Xi Yu was just about to speak when a moon-white figure appeared around the corner of the corridor. His voice was gentle.
“Sang Biao, don’t scare the guests.”
Luo Cheng’an carried Xiaoyu over to Xi Yu’s side and turned his head when he heard this.
Lu Zhixing stood shoulder to shoulder with Xi Yu and looked over casually, the corners of his lips pressing down slightly.
Even though Xi Yu had already explained the matter between the charm demon and this Holy Son,
he still disliked anyone getting close to Xi Yu.
Just last night, the two of them had been pressed so closely together, and Xi Yu hadn’t pushed him away.
Thinking of this, Lu Zhixing looked at Xi Yu somewhat resentfully.
Xi Yu had his back to him, leaving him with nothing but the cold back of his head.
Xi Yu narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Fu Ye. In daylight, the Holy Son’s sickly appearance was even more pronounced, but because he was so beautiful, that sickliness only added a pale, delicate beauty to him.
“Brother Cheng’an, put me down.”
Xiaoyu squirmed out of Luo Cheng’an’s arms, then ran toward Fu Ye, who was holding Sang Biao.
Xiaohua also stepped forward. The two of them bowed together.
“Greetings, Holy Son.”
Fu Ye maintained a faint smile on his lips.
“Xiaoyu, I heard from your teacher that you didn’t finish your schoolwork again, is that right?”
“Of course not!” Xiaoyu pouted in protest. “It was clearly because the teacher gave us questions beyond our level. I’m only five years old, but he gave me ten-year-old questions! Of course I couldn’t do them! He’s just jealous that people like me more than they like his grandson, so he’s bullying me!”
Xiaohua looked over disapprovingly.
“Xiaoyu, don’t speak nonsense!”
After being scolded by his older brother, Xiaoyu lowered his head.
“All right, all right. I couldn’t do it. The questions were too difficult!”
Fu Ye helplessly shook his head.
“If they’re too difficult, then don’t do them. The loquats at the end of the stronghold are ripe. Go pick some for the guests.”
“Yay!”
Hearing that he didn’t have to do his schoolwork, Xiaoyu grabbed Xiaohua and ran off.
“Brother, come with me.”
“So this is the Holy Son,” Luo Cheng’an said curiously. He whispered to Xi Yu, “I thought he’d be some seventy- or eighty-year-old man.”
Xi Yu shot him a sidelong glance and met Fu Ye as he walked over.
Fu Ye smiled at Xi Yu.
“My apologies for disturbing you last night.”
Then he looked at Lu Zhixing and Luo Cheng’an.
“I haven’t yet had the honor of asking your names.”
When Lu Zhixing heard the words last night, he immediately thought of the scene of Fu Ye falling onto Xi Yu.
He said coldly, “Since the Holy Son already knew we were coming, how could you not know who we are?”
Fu Ye noticed Lu Zhixing’s hostility but wasn’t bothered by it. He spoke gently.
“It wasn’t that I knew. The star chart indicated that distinguished guests would be arriving, so I didn’t know what any of you were called.”
At this moment, Luo Cheng’an made full use of his naturally sociable personality and introduced everyone to Fu Ye.
“This is my brother, Xi Yu. My name is Luo Cheng’an. We aren’t biological brothers and aren’t related by blood. And this is Lu Zhixing, our friend.”
Luo Cheng’an’s introduction made the closeness between them obvious.
Lu Zhixing pressed his lips together, his eyes carrying a hint of mockery as he found Luo Cheng’an ridiculous.
If Luo Cheng’an had said this before yesterday, he might have argued a couple of points.
But there was no need anymore.
He had already shared such intimacy with his master, so he didn’t care about these little verbal claims of closeness.
Fu Ye froze for a moment when he heard Luo Cheng’an’s introduction, then nodded thoughtfully.
Xi Yu, however, didn’t pick up on the implications in those words at all. Instead, he was thinking about the star chart.
Fu Ye seemed approachable enough now, but you could know a person’s face without knowing their heart. It was still better to be cautious.
