Xuanyue and I turned our heads in unison, staring at Shahai dumbfounded. Shahai looked quite normal, with an attitude of complete indifference as if it had nothing to do with him. Emperor Fusheng had turned into a hanged ghost, looking in a mirror, scaring himself half to death.

He retreated several steps, pointing at Shahai with trembling lips: “Old Drought Demon, you say this person is Divine Lord Yinze? Don’t try to fool me!”

“That’s right, it’s him.”

As soon as the words fell, a huge half-bodied demon floated above the oasis. His skin was rose-red, his appearance like a dried corpse, with a ball of black fire burning fiercely beneath him. I had some expectation when I heard Emperor Fusheng mention him earlier, so this Drought Demon was truly the legendary drought ghost. It was said that any country he visited would suffer great drought with scorched earth for thousands of li. To be born in this era was truly his blessing.

He floated toward us, his expression hideous and terrifying. Xuanyue and I couldn’t help but step back, but Shahai remained completely calm. He stopped in front of Shahai and bowed: “Drought Demon pays respects to Divine Lord Yinze.” But after waiting for a long time, he received no response.

I completely disbelieved what he said: “Pure nonsense—how could Shahai possibly be Divine Lord Yinze?”

“In this scorched earth, my magical power is more than ten times its normal state. How could I be mistaken?” The Drought Demon raised his head again, squinting as he observed Shahai for a while. His black hole-like eyes suddenly widened: “Eh, strange. This is truly strange.”

Emperor Fusheng seemed to have never intended to believe him from start to finish, stroking his beard twice with chopstick-like fingers: “How about that? Rare to see you misjudge as well.”

The Drought Demon said in confusion, “This old man once had a meeting with Divine Lord Yinze. His divine power is so strong that ordinary immortals can’t even see his dust. Moreover, his primordial spirit is full of pure qi—even if we met again after ten thousand years, this old man couldn’t possibly recognize him wrong. Just now, even from a great distance, I could detect Divine Lord Yinze’s aura from this demon. Why is it that when I approach closely, I can’t detect even half a trace…”

Emperor Fusheng rolled his eyes: “Old Drought Demon, there you go again talking nonsense. You had one meeting with Divine Lord Yinze? I’ve had several meetings with him. It’s fine to fool others, but what’s the point of fooling me? This young master is a complete demon—not only does he have no pure qi, he doesn’t even have a bit of demonic aura… Wah, Great Demon King, spare my life, spare my life!”

The final plea for mercy came as Shahai pointed his sword at him. Shahai said coldly: “Fool, you cannot be spared.”

Emperor Fusheng begged: “No, no! This small one knows his error, knows his error. It’s all the old Drought Demon’s fault—he presumed to guess your identity, Great Demon King. Kill him, kill him.”

The Drought Demon completely ignored this, still muttering to himself: “This isn’t right, definitely not right. Could it be that Divine Lord Yinze once came to this place…”

I quickly stepped forward and tugged at his sleeve: “Shahai, spare his life. He’s created all this fuss, but it’s just petty mischief. Apart from making us uncomfortable, he hasn’t done anything truly harmful.”

“Shahai? Shahai?!” Emperor Fusheng’s legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground, kowtowing frantically: “So you are Demon Lord Shahai! This small one was blind and didn’t recognize Mount Tai. Please spare my life, Demon Lord…”

Hearing this, the Drought Demon also bowed to Shahai: “Pays respects to the Demon Lord.”

I said in astonishment: “What, you’re also a Demon Lord?”

Emperor Fusheng said: “Aiya, stinking girl, why aren’t you kneeling quickly? Lord Shahai is the new Demon Lord, personally appointed by Lord Zixiu. In the demon realm now, he’s quite famous… Aiyou, this small one was wrong, wrong…” He was again held at the throat by Shahai’s sword.

Shahai said, “Shut up quickly, and I’ll spare your life. Get lost.”

Emperor Fusheng’s speed in fleeing with his head covered could be said to have reached new heights. The Drought Demon, however, remained upright and stayed to chat with Shahai for a few sentences before leaving. I pretended to call for Sushu and Xihe while eavesdropping on their conversation. Unfortunately, they only discussed demon realm affairs and didn’t mention Divine Lord Yinze again.

After Sushu and Xihe awoke from their nightmares, I took care of them, then we mounted camels and continued westward. Along the way, Shahai stayed by my side. Thinking of what the Drought Demon had said earlier, I couldn’t help saying: “I never expected you to be a Demon Lord.”

“There’s nothing strange about that.” Shahai kept his eyes forward as he traveled.

