Chapter Seventy-Three: Encounter

Soon, three steaming bowls of fresh noodles were served. Yunsi picked up her own bowl but didn't immediately start eating. Instead, she first brought the third bowl closer to Qingwu's, scooping half of its contents into Qingwu's bowl and leaving the rest in hers.

"Master, you've been working hard all this time without having a proper meal. You must eat well now," she said warmly.

"After all, we are flesh and blood. No matter how tough we are, we still need to eat," Qingwu replied.

This action, these words, drew admiration from onlookers and added a touch of approval to their gaze.

Just as Yunsi was about to lament, a wave of mourners approached, and as soon as the two sides met, they began to quarrel.

"Tsk! What bad luck to run into such an ominous event today!" the tea shop owner grumbled unhappily.

Yunsi sensed that there was more to the situation and casually struck up a conversation with the tea shop owner. "Don't say that. Life is full of ups and downs. Perhaps some of the things you encounter aren't necessarily bad."

"Both of you may not know, but the feud between the Zhang family and the Su family has been well-known in our village for a long time," the shopkeeper sighed with sorrow.

Raising her eyebrows, Yunsi looked over to the commotion and casually asked, "It seems like there's quite a bit of enmity between the two families, isn't there?"

"That's right! These two families were originally related by marriage. Su Qingye, from the Su family, married Zhang Fucong, the son of the Zhang family, when she was seventeen. However, the mother of the Zhang family always thought Su Qingye was useless and wanted Zhang Fucong to divorce her and marry someone else."

"I say, it's also because Zhang Fucong is weak and incompetent, afraid to stand up to his mother. Later on, he really sent Su Qingye back as his mother wished. We thought she would end up as an abandoned wife with no one wanting her, but within a few days of her return, someone came knocking on her door proposing marriage."

"As for what happened between them later, we don't know. All we know is that both of them died for love! It's just a pity for this pair of foolish lovers!" The shopkeeper couldn't help but sigh after finishing his explanation.

At first, it seemed like a trivial matter, not worth quarreling about on such a day and at such an occasion. After listening to the shopkeeper's explanation, however, Yunsi suddenly understood the bitterness behind it all. Regardless of the circumstances, both of them had sacrificed for each other, and in the end, those grievances naturally fell upon the living.

After hearing the tea shop owner's explanation, Yunsi suddenly understood the bitterness behind it all. Regardless, both sacrificed for each other, and in the end, those resentments naturally fell upon the living.

Yunsi also felt the sorrow for them and wanted to help. After thinking for a moment, she weakly asked, "Master, may I go?"

She remembered her master's advice when they set out, not to interfere where they shouldn't and not to do what they shouldn't. She should only follow his instructions on the road.

But given Yunsi's nature, how could she sit idly by? Fortunately, she remembered his words, seeking his consent before taking action, which pleased him greatly.

"Well then, be careful in everything!" Qingwu nodded slightly, then whispered softly.

"I understand."

Yunsi walked towards the center of the two groups of people, first bowing slightly, then raising her voice to shout, "Amitabha!"

The three people who had been arguing without regard for their appearance were startled by Yunsi's sudden shout, freezing in place with their hands still in midair.

Taking advantage of the moment, Yunsi bowed again. "I am Yunsi, a novice from the Pure Water Temple."

Those who heard her words looked at each other with surprise and disdain.

Naturally, Yunsi understood what they were thinking. As a female practitioner with her hair tied up, she couldn't avoid suspicion, but she didn't want to explain the useless details now.

"I heard about the conflict between the two donors and came specifically to console and deliver them. I'm willing to help the departed souls return to the cycle of reincarnation."

Yunsi's words sounded awkward, completely unlike those of a regular Buddhist practitioner, making her seem even more like a street urchin trying to deceive people for money.

The mother of the Zhang family showed a disdainful expression and eyed Yunsi up and down, full of doubt. "Do you really have the ability to deliver souls?"

Yunsi smiled faintly, meeting her gaze with sincere eyes, and continued, "Monks do not speak falsehoods."

Yunsi's eyes were very clear and innocent, comparable to a simple child. Although she lacked the foundation, there was an inexplicable trust in her.

Perhaps... she could really help Fucong!

