Chapter 44

For some reason, everything in front of her gave Sheng Ningyu a strange sense of familiarity.

Sheng Ningyu felt as if she had unknowingly fallen into a trap called "Xie Qianjing".

He knows himself too well.

It seemed as if they had anticipated her every move.

Sheng Ningyu coughed lightly, turned around nonchalantly, and gathered all the kites into the Star River Pouch.

She asked casually, "Did you know anyone from the Phoenix Clan when you were at the academy?"

Xie Qianjing: "Back then, I never formally enrolled in the academy. Even when I came here, I only listened in from the shadows with my face covered."

strangeness.

Why does she always feel that the rivalry between Feng Xiaosheng and Xie Qianjing has a long history?

And in these blurry fragments of light and shadow, Xie Qianjing does indeed always seem to be shrouded in mystery.

The long beaded curtain obscured the faces of the people below, and only through the occasional gust of wind could one glimpse a blurry outline.

Sheng Ningyu lowered her head in thought, but before she could make a decision, someone had already reached out their hand to her.

"I've been cooped up for seven days, how about we go out for a walk?"

Sheng Ningyu raised her eyes and saw Xie Qianjing standing against the light. His snow-white, clear features softened in the light and shadow, his long eyelashes drooped slightly, and his thin lips curved into a beautiful arc, as gentle as a flower in an autumn pond after the rain.

A Bodhi lotus flower that blooms only for her.

In an instant, all the doubts and uncertainties in Sheng Ningyu's heart vanished.

"OK."

She took his hand, leaped happily from her seat, her clothes billowing behind her, her posture carefree, like a bird flying out of its cage.

"It seems our Immortal Lord Xie is confident that neither the Phoenix Clan guards nor the elders and disciples will stop you?"

Xie Qianjing nodded slightly, and naturally took Sheng Ningyu's hand with a calm and elegant demeanor.

"That day, you sent a message telling me not to come looking for you. Since I had nothing to do, I went to see Lord Feng."

Xie Qianjing didn't mention the dangers involved, nor did he reveal how many demonic phoenixes he had killed in the past few days. He simply said, "I reminisced with him about some old times."

Sheng Ningyu blinked: "Lady Lanxi?"

"It seems that Young Master has already taken the lead over me."

Xie Qianjing smiled and turned his head. "I have reached an agreement with Feng Jun. Soon, Feng Jun will formally introduce me to the various sects in the cultivation world. If there is any news about demonic seeds in the future, the demonic cultivators can step in to resolve it."

As they walked within the Phoenix Clan's territory, although they occasionally received glances from various parties, no one dared to stop them.

Moreover, after the guards bowed to the two from a distance, they would consciously avoid them and never approach to disturb them.

Only then did Sheng Ningyu truly realize that the person in front of her was an important figure.

She joked, "No wonder he's the 'Lord' those demonic cultivators talk about."

She imitated it quite well, and Xie Qianjing seemed amused by the nickname. His brows relaxed even more, and he said slowly, "Is this another new nickname you're going to give me?"

Um?

New nickname...?

The hidden meaning in his words made Sheng Ningyu gasp, and she cautiously grabbed his sleeve: "No, what other nicknames did I give you before?!"

Could it be that, just like when she made fun of Li Qingfeng by saying his name backwards, she unknowingly gave him some bad nickname as well?

Sheng Ningyu wondered if it would be too late for her to call for Yuan Bushu and Feng Xiaosheng if Xie Qianjing wanted to settle scores with her now.

Xie Qianjing paused, as if he knew what she was thinking. He shook his head and looked at her with a half-smile: "You wrote to me that day, asking me to tell the former Palace Master to come later. Now, the former Palace Master may have just returned to Qingyi Academy."

Sheng Ningyu paused, quickly withdrew her hand, and strode forward, maintaining a safe distance from him.

“You’re right,” Sheng Ningyu said expressionlessly. “I need to keep my distance from you until Senior Brother Fei Fou arrives.”

Xie Qianjing chuckled lightly, neither refuting nor arguing, and followed behind her at a leisurely pace.

Unbeknownst to them, the two had already left the central area of ​​the Phoenix Clan, but they were still quite a distance from entering the City of Chasing the Moon.

