Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Heart-Eating Demon

She still remembered the day Lu Yan took her to the human world. It was her first time there, and she saw many things that didn't exist in the demon world. Especially hairpins like the one in her hand, each carved with delicate flowers and some adorned with small jade beads, all extremely beautiful.

She had thrown a tantrum, demanding that Lu Yan buy one for her, but he had no money with him at the time. He had comforted her by promising to give her an even prettier one on her wedding day. She had thought he was just brushing her off, so she didn't push further when she learned he had no money.

But she never imagined that he had kept that promise in his heart all this time.

Zisang played with the hairpin in her palm, smiling through her tears. "It's a bit plain, but since he made it himself, I'll have to accept it," she said, pausing briefly. "You promised Lu Yan you'd pin it for me, remember? Make sure it looks good!" she added, extending her hand.

There was no immediate response. She had noticed something off about Nan Xianyi for a while now; he seemed slow to react, almost as if his mind was elsewhere.

Finally snapping back to reality, Nan Xianyi took a deep breath, smiled wryly, and took the hairpin. "Alright, I'll make sure it looks good," he said, then proceeded to pin it into Zisang's hair, mischievously placing it like a "lightning rod."

He looked at her with a playful smirk, holding his chin as if seriously admiring his work. "There, much better!"

"Really?"

Zisang leaned towards the water's reflection and immediately exploded with anger. "Nan Xianyi! Do you have a death wish?!"

She punched him twice in the chest, initially playfully, without much force. But Nan Xianyi fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

Zisang rolled her eyes, thinking his act was too exaggerated. She knew exactly how hard she had hit him, and it certainly wasn't enough to cause this much pain.

"Hey, Nan Xianyi, you're overdoing it. This is way too fake!" she called out, unable to help herself.

But Nan Xianyi didn't respond. He clutched his chest, curling up tightly.

"Nan Xianyi! This isn't funny! If you keep this up, I'll get really angry! Nan Xianyi!" Zisang was starting to worry. No matter how she called, he didn't respond.

Could something really be wrong?

Her heart wavered as she rushed forward. Just as she took a step, she saw Nan Xianyi cough up black blood and faint.

"Nan Xianyi, wake up! Don't scare me, Nan Xianyi!" she cried out, her mind flashing back to the image of the strange bird attacking her.

She hurriedly untied the bandage around her neck. The wound was festering, black veins spreading from it, reaching all the way to her heart.

Her body went limp, her arms falling to her sides as if they had no bones.

...

Qingqiu

Dan Jun had barely touched the ground when a sharp voice called out from outside the door. "Dan Jun, why are you up? Lie down quickly; your wounds haven't healed yet!"

The person had been outside the door but was beside Dan Jun in an instant. Before Dan Jun could respond, they had already been bundled back into bed and covered with a blanket.

Dan Jun was used to this and didn't move, letting them fuss over her. Her hands were neatly placed at her sides, and the bed was made perfectly, without a single wrinkle, as if it had been ironed.

Ming Gu had always had this quirk; whenever she did something, it had to be meticulous and orderly. If she saw you doing something in a way that didn't meet her standards, she'd pull you aside and do it herself. Dan Jun was used to her temperament and never went against her wishes.

Ming Gu had been assigned to serve Dan Jun by the White Emperor when Dan Jun was still young. Thinking back, it was probably because of her meticulous nature that the White Emperor felt comfortable having her look after Dan Jun.

"Ming Gu, I'm almost fully recovered. I just want to go out for a walk," Dan Jun said, though she didn't dare move an inch. She knew very well that if she disrupted the perfect arrangement Ming Gu had set, she'd surely get a rap on the knuckles with a ruler.

"Absolutely not. The Emperor specifically instructed me to keep a close eye on you. If you sneak out again, how am I supposed to explain it to him?"

The Emperor, the Emperor, the Emperor! That's all she ever talked about. Even though Ming Gu had served her closely for so long, she never listened to her. But she obeyed the White Emperor's every word. Dan Jun felt a surge of anger but didn't dare voice it, pouting and turning away.

"What's this? What are you sulking about now?" A deep voice suddenly spoke up.

"Greetings, Emperor," Ming Gu said, turning and bowing halfway before being gently helped up by the White Emperor.

"Father, you're back! Did you find Sister Sang? You... you didn't hurt her, did you?" Seeing the White Emperor enter, Dan Jun disregarded everything and leaped up.

