Three months ago.

Not long after Mi Lu and his group left, righteous members led by the HuLü family surrounded the Medical Hall. Not only that, but many so-called righteous figures also poured into several prominent northwest towns, including Jiu Yao County, drawing massive public attention.

Jiu Yao County lies close to the Demonic Realm, with its people often interacting with demonic residents. Over time, it has become a semi-outpost for the Demonic Realm. Although disciples from righteous sects occasionally come to train near the foot of Kunlun Mountain, they usually conceal their identities and avoid direct confrontation with demonic folk. For the first time in twenty years, the righteous openly set foot in the Demonic Realm’s territory, raising alarm among the demons while commoners watched in intrigue.

Hei Sha rushed to Lady Wan’s residence to inform her of the situation. She was in the midst of preparations for a disguised trip to the Capital City when Hei Sha arrived. Upon hearing the news, Lady Wan paused, her brows furrowing and her face darkening. “Them again,” she murmured. “What are they plotting this time?”

Hei Sha scratched his head, “They must’ve arrived at dawn, sneaking in under cover of night. It’s bound to be urgent.”

Lady Wan scoffed, “Twenty years ago, those hypocrites brazenly invaded our lands, captured our people, and forced our Demon Lord Lin Chong….” She stopped mid-sentence, realizing she had said too much, and quickly closed her mouth.

The mention of that name sent a shiver through Hei Sha, his expression changing to one of fear and anxiety as sweat beaded on his forehead. He whispered, almost afraid to speak, “Lady Wan, we don’t talk about… him.”

“It’s all in the past.” Lady Wan waved her hand dismissively, unwilling to dwell on the chaos of twenty years ago. She continued, “So, they’re here to capture our people again?”

Hei Sha wiped the sweat from his brow and then on his clothes, replying, “I heard some of them went straight to the Medical Hall.”

“The Medical Hall?” Lady Wan paused. “What are they doing there?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Hei Sha answered in a low voice, “They say everyone at the Medical Hall is gone.”

“What?!”

“Not only Ming De Yi and Ming Sui, but everyone else in the Medical Hall….” Hei Sha’s gaze grew complicated. “Not a single person remains.”

The news left Lady Wan in shock. It took her a moment to regain her senses, her fingers gripping the table edge tightly. “When did this happen?”

“Only recently.”

Lady Wan fell silent, then suddenly stood up. “Let’s go check it out!”

When they exited the courtyard, Bai Yuan and Qing Wu had been waiting for a while. Upon seeing Lady Wan, they greeted her with a respectful nod.

Lady Wan cast a glance at them, her tone icy. “Where are those hypocrites now?”

Bai Yuan replied, “Members of the Xuan Yun Sword Sect and Tai Sheng Sect have gathered at An Feng Tower on Sanlou Street. Their disciples are scurrying all over the streets, even putting up these posters.” Bai Yuan took a piece of folded white paper from his sleeve and unfolded it, revealing a page full of text and two accurately sketched faces.

He handed the paper to Lady Wan, whose eyes widened with surprise upon seeing it. She looked up at Bai Yuan, “HuLü Yan?”

“Yes,” Bai Yuan nodded.

“The boy the HuLü family recently found and used for a ritual?”

“Yes.”

“It’s him….” Lady Wan muttered in disbelief. “How could it be him…?”

Qing Wu added, “Lady Wan, look at the other person.”

She lowered her gaze. “Mi Lu?”

“Yes, it turns out he’s that sickly only son of the Mi family,” Qing Wu replied. “Remember the team that first emerged from the Thousands Serpent Pit? Mi Lu was among them.”

Hei Sha added, “Those righteous folks are turning everything upside down searching for them. They claim the deaths at the Medical Hall are somehow related to them.”

“What makes them say that? Do they have any evidence?” Lady Wan asked, crumpling the white paper and holding it in her palm, her fingers sparking with spiritual energy. When she opened her hand, the paper had burned to ash.

Bai Yuan chimed in, “Perhaps they have information we’re unaware of. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare act so brazenly on our territory.”

“With the Medical Hall’s incident, things will be chaotic on their side.” Qing Wu sneered. “As long as their fire doesn’t reach us, we’ll just sit back and watch the show. The Medical Hall is already a lapdog of the righteous sects; their fate has nothing to do with us.”

Hearing this, Hei Sha and Bai Yuan let out a sigh of relief, their tense shoulders relaxing.

“Bai Yuan, you’re right. I’m blowing things out of proportion,” Hei Sha chuckled. “What can they do here? They’re searching for their own people, not ours.”

