Inside Mirror Cloud Residence, Yun Qingyi paced back and forth in the garden, anxious as ants on a hot pan. The moment he saw Li Luoning return, he hurried over.
"Mm. I got it." Li Luoning only gave a small nod.
Just as master and disciple were about to set out, Li Luoning abruptly stopped. It was as if he had sensed something. His brows drew together, his expression turning grave as he lowered his gaze to the center of his left palm—where the shadow of a jade pendant had clearly surfaced.
Yun Qingyi stared, baffled. "Master… what is that?"
"Someone triggered the protective barrier on the Zhi Beast Gold Silk Jade Pendant," Li Luoning said, his voice sinking. "Nian'er is in danger."
With the pendant's barrier activating on Mi Xingzhe's behalf, Li Luoning silently recited an incantation. Power surged from his palm—then a clear gold-and-crimson streak tore across the sky, pointing straight toward Mi Xingzhe's location.
There was no time to waste. The two of them immediately hurried in the direction the light indicated.
Inside a cave in the Extending Land, Qingping scrambled up and helped Hua Ruoying off the ground.
"Ruoying… are you alright?"
At that moment, Mi Xingzhe lay unconscious, sealed within a gold-and-crimson aura. The barrier enveloped him so completely that no one could so much as touch him.
[Wait, so that pendant actually carries a guardian barrier… No. If this gold-and-crimson aura is the pendant's barrier, then where did the very first burst of power come from?]
"This is not good."
"Qingping. We're leaving, now."
Hua Ruoying seized Qingping and dragged him toward the exit. If I'm right, someone will follow that golden light here soon. And with my internal injuries, I can't afford to stay.
Qingping glanced back, hesitant. "What about him?"
Hua Ruoying looked at Mi Xingzhe—still unconscious, still untouchable—reluctance flashing through her. The opportunity had practically fallen into her hands, only to slip away at the last instant. With that barrier around him, though, she couldn't lay a finger on him. If they delayed any longer, they would collide head-on with whoever came for him.
"He won't die," she said through her teeth. "Come on let's go. If we don't, the ones who die will be us."
With that, she yanked Qingping away and disappeared into the night.
Not long after Hua Ruoying and Qingping left, Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi followed the golden trail and arrived at the cave.
Yun Qingyi rushed in first and spotted Mi Xingzhe lying there, protected by the barrier.
"Master! I found him—he's here!"
Li Luoning followed him inside. After a swift scan of the surroundings, he strode to the edge of the barrier and flicked his hand lightly.
The barrier dissolved.
He immediately checked the bandages on Mi Xingzhe's head, then reached out to take his pulse. A moment later, his expression eased—just slightly.
"He's fine," Li Luoning said. "Drugged, that's all. Looks like he knocked himself unconscious earlier and someone took advantage of it."
Yun Qingyi's voice trembled with worry. "Master—how is Nian Nian?"
"No real harm done," Li Luoning replied.
Then his gaze sharpened. He looked around again—this time with the attention of someone who expected to find traces. His eyes caught the scarring on the cave wall: a deep gouge, and nearby, a short dagger embedded in stone.
Li Luoning stepped forward, pulled the dagger free, and weighed it in his hand.
"Wuming Demon Mountain cold iron?" He sounded genuinely surprised.
So the ones who had taken Mi Xingzhe were from Wuming Demon Mountain—demonic clan. But what business did demonic clan have in the Ice Bamboo Forest?
Wuming Demon Mountain, within the Demon Lord's palace.
"Reporting to the Lord: the injured in Fanli Valley are now out of danger," Hua Ruoying said as she knelt.
Li Minghan's reply was cold and indifferent. Then his eyes narrowed slightly. "You're injured?" He could sense the instability in Hua Ruoying's aura. It was odd—she had only gone to fetch spring water. Why would it damage her inner energy?
Hua Ruoying remained kneeling, weighing whether to mention her encounter with Mi Xingzhe. But after a heartbeat, she dismissed the idea. She had just failed. This was not the moment to invite suspicion.
"Thank you for your concern, My Lord. I'm fine. If there are no further orders, I'll take my leave." Afraid he might probe further, Hua Ruoying moved to withdraw.
Li Minghan's voice stopped her. "Did I tell you that you could go? The Gu ①I ordered you to refine—how is it?"
Only then did Hua Ruoying remember. Some time ago, Li Minghan had indeed commanded her to produce a gu. In the chaos of treating Fanli Valley, she had forgotten it completely. Her back went cold. She quickly produced a black satin pouch, lowered her head, and offered it up with both hands.
"The gu you requested has been completed," she said, careful and swift.
Li Minghan took the pouch from her palm. Against the black satin, his pale fingers looked almost unnaturally bright.
