At the same time, in a small alley in the mortal world where rainwater had collected, a gray dog emerged from a corner. It bit open a broken winnowing basket, revealing a small boy inside the bamboo container.

The little boy had a pair of gray beast ears and eyes like black grapes, looking eagerly at the dog: “Brother, you’re back.”

The “dog” whimpered once, transforming into human form, and lifted his brother out of the bamboo basket.

“This is all I have. Eat, Ling.” The older youth took out a carrot and handed it to the little boy, who accepted it with poorly concealed disappointment in his eyes.

The youth said, “Make do with this today. Tomorrow I’ll go somewhere farther. I heard there’s a mansion belonging to Official Zhang in the city. I’ll try my luck there tomorrow. Perhaps someone in a wealthy household will be kind-hearted and give us some food.”

“Don’t go, Brother.” The boy called Yun Ling said, “I’m not hungry. If they discover you’re from the demon race, they’ll capture you.”

Yun Yang pressed his lips together and stroked his brother’s small head, his gaze dim: “Don’t worry, I’ll be more careful. After tomorrow, we’ll move to another place. Today, I saw disciples from an immortal sect passing by here. It’s no longer safe.”

The boy’s best ears drooped.

He was still very young and couldn’t hide his demonic nature, not even able to transform his beast ears. Human children his age would appear delicate and adorable.

But the little demon child was pale, his stomach sunken from hunger. It had been a long time since they had eaten a proper meal, making them look like refugees.

Yun Yang held him in his arms as an empty, painful feeling gnawed at his stomach. For the past two years, he had been in hiding, transforming into an ordinary dog during daylight to beg for food. Yet in these times, even the immortal realm was in turmoil, so how could the mortal world fare any better? Kind-hearted people were few, and some would even beat him severely.

Yun Yang could only endure it. He couldn’t use demonic arts, or he would easily attract cultivators. Each time, he could only play dead, hoping these people would leave him alone.

The new Heavenly Lord’s forces had swept through the Eight Wildernesses with overwhelming power. Unknowingly, the world had become filled with immortal sects loyal to the Heavenly Lord. These immortal sects obeyed the Heavenly Lord’s commands, and their mission was to search for fleeing demons. Anyone found would be taken away, their fate unknown, never to be seen in the world again.

Relying on his intelligence, vigilance, and extraordinary endurance, Yun Yang had escaped from Demon Mountain with his young brother and hidden in the mortal world for three years.

The boy sobbed and wiped his eyes, choking: “If only the Mountain Lord were still alive.”

Yun Yang covered his mouth, his gaze darkening: “Hush, don’t say any more. Don’t mention that name. I’ve taught you this.”

The boy nodded hurriedly and began gnawing on the carrot in his arms.

Yun Yang watched with sadness, his eyes welling up several times before he forced the tears back down. Three years ago, during the chaos at the demon palace, everyone feared for their lives. When Feng Fuming’s immortal soldiers broke through the barrier, the sky turned red with blood.

Yun Yang’s parents died that day. The couple, both powerful demons, gave their lives to help the brothers escape, ultimately dying in battle on Demon Mountain.

All these years, let alone returning to collect their parents’ remains, the two brothers didn’t even dare approach Demon Mountain.

They were accustomed to hardship. Their year at Demon Mountain had been the happiest and most stable time of their lives, without the need to hide, fear beatings, or go hungry.

But with the Mountain Lord’s death and the fall of the demon palace, they lost even their parents.

Their living space continually shrank, making each breath difficult and oppressive. Yun Yang looked at the gloomy sky and lost hope for the first time. He couldn’t raise his young brother as his parents had raised him.

While out today, he had accidentally encountered several immortals and overheard them discussing how the Heavenly Lord was about to attack Kun Lun.

The cause was the Heavenly Lord’s expanding influence, which had reached the foot of Kun Lun Mountain—practically a declaration of war at their doorstep. Conflict seemed inevitable.

In times like these…

Before Yun Yang could think further, his keen senses detected danger. He snatched up his brother and ran, but it was already too late.

An immortal sword descended from the sky, blocking their escape route.

Several disciples carrying immortal swords stood in formation. Their leader was the same person Yun Yang had encountered earlier that day.

The man said, “I wasn’t mistaken after all. The demonic aura I sensed during the day came from you.”