Looking down from here, the clouds and mist are hazy, the town is blurred, and no human figures can be seen at all.

Sheng Ningyu stopped beside the magic array at the end of this mountain range and sighed, "Now I understand why Feng Xiaosheng has liked to use his distraction to go out since he became the young lord."

Even using a magic array for teleportation, with each step linked to the next, is still extremely troublesome.

Xie Qianjing said calmly, "The Phoenix Clan has strict management to prevent others from infiltrating, which has both advantages and disadvantages."

As he spoke, he seemed to be about to step forward, but Sheng Ningyu quickly grabbed him, smiled amicably at the Phoenix Clan guards passing by, and then "whoosh" pushed him into the nearby woods.

She turned her head and looked at Xie Qianjing incredulously: "You, the dignified Demon Lord, are you planning to use some kind of magic array to get out?"

They clearly said that no one in the Phoenix Clan would stop them, yet they were so obedient to the rules.

Sheng Ningyu paused, then looked up suspiciously: "How did you get in?"

Could it have also entered through one of the Phoenix Clan's layered magic arrays...?

Sheng Ningyu thought about the scene and couldn't help but laugh.

If that were the case, I'm afraid the Phoenix King would be so angry that he would vomit blood from his heart.

Xie Qianjing paused for a moment: "It's a matter of expediency."

Sheng Ningyu tried hard to keep a straight face and spoke in a serious tone, but in the end she couldn't help but raise her voice and suppress a soft laugh, her shoulders swaying.

That's really strange.

He should have been a lawless demon, but he was more law-abiding than many righteous cultivators.

Sheng Ningyu smiled as she thought.

According to records, this Bodhi Immortal Lord of the Xie family was so powerful that he "never left his home." He would only take action when the demonic energy was rampant and difficult to dispel; otherwise, he was never even seen.

So, where did she get to know such a proper and well-mannered little immortal?

Xie Qianjing looked down at her, and when he spoke, his voice was low, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

Is there anywhere you'd like to go?

He always saw right through her.

Sheng Ningyu was already used to it; she wasn't surprised at all. She smiled and sighed, "If possible, I would like to meet the two disciples of the Chu family."

I hope I don't actually get killed.

The next second, it felt as if tangible spring water was wrapped around her waist. Sheng Ningyu looked down and saw that it was a piece of soft silver satin and white silk.

It is shimmering and colorful, like moonlight flowing.

This was the first time Sheng Ningyu had seen Xie Qianjing's magical artifact.

It wasn't a sword, but silk.

That's really novel.

Sheng Ningyu couldn't resist circling the dark red demonic energy around her fingertips. The demonic energy seemed to be familiar with her, intimately wrapping around her fingertips.

"...Don't move."

Xie Qianjing's voice was somewhat tense. Sheng Ningyu wanted to see his expression, but all she could see was a blanket of snow.

Silver satin and white silk obscured her vision.

She was like a butterfly that had not yet emerged from its cocoon, tightly wrapped in the outer layer, not allowed to move even slightly.

Sheng Ningyu withdrew her hand listlessly: "Xie Qianjing, aren't you really going to tell me how we met before?"

Her voice was enveloped in a "cocoon," sounding muffled and somewhat indistinct when it reached the outside world.

Sheng Ningyu couldn't see the other person's expression, but she vaguely heard a laugh, followed by the other person saying, "If I told you, would you believe me?"

Won't.

Sheng Ningyu is no longer someone who easily trusts anyone.

“Who said I couldn’t?” Sheng Ningyu retorted slyly. “I just listened to your advice and waited seven days before finally breaking the ice.”

Of course, this was largely due to Sheng Ningyu's own considerations.

During these seven days, not only Feng Xiaosheng was guarding her, but Sheng Ningyu was also observing Feng Xiaosheng.

She keenly sensed the other person's excessive protectiveness and growing guilt, so she made up her mind to tell him everything.

Sheng Ningyu muttered to herself, "But I never expected that she would... value me so much."

Not to mention that she was waited on hand and foot, even the divine swords and magical artifacts provided to her every day could form a complete system called "Spiritual Water Dream Life".