As his companions relaxed, Lady Wan’s expression grew more serious, her brows knitting tighter.

Sensing something amiss, Hei Sha cautiously asked, “Lady Wan, is something still troubling you?”

Lady Wan glanced at the carefree trio before her and sighed, “I’m afraid we won’t be able to stay out of this.”

Hei Sha looked stunned. “What do you mean?”

“Because of HuLü Yan…” Lady Wan began, then stopped herself. She suspected HuLü Yan might be connected to Demon Lord Lin Chong, but she wasn’t certain enough to say.

After Lin Chong’s death, his name became a taboo. The righteous refused to mention him, and the demonic realm feared his name. Twenty years ago, his death had bought two decades of superficial peace between the realms.

Could it be that this fragile peace would be shattered by someone connected to Lin Chong?

If HuLü Yan were indeed connected to Lin Chong in any way, she wouldn’t sit back and do nothing.

The Demonic Realm, once a united and feared entity, was now scattered and struggling, forced to survive in the barren northwest. Yet these hypocrites refused to leave them alone, constantly seeking to crush them further.

If her guess was correct…

Then perhaps a new dawn awaited the Demonic Realm.

A new Demon Lord.

“Hei Sha, go find the Palace Master of Yaqi Palace. Tell him I have urgent business. Bai Yuan, go check the Medical Hall.” Lady Wan gave her orders, then looked at the bewildered Qing Wu, “You’re coming with me to check out the situation.”

Hei Sha quickly asked, “Lady Wan, why seek out the Palace Master?”

Lady Wan shook her head, “We must find HuLü Yan before the righteous sects do.”

“Huh?”

“No, we have to find him first,” Lady Wan replied with certainty. She recalled seeing a clue near the Thousands Serpent Pit, but she hadn’t investigated further to avoid alerting others. Now, it was clear—hesitation was a mistake.

Lady Wan regretted her inaction.

When Lady Wan and Qing Wu arrived outside An Feng Tower, it was surrounded by disciples of the Xuan Yun Sword Sect and Tai Sheng Sect, dressed in blue and brown sect attire, guarding every entrance. The area outside An Feng Tower was packed with onlookers—commoners and demonic cultivators alike.

To avoid drawing attention, Lady Wan dressed in plain gray and covered her face with a veil, only her alluring fox-like eyes visible. Recognizing her, some demonic cultivators crowded around.

Lady Wan asked directly, “Have those hypocrites shown their leader?”

“No, they’re still inside, and it doesn’t seem like they intend to leave,” replied a demonic cultivator.

“Why should they stay!” another cultivator spat angrily. “They’ve forced us back, and now we’re here in Jiu Yao County, but it’s not enough for them?”

“Exactly! They push us around without any regard for us. We owe them nothing!”

“Get them out of Jiu Yao County! This is Demonic Realm territory!”

As chants of “Get out of Jiu Yao County!” rang out, the righteous disciples outside An Feng Tower grew uneasy.

Faced with an increasingly agitated crowd, they dared not act recklessly. Violence against civilians would shift them from the side of justice to the side of wrongdoing, something they couldn’t risk.

Then, a voice called out from the crowd, “Get these hypocrites out of Jiu Yao County!”

Another shouted, “You bring trouble wherever you go! Get back to your own land!”

A disciple, cornered and desperate, drew his sword to defend himself. The clash of blades sparked an all-out brawl, with the crowd pressing toward An Feng Tower.

Amid the chaos, a figure leapt from the tower, throwing several energy-imbued daggers at the demonic cultivators near the door. Just then, a gust of wind redirected the daggers. Lady Wan, now standing on Qing Wu’s and a cultivator’s shoulders, removed her veil, a smile on her lips as she greeted the figure.

“Qin Xue, long time no see.”

It was Qin Xue, Lin Ji’s former disciple, who had lost his once-dashing appearance. Lady Wan chuckled, “You’ve grown even more handsome. Why not stay here with me?”

The demonic cultivators cheered, with Qing Wu laughing the loudest. Qin Xue’s face turned red with rage. “Enough!”

Unfazed, Lady Wan gave him a coy smile.

Qin Xue gritted his teeth. “We came with no intention of clashing with the Demonic Realm. We have our own matters. I urge you not to interfere. Otherwise, we won’t hold back.”

Lady Wan’s face fell, her tone sharp. “Either leave or die.”

When HuLü Xing and Situ Wenwan arrived at the Medical Hall, it was already abandoned.