Yan Fu was anxious beyond words, desperately wishing he could instantly find his daughter and fly to her side. 

However, standing before him was HuLü Yan, unyielding and unfazed, which left Yan Fu helpless. 

He had no choice but to stifle the anxiety burning in his heart and patiently respond, “The person missing from the Situ family is the younger brother of the current Situ family head, Situ Gaoyang—his name is Situ Huai. Over all these years, the Situ family has never given up on searching for him, but like me, they haven’t received even the slightest clue about his whereabouts.”

HuLü Yan’s expression was inscrutable as he softly repeated, “Situ Huai.”

Yan Fu looked at him, face full of pleading, “The City Lord’s wife…”

Hearing this, HuLü Yan’s gaze refocused on Yan Fu’s face, and he suddenly smiled brightly. “Let’s go. Let’s find your daughter first.”

Since Mi Lu and HuLü Yan had left, Jing Lan and Li Huai remained with the others, living in the barrier. They hadn’t restricted anyone from leaving; if someone wished to depart, they only needed to say the word.

But to Jing Lan and Li Huai’s surprise, more than half a year had passed, and not a single person mentioned wanting to leave.

Over time, they both started to find this secluded life unexpectedly pleasant. Out there, they were shunned by the Demon Realm and not welcomed by the righteous factions. Staying here, in this place rich in spiritual energy and resources, seemed like the perfect opportunity to cultivate and live in peace.

One morning, as Jing Lan and Li Huai began their daily tasks, a strange sound caught their attention.

The others heard it too, and everyone turned to where the sound had come from, instinctively showing expressions of alarm.

Jing Lan tensed and glanced at Li Huai, “It seems someone’s coming.”

Li Huai was also tense, but seeing the others were even more anxious, he pulled himself together and managed to say, “You all stay here. I’ll go check.”

“I’ll go with you!” Jing Lan added quickly.

“Alright.”

After reminding the others to stay put, the two of them walked together toward the source of the sound.

When they reached the barrier’s edge, they saw a familiar figure stepping out of a flying artifact.

Stunned at first, Jing Lan and Li Huai quickly processed their shock, and their eyes filled with tears as they ran over one after the other.

“Sect Master!”

“Sect Master, you’re back!”

Jing Lan, rushing ahead, had barely stopped before Mi Lu when suddenly a pair of hands reached out from the side, gripping her shoulders.

Jing Lan froze, startled, and was about to speak when those hands pulled her into an embrace.

“My daughter, my daughter! Father has finally found you!” Yan Fu’s voice trembled with emotion, and tears streamed from his eyes.

But Jing Lan was utterly bewildered. She had no memories and didn’t recognize the man hugging her and calling her his daughter.

Seeing this, Li Huai tried to pull Jing Lan from Yan Fu’s embrace, but Mi Lu stopped him.

“This is Yan Fu, the Pavilion Master of Star Moon Pavilion, and I believe he’s also Jing Lan’s biological father,” Mi Lu explained to Li Huai.

“Her father?” Li Huai was astonished.

Mi Lu nodded.

It took Li Huai a long moment to process this revelation. He tilted his head slightly, glancing toward the flying artifact behind them. Besides the uniformed servants of the City Lord’s Mansion and disciples of Wu Wang Gang standing in formation, HuLü Yan stood with his arms crossed, watching him with an unreadable look.

Clearly, HuLü Yan had noticed his moment of disappointment.

Feeling embarrassed, Li Huai quickly masked his emotions, pretending to stand nonchalantly by Mi Lu’s side.

Yan Fu, holding his daughter after so many years, cried for a long while before finally letting go. He wiped away his tears, looking Jing Lan over from head to toe several times.

“You’ve gotten so thin, my daughter,” he said, voice thick with emotion.

Jing Lan, still in a daze, didn’t know how to respond and looked at Mi Lu for help.

Mi Lu had no choice but to gently remind Yan Fu, “Pavilion Master Yan, you’re aware that Jing Lan has lost her memory. Perhaps it would be best if we discussed everything inside. There may be a way to help her regain her memories.”

Realizing his lapse, Yan Fu nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes.”

As they entered the barrier, the others crowded around, calling out, “Sect Master! Sect Master!” filling the place with lively greetings.