In her heart, the mother of the Zhang family silently made a bet with herself. After hesitating for a long time, she finally chose to believe Yunsi.

She earnestly grasped Yunsi's hand and sincerely pleaded, "I beg you, please help my son! He's so young and has passed away. I can't rest assured without him. If you can help him reincarnate as soon as possible, I'm willing to give everything!"

"Master, please help our Qingye first!" Just as the mother of the Zhang family had finished crying, the mother of the Su family continued to wail, raising her voice again. They seemed to be competing with each other as if fighting to the death.

As the two women screamed loudly, Yunsi couldn't help but shiver with goosebumps, involuntarily trembling.

"Can the two donors please listen to a word from this novice?" Yunsi shouted, raising her voice as loud as she could above the two women's, ensuring they could hear her.

After Yunsi's roar, everyone present quieted down, staring at her, except for the two women in front who said in unison, "Master, please speak!"

Yunsi took a deep breath, fanned her hand by her ear, and shouted, "Bicker, bicker, bicker! What's the point of all this arguing? Aren't they husband and wife? Just bury them together, and it'll be done when the time comes, won't it?"

Yunsi took a deep breath, gesturing her frustration by fanning her hand near her ear. "Bicker, bicker, bicker! What's the point of all this arguing? They were a couple, weren't they? Just bury them together, and it'll all be over when the time comes, won't it?"

"This..." Both women spoke at the same time, their faces betraying embarrassment.

Su's mother said, "No! Why should we? I remember back then your Zhang family wanted to divorce our Qingye. She suffered a lot while alive in your house. Now that she's gone, she wouldn't want to be with your Zhang family."

"You! Look at your own behavior! Even if we were to refuse, it should be up to me to say it. What's wrong with our Zhang family? Do we owe you anything?"

"I absolutely won't allow it!"

"This matter isn't up to..."

"Enough!" Yunsi shouted loudly, cutting off their argument. "The root cause of this matter shouldn't be attributed to you. If you hadn't forced them apart back then, how could things have turned out like this?"

"If you truly cared for them, fulfill their dying wishes."

Although Yunsi had not experienced romantic love, over the years of traveling with Qingwu through mountains and rivers, witnessing countless love stories and hearing people's innermost thoughts, she had come to understand many truths. Their mistakes stemmed from their hearts being locked, unable to consider others' feelings, making them selfish and narrow-minded.

And what Yunsi could do was help them find the key to unlock their hearts and open the door to their souls.

Of course, for the mothers of the Zhang and Su families, Fucong and Qingye were their keys. Once their hearts were unlocked, there would be no more grievances.

Recalling the past, they felt ashamed and could only hang their heads with reddened faces.

"Enough! Back then, if it weren't for my stubbornness, things wouldn't have ended up like this! Qingye is a good daughter-in-law. It's all because I, as a mother-in-law, wasn't good!"

"Then, why don't we listen to the little master's suggestion and bury them together to fulfill their wishes?"

"Alright, we'll listen to you!"

So, they buried the two of them next to Mount Huashan. They planted pine and cypress trees on the east and west sides of the grave and phoenix trees on the left and right sides, their branches intertwining and leaves connecting.

After looking at the nearly completed grave, the mother of the Zhang family turned to Yunsi and said, "The rest will be up to you, little master."

Yunsi was stunned, looking somewhat lost, and unconsciously glanced at Qingwu, standing about a yard away, with a somewhat plaintive expression as if asking, "Master, am I capable?"

This was indeed a big task. Her magical powers were too weak, and even dealing with one person was challenging enough, let alone two. She felt a lack of confidence.

The crowd became increasingly dense, attracted by Yunsi's verbal confrontation with the Su and Zhang families. Even the tea shop owner and his waiters followed suit. Qingwu stood in the center of the crowd, not saying a word, just giving her a reassuring look.

Yunsi understood and stepped forward with determination.

She sat cross-legged on the ground, palms pressed together against her shoulders. Soon, a series of light golden runes floated around her, forming circles that rotated around her.

Yunsi sat cross-legged on the ground, palms pressed together against her shoulders. Before long, a multitude of light golden runes floated around her, forming concentric circles rotating around her.

Sweat dampened her delicate face, and her lips gradually turned pale. No one knew how much longer this would last, nor did they care. All they wanted to focus on was the outcome, unaware that the haphazardly colliding runes were almost shattering Yunsi's internal organs.

