Yun Ye’s breath caught.

The delicate wrist, bound by the heavy silver shackles, looked pale and fragile, as if it could snap with the slightest pressure.

However, Bai Tu didn’t seem bothered. He casually tugged on the chains, testing their length. The sound of the chains clinking filled the room, and Yun Ye, feeling increasingly irritated, could no longer hold back. He reached out and gripped Bai Tu’s wrist.

The noise stopped.

The room fell silent again. Yun Ye and Bai Tu were so close that Bai Tu could easily hear the powerful beat of Yun Ye’s heart through his chest. Bai Tu looked up, meeting Yun Ye’s dark eyes, unable to decipher what he was thinking.

Bai Tu, unsettled by the look in Yun Ye’s eyes, instinctively shrank back slightly.

Yun Ye tightened his grip on Bai Tu’s hand and leaned in closer, his voice lowering. “Master, was that intentional?”

The scent of the wolf demon was pervasive, filling every corner of the room. Bai Tu was pinned against the head of the bed by Yun Ye, not daring to move a muscle. He struggled to suppress the urge to revert to his original form and curl up into a ball.

Yun Ye seemed to sense his thoughts. Using the pad of his finger, he gently traced the skin on Bai Tu’s forearm, while his other hand slowly drifted downward, coming to rest on the slight swell of Bai Tu’s lower abdomen.

“Yun Ye!” Bai Tu called out in a panic.

But the hand merely brushed lightly over his abdomen before sliding down to rest on his still-slender waist.

“Does Master still not know what I want to do to you?” Yun Ye whispered into Bai Tu’s ear, his voice soft but laden with intent. “If it weren’t for the little one in your belly, I would have already…”

Bai Tu’s breathing quickened, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

A flicker of melancholy passed through Yun Ye’s eyes. With a slight increase in pressure, there was a crisp click as the shackles around Bai Tu’s wrists were removed.

Yun Ye released him. “What I want to do to you, Master… you can’t handle it right now, and I don’t want to hurt you. So…”

His hand gently brushed against Bai Tu’s cheek before he stood up, turning his back to him. He let out a soft sigh. “So, Master, stay here and behave, alright?”

With that, Yun Ye left the room.

As the door closed behind him, Bai Tu finally exhaled, only then realizing that a thin layer of sweat had formed on his back.

Yun Ye was truly different now.

The demonic power had awakened all the predatory instincts within him. When he stayed by Bai Tu’s side, he had kept his fangs hidden, obediently playing the part of a loyal little wolf. But now, this little wolf had returned to its own territory, becoming a ruthless and cold-hearted wild wolf, capable of life and death decisions.

The obedient, clingy, and obedient little disciple he once knew was gone, never to return.

Bai Tu leaned against the bedhead, feeling melancholic.

Yun Ye quickly removed those life-threatening objects from the small house, and Bai Tu settled into the Magic Abyss.

For the first few days, Bai Tu stayed in the small house, peacefully resting and taking care of his pregnancy. The farthest he would go was occasionally sitting in the small courtyard to soak up the sun. But after three days had passed, Yun Ye hadn’t appeared before him once.

During these three days, Bai Tu could occasionally sense that Yun Ye was standing outside his door. But he never came in, nor did he make a sound. Whenever Bai Tu thought about going out to look for him, the aura would vanish in an instant, and not even a trace of him remained.

It was becoming unbearable.

He had been tricked into coming here, only to be left alone. What was going on with him?

Yun Ye had not placed any restrictions on his courtyard, only sending two of his subordinates to stand guard outside, protecting Bai Tu’s safety. Bai Tu didn’t care about these two small demons and easily cast a concealment spell, slipping out the door unnoticed.

Bai Tu changed into a dark cloak and headed toward the main hall where Yun Ye was dealing with his affairs.

The guards in the Demon Palace were unusually lax, with only a few servants scattered around. As Bai Tu walked, he didn’t encounter any obstacles.

And then… he got lost.

The layout of the Demon Palace was complex, and the halls all looked alike. Bai Tu wandered aimlessly for a while before realizing he seemed to be circling the same area. Worse still, he couldn’t remember the way back.

Bai Tu sat down by the wall, looking up at the stars and the river of constellations in the sky, falling into silence.

This was a bit of a problem.

