Outside Ten Thousand Demon Valley.

Su Xiaomo sat on a rock rubbing her face, muttering inwardly: “Junior Brother Ye’s strike was way too heavy!”

The martial artists from various tribes nearby looked at her with admiration, because many had just emerged from within the valley and witnessed with their own eyes the scene of the Eternal Sect disciple tearing apart the Black Pincer Giant Scorpion Beast with his bare hands.

That’s right.

He simply reached out with both hands and directly tore the demon beast apart.

Though the process was somewhat decisive and brutal, it brought tremendous visual impact to the crowd!

“Too strong!”

“Too domineering!”

The crowd unconsciously looked toward Ye Xingchen, their gazes adding several more degrees of reverence.

“Junior Brother Ye.”

Su Xiaomo sat cross-legged and said: “Junior Brother Xiao encountering his former fiancée can also be considered fate, so why must you keep brooding over it?”

Others didn’t know, but he saw it most clearly.

When Xiao Zuiji reluctantly saved Murong Xin, Ye Xingchen’s entire face turned black with anger.

Very subtle, very strange.

“Brooding over it?”

Ye Xingchen sneered and said: “You’re overthinking it.”

The reason his face was dark wasn’t because Xiao Zuiji encountered his former fiancée, but rather…

How should he put it.

This kind of thing was very difficult to explain, and the more one explained, the more confused it became.

“Fine.”

Su Xiaomo feared getting beaten, so he didn’t dare say more, thinking inwardly: “Junior Brother Ye and Junior Brother Xiao’s fellow disciple bond is exceptionally deep.”

…

In the distance.

Murong Xin leaned against a tree.

Her injuries were quite severe, her complexion very pale, but it was difficult to conceal that refined and otherworldly quality.

Years ago in the lower realm, when she first visited the Eternal Sect, the still-girlish Murong Xin gave people a feeling of detached nobility, after all she came from a prestigious family and was a heaven’s favored daughter.

Now, having experienced the tempering of years, her appearance had not only become more mature, she even had a sense of seeing through worldly affairs.

People all grow.

For example, Xiao Zuiji standing beside her.

Because of one phrase “thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river,” he continuously worked hard in diligent cultivation, only to reclaim the dignity once lost. When he achieved his wish and encountered a broader world, he realized what he truly needed to do was protect—protect the sect and fellow disciples.

Young and spirited.

Battling heaven, battling earth, defying yin and yang.

As his mentality gradually matured and he looked back on past events, damn it all, if you’re not a chuunibyou in youth, you’ve wasted your teenage years.

“Thank you.”

Murong Xin struggled to make herself speak a complete sentence, seemingly not wanting him to see her current wretched state.

Xiao Zuiji tossed over a pill and said: “If it were someone I didn’t know, I would also act to save them, so don’t overthink it.”

“I won’t overthink it.”

Murong Xin lowered her head, looking at that pill given like alms, and said bitterly: “Ever since I lost to you at the Hundred Flowers Sacred Sect, I’ve already accepted my fate. No matter how time changes, whenever people discuss you, they inevitably bring me up, labeling me as ignorant and laughable.”

Xiao Zuiji didn’t respond.

Indeed.

Earlier in Liyang City, when the storyteller mentioned Murong Xin and the achievements he ultimately attained, she was discussed and ridiculed by the audience.

“When I went to the Xiao Family to break off the engagement, I brought you harm. Your rise from adversity nailed me to the pillar of shame.” Murong Xin smiled with difficulty and said: “Does this… make us even?”

“Get this straight.”

Xiao Zuiji said: “Everything was because of you.”

Regardless of whether breaking the engagement was right or wrong, adding another blow during his most difficult time was a fact. Precisely because of this, there was the three-year agreement that followed.

“Yes.”

Perhaps it was too difficult to suppress her injuries, Murong Xin’s voice was very small as she said: “Because of youthful ignorance, because of pursuing freedom, I made an unforgivable mistake. Even though decades have passed, it continues to torment my body and mind like a nightmare.”

“Take care of yourself.”

Xiao Zuiji began to walk away, not wanting to have too much interaction with this woman.

“Xiao Zuiji!”

Murong Xin remained leaning against the tree, forcefully suppressing her injuries to raise her head, saying: “I’m sorry.”

These words, she had wanted to say during the three-year agreement, but after missing that one chance, the gap between them grew ever wider, and there would never be another opportunity.

“The grudges between you and me were settled long ago.” Xiao Zuiji said: “You haven’t wronged me, and I haven’t wronged you.”

Watching his departing back, Murong Xin forced a smile and said: “Has he forgiven me?”

…

“Junior Brother Xiao.”

On the way back to the sect, Su Xiaomo leaned over and smiled, saying: “What did you two talk about?”

“Nothing much.”

Xiao Zuiji really feared this guy’s big mouth would cause him to return to the sect and babble everything, so he hastily said: “Senior Brother, as for what happened during the mission outside, just pretend you saw nothing, okay?”

“Okay.”

Su Xiaomo reached out and placed his hand on his shoulder, saying: “However, if Junior Brother encounters problems in matters of the heart, you can come consult me anytime.”

“…”

That night.

The three rested in a mountain cave.

To prove himself as Old Wei’s successor, Su Xiaomo kept pestering Xiao Zuiji, sharing his insights on emotional matters, speaking in a truly extravagant manner.

“Noisy.”

Ye Xingchen, sitting cross-legged in the corner with a stern face, said.

“…”

Su Xiaomo hastily closed his mouth, then stood up saying: “I’m going to relieve myself.”

Without the chatterbox, the atmosphere immediately became peaceful. In fact, because the aloof Night Emperor was present, it even began to feel frozen.

Xiao Zuiji and Ye Xingchen had trained together for many years and were long accustomed to this, so he sat before the campfire, his thoughts slowly drifting back to the past.

The Night Emperor maintained a resting posture with closed eyes, but kept paying attention to the other party. Seeing him seemingly fall into deep thought, he casually picked up a pebble nearby.

“Thud!”

It struck the back of his head, but Xiao Zuiji had no reaction.

“…”

Ye Xingchen picked up another stone.

“Bang—”

“Hiss!”

Xiao Zuiji covered the back of his head, turned around, grimacing and said: “Junior Brother Ye, what are you doing?”

Ye Xingchen said indifferently: “Remember this—emotions are the greatest obstacle on a martial artist’s path. If you still have the heart of a strong person, don’t waste your energy on useless matters.”

Case solved.

When Xiao Zuiji went to save Murong Xin and the Night Emperor’s face suddenly darkened, it wasn’t because of some reason, but because he was worried he would be trapped by emotions.

Some might say, what business is it of his?

Don’t forget, although Ye Xingchen and Xiao Zuiji—one focused on offense and one on defense—they share a common point: both have been hurt by women.

More precisely, both were hurt by fiancées.

Women understand women.

Men likewise understand men.

Therefore, Ye Xingchen gave this advice, because… this is what he did—devoted himself wholeheartedly to martial arts, ignoring everything else, even after the indescribable incident that occurred previously.

“Junior Brother Ye.”

At this moment, Su Xiaomo walked in from outside, saying seriously: “I don’t agree with your viewpoint.”

Ye Xingchen looked over with a stern face.

Su Xiaomo showed no fear, sitting before the campfire and saying: “People have the seven emotions and six desires, so why must we suppress feelings? Just to live in this world, can we abandon everything for the martial path?”

“We can.”

Ye Xingchen said indifferently.

“Junior Brother Ye can suppress romantic feelings, but can you also suppress familial love and suppress friendship? Fine, you can do it, but is that still being human?” Su Xiaomo said.

“…”

“Taking another step back.”

Su Xiaomo said: “If a person can even abandon romantic feelings, wouldn’t familial love and friendship be even cheaper? Or are you saying, Junior Brother Ye, that your interactions with fellow disciples until now have merely been putting on an act?”

“Third Senior Brother, don’t say anymore…”

“No.”

Su Xiaomo stood up, continuing: “Today I’m going to tell him that the reason people are people is precisely because they have the seven emotions and six desires. If everything can be abandoned, what difference is there from cold-blooded animals!”

Xiao Zuiji was speechless.

Was Third Senior Brother drunk? Was he getting carried away?

“Finished?”

Ye Xingchen’s voice was cold and harsh.

Su Xiaomo very consciously lay down swiftly on the ground, crossing his hands together, saying: “Don’t hit my face!”

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

“Ah ah ah oh oh—”

—