Chu Hanjin said, “When did I ever say I was one of you?”

Bai Gu looked surprised, “Did I get it wrong? I thought Lord Yue Zhao and our Lord were so well-matched, becoming Dao partners. I assumed it was only a matter of time before you’d join the Demon Realm. It seems I jumped to conclusions.”

Every word was clearly spoken for the Far Mountain Sect spy to hear. If this spy were killed, news of Chu Hanjin’s defection to the Demon Clan would spread across the Six Sects immediately.

Bai Gu continued, “Keeping this person alive is pointless, and letting them go would only lead to more trouble. I’ll deal with him now.” With that, he grabbed the spy by the shoulder, ready to kill him on the spot.

Chu Hanjin spoke up, “Stop!”

The Far Mountain Sect disciple was his fellow brother-in-arms. How could he let a demon deal with him? Chu Hanjin said coldly, “Did I say you could kill him?”

Bai Gu hesitated, unsure of what to do, glancing toward Yue Lin for guidance, a fake show of indecision that fit perfectly with his true intentions. He asked, “Lord, how should we handle this?”

Ah, so that’s his game, Chu Hanjin thought.

It was clear now. Bai Gu wasn’t really trying to kill the spy. He was testing Yue Lin. If Yue Lin was truly committed to the Demon Realm, he’d have no reason to spare this righteous spy who had come to gather intelligence. But if Yue Lin still had feelings for Chu Hanjin, he would likely let the spy live.

This was Bai Gu’s way of putting Yue Lin in a tough spot, forcing him to reveal where his loyalties lay.

Yue Lin glanced at the spy and asked Bai Gu, “Where did you find him?”

Bai Gu, caught off guard by the question, hesitated before replying, “I saw him skulking on the beams when I entered. I captured him, recognized the Communication Talisman he was carrying, and knew he was a righteous sect spy here to gather information.”

Yue Lin’s face darkened with sudden anger, “Oh, really!?”

The outburst frightened Bai Gu, who took two steps back, trying to decipher Yue Lin’s meaning, “My Lord…”

Yue Lin sneered, “If you don’t trust me, there’s no need to talk about passing the throne. If I wanted to take it, I have plenty of ways. Stop calling me ‘Lord’ while secretly spying on me. And now, you’ve brought someone here to test my wife and frame me!”

Bai Gu’s face turned deathly pale, and he dropped to his knees with a thud, “My Lord, I had no such intentions! It truly was an accidental discovery. My Lord…”

Yue Lin kicked him over, “Get out! I can’t stand the sight of you!”

Terrified, Bai Gu scrambled to his feet and fled in a panic, disappearing in an instant.

Just like that…he ran off?

Chu Hanjin was slightly taken aback as he watched Yue Lin.

To be honest, he hadn’t expected Yue Lin to be so volatile. But once Bai Gu had left, the fierce expression on Yue Lin’s face faded, revealing that it had been an act all along. Bai Gu, however, had taken it seriously and was genuinely afraid of him. Yue Lin’s unpredictability only made him more difficult for Bai Gu to grasp.

Yue Lin turned to Chu Hanjin with a meaningful look, “You’ve caused me trouble again.”

Chu Hanjin didn’t hold back, “He came to the Demon Realm looking for me. If you think I’m such a burden, you can let me go.”

His sharp retort left Yue Lin silent for a moment before he chuckled, “Keep dreaming.”

After glancing at the sun, as if pressed for time, Yue Lin quickly left.

Now only Chu Hanjin and the spy remained in the courtyard. Chu Hanjin transferred spiritual energy to him, and soon the man coughed up a mouthful of blood, recovering enough to kneel on one knee, “Lord Yue Zhao…”

Chu Hanjin said, “No need to kneel. Tell me, how did you get here?”

The spy sighed and shook his head, “Sect Master Mu sent me. After Morning Sun was escorted to the Rongku Sect, he accused you of colluding with demons and murdering his junior brother, Falling Sun! The Rongku Sect is furious, and the Six Sects are abuzz with gossip about you. Sect Master Mu was worried and sent me to check on your safety.”

Mu Lianchun trusted Chu Hanjin completely and wouldn’t believe mere rumors.

Chu Hanjin had anticipated this outcome. He nodded, “So Morning Sun accused me of killing Falling Sun?”

“Yes. At first, the escorting disciples testified that Morning Sun and Falling Sun were practicing forbidden techniques, which caused the disaster. But then Morning Sun changed his story and accused you instead, making up a convincing tale. Since the only witnesses were you, him, and that demon, and you left with the demon, suspicions against you grew. Lord Yue Zhao, your reputation is at great risk!”

