The guardian named Pi Changge said, “The wood-element divine blade ‘Senluo’ and the Earth Element ‘Wanxiang’ have fallen into the mortal world multiple times. After their wielders passed, Kunlun Mountain retrieved them from the red dust. As long as you’re not of evil intent, you’re fated for it. Since His Highness said so, keep it.”
“…That’s the gist of it.” Yuzhou finished explaining why he had brought Xiao Kun to the White Jade Palace. He added, “Brother Xiao is pursuing the whereabouts of a demon person called ‘Mr. Ying,’ as well as the truth behind the Heavenly Demon Rebirth… It’s all very chaotic. I don’t even know how to explain it. Let him tell the rest himself.”
At the mention of “Heavenly Demon,” Chaosheng looked up at the giant tree in the White Jade Palace courtyard. This tree’s existence predated even time itself; legend held that it had stood since the creation of heaven and earth.
Yuzhou also showed worry. Compared to his visit years ago, the giant tree looked different now—one side of its trunk had faint black qi emerging from the branches, and many leaves had blackened and fallen.
Xiao Kun said, “In the Datong Fu Fogan Temple, I beheld a skull calling itself the God of Time, ‘Shuhu.’ Shuhu revealed the so-called Heavenly Mandate, telling us that the Heavenly Demon would reincarnate in two years.”
“It’s reincarnating again,” Pi Changge said. “Sigh, persistent as a ghost. Truly annoying. Has this generation’s Grand Demon-Exorcist not yet found the Demon Seed’s location?”
“Brother, he is this generation’s Grand Demon-Exorcist,” Yuzhou said.
“Oh, right.”
Seeing the sympathy in Chaosheng’s eyes, Xiao Kun knew they might lend aid. He grew a bit more confident and said, “It’s a tangled mess, and I hardly know where to start. If Your Highness is willing to listen, allow me to explain in detail.”
“Like this,” Chaosheng said. “Let’s chat in the Book Pavilion. I’ll look up some records for you while we’re at it, hopefully to help.”
With that, Chaosheng circled behind the throne in the White Jade Palace, entered a small door, and beckoned to Xiao Kun. Xiao Kun breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to follow. Yuzhou said, “We’ll wait here with Changge, Brother Xiao.”
Yuzhou pressed a hand on Xiao Kun’s shoulder, pulled him close, and whispered extremely softly in his ear, “His Highness has this personality. Last time he saw me, he praised my looks nonstop, all starry-eyed, wishing I’d stay by his side. But after a few hours, he lost interest. Don’t get too full of yourself.”
Xiao Kun wiped away sweat and nodded.
“Xiao Kun, come quickly!” Chaosheng called from the inner chamber.
Xiao Kun nodded and hurried after Chaosheng toward the Book Pavilion.
After sending him off, Yuzhou sat on the steps. Pi Changge said, “Chaosheng stays cooped up in the White Jade Palace all day. It’s too lonely. It’s good for someone to chat with him.”
Yuzhou: “Mm. You immortals who don’t age or die must get awfully bored.”
Pi Changge said, “Want some flatbread?”
Yuzhou: “No thanks. Yesterday when Brother Xiao visited, he brought me two cows, which I devoured in one go. Eat by yourself.”
Chaosheng led Xiao Kun into the Book Pavilion in the rear hall. Books lay piled haphazardly like a vast sea.
Xiao Kun’s eyes filled with awe. From oracle bones to bamboo slips, then wooden tablets, silk scrolls, and yellowed old paper—from the Yin and Han dynasties through Tang and into Song—countless scriptures and documents preserved their ancient forms, as if freezing thousands of years of history within this small Book Pavilion.
Chaosheng explained, “This holds historical texts from Shenzhou. Whenever the mortal world faced great chaos or calamity, the White Jade Palace sent divine servants down to retrieve the Human Race’s scriptures.”
“You want to find the origins of ‘Mr. Ying,’ right?” Chaosheng raised his hand, and scrolls from all directions flew out with a rustle.
Xiao Kun immediately said, “Thank you! I’m so grateful! I need to pinpoint that bastard’s hiding place to rescue Sa Luan.”
Chaosheng seemed like the true God of Time, while the Shuhu sealed in its box was nothing but a fake.
“All records concerning the ‘Ying Clan’… are here.” With a mere thought from Chaosheng, lights glowed on thousands of books, which flew automatically to Xiao Kun. Xiao Kun sat on the floor and began perusing them—many still bamboo slips.
Xiao Kun tried hard to focus, but his mind wandered. Chaosheng sat beside him, constantly observing, eyes smiling with fondness. He could tell Xiao Kun was nervous, so he started chatting idly to relax him.
“Your father is a War Dead Corpse Ghost,” Chaosheng said. “Your mother is Human Race, right?”
Xiao Kun nodded. He never spoke of his background lightly, but he temporarily let down his guard before Chaosheng. He replied, “My mother is the youngest daughter of the Xiao Family, named Xiao Shuang. She was meant to be selected into the Great Liao court as an Imperial Consort, but at sixteen, she met my father…”
“Legend says my father left his homeland for some reason and came to Shangjing, where he fell in love with her.” Xiao Kun set the book aside temporarily and explained to Chaosheng. “For him, Mother gave up the Imperial Consort position she was destined for and pledged herself to him in secret.”
“Then she gave birth to you,” Chaosheng said.
Xiao Kun’s expression darkened, and he nodded, saying, “This act greatly enraged my maternal grandfather. After all, it was a grave taboo in the mortal world—not to mention that after my father left, my mother still gave birth to me. At my birth, my skin was an indigo blue, and my eyes were Nether Eyes. Everyone said I was a monster who would bring misfortune to the family and those close to me. My maternal grandfather’s family wanted to strangle me in my swaddling clothes, but His Majesty Yelu Hongji saved me and ordered that no one was to discuss my background.”
Chaosheng, upon hearing Xiao Kun’s life story, felt a surge of sympathy and wanted to offer some words of comfort. But Xiao Kun had a serious look on his face, so Chaosheng feared saying too much would dredge up his painful memories. Thus, he simply listened on.