If she were to stay any longer, not only would the increasingly respectful and cautious guards and maids of the Phoenix Clan treat her with utmost care, but even Sheng Ningyu herself suspected that Feng Xiaosheng would spoil her into becoming a useless person.

However, past rifts will not disappear simply because they are ignored, and those gaps from the past must be mended one by one to be healed.

Sheng Ningyu knew this very well.

She cares, but Feng Xiaosheng will only be more careful and care even more than she does.

However, Feng Xiaosheng was filled with concerns and dared not say or mention anything. She was afraid that if she said something carelessly, their hard-won relationship would be shattered again, like a jade hairpin flower after an autumn night's frost.

If she doesn't dare to bring it up, then Sheng Ningyu will.

"arrive."

Sheng Ningyu felt a slight tightening around her waist, and the next second, the wind whistled past her ears before gradually stopping.

The sunlight grew stronger and more dazzling. Sheng Ningyu squinted slightly, quickly looked around, and turned her head in surprise.

Is this the place?

Xie Qianjing: "Tracking here."

But... isn't this a village?

Sheng Ningyu looked at the grassland in front of her and the rice fields in the distance. Before she could use her spiritual power, she heard a familiar voice.

Not far away, Chu Le sat under the old tree, looking disheveled and unkempt. He showed no trace of the arrogance that once belonged to the young master of the Chu family, while Chu Yanshu silently followed behind him, seemingly in much better shape than him.

Chu Le: "Otherwise what?!"

Feng Jiutian: "Until the young lord is satisfied?"

Chu Le: "..."

Honestly, Chu Le had enough evidence to suspect that Feng Shaojun simply disliked them, so he deliberately arranged for them to deal with the slightest trace of demonic energy in this desolate wilderness.

He wearily wiped his face, gazing at the wisps of smoke rising in the distance and the setting sun, exasperated: "Aren't you worried?"

Feng Jiutian: "What's the rush?"

“Even if we don’t leave, you’ll still have to keep watching us, wasting a lot of our cultivation time. Don’t you think that’s a waste?”

“Fellow Daoist Chu Le, you misunderstand. This is not surveillance. I applied for this opportunity with the elders on my own initiative.”

Not only Chu Le, but even Chu Yanshu looked at Feng Jiutian with some surprise and asked, "Taking the initiative?"

The young man smiled and said, "I'm not going back to Qingyi Academy. I don't really have anything to do in my clan anyway."

He turned his head, seemingly a little embarrassed, avoiding their gazes, and unwrapped a cotton bundle containing the things he had received that day.

Some lifeless wild fruits, shriveled steamed buns, and a pot of murky wine that was called "good wine".

These items were secretly given to the local people when they discovered that the immortals who came to remove obstacles were actually just a few young boys.

Feng Jiutian picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, and turned his head to ask, "Do you want some?"

Chu Yanshu thanked him, and Chu Le's eyes flickered with a fleeting attraction, but the Sparrow Queen still turned her head away and refused, saying, "I don't want it." He snorted disdainfully, "Feng Jiutian, you're supposed to be a god, how come you eat all sorts of mortals?"

Protoss?

Feng Jiutian was lost in thought for a moment.

When the Third Elder was reprimanding them, he said, "Mortals are like ants, their thoughts change in an instant."

His father and mother stroked his head and sighed, saying, "Mortals are so insignificant. Knowing them will only bring sadness."

Feng Jun also admonished that if one wants to uphold one's true nature, one must not easily succumb to worldly affairs.

Feng Jiutian once thought so too.

Humans are insignificant; to exchange them for the lives of the phoenix clan is a matter of natural selection.

But in the Demon Seed Illusion, Fellow Daoist Wang Jiu... the Sword Master didn't do it that way.

She sent everyone away, leaving herself alone to face that terrifying demonic seed.

One person, one sword.

It's hard to describe the shock Feng Jiutian felt at that moment. He stared blankly at the background, and until he left, only two words remained in his mind.

Why?

"I also want to see more of this world, just like the Sword Master."