With a swift step, Qingwu rushed forward, pressing several acupoints on Yunsi's body. Then, with an empty hand, he swiftly threw a golden staff in front of Yunsi, shattering the spell she had cast.

At the moment Yunsi fell lightly to the ground, he quickly formed an even larger spell array, emitting a dazzling golden light.

His speed was astonishing, and almost no one could see how he formed the spell array. In the next moment, a burst of golden light flashed.

The intensity of the golden light forced them to close their eyes. After an unknown amount of time, they felt the light gradually dissipate, followed by the pleasant sound of birdsong.

The last thing they saw was a pair of winged birds, fluttering together, hovering between the pine and phoenix trees, calling to each other.

Lovebirds, flying wing to wing. Perhaps this was their final outcome!

Qingwu made a gesture, retracting the staff into his sleeve. By then, Yunsi, who had awakened at some point, was already standing behind him.

"Master, you're amazing!" she exclaimed, unable to resist clapping.

Qingwu glanced at her faintly and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah! Thanks to you coming in time. Otherwise, I would definitely be meeting the King of Hell right now."

Was it because of him?

Qingwu fell into thought. Although he had intervened in time to prevent her from further harm, she had indeed been seriously injured earlier, and he had not had time to treat her. Why did she now seem perfectly fine, jumping around in front of him as if nothing had happened?

Could it be that her demonic soul hadn't completely dispersed, leaving a part of it lingering in her body?

Though he felt it was unlikely, it was the best explanation for the moment!

Without another word, Qingwu shouldered his bag and walked towards the depths of the forest. Yunsi followed closely behind, jogging a few steps before suddenly stopping, turning back to look in a certain direction, but there was nothing behind her. A mild smile of confusion spread across her face...

It had been a month since returning to the Jing Shui Temple, and almost nothing had happened during this time, giving rise to an unusually peaceful atmosphere. Perhaps because she had grown accustomed to the hardships of life outside, enduring days of exposure to the elements, with no fixed abode or routine.

It was rare to feel as carefree and relaxed as she did now, spending her days reciting scriptures or copying texts. Regardless of what she did, she couldn't escape the connection with the scriptures. It was as if she had a grudge against them from her past life.

This time, Yunsi had come down the mountain under the pretext of fetching water, intending to have some fun while she was at it.

Stepping across the small rocks in the stream to the widest and most turbulent part of the water, she naturally wasn't here to fetch water. If she wanted to, she could have filled a bucket with clear, sweet stream water from the bank.

She was simply playing for the sake of it.

After filling the bucket with water and leaving it aside, she began to play with the water herself, laughing out loud like a child.

Her joyful laughter suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed ahead. Standing on the curved bridge ahead was a figure in white, ethereal and fair-skinned, standing against the light. At first glance, he looked like a figure sculpted from white jade!

The cheerful laughter abruptly ceased as her gaze remained fixed ahead. Standing on the arching bridge was a person, dressed in flowing white garments, with skin as fair as snow. Positioned against the light, at first glance, he resembled a figure sculpted from white jade!

"Hey there!" Yunsi waved and called out loudly ahead.

When he turned around, her heart skipped a beat!

Seeing him about to leave, she hurriedly chased after him, but in her haste, she misstepped and stumbled. Fortunately, she quickly regained her footing and stood up, though her right leg, from the hem of her pants down to her knee, was already soaked by the flowing water. Without hesitation, she chased after him again.

Yunsi quickly stepped forward, blocking Jun Feng's path, and hurriedly bowed, stuttering as she spoke, "I am Yunsi Li from the Jing Shui Temple, and Qingwu Master is my disciple."

"What did you say?" Jun Feng's face was full of confusion. He didn't understand a single word she said.

"I said..." Yunsi's mind went blank at that moment. She couldn't even remember what she had said a moment ago.

What did I just say?

Yunsi shook her head abruptly, unable to recall. Gathering her thoughts, she looked up at Jun Feng. "Have we met somewhere before?"

Jun Feng was taken aback. Did his appearance trigger her memory of past events?

After hesitating for a moment, he replied, neither fast nor slow but with absolute certainty, "No!" His tone was decisive, without any hesitation.

