The Return of the Demonic Duo

Joe Wei strolled to the entrance of the inn, stopping in front of Yun, the servant boy. With a gentle smile, he cast a single glance at the lad.

That glance was like a spell.

In an instant, Yun froze in place like a wooden puppet, his expression dull and eyes vacant—completely entranced.

"Come with me," Joe Wei said softly, already heading toward the staircase inside the inn.

Yun followed behind, soulless and unresisting, like a marionette without strings.

Upstairs, the second floor was empty except for one table by the window. There sat Uncle Li, who now had a second set of utensils before him, a new wine cup, and several steaming hot dishes that had just been served.

Clearly, Uncle Li had cleared out the entire floor.

He looked up at Joe Wei with an expression that was equal parts surprise and disbelief, muttering, "You... you're still alive?"

Joe Wei chuckled, took a seat across from him, and gestured for Yun to stand behind him.

He picked up the wine jug, poured himself a cup, and downed it in one gulp. Then, he grabbed a pair of chopsticks and helped himself to a piece of steamed pork ribs. After chewing contentedly, he said, "Still the same old Li—you know how to live. Simple fare, yet with real flavor. A thousand times better than the stale bread and cheap booze I've been choking down these years."

Uncle Li glanced at Yun and sighed. "Old Joe, he's my apprentice. I only taught him the basics, but he's always treated me with respect. Don't harm the boy."

Joe Wei waved it off. "Relax. I just used the Soul-Mesmerizing Demon Gaze to immobilize him. No harm done. But you say you only taught him the basics? That's rich. Since when is the Phantom Demon Hand a beginner technique? By that logic, my Time Spares No One technique must be a party trick."

Uncle Li chuckled dryly. "'Time Spares No One,' huh? It really doesn't. Look at you—still in your thirties, seemingly untouched by age. Meanwhile, I'm over seventy, a broken old man. If we stood side by side, no one would believe we were from the same generation. And you—once a 450-pound walking cube—now you're slimmed down and unrecognizable. The heavens truly have no eyes."

Joe Wei laughed and poured another drink. "To our reunion—cheers!"

They clinked cups and drained them in one gulp.

"It's been ten years, hasn't it?" Joe Wei mused, his eyes misty with memory. "Ten years since we walked away from the Demon Sect…"

Uncle Li sighed. "Yeah, a full decade. Back in the day, the Four Demon Lords ruled the martial world. We were unstoppable. Then, overnight, everything changed. The Demon Sect is no longer what it was."

Who could've guessed Uncle Li was once one of them—one of the fabled Four Demon Lords?

In those days, the Demon Sect was ruled not by its nominal leader, but by the terrifying force of four individuals: the Left and Right Elders and the Heavens and Earth Envoys—collectively known as the Four Demon Lords.

Each possessed unfathomable powers. Together, they were said to be unbeatable. The righteous sects stood no chance—many fell under their might, and even the mighty Qin Empire failed to suppress them, losing countless court assassins and hired martial experts in the process.

But a decade ago, the Four Demon Lords vanished without a trace, and the Demon Sect fractured and declined. Only recently, under the leadership of the formidable Simen Invincible, has it begun to rise again.

"Old Liang and Old Qi… they died so unfairly," Uncle Li said with a shake of his head. "Who would've thought that 'Sky Demon Meteor' and 'Earth Demon Merciless' would be betrayed and killed by their own kind? The Four Demon Lords are a thing of the past. I've long abandoned the title Time Spares No One. I assume you no longer go by Phantom Demon Sovereign?"

Joe Wei gave a tipsy smile. "That's right. Nowadays, I answer to 'loyal servant.'"

Uncle Li grinned. "Well, I go by 'King of a Thousand Scams' now. I run the largest network of swindlers and thieves in all of Yan Province. Even without the Demon Sect, I carved out my kingdom."

"And what about you, Old Joe?"

"In ten years, I've done it all," Joe Wei said, counting on his fingers. "Conman, waiter, pimp, shoeshiner, car washer, vegetable vendor, breakfast seller, fisherman, coachman… you name it. Right now, I'm the personal servant of my young master."

Uncle Li gaped. "You?! Serving someone? Are you insane? Doesn't that tarnish your name?"

