Regarding his flight from the scene ten years ago, Zhao Lixuan had no intention of explaining himself.
It had been a pure accident.
If he’d known Jiang Chen would be there too… he wouldn’t have just fled midway—he wouldn’t have even stepped out the door!
He hadn’t set foot in the Mortal Realm for a full twenty years, for the exact same reason.
He avoided anywhere Jiang Chen might possibly appear!
And yet, over these years, he often thought of the Mortal Realm—the willows like wisps of smoke along springtime riverbanks, the bustling street markets in midsummer lanes, the riot of autumn colors in mountain forests, the steaming-hot crab roe soup dumplings fresh from the steamer in winter, the scalding wontons from the old corner shop laced with chili oil and vinegar, the crystalline dragons and phoenixes shaped by the candy painter’s hands…
He missed that mortal world’s vibrant, everyday energy, so utterly different from the Unstained Immortal Realm.
But the slightest chance of running into an old acquaintance was enough for him to suppress the urge and firmly stay away!
…
Yet the world’s twists of fate were unpredictable. In the end, they’d still crossed paths again.
The next morning, Zhao Lixuan woke early. Staring at the intricate embroidery on the tent canopy overhead, a single thought looped endlessly in his mind—
Should I… go find Jiang Immortal Lord and have a proper talk?
Muster his courage, lay it all out openly—the absurd history from twenty years ago that they’d both deliberately avoided mentioning.
After all, he wanted to know too: if someone had been so resolute in defecting to the Demon Bright back then, why return to the Mortal Realm after just a few short years?
With Jiang Chen’s talent and temperament, he shouldn’t have had no place in the Demon Bright.
So why come back to this place full of painful memories?
“…”
After dawdling through breakfast, Zhao Lixuan took a deep breath and shuffled step by step to the gate of Maple Vine Courtyard.
But standing before the tightly shut courtyard door, another thought suddenly surged up—
Just endure for a few more dozen days, and the Demon Hunting Moon Hunt will end.
Then the demon immortals of Liao Yuan Court will head home, he’ll part ways amicably with Jiang Chen with no further ties. He could pretend he’d never heard that line about “playing with it until bored, then forgetting completely,” or the absurd tale of the “upper-realm Immortal Lord who started trouble and abandoned.”
Isn’t that better than anything?
With that in mind, Zhao Lixuan instantly gave up on knocking. He turned around without hesitation and headed straight back.
He’d just returned to Pear Flower Water Pavilion when he saw Yu Rumu waiting in the courtyard, holding a Memory Projection Stone in his hand: “Li Xuan, have you… seen this yet?”
…
It all stemmed from Jiang Immortal Lord’s ambiguous “Mm” that day.
It might have stayed mere gossip among the Immortal Lords, but it had spread to the young disciples of Fu Xi Palace, splitting them into two clear factions.
One side waved the banner of “Immortal Lord Li Xuan’s solitary beauty—keep the lower-realm demon immortals away!” The other shouted, “Fated dao companions, a match made in heaven—marry them off right after the Moon Hunt!” The two sides argued endlessly, nearly coming to blows several times.
Zhao Lixuan: “…”
Worse still, after a few rounds of squabbling with neither side yielding, Fu Xi Palace had been repeatedly reviewing the Vast Heaven Mechanism Mirror footage of the two’s perfect coordination in shattering the demon pupils. One thing led to another, and some disgruntled disciple had the bright idea to rewind to an even earlier moment—
Starting from when Zhao Lixuan first entered the Demon Forest and locked eyes with the Myriad Phenomena Demon Pupil, disguised as a vine swaying silently in the underbrush.
And once they saw it… holy hell!
The footage made it crystal clear: the pair had just landed in the Rift Abyss, Jiang Chen still gripping his sword and cautiously probing the surrounding demonic qi, when Zhao Lixuan suddenly came face-to-face with the demon pupil.
In an instant, his gaze went vacant, his body swayed, and he toppled forward without warning.