As he spoke these words, a pure spiritual energy suddenly swirled around Feng Jiutian. The place where he had been sitting, which was originally covered with withered grass, was now full of flowers, and vines continued to climb and spread. When they merged with the spiritual energy, a clear cry of a phoenix suddenly rang out!

Chu Yanshu stood up, shocked, and said, "You've broken through!"

Feng Jiutian turned his head in a daze: "I broke through?" Then the smile on his face gradually spread, "I broke through! I finally broke through!"

Chu Le smiled too. At this moment, there was no family hatred, no jealousy or comparison among the three teenagers, only pure joy.

Seeing that Chu Yanshu beside him had already begun to ask Feng Jiutian about his breakthrough experience, Chu Le was a beat slow and hesitated before speaking.

"So that person back then... really was the Sword Master?"

"Fake."

Startled, Chu Le suddenly raised his voice, his tone completely changing. He jumped up from under the tree as if he had springs in his body, glaring angrily at the person who had suddenly poked his head out from the tree!

Chu Le suddenly shut his mouth.

Not only him, but Chu Yanshu and Feng Jiutian beside him also failed to speak.

The reason was simple: the person hanging from the tree, swinging his legs, was the very person they had just been discussing.

The three of them fell silent.

Sword Master.

Bright Moon Sword Master.

Some say that the Moon Sword Master is a genius with a sword bone, some say that he once broke through all laws with a single sword strike, some say...

These words were spoken with great intonation and seriousness, yet they came from the mouth of the Bright Moon Sword Master himself.

Both Feng Jiutian and Chu Yanshu were puzzled. Chu Yanshu was almost about to ask who was so bold, but before he could, Feng Jiutian quietly tugged at his sleeve and gave him a wink.

Behind them, Chu Le's face was flushed red, his head bowed low, as if he wanted to disappear into the ground.

Sheng Ningyu jumped down from the tree, walked up to Chu Le, crossed her arms, raised her chin with a grin, and said jokingly, "Young Master Chu, this magic array is not easy to pass, is it?"

Chu Le nodded nervously.

He hesitated for a moment, his voice barely audible: "I...I'm sorry..."

He even knows to apologize, which makes me find him somewhat more agreeable now.

Sheng Ningyu naturally wouldn't hold a grudge against a junior. She recalled that day when Chu Le held his sister's hand tightly no matter what, and her opinion of him changed considerably.

She glanced at Chu Le with a hint of regret, and finally smiled and said, "What's past is past. In the future, I hope that Young Master Chu will be more cautious in his actions, and remember the saying that trouble comes from the mouth."

Chu Letou lowered his head even further: "I will follow Your Majesty's teachings."

Sheng Ningyu paused, somewhat surprised: "Didn't the young lord establish a spiritual pact with you?"

Chu Le and Chu Yanshu exchanged a glance and shook their heads: "No."

Sheng Ningyu thought about it for a moment and then understood.

The two of them eventually had to return to the Chu family. The Chu family was surrounded by many magical formations, and if they carried a spiritual contract, it would only arouse suspicion.

She smiled, said nothing more, only saying, "Don't mention what I asked you to say before."

Chu Yanshu quickly realized what was happening. As Sheng Ningyu turned around, she suddenly stepped forward and bowed, asking, "May I ask, will Your Majesty return to Qingyi Academy?"

Sheng Ningyu turned to the side and smiled, "That depends on when you reveal my identity."

In an instant, the snow-white figure vanished, leaving the three of them staring at each other in bewilderment.

Unexpectedly, it was Chu Le who spoke first.

He lowered his brows and adopted the demeanor of the young master of the Chu family: "This matter is of great importance and should not be discussed lightly."

Chu Yanshu nodded in agreement, glancing at Feng Jiutian standing to the side, clearly somewhat wary.

Feng Jiutian glanced at them: "What do you mean?"

"Unless your life is in danger, you must never reveal the emperor's identity!"

...

"You really like that Chu family boy."

Sheng Ningyu looked up and saw that the smile in Xie Qianjing's eyes had faded considerably.

And that "jade green" dress was also moved into this palace room.

Xie Qianjing thought to himself that he should have expected this to happen.

From beginning to end, Xie Qianjing, the only one who didn't dare to do it was you.

