The people who had drunk the water began to argue.

Their words were disjointed, chaotic. One of them shouted, “So, it was you, the scoundrel, who killed my parents?”

Another said, “You’re responsible for the deaths of eighteen people in the southern village. How will you repay that?”

Yet another drew his sword in anger, “You’ve abused the local people, treating human lives like grass. Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”

The situation devolved into violence. These comrades, who were supposed to be escorting criminals together, had begun to slaughter one another.

The glint of blades reflected on Chu Hanjin’s focused face. He remarked, “It seems their memories have become confused.” He was about to step out of the carriage when he heard a muffled voice from Yue Lin.

Yue Lin held him back, guiding him to sit down again. “Let me handle this.”

With Chu Hanjin pregnant, Yue Lin was thoroughly annoyed by this sudden disruption. He drew his sword and rushed forward. Those who hadn’t drunk the water tried to step in to stop the madness, but chaos reigned.

The ones accusing each other seemed fully conscious and moved with precision. Chu Hanjin noticed that they truly believed they had witnessed each other’s crimes. Their emotions were inflamed to the extreme.

This wasn’t puppet magic, but it wasn’t clear what kind of point-summon spell it was either.

To manipulate memories and emotions so recklessly, driving people to kill each other, was undoubtedly a dark art.

Yue Lin ignored the Rongku Sect members and went straight for the bearded man. The man clearly wasn’t skilled in combat, fleeing clumsily, darting through the forest like a frightened duck.

The brawling couldn’t be stopped; one person had already been stabbed through the chest.

Time was running out.

Chu Hanjin, after thinking it through, jumped from the carriage and headed for the water barrel under the shade. He began to examine it closely.

A point-summon spell—similar to the concept of “dotting the dragon’s eye” in painting—usually involved getting the target to perform an action related to the curse. The second part would involve casting the curse on them. Both steps were crucial.

Chu Hanjin considered the process. The first step was telling the stories, which locked in the targets. The second step, where the curse was activated, must have been when they drank the water.

—The water must have contained burnt talisman paper.

With this thought, Chu Hanjin quickly flew behind those who had drunk the water. He raised his hand and delivered a forceful palm strike to each of their backs.

They heard the rush of wind and instinctively swung their swords back, but the seemingly gentle palm strike wreaked havoc on their internal organs. With a loud “ugh,” they vomited up everything they had just drunk.

Chu Hanjin stood at a distance, watching their reactions.

If the curse was in the water, it wouldn’t be digested, and vomiting it out should solve the problem.

Unexpectedly, the group’s faces turned deathly pale. They raised their swords again, shouting, “What kind of dark magic are you using to make me vomit in public? How disgusting!”

“Go on, vomit up your black heart while you’re at it!”

Something was wrong.

Could the talisman not be in the water?

Chu Hanjin didn’t dwell on it for long. He returned to the shade and replayed the events of the water-drinking in his mind.

Suddenly, a flash of insight hit him.

It wasn’t the water the bearded man had been focusing on. It was the stories they told. He had written down every word of their stories with great attention in that ragged book of his.

Chu Hanjin sent a message to Yue Lin: “Get that book from his sleeve!”

Upon hearing this, the bearded man, who had been dodging and running, immediately turned and fled at full speed.

It seemed they had found the right target.

Chu Hanjin wanted to help, but another thought crossed his mind. He turned back toward the carriage, looking down at Bai Gu, who was squatting on the ground.

“Are those people here to rescue you?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

Chu Hanjin sat down nonchalantly. “They’ve miscalculated.”

Bai Gu said nothing, merely casting a glance up and down at Chu Hanjin. He then said, “You’re pregnant?”

Chu Hanjin’s usually calm eyes rippled slightly, a trace of surprise perhaps but there was no shame in his expression.

“How did you know?”

Bai Gu smiled faintly. “I can smell it.”

Smell?

Chu Hanjin instinctively flared his nostrils, thinking there might be a distinct scent associated with pregnancy. He felt a bit puzzled.

Bai Gu spoke softly, “Is it my brother’s?”

Chu Hanjin glanced at him sideways, feeling no need to engage in small talk. “That’s none of your concern.”

Bai Gu chuckled lightly. “I just think you two might not be right for each other.”

For a brief moment, Chu Hanjin saw an unusual blend of indifference, disdain, and a mix of emotions—love and hate intertwined—in Bai Gu’s eyes. But it vanished as quickly as it came. The next moment, the curtain of the carriage was lifted with a loud clang, and Yue Lin stepped in.