“Earlier, the Drought Demon said you were Divine Lord Yinze—I was truly frightened.”

“I’m a demon—isn’t that obvious?”

“But since you don’t have any special identity, why do you always wear a mask? Could it be because you’re ugly?”

He pondered silently for a moment before slowly saying: “Not ugly, but terrifying.”

“How terrifying?”

“Seeing my face, you probably wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”

I laughed: “Saying that only makes me more curious. Do you mind showing me your face?”

“I don’t mind. As long as you don’t regret it.”

After speaking, he untied the white cloth around his neck and removed his mask. Just then, a whirlwind of yellow sand swept by, obscuring his features. I raised my hand to block the sand before my eyes, seeing vaguely and indistinctly in the yellow haze. I discovered black markings on his face, and my heartbeat involuntarily quickened.

Finally, the sandstorm settled, the waist sash swayed, and his appearance gradually became clear: from his hairline down to above his nose, there were all black elongated stripe patterns. These patterns crisscrossed chaotically without order, even covering the corners of his eyes, as if someone had pressed the back of his head and pressed his face onto a freshly painted ink wash painting to create an impression.

But the patterns weren’t drawn on, nor were they tattoos, but skin texture that was slightly recessed. His skin was very fair, and compared with these black markings, at first glance it somewhat resembled a skull.

I admit that seeing this face initially, my heart lurched, but I still behaved politely and normally: “It’s fine—there are many more frightening-looking beings in the underworld and demon realm, yet I don’t see others covering their faces.”

“You needn’t speak against your heart. Rest assured, I only cover my face for convenience when traveling. In the demon realm, I never wear a mask.” He smiled slightly, and the markings on his face were also pulled like black plum blossoms blooming.

I felt relieved inside. These past few days, my mind has always been disturbed by him, and this feeling is so similar to my former feelings for Yinze. If I let it grow, falling for a demon would probably be even more difficult than falling for a god. Since he looked like this, I needn’t worry about this problem anymore.

Several days later, we arrived at the real Kingdom of Liuhuang Feng and discovered that Emperor Fusheng truly had skill—both inside and outside the city looked exactly like what we’d seen in the dream. However, the slight difference was that the real Kingdom of Liuhuang Feng was not only prosperous and beautiful but also had a quiet floral fragrance and the scent of grass in the rain.

When we walked through the city, the feeling of water droplets splashing on our bodies was so real that it constantly reminded me of my distant homeland. Just like what happened in the dream, the Feng monarch personally came out to welcome us and treated us to a meal.

When toasting, I said: “Your Majesty, now that there’s a great drought throughout the world with endless deserts along our route, why are there so many water sources near your kingdom?”

The Feng monarch said, “To tell you the truth, we can be protected because we have a magical treasure from the immortal Shezheng.”

“I see.” It seemed Emperor Fusheng hadn’t lied. If the conversation continued, everything would proceed according to the dream’s trajectory.

Sushu said, “An immortal’s magical treasure?”

“This treasure is called the Tidal Pearl, made by the great immortal Shezheng from his eyeball.” The monarch smiled slightly. “If you’re interested, I can take you to see it.”

The four of them didn’t know the specific content of the dream, so they didn’t realize this was the Prayer Rain Spirit Pearl. This time, before they could speak, I waved my hand: “No need. We must travel tomorrow. If there’s an opportunity in the future, we’ll come to see it. Thank you for Your Majesty’s hospitality.”

“Very well.” The Feng monarch smiled broadly and toasted us again.

After the banquet, we stayed overnight in the palace under the Prime Minister’s hospitality and left early the next morning. Before walking out the city gate, Sushu whispered: “Little Princess, I thought about many things last night—I don’t know if I should say this.”

“What is it?”

“Could the Tidal Pearl the Feng monarch mentioned be the Prayer Rain Spirit Pearl?”

“No. Yesterday I secretly went to their treasure room to look—it’s just an ordinary marble. They don’t lack water simply because they’re surrounded by water on three sides.”

The Feng monarch prepared many camels, food, and water for us and personally saw us off. We solemnly thanked him, mounted our camels, and set off with reins flicking. The difference was that this time, no matter how far we traveled, the water flow outside the Kingdom of Liuhuang Feng never followed us.

As the sun rose high, this city in the desert remained like an immovable guardian, presumably continuing its history for thousands of years. Looking at the boundless desert ahead, I knew the road to come would be like the scene before my eyes—aimless, leaving only desolation.

“Mother, mother, mother, mother, mother.”

