Chapter 28
Zhou Yi Chen woke to the sound of someone talking.
Unfortunately for him-it was Zhao Yuanzhou.
The moment he opened his eyes, he found the demon sitting beside his bed.
Looking entirely too pleased with himself.
Golden eyes bright.
“You finally woke up.”
Zhou Yi Chen immediately frowned.
“My first mistake today.”
Zhao Yuanzhou gasped dramatically.
“You wound me.”
“I should have let the fever finish the job.”
“How cruel.”
“You deserve it.”
The demon looked delighted.
Actually delighted.
As if being insulted was somehow a reward.
“I’ve been sitting here for hours.”
“No one asked you to.”
“I was worried.”
“You were annoying.”
“I can be both.”
Zhou Yi Chen closed his eyes.
“Leave.”
“No.”
“Leave.”
“No.”
“Old demon.”
“Beautiful Commander.”
“Get out.”
“I refuse.”
Nearby, Bai Jiu buried his face in his hands.
Wen Xiao sighed.
“They’re back to normal.”
“Thank heavens.”
Ying Lei nodded seriously.
“I was worried one of them had become reasonable.”
Zhou Yi Chen grabbed the nearest pillow.
Both of them immediately fled.
Cowards.
After making sure Zhou Yi Chen was actually awake, Wen Xiao finally stepped forward.
“There is something you should know.”
Zhou Yi Chen glanced at her.
“What?”
She pointed toward Qing Geng.
The former goddess sat quietly beneath a tree.
Holding Fei’s bell.
Silent.
Lonely.
“She isn’t bad.”
For a moment, Zhou Yi Chen said nothing.
Then memories surfaced.
The poison needle.
The torture.
The rhinoceros horn incense.
The fever.
The pain.
His expression darkened immediately.
“That doesn’t change what happened.”
Wen Xiao nodded.
“I know.”
“But while we were investigating…”
She explained everything.
The seal.
Fei.
Li Lun.
The manipulation.
The possession.
By the end of the story, everyone had fallen silent.
Zhou Yi Chen slowly lowered his gaze.
“The Qinyuan Poison Needle.”
Everyone looked at him.
Zhou Yi Chen sat up straighter.
“Qing Geng used a Qinyuan Poison Needle on me.”
Wen Xiao frowned.
“What about it?”
“That technique was developed years ago by Chongwu Camp.”
The courtyard fell silent.
“Which means Li Lun isn’t acting alone.”
The realization settled heavily over everyone.
Chongwu Camp.
The mysterious man in black.
Li Lun.
The pieces were beginning to connect.
And none of them liked the picture forming.
❄️❄️❄️❄️✨✨✨✨✨⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️
Later that evening-
they gathered outside Lingxi Villa.
The final seal remained.
A gentle wind swept across the ruined grounds.
Wen Xiao stepped forward.
The Baize flute appeared in her hands.
She closed her eyes.
The melody drifted across the night.
Soft.
Ancient.
Beautiful.
Light slowly gathered around the seal.
At the same moment, two marks appeared.
One on Zhou Yi Chen’s forehead.
The other behind Zhao Yuanzhou’s ear.
The two halves of the Baize Order resonated.
Golden light spread through the sky.
Then-
their hands touched.
Zhou Yi Chen immediately froze.
Zhao Yuanzhou looked down.
Then smiled.
“Oh.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“You’re holding my hand.”
“Because the ritual requires it.”
“Still counts.”
Zhou Yi Chen looked ready to stab him.
The demon looked delighted.
The light intensified.
The seal shattered.
Thousands of fragments dissolved into the wind.
Qing Geng slowly lifted his head.
Free.
At last.
The burden of centuries disappeared from his shoulders.
Yet strangely-
She didn’t move.
Holding Fei’s bell.
Looking toward the empty horizon.
As if waiting for someone who would never return.
Zhao Yuanzhou quietly approached.
Then placed something in Qing Geng’s hand.
A scale.
Blue and translucent.
Ran Yi’s scale.
Qing Geng looked up.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s expression softened slightly.
“If you wish…”
He glanced toward the sky.
“You can still see him.”
Qing Geng stared.
“What?”
“Ran Yi’s scales preserve dreams.”
The ancient demon smiled faintly.
“Dreams are sometimes kinder than reality…”
The bell trembled slightly in Qing Geng’s grasp.
For the first time, her eyes became red…full of sadness.
Nearby, Zhou Yi Chen watched everything.
And became annoyed.
Very annoyed.
The more he watched-
the more annoyed he became.
Finally-
he turned around.
Crossed his arms.
And walked away.
Zhao Yuanzhou blinked.
“Yi Chen?”
No response.
“Commander?”
Nothing.
“Beautiful Commander?”
Still nothing.
Zhao Yuanzhou hurried after him.
“Why are you angry?”
Zhou Yi Chen kept walking.
“Don’t talk to me.”
“What did I do?”
“You know exactly what you did.”
“I genuinely don’t.”
“That’s the problem.”
Zhao Yuanzhou looked completely confused.
“Yi Chen-“
“Don’t.”
“Yi Chen-“
“Don’t.”
“Commander Zhou-“
“Don’t.”
The demon looked heartbroken.
Wen Xiao looked entertained.
Bai Jiu looked fascinated.
Ying Lei was openly taking notes.
“Fascinating.”
“What is?”
“The mating dance.”
Bai Jiu nodded.
“It seems very aggressive.”
The next sound heard across Lingxi Villa was Zhou Yi Chen threatening to throw both of them into a river.