Chapter 19
An hour later, the duel had ended.
The pond had become calm again.
The countless droplets of ice Zhao Yuanzhou had summoned were long gone, melted back into the water beneath the moonlight.
Neither of them had moved very far.
They sat on the stone steps beside the pond in comfortable silence.
For once, there was no arguing.
No sword pointed at anyone’s throat.
No shameless flirting.
Just the sound of water and the rustling of leaves overhead.
Zhou Yi Chen rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the moon’s reflection.
After a long moment, he finally spoke.
“Hey , Why does it feel like I’ve known you for a very long time?”
The question lingered in the air.
Beside him, Zhao Yuanzhou’s fingers tightened slightly around his gourd.
For the first time that night, he didn’t answer immediately.
His golden eyes remained fixed on the water.
As if he were looking through it.
Into another lifetime.
Into another world.
Finally, he smiled.
A small smile.
A tired one.
“Time will tell you…”
Zhou Yi Chen frowned.
“That sounds suspicious and a stupid answer.”
“It is , definitely.”
“What? Answer my question.”
Zhao Yuanzhou chuckled softly.
“No. Leader Zhou.”
“You’re impossible.”
“I’ve heard that before….try scolding me in a different way.”
The night breeze brushed through the garden.
Somewhere in the distance, a wind chime rang softly.
Then Zhao Yuanzhou spoke again.
“Just promise me something.”
Zhou Yi Chen glanced sideways.
“What?”
“When the time comes…”
His voice grew quieter.
“…don’t hate me before you know everything…”
The words caught Zhou Yi Chen off guard.
He stared at him.
For the first time, there was no teasing in Zhao Yuanzhou’s eyes.
No laughter.
Only exhaustion.
A sadness so old it seemed woven into his soul.
“What are you talking about? Don’t be overly dramatic.”
Zhao Yuanzhou lowered his gaze.
“My life has been like a river….an immortal river…”
The words came slowly.
Carefully.
As though he had carried them alone for thousands of years.
“I never knew where I truly began.”
His eyes drifted toward the moon.
“I never knew where it would take me.”
The wind stirred his dark hair.
“I drifted wherever fate pushed me.”
His voice became softer.
“Through kingdoms.”
“Through wars.”
“Through deaths.”
“Through people I couldn’t save…. through guilt , through betrayal , through lies and through hate.”
The smile he wore now was painfully fragile.
“And one day…”
He laughed quietly.
“…I’ll probably drift into the ocean too…ocean of sins.”
Zhou Yi Chen frowned.
Something about the way Zhao Yuanzhou said it made his chest ache.
As if the ancient demon was talking about something far deeper than death.
As if he were simply tired.
Tired of carrying eternity alone.
“Hey, you are seriously suffering , I can see that.”
The demon looked at him.
“Is something hurting you?”
For a moment-
Something vulnerable flashed across Zhao Yuanzhou’s face.
Gone almost immediately.
Then he laughed.
A familiar laugh.
A practiced one.
“Immortality.”
He lifted the gourd.
“It sucks.”
Zhou Yi Chen rolled his eyes.
“There it is… Again…”
“There what is?”
“The nonsense.”
“It’s profound nonsense.”
“It’s still nonsense…”
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The laughter between them slowly faded.
The night grew quieter.
Only the pond and the distant sound of cicadas remained.
Zhao Yuanzhou leaned back against the stone railing and looked toward the moon.
For a moment, he seemed lost in thought.
Then he spoke.
“Actually… .”
Zhou Yi Chen glanced at him.
His expression was unusually serious.
“I want to return to Kunlun.”
The name alone caused Zhou Yi Chen to pause.
Kunlun.
The sacred mountain.
The place connected to the Baize Order.
The place they had only just escaped from.
“Why?”
Zhao Yuanzhou lowered his gaze.
“There are still some elders living there.”
“Elders?”
“Demon elders.”
His voice became quieter.
“Very old ones.”
“Older than most kingdoms.”
“Older than most records.”
“Older than me.”
“You’re telling me there are demons older than thirty-four thousand years?”