He grabbed the rope tied around Bai Gu, tightening it until Bai Gu’s face twisted in pain. “Let’s go,” Yue Lin said simply.

He then glanced at Chu Hanjin before dragging Bai Gu and heading toward the direction where the bearded man had disappeared.

Chu Hanjin called after him, “You figured it out?”

Yue Lin nodded. “I chased him for a while but got worried about leaving you alone, so I came back. Don’t worry, as long as he’s tied up, he won’t escape.”

The bearded man’s figure flitted between the trees. Chu Hanjin, eager to retrieve the book from his sleeve, swiftly pursued.

Just as he rounded a mountain bend, he grabbed the man’s shoulder, brushed aside his sleeve, and yanked out the book. As he opened it to see what was written inside, he suddenly realized they were surrounded by dark figures.

—There were many people here.

It was a flat, grassy area, and the group had scattered. Horses were grazing nearby, and another group of black-clad figures sat cross-legged in meditation, as if waiting for someone.

They were dressed in expensive garments, with armor on their shoulders and intricate sun-and-moon patterns embroidered on their collars. Their expressions were solemn.

At the sight of these patterns, Chu Hanjin’s heart skipped a beat.

These were members of the demon clan!

He was about to warn Yue Lin when the crowd stirred. A figure stood up, not to attack, but to kneel, pressing a fist to their chest in salute.

“Your Majesty,” the figure said.

The others also knelt down, chanting in unison, “Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty.”

Chu Hanjin turned to look at Bai Gu, who was tightly bound.

His face was pale, his hair disheveled. He looked nothing like a Demon Lord, just a pitiful prisoner.

The man who had spoken continued, “We welcome Your Majesty. Congratulations on your resurrection.”

“Congratulations on your resurrection, Your Majesty!”

“Congratulations on your resurrection!”

In that moment, a chilling sensation crawled up Chu Hanjin’s spine. He lifted his gaze slightly.

He didn’t look at Yue Lin.

But he could guess what Yue Lin was doing right now.

Yue Lin tightened the rope around Bai Gu’s neck, inch by inch, choking him until his eyes rolled back. The subordinates exchanged glances but did nothing to intervene. Instead, their expressions grew even more reverent.

In the demon clan, there was no concept of courtesy or virtue—only the strong ruled.

In that instant, Chu Hanjin understood.

Yue Lin was the true Demon Lord.

The truth he had been avoiding all along now connected in his mind, forming the complete picture. There was no hesitation. Chu Hanjin quickly reached out, grabbing Yue Lin’s wrist and forcing him to release the rope strangling Bai Gu.

Crack!

Yue Lin’s arm was cut, leaving a bloody mark. He winced in pain and loosened his grip on the rope.

In that moment, he met Chu Hanjin’s gaze. His deep golden eyes, like slits, were filled with complicated emotions.

But Chu Hanjin’s eyes were calm, serene, and distant.

Without a word, Chu Hanjin tightened the rope himself and dragged Bai Gu toward the Rongku Sect investigators.

Behind him, Yue Lin’s voice, mixed with the wind, called out, “Ah Chu…”

Chu Hanjin said nothing.

Yue Lin followed closely behind, reaching out as if to help him with the rope, but just as his hand extended, he withdrew it again. “Let me explain.”

Chu Hanjin stopped, and a stream of energy cut through the air between them, burning fiercely, separating the two like ice and fire, like yin and yang, like light and darkness.

Finally, Chu Hanjin spoke, “Leave.”

Yue Lin’s voice trembled. “I didn’t…”

Chu Hanjin looked him in the eye for a moment. “I will raise the child. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other.”

With that, he turned and continued walking.

But Yue Lin followed a meter or two behind, saying, “The old me is dead! I haven’t done anything evil since my rebirth. I haven’t killed anyone or committed any wrongdoings. I haven’t—”

As he stepped forward, the ground beneath him exploded into sparks, flames igniting his legs.

Dressed in white, Chu Hanjin didn’t look back, continuing to lead Bai Gu forward.

Even as the flames burned fiercely, scorching his skin, Yue Lin didn’t put them out, letting the fire spread over his body as he followed behind. “Ah Chu…”

Chu Hanjin had never heard him call him that before.

They rarely addressed each other by name.

Each time, the voice was filled with pain, almost like a plea.

But Chu Hanjin didn’t look back.

His pure white figure was resolute. The closer Yue Lin got, the more the flames consumed him. Yet he didn’t evade, continuing to walk toward Chu Hanjin.

The fire climbed higher, licking at his waist, then his chest.

Until his entire body was engulfed in flames.

Finally, he reached Chu Hanjin’s side and gently tugged at his robe. “Ah Chu…”

Chu Hanjin stopped in his tracks.

They had reached the shaded water stand. Chu Hanjin tore the book to pieces. The others, stunned, clutched their heads as if a memory had been extracted or was being reassembled. After a while, they regained their senses.

And as they woke, they saw the man behind Chu Hanjin, burning in flames, and a group of demon clan members standing nearby.

Swords were drawn. “Danger! Form ranks!”

Amidst the chaos, Chu Hanjin’s spotless white robes stood out, his fingers stained with blood. Yue Lin’s throat trembled, each word choking out, “I didn’t… I didn’t do anything wrong. After meeting you, all I wanted was to stay with you, to protect you, and never to look back at the past…”

His words were filled with pain, words that could easily break the heart of someone who loved him.

But Chu Hanjin’s expression remained calm, unmoved.

If Yue Lin had merely stumbled onto the demonic path by accident, perhaps Chu Hanjin could have turned a blind eye after his rebirth. But knowing he was the Demon Lord, a position stained with blood and cruelty, there was no longer any room for compromise.

When it must end, it must end.

Yue Lin’s eyes burned with a mix of despair and hope. “Was it like this back then?”

Chu Hanjin looked at him quietly. “Back when?”

“When we were in the forest. You regained your memories, learned who I was, and decided to leave me behind?”

He recalled the day he had gone into the mountains to chop wood and tend to the firefly flower field. Afterward, he brought home two fish, thinking his “Little Bodhisattva” had gone out for a while.

So he made soup, stewing the fish and preparing a meal, waiting for Chu Hanjin to return. He cleaned the kitchen, made small toys, and waited.

He waited from dusk to midnight, and from midnight to dawn, pacing back and forth through the forest, nearly digging through the earth in his search. Every night, it felt as if his heart had shattered into countless pieces, scattering everywhere.

After searching for seven days and nights with no sign of Chu Hanjin, he decided to leave the forest and search elsewhere. No matter how far, he would find him.

He traveled across mountains and rivers, from the northern desert to the central plains. Hearing that many cultivators gathered for the Six Sects’ Spring Feast, he bought an invitation, hoping to find Chu Hanjin in the crowd.

Back then, all Yue Lin wanted was to find Chu Hanjin.

Later, all Yue Lin wanted was to stay by Chu Hanjin’s side, hoping he would remember him.

But now, as he walked beside the man, flames consuming him and Chu Hanjin not even looking back, Yue Lin could no longer comfort himself. Perhaps Chu Hanjin had remembered everything back then and still chose to leave him behind.

Chu Hanjin’s gaze was clear as he replied, “I don’t remember anything from before. But if I had known you were the Demon Lord, I would have left immediately.”

Straightforward. Decisive.

From beginning to end, his stance had never wavered.

Yue Lin looked at him deeply, a fire of emotion raging in his eyes.

The desperation and pleading in his gaze were replaced by a sense of resignation, which then shifted to resentment, anger, and the despair of betrayal and abandonment. The mix of emotions surged within him, stirring the surrounding spiritual energy like a storm, kicking up dust and debris.

Chu Hanjin felt a sharp pain in his chest but maintained his calm expression. “I told you before…”

If their allegiances were different, he wouldn’t hesitate to stand against him.

Yue Lin nodded. “I see.”

He no longer begged. His eyes filled with calm resolve, as if broken walls were being rebuilt into something stronger. “I understand…”

But there was a slight tremor in his voice.

Finally, Yue Lin spoke clearly, “You will give me the child.”

Chu Hanjin: “Why should I give the child to you?”

“Half of his blood is demonic. To you, he’s a tainted child,” Yue Lin’s deep golden eyes burned with intensity and madness as he stared at Chu Hanjin. His voice was gentle and low. “You, the noble Lord Yue Zhao, raising a half-demon child would damage your reputation. Let me take care of him. And… this may not matter to you, but my feelings for you from the past, because of this child, will be settled.”

Chu Hanjin clenched his teeth slightly. “The child is mine.”

“Yes, the child is yours. But I want him. Look at the situation now—”

Yue Lin glanced around. The demon clan members stood quietly, not uttering a word.

Meanwhile, the Rongku Sect members, weakened and having fought among themselves earlier, formed a defensive formation, their faces pale and strained.

Yue Lin’s eyes gleamed with a fiery intensity as he spoke softly, “If you don’t give him to me, I won’t mind taking him by force.”