"No?" Yunsi narrowed her watery eyes, clearly not believing Jun Feng's nonsense.

After a while, as if remembering something, she suddenly exclaimed, "I remember now! That day, I saw someone who looked just like you on the street. Yes, it was you! Same white clothes, same long hair, same purple headband. It must have been you!"

"Humph! You're truly clueless!" Jun Feng glared at her angrily, turned away arrogantly, as if unwilling to look at her any longer.

"Are you a god?" Ignoring Jun Feng's curse, Yunsi, still curious about him, approached again and asked.

"Humph!" Jun Feng didn't want to answer such a stupid question. In his eyes, Yunsi at this moment seemed mentally challenged, utterly foolish.

Compared to Zisang before, she was like heaven and earth, which made him suspect whether Zisang had injured his head when he fell, otherwise, how could he be so dim-witted now?

Maybe her intelligence was only one-third of Zisang's!

Seeing that Jun Feng didn't answer, Yunsi muttered to herself again, "You're so handsome, you must be a god."

Jun Feng rolled his eyes once again!

What kind of logic is that—being handsome means being a god? Who would use such a foolish method to distinguish people, except you!

"Hey, hey, hey! Great god, don't leave! Do gods like you know a lot of spells? Can you teach me?" Seeing Jun Feng about to leave, Yunsi shamelessly tagged along. She seemed to have completely forgotten that she had come down the mountain this time to fetch water, and didn't even know that the wooden bucket she had brought had been washed away by the flowing water.

Yunsi didn't catch up to Jun Feng because he flew away. He seemed to dislike her especially. From the moment he saw her, he never even bothered to look at her properly. The expression on his face when he left was particularly sour.

But I haven't done anything to provoke him, have I?

Yunsi asked herself from the bottom of her heart. If she had provoked him, it was more accurate to say that he had been disgusted with her from the beginning, as if they had some unresolved grudge from their past lives!

Yunsi didn't catch up to Jun Feng because he flew away. It seemed like he particularly disliked her. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he never bothered to give her a proper look. His expression when he left was especially sour.

But did I do anything to offend him?

Yunsi asked herself from the depths of her heart. If she had offended him, it would be more accurate to say that he had been repulsed by her from the start, as if they had some unresolved grudge from a past life!

But then again, even if there were some grudge from a past life, she couldn't remember it, so why take it out on her?

Yunsi paced back and forth in the backyard with her hands on her hips several times. Finally, even the junior monks couldn't bear to watch any longer. One of them stepped forward, patting her shoulder gently, and reminded her, "Didn't I ask you to go down the mountain to fetch water? Where is the water?"

With that reminder from the monk, Yunsi snapped out of her reverie, chuckling awkwardly. "I forgot!"

"And what about the bucket you took down?"

"Uh, well... I, uh, lost it!"

"What?"

Everyone present was suddenly in an uproar, rushing forward to question her.

"Our temple only has four buckets in total, and you managed to lose one!"

"What were you doing down there for so long?"

"I... I was getting water!" Her voice grew softer and softer. Yunsi felt extremely aggrieved. She had no idea how the bucket, which had been fine, suddenly toppled over. It was just so coincidental that it fell into the river.

No one could argue with that!

Heaven Realm

"The Heavenly Emperor has ordered us to guard this place and not allow you to leave!"

Mo Xuan, who was about to leave the lotus pond, was once again stopped by two heavenly soldiers outside the door.

"Why?"

"This is the Heavenly Emperor's command. We have no authority to question it. Please cooperate." The taller of the two heavenly soldiers replied coldly.

"What about Jun Feng? Where did he go? Didn't he tell me that I am the son of the Heavenly Emperor, Mo Xuan? Even if I am the Heavenly Emperor's son, shouldn't I have the right to leave?" A series of questions burst out, and after asking them, Mo Xuan began to regret it, because it seemed like they completely ignored his intentions.

The two heavenly soldiers crossed their spears, firmly blocking Mo Xuan's chest. Was this how they treated a prince of the heavenly palace? It was clearly how they treated a prisoner!

Who were they exactly? And why were they keeping him here? Where was Jun Feng? Was all of this just a deception by Jun Feng?

"Excuse me, officials, please speak politely. No need to resort to violence!" The Danjun, who happened to arrive at the scene, saw what was happening and hurriedly stepped forward to intervene.

