Setting a trap

The Demon Realm, the Demon Palace.

The Demon Lord, hidden in the darkness, sat high on his throne, his fingertips unconsciously pressing against the warm, broken jade on his chest. The rose hairpin still bloomed in his hair, adding a touch of vibrant color to the scene. The Demon Realm and the Western Regions were separated by thousands of miles, and he could only vaguely sense his master's exhaustion through that ball of fur.

This feeling was far from pleasant for him.

Your Highness, Night Demon and Jade Guanyin stood side by side, reporting on the situation in various places.

"As per the agreement, the spiritual veins in the Demon Realm have been jointly surveyed with the human race, and no abnormalities have been found. The dragon veins in the human realm are also flowing smoothly and there are no major problems for the time being. However... forgive me for my poor performance, but there have been undercurrents in the Demon Abyss recently. It seems that something is stirring up the chaotic demonic energy there while the Demon God Yunhua is away. I have sent troops to investigate, but the opponent's whereabouts are elusive, and there are still no results." Night Asura's voice was still as rigid as ever, but the dossier he presented was rich in illustrations and text, and detailed to the appropriate extent.

Jade Guanyin, unusually indifferent to fiddling with her nails, reported in a deep voice about the affairs of the Western Regions: "Recently, the demon soldiers patrolling the borders and rivers reported that the initially dried-up riverbeds have begun to flow again, but the water is as black as ink and turns to sand upon contact with the soil. I personally observed it using the Soul-Capturing Technique and found only dead snakes in the sand, but further investigation... yielded nothing. In addition, the sound of shifting sand can often be heard from deep underground, but when we sent people to dig through the soil, there was nothing there. According to Commander Ling, who accompanied us, the location where the strange phenomenon appeared is getting closer and closer to the dragon vein... Therefore, the two of us have used secret techniques to imprison the abnormal area in an attempt to curb its spread."

The Abyss of Demons... the burial place of all demons and gods, and also the dragon vein that determines the rise and fall of the world...

The seemingly scattered anomalies subtly coincided with the life-devouring black sands of the Western Regions... and the characteristics of the "false god" mentioned by the Sand Queen. Indeed, His tentacles had already lurked beneath the sand, crawling out in all directions.

At the same time, He so meticulously lured Yun Shu to continue deeper into the desert...

Just then, the Jade Guanyin suddenly received a telepathic message from the mortal realm, and her beautiful eyes widened in shock: "What?!"

"...What is it?" Mo Yiheng's expression suddenly changed.

After confirming with the other party again, she dared not delay and immediately knelt on one knee, saying to the Demon Lord, "Your Majesty, just now Commander Ling transmitted a message saying that many places beneath Yunhua Immortal Mountain have inexplicably appeared with the sound of snakes. Although they have not been able to enter Yunhua territory, they have injured many Yunhua disciples and demon soldiers. At that time, the Human Emperor was preparing to finish his recuperation and return to the palace. He drew his Imperial Sword and killed all the snakes. However... he himself was also harmed by the snakes and is currently unconscious."

Before Mo Yiheng could even react with rage, two hurried footsteps echoed outside the hall. Two demon generals rushed in from opposite directions, each explaining their reasons.

One of them was a guard guarding the border between humans and demons: "Greetings, Your Excellency! Greetings, Your Excellencies, the Scribe and the Inspector! A sudden anomaly has occurred in the 'Blackwater Abyss,' which borders the human realm. The stagnant water in the abyss is boiling, and the resentful aura soaring into the sky is condensing and refusing to dissipate. It is even... it is even faintly showing the outline of the human capital! Several demon soldiers guarding the mouth of the abyss have been corrupted by the resentful aura and have gone mad!"

Blackwater Abyss, the ruins of an ancient battlefield where humans and demons clashed, holds countless souls that refuse to leave. Yet, it is usually gentle and has never clashed with others. Now, these strange phenomena are affecting the human capital... This is no coincidence.

The second was from the one guarding the Demon Abyss: "Your Excellency! Scribe! Just now, within the Demon Abyss, the demonic energy left behind by the demon gods surged and became restless, showing signs of breaking through the Great Seal and sweeping across the entire domain!"

