Cong Xia truly cried.

She sat on the ground, nearly throwing a tantrum: “Spit it out, spit it out!”

Her extreme reaction was understandable. Though winter was approaching, which should be hibernation season for snake demons, great demons were nothing like ordinary creatures. For adult great demons, mating season often came in the third month after their elemental body stabilized.

A significant reason for Cong Xia’s tears was that she had been anticipating this day for several months.

She was certain that immortals, being so prideful, wouldn’t know about such matters. When the time came and the Mountain Lord needed relief, she would strip naked and present herself, and he would have no choice but to compromise.

Now with the oath fruit revealed, her plan had undoubtedly failed. Unless Yan Chaosheng wanted to die, he would never touch her.

However, Cong Xia didn’t know that Liu Shuang hadn’t eaten just one fruit, but countless ones.

This was fortunate for Liu Shuang. Having eaten so many oath fruits, if she left the Demon Palace now, she wouldn’t even need to act herself. Once Yan Chaosheng’s mating season arrived, he would either die or be severely injured.

This way, Yan Chaosheng wouldn’t withstand the demon onslaught, and she wouldn’t need to personally avenge Pale Blue and Bai Zhuixu.

In a flash of insight, Liu Shuang realized something crucial.

“If he died…” she murmured, “Would he die? No, that’s not right.”

She recalled the scales on his body that day. Yan Chaosheng’s bloodline was unclear—a ghost cultivator! In his previous life, Yan Chaosheng had been a ghost cultivator, entering the ghost path with a demon body. It wouldn’t be so simple.

If she did nothing, Yan Chaosheng might not die, but instead might follow the same path as in his previous life, becoming a demon-ghost. At that point, could their immortal clan still defeat him?

Was he trying to trick her out of her Hui spiritual heart, or did he already know he could take the ghost cultivation path? The Yan Chaosheng she knew was quick-witted and cunning; she couldn’t afford to be careless.

Liu Shuang collected her thoughts. While the butterfly spirit was useless in combat, she excelled at throwing tantrums. Liu Shuang waved the oath fruit in her hand and asked, “How is this made?”

Cong Xia refused to answer her, glaring hatefully at the fruit before getting up and running away.

If she wouldn’t tell, Liu Shuang had other ways to find out, especially since she was now quite popular in the Demon Palace.

That evening, when Yan Chaosheng returned, he saw Liu Shuang sitting cross-legged at the table, tending to a small sapling.

His wounds had almost healed. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the sapling was used for cultivating the oath fruits.

He instinctively thought she had found his tree, but looking more carefully, he realized it wasn’t his.

His oath fruit tree was lush and flourishing, full of vitality.

But the one before him, planted in a jade pot, though it had form, had yellowing leaves. Far from thriving, it looked utterly despondent.

“Where did you get this?” Yan Chaosheng asked.

He wasn’t surprised that Liu Shuang knew about the fruit. This was the Demon Palace; someone was bound to recognize oath fruits.

“It’s mine!” the little immortal maiden announced, then added, “Don’t speak. Don’t disturb me. It’s about to bear fruit.”

So Yan Chaosheng stood over her, watching in silence.

Her oath tree slowly produced a fruit—a very small one, white.

Now Yan Chaosheng truly believed the oath fruit was hers. Demon oath fruits were purple; no immortal would cultivate such “evil objects.” When cultivated by immortals, they turned pure white.

Liu Shuang plucked it and turned to look at him.

Yan Chaosheng silently gazed back. He had been speculating about what Liu Shuang was doing. He considered that she might be curious about how oath fruits grew, or perhaps had other intentions—maybe it was for Ji Mo Shao You in the future. However, there was one possibility he hadn’t dared to consider.

She opened his clenched fist and placed the fruit in his palm.

“Yan Chaosheng,” she said softly, somewhat embarrassed, “It grew white. Is it edible?”

His voice was hoarse: “Yes.”

“Oh,” she continued, “As long as you’re not afraid of being poisoned.”

He fell silent.

Liu Shuang deliberately said, “If you don’t want it, give it back to me.”

As she reached to take it back, the hand that tried to grab it was caught in his palm, unable to move.

“Do you know what this is?”

His voice was very low, as if suppressing something. Liu Shuang looked up at him. Yan Chaosheng frowned, meeting her gaze, and surprisingly repeated, “Answer me, do you know what this is?”

His tone was unusual.

Under his intense stare, Liu Shuang wavered momentarily, but she still nodded: “An oath fruit.”

Her fingers were suddenly gripped painfully.

