"Ah, Nan Zhe, you bastard!"
Hua Ruoying shouted angrily while standing inside a muddy pit.
It turned out that what he meant by "avoiding the Dragon Boat Festival" was catching sugar toads in a dark, muddy patch of grass.
Nan Zhe sat on a tree branch, gently swinging his legs in the air while looking down at Hua Ruoying below. She nervously tried to trap a sugar toad on the ground with a broken bamboo basket.
"Miss Ruoying, the demons of Pingyan Land usually hide during the Dragon Boat Festival. They are afraid that the immortals passing by on their way to celebrate the birthday of the Dragon King will capture them. But few people know that on this day the sugar toad's poison is the strongest and of the best quality. Since you are also skilled in making poison, you surely know how tempting the best toad venom can be."
"Stop talking nonsense. If I could beat you, do you think I would be willing to catch these stupid toads for you? Ah!"
Hua Ruoying kept screaming as the sugar toads suddenly jumped out of the grass from time to time.
"Do not say I did not warn you. If you cannot catch one hundred of them before dawn, I would not mind using that little demon friend of yours to test my newly refined pills."
Meanwhile, at Wuming Demon Mountain, Li Minghan controlled Mi Xingzhe and returned to the Demon Lord Hall.
"My lord." Hua Qiuyuan stepped forward and bowed, taking the cloak that Li Minghan removed.
"Mm. Lock it."
Li Minghan did not turn around. He simply gave the order calmly. With a wave of his hand, a bell made of dark iron appeared in Hua Qiuyuan's hand.
"Yes."
Hua Qiuyuan responded, then gently shook the bell beside Mi Xingzhe's ear.
After hearing the bell, Mi Xingzhe followed Hua Qiuyuan out of the hall.
Li Minghan did not even bother to look at them. Instead he loosened his collar and walked through the back of the hall toward his private chamber.
Inside the secret room, Shentu Zhuojia was sitting in meditation as usual. Hearing the hidden door slowly open, he opened his eyes and looked toward the entrance.
"The Demon Lord seems very busy with affairs lately."
It had been a long time since he had seen Li Minghan. Based on Shentu Zhuojia's understanding of him, he was probably planning something again.
"Brother, have you missed me?" Li Minghan walked in slowly, removed his mask, and gently placed it aside.
"Knowing my brother well, I prepared good wine for you."
Li Minghan smiled slightly and took out a wine jar.
"Shanzhong Tianlu?"
Shentu Zhuojia recognized the wine jar in Li Minghan's hand at once.
"You truly have a good memory. When we were young, we often stole Father's Shanzhong Tianlu to drink. At that time I did not know that this wine came from the deep sea and had a cold nature. Every time after drinking, I would drag you to soak in the mountain spring to sober up."
While speaking, Li Minghan poured a cup of wine for Shentu Zhuojia.
"If you came for the matter of Kunlun Hill, I advise you to give up that thought."
Shentu Zhuojia knew Li Minghan's temperament well. When he suddenly acted this friendly, he usually wanted something.
Li Minghan ignored the words. He poured himself a cup of wine and continued speaking as if talking to himself.
"Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, brother would try his best to find rare treasures for Father. Especially the Soul Gathering Lamp last time. You must have spent a long time searching for it."
Seeing Shentu Zhuojia drink the wine in one gulp, Li Minghan lowered his eyes and looked at his own cup. After a moment of silence, he closed his eyes slightly and slowly drank his wine as well.
"Brother has known me for many years, yet you never asked about my background."
Shentu Zhuojia was startled and carefully looked at Li Minghan, unsure what he was planning.
"You only know that I cut out my bones to return them to my father, but you never asked why."
"Brother, do you know that Father sometimes summons a physician?"
Shentu Zhuojia thought for a moment. It was true. Whenever the Dragon King Yingde felt unwell, a physician from Liaoyin Immortal Realm would come to treat him. He had always assumed it was simply a disciple of the Medicine King and had never paid much attention.
"So what?" he replied.
"Have you ever wondered why Father always dismisses everyone when this physician arrives?"
Shentu Zhuojia ignored the question and simply glanced at Li Minghan, letting him continue.