Fu Ye exchanged greetings with them and said that food had already been prepared.
The group went to the main room and took their seats.
Fu Ye continued holding Sang Biao in his arms the entire time. Even when eating, he kept Sang Biao on his lap and refused to let go.
Sang Biao, who had resisted him so fiercely the previous night, had completely changed. He obediently sat on Fu Ye’s lap, his amber eyes lazily half-closed. Every now and then, he yawned, looking as though he hadn’t slept well the previous night.
“I don’t know what kind of food you prefer. If you aren’t accustomed to the dishes, you can tell Xiaohua and Xiaoyu. They’ll prepare something else.”
“No need,” Xi Yu said. “It’s very good.”
As he spoke, Xi Yu picked up a shrimp and put it into Lu Zhixing’s bowl.
Luo Cheng’an saw this and immediately pushed his bowl over, but his eyes remained fixed on the Holy Son.
“I can eat it just fine. It’s super delicious.”
After saying that, he turned his head and saw a piece of sweet-and-sour pork ribs in his bowl. He immediately grinned with satisfaction.
Lu Zhixing ignored Luo Cheng’an’s little schemes. His gaze occasionally drifted toward Fu Ye, who was eating with his head lowered.
After a while, he slowly asked, “May I ask what the star chart the Holy Son mentioned just now is?”
Fu Ye put down his chopsticks and explained.
“It is a sacred object of Miaojiang, something passed down by our ancestors. It can detect the disasters and blessings that will occur in Wutong Stronghold within the next ten years, as well as those who enter the stronghold.”
Xi Yu looked at Fu Ye.
“I thought the sacred object of Miaojiang would be that arrow with the golden-feather, jade shaft.”
The expression on Fu Ye’s face did not change. He continued to maintain an extremely calm demeanor as he shook his head.
“It seems the three of you really did come for that arrow.”
Fu Ye wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin and said indifferently, “But you won’t be able to take that thing away. I advise you to give up as soon as possible. Otherwise, getting injured would be one thing, but losing your life would truly not be worth it.”
……………………………..
Xi Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.
“How will we know without trying?”
Fu Ye said nothing more.
Instead, Sang Biao, who had been listening with his ears pricked up the whole time, suddenly jumped down from Fu Ye’s lap and ran over to Xi Yu’s feet. Using his pink paw pads, he pawed at Xi Yu’s trouser leg.
“Human, that arrow is very dangerous. You’ll get blasted away with a biu~”
“I had a fellow clansman who was injured, so I brought her back here to recover. But her husband wouldn’t listen to advice and wanted to take that arrow. He got blasted away with a biu~ and then died! It took my fellow clansman one life to save him. It’s very dangerous, so don’t take that arrow—”
Xi Yu knew Sang Biao was talking about Xiaoman and Shen Linchuan.
But it was too strange.
If Zhuohua had sealed herself away because of his death and forbidden anyone from approaching, then why, now that Xi Yu had returned, could he still not sense Zhuohua?
Even now, he still couldn’t sense her.
He had to go and see what exactly was going on.
Someone had to be interfering. Otherwise, it was impossible for him not to sense her.
The Demon Lord had been summoned.
In this world, the only one capable of killing the Demon Lord was Zhuohua.
Who was stopping him?
Or rather—
Who was waiting for the Demon Lord to descend into the mortal world?
Who exactly was the god summoning the demonic aura?
There were too many mysteries he couldn’t unravel.
Xi Yu felt that these unsolved mysteries were very likely connected to his rebirth.
Seeing that Xi Yu wasn’t responding, Sang Biao grew anxious and tried to jump onto his lap.
But halfway through his jump, Fu Ye intercepted him, grabbed the loose flesh at the back of his neck, and pulled him into his arms.
“Fu Ye! You’re grabbing the back of my neck again!” Sang Biao struggled furiously. “I’m going to give you two big punches!”
Fu Ye put the webbing between his thumb and index finger into Sang Biao’s mouth for him to lick and play with.
