Chapter 20
That evening, the Demon Investigation Bureau was unusually peaceful.
The golden light of sunset spilled through the windows.
For once, there were no murder cases.
No demons attacking.
No one trying to burn down the Bureau.
Just paperwork.
Unfortunately.
Zhou Yi Chen sat behind a desk.
A stack of reports lay before him.
His expression was cold and serious as he dictated the details of their recent mission.
“The Chenghuang case involved manipulation through desire…”
Across from him, Zhao Yuanzhou sat lazily with a brush in hand.
Writing.
Or at least pretending to.
Every few moments, his eyes drifted toward Zhou Yi Chen instead of the paper.
“Focus.”
“I’m focusing.”
“You just wrote the same character three times.”
“That was artistic.”
“It was illiteracy.”
Zhao Yuanzhou looked offended.
Before he could argue, a voice echoed from the doorway.
“What are you two doing?”
Ying Lei wandered inside carrying a basket of vegetables.
The moment he saw the scene, he froze.
Zhou Yi Chen sitting upright and dictating.
Zhao Yuanzhou writing obediently.
“…”
“…”
Ying Lei slowly pointed.
“Why does this look like a husband being punished by his wife?”
The brush snapped.
Zhao Yuanzhou burst out laughing.
Zhou Yi Chen’s face immediately darkened.
“It’s Punishment.”
The single word made Ying Lei laugh even harder.
A few moments later, the reports were finally completed.
Zhou Yi Chen set the papers aside.
“We leave for Kunlun tomorrow…I just wanted to let you know.”
The room quieted.
Ying Lei blinked.
“Kunlun?”
Zhou Yi Chen nodded.
“We need answers.”
“The Baize Order.”
“The marks.”
“The Great Wilderness.”
Everything seemed connected.
After a moment, Zhou Yi Chen looked toward Ying Lei.
“You can come with us.”
Ying Lei immediately shook his head.
“No.”
“No?”
The yellow-haired youth proudly lifted his basket.
“I’ve chosen my destiny.”
“I’m becoming a chef.”
“I don’t understand my grandfather.”
Ying Lei sat down nearby.
“He spent his whole life guarding the Great Wilderness.”
“That place is empty.”
“Lonely.”
“Nothing ever changes.”
“Why would anyone choose that?”
For a moment, nobody answered.
Then unexpectedly, Zhao Yuanzhou set down his brush.
His golden eyes drifted toward the setting sun beyond the window.
“Every leaf has its own destiny.”
The room grew quiet.
Ying Lei looked up.
So did Zhou Yi Chen.
Zhao Yuanzhou smiled faintly.
“Some leaves fall early.”
“They touch the ground after only a short season.”
The evening breeze entered through the window.
“Some are carried away by the wind.”
“They travel far.”
“Farther than they ever imagined.”
His voice softened.
“And some remain on the branch.”
“Long after the others have gone.”
The sunset painted his features gold.
“They dry slowly.”
“They endure winter.”
“They remain when everything else changes.”
A small smile appeared.
“And when the wind finally passes through them…”
His gaze drifted toward the trees outside.
“They become sound.”
The leaves outside rustled gently.
“They aren’t sad.”
“They aren’t lonely.”
“That’s simply the life they chose.”
The room fell silent.
Ying Lei stared thoughtfully at the vegetables in his lap.
For once, he had no dramatic response.
Even Zhou Yi Chen found himself watching Zhao Yuanzhou quietly.
The ancient demon still wore that relaxed smile.
But for a brief moment-
His eyes looked very far away.
As if he, too, were thinking about a leaf that had remained on the branch for far too long.
❄️❄️❄️✨✨✨⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️
Far from Tiandu, beneath a sky swallowed by darkness, two figures stood atop a ruined pavilion.
The wind howled through the broken pillars.
A crimson lantern swayed overhead.
Li Lun sat casually on the railing, lazily spinning a silver rattle drum between his fingers.
Across from him stood the man in black.
His face remained hidden beneath a mask.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then the masked man broke the silence.
“Everything is proceeding according to plan.”
Li Lun smiled.
“Of course it is.”
The man in black’s eyes gleamed.
“We finally found it.”
“The Baize Order.”
At those words, excitement flickered through his voice.
Years.
Schemes.
Countless deaths.
All for this.
But Li Lun merely laughed.
Softly.
Dangerously.
“Found it?”
He tilted his head.
“That’s all?”
The masked man frowned.
Li Lun’s smile widened.
“I think destroying it sounds far more entertaining.”
The night wind suddenly grew colder.
The rattle drum clicked slowly against his palm.
Click.
Click.
Click.
His eyes darkened.
“And killing his love again…”
The smile on his face became almost beautiful.
“…is worth it.”
The masked man stared.
Even after all these years, Li Lun’s obsession remained unchanged.
Unhealthy.
Dangerous.
Mad.
Yet frighteningly sincere.
Li Lun looked toward the blood-red moon beginning to rise on the horizon.
“The Blood Moon approaches.”
His voice softened.
“Five days.”
“Only five days.”
The drum stopped moving.
“The night of the Blood Moon is the perfect time.”
“The barrier between fate and memory weakens.”
“The Baize Order will be vulnerable.”
His smile sharpened.
“And so will he…”
The masked man nodded.
“I’ve already made arrangements.”
Li Lun raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
“Qing Geng.”
The man in black folded his arms.
“She’s already waiting at the base of Kunlun Mountain.”
“Even if the Demon Hunting Team leaves tomorrow…”
“They won’t arrive quickly.”
Li Lun laughed.
A pleased laugh.
“Excellent. Great Job.”
The masked man hesitated.
Then asked quietly,
“And my payment?”
The question lingered in the air.
“Zhao Yuanzhou’s inner core is all yours.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”
Li Lun looked offended.
“Forgotten? Do i look like one?”
“Don’t worry.”
His fingers tapped the rattle drum once.
A sharp sound echoed through the night.
“When the Blood Moon rises…”
His eyes reflected crimson light.
“…you’ll have Zhao Yuanzhou’s inner core.”
The masked man finally relaxed.
Satisfied.
But as he turned to leave-
Li Lun spoke again.
Softly.
Almost to himself.
“I wonder…”
The wind stirred his dark robes.
“If he’ll remember this time.”
The masked man paused.
“What?”
Li Lun’s smile returned.
Maddening.
Melancholic.
Beautiful.
Nothing like a sane person’s smile.
“The look on his face.”
“When he loses him again.”
For a moment, genuine sorrow flashed through Li Lun’s eyes.
Then it disappeared beneath laughter.
“I’ve missed it.”
The blood moon continued rising.
And somewhere far away-
unaware of the storm approaching-
Zhou Yi Chen and Zhao Yuanzhou prepared for their journey to Kunlun.