I don’t know when Xihe had started calling for a long time. I suddenly turned my head and saw her sitting in front of Sushu, waving her little paws at me. I said: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just seeing Mother about to cry…”

“Mother isn’t crying.”

“Mother doesn’t need to say it—we all know.” Xihe hung her head, looking up from below with a pitiful expression. “That Tidal Pearl is the Prayer Rain Spirit Pearl, right?”

Sushu, Xuanyue, and Shahai all looked at me with expressions saying “don’t explain anymore, we all understand.” Unable to continue lying, I could only evade: “This has nothing to do with you—little girls shouldn’t meddle in adults’ affairs.”

Xihe had always been afraid of me and naturally didn’t dare say more. Sushu said, “Little Princess, we all think you did very well.”

Shahai said: “I second that.”

Xuanyue howled once and nodded along.

I stared at them blankly, suddenly feeling my eyes moisten, and could only walk forward to avoid them seeing my embarrassment. Actually, how could they understand that what I gave up wasn’t just an opportunity to save Suzhao, but also…

The wind and sand were scorching and violent, shaking my dress hem. Any woman walking here would probably hope her beloved could ride with her, sitting behind her, holding her tightly with strong arms. I would never forget that in Emperor Fusheng’s dream, Yinze had embraced me for the last time. That familiar yet strange embrace, that nostalgic scent, that gaze full of affection—from now on, there would be no more.

Having no fate with him in this life was something I had long known in my heart. Taking a step back, even if no other factors were hindering us, his devotion to Shangyan was an unshakeable fact. If I still felt sad, I lacked too much self-awareness. At this very moment, he was probably embracing Shangyan, enjoying scenery and wine in the ninth heaven, whispering intimately, cherishing their fish-like harmony earned through a thousand years—could he comprehend half my pain?

Suddenly, a hand encircled my waist. I was once again lifted from the camel and pulled onto another camel’s back, with Shahai silently embracing me from behind. I struggled, wanting to jump off: “Why did you pull me over again? Let me go back.”

“Where do you plan to go next?” He ignored my words, but in his speech, he hugged me even tighter.

As the saying goes, with propriety comes safety, without propriety comes danger. His attitude could be called extremely improper. But in his embrace, I felt a sense of security. Not the passion of kissing, nor the heartache of gazes meeting, just feeling that staying like this a moment longer wasn’t bad. I pretended to be unaffected: “Since we’ve come this far, let’s go see Kunlun. Maybe I can learn something.”

“I’ll accompany you.”

“You’re going to Kunlun?” I said incredulously. “Do you know what kind of place Kunlun is? It’s the capital that the Heavenly Emperor established between the human and immortal realms.”

“I know. I’m not afraid.”

“You’re not afraid, but I am. I don’t want people thinking I’m a demon colluding with demons.”

“Don’t worry—with your abilities, you can’t even climb to Kunlun’s peak. The immortals on the mountainside are no match for me, so I won’t be discovered.”

“No, I can’t take the risk.”

“Don’t forget—you promised to be eaten by me.” Seeing this statement stunned me, and he chuckled lightly. “Protecting one’s food is natural and right.”

Being treated like this was absurd. But deep inside, I felt a trace of relief that he hadn’t said “then I won’t care about you anymore.” And even more fortunately, afterward, no matter how we quarreled, he never let me return to my own camel. During this time, Sushu was jealous several times, and Xihe said some childishly awkward things, but I didn’t take them to heart.

After another half month, we arrived at Mount Kunlun. Mount Kunlun was the central heavenly pillar, eight hundred meters in circumference and ten thousand ren high—the highest mountain within the seas. Each of its faces had nine great gates and nine jade wells. The gate facing the eastern sunrise was called the Kaiming Gate, with the Kaiming Beast standing before it—half human, half beast in form, with nine heads and a tiger’s body, facing east.

This Kaiming Beast was a gatekeeper that would judge whether each visitor had pure qi; those without pure qi couldn’t enter. Thus, poor Xuanyue was blocked at the mountain’s foot, but Shahai was allowed in. I truly didn’t know what sorcery he had used.

Indeed, as Shahai had said, Kunlun was very difficult to climb. Even with my spiritual power, I couldn’t go too high, so we lodged halfway up the mountain that day. The mountain was deserted of human traces, with the new moon like snow. The pavilions had frost at their temples, and the jade trees grew white hair—such beautiful scenery was truly rare in the human world. To stay here, one only needed to pay the Kunlun immortals with celestial currency to prove oneself a visitor from the immortal realm.