“So the Myriad Phenomena Demon Pupils’ mind-bewitching effect first strips away consciousness…”
But before anyone could analyze it seriously, they saw the ever aloof and indifferent Jiang Immortal Lord change color in a heartbeat!
Though his back was to Immortal Lord Li Xuan, it was as if he had eyes there—he whipped around, arm shooting out to steadily catch the falling white-robed Immortal Lord in his embrace.
“Li Xuan? Zhao Lixuan!”
The Vast Heaven Mechanism Mirror silently captured the panic cracking through his icy facade.
Then, after lightly checking Immortal Lord Li Xuan’s pulse, he unhesitatingly formed a blade with his fingers. Black fire sliced his fingertip—blood infused with pure demonic power rapidly coalesced in his palm, soon forming a dark red pill shimmering with flowing light and faint runes.
“The Blood God Soul Stabilizing Pill…?”
The disciples fell utterly silent.
Even the one who’d dug up this clip was dumbfounded. He’d only wanted some proof of the two Immortal Lords’ closeness to shut up his arguing sect brother.
Who knew it’d uncover something this shocking!
Even entry-level Fu Xi Palace disciples knew the basics: this Blood God Pill, forged from one’s own origin demonic blood, was equivalent to sharing one’s soul core with another. It was a desperate last resort, used only when ordinary spirit medicines failed and the wounded teetered on soul dissipation.
But Immortal Lord Li Xuan at the time was nowhere near that!
His breathing was faint, lost in coma, but any sharp eye could see his immortal essence was intact, his body unharmed—just his mind temporarily trapped. Hardly a “mountain’s end, water’s exhausted” crisis needing a blood-forged pill to sustain life!
Yet the unfathomably powerful, world-weary Jiang Immortal Lord did it anyway, sparing no cost.
If this wasn’t true friendship, then what qualified as “true friendship”?
“Heh…”
After a brief hush, even many who’d daily chanted “Immortal Lord solo beauty” had to admit it wholeheartedly and switched sides on the spot.
“You have to say… Jiang Immortal Venerable does seem to have… a bit of real feeling toward our master.”
“They say lower-realm demon immortals are fickle by nature, but we can’t paint them all with the same brush.”
“If he weren’t truly concerned, how could someone of his cultivation lose composure like that? Tsk, I thought his cold, aloof pride didn’t match our Li Xuan Immortal Lord, but since he’s willing to give so much… we can observe a bit longer. It’s not impossible.”
“And don’t forget—after self-harming to forge that blood pill, he still held off the Myriad Phenomena Demon Pupil alone for so long. His strength is truly unfathomable! If Fu Xi Palace is recruiting a son-in-law… ahem, it wouldn’t be a loss.”
“…”
Word spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred. By the time Yu Rumu heard it from Chu Fusheng and passed it to Zhao Lixuan, the entire palace had already “watched” this segment countless times.
The person involved was always the last to know!
Only now did Zhao Lixuan realize, belatedly. No wonder, after breaking free from the illusion this time, his mind had stayed clear and refreshed, like he’d been greatly nourished.
Normally, after dealing with illusion beasts, even once free, he’d be groggy for days before recovering.
Turns out Jiang Chen forged demonic blood for me.
…But why?
After watching the Vast Heaven Mechanism Mirror’s recording himself, Zhao Lixuan was at a loss for what to feel.
His own memories of the entire Moon Hunt were just those dreamlike, half-real scenes with Senior Brother Shen.
But the Heavenly Mechanism Mirror faithfully recorded what happened while he was deep in the illusion, oblivious: Jiang Chen carefully and gently placing him in a protective array.
And there was even a moment when he briefly woke in the array.
Struggling to pry open his heavy eyelids, he managed a weak, dazed smile at Jiang Chen: “Little Jiang… it really is you… I thought… I was dreaming…”
Twenty years sealed away, and half-awake, he called him Little Jiang again.
In the footage, Jiang Chen’s arm twitched almost imperceptibly, his expression unreadable.