"Now you can go." His voice was light, almost dismissive.
He watched the pouch in his hand, and beneath the mask, the thin line of his lips curved into a faint, sinister smile.
Recently, Shentu Zhajia seemed to be in better spirits. The secret chamber had even gained new furnishings.
Li Minghan arrived at an unhurried pace, carrying a food box. These days, he visited Shentu Zhajia often, always bringing dishes along with him.
"Elder Brother," Li Minghan said, his tone stripped of a Demon Lord's majesty—more like an intimate colleague speaking across old familiarity. "I made your favorite dishes today. Come taste them. Tell me if they suit you."
Shentu Zhajia sat in meditation off to the side. Though he had been feeling better lately, the demonic cultivation within him was growing thinner, weaker, like smoke dispersing.
He would eat what Li Minghan brought, but he never ate with him. Each time, he simply kept his eyes closed and let Li Minghan speak into the silence.
Li Minghan didn't get angry. He poured tea calmly and said, smiling as if making casual conversation, "Have you noticed, Elder Brother? Your demonic cultivation has been weakening these past few days." The smile remained, but the question carried the weight of someone who already knew the answer.
Shentu Zhajia finally opened his eyes. He should have anticipated it. He had simply been careless.
"What have you done to me?" Shentu Zhajia demanded.
"Nothing special,"
Li Minghan said lightly. "I know you like to burn incense while you meditate. So I had someone add just a little something to your incense burner—just a pinch of Duying Powder." He even mimed the motion of sprinkling.
"You—"
Shentu Zhajia's expression twisted with fury. No wonder he had been exhausted, no wonder hallucinations sometimes crept into his vision. He had blamed unstable cultivation. In truth, Li Minghan had been waiting for him to blame himself.
"Don't worry, Elder Brother," Li Minghan continued smoothly, sliding a cup toward him. "As long as you drink with me each time, Duying Powder won't harm you." The gesture was obvious: the antidote was in the drink.
Shentu Zhajia stared at him with undisguised contempt, making no move to accept the cup.
Li Minghan acted as though he were used to it. He set the cup down in front of Shentu Zhajia anyway, then lifted his own and drank it in a single swallow.
"It's been a long time since we talked by candlelight," Li Minghan murmured, fingertips idly rubbing the edge of the candlestick. "I miss those days at the Lakeside Pavilion—when you practiced swordsmanship, and I played the zither."
Shentu Zhajia closed his eyes again, his expression resigned, focusing on his breath as if refusing to let a single word reach him.
Then Li Minghan's hand shot out.
He seized Shentu Zhajia by the throat, his eyes flashing with ferocity.
"Elder Brother—do you know that everything I've done… has been for your own good?"
Shentu Zhajia's voice was raw with rage. "For my good? You killed my father, imprisoned me here, stole my position as Demon Lord—and that's for my good? Wait. What else have you done?"
Li Minghan's grip loosened just enough to let him speak, then his fingers tipped Shentu Zhajia's chin up with a disturbing gentleness. His gaze was complex—tinged with a sick, deliberate obsession—as if he enjoyed watching the anger he had provoked.
"So now you care?" Li Minghan asked softly. "Just a moment ago you looked like none of it mattered to you."
Shentu Zhajia's expression softened for a fraction—then hardened into fury again. "The entrance to Kunlun Hill? Li Minghan—keep dreaming!"
Li Minghan withdrew, his long eyes narrowing. "I only want to find something. If you refuse to tell me where the entrance is, then I'll have no choice but to send demonic soldiers to probe it again and again."
Shentu Zhajia's voice sharpened into accusation. "Do you even understand what kind of place Kunlun Hill is? Without knowledge of the terrain, anyone you send will be walking into death. You're wasting the lives of my clan! And if you break the barrier, you could release ferocious beasts trapped inside—endangering innocents nearby."
"Since you won't hand over the entrance," Li Minghan said coolly, "I can only do it this way." He straightened his clothes, already turning toward the door. "It seems you need rest today. I'll take my leave. I'll visit again in a few days."
As if he had deliberately dropped that piece of information like a blade, Li Minghan walked out at an unhurried pace.
Shentu Zhajia's voice followed him, harsh and shaking. "Li Minghan! Aren't you afraid you'll end up in hell for this?"
Li Minghan paused at the threshold, glanced back, and smiled in a way that carried too much meaning.
"Hell?" he said. "Haven't I already walked out of it?"
The moment he left the dungeon, Shentu Zhajia's heart felt as though it were being gnawed by countless beasts—an ache so fierce it left him breathless.
Mi Xingzhe, brought back to Mirror Cloud Residence, lay unconscious for a full day and night. Yun Qingyi kept watch the entire time, and now, worn out, he was nodding off at the bedside.