"Do you really think I'm that kind of person?" The White Emperor was shocked that Dan Jun would ask such a question. He began to reflect on himself. Have I been too strict with her? Am I really that hot-tempered? Why is she making me sound like I have a temper problem?

"That's not what I meant, Father. I just saw that the misunderstanding between you two was so deep that I was worried you'd start fighting immediately," Dan Jun quickly tried to smooth things over, realizing her words were inappropriate. Though her father's temper wasn't great, she couldn't say it so bluntly. That would hurt him deeply.

Dan Jun, eager to please, rushed to pour him a cup of hot tea, then started massaging his shoulders and back with a fawning smile. Her behavior was almost comically servile.

There's a saying, "When someone is overly attentive, they either want something or are up to no good." But the White Emperor enjoyed seeing Dan Jun so attentive. It was rare for her to be so obedient. Usually, he had no idea where she was, let alone having her around to serve him.

"Father, did you find Sister Sang? What did you say to her? Did you clear up the misunderstanding?" Dan Jun bombarded him with questions.

"Well, I did go to look for her that day, but the forest you mentioned was really hard to find," the White Emperor replied, deliberately slowing his speech. "I went back and forth a few times before I found it, but she wasn't there."

He knew she was anxious for news, but he took his time, savoring this rare moment of his daughter's eagerness to please. For him, such moments were as rare as a blue moon, and scaling the heavens was a trivial task in comparison.

"She wasn't there?" Dan Jun's voice was as loud as thunder. "How is that possible? Sister Sang should have had nowhere else to go. Why wasn't she there?"

Dan Jun suddenly shouted, nearly causing the White Emperor to spit out his tea in surprise.

"Why are you yelling? Startling everyone like that is not ladylike at all. I haven't even finished speaking yet!"

While the White Emperor was still talking, Ming Gu had already stepped forward to clean up the spilled tea on the table, then quietly stood aside.

"What happened next? Did you see her?" Dan Jun persisted, unwilling to let the matter drop.

"Yes, I saw her, and we cleared up the misunderstanding. And calling her 'Sister' is quite appropriate."

Technically speaking, Bai Sang should call him Second Uncle. Dan Jun calling her sister was perfectly reasonable.

"Of course! Sister Sang is older than me, so I should call her sister. What else would I call her?" Dan Jun didn't understand the White Emperor's point, assuming he was unaware of Bai Sang's background.

The White Emperor explained, "Bai Sang is the princess of the Yao clan, and the Yao Emperor is my elder brother, born of the same mother. So naturally, you should call her sister."

Dan Jun froze, mentally processing the information. Sister Sang is the princess of the Yao clan, which makes her the Yao Emperor's daughter. Father says the Yao Emperor is his brother...

Which means Sister Sang is actually my blood-related sister.

"No, no! That's too much information!" Dan Jun shook her head vigorously, like a rattle drum. Although it was good news, it was overwhelming. Her brain needed time to process all this.

"Father, if you know that Sister Sang is the Yao Emperor's daughter, why didn't you bring her back to Qingqiu? She must have nowhere to go right now."

Although separated from them, Dan Jun had been keeping track of their movements and knew their current situations quite well. She was aware of everything unless it was something particularly extraordinary.

"I did ask, but she was unwilling to come. She said she was waiting for someone important."

The White Emperor had considered this, too. When he left, he had tried to persuade Bai Sang to return to Qingqiu with him. If she came to Qingqiu, he could take good care of her, sparing her from hardships. However, she was adamant, insisting that someone was coming to find her. If she left, that person wouldn't be able to find her and would be upset.

He knew Bai Sang's stubbornness matched her father's. Once she decided on something, no amount of persuasion would change her mind. He had no choice but to let her be. If she couldn't wait any longer, she would naturally return.

On the riverbank, a crowd gathered tightly, their faces showing a mixture of expressions. The buzzing discussions grew louder, transitioning from whispers to heated arguments, with occasional distinct phrases emerging.

"...Another one dead! This makes twenty-three now. Who knows who among us will be next?"

"Who could be so vicious, killing people and even ripping out their hearts?"

"This isn't something a human could do. It must be a demon eating hearts!"

"No way! Don't scare us like that. I heard from the yamen that it was a drunken madman."

"Ha! A drunken madman? Give me a break! No drunk could do this. It must be some demon!"

As the crowd's discussion heated up, a group of armed guards approached from the distance.

"Officials are handling the case. Clear out, everyone!"

The crowd dispersed in a hurry, but even so, someone shouted loudly, "Everyone, go home and stay inside tonight! Don't come out!"

