Lan Ze Immortal Lord was dead.
When Jiang Chen had first heard the news abruptly from Duan Shuheng’s mouth, only one thought flashed through his mind—
Li Xuan will never forgive me.
But that idea was actually absurd, utterly baseless.
After all, before that day, he hadn’t even known that the “big brother” Zhao Lixuan chattered about endlessly was none other than the Fu Xi Palace Lord renowned throughout the Three Realms.
Zhao Lixuan often spoke of his older brother.
But it was always just things like how peerlessly handsome and benevolent he was, how many shops he’d opened to shelter how many orphans, and the constant refrain of “My brother is the best in the world,” “Even if I poke a hole in the sky, my brother will cover for me,” “My brother says I don’t need to achieve anything—as long as I’m happy every day, he’ll support me for life.”
Over these years, the Demon Bright had sealed its borders early on. As a mere mortal demon, Jiang Chen couldn’t possibly have foreseen the Demon Clan’s invasion. Lan Ze Immortal Lord’s death had nothing to do with him.
Yet for some reason, he couldn’t shake the crystal-clear realization…
That everything would never be the same again.
…
And later, it turned out exactly as he’d thought.
Twenty years later, when they met again, everything had changed.
The glazed lamps blazed like daylight, and the farewell banquet was in full swing. After all, it was the final night—everyone was more enthusiastic and indulgent than usual.
Immortal Lord Li Xuan had always been well-loved, and now he was surrounded by layer upon layer of demon immortals in the center.
“Immortal Lord, try this! Cumin lamb skewers made with mortal flavors, roasted by my own hands—super spicy and intense!”
“Immortal Lord, this is the wine bestowed by the Human Emperor’s Palace. I brought it up from the lower realms just for you to taste!”
“Wahhh, this is a commemorative sachet I stitched all night. Who knows when we’ll meet again—please accept it. Come to the Mortal Realm often…”
“Thank you all for your kind sentiments.”
The white-robed Immortal Lord smiled sincerely amid the crowd, accepting each gift one by one. He even thoughtfully returned a strand of Mermaid Sea Pearls from the Unstained Immortal Realm to every person:
“The rivers and lakes will bring us together again—we’ll surely meet once more!”
These years, Jiang Chen had often heard people say that Immortal Lord Li Xuan’s poise and demeanor… increasingly resembled his late brother.
Jiang Chen had never met Lan Ze Immortal Lord, so naturally, he couldn’t tell if there was any resemblance.
The only thing clear to him now was Zhao Lixuan’s bright, profound eyes illuminated by the soft glow of the evening lamps. He sat there, holding greasy skewers in hand, yet still appeared as pristine as an immortal from a painting, untouched by worldly dust.
His eating manners were refined these days.
He’d carefully pick off each piece of meat from the skewer, dice it finely, and only then bring it to his mouth.
But if it were the young man from before…
He would’ve probably devoured it in two or three big bites, cheeks bulging as he joked with everyone.
…The way people clung to obsessions, unable to let go—it was never a pretty sight.
Jiang Chen knew that better than anyone, even though he’d spent years deliberately denying it, turning a blind eye.
At this moment, he closed his eyes briefly, then finally rose from the shadows, stepping toward that brilliant cluster of lights.
With every step closer, his heart clenched viciously.
Once. Again.
…
He had waited silently in the dark corner for a long time.
He watched as the demon immortals toasted and bid reluctant farewells, eagerly pressing cups on Immortal Lord Li Xuan—the one who “loves to drink despite sucking at it.”
Three cups. Five cups. Over a dozen.
Finally, Zhao Lixuan’s cheeks flushed with intoxication, his steps unsteady.
The demon immortals who’d been egging him on probably hadn’t meant to get him blackout drunk.
After all, immortals from both realms had immense tolerance—who could’ve guessed that Li Xuan’s capacity was laughably shallow?
But he really couldn’t hold his liquor.
That was why, throughout this Moon Hunt, he’d always substituted tea for wine. He feared losing control when drunk and making a fool of himself.
Because once he had a few extra cups, Immortal Lord Li Xuan would become… completely unlike himself.
…Or perhaps, more like his true self?
But tonight was a farewell—no business to worry about—so Immortal Lord Li Xuan finally let loose. Soon enough, he started his usual drunken antics—
Right now, he was slumped entirely against Yu Rumu’s shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around the other’s waist, face rubbing wildly against Rumu Immortal Lord’s chest: “Mmm, bunny’s so soft… heh, hehehe.”