Joe Wei snorted. "Name? Please. I've shined shoes. What's a little servitude? The Demon Lord in me is long dead. Besides, do you even know who my young master is?"

"That boy downstairs?" Uncle Li asked.

Joe Wei nodded. "Him. The girl's just prey. He's the real deal."

"What makes him so special?" Uncle Li barked. "I should go kill him right now!"

Joe Wei didn't move. "Be my guest. But know this—his father is Qin Xiaoyao."

Uncle Li froze mid-step. "Qin Xiaoyao? The same Qin Xiaoyao who fought you to a draw when he was barely a teen? Known once as the Blood-Hand Asura, now feared as Heaven-Shrouding Hand?"

"That's him," Joe Wei said. "Back then, he was a rookie. I was already a Demon Elder. And he still held his own. Now? It'd take both of us, at our best, to stand a chance against him."

Uncle Li muttered, "Then I suppose it's not a disgrace for you to serve his son. But with your skill, why not become an honored guest? Why a servant?"

Joe Wei's gaze turned solemn. "Because the boy possesses the legendary Asura Demon Eyes."

Uncle Li's jaw dropped. "The Asura Demon Eyes? The ones said to slay gods, damn saints, crush devils, and shatter the heavens?!"

Joe Wei rolled his eyes. "Damn it, you always need to toss in a hundred four-word idioms. Yes, those eyes. And more than that, the kid's shameless, wild, immoral, and obscene—just my kind of person. Doesn't act high and mighty, listens to advice, and… he's got potential. Right now, he's aimless, but trouble's coming. When it does, and those eyes awaken… he'll be the most terrifying being alive."

Uncle Li squinted. "You rarely praise anyone. If you say that, I believe it. But I thought you lost your drive. Why stick around?"

Joe Wei smiled slowly. "Because the Four Demon Lords were never just one person…"

"Yeah," Uncle Li murmured. "Too bad Old Liang and Old Qi are gone. It's just us two now."

"They died unjustly. And we can't even avenge them."

"We've had to hide our names, suppress our skills, just to survive."

"…But not anymore."

The two men exchanged a knowing glance—and both burst into sinister laughter.

"The Demon Sect's already recognized me," Joe Wei said darkly. "There's no hiding now. And since I've found you—don't even think of slipping away."

Uncle Li groaned, "If it's fate, it's fate. I brought this on myself, letting my boys mess with you."

Joe Wei smirked. "You passed on the Phantom Demon Hand. That alone could've exposed you."

Uncle Li snorted. "I didn't pass on the real thing. Just the introductory Thousand Illusion Hands, and even that was modified. Who else but you would notice?"

The two old demons grinned again, their smiles full of old shadows.

Meanwhile…

"Huh? She's wearing a human-skin mask?" Du Xiaoyan blinked in surprise, peering closely at the vegetable-selling girl.

San Shao smirked. "More than that—she's wearing a wig, and her voice is faked too. Look at the mismatch between her face and neck color. No wrinkles when she blinks. Her smile hasn't changed once—dead stiff. That's no real face. And her hair? A mess, full of dandruff. No woman would leave it like that. Even poor girls take pride in washing their hair. She's fake head to toe."

Du Xiaoyan nodded. "Makes sense. No thief would show her real face."

San Shao grinned. "Come now, girl. Take off the mask. Let me see if your face is worth sparing."

Du Xiaoyan pouted. "Li Lang! What's that supposed to mean?"

He quickly laughed it off. "Just kidding! Just kidding…"

The vegetable girl giggled flirtatiously. "Oh, young master, you're so bad~~ But so clever too~~ You saw right through me~~ But I really am beautiful, you know~~ Let me show you my face, and you'll let me go, okay?"

San Shao nodded eagerly, eyes gleaming with lust.

Du Xiaoyan growled through gritted teeth, already reaching for the red whip at her waist.

The girl's mischievous eyes gleamed with mockery. Her delicate hand rose to her cheek, pretending to peel off the mask—then, in a flash, she flung her hand forward and shouted:

"Thousand-Phantom Ice Shards!"

Her palm sprayed a glittering mist of crystalline fragments—like shimmering ice petals—slicing through the air with a piercing hiss, hurtling straight at San Shao and Du Xiaoyan!