The newly arrived soldiers stood in a neat line, firmly blocking off the crime scene. The leader pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, covering his nose and mouth, and approached the corpse to inspect it.

This man must have been killed last night. His death was gruesome, his face contorted in agony, likely from having his heart ripped out while he was still alive. His features were taut, teeth clenched, eyes wide open—clearly, he had been terrified before he died.

Looking further, his chest was hollowed out, his heart missing. The edges of the wound bore marks that were unmistakably non-human. The officer stood up, wiped his hands with the handkerchief, and tucked it back into his pocket. He let out a heavy sigh.

This was the twenty-third victim, all killed in the same manner: heart removed, eyes wide open, and all had been terrified before death. Moreover, all the victims were young, strong men in good health. Considering their strength, the attacker must have been extraordinarily skilled. The claw marks on their chests clearly weren't made by a human; they resembled the marks of some wild beast.

Despite publicly attributing the murders to a drunken madman, even the officer doubted this explanation. He suspected that a demon might be at large in the village.

This case was indeed the first major mystery of his tenure. The leader, feeling the weight of the situation, massaged his forehead and then issued orders.

"Take the body back."

"Yes, sir!"

That night, a girl huddled under her blanket, eyes tightly shut as if to block out things she didn't want to see. Her fists clenched the blanket over her head, and despite the heavy cover, her trembling was clearly visible.

"Bang!"

"Ah! Don't kill me! Please don't kill me! I haven't done anything wrong. Please let me go! Sob sob..."

The tightly closed door was suddenly kicked open, and the girl shrank further into her blanket, screaming loudly. Her cries echoed through the once-quiet village, followed by the sound of doors slamming shut and the few remaining candle flames being snuffed out.

"Xiaoyu, it's me! It's Xiaofan."

Recognizing the voice, the girl stopped crying and slowly emerged from under the blanket.

"Xiaofan, you scared me to death!"

She spoke with a tearful voice. Xiaofan grabbed her and pulled her up from the bed, explaining urgently.

"We don't have time. We need to pack up and leave this place. If we stay any longer, we might not survive."

The girl responded timidly.

"But it's so late. Can't we leave tomorrow?"

"No! I can't stay here a moment longer!"

Without waiting for her to gather her things, he dragged her outside.

"Xiaofan, wait! I can't keep up!"

She ran after him, struggling to match his pace. Suddenly, she tripped over something and fell. As she watched Xiaofan run further away, she shakily got up, wincing from the pain.

Just as she was about to take a step to catch up, she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder and heard a cold voice behind her.

"You're tired. You should rest now."

Her eyes widened in horror, and she tried to struggle, but her body felt paralyzed, utterly devoid of strength. Then, her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground.

Xiaofan, still desperately running for his life, didn't realize that the person behind him was no longer there. He kept running, faster and faster, not pausing for a moment. Up ahead, just a bit further, he could escape this place. He sped up even more, faster and faster.

But no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't get any closer. It seemed so near, yet he couldn't touch it. He started to panic. No, it can't be like this. I have to get out of here; I don't want to stay even a moment longer.

He struggled, his face contorting in a mix of desperation and fear. "You won't catch me. I don't want to die. I can't die yet. I haven't lived enough!"

Sweat poured down his pale face, cracking his dry lips. Fear gripped him, a deep, paralyzing fear that spread through every vein in his body.

A flash of purple light appeared ahead. Before he could see what it was, he found himself bound by an iron chain. The chain coiled around him like a living creature, and in no time, he was suspended in the air, tightly wrapped.

"Please, let me go! Please! There's someone else behind me. Go eat her instead, please!"

The boy struggled and begged incessantly, almost on the verge of kneeling, if only he could. But he couldn't. The chains held him firmly, rendering him completely immobile.

A cold wind blew by, and a figure descended lightly, as if weightless, landing on a branch. The figure was clad in a long, dark blue robe that completely obscured their form. The robe's wide sleeves draped low, hiding their face.

The figure had appeared suddenly, as if they had been there all along, merely choosing not to show themselves. Instinctively, Xiaofan knew that this was the demon who had killed the twenty-three villagers.

A drop of water slid along the contour of the figure's face, trembling slightly before falling off due to the figure's shivering.

"You, you..."

Are you a demon?

He said it in his mind. Despite the obvious, he still couldn't believe his eyes. He tried to calm himself, to appear composed.

"If you let me go, I can take you to more people in the village. Please, just let me go..."