He waited there for nearly half an hour before he finally heard footsteps approaching from nearby. Peeking around the corner of the wall, Bai Tu saw a group of patrolling guards coming toward him.

Well, this was a pleasant surprise—his first encounter with a patrol since leaving the house.

Bai Tu picked up a small stone from the ground and tossed it, hitting the leader’s ankle.

The man winced in pain and nearly fell, hastily shouting, “Assassin!”

A group of guards quickly surrounded the area, and the sound of unsheathing blades echoed through the air. Bai Tu stood up, his cloak wrapped tightly around him. Unhurriedly, he walked out from the corner.

One of the guards shouted, “Who are you?!”

Bai Tu replied, “I’m here to see your Demon Lord.”

“How dare you speak so casually about seeing the Lord!” The guard ordered, “Seize him!”

The guards rushed forward, but Bai Tu didn’t resist. He let the sword’s edge rest against his neck. Tilting his head slightly, he asked, “So, if I let you catch me, I’ll be able to see him?”

“Since you’re so eager to meet the Lord, then so be it.” The guard ordered, “Take him to the Demon Lord’s hall. Let the Lord deal with him personally!”

In the Demon Lord’s hall, Yun Ye absentmindedly listened to his subordinates’ reports, resting his chin in his hand, lost in thought.

“…Lord, are you listening?” one of the men beside him couldn’t help but ask.

Yun Ye snapped back to reality. “I… leave these matters to you. No need to report everything to me.”

The man hesitated but said nothing. A woman beside him chuckled and said, “Understood, my lord. But… about the matter you asked us to investigate earlier, don’t you want to hear about it?”

Yun Ye raised his eyes. “Have you found anything?”

The woman replied, “After leaving Tianyan Sect, Immortal Lord Zhaohua has been living in seclusion at a place called Qiming Mountain. Before retreating, Immortal Lord Zhaohua made a statement that anyone seeking revenge could come to find him. As a result, there were no restrictions set up around the mountain. However…”

“However, in the past three months, aside from Immortal Lord Qinghui occasionally visiting, no one else has approached the area.”

Yun Ye furrowed his brow. “No one? Not even demons, immortals, or monsters?”

“No one.”

“Unbelievable!” Yun Ye’s teacup shattered with a crash as he stood up in frustration. “No wonder he allowed himself to come to such a dangerous place… He’s pregnant, and yet, which scoundrel could be heartless enough to leave him alone in seclusion for so long without even checking on him?”

He couldn’t fathom how Immortal Lord Zhaohua, already so frail and unwell from pregnancy, could be left to seclude himself in the mountain.

Which bastard allowed his master to fall pregnant and then abandoned him in that mountain, showing no care whatsoever?

Now, he’s still being sent to this dangerous Demon Abyss!

Yun Ye’s blood boiled, and a murderous, bloodthirsty intent flickered in his eyes.

“Please, Your Majesty, don’t be anxious,” the woman said. “I will send people to continue the investigation immediately. We will get to the bottom of this.”

“Yes, go investigate.” Yun Ye took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Find out who that bastard is, and I will make him…”

At that moment, someone hurriedly entered the Demon Lord’s hall. “Your Majesty, the Immortal Lord… he… he…”

Yun Ye’s expression shifted. “What happened to him?”

“The Immortal Lord is gone!”

A powerful surge of demonic aura instantly swept through the hall, and the messenger who had come to report was almost knocked off his feet, struggling to stand upright.

In the blink of an eye, Yun Ye appeared before him.

“He’s gone?” A dangerous gleam flashed in Yun Ye’s eyes. “Did I not tell you to watch over him? How could he disappear?”

The messenger gasped for air, barely managing to speak. “The Immortal Lord… his cultivation is so strong. If he wishes to leave, I… I couldn’t stop him.”

Yun Ye ignored him and turned, striding toward the door. “He hasn’t left the Demon Abyss. Gather all the guards in the city and search thoroughly. If you can’t bring him back, you’ll know the consequences.”

As soon as he stepped outside the hall, a group of guards happened to arrive at the Demon Lord’s palace.

The captain of the guards bowed to him. “Greetings, Your Majesty. During our patrol, we captured an unidentified assassin. Please, Your Majesty, decide what should be done.”

Yun Ye, feeling agitated, waved dismissively. “Just kill the assassin, it’s a small matter. Do you need to report everything to me?”