[You dare not reveal your identity, fearing I will deny it, reject you, and you will never be able to approach me again... Ha, what 'Supreme Lord of the Demon Realm'? You're nothing but a coward.]

Her long eyelashes, like butterfly wings covered in cold dew, trembled and drooped.

Since the day he destroyed the demonic seed and dissolved the demonic energy within it, Xie Qianjing's strength has reached a new level.

In contrast, his rationality became increasingly out of control.

[Xie Qianjing, how many people in this world love me! It's just Feng Xiaosheng and Yuan Bushu, yet they make you hesitate and burn with jealousy. What about Li Qingfeng, Yan Ruchao, Ning Jiaojiao, Yang Xiuzhu... oh, and my second senior brother.]

Rong Que, oh Rong Que... Xie Qianjing, how much you resemble him!

A hint of crimson flashed in Xie Qianjing's eyes, but he still ignored the inner demon's words.

As you know, before I met you, he always tied my hair up. He's the person I trust most, and the person I cherish most, even now.

If it had been Rong Que back then, would I have acted so decisively...?

The inner demons vanished suddenly.

Xie Qianjing chuckled lightly, but as he turned around, someone grabbed his fingertips.

His pupils contracted involuntarily, and the next moment, he heard a sound coming from behind him.

“I don’t like him that much.” Sheng Ningyu sighed. “Compared to him, I’d rather know about you, Xie Qianjing.”

Bathed in the glow of the sunset, the crimson pearls appeared even more vividly silent inside the room.

Xie Qianjing remained silent for a moment, then chuckled.

He didn't mince words, telling Sheng Ningyu everything about the prophecy of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and the Xie family's harboring of demonic seeds, which made Sheng Ningyu frown.

“My master also seems to have received a prophecy from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion back then.” Sheng Ningyu paused for a moment, looked up at Xie Qianjing, and slowly said, “My confused memories may also be related to my master.”

Xie Qianjing smiled, but shook his head, still as gentle and calm as ever.

"It wasn't him."

Sheng Ningyu breathed a sigh of relief.

Since it had nothing to do with her own sect, she had a lot to say.

As Sheng Ningyu spoke, she felt Xie Qianjing's situation was increasingly dangerous. Feeling agitated, her right hand unconsciously began to turn again. Xie Qianjing, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, without even twitching his eyebrows.

He looked at Sheng Ningyu, tilted his head slightly, seemingly puzzled, and gave a gentle smile.

I thought you wouldn't ask.

At first glance, this statement seemed entirely sarcastic, but Sheng Ningyu felt that Xie Qianjing must be sad.

I'm so sad, so very sad.

Her throat tightened, and she forced a smile, but unusually, she didn't raise her eyebrows.

"I was too weak."

Upon hearing this, Xie Qianjing smiled instead: "I once thought that you didn't hate the Chu family." He turned his head and leaned closer to Sheng Ningyu. That faint fragrance wafted over again, unconsciously relaxing her mind.

He asked with a seductive smile, "Is it because of the head of the Chu family, or because of... your second senior brother?"

Sheng Ningyu resolutely defended herself, and finally sighed.

"This is my own problem."

After waking up, Sheng Ningyu occasionally drifted into a daze and wondered if her disappearance could truly end all the grudges.

So when she woke up, she seemed to be in a clear and organized state of mind, but in reality, she was taking things one step at a time, not in a hurry to seek revenge, nor did she want to reunite with her old friends.

Grudges, right and wrong, entanglements of love and hate—all of these weigh far too heavily.

In my youth, I thought love and hate in the world were as black and white as night, clear at a glance. But as I grew up, I realized that the turmoil of the world is like intertwined branches under the night sky, reflected on the lake's surface, making even the stars and moon appear cold and indifferent.

She can't tell the difference, and she doesn't want to anymore.

Being the "Sword Master" who can't step down from the high platform, becoming the dazzling "bright moon" in the eyes of the world, is certainly good, but it's also really exhausting.

Moreover, Sheng Ningyu knew that she was not a good-tempered person.

She was never willing to truly reflect on herself. Even after all these years, whenever she was of sound mind, she would repeatedly recall what she had done in her coffin, but in the end, she could only come up with three words.