Chu Hanjin shook his head, unfazed, “My reputation is not important. Tell my senior brother that I’m fine in the Demon Realm. He needn’t worry about me.”

The spy was surprised, “I came here to help you escape. You’re not leaving?”

Chu Hanjin said, “I can’t leave for now.”

The spy’s expression turned grim, as if unsure whether to speak, “I also overheard some things earlier. They said that Lord Yue Zhao and the demon are Dao partners, deeply involved emotionally. Is that true?”

Chu Hanjin didn’t deny it, “My relationship with him is complicated.”

The spy hesitated for a moment before advising, “From the standpoint of the Far Mountain Sect, and for your own sake, it’s best to sever ties with that demon. Otherwise, your lifetime of honor and reputation may be destroyed. Sect Master Mu is very concerned about your situation.”

Chu Hanjin felt at a loss for words.

At this point, his situation was like sticky rice, impossible to shake off. If he cut ties with Yue Lin, turned around, and left—especially with the child in his belly—he’d feel like he was abandoning his responsibilities, a heartless man.

Sighing, Chu Hanjin reassured him, “Don’t worry about me. He won’t hurt me. Besides…”

There was another reason Chu Hanjin chose to stay. The source of the curse marks was Bai Gu. If he were taken back to the Rongku Sect for interrogation, things might have been simpler. But with all that had happened, he figured he might as well stay here and investigate the situation in the Demon Realm further.

Chu Hanjin made up his mind, “I won’t leave for now, but don’t worry. I’ll find a way to get you out.”

The spy sighed deeply, “I’ll leave it to you, my Lord.”

Chu Hanjin took him into the inner courtyard to heal his wounds and instructed the servants to prepare a table of good food. After ensuring the spy had recovered enough, Chu Hanjin thought for a moment and said, “There are no materials here to make a teleportation talisman. It looks like we’ll have to break out on foot. Once it’s a little darker, I’ll take you out of the city.”

The spy nodded, “Thank you.”

During this time, Yue Lin hadn’t returned.

Chu Hanjin had a suspicion—Yue Lin likely knew he would let this spy go and was purposely staying away to give him enough time.

Sigh.

Chu Hanjin sighed, appreciating Yue Lin’s deliberate consideration. As the sky darkened, he said, “Let’s get you out of here.”

For someone from the Demon Clan to infiltrate the righteous sects was no different from a righteous sect disciple infiltrating the Demon Realm. As long as they disguised themselves and kept a low profile, they wouldn’t attract attention. They walked to the city gates without needing to show identification, calmly exiting the city.

After watching the Far Mountain Sect spy leave, Chu Hanjin turned and started walking back.

As evening fell, the Demon Realm’s capital took on the peaceful scene of twilight. People packed up their stalls, strolled down the streets, lit lanterns, and some housewives dumped out buckets of water, preparing to cook dinner.

Chu Hanjin wandered forward, passing a group of children playing hopscotch under a tree. Hearing their mothers calling from a distance, they shouted back, “We’re not going home yet! Let’s play a little longer?”

“Yeah, yeah! My family cooks dinner late anyway. If I go back now, I’ll just have to help with the fire. No way I’m going back.”

“Keep playing!”

Soon, a woman came running with a broom, grabbing one of the children by the collar and swatting his behind, “You’re still not going home? Still not going home?”

The child yelped in pain, twisting and bawling loudly, “Ow! Ow!”

Chu Hanjin couldn’t help but chuckle at the scene.

Such a carefree, relaxed atmosphere.

He found the children rather endearing.

The woman scooped the crying child into her arms, rubbing his sore bottom, “Does it hurt? Now you know it hurts? I’ve been calling you, but you wouldn’t listen. It’s so late, and you still didn’t come home. What were you thinking?”

She scolded him angrily, then turned to glare at the other children, threatening, “If you don’t go home soon, the new demon lord will catch you and use you to refine elixirs! Aren’t you afraid? You’re running around late at night, out of the house! Not only will he refine you, but he’ll eat you up too!”

“Ahhh…”

The children trembled in fear and ran off.

Chu Hanjin’s smile faded slightly. The new demon lord they spoke of was undoubtedly Yue Lin. Word had clearly spread. But he hadn’t expected Yue Lin’s reputation to be so terrible that he could be used to scare children.

Among the fleeing children, one lagged behind. Instead of running, he stood still, staring at Chu Hanjin.

The boy had a handsome face and held a wooden toy in his hands. His clothes, though shabby, were clean and neat. His gaze was sharp, and Chu Hanjin found himself looking at him for a moment longer, “Why haven’t you gone home?”

The child retorted, “Why haven’t you gone home?”

Chu Hanjin found the boy amusing, “I’m not afraid of that demon lord.”

The boy pouted and huffed, “You’re not afraid of him? He’s really bad.”