Yun Yang knew he couldn’t escape or defeat these immortal masters. Trembling, he knelt down and desperately kowtowed: “This lowly demon has never done anything wrong. Please, immortal masters, show mercy and spare my brother. I’ll go with you.”

Ling, at his side, burst into tears. The carrot rolled from his arms into the rainwater as he knelt beside Yun Yang and kowtowed as well: “Don’t hurt my brother. Take me instead, immortal masters.”

A younger immortal lord gritted his teeth: “They bear no karmic burden. Perhaps we could…”

The leading immortal cut him off expressionlessly: “Spare them? Could you answer the Heavenly Lord? Among all sects, ours has captured the fewest demons. If we let them go, will the Heavenly Lord spare us?”

The young immortal turned away, saying nothing more.

This larger demon child looked even younger than himself, with a pure aura. He had never harmed anyone, and he practiced orthodox immortal cultivation.

But his senior was right. Since their sect had pledged allegiance to Feng Fuming, to survive under the new Heavenly Lord’s iron rule and continue for thousands of years, they had to prove their loyalty by capturing these wandering demons.

The young immortal clenched his fists. The world was cruel—when immortals fought, lesser beings suffered. For the first time, he felt that even as an immortal, it was difficult to remain purely good.

Their small immortal realm could have stayed away from the conflict.

“Form the array!” his senior ordered.

The kowtowing Yun Yang leaped up, carrying his brother as he tried to break through.

“The demon is trying to escape! Be careful, don’t let them get away.”

The immortal sect disciples scattered, forming an array. The Heavenly Lord had ordered them to capture demons alive when possible, so they couldn’t simply kill the two young demons.

Yun Yang was forced back several times, his eyes bloodshot. Knowing he couldn’t escape, he remembered how his parents had sent him and his brother away before dying. He forced blood from his heart, trying to replicate the demonic technique to send his brother away.

However, before little Ling could be sent far, the lead immortal flew over swiftly and caught him by the neck.

Yun Yang’s eyes widened in despair: “Ling!”

He was utterly hopeless, but in the next moment, a black sword shot out, striking the immortal lord’s wrist.

Yun Ling fell from the air, landing in the arms of someone wearing a deep blue cloak.

Without appearing to exert much effort, the newcomer floated past everyone, grabbed Yun Yang by the collar, and disappeared into the alley.

The immortal sect disciples were left staring at each other in bewilderment.

“They were rescued?”

“By someone from the demon race? But why didn’t they retaliate against us?”

“Who was it? Did anyone see clearly?”

Of course not. Apart from that black greatsword, they hadn’t even touched the edge of the person’s clothes. They weren’t given time to react before the stranger took away the two young demons.

Yun Ling nestled in this person’s embrace, blinking his watery eyes.

The little boy couldn’t detect any demonic aura from them, nor immortal energy—they seemed like a mortal. No, not he—she.

Her embrace was soft and warm, carrying a faint fragrance. She held Yun Ling while Yun Yang lay stunned below, trembling as he clung to the greatsword.

The woman stroked Yun Ling’s small head as she flew them out of the area. She was wrapped tightly, revealing only a pair of clear, beautiful eyes that looked gentle and kind.

Yun Ling relaxed and, under the effects of hunger and injury, unconsciously fell asleep in her arms.

Liu Shuang carried these two emaciated little ones, flying toward the Ghost Realm.

When Bai Yuxiao saw the greatsword in the sky, he pursed his lips and came over to look: “You’ve brought back two more little debt collectors, huh?”

Indeed, in his eyes, the deceased youth Yan Chaosheng was a major debt collector who wouldn’t rest even in death, making Liu Shuang rush about these three years, rescuing members of his race, bringing them to the Ghost Realm for hiding, setting up arrays within the closed ghost gates to help them survive.

If Yan Chaosheng was a debt collector, then these little demons were small debt collectors.

Liu Shuang was used to his bluntness: “What did Clan Leader Bai bring me?”

“A letter. See for yourself. I’m here to check on my brother.”

“Wait a moment. Let me first send them to a safe place.”

She treated the older child’s wounds, then used her black greatsword to transport them toward the Ghost Realm.

Her dwelling was not far from the Ghost Realm, yet not within it, making each entry and exit difficult. Bai Yuxiao picked up the young demon: “Let’s go. Since I’m here anyway, I’ll help you.”

“Thank you.”

“No need for thanks.”