The usually aloof and composed immortal acting like this only drew laughter from the surrounding demon immortals, who swayed drunkenly themselves.
Half of it was because everyone was already hazy with drink—they’d just watch the fun without overthinking.
The other half was because the human immortals had gotten a head start on Zhao Lixuan, with Xia Yunjie leading the pack.
No matter how much of a contrast Li Xuan showed when drunk, he only pestered Yu Rumu. But the usually “steady and dignified” Chief Immortal Xia had run wild earlier, flirting with everyone in sight.
Even Lu Immortal Chief couldn’t stop him, watching helplessly as several innocent demon immortals were kissed red-faced and teary-eyed, one after another!
In the end, even Lu Immortal Chief gave up. Whatever.
Yet even in their drunken stupor, when Jiang Chen approached in his dark robes, the demon immortals around Zhao Lixuan silently parted under the wordless pressure, clearing a space.
Jiang Chen sat down silently in that spot, watching up close as the man nuzzled drunkenly in Yu Rumu’s arms.
Yu Rumu was also drunk and could only protest feebly: “Li Xuan, no fooling around.”
Zhao Lixuan: “Hehe… big bunny… gonna fool around.”
“Bunny’s so cute… everything about you is great, really… softer than that beauty I kept hidden in my golden house back in the Mortal Realm. Your waist… feels even better than his, everything about you… is better than him.”
“Senior Brother, have I ever told you, hehe, heh… you look great today… in red. Especially good-looking.”
“So good-looking, heh, the best!”
“…”
The flickering lamplight illuminated his dazed, contented smile.
And Jiang Chen’s eyes, dark as an impending storm.
…
Half a shichen later, in the Pear Flower Water Pavilion.
Moonlight filtered through the clouds, flickering across the window lattice. Jiang Chen pinned Zhao Lixuan dead against the door, arms like iron bands clamped around his waist, enveloping him entirely, as if embedding him into his very bones.
Zhao Lixuan: “Mmm… sleepy. No more playing, wanna sleep…”
But Jiang Chen only clung tighter, like a drowning man grasping driftwood, burying into his neck, sucking densely without leaving a single gap.
Exhausted and drowsy, with his body restrained, Zhao Lixuan lacked the strength to struggle or push away. His voice turned muffled and aggrieved without realizing it:
“Let go… don’t like you. You’re… not soft, not fragrant. Don’t like you. Want bunny.”
The night was cool as water, frost forming like ice.
Only their pressed skin steamed with untimely heat.
Jiang Chen turned a deaf ear, shutting out his heart, continuing to twine around him like a dying vine desperately climbing, greedily drawing in that faint familiar scent.
Clinging and rubbing, like ants to rotten meat, unrelenting unto death.
…In the fifth spring after leaving the Mortal Realm, he returned to Luo State.
The west market street still bustled with carriages, and the alley-mouth sugar painting stall simmered malt candy as always, its cloying sweetness mingling with the vendor’s drawn-out hawking: “Dragon or phoenix painting—sweet enough to rot your teeth!”
In the old courtyard, the loofah flowers still bloomed wildly over the wall, but with no one to tend the vines, they’d overrun half the wall.
The room was deathly still.
Dust veiled the Many Treasures Pavilion of purple sandalwood; the jade beast and underglaze red vase inside it dulled. The canopy bed still held a pile of goose-shaped soft pillows, their feathers glowing grayish in the slanting light.
Creak. He opened the gilded wardrobe—solemn dark robes hung neatly inside, while gold-woven jackets and crimson-purple finery were crumpled sadly in the corner.
Jiang Chen settled back into the little house.
Every day, he’d dust the Many Treasures Pavilion, water the loofah vines in the yard. When hungry, he’d boil a bowl of plain noodles and eat alone at the wooden table where they’d once shared meals.
At first, he waited single-mindedly.
Before, in the Demon Bright, human immortals couldn’t come. Now that he’d returned to the Mortal Realm, any upper-realm human immortal could descend whenever they wished…
Day after day.
He thought, perhaps that person just didn’t know he’d returned…
He needed to do something to let him know.
So he joined Liao Yuan Court, and his first battle was exterminating the southern marsh demons. Spending half a year fighting solo in the miasmic lands, Jiang Chen’s name began to shine in the Mortal Realm.
But his fame wasn’t resounding enough, not known to all.