“Oh? How is he bad?” Chu Hanjin was curious.

The boy hugged his toy, sitting on a large stone slab, “Buy me a candied hawthorn, and I’ll tell you.”

Chu Hanjin, surprisingly patient, said, “Alright, I’ll buy you one.”

After purchasing the candied hawthorn, the boy accepted it without hesitation, took a bite, and then offered it to Chu Hanjin, “You can have one too.”

Chu Hanjin took a bite. The sweet and sour taste was quite pleasant. He kindly reminded the boy, “You can start telling your story now.”

Swinging his legs, the boy began, “Ah, let me tell you. That demon lord is the worst! You know, back in the day, the Demon Realm was pretty peaceful. His father, though a lecherous scoundrel, was powerful, and no one dared rebel because of his strength. But after he killed his father, other demons underestimated him and started rebelling to take the throne. Of course, they were all brutally suppressed.”

Chu Hanjin’s gaze rested on the boy’s youthful face as he listened thoughtfully, “Go on.”

He already knew much of this. In cultivation, one follows the path of heaven. But in the mortal world, one follows the path of humanity—desires, impulses, struggles, love, hate, and conflict.

The boy sighed dramatically, “And what happened after? You’re just going to gloss over that? Those were real deaths, you know! So many people killed. They were executed, dismembered, quartered, had their spiritual cores torn out and shattered, or were used as human furnaces in sword-forging pools! At the time, one in every ten households was wiped out. And that demon lord? He stood alone in the sea of blood, untouchable. He was only in his early twenties.”

Chu Hanjin sighed, “And then?”

The boy’s dark eyes fixed on him, “Aren’t you scared of him?”

Chu Hanjin shook his head, “He is terrifying, but I’m not afraid.”

The boy pursed his lips, cheeks puffing slightly, and continued, “But after that, things turned bad for him. Even though he was only killing rebels, his methods were so violent that he started scaring his own allies. His sharpness made everyone uneasy. His own allies feared he might kill them too one day, so they began to guard against him.”

Chu Hanjin nodded, “And then?”

“Then, what they feared came true.” The boy swung his legs again, “The demon lord’s arrogance and the brutality of his subordinates led to more bloodshed. One day, his men killed the only son of a high-ranking ally, escalating the conflict. What started as a purge of rebels became a full-blown civil war within the Demon Realm.”

The boy looked at Chu Hanjin, “Do you think he’s scary? He didn’t just kill enemies—he killed his own people.”

Chu Hanjin responded, “Didn’t you just say it was his subordinates who killed him?”

“His subordinates were his loyal dogs. Do you think he can escape responsibility?” The boy turned his head with a huff, “It’s called backlash. His sharpness doomed him.”

Chu Hanjin thought for a moment and said, “The version I heard is different from yours.”

The boy asked, “What version did you hear?”

Chu Hanjin replied, “I heard someone framed him.”

“Even if someone framed him, the people he killed were real! His cruelty was real! His eventual death was just karma catching up with him.”

The boy spoke with such conviction that Chu Hanjin had no response. After a moment, he nodded, “You’re right.”

The boy’s eyes brightened, “So are you afraid of him now? If you are, you should go home early. Don’t stay out on the streets at night.”

Seeing the boy so concerned for him, Chu Hanjin couldn’t help but laugh. After chuckling, he reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair, “You should go home early too.”

As he patted the boy’s head, the child squinted his eyes, purring like a contented cat, revealing small sharp teeth, clearly enjoying the attention. He even stood on his tiptoes, clearly relishing the affection.

Chu Hanjin was about to leave when the boy, hugging his toy, held out his arms, “Can you carry me? The stone I’m standing on is too high, and I can’t get down.”

Chu Hanjin smiled kindly, “The stone isn’t that high.”

“Carry me, carry me! I’m scared.” The boy’s dark eyes were calm and steady, but he kept pouting and stomping, showing a bit of childish awkwardness.

Ever since getting pregnant, Chu Hanjin had found it hard to refuse children. Sighing, he stepped closer, gently picked up the boy, and set him down on the ground.

The boy rested his head against Chu Hanjin’s chest for a moment, seemingly dazed by the scent of sandalwood coming from him. He clutched at Chu Hanjin’s clothes, reluctant to let go. Once set down, he tugged on his collar, his ears turning slightly red, and his face flushed.

He said “Goodbye,” hugged his toy, and ran off into a nearby alley.

After watching the boy disappear, Chu Hanjin stood still for a moment before turning to leave. But new footsteps sounded behind him.

Yue Lin’s tall figure emerged from the shadows.

He acted casually, raising an eyebrow slightly and asking in a low voice, “Where did you go this afternoon?”