"That man's surname is Li. He is my twin brother."
Li Minghan spoke casually, but the words shocked Shentu Zhuojia. He immediately grabbed Li Minghan's hand that was pouring wine.
"A twin brother?"
Shentu Zhuojia looked stunned. All these years he never knew Li Minghan had a twin. No wonder whenever the Dragon King met him, no one else was allowed nearby.
"My birth father Li Shen, your father, and Father were once close friends. The Li family was destroyed in a great fire. It was said that only he survived and was later taken in as a disciple by Liaoyin."
Li Minghan spoke calmly, as if telling a story that had nothing to do with him.
"When Father sorted through the Li family's belongings, he discovered this truth in a letter that remained."
"So that is why my uncle adopted you?" Shentu Zhuojia asked.
Li Minghan gave a cold smile, a trace of contempt flashing in his dark eyes.
"My twin and I were born with opposing fates. In order to protect his life, my father abandoned me in the mountains."
At this point Li Minghan tightened his grip on the wine cup. His voice became sharp with anger.
"I remember countless nights struggling to survive in the mountains. I ate insects and frogs, was chased by wolves, slept in cold caves, and lived beside wild beasts. When I was finally brought back to the Dragon Palace, I thought I would never have to live like that again. I thought someone would finally give me a place called home."
His voice trembled slightly as he gripped his clothing.
That past was something he never wanted to remember.
Hearing this, Shentu Zhuojia's expression briefly showed shock, then softened with sympathy.
"I was grateful to Father for adopting me. Even though his attitude toward me was distant, I believed that was simply how he expressed himself. Until one day I accidentally overheard a conversation between him and your father."
Li Minghan drank a large mouthful of wine. When he raised his head again, his eyes burned with anger.
"There is a legend. When the moon falls into darkness and blazing light breaks the dawn, the golden seal will appear and unite the three realms. My twin brother and I are the two cores spoken of in that prophecy."
He emphasized the last words deliberately and saw the reaction he wanted in Shentu Zhuojia's eyes.
"So you killed my father because he knew the secret of the twin cores?" Shentu Zhuojia asked in a hoarse voice.
"I killed your father?" Li Minghan raised an eyebrow coldly.
"Do you really believe I am such a heartless man who repays kindness with betrayal?"
"Is that not the truth? I saw it with my own eyes."
Li Minghan lowered his head and suddenly laughed bitterly. His shoulders trembled as he burst into wild laughter.
"I am heartless? I betrayed kindness? Brother, do you know the real truth?"
His voice rose sharply as he tore open his clothes.
"What!"
Under the torn cloth, deep scars were revealed.
Shentu Zhuojia gasped and instinctively reached out to examine them.
Li Minghan pushed his hand away with disgust.
"When I traveled in the human world and was returning, your father's men captured me and imprisoned me in Kunlun Hill. To take the Moon Shadow Core from my body, he chained me with the Thousand Claw Chains and forced me to remain awake while suffering the pain of my spine being pierced. Again and again he tortured me, demanding that I give him the core."
Shentu Zhuojia was shocked and then closed his eyes in pain.
He knew well what kind of weapon the Thousand Claw Chains were. The chains pierced through the bones and ran along the spine, causing unbearable pain.
"If someone had not rescued me back then, I would have already become a core inside your father's body."
The memory filled Li Minghan with anger as he shouted.
Shentu Zhuojia remembered that when he saw Li Minghan absorb his father's power, Li Minghan had indeed been covered with wounds.
"If you escaped from my father, why did you still kill him?" Shentu Zhuojia demanded.
"Kill him to silence him? He chased me relentlessly and even released the beasts of Kunlun Hill to hunt me. If I did not give him the Moon Shadow Core, he threatened to lead an army of demons to destroy Father's Dragon Palace. If I did not surrender the core, he would reveal to the world that I carried the dark core and make sure I could never live in peace. Should I simply let him kill me without resistance?"
Li Minghan's voice grew more and more hysterical.
"So you absorbed all his demonic power and took over the entire demon realm?" Shentu Zhuojia said.
"Since your father told me that the Moon Shadow Core thrives on dark energy, where could be more suitable than Wuming Demon Mountain?"