Before he could finish, his heart was ripped out, and he fell like a lifeless puppet, crashing heavily to the ground.

The figure's blue eyes glanced at him briefly before shifting focus to the still-beating heart in their hand. Sticky liquid stained the edge of the blue sleeve, and a flash of disgust passed through those blue eyes.

"Disgusting!"

The figure said softly. With a swift motion, they conjured a dagger, and with a flash of the blade, a piece of the blue sleeve, stained with blood, fluttered to the ground.

In a leap, the figure vanished into the darkness...

As dawn broke, the sky turned red with morning light. The village gradually came to life with the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking.

In the woods, a young girl slowly opened her eyes, looking around in confusion. As she tried to push herself up, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Recalling the events of the previous night, she remembered encountering the heart-eating demon. She had thought she was doomed but found herself miraculously alive.

What about Xiaofan? Where did he go? Did he manage to escape?

"Another person is dead!"

A sudden shout rang out. The girl followed the sound to the roadside of the neighboring village, where villagers had gathered in a crowd. Xiaoyu squeezed her way through the gaps, pushing into the thick crowd. Many people had come, including those from neighboring villages who had heard about the death and came to see for themselves.

The crowd was dense, almost three layers deep. Xiaoyu, with her petite frame, managed to squeeze her way to the front. The innermost circle was guarded by soldiers, but they stood with enough space between them to allow a clear view of the scene.

An official was bent over, examining the body. As he shifted, Xiaoyu finally saw the person lying on the ground.

"Xiaofan!"

Ignoring the officials' attempts to stop her, Xiaoyu pushed her way in, only to be blocked by two soldiers. The lead official signaled them to step back.

"You're Xiaoyu, correct?" he asked.

Xiaoyu nodded vigorously.

"Then tell me, where were you at midnight last night? Some say they heard noises coming from your house around that time. Is that true?"

Xiaoyu felt there was nothing to hide, so she recounted everything in detail. After she finished, some voices in the crowd spoke up in disbelief.

"The demon knocked you out but didn't kill you? How is that possible?"

"Exactly! How could that be?"

"I bet you're the demon!"

No one believed her story, as expected, and even Xiaoyu herself found it hard to believe. Why had the demon spared her? Facing the crowd's doubts, Xiaoyu stood firm and said resolutely, "Whether you believe it or not, the truth is right in front of us. The demon did spare me."

"Everyone, I can assure you, Xiaoyu is not the demon," the lead official interjected, unable to stand the accusations any longer.

"Based on my observations, this demon seems to prefer the hearts of men. Perhaps seeing Xiaoyu's frail condition, it let her go."

The villagers, hearing this, grew even more anxious.

The official asked again, "Did you get a good look at the demon?"

"No, but from the voice, it sounded like a woman."

…

"Creak~"

The wooden door opened with a creaking sound. Zisang carried a bowl of medicine to the bedside, carefully propping up the unconscious man to feed him. She then gently laid him back down.

This routine had been going on for a month, yet the man on the bed showed no signs of recovery.

"Nanzhen Yi, wake up! Didn't you say you couldn't be apart from me for even a moment? Then why aren't you waking up?" Zisang called softly, but there was no response from Nanzhen Yi.

Zisang took the glass orb from her waist and placed it in Nanzhen Yi's hand, closing his fingers around it.

"When I was little, my mother told me this glass orb had a spirit and would bring me good luck. I'm giving it to you today, hoping it will bring you luck too."

"Nanzhen Yi, I'm giving you my most important possession. Wake up for me!"

He still did not respond. Zisang sighed heavily, looking down in sorrow.

It seems the medicine isn't enough! I need more!

"Shouldn't I be your most important possession?"

Just as Zisang was about to leave, she felt a cold touch on her wrist and heard a weak voice. She turned back to see him clutching her wrist with a silly smile on his face. She could tell he was forcing a smile.

Even as he held her hand, there was no strength in his grip. If she applied just a bit of force, she could easily break free.

But she didn't want to let him hold her hand just to reassure herself.

"Are you a thing?" Zisang wasn't trying to tease him intentionally; she just wanted to cheer him up when she saw how weak he was. Besides, he had said that himself, and she was only correcting him!

"Yes! I really am not a thing. How could I make you worry?" Nanzhen Yi didn't argue with her. He continued to gaze at her indulgently, with a smile in his eyes, though it faded a lot due to exhaustion.

But he didn't know that the more he acted like this, the more Zisang felt heartache. She bent down to hug him, whispering softly in his ear, "You're not my most important possession; you're my most important person, someone... I almost lost!"

In a hidden place, both of them smiled softly.

After a while, Nanzhen Yi spoke faintly, "The sun is shining outside... Let's go out for a walk! Otherwise, lying down like this, we'll start to grow mold!"

"Okay."

Nanzhen Yi wanted to sunbathe, but Zisang was afraid the sun would be too harsh and hurt him, so she held up an umbrella for him.

Several times, Nanzhen Yi wanted to tell her not to bother, but when he turned around, he saw her earnestly holding the umbrella for him, as if she was afraid he would melt under the sun. Looking at her, he couldn't help but smile.

"Cough!"

Suddenly, he coughed up blood without warning.

"Nanzhen Yi!" Zisang abandoned the umbrella this time, worried he might collapse. She hurried over to support him.

"Nanzhen Yi, don't worry. I'll go get some medicine for you right away."

As she was about to leave, Nanzhen Yi grabbed her wrist.

"Get medicine? What medicine are you going to get? How do you know about antidotes?"

Zisang was taken aback, a strange look flashing in her eyes. She unintentionally met his questioning gaze but quickly avoided it.

"I'll go get you some medicine. You go back and wait for me."

Zisang didn't answer his question directly, just brushed it off and tried to leave in a hurry.

But Nanzhen Yi didn't give her the chance to escape. He approached her step by step, and in the moment he got close, Zisang instinctively took a step back.

Seeming to lose his patience, Nanzhen Yi stopped advancing. His eyes stared straight at Zisang as if trying to see through her.

"If you don't explain this clearly, I won't drink any of the medicine you bring in the future!"

"No! You'll die if you don't drink it!"

He spoke lightly, but it drove Zisang crazy. How could he refuse to drink it? Didn't he know he would die if he didn't?

"Then tell me, where did you get this prescription from?"

His words were calm, but his tone trembled slightly, indicating he was trying hard to control his anger.

"The prescription was left to me by my mother many years ago. Not only that, but there are also some secret recipes for making medicine. If you don't believe me, I can show them to you!"

Zisang's clear eyes met Nanzhen Yi's intense gaze, calm as water. But she couldn't understand the depth of his eyes, like a starry sky or a black hole.

When you don't want to delve into its secrets, it shines like the stars, but when you really want to explore it, it becomes like a black hole, with no flaws.

It was unclear how long they had stared at each other like this before Nanzhen Yi finally looked away.

"As long as you say it, I'll believe you!"

"Hurry and come back! I'll wait for you!"

With these two sentences thrown lightly, as if they had lost their souls, Nanzhen Yi picked up the red umbrella Zisang had left behind and limped away.

The moon was shrouded by black clouds, and after a few caws, the crows on the withered trees flapped their wings and flew away.

The deserted streets were empty, even the night watchman hurriedly packed up and went home, and soon, the candlelight in the houses also extinguished.

The night had grown late, and all was quiet.

The obscured moonlight quietly revealed half of itself again, illuminating a lonely figure in the corner.

The slender body, pressed under the oversized robe, appeared even smaller. Curled up in a ball, the entire face was tightly pressed against the chest.

In the moonlight, the trembling figure became even more noticeable.

With her face lifted slightly, a pair of azure pupils gleamed like two bright pearls in the dark night.

What was even more strikingly eerie was the drop of blood on her forehead, as if a real drop of blood had fallen.

Zisang pondered for a while, feeling the pain in her body slightly subsiding.

She explored behind her, found a support point, and struggled to stand up. Wiping the sweat from her face with her sleeve indifferently, she accidentally saw the bloodstains on her cuff and shook them off with disgust.

Suddenly, she remembered overhearing a conversation between two maids in the Demon Realm in the past.

"They say the demon princess has a penchant for killing, and she craves blood. What if we offend her one day? Will we lose our lives?"

"That's hard to say. Anyway, in the future, whenever we see her, let's try to avoid her."

A penchant for killing! Craving blood! Ha! If it were before, she might have tried to justify herself, but now... Ha! Wasn't it just as they said?

Thinking like this, she couldn't help but feel ridiculous!

The quiet night was interrupted by the sound of wheels rolling. In the middle of the deserted street, a carriage approached and stopped not far away.

The coachman murmured a few words, and then a man got down from the carriage and walked straight to the person in the blue robe.

"I am Huang Hanshao, the newly appointed county magistrate. Seeing that it is late at night, it's unsafe for a young lady to be alone here."

"If the lady doesn't mind, why not stay at my humble abode for the night? After all, it's been restless around here lately!"

The man first greeted with a bow before speaking slowly.

"No need!"

The man's kindness did not receive a favorable response.

"I came just to borrow something from the gentleman."

The woman in the blue robe spoke faintly. Her entire face was pressed down by the oversized robe, making it impossible to see her expression.

The man was taken aback, somewhat puzzled. He had never seen this woman before. Why would she come to him to borrow something?

Although he was puzzled, he didn't show it too obviously. After all, coming from a distinguished family, he had to maintain some dignity.

"I wonder what the lady wants to borrow from me. If I can help, I will do my utmost to assist the lady."

"Anything?"

The woman asked again.

"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond!"

The eyes that had been lowered slowly opened, and the azure pupils met another pair of eyes. The other party instantly seemed as if he had lost his soul, standing there like a puppet.

"This is what you said. So, if I want your heart, are you willing to give it to me?"

The corners of her crimson lips curved slightly, revealing a sinister smile, and the azure pupils flickered again.

"Yes, as long as you want it, I can give it to you!"

It was a short sentence, but it was extremely difficult for the man to say. He almost said it word by word, devoid of any emotion.

As soon as he finished speaking, the crimson lips curved up again. Then, with a flick of her palm, she inserted her claws into the man's heart.

When she withdrew her hand, she was already holding a lively, beating heart.

The man who lost his heart also lost the ability to live, falling to the ground like a puppet. Seeing this, the coachman was frightened and hastily pulled up the carriage, driving back.

Zisang did not chase after the fleeing coachman because she didn't need to. She only needed the blood from a hundred hearts to serve as the catalyst for her medicine. And Huang Hanshao was the one hundredth person.

The freshly pulsating heart in her hand caught her off guard. Unlike the others, this heart was exceptionally clean. Of course, for Zisang, this was precisely the type of heart she needed. Yet, she had killed over a hundred people before encountering such a heart.

The smile in her eyes gradually faded, and the blood drained visibly from her pale face.

Enduring the pain, she looked at the man on the ground and murmured to herself, "I will repay your kindness in the next life. If you see me and feel scared, just avoid me and don't let me encounter you again!"

It sounded like she was speaking to him, yet it seemed like she was speaking to herself.

It felt like maggots were gnawing at her heart, and at the same time, it felt like a raging fire burning every inch of her flesh and bone.

Zisang gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, wanting to leave. But as soon as she moved her front foot, a cold voice came from behind.

"Where are you going? Don't you plan to go back?"

In an instant, her heart, which was still in severe pain, seemed to stop beating, empty as if it had been scooped out by someone.

She didn't know when she had turned around to face him.

"I..."

There were too many words she wanted to say to him, too many explanations she wanted to give, but when the words reached her mouth, she couldn't utter them.

She froze, staring blankly at him, but his gaze wasn't on her. It was on her hand, where the heart that had stopped beating lay.

"No, it's not what you think..."

"I waited for you at home for three days before coming out to find you!"

He didn't listen to her explanation, coldly interrupting her words. His tone was so calm, so quiet, it was terrifying.

Zisang wanted to continue explaining to him, but before she could, he had already left.

The deserted streets were once again left with only her, and a corpse!

For a moment, she felt ridiculous. He told her he had waited for her at home for three days, thinking she hadn't returned and came out to find her.

In reality, it wasn't so. He wanted to tell her that he believed her words, but she had betrayed his trust.

She knew that as a disciple of the Immortal Sect, he would not harm others for his own survival. He would rather sacrifice himself than harm a hundred people. He was a sage, a noble man with his own responsibilities.

But she wasn't. She couldn't accommodate the world in her heart, only him. She couldn't tolerate anyone else.

She just wanted him to be well, just like before!

"Ah!"

The pain in her heart intensified, and her whole body felt like it was burning in flames, spreading from her heart to every inch of her body.

Every inch of her flesh seemed to be melting like being thrown into a forge, and she collapsed, losing her balance.

"Ah!"

She couldn't bear it anymore, screaming with all her might, as if doing so would alleviate her pain.

Although her body felt like it was burning, when the wind blew, it felt bone-chilling cold, and the coldness brought by the wind forced her to curl up into a ball, hugging her knees.

"Who's there! Crying and howling like a ghost in the middle of the night, get out of here! Go away, or I'll have to take action!"

The wooden door on the side creaked open, followed by a sturdy woman coming out, cursing loudly.