’s face was full of interest, a smile playing on his lips. “All these years, you’ve been diligently practicing, wanting to kill me to avenge Xie Xuechen. And, I just love seeing you try so hard. Hatred is a powerful energy. The stronger the hatred in your heart, the stronger the power you can unleash.”

Mu Xuanling couldn’t understand Sang Qi’s thoughts. His mind was too deep, his malice too strong. He wasn’t human at all, and his actions couldn’t be fathomed by human reasoning.

“Why did you give me Half-Day Splendor and let me save Xie Xuechen?” Mu Xuanling asked.

“I told you, it was to let you get close to him and trick him into revealing the Jade Heavenly Scripture,” Sang Qi shook his head helplessly. “When I tell the truth, no one ever believes me.”

Sang Qi continued slowly: “If we could have extracted the Jade Heavenly Scripture from him at Rongyan that day, Xie Xuechen’s death wouldn’t have mattered. But since we couldn’t, I had to resort to this plan. I thought, given your past connection and the fact that you saved his life, those self-proclaimed righteous cultivators wouldn’t kill someone who saved them. As long as you stayed by his side, there should be ample opportunity to get the Jade Heavenly Scripture.”

“I didn’t want the Jade Heavenly Scripture. I just wanted to stay by his side,” Mu Xuanling said coldly, enduring the pain in her chest. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

Sang Qi suddenly burst into laughter. Mu Xuanling stared at him in bewilderment as he covered his forehead, seemingly having heard some hilarious joke. He laughed uncontrollably for a while before lowering his hand, revealing slightly reddened eyes, and looked at Mu Xuanling with an odd expression.

He approached her step by step, cornering her. His pale, delicate hand covered her brow, and the slightly cold temperature of his body made her shiver.

“Don’t you understand?” Sang Qi sighed softly. “He dispersed your demonic cultivation but passed on the Jade Heavenly Technique to you. Lingr, he treats you exceptionally well.”

As soon as Sang Qi finished speaking, a strange spiritual energy rippled from Mu Xuanling’s brow, like a drop of water falling into a lake, creating ripple after ripple.

Her body underwent a mysterious change. Before her eyes, a new and unfamiliar space seemed to unfold, filled with drifting clouds and mist, vast and desolate. Pure spiritual energy permeated everything. With a mere thought, the spiritual energy spread throughout her body. She felt as if she were immersed in warm springs, her body once again filled with power.

This power… it’s Xie Xuechen’s…

“So this is the secret of the Jade Heavenly Scripture,” Sang Qi’s silver eyes blazed with a terrifying light. He trembled slightly with excitement. “I knew it. Seven years ago, when he destroyed his divine aperture, how could his cultivation not decrease but instead increase? So the Jade Heavenly Scripture can rebuild the divine aperture!”

Mu Xuanling stared at the ecstatic Sang Qi in shock. Her eyes widened, and it took her a long time to understand what Xie Xuechen had done.

Allowing a half-demon to possess a divine aperture was a decision that could change the balance of the Three Realms. Half-demons are born with innate cultivation, but because they lack a divine aperture and demon core, they are destined to be unable to advance further in cultivation. Sang Qi had found an alternative path through demonic cultivation, but it wasn’t the right way.

Mu Xuanling’s hands, clutching her clothes, began to tremble. Hot tears rolled down her face.

So his affection wasn’t just a little…

He dispersed her demonic cultivation because he wanted to spare her the pain of demonic energy cleansing, and so she wouldn’t have to fear the scorching sun, allowing her to enjoy the warmth of the human world.

He passed on the Jade Heavenly Scripture to her so she could practice the Dao, not for immortality, but so she could live well…

But he didn’t say, and she didn’t know.

His gentleness is known to no one.