If Bai Zhuixu had truly died, Bai Yuxiao would probably want to cut down every little demon with his sword. But since his brother still had half a life, these pitiful creatures had truly lost their home.

Bai Yuxiao inwardly reproached himself—as he grew older, his heart had softened compared to before.

Still, he wasn’t helping these demons; he was merely helping Liu Shuang carry children.

Before the two sent them into the Ghost Realm, the smaller child awoke, opening his bright eyes and staring unblinkingly at Liu Shuang.

“What are you looking at, little brat?” said Bai Yuxiao.

His unfriendliness made Yun Ling think he had fallen into the hands of immortal cultivators. He shrank his neck, and tears streamed down. Liu Shuang took him into her arms with a headache, saying softly: “It’s alright. Nothing will happen. He’s just scaring you. We don’t capture demons.”

“Really?” Yun Ling asked, sniffling.

“Yes, I’m not lying,” Liu Shuang said. “Now I’ll send you to a safe place. After that, you won’t have to fear being found.”

This seemed too good to be true for the child. He looked at his brother, whose wounds had been healed, and prepared to kneel and kowtow to these benefactors.

Though tiny, he already understood the ways of the world and the bitterness of being a demon.

Liu Shuang didn’t let him kowtow. She gently stroked his hair and lowered her eyes, saying: “I’m sorry.”

The child looked at her with partial understanding.

She didn’t explain but formed a hand seal, watching as the two young demons disappeared into the black entrance of the ghost gate.

Bai Yuxiao held his sword: “Why apologize to them? What happened back then wasn’t your fault. I’ve seen that array—it wouldn’t have killed anyone. Why feel guilty toward a group of demons? You saved them without revealing your identity. What’s your purpose?” His expression turned strange: “Could it be that you…”

Liu Shuang said, “Do you still want to see your brother or not?”

Bai Yuxiao laughed: “Of course I do.”

He raised his eyebrows, finding it very interesting, wondering what his brother looked like now. Liu Shuang had been cultivating day and night these past years. The Chi Shui family bloodline was indeed powerful. Now, even two of them might not defeat Liu Shuang. He didn’t know what method she had used to restore his brother’s remnant soul, integrating it into the body of a dead mortal infant, using that child’s body to live again.

Although alive, he wasn’t truly Bai Zhuixu anymore. From now on, he would be an ordinary mortal, no longer the most favored immortal master under the lord of the Kung Sang Immortal Realm.

He had forgotten his past completely, becoming a blank slate.

Compared to his soul scattering, this was the best outcome. Perhaps after entering reincarnation, he might cultivate to immortality again in some future life.

The immortal realm wasn’t a good place now anyway. Being a mortal might be a carefree blessing.

Liu Shuang changed her clothes and led Bai Yuxiao to a farmhouse.

In the small farmyard, a two-and-a-half-year-old child with bright eyes was feeding chickens with insects.

Seeing Bai Yuxiao’s indescribable expression, Liu Shuang suppressed a laugh: “There, your brother.”

Bai Yuxiao said, “Even as a mortal, he’s still so composed.”

Liu Shuang also couldn’t help laughing.

Both their moods lightened. They didn’t reveal themselves or disturb the scene, quietly watching for a while. Soon, a farm woman came out, picked up the child, and comforted him with gentle pats.

Bai Yuxiao watched silently. Although that had once been his brother, from now on, he would live in a way completely unrelated to him.

The last time he came to see Bai Zhuixu, he was still a swaddled infant. Now he was two years old.

A mortal’s life was astonishingly short yet enviably rich.

The family Liu Shuang had found for their brother, though not wealthy, truly loved the child. His brother would surely live a smooth life.

“What about that person’s soul? Have you never thought of reviving him like my brother?”

Liu Shuang lowered her eyes and shook her head: “He… he’s different from Bai Zhuixu. He can’t come back.”

Wounded by two divine artifacts, with no one to retrieve his soul. Later, when reconstructing Bai Zhuixu’s soul, Liu Shuang discovered that the price of preserving Bai Zhuixu’s remnant soul had been half of Yan Chaosheng’s inner core.

On the day Yan Chaosheng died, apart from endless pain and loneliness, no one offered him even a moment of warmth.

Even though for these three years she had searched everywhere for his remnant soul, trying to remedy the situation, using every clumsy method possible, even employing her spirit marking power… she still couldn’t find the slightest trace of his aura. There was no longer any sign of him in the world.

Liu Shuang thought he might never return.