Li Huai trailed behind, watching Yan Fu and Jing Lan’s backs with a vacant look.

Suddenly, a cold voice sounded by his ear, “Jealous?”

Li Huai jumped in surprise, turning to find HuLü Yan, who had somehow appeared beside him.

In the short time they’d been apart, HuLü Yan seemed to have grown even taller. His eighteen-year-old features had become more defined, his handsome face sharper. Especially his deep, black eyes, which now glistened like polished obsidian in the morning light, reflecting Li Huai’s dumbfounded face.

“Hmm?” HuLü Yan tilted his head. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Li Huai snapped out of his daze, his face burning with embarrassment as HuLü Yan’s direct question left him feeling exposed.

“I’m not jealous,” he muttered in denial.

HuLü Yan smirked, his eyes flashing with a hint of mischief, his tone chilling, “Lying isn’t a good habit, you know.”

Li Huai wasn’t sure why HuLü Yan was saying all this, but he couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling.

He’d barely interacted with HuLü Yan, but he’d developed a fear and respect for him, especially after HuLü Yan single-handedly destroyed the entire Medical Hall. He couldn’t understand why Mi Lu had fought so hard to save HuLü Yan or why Mi Lu had cared for him during those four years of unconsciousness.

In his eyes, HuLü Yan was like a lurking beast, hiding fangs behind a mask of innocence, always ready to strike with fatal precision.

How could someone as kind as Mi Lu become entangled with someone so dangerous?

Li Huai couldn’t understand it, no matter how he tried.

He instinctively wanted to distance himself from HuLü Yan, but his attempt to quicken his pace was quickly thwarted.

HuLü Yan grabbed his collar, pulling him back a step. If he hadn’t been held, he would have fallen flat on the ground.

“What are you afraid of? I’m not going to eat you,” HuLü Yan teased with an icy tone.

Li Huai swallowed, shrinking back a bit.

HuLü Yan paused, then sneered, “Perhaps I know who your parents are. Answer me one question, and I can confirm it.”

The mention of his parents made Li Huai freeze, his eyes wide as he turned to face HuLü Yan, “W-what did you say?”

With his height advantage, HuLü Yan leaned down, studying Li Huai’s stunned expression, “Do you have a mark somewhere on your body—a single-winged butterfly?”

Li Huai opened his mouth but was too stunned to speak.

Impatient, HuLü Yan urged, “Yes or no?”

Li Huai hesitated, “I…”

“Don’t answer? Fine. I could just have someone strip you to check,” HuLü Yan’s black eyes sparkled maliciously. He made no effort to hide his threatening tone. “You’re only getting one chance to answer me.”

After a tense pause, HuLü Yan’s voice turned colder, layered with a subtle threat, “Yes. Or. No.”

His grip on Li Huai’s collar tightened, sending a creeping sensation of suffocation around Li Huai’s throat like climbing ivy.

Struggling to breathe, Li Huai coughed, terrified of resisting. Just feeling HuLü Yan’s breath on his neck sent shivers down his spine, his fear peaking.

With no choice left, Li Huai stammered, “Yes…there’s…there’s a butterfly mark on my left side.”

“What color?” HuLü Yan pressed.

“Dark red.”

A soft laugh escaped HuLü Yan as he released Li Huai’s collar.

Li Huai’s legs gave way, and he slumped onto the ground.

HuLü Yan smirked, his long lashes casting shadows over his black eyes, but even from the ground, Li Huai could feel the weight of his gaze.

“Turns out it’s really you.”

“You know my identity?” Li Huai scrambled to ask. “You said you know who my parents are—can you tell me who they are?”

HuLü Yan nodded, “I can.”

Hope sparked in Li Huai’s eyes, his limbs regaining some strength as he tried to stand up, only to hear HuLü Yan call his name.

He answered, looking up, only to find HuLü Yan swiftly shove a pill into his open mouth.

The cool hand held his jaw, giving a slight squeeze—

The pill slid down his throat.

By the time he realized what had happened, his mouth was filled with a bitter aftertaste.

His face drained of color as he stared at HuLü Yan in horror, “What did you make me swallow?!”

“Poison,” HuLü Yan answered smoothly.

“You…”

“As long as you behave until you see your parents, I’ll give you the antidote,” HuLü Yan’s grip shifted from his jaw to his chin.