Among the guards, Bai Tu blinked, silently noting this in his mind.

He was actually going to kill him…

…Ungrateful disciple.

As soon as Yun Ye finished speaking, he immediately sensed a familiar presence nearby. He turned to look at the guards, and in the center of the group, the person being escorted wore a black cloak, with a hood that completely obscured their face in shadow.

Yun Ye closed his eyes briefly, forcing his voice to remain calm. “Take him inside, I’ll interrogate him personally.”

Behind him, the messenger who had followed out asked in confusion, “Your Majesty… aren’t you going to search for him?”

No one answered.

The guards led the captured assassin into the Demon Lord’s hall, and Yun Ye waved them away, turning to enter the palace.

The palace doors closed behind Yun Ye, leaving only the two of them inside.

The assassin, who was to be personally interrogated by the Demon Lord, removed his hood and began questioning first. “So, you’re going to kill me?”

Yun Ye opened his mouth. “I’m not—”

The assassin interrupted, bringing up old matters. “Oh right, you also said you’d eat me.”

Yun Ye sighed, “Master…”

“Is rabbit meat that tasty? Can you fry, grill, and stew it all?”

Yun Ye: “…”

How many foolish things had he done in the past?

Bai Tu, having had his fun, wrapped his arms around his belly and looked around the Demon Lord’s hall. There wasn’t even a single chair. The only chair was placed on the high platform where the Demon Lord sat.

…Was the Demon Abyss really this shabby?

Bai Tu walked over, already struggling to stand. He thought for a moment, then turned to Yun Ye with a serious expression. “Yun Ye, are you really going to make your master stand here like this?”

Yun Ye snapped back to reality. He quickly helped Bai Tu to a chair, placing a soft cushion behind him to make him more comfortable.

Yun Ye asked, “Master, what brings you here?”

“Naturally, I came to find you.”

Yun Ye replied, “If you have something to say, you could have told the two people I sent. They could have passed the message along.”

Bai Tu countered, “If I want to see you, can’t they arrange that as well?”

Yun Ye paused for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He didn’t say anything further.

He truly wasn’t ready to face this person, nor did he know how to confront him or the child growing inside him.

Yun Ye remained silent, while Bai Tu lowered his head and noticed the shattered cup at his feet. He glanced up and saw that there were faint traces of blood on Yun Ye’s fingers from the broken porcelain.

“Who are you angry with now?” Bai Tu furrowed his brows and gently pulled Yun Ye’s hand.

There was nothing available to bind the wound, so Bai Tu thought for a moment before directly bringing Yun Ye’s finger to his mouth.

The warmth of his mouth enveloped Yun Ye’s finger instantly, and his soft, nimble tongue traced over it. Yun Ye’s breath hitched, and a rush of blood surged to his head.

Yun Ye jerked his hand back as if shocked, his voice urgent, “Master, please don’t…”

Bai Tu looked up at him and, after a long pause, sighed lightly. “Alright then, I came here to tell you this: your demonic power is newly awakened, your emotions are unstable, and you easily get angry. You must remember not to overreact, whether in joy or sorrow, or you may lose control and fall into madness.”

Yun Ye was silent for a moment. “Master, don’t you resent me?”

Bai Tu’s hand, hidden under the cloak, gently brushed over his stomach, grumbling, “Of course I resent you. You’re the one I should resent the most.”

Yun Ye’s eyes flickered, and he lowered his head. “I’m sorry.”

Yun Ye continued, “I shouldn’t have been careless and fallen for the demon clan’s schemes. And I shouldn’t have… left you, making you suffer these past days.”

Bai Tu shrugged it off, “Suffer? What suffering?”

Yun Ye squatted at his feet, looking up at him with eyes full of tenderness. “It’s difficult enough for someone pregnant, but Master, with your body so weak, it must be related to this child, right? I truly regret not being with you these past days. I regret not noticing sooner…”

Yun Ye buried his head in Bai Tu’s hand, speaking softly, “If I had known earlier…”

“And then what?”

Yun Ye said, “If I had known sooner, I wouldn’t have let Master suffer even the slightest bit, or endure any injustice.”

Bai Tu lowered his gaze to him and gave a faint smile.

This person hadn’t changed at all. He was still as foolish as before.

Silly disciple…

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt a gentle movement in his belly.

=^_^=