Upon hearing the Danjun's words, the two heavenly soldiers simultaneously withdrew their spears. After hesitating for a moment, they looked at each other with doubt and asked, "Danjun, how did you find your way here?"

The Danjun addressed their underlying question and then adjusted his attire, clearing his throat. "I am here by the command of the Heavenly Emperor to take care of His Highness Mo Xuan."

As everyone knew, the Danjun of the Qingqiu White Pill was betrothed to the son of the Heavenly Emperor, Mo Xuan. Although this matter had been widely known years ago, the whereabouts of the young Mo Xuan were unknown after he was abducted by the demon clan, and he had not been seen since.

However, the recent events had also spread throughout the heavenly realm. A remnant of the demon clan actually transformed into a black dragon in front of the heavenly soldiers. Even though no one dared to discuss the matter further after that, everyone knew what had happened.

Perhaps... His Highness Mo Xuan had really not died and had returned!

With that said, everything made sense. It was likely that the Heavenly Emperor remembered the engagement between the Danjun of Qingqiu White Pill and His Highness Mo Xuan, and now that His Highness Mo Xuan had finally returned, he might want them to get closer before their marriage, so as not to feel awkward when they interacted in the future!

With that explanation, everything made sense. It seemed that the Heavenly Emperor had considered the engagement between Qingqiu White Pill's Danjun and His Highness Mo Xuan. Now that His Highness Mo Xuan had finally returned, perhaps he wanted them to get closer before their marriage, to avoid any awkwardness in their future interactions!

"I see, it seems that the Heavenly Emperor has thought of everything!" The heavenly soldiers smiled and replied.

With that, the Danjun didn't bother to offer any further explanations and simply pulled Mo Xuan back.

"Miss, who are you?" Mo Xuan felt somewhat uncomfortable as he withdrew his hand from the Danjun's grasp and looked at her blankly.

As expected, all he saw in his eyes was emptiness. It seemed that, as Jun Feng had mentioned, he had lost all his previous memories. The Danjun grinned and pretended to be clueless, reintroducing herself to him, "My name is Bai Danjun. I'm an old friend of Jun Feng's. Before he left, he specifically instructed me to take good care of you."

This feeling was truly strange. Saying these words to him again, she unexpectedly felt a bit nostalgic for the past, reminiscing about the scene of their first meeting.

She remembered that at that time, she had gotten lost in the forest... No, it seemed like someone had deliberately set up a barrier to trap Big Brother in black clothes. She had inadvertently stumbled into it and unexpectedly encountered Big Brother in black clothes.

Recalling his appearance at that time couldn't help but make her smile. Now everything had changed. Sister Sang had also left, and the little celestial disciple, Nan Xianyi, had become the first god of war in the Four Seas and Eight Wildernesses. As for her Big Brother in black clothes, he had unexpectedly become the son of the Heavenly Emperor, her fiancé whom she had been waiting for for many years.

Everything had changed, but the only person by her side who hadn't changed was him. He was still the same as before, always cold and aloof, always alone. It seemed like he had a grudge against the whole world, pushing everyone away.

But he couldn't push her away!

If she could, she would be willing to turn into warm sunshine to soften his iron-blooded tenderness, to soothe his wounded soul, to smooth out his scars...

The night grew cooler, and Jun Feng slept on the ground.

As night fell, a figure emerged in the chilly breeze. Draped in a purple cloak, she walked lightly, resembling a celestial being.

Stopping beside Jun Feng, she gently covered him with the shawl hanging from her left arm, handling him with great care as if afraid of waking him up.

However, Jun Feng was inherently sensitive. Even the slightest touch could quickly rouse him. He immediately seized the hand that was carefully arranging the shawl on him, his sharp gaze sweeping towards the person.

"Ugh!" Yunsi grunted in pain.

"You're hurting me, great immortal!" Tears welled up in Yunsi's eyes as she stared innocently at him.

"Why is it you? What are you doing here?" Jun Feng released her, his face darkening as he questioned Yunsi, resembling an interrogator questioning a suspect.

Yunsi looked even more aggrieved. "I'm just worried about you lying here alone in case you get sick. I came to bring you some clothes!" She pouted, muttering under her breath, "Who knew you wouldn't appreciate it! How rude..."