Despite his light touch, Li Huai could feel the ease with which HuLü Yan could snap his jaw with only a little pressure.

Li Huai was torn between anger and fear, his hands digging into the dirt, though rationality eventually won out.

He swallowed his retort, shaking as he kept his composure.

“Do you understand?” HuLü Yan asked.

Li Huai nodded, paused, then hesitated, “But my parents…”

HuLü Yan cut him off, “You’ll know soon enough.”

Just then, Mi Lu returned, noticing the two talking in the distance, and called out, “HuLü Yan!”

HuLü Yan quickly released Li Huai’s chin, and as he turned to face Mi Lu, the coldness in his expression vanished, replaced by a warm, sunny smile.

HuLü Yan stood up, straightening his robes casually, as if nothing had happened.

Li Huai: “…”

If not for the lingering ache in his jaw, he might have thought he’d imagined it all.

This guy changes faces way too fast!

Mi Lu approached HuLü Yan, eyeing him with suspicion. “What were you two talking about?”

“Nothing much.” HuLü Yan instinctively leaned close to Mi Lu, his hands sneaking around Mi Lu’s waist and resting his chin on Mi Lu’s shoulder.

Mi Lu raised an eyebrow, “Nothing? I saw you two talking.”

After a bit of fawning, HuLü Yan finally said vaguely, “Just catching up, that’s all.”

Mi Lu wasn’t convinced.

HuLü Yan and Li Huai barely knew each other. What could they have to catch up on?

He pushed HuLü Yan off, stepping past him to where Li Huai still sat stunned on the ground.

“Li Huai, are you alright?”

Li Huai shook his head, though his lips remained pressed together.

Mi Lu held out a hand to help him up. As Li Huai instinctively reached for it, he froze under a piercingly cold gaze from behind Mi Lu.

Looking past him, Li Huai found HuLü Yan staring at him, the earlier warmth wiped clean from his face, leaving only a cold, sharp look fixed intently on the hand Li Huai had almost placed on Mi Lu’s.

Li Huai: “…”

His hand suddenly felt like it was pricked by needles.

There was no way he was touching Mi Lu now. Pulling his hand back, he scrambled to stand up on his own.

Mi Lu glanced back, slightly puzzled, but seeing HuLü Yan’s innocent look, he just shook his head.

“Something wrong?”

“Nope,” HuLü Yan said innocently, flashing his eyes.

Mi Lu shrugged and turned back to Li Huai. “Go find Jing Lan. We’ve got some plans to discuss, and I’ll explain once everyone’s gathered.”

“Got it.” Li Huai practically ran off, relieved.

Once Li Huai was gone, Mi Lu reached out and gave HuLü Yan a little pinch on the cheek. “You suspect Li Huai is Situ Gaoyang’s younger brother?”

“It’s not suspicion; I’m sure.” HuLü Yan leaned in, giving Mi Lu a quick kiss. “He’s the one.”

“What will you do about it?”

“If the Situ family is sensible, I’ll leave them alone.” Pausing, HuLü Yan’s voice turned lower. “But if they insist on opposing me, I won’t hold back.”

Mi Lu nodded, “Just don’t bully Li Huai too much. He’s still a kid.”

Grinning, HuLü Yan took Mi Lu’s hand away from his cheek and kissed the back of it. “Then I’m a kid too.”

Mi Lu chuckled, “You? A kid?”

“Li Huai’s eighteen. I’m eighteen too. If he’s a kid, why shouldn’t I be?”

Mi Lu realized HuLü Yan and Li Huai were indeed the same age. Somehow, HuLü Yan’s height and aura made it easy to forget he was only eighteen.

“Alright, alright,” Mi Lu laughed. “You’re a kid too, happy?”

But HuLü Yan suddenly seemed to remember something, his face lighting up mischievously. “Wait, actually, I’m not a kid.”

“Oh?” Mi Lu raised an eyebrow.

HuLü Yan grinned, “Kids don’t do that kind of thing.”

Mi Lu blinked, confused, “What thing?”

“What do you think?” HuLü Yan leaned down, his forehead against Mi Lu’s, cheeks slightly pink but his eyes sparkling. “Want to try here?”

“…”

“Don’t treat me like a kid.”

“…Get lost!”