“Unfortunately.”
A faint smile appeared.
“They never let me forget it.”
“They were alive when the Baize Order still governed the Great Wilderness.”
“They witnessed things that even I don’t know.”
His golden eyes shifted toward Zhou Yi Chen.
“The appearance of your mark.”
“The awakening of the two halves of the Baize Order.”
“The resonance between us.”
A pause.
“I think they may know something.”
Zhou Yi Chen fell silent.
His fingers unconsciously touched the place on his forehead where the mark had appeared.
Even now, remembering it felt unreal.
“I don’t understand any of it.”
“I know.”
“And I don’t like not understanding things.”
“I know that too.”
“Stop saying that.”
Zhao Yuanzhou laughed softly.
Then his expression softened.
“There is one thing the elders might know.”
“What?”
“The key.”
“The key to harmony between the two Baize Orders.”
The words settled heavily between them.
“The Goddess’s half.”
“Wen Xiao.”
“And the Great Demon’s half.”
His gaze lingered on Zhou Yi Chen.
“And whatever awakened inside you.”
The night breeze stirred around them.
For the first time since Chenghuang’s defeat, uncertainty crossed Zhao Yuanzhou’s face.
“Something is happening, Yi Chen.”
“Something that shouldn’t be possible.”
His voice dropped lower.
“And before Li Lun discovers what it means…”
His eyes darkened.
“…we need answers.”
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The next morning, the Demon Investigation Bureau was unusually lively.
Sunlight poured into the courtyard.
The scent of breakfast drifted from the kitchen.
And for once-
Nobody was trying to kill anyone.
A rare occasion.
Zhou Yi Chen had barely stepped into the courtyard when a familiar voice called out.
“Gege!”
A figure came running toward him.
Bai Jiu.
The young doctor looked unusually excited.
His eyes were practically sparkling.
“Gege!”
Zhou Yi Chen immediately became suspicious.
“What happened?”
Bai Jiu grabbed his sleeve…
“That old demon…”
“…he’s actually kind of good.”
Zhou Yi Chen nearly laughed.
“Kind of?”
“Fine.”
Bai Jiu sighed..
“Very good.”
Now Zhou Yi Chen was genuinely curious.
“What did he do?”
Bai Jiu’s excitement immediately returned.
“Yesterday , after we came back!”
“He told me to deliver something to Sister Pei.”
Zhou Yi Chen blinked.
“Something?”
“A puppet.”
“It was Brother Pei’s puppet.”
“…Pei Siheng?”
“Exactly!”
The young doctor looked ready to burst from excitement.
“When Sister Pei placed it on the table…”
“It transformed!”
“Into Brother Pei himself!”
Zhou Yi Chen’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“Brother Pei explained that Zhao Yuanzhou had preserved part of his consciousness using his weird magic.”
“He can’t stay forever.”
“And his memories aren’t complete.”
“But every night…”
“He can appear and speak with her.”
The doctor smiled softly.
“At least she isn’t alone anymore.”
For a moment, Zhou Yi Chen simply stood there.
Then a small smile appeared.
A genuine one.
“That’s…”
He looked away slightly.
“That’s good.”
Just then!
A familiar voice drifted into the courtyard.
“See?”
Both of them turned.
Zhao Yuanzhou was walking toward them.
Looking entirely too pleased with himself.
One hand held his gourd.
The other was tucked behind his back.
The grin on his face immediately made Zhou Yi Chen suspicious.
“I knew you’d be impressed.”
Zhou Yi Chen sighed.
“Don’t start.”
“I reunited siblings.”
“I solved an emotional crisis.”
“Mm.”
Zhao Yuanzhou placed a hand dramatically against his chest.
“I’m incredible.”
“Your point? A demon of that age must at least do this thing, it’s basic.”
“It’s difficult and so different.. I’m a good demon, so , Date me.”
Zhou Yi Chen stared at him.
“What?”
—
Zhao Yuanzhou repeated himself.
“I said date me.”
Zhou Yi Chen rubbed his forehead.
“There is a child here.”
Zhao Yuanzhou looked completely unconcerned…