Yet Yan Chaosheng’s tone remained calm: “Fine. Since you know, I’ll give you a chance. Take it back.”

He opened his hand, revealing the strange white oath fruit.

Liu Shuang looked at him and reached out. Before she could touch the fruit, his expression changed. He clenched his jaw tightly but didn’t move, allowing her to take it.

Indeed, such a thing wouldn’t truly be given to him.

He closed his eyes briefly. Anyone who had been toyed with would find it unpleasant. If she never intended to give it to him from the start, why give him hope?

Yan Chaosheng strode toward the exit. Outside the door, the enormous Qing Luan was startled when its master suddenly opened the door.

It chirped pitifully and looked toward Liu Shuang, who had followed him out.

Liu Shuang couldn’t understand why Yan Chaosheng was leaving. Occasionally, their thought processes didn’t align. She grabbed his hand and found it cold.

No matter how urgent, Yan Chaosheng should at least have let her finish what she was doing before leaving.

So she moved in front of him, and as he frowned and was about to speak, she stuffed the white fruit into his mouth.

Her oath fruit was half the size of his, just right to be eaten in one bite.

Yan Chaosheng seemed frozen, unable to move or make a sound. Only Qing Luan peered in from outside, not understanding what was happening between its master and Liu Shuang.

After a while, Yan Chaosheng moved.

He lowered his eyes and bit into the oath fruit. It was his first time tasting one, and he didn’t know it would be so sweet, like when he was young and eagerly waited under a tree to taste honey for the first time.

Though afterward he was stung all over by bee demons, that sweet taste had been enough for him to savor for a long time, and he didn’t regret it.

He chewed very slowly.

Oath fruits normally had a pit. When Liu Shuang ate them before, she always spat out the pits. She wasn’t sure if her strangely grown oath fruit had one, but Yan Chaosheng didn’t spit anything out.

“Is it… very unpleasant?” Liu Shuang asked.

He raised his eyes and smiled.

It wasn’t that somber smile, nor the restrained, faint smile that usually appeared in his eyes. For the first time in a long while, Liu Shuang saw him reveal this kind of smile.

It was the clear, joyful smile belonging solely to a youth who had just come of age.

Liu Shuang was stunned. Even seven hundred years later, she had never seen such pure joy on Yan Chaosheng’s face. All because of… a single fruit.

Her waist was suddenly embraced, catching her off guard. Liu Shuang could only hold onto his neck, hearing his hearty laughter by her ear.

“You didn’t deceive me,” he said. “I’m truly happy.”

Liu Shuang supported herself on his shoulders, and for a moment, she was infected by his emotions and curved her eyes in a smile along with him.

Her Hui spiritual heart was pure, drawn to all genuine emotions.

Just as with the flower from the demon child that had delighted her when she received it, Yan Chaosheng’s emotions could also move her.

At least at this moment, she felt that Yan Chaosheng’s happiness was genuine.

She patted Yan Chaosheng’s head, and surprisingly, he showed no anger. He merely narrowed his eyes, looking toward Qing Luan, who was peeking in curiously at the door.

Qing Luan might not understand his joy, but he understood his killing intent. With a flap of its great wings, it closed the door.

Since meeting Yan Chaosheng, Liu Shuang had never seen him in such good spirits.

That night, he once again slept on the small couch.

He stroked her hair: “You sleep. After I finish dealing with these matters, I’ll accompany you home. I know you’re very concerned about Kung Sang’s situation. I promise you, henceforth I will spare all disciples of Kung Sang.”

She looked up at him. In the lamplight, his handsome features appeared so attractive.

He didn’t sleep all night, handling the accumulated affairs on his desk.

After the Demon Palace’s victorious battle, countless demons came to join. Some who had been watching from the sidelines, hidden great demons, also arrived.

In the past, Yan Chaosheng had valued powerful great demons, but this time, he made an exception and especially favored several silkworm maidens.

These silkworm maidens excelled at spinning silk and weaving brocade. Most demons had their ways to keep warm, making silkworm maidens often seem useless. However, the Mountain Lord accepted them, hoping they would weave the finest cloud brocade silk before winter’s end.

Liu Shuang went to watch them spin silk and asked, “What color did the Mountain Lord ask you to weave?”

“Purple,” they replied.

Purple cloud brocade was the most solemn color for demon wedding attire.

As autumn drew to a close, Liu Shuang saw a familiar face among the demons.

A face so ordinary it couldn’t be more common, yet with upturned fox-like eyes.

At that time, Su Lun was in the crowd, gambling with several great demons. They bet with spirit stones. The great demons kept losing, their faces pained as they lost more and more. Su Lun, with upturned eye corners, swept the spirit stones into his arms.

When he happened to notice Liu Shuang’s shocked gaze, he smiled and came over to bow: “Greetings, Immortal Maiden. You’ve been watching me. Would you like to play too?”

Liu Shuang shook her head. She was shocked to find that Su Lun had already pledged allegiance to Yan Chaosheng so early!

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“This humble one is Su Lun.”

“Su Lun, are you… a demon soldier or a strategist?”

Yan Chaosheng had no shortage of demon soldiers but few strategists. Strategists were often frail with weak spiritual power, and under the immortal clans’ dominance over the years, they had become rare. The ancient Qingqiu fox clan had long disappeared from history.

Su Lun raised an eyebrow: “What does the Immortal Maiden think?”

Liu Shuang answered with certainty: “A strategist.”

Su Lun, an ordinary-looking fox spirit, laughed delightedly: “The Immortal Maiden is quite interesting, thinking too highly of this humble one. I am neither a demon soldier nor a strategist. Passing through here, I merely carry out someone’s request to deliver a gift to the Immortal Maiden.”

“For me?”

“Yes. Please look, do you recognize these?”

They were two beautiful blue sapphires. Liu Shuang recognized them at once as the eyes of the little sand person who had cared for her for so long at Yao Mountain!

Back then, it had been most affectionate toward her, but now it was dead.

“How could this happen? Did Zhan Xueyang send you to me?”

“Hmm, not exactly,” said Su Lun. “It wasn’t Master Zhan, but the little creatures under him. This humble one was passing by Yao Mountain when a group of sand people stopped me. They asked me to give this to you.”

The blue sapphires almost embedded themselves in Liu Shuang’s palm.

Her magic penetrated them, sensing Yan Chaosheng’s lingering aura within. It was Yan Chaosheng who had killed it. He had killed them and then had Zhan Xueyang tell her that he had obtained the dragon blood.

The gemstones also contained Hui spiritual power. It wasn’t hard to deduce that the gem people wanted to tell her that Yan Chaosheng had killed them for the Hui spiritual power!

Su Lun bowed: “This humble one must take leave.”

Liu Shuang clutched the blue sapphires. It seemed Yan Chaosheng played his role even better than she did. For the Hui spiritual heart, he could sacrifice anything, give up anything. Was it because her Hui spiritual heart wasn’t fully refined yet, meaning he couldn’t take it, that she had survived from Yao Mountain until now?

The irony was that she had been swayed by a flower from a demon child.

Liu Shuang looked at Su Lun.

But even if Yan Chaosheng couldn’t be trusted, even if his love was false, could Su Lun, Zhan Xueyang, and the sand people be trusted? What should she do?

Su Lun had just been passing through to deliver a gemstone. After defeating a round of foolish demons of their spirit stones, before winter arrived, he packed his belongings, along with Yan Chaosheng’s Ten Commandment Ring, and fled.

He even snatched a sugar-coated haw from a small demon, who had been saving it for a year, unwilling to eat it. Su Lun ate it with a loud crunch, smiling.

The child cried heartbreakingly.

Su Lun escaped unscathed.

This was the first time Yan Chaosheng had had a magical treasure stolen by a demon. He looked up and expressionlessly asked Liu Shuang, “Winter is approaching. Do you like fox fur coats?”

Liu Shuang was startled, then suppressed a laugh.

Outside, demons wailing to report grievances formed a line—all victims of Su Lun’s misdeeds.

Yan Chaosheng raised his hand, forming Zang Tian in his palm.

Qing Luan gathered its strength, ready to fly. Su Lun would surely face consequences. Though clever, his magical power wasn’t strong enough. Against absolute power, he could only be toyed with.

Liu Shuang wasn’t worried about Yan Chaosheng killing Su Lun. Yan Chaosheng lacked strategists and desperately sought talent. Once he calmed down, he would recognize the importance of recruiting someone like Su Lun.

Indeed, a few days later, he returned with Su Lun firmly bound by the Ten Commandment Ring.

Su Lun was brought out in a sorry state, yet still smiling composedly as he faced the demons who had gathered to beat him: “Let’s talk this out reasonably. I can explain everything.”

The iron-bull demon’s fist was the first to fall.

“Mountain Lord,” Su Lun said, “Would you let your subordinate be beaten to death?”

The iron-bull demon’s fist was lightly caught. Yan Chaosheng smiled coldly: “Beat him gently. Don’t cripple him. He’s still useful.”

Yan Chaosheng returned to the palace to find Liu Shuang feeding Qing Luan.

She instructed Qing Luan: “No, not like that. You need to control your spiritual power and shrink yourself. No, no, that’s wrong…”

Qing Luan, dull-witted, couldn’t make itself smaller and was anxious to take flight.

She held its wing: “If you don’t learn this, when you meet Chi Yuan in the future, you’ll be so big you’ll scare her away, and she’ll like other little Qing Luans instead.”

Qing Luan didn’t understand. Now half the size of a palace, it thought Liu Shuang was playing with it and tried to nuzzle her with its large head. Completely unaware of its size, this sudden movement nearly knocked Liu Shuang over.

Watching this scene, Yan Chaosheng felt warmth quietly flowing through his heart, like ice that had been cold for years gradually melting into a warm lake.

“When it grows larger, it will control its spiritual power on its own,” Yan Chaosheng said. “Some demonic talents only awaken after adulthood.”

“So that’s how it works.” Liu Shuang smiled as she approached. “What about Su Lun? Did you catch him?”

Yan Chaosheng said, “Brought him back. He’s being beaten—serves him right.”

The last two words carried a mocking tone.

“…”

Yan Chaosheng lowered his gaze to look at her: “While I was out, I learned some news.”

“What is it?”

Yan Chaosheng said, “Kun Lun’s spiritual veins have been disturbed again. This time, even the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron couldn’t suppress it. Many people in Kun Lun died.”

Seeing Liu Shuang’s silence, Yan Chaosheng asked, “Do you want to go see?”

She looked up and asked softly, “Why are you telling me this?”

He raised his hand, brushing past the feather ornament on her forehead: “I don’t want you to blame me later. I know he’s important to you.”

She said, “I want to go see.”

“Then go,” Yan Chaosheng paused. “However, this time, I can’t accompany you.”

Liu Shuang nodded, not asking why. As she turned to leave, her arm was grabbed with sudden force that relaxed a moment later.

“You will return, won’t you?”

She turned back, meeting Yan Chaosheng’s eyes, and nodded: “Yes.” Silently, she made a decision.

He slowly released her hand: “I’ll wait for you.”

Winter was approaching imperceptibly. The silkworm maidens had already woven the cloud brocade ahead of schedule; it only needed dyeing.

On the day Liu Shuang left the Demon Palace, a strong wind blew. Yan Chaosheng didn’t see her off but left Qing Luan with her.

No sooner had she left than Su Lun, adorned with a jade fan and silk headband, entered the hall with a smile. Looking at Yan Chaosheng with his crimson eyes, Su Lun sighed: “Why does the Mountain Lord torture himself? Planning to endure the mating season alone after your elemental body has stabilized, letting your wife go find another man? Both your heart and body must be suffering terribly.”

“If you can’t speak properly, then shut your mouth.”

Su Lun clicked his tongue: “The Mountain Lord is truly a role model. If you keep resisting, you’ll burst apart.”

Such was the nature of demons. Why resist repeatedly? There was no battle currently, no one for Yan Chaosheng to kill. He couldn’t kill the Demon Palace’s inhabitants. His elemental body had stabilized, making the cold pond useless. He had no method left to endure the mating season.

Su Lun said sympathetically, “This subordinate has an idea. Mountain Lord, go kill human bandits. They pillage, burn, and kill, committing all manner of evil. Killing them isn’t sinful but a great merit.”

Yan Chaosheng’s blood-red eyes coldly looked at him, and the next moment, he vanished.

Su Lun smiled and shook his head: “He believed me.”

If immortals or demons massively slaughtered mortals, regardless of right or wrong, it would be sinful. In the grand scheme, the Heavenly Way wouldn’t allow anyone to act in its place.

Even the ancient demon god Dan Tai Jin couldn’t defy the Heavenly Way and changed to the Shared Sorrow Path. How could they, thousands of generations later, possibly defy the Heavenly Way?

Su Lun walked out of the palace, narrowing his eyes. Perhaps Yan Chaosheng didn’t believe his words but was simply too uncomfortable, fearing he might slaughter everyone in the Demon Palace if he couldn’t control himself, preferring to go mad elsewhere.

Forcibly resisting his demonic bloodline, this was his only option. There had been another solution, but after Yan Chaosheng grew the oath fruit, that option was completely gone. The only “antidote” had left.

Thinking of that little immortal maiden, Su Lun pondered thoughtfully. She… didn’t seem to have gone far. Had she guessed something?