Only his cold, hard voice softened just a fraction for the first time as he averted his gaze, responding a bit awkwardly:
“Mm, it’s me.”
Then he shrugged off his outer robe with its gold-embroidered dark patterns, folded it neatly, and pillowed it under Zhao Lixuan’s neck.
Chaotic light filtered through the Demon Forest, dappling shadows on his lowered profile. Even the tight line of his lips seemed to soften, his eyes like ice beginning to thaw.
“I’m here. Sleep. Don’t be afraid.”
Then he rose and faced the eerie Myriad Phenomena Demon Pupil alone. His back was straight, his dark robes whipping in the foul wind.
…
Zhao Lixuan finished watching the clip.
Zhao Lixuan felt dazed.
Zhao Lixuan was baffled.
Zhao Lixuan couldn’t make sense of it.
He racked his brains through every possible reason, but none of them added up.
Back then, it had been Jiang Chen who insisted on leaving, Jiang Chen who’d said “never” right to his face, word for word.
He remembered it crystal clear, no mistake.
His pure pursuit twisted into forcible abduction, his daily care into ulterior motives, his every act to protect him and his sister branded as naked threats and coercion.
Fine, he’d accepted it.
Self-inflicted lovesickness had its bitter fruits; he had no energy left to argue.
But what were these actions now?
Zhao Lixuan truly couldn’t understand Jiang Chen anymore.
If this is Jiang Immortal Lord finally cherishing a bit of the old kindness after all these years? But day-to-day, he was either aloofly cold or laced with sarcasm, even unflinchingly inverting truth and lies.
If he’s still harboring grudges and resentment? Then why, in a perilous demonic realm, would he damage his foundations to forge a pill for him—and never mention it afterward?
All these contradictions refused to form a coherent picture of his intentions.
Zhao Lixuan couldn’t predict at all: if he rashly brought up the past again, would Jiang Chen calmly try open communication? Or go cold and crazy, or even draw swords against him?
No clue.
Clutching these swirling thoughts, Zhao Lixuan returned to the training grounds.
The brief respite after the first Moon Hunt flew by. Immortal light swirled once more on the martial field as the Immortal Lords prepared for the second Moon Hunt.
Jiang Chen lived up to his fame as the mightiest among demon immortals. In just a few days, the wounds from clashing with the Myriad Phenomena Demon Pupil had fully healed. Beneath his dark gold-trimmed robes, his posture was ramrod straight, brows sharp as blades—back to that flawless, intimidating sharpness that dared no approach.
But even if he healed fast…
He couldn’t treat strong liquor like water just because his body’s tough, right?
In the breaks between intense drills, Zhao Lixuan kept catching him slipping off alone to a corner of the field, tilting back his ever-present jade flask for a long swig.
“…” Not my business, not my business, not my business.
But thinking back since their reunion, he’d seen Jiang Chen drinking plenty.
Must be because his body healed fully early, so he’s indulging like this.
Sure, after years of fame and fortune, those old chronic illnesses from back then were no issue anymore?
No way he’d relapse like before, from just sneaking a few sips of iced osmanthus wine—writhing in agony until the healer rushed in with emergency needles, and even then, Zhao Lixuan had to hold him, rubbing his back carefully for ages before he eased.
But…
Jiang Chen had only recently forged blood for him.
Chugging like a down-and-out drunk, cup after cup, didn’t he know mind and spirit strain meant avoiding alcohol too?
The second Moon Hunt was imminent—who knew what dangers lurked deeper in? Shouldn’t Jiang Immortal Lord take a little care with his health before battle?
So thinking, Zhao Lixuan hesitated a moment, then stepped forward:
“Jiang Immortal Venerable, the drill just ended—your immortal essence is still circulating. Drinking now… might harm your spirit meridians. How about I have some mind-clearing tea sent over?”
He thought he’d phrased it politely and restrained, but Jiang Chen’s hand on the jade flask still paused visibly.
Those pitch-black, profound eyes turned darkly again, emotion unreadable.
Zhao Lixuan: “…”
Damn it, why did he meddle again!
