Chapter 70
The peaceful morning did not last.
The Demon-Hunting Bureau’s doors burst open.
Wen Xiao rushed inside.
Her face was pale.
Far too pale.
Everyone immediately stood.
Even Zhao Yuanzhou straightened.
“Wen Xiao?”
Her breathing was uneven.
“Tiandu…”
She swallowed.
“A plague has broken out.”
The room fell silent.
“What?”
“It spread overnight.”
“Entire streets.”
“Doctors can’t stop it.”
“The medicine halls are overwhelmed.”
The atmosphere instantly became heavy.
Zhuo Yichen’s brows furrowed.
“A plague?”
Zhao Yuanzhou was already thinking.
His expression darkened.
“What are the symptoms?”
Wen Xiao listed them one by one.
High fever.
Blackened veins.
Difficulty breathing.
Rapid weakness.
The moment she finished-
Zhao Yuanzhou’s eyes narrowed.
A look of recognition appeared.
“…Fei.”
Yichen blinked.
“Fei?”
The name struck him like lightning.
“Wait.”
His expression shifted.
“Fei?”
“The Fei?”
“Qing Geng’s Fei?”
Zhao Yuanzhou nodded slowly.
Yichen was stunned.
“But…”
His voice softened.
“He wasn’t like this.”
“He was kind.”
“He loved Qing Geng.”
The demon’s gaze lowered.
“I know.”
A painful silence followed.
Then suddenly-
Zhao Yuanzhou’s face turned white.
A violent cough escaped him.
Blood splattered onto his sleeve.
“Yuanzhou!”
Yichen shot to his feet.
Too quickly.
The room spun.
His vision blurred.
His body swayed.
Immediately-
strong arms caught him.
Before he could fall.
Zhao Yuanzhou.
Even weakened.
Even coughing blood.
His first instinct remained the same.
Protect Yichen.
Always.
“Baby.”
His voice was gentle.
“Slow.”
Yichen’s heart shattered hearing that.
“You just spat blood!”
“And you’re worried about me?”
The demon smiled weakly.
“It’s still me.”
Another cough.
He winced.
But continued anyway.
“My essence remains.”
“I can recover.”
The reassurance sounded far less convincing than he intended.
Yichen’s eyes immediately became red.
Zhao Yuanzhou sighed.
Then gently rubbed his shoulder.
“It’s alright.”
“Really.”
Before Yichen could argue-
Ying Lei appeared carrying a small wooden box.
“Eat this.”
Everyone turned.
Inside was a medicinal root.
Rare.
Powerful.
Ying Lei shoved it directly toward Zhao Yuanzhou.
“No arguing.”
The demon looked offended.
“When have I ever argued?”
Three people glared at him simultaneously.
“…fair.”
Meanwhile-
Wen Xiao suddenly staggered.
A hand pressed against her lips.
Blood seeped between her fingers.
Yichen immediately frowned.
“Wen Xiao!”
She wiped it away.
Trying to appear unaffected.
She failed miserably.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s expression darkened.
“The poison.”
Wen Xiao froze.
The room became quiet.
Li Lun’s poison.
The poison hidden within Bai Ze.
The poison everyone had hoped was dormant.
The demon’s voice was low.
“You lost much of Bai Ze’s divine power.”
Wen Xiao lowered her eyes.
“I tried locating Fei.”
“And?”
She shook her head.
“Nothing.”
“No trace.”
“Nothing at all.”
The silence that followed was frightening.
The enemy was hidden.
The plague was spreading.
And their strongest powers were failing.
Across the room-
Bai Jiu remained surrounded by scrolls.
Books.
Medical texts.
Formulas.
His eyes were exhausted.
Yet he kept reading.
Writing.
Searching.
Desperately.
Yichen approached quietly.
Looking at the pile of documents.
“You haven’t slept.”
Bai Jiu immediately looked guilty.
“I did.”
“You didn’t.”
“A little.”
“Bai Jiu.”
The young man shrank instantly.
Caught.
Again.
Yichen sighed.
“You need rest.”
Bai Jiu looked down.
His fingers tightened around a page.
Then his voice became small.
“…I’m scared.”
The confession surprised everyone.
Bai Jiu rarely admitted such things.
“I’m scared I won’t find a cure.”
“I’m scared more people will die.”
“I’m scared I’ll fail.”
His voice trembled.
“And…”
He smiled weakly.
“I’m scared you’ll get sick too.”
Yichen’s expression softened.
Bai Jiu pointed directly at him.
Like a worried younger brother.
“No dangerous places.”
Yichen blinked.
“What?”
“No running into plague zones.”
“Bai Jiu-“
“No.”
The boy continued seriously.
“Eat properly.”
“Sleep properly.”
“No skipping meals.”
Ying Lei immediately nodded.
“Correct.”
Wen Xiao nodded too.
“Very correct.”
Yichen looked betrayed.
Bai Jiu pointed at his stomach.
“Especially now.”
The room instantly became gentler.
A reminder.
A small life waiting for them.
Something worth protecting.
Bai Jiu looked toward Zhao Yuanzhou.
Then smiled.
A little shyly.
“Demon gege.”
Zhao Yuanzhou raised an eyebrow.
“Mm?”
“Look after Yichen-ge.”
The great demon immediately sat straighter.
As if receiving an important military order.
“I always do.”
Bai Jiu narrowed his eyes.
“Better.”
“I’ll do better.”
“Good.”
The young man finally seemed satisfied.
Then pointed at Yichen again.
“And Yichen-ge.”
“What now?”
“If you don’t follow the rules…”
Bai Jiu crossed his arms.
“…I’ll tell the baby.”
The room fell silent.
Then Ying Lei burst out laughing.
Wen Xiao nearly choked.
Even Zhao Yuanzhou covered his mouth.
Trying-and failing-not to laugh.
For the first time since the news of the plague arrived-
the room filled with warmth.
A brief moment.
Fragile.
Temporary.
But precious.
And Zhao Yuanzhou looked around at everyone.
At Bai Jiu.
At Ying Lei.
At Wen Xiao.
At Yichen.
At the child yet to be born.
Then quietly made a promise to himself.
No matter what happened next.
No matter what it cost.
He would protect them.
Every single one of them.