The demon gods buried within the Demon Abyss had long been wiped out by Yun Hua. Although some demonic energy remained, it posed little threat to the current Demon Realm, or rather, the Demon Realm guarded by Demon Lord Mo Yiheng—at least under normal circumstances. Now, however, the false gods are watching with predatory eyes. If Mo Yiheng is distracted by personally dealing with the rampaging demonic energy, the false gods will surely take advantage of the situation and cause even greater losses to the demon race.

Mo Yiheng had a terrible headache, but clearly, the trouble didn't end there.

Beside the throne, the water mirror used for communication with the human race flickered to life, displaying an image that flashed in and out of focus, yet was enough to tighten the strings in Mo Yiheng's mind once more: Ling Zhao was wielding a long sword, locked in combat with a gaunt man in black robes, his body riddled with wounds of all sizes. Judging from the background, he was clearly very close to where Murong Jin was.

"...It was him?" Wu Ying rushed over carrying the jade box and said as soon as she saw him, "I fought with Immortal Yunhe in the heart of Mount Jinran. At that time, he was trying to steal the egg of the Zhu Ming Bird, which is the Molten Jade Marrow."

Upon closer inspection, Mo Yiheng discovered that the black-robed man's eyes were as red as burning charcoal, and his face was distorted. The one who could silently sneak into the Zhu Ming bird's nest and whose face had not been taken away... was very likely someone closer to that "false god".

This person cannot be let go. Mo Yiheng gritted his teeth and made up his mind, ordering: "Night Asura! From this moment on, you will personally go to the Demon Abyss and suppress the remaining demonic energy with the demon generals!"

The Abyss of Demons—the prison of all demons and gods, the birthplace of Night Asura. No one knew those demons and gods better than him.

"Yes!" Night Asura accepted the order and left, instantly disappearing into the shadows.

"Jade Guanyin! I command you to personally venture deep into the Blackwater Abyss and use your soul-capturing technique to uncover the truth behind this strange event!"

Jade Guanyin died in the Blackwater Abyss. The soul-capturing technique she inherited was a gift of gratitude from the spirits of the dead.

"Yes, Your subordinate obeys." The figure of Jade Guanyin flickered, her white veil swayed, and then she disappeared without a trace.

Next is...

“Understood,” Wu Ying replied quickly, putting away the jade box and taking out the Illusionary Moon Chasing Light Fan. “I will go with Your Majesty to personally apprehend the suspect and save the Emperor.”

By the way, I'd like to seek clarification from Immortal Yunhe.

In the mortal realm, in a corner of the imperial city.

The air around Murong Jin's temporary residence was thick with the scent of medicine and minerals. He lay on a soft couch, his face as pale as paper, his breath weak. His once white hair, born of regret, now appeared even more withered, and his true dragon energy was disordered, with strands leaking out and swirling around him, sometimes solidifying, sometimes dissipating, as if fiercely struggling against some invisible force.

Commander Ling stood before the bed, sword in hand, his face ashen, snake bite marks on the back of his neck embedded in his collar.

After a moment of spatial distortion, Mo Yiheng suddenly appeared. The collision of demonic energy and dragon energy caused Murong Jin, who was trapped in a nightmare, to furrow his brow even more.

"...Greetings, Demon Lord." Ling Zhao was initially wary, raising his sword, but relaxed slightly upon seeing who it was.

Mo Yiheng nodded casually and walked straight to the bedside. He used his divine sense to observe Murong Jin's current condition, and his expression became increasingly unpleasant.

The Emperor's mind has been dragged into the deepest nightmare, the core of which is the origin of his full head of white hair—the disaster of Yilan Palace.

Upon closer inspection, he sensed a cold, viscous aura, clinging tightly to Murong Jin's fragile heart like a leech, sucking its marrow and constantly drawing upon its dragon energy and vitality.

It was that ruthless tactic again… Mo Yiheng suppressed his anger and tried to channel his demonic energy into Murong Jin’s body to help him stabilize his mind and escape the nightmare. However, just as the conflict between humans and demons has raged for thousands of years, the demonic energy of the Demon Lord and the dragon energy of the Emperor are inherently incompatible. His power only intensified Murong Jin’s pain.