"……Feel sorry."

There is only one thing.

Sheng Ningyu thought that she should have said this apology a long time ago.

The young man's image was reflected in her pupils.

Clad in white, pure and aloof like jade, with a single red mark between her brows, she seemed to appear as if a fleeting glimpse of the beauty of the mortal world.

Sheng Ningyu had always thought she was accidentally injured, and even occasionally admired the beautiful sword mark left behind. But she never imagined it would happen in this situation.

Xie Qianjing was almost able to leave the Chu family.

He only saw her.

She was the one who held him back.

Sheng Ningyu raised her hand and gently placed her fingertips on his brow.

She raised her eyebrows and gave a short, casual laugh: "You once said you wanted to kill me. At the time, I thought you must be joking, otherwise, you really have no taste."

They were too close.

Xie Qianjing was so close that he could easily see every subtle expression on Sheng Ningyu's face.

Her eyes were unrestrained, her tone flippant, her black hair cascading down, adorned with a lotus hairpin.

Such familiarity.

In that moment of distraction, Xie Qianjing seemed to see again that audacious Sword Pavilion disciple who dared to hide in the tree and watch him.

The past may fade, but I never want to bury it deep inside.

Xie Qianjing's eyes crinkled into a smile, and Sheng Ningyu, looking at him, also raised the corners of her mouth.

But then she said, "Now I understand why you hate me and want to kill me."

If it were her, after experiencing such betrayal, she would also hate that person so much that she would want to kill them.

Xie Qianjing's smile vanished. He avoided her fingertips, stood up but did not leave. He simply looked down at her quietly from a distance.

She sat there, just like the flamboyant and unrestrained Sheng Mingyue of yesteryear, who dared to deceive him with a made-up name; and also like the later, aloof and self-possessed, cold-hearted Sword Master Mingyue.

But no matter who it was, she never once chose "Xie Qianjing" in any of the choices.

Not even once.

Thus, she became Xie Qianjing's inner demon, a sharp thorn formed from flesh and blood, an incurable ailment that would leave him covered in wounds if touched.

Xie Qianjing knew he should kill her.

Both reason and emotion were urging him to get rid of the person in front of him as soon as possible.

But he just watched her quietly.

From beginning to end.

Sheng Ningyu did not avoid Xie Qianjing's expression.

She saw the murderous intent on Xie Qianjing's face, and she also saw the silver satin and white silk, swirling with demonic energy, gradually gathering in his hand.

"Xie Qianjing, do you want to kill me now?"

Sheng Ningyu tilted her head back, exposing her slender neck to the other person.

She appeared to be powerless to resist, but in her heart she was calmly thinking about how much of a chance she had if this Demon Lord, who could make those high-level demon cultivators bow down to him, made a move.

This is the Phoenix Clan, guarded here. No matter what, Feng Xiaosheng wouldn't stand by and watch her die. Although Senior Brother Fei Fou is elsewhere, he still has many life-saving items he and Madam Xiang gave her in his Star River Pouch. Even if things get really bad, she now possesses a quarter of the spirit bone. Although she still has some old wounds, she still has the Phoenix Cry Sword; she won't be completely defenseless. She should be able to…

"That year, a gentle breeze blew down the steps, and I felt a little cold."

His voice was extremely faint and cold, like the wind blowing across the snow-capped mountain peaks in the cold moonlight, devoid of any emotion, simply narrating quietly.

However, beneath the fine clothes, flesh and blood are still warm.

The black and red puppet threads scattered like fireworks across the sky, and the hand that held the magic weapon was now empty, becoming only a restrained yet affectionate embrace.

The demon, which should have been bloodthirsty, now obediently lowered its head, quietly embracing the person in its arms, as if guarding the most precious treasure in the world.

"But now, it's okay."

The Demon Seed Illusion belongs not only to her, but also to him.

In that intersecting space-time, he saw her sword.

That sword cleaved through the countless layers of puppet threads entangled on the Demon Lord's body; even if only one thread was severed, it was still incredibly precious.

At least in that moment, amidst the vast sea of ​​humanity, she saw him and chose him.

A gentle breeