Chapter 17

The shattered remains of Kunlun stretched endlessly around them…

The crimson sky had faded.
The storms were gone.
Yet nobody knew how to leave.
Bai Jiu looked around nervously.
“So…”
A pause.
“…how exactly do we get out?”
Nobody answered.
Wen Xiao was still holding the Goddess’s flute.

Finally Zhou Yi Chen rubbed his forehead.
“We don’t know.”
His voice was tired.
“We don’t have time to stand around thinking either.”
Zhao Yuanzhou glanced at him.
“True.”
A brief silence followed.

Then Zhou Yi Chen suddenly looked toward the distant mountains.
“If destroying Kunlun brought us here…”
His eyes narrowed.
“Then destroying it again should send us out.”
Bai Jiu immediately looked horrified.

“You want to destroy an ancient sacred realm?”
“Only a little.”
“There is no such thing as a little destruction.”
“Details.”

Before the argument could continue-
Zhao Yuanzhou lazily pointed toward Wen Xiao.
“My dear leader.”
“Don’t.”
“The power is in her hands.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“My dear-“
“Zhao Yuanzhou.”
“Fine.”

The ancient demon looked completely unrepentant.
“The flute belongs to Wen Xiao now.”
“You’ve inherited divine responsibility…You’ll find a way back to the mortal world.”

The group continued walking through the remains of the illusion.
Searching for any clue.
Any exit…

A little behind the others-
Zhou Yi Chen quietly rolled up his sleeve.
A familiar vial appeared in his hand.
His expression remained calm.
Practiced…
As though he’d done this hundreds of times.

The suppressant entered his bloodstream.
The sting barely made him flinch.
But before he could lower his sleeve-
A hand caught his wrist.
Zhou Yi Chen froze.
“…”
“…”
Of course.
Zhao Yuanzhou.
The ancient demon’s expression darkened immediately.
“What are you doing?”
“None of your business…sneaky Demon.”
“It is when you’re hurting yourself.”
“I’m managing it….after all I’m an omega…right…”
“What? Why do you think like that…I am astonished with what you are….but don’t do this…By filling yourself with suppressants every few hours”
Zhou Yi Chen looked away.
The silence itself was an answer.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s jaw tightened.
“Why are you treating your body like this?”
“I don’t have a choice.”
His voice was sharper than intended.
For a moment-
Something vulnerable slipped through.
A flash of exhaustion.
Pain.
Then the walls returned.
“I’m fine.”
“No.”
Zhao Yuanzhou stepped closer.
“You aren’t.”
The reply came softly this time.

The kind that made Zhou Yi Chen uncomfortable.
Because it sounded genuine.
Before Zhou Yi Chen could move away-
A calm warmth settled around him.
Ancient demonic energy.
Gentle.
Controlled.
Along with it came a familiar scent.
Wood after rain.
A quiet river beneath moonlight.
Cedar.
Mist.
Something steady.
Something safe…

The pressure in Zhou Yi Chen’s chest eased slightly.
His racing heartbeat gradually slowed.
The discomfort lessened.
Not completely.
But enough.
He immediately frowned.
“Are you using your pheromones?”
“Maybe.”
“Stop it.”
“No.”
“You’re impossible….we aren’t a couple…It’s inappropriate.”
“Drop your walls down…I’m just helping you…”

Zhou Yi Chen tried very hard to remain annoyed.
Unfortunately-
The warmth was helping.
Which made it worse.
Much worse.

Ahead of them, Wen Xiao glanced back.
Then immediately turned away again.
“Nobody look.”
Bai Jiu blinked.
“Look at what?”
Pei Sijing grabbed his collar.
“Keep walking.”
“I don’t understand what’s happening.”
“Exactly.”

Meanwhile, Zhao Yuanzhou continued walking beside Zhou Yi Chen.
Matching his pace.
Neither speaking for several moments.
Then quietly-
So quietly that only Zhou Yi Chen could hear-
“You don’t always have to endure everything alone.”
The words lingered.
And for reasons he couldn’t explain-
Zhou Yi Chen’s chest tightened far more than it had from any suppressant..

❄️❄️❄️❄️⚔️⚔️⚔️✨✨✨✨

Wen Xiao closed her eyes.
The Baize flute rested lightly in her hands.
A gentle golden glow surrounded her.
For several long moments, nobody spoke.
The broken remains of Kunlun trembled softly around them.
Then-
The flute sang.
A single clear note echoed through the heavens.
Light blossomed around the group.
The shattered world dissolved.
And the next moment-
They were back.
The familiar courtyard of the Demon Investigation Bureau greeted them.
Lanterns swayed in the evening breeze.
Everything felt strangely normal after everything they had witnessed.
Wen Xiao lowered the flute slowly.
Her expression thoughtful.
From Ran Yi.
To Chenghuang.
To the forgotten history of the Baize Order.
Every story seemed to end the same way.
Love.
Regret.
Loss.
The world truly was fickle.
Nearby, Bai Jiu collapsed dramatically onto the ground.
“I’m alive.”
Pei Sijing rolled her eyes.
“Unfortunately.”
“I heard that.”
“You were supposed to.”
Ying Lei immediately ran toward the kitchen.
“Being alive means I should celebrate with food.”
“That’s not how that works.”
“It absolutely is.”
For the first time in days-
The Bureau felt peaceful.
Zhou Yi Chen looked around at the exhausted faces of his team.
His expression softened slightly.
“Good work.”
The courtyard fell silent.
Everyone looked at him.
“We solved the case.”
A pause.
“You all deserve rest.”
Bai Jiu nearly cried.
“Leader Zhou…”
“Take leave tomorrow.”
Bai Jiu actually cried.
“He’s become kind.”
“Don’t push it.”
The doctor immediately stopped talking.
One by one, everyone dispersed.
Returning to their rooms.
Seeking the sleep they desperately needed.
Much later.
The Bureau was quiet.
Moonlight reflected across the surface of the pond.
Crickets sang softly among the trees.
Inside his room-
Zhou Yi Chen finally allowed himself to relax.
The hot bath eased the lingering soreness in his muscles.
Steam curled through the air.
The exhaustion of countless battles slowly melted away.
For the first time in days-
His body felt lighter.
The discomfort he’d been fighting for so long had finally subsided.
Relief washed through him.
When he finally emerged, dressed in simple robes instead of his usual formal attire, he almost felt like an ordinary person.
Almost.
The night breeze greeted him as he stepped into the garden.
Moonlight filtered through the branches overhead.
Silver light danced across the flowers.
Peaceful.
Quiet.
Then-
A strange feeling crept up his spine.
Someone was there.
Watching him.
Zhou Yi Chen stopped walking.
His hand instinctively moved toward the sword at his waist.
“…Who’s there?”
No answer.
The garden remained silent.
Then a familiar voice drifted through the darkness.
“You know.”
A figure emerged from beneath the flowering trees.
Zhao Yuanzhou.
Of course.
The ancient demon stood with his arms folded.
Looking entirely too comfortable.
And entirely too focused on him.
Zhou Yi Chen sighed immediately.
“You.”