"What?" Jun Feng suddenly raised his voice, startling Yunsi into silence. But Jun Feng didn't let up and continued to press her, "What were you going to say? Finish your sentence! If you don't, you might not make it back!"

"I won't say it if I don't want to! Why are you so mean?" Yunsi's face was full of grievances as she stubbornly retorted, finding her antics both infuriating and ridiculous.

Jun Feng got up, brushing off the dust from his clothes. Then, he casually tossed the cloak Yunsi had brought onto her face.

"Now that the clothes have been delivered, you can leave." After pondering for a moment, a faint smile crept onto his lips. "It's best if you never appear in front of me again."

"If that's the case..." The person behind him spoke slowly, reaching out to gently remove the purple cloak covering her head. Her expression was calm, but a wicked smile played on her lips. However, her innocent eyes had turned sharp, sending chills down one's spine, resembling an evil spirit crawling out of hell.

Even though she had her back to him, Jun Feng could still feel an icy chill emanating from her. He gradually stopped in his tracks as he turned back, finding the person who had been smiling at him menacingly standing right in front of him.

Jun Feng frowned, staring intently at the person smiling at him.

The young girl's lips curled into a playful smile, tinged with mockery as she spoke, "What? Don't you remember me?" She continued with a mocking tone, "Of course not! Now that you're a celestial being in the heavenly realm, how could you possibly remember a demon like me! Ridiculous!"

Waves surged in Jun Feng's eyes, and he clenched his fists tightly hidden in his sleeves, trembling slightly. At this moment, he felt as if his heart was being strangled by ropes, making it difficult to breathe.

Zisang raised her eyebrows and chuckled softly. Her originally dark brown pupils turned azure, and she reached out to hook her fingers around his neck, breathing warm air into his ear. She smiled as she spoke, "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you afraid of me?"

After hesitating for a moment, Jun Feng finally came to his senses. He coldly pushed Zisang away, his face turning deathly pale. His once gentle voice now sounded like ice, sending shivers down one's spine.

"Why, as a fox demon, do you come to disturb the human realm even after entering the cycle of reincarnation? What are you plotting?"

"I'm just here to see someone I miss. Is that... considered a plot?" Zisang leaned in again, her hands still on his neck, and her voice carried a seductive fragrance, as if she were a wronged child, speaking with a sob in her voice, "I waited for you for so long, but you never came. So, I had to come find you myself."

"I just came to see the person I miss. Is... that considered a plot? Hm?" Speaking, Zisang once again approached him.

Her hands hooked around his neck, and she spoke with a faint, enticing fragrance, sounding like a child wronged, with a hint of tears in her voice as she spoke into his ear, "I waited for you for so long, but you never came, so I had to come find you myself."

"...You and I... are ultimately not of the same world!" He remained motionless, allowing Zisang to cling to him and stroke his long hair.

Her slender jade fingers slid down his hair, all the way to the tips, where she wrapped his purple hairband around her fingertips and gently untied it, allowing a strand of dark hair to fall.

"Why? You clearly promised to marry me back then. Are you breaking your word?" Zisang spoke softly, absentmindedly playing with the purple hairband in her hand.

Jun Feng closed his eyes, sighed lightly, and spoke calmly, "All that was just a karmic fate. I won't hold it against you, and you don't need to remember it either. Just consider it... a dream!"

Zisang paused her fiddling with the purple hairband and glanced at him. "A dream? Dreams can be either pleasant or nightmarish. So, what kind of dream was this?"

"... " Jun Feng closed his eyes, choosing not to answer any further.

Zisang's anger turned into a smile. She coldly cupped his face in her hands, her eyes softening.

"Jun Feng, I love you! I'm willing to give everything for you. I'm even willing to give up all my cultivation, just to be an ordinary mortal and spend my life with you. I'm willing to cultivate alongside you, to ascend to immortality together! Really!"

Jun Feng's tightly shut eyes slowly opened, revealing waves of emotion. His clenched fists gradually loosened, but just as he was about to touch her face, he stopped abruptly, as if remembering something. He pushed her away coldly.

"Are you, a lowly demon, even worthy of being with me?"

"Huh! You truly are heartless!" A smirk played on Zisang's lips as she pulled a glass sphere from her bosom.