Only then did Sang Biao’s fur settle back down.
Fu Ye stood up.
“That is all I have to say. I hope you still won’t joke around with your lives.”
With that, Fu Ye carried Sang Biao away.
Sang Biao was still shouting,
“Human, you must listen to Kitty. That arrow is bad, the person is good. Don’t die.”
“Awoo~ Fu Ye, why did you hit this Great King on the butt!”
Fu Ye lowered his head and whispered something into Sang Biao’s ear.
Sang Biao let out a little whimper, then fell silent.
After finishing their meal, Luo Cheng’an followed behind Xi Yu. Only after they entered the room did he ask quietly,
“Brother, when are we going to make our move?”
Lu Zhixing sat on a chair, looking at the bed concealed behind the curtains. He lowered his head, poured Xi Yu a cup of tea, and handed it to him.
Xi Yu accepted it and took a small sip before asking Luo Cheng’an,
“There is no we. There’s only me. You and Lu Zhixing stay here obediently.”
Luo Cheng’an’s brows tightened. He put his hands on his hips.
“No! That arrow is so dangerous. I’m going with you!”
Xi Yu glanced at Luo Cheng’an.
“You’ll only hold me back.”
Luo Cheng’an looked as though he had been struck by lightning. He stared at Xi Yu in disbelief.
“Xi Yu! You have no heart!”
“I do.”
Xi Yu touched his chest and felt the rhythm of his heart beating inside.
“It’s a very strong heartbeat, too.”
Lu Zhixing smiled faintly as he looked at Xi Yu and said softly,
“Then I’ll wait for you to come back.”
Xi Yu’s heart stirred at his words.
He looked toward Lu Zhixing, the smile in his eyes deepening.
“All right. Lu-ge, wait for me to come back.”
Luo Cheng’an rolled his eyes and tugged at Xi Yu.
“Then when are you planning to make your move?”
Xi Yu set down his teacup.
“Tomorrow night.”
Tomorrow would be the fifteenth, the night of the full moon.
The old dog had said that every fifteenth, Zhuohua would absorb people’s essences.
No.
That wasn’t right.
The people in the stronghold didn’t have essences at all.
They were merely walking corpses maintained by a strand of spiritual power.
But since someone had seen strange phenomena on the fifteenth before, he would wait until tomorrow and see exactly what kind of phenomenon appeared.
There was another very strange matter, too.
Fu Ye knew they were coming. Now he also knew that Xi Yu wanted Zhuohua.
Yet he had said they couldn’t take the arrow, but he hadn’t driven them away.
Instead, he had simply been treating them to good food and drink.
Xi Yu thought about it.
There was nothing to do in the afternoon anyway. Since he was idle, he might as well take the two of them out for a stroll.
He cast an invisibility spell on them, though, to save himself the trouble.
Luo Cheng’an followed behind Xi Yu, looking around everywhere like a curious little child.
Lu Zhixing, on the other hand, seemed somewhat listless. He walked slowly, occasionally lifting his head to glance at Xi Yu.
When they passed Qingfeng Tower, Lu Zhixing paused.
Xi Yu also thought of something and turned his head to look at Lu Zhixing.
The charm demons upstairs couldn’t see them now, while they could clearly see several of the charm demons laughing and playing.
Xi Yu waited until Lu Zhixing had caught up and was walking beside him, then secretly hooked his palm with his fingers and smiled somewhat ambiguously.
Once two people had an affair, the way they interacted would inevitably change.
Neither Xi Yu nor Lu Zhixing noticed that there was now a hint of springtime affection in the corners of their eyes and brows, like the first peach blossom of early spring, fresh and vividly beautiful.
They didn’t notice it, but Luo Cheng’an did.
Luo Cheng’an pretended to be distracted and stopped walking, falling one step behind them.
From there, he could see Xi Yu’s fingertips teasing Lu Zhixing’s.
Whenever Lu Zhixing moved away slightly, Xi Yu would lean back toward him again.