Mi Xingzhe slowly woke. He raised a hand and touched the gauze over his eyes, then caught the familiar scent of calming incense. He guessed he had returned to Mirror Cloud Residence.
[That little immortal attendant really kept their word and sent me back… But how did I get back? Why can't I remember anything at all?]
"Qingyi… brother Qingyi…" Mi Xingzhe called softly as he pushed himself upright. Knowing Yun Qingyi, he was certain his senior brother would be nearby, waiting for him to wake.
Yun Qingyi startled awake at once. "Nian Nian—you're awake.Here—drink some water." He rose quickly and placed a prepared cup into Mi Xingzhe's hands.
Mi Xingzhe felt for it and drank in one go. He choked, coughing hard.
"Slow down. " Yun Qingyi patted his back, helping him catch his breath.
Mi Xingzhe frowned, then asked earnestly, "Brother Qingyi—what immortal attendant's place did you bring me back from? I didn't even get to thank them." He worried he hadn't even learned their name, and didn't know how he could repay such a kindness later.
Yun Qingyi blinked, startled. "Immortal attendant? Master and I found you in a cave in the Extending Land."
"The Extending Land?" Mi Xingzhe repeated, bewildered. "What place is that?"
"The Extending Land is a lawless place where monsters and evils gather," Yun Qingyi explained. "Didn't you ever hear about it when you were in the mortal realm?"
Mi Xingzhe frowned, searching his memory. "I think the storyteller mentioned it once. They said it's extremely dangerous—if ordinary people wander in by accident, they'll die for sure." Then he jolted. "Wait—why would I be there? Didn't I go to the Ice Bamboo Forest with Bingo to gather herbs?"
Yun Qingyi's expression tightened. "That day you went out and didn't come back even by dinner. Master and I went to look for you in Ice Bamboo Forest. Master used the Yinyue South and was led all the way to the boundary of the Extending Land—so we suspected you'd been taken out of Liao Yin territory."
"Taken away?" Mi Xingzhe echoed, stunned.
"Yes." Yun Qingyi continued steadily. "After that, Master went to the Immortal Venerable to request a permit token—he was about to go search for you. Then we sensed someone had triggered the jade pendant on you, so we rushed there. When we found you, you were lying in a cave."
Mi Xingzhe reached instinctively for the pendant at his waist. "The jade pendant…?"
"Yes," Yun Qingyi said. "Master attached a protective barrier to it for you. If anyone tries to harm you, it activates and protects you automatically."
Mi Xingzhe's face lit up with the kind of pride he couldn't quite stop. "So powerful! Then doesn't that mean I'll be invincible from now on? With Master's cultivation, that barrier must be insanely strong, right?"
Yun Qingyi gave him a look that was half exasperation, half relief that he could still be this foolish. "What are you thinking? It can only be used once. If it activates again, it'll consume a lot of Master's cultivation. You really think you can treat that pendant like an impenetrable shield?"
Mi Xingzhe deflated a little. "Oh… I see."
Then something clicked and his brows drew together. "So the two people I met that day… they weren't the ones who saved me? I heard them say they found me on the way home. I thought I'd fainted in Ice Bamboo Forest and they were nearby immortal friends."
Yun Qingyi's eyes sharpened. "Two people? What did they look like?"
Mi Xingzhe tried to recall. "I'm not sure. My vision was really blurry. I just vaguely remember the man sounded young, and the woman was probably around the same age. The man wore black, and… it sounded like he had some kind of spell that let him move very fast. The woman wore orange, I think."
As he spoke, a headache surged and he rubbed his forehead with a wince.
"Don't force it," Yun Qingyi said quickly. "It's good that their cultivation wasn't high enough to break Master's barrier—that's why we had time to bring you back. You have to be more careful in the future. Something like this can't happen again."
Mi Xingzhe nodded obediently, then remembered what mattered most to him in the moment. "Brother Qingyi… my eyes…"
Yun Qingyi's voice softened immediately. "Don't worry. Master said they'll heal with rest. You don't need to be afraid."
Just then, Li Luoning entered with Bingo.
The instant Bingo saw Mi Xingzhe awake, it rushed over, cooing and rubbing all over him, then aggressively buried its head into his arms.
Mi Xingzhe laughed despite himself. "Alright, alright—Bingo, I missed you too. Hey—don't lick me, it tickles!"
Li Luoning sat down and asked gently, "Nian, how do you feel?"
Mi Xingzhe turned his face toward where he heard the voice. "Master… other than not being able to see, I've just got a bit of a headache."
Li Luoning nodded. "I've checked your injuries. Nothing serious." Then he turned his head. "Qingyi—go see whether the decoction in the pharmacy is ready. I have something need to talk with Nian."