Jun Feng glanced nervously at the glass sphere at his waist... it was gone!

"Why do you have it? Give it back to me."

Zisang looked at him and smiled despairingly, "Since you are heartless to me, why should I hold onto it? Keeping it will only remind me of all the pain!"

With that, she clenched her fist, and the glass sphere shattered into pieces, scattering on the ground.

Before he could stop her, Zisang and the glass sphere disappeared into the darkness.

"...Zisang... Zisang, where did you go? Come back! I won't let you leave, come back..."

His hoarse shouts echoed through the silent forest, but there was no response.

"...Mo Yunfei..."

After his cries gradually faded away, another voice sounded again, echoing in all directions.

"Who's there!" Jun Feng immediately regained his composure, his voice turning cold as he rebuked.

"...Mo Yunfei... it's me, Ann! Have you forgotten me?"

Jun Feng turned around, and in front of him, about a yard away, stood a woman who had appeared out of nowhere, dressed in a red robe. In the moonlight, he couldn't see her face clearly, as her hair was scattered and covered most of her face.

"Ann? I don't know you!" Jun Feng's expression remained indifferent and cold as he spoke.

"How could you? You promised to marry me. I waited for you in the ruined temple for forty years, but you never returned. Why didn't you come back?" Her tone carried a reproach, and her voice was tearful, as if she had been crying for a long time.

"Ann? I don't know you!" Jun Feng still spoke coldly, his expression unchanged.

"How could you not recognize me? You promised to marry me. I waited for you in the ruined temple for forty years, but you never returned. Why didn't you come back?" Her tone was accusing, her voice tinged with tears, as if she had been crying for a long time.

"You must be mistaken, miss. I've never met you before in my life, and certainly never made such a promise. Besides, I am Jun Feng, not the Mo Yunfei you mentioned!"

It was utterly baffling. How did every passing day seem to bring someone claiming to be his betrothed? Zisang was one thing, but who was this mysterious woman?

Could it be that in others' eyes, Jun Feng was just a philanderer?

"How could you not know? You gave me my name! You proposed to me a hundred times. How can you say you've forgotten?" The woman suddenly stepped toward Jun Feng, her red robe billowing in the cold wind, appearing even more blood-red against the backdrop of the chilly night.

Jun Feng remained unfazed, his expression unchanged. "What do you want?"

The woman let out a shrill, piercing laugh. "I want to take you away! I want you to stay by my side forever, so that we can be together for eternity!"

Jun Feng was taken aback, his gaze turning sharp. He exerted force in his palm and pushed her away.

"Ahhh!!!!"

"How dare you be disrespectful to this prince! I'll have you chopped up and fed to the dogs!"

Jun Feng slowly opened his eyes, the intense sunlight dazzling him. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the glare, finally able to see his surroundings.

As his vision cleared, he saw Yebai lying on the ground, baring its teeth at him, resembling an angered wolf. Its eyes were full of resentment, as if it wanted to devour him alive. What stood out the most was the red bruise on half of its face, looking pitiful at first glance.

"Haha!" Jun Feng couldn't help but chuckle.

"You're still laughing! Hurry up and apologize to this prince, you foolish immortal!" Yebai sprang up from the ground, hands on hips, as if saying, "I'm ready, you can apologize to me now!"

"Humph! Don't forget who you are and try to act tough in front of me, Jun Feng. You're still too young!" Jun Feng dismissed him with a disdainful glance, shifting his gaze elsewhere.

Finally, his eyes landed in a corner, but he couldn't shake off the figure of the person from his dream.

Had he truly let her go? But why did he still think of her often, dream of her?

Emotions were easily unsettling, once encountered, they were hard to escape...

Yebai crossed his arms and walked ahead without looking back. Despite his short legs, it didn't hinder him in the slightest. The blood-red umbrella framed his small face, which, though originally joyful, now wore a look of sorrow. When passersby looked at him, he glared fiercely at them, then arrogantly raised his head.

"Smack!" A slap landed.

"What are you doing?" Yebai retorted angrily, baring his teeth and yelling. His tender voice was hardly intimidating, causing laughter among the onlookers.

Someone even exclaimed, "Wow! So cute!"