Li Minghan leaned forward, his eyes burning with a twisted fire, and laughed mockingly.
"Li Minghan, you are insane."
Li Minghan suddenly stopped laughing and grabbed Shentu Zhuojia's collar, whispering beside his ear.
"Is my madness something new to you?"
He then pushed him away and calmly adjusted his clothes.
"Brother need not worry. One day the position of Demon Lord will return to you. I am only borrowing it for a while."
"And you are not afraid that when I take the throne again, the first person I kill will be you?" Shentu Zhuojia said fiercely.
Li Minghan paused, then looked back at him with a knowing expression.
"Afraid? Of course I am afraid. I only worry that when the time comes, you will not have the heart to do it."
As he spoke, he bent down and tapped lightly on the mouth of the wine jar with his slender finger, smiling faintly before turning to leave.
Shentu Zhuojia suddenly realized something was wrong. He immediately tried to use his inner power to force the wine out of his body.
"The name of this parasite is Qikuo. Bound together in life and death, forever linked."
Li Minghan said coldly before closing the door of the secret chamber.
Meanwhile, Li Luoning, Yun Qingyi, and Mu Han finally arrived in the city of Pingyan Land.
"Luoning, why are you so certain he was taken here?" Mu Han asked.
"I am not completely certain. If Hua Ruoying truly took Nian'er under orders from the Demon Lord, rushing directly to Wuming Demon Mountain would be dangerous. I know a man here in Pingyan Land named Nan Zhe. He has close connections with the demon mountain. I plan to investigate there first."
"That is reasonable. But the Immortal Sovereign gave you only three days. One day has already passed while you were trapped in the cave. Only two days remain. Will that be enough time to find Yun Wannian?"
"That will require brother's help." Li Luoning said with a smile.
"Oh? You want me to lead War God Qingyuan somewhere else?"
"If brother can help me gain another three days, I will be deeply grateful."
"Very well. I will send you a message as soon as possible."
"Brother, there is another matter I hope you can help investigate."
Li Luoning handed him a small embroidered pouch.
At that moment, Li Minghan had just left the secret chamber when Hua Qiuyuan reported from outside.
"My lord, a letter has arrived from the Dragon Palace."
"Bring it in."
After receiving permission, Hua Qiuyuan entered and presented the letter with both hands.
Li Minghan took the letter without looking at him. Hua Qiuyuan lowered his head but quietly glanced at a candle stand in the room that had been moved.
Near sunset, Li Minghan sat alone in a pavilion beside the shore. He leaned his head on one hand with his eyes half closed, slowly waving his black and gold folding fan as if waiting for someone.
"Take back this Red Dragon Candle and return the Soul Gathering Lamp."
Yingde Kangchen suppressed his anger and threw a red beam of light toward Li Minghan.
Li Minghan caught it with one hand, sat up straight, and casually examined the candle in his palm.
"Father invited me here just for this?"
"Stop wasting words. Return the Soul Gathering Lamp."
"The exchange was already made. Why do you suddenly want it back?" Li Minghan asked knowingly.
"Tell me, was the attack on the Medicine King your doing? You planned this long ago, so you exchanged for the lamp earlier."
"Why would you say that? I have no grudge against the Medicine King. Why would I harm him? Besides, you know my methods. If I truly wanted someone dead, I would not leave them merely injured."
"If it was not you, then return the Soul Gathering Lamp."
At this moment Yingde Kangchen only wanted the lamp back.
"Father's temper has not changed at all. Even when asking for something, you are not very polite."
Li Minghan calmly stored the Red Dragon Candle and summoned a blue light into his palm.
"I have no time to waste here. If you do not return the lamp, do not blame me for being harsh."
Hearing this, Li Minghan smiled and stood up, slowly walking closer.
"If Father wants it, I will return it. Why become so angry?"
He extended his hand forward.
Seeing this, Yingde Kangchen lowered his guard and reached out to take it.
Just as their hands nearly touched, Li Minghan tilted his hand slightly.
The Soul Gathering Lamp slipped from his palm and fell to the ground.
Crack.
"Oh no, it broke."