As a disciple of the Divine Lord Yinze, I could also receive considerable special treatment here. For example, freely browsing books in the library pavilion and freely entering and leaving the cultivation hall. Only poor Xuanyue could wait pitifully for us at the mountain’s foot.

At midnight, wind and snow blew on the mountain. Worried about Xuanyue’s safety, I planned to go out and check the situation at the mountain’s foot. Leaving my bedroom, I intended to call Shahai to go with me. But when I knocked on his door, I received no response for a long time. Thinking he had already gone to sleep, I was about to leave when I noticed the wind in his room was making the doors and windows bang loudly.

Keeping windows open in this weather? After hesitating at the door for a while, I suddenly came to my senses and kicked open his door. Sure enough, his room was empty, the window wide open, with only curtains billowing in the cold wind. Flying out through the window, I saw shocking bloodstains in the snow all along the way.

Following this intermittent red trail, I found a black figure curled up at the snowy mountain’s foot. With my heart in my throat, I carefully approached. His mask was deeply buried in the snow. Shahai was pressed against a wild deer that had been torn apart, pulling out organs from its belly and gnawing on them with huffing sounds. Even in the howling wind, I could hear his beast-like whimpering. What was he doing, eating raw animals? No matter how hungry, he wouldn’t need to…

Trembling, I reached out and patted his shoulder. Who knew he would violently knock away my hand, hoarsely roar once, and like a giant ape, let his arms hang to the ground, then turn his head around. The moment I saw his face, I regretted my impulsive decision to find him until my intestines turned green.

His hair was disheveled, with several strands floating lightly across his face. On that bloody, mangled face, only a pair of glowing red eyes seemed to remain. Strange gurgling sounds came from his nose and mouth, and when he opened his mouth, two sharp, knife-like fangs were revealed: “Ya ya ya ya—hiss hiss—hiss hiss—”

As he called out, fresh blood from his gums flowed down the fangs, dripping everywhere. My scalp went numb, and I retreated several steps. Then, he did crawl toward me like an ape, dragging his arms. Panicked beyond measure, I screamed and turned to flee back to my room.

I heavily bolted the door and pushed all the tables and chairs in the room against it, not daring to go out again. Before long, I saw his hunched shadow wandering at the door, so frightened that all my clothes were soaked with cold sweat, yet I didn’t make a sound.

Finally, after circling twice without finding anyone, he disappeared into the white moonlight.

The next day, heavy snow again clothed all things in white, dyeing white the Buddhist temples and immortal towers, emerald pavilions and green pines. Only plum blossoms shook off the frost and snow all over the ground, still blooming in brilliant red. Looking out, the Kunlun fairyland was a bright scroll: snow white and shining, plum red like fire, with immortals riding swords and dragons passing through, pulling out silver-white screens.

I had barely slept all night. As soon as day broke, I went to knock on Shahai’s door.

Sure enough, he seemed perfectly fine, his voice coming out still cold as frost as always: “Come in.”

With a “creak” of the door, I saw Shahai sitting by the cold window reading. This morning, he wasn’t wearing his mask but let the wind blow through his thick hair, letting his hair brush against his spider-web-like cheeks.

A few plum blossoms had fallen on the table. He didn’t even lift his eyelids: “You saw everything yesterday.”

“I don’t understand why you become like that… Is it because you’re possessed?”

I remembered seeing Brother like this before, though his situation wasn’t as severe. Did all demons encounter similar situations?

“Demons are inherently incorrect—where does possession come from?”

“Then every night when you leave our group and go away—is it also for this reason?”

“Yes, I’ve been like this for many years.” He said it lightly.

“Many years?” I pronounced each word carefully. “Wouldn’t that be suffering unto death? Does it heal the next day after each episode?”

“If it would heal, would I still have these things on my face?”

“Why do you have such markings? Not every demon has them, right?”

He lowered his eyes and quickly scanned several lines, finally unable to continue reading, and turned the book face down on the table: “It has nothing to do with you.”

After speaking, he rose and brushed past me, lifting his clothes’ hem, intending to go out. Though his face was still as alien and terrifying as before, his eyes held a desolation of near despair. Logically, having seen his appearance the previous day, I should feel afraid. But sometimes people are just that simple and foolish—they’ll change themselves because of one glance, one look, or one smile.

I quickly looked up: “Shahai, I don’t mind.”

He paused: “What?”

“I don’t mind that you look like this. It doesn’t matter that you change at night. I…” I was the one truly possessed. Before finishing my words, I had already stepped forward and hugged him tightly.

At this moment, wind and smoke were completely still, the room full of ink fragrance, and his body also became as rigid as iron.