No… Murong Jin cannot die… We must resolve his inner conflict, or… find a way to soothe his mind…

Helping Murong Jin resolve his inner conflict was clearly not something he should do—besides, he didn't want to. That left only the latter. But how...?

Mo Yiheng frowned, wondering whether he should bother Master Yun Shu through the coal ball, when his eyes caught sight of the other's tightly clenched hands.

What was hidden there? Ignoring whether it was impolite, he forcibly pried open Murong Jin's fingers and saw a pair of dragon and fox jade pendants that should have been as white as snow, but were now covered with fine lines.

Without a doubt, this was a token of love that Murong Jin had meticulously crafted by an artisan, but which he had never given out and could never give out.

The moment the jade pendant left his hand, the emperor felt as if he had lost his last solace, and his pain intensified.

As for Mo Yiheng… he knew perfectly well who the dragon and fox were meant for. He looked at his one-sided mortal enemy with a complicated expression, remaining silent for a long time.

...Never mind, this isn't just about Murong Jin alone.

Finally, he reached into his robes and took out his own jade fragment—which still contained a trace of the White Fox Immortal Lord's immortal power. He placed it, along with the Dragon-Fox Pendant, into the Human Emperor's bent fingers, helping him to grip it tightly.

If it is a power from the same source as Yun Shu, then that damned Murong Jin will not resist, and the nightmare can be soothed, right?

Murong Jin, you owe me one now.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his violent demonic aura to the extreme, carefully drawing out the power belonging to Yun Shu from the broken jade, and then using his own demonic energy to probe the way, imitating the movements of his master that the furball had seen, mixing and slowly flowing into Murong Jin's heart.

Miraculously, Murong Jin's trembling body gradually calmed down, and the scattered dragon energy also regrouped.

Even more so, Murong Jin's knuckles weakly gripped the Demon Lord's wrist, and his lips murmured.

"What did you say?"

The Human Emperor's voice was too soft for the Demon Lord to hear clearly. Mo Yiheng leaned closer and finally recognized what Murong Jin was saying.

"Quick...go..."

His pupils contracted sharply, but it was too late.

With a soft "snap" from Murong Jin's palm, a burst of black energy shot out from the shattered jade, as fast as lightning, and pierced straight into Mo Yiheng's heart!

The distance was too close, and the change was sudden. He had no time to dodge, and the black energy burrowed into his chest like a venomous snake. His body trembled, and he immediately groaned as he spat out a mouthful of blood. The pure demonic energy surging around him instantly dimmed.

"Tap, tap." The sound of military boots hitting the ground was so jarring at that moment.

"As expected of a child taught by a fox spirit... truly forgiving and understanding of righteousness." "Ling Zhao" slowly walked over, looking mockingly at Mo Yiheng's unwilling eyes. His disguise gradually faded, revealing his withered and emaciated body and his ugly and twisted face: "Just now, when I was using the water mirror to put on an act, I was worried that you would let the Emperor die because of personal grudges... I was overthinking it."

"...Heh, Your Excellency has killed two birds with one stone, truly a brilliant plan." Mo Yiheng closed his eyes and laughed instead, "But I think Your Excellency has not thought things through enough."

"……What?!"

The man in black robes suddenly turned to flee, but there was nowhere left to run.

The Cloud Flower Immortal Technique silently formed a barrier, completely cutting off his escape route.

Mo Yiheng, however, laughed easily, wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, stood up gracefully, and bowed, saying, "Disciple greets Sect Leader Yunhe."

"Well done. I'll praise you a lot in front of my master and Qiuqiu." The Azure-Clad Immortal Venerable led the Demon Clan's Medicine Master inside. The Illusionary Moon Chasing Light Fan returned to its original owner, and with a gentle wave, it trapped the black-robed man in a cage.

When Wu Ying disappeared, she took Yun He's natal magic weapon and went up the mountain to report the news, so as to prevent this person from escaping again.

"Thank you, Senior Uncle." After managing to say this, Mo Yiheng's vision went black, and he collapsed unconscious beside the Emperor's bed.