Yebai shot a glance in their direction, his cold gaze far from childish, sending shivers down their spines. The little girl, feeling like every second spent here could mean her demise, scampered away as if her life depended on it.

"I didn't let you out to run around!" Jun Feng's voice was low, as cold as frost, his expression equally grim. "Believe me, I could throw you into Laojun's alchemy furnace and reduce you to ashes!"

"Bring it on! Do you think I'm scared? I'm Yebai, not afraid of anything!" Yebai shouted back, unyielding.

The tension escalated rapidly, enveloping them in a palpable aura, distorting the space around them. It felt as if any sudden movement could shatter the entire dimension.

Even bystanders wisely kept their distance, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire.

Jun Feng's eyebrows twitched, and then he swiftly grabbed Yebai's collar, twisting it as if he were wringing a sack. No matter how much Yebai struggled, he couldn't break free, only cursing vehemently.

"Jun Feng, you turtle bastard! Let me go! I'll have you know I'm the young prince of the Demon Realm, with the noblest bloodline. No one can treat a noble like this, do you hear me?"

"Once I return to the Demon Realm, I'll tear you apart, drain your blood, crush your bones, and throw them into the sea to feed the fish! Hey, can you hear me? Let me go now!"

"Shut up!" The words were almost squeezed through clenched teeth, accompanied by the sound of grinding teeth.

Jun Feng's anger surged, his grip tightening. Yebai, sensing the unusual danger, dared not provoke further, allowing Jun Feng to hold him by the nape of his neck, limbs limp.

At that moment, a scene flashed through Yebai's mind... It was like the time he twisted a dog's neck when he was young...

"Jun Feng, you turtle bastard... Ah!!!" Yebai protested loudly, intending to give him a piece of his mind, but suddenly felt disoriented, as if he had been thrown sideways and was spinning in the air.

The crimson flowery umbrella, under Jun Feng's command, flew towards Yebai as if alive, but by the time it closed, Yebai had vanished from the spot.

"Hey! Jun Feng, why did you lock me up again! Let me out now!" Yebai's shouts went unheeded as Jun Feng glanced at the umbrella in his hand, snorted disdainfully, and then threw it into the air, ignoring the curious onlookers. He set it ablaze with a burst of fire.

The umbrella immediately sprang to life, dancing joyfully in the distance. Only Jun Feng could hear Yebai's cries of anguish.

"It's so hot! Jun Feng, what do you think you're doing? I warn you, if you dare hurt me, my mother won't spare you!"

"Still a mommy's boy, aren't you? Can't do anything without your mother!"

"Ah! I can't stand it, let me go! If I die, you'll never find the Demon Ancestor!"

Even in the midst of agony, this haughty child refused to yield. The most ridiculous part was that he still wanted to outwit Jun Feng. Little did he know that Jun Feng was capable of anything when pushed to his limits!

"I, Jun Feng, only deal with smart people. I shouldn't have to explain what should and shouldn't be done." Jun Feng's voice was low, magnetic, capable of cutting through anything. His eyes gradually filled with killing intent. "But for those who are useless to me, there's only one outcome—death!"

The word "death" seemed to squeeze out between his teeth, and as soon as he uttered it, his hand moved, stirring up a gust of wind.

"Clang!" A crisp sound rang out.

Jun Feng's hand, which had been outstretched, remained suspended in mid-air, momentarily stunned. Then, there was a series of chaotic "clang" sounds.

"Good—"

Jun Feng was momentarily distracted and turned around involuntarily—only to find some people clapping and cheering for him, and some even showering him with copper and silver coins.

Were they treating me like a street performer? What do they take me for?

"Haha! Hahaha~"

By the time the flowery umbrella had landed and Yebai was freed, he had stumbled upon this scene!

The Heavenly Qiyang Immortal Venerable, the Jade Emperor's adopted son, the number one war god across the land and sea, was being openly given alms by a few humans.

Haha, it was hilarious! When the time came, I would definitely expose this to the public and let everyone see the true face of this so-called number one war god in the Six Realms!

After all... good things are meant to be shared! Hahaha!!!

Yebai's actions were tantamount to courting death. He had just escaped from death but failed to appreciate the gift of life, instead choosing to walk right into the firing line.

Jun Feng turned back with a faint smile, his eyes full of ferocity, "You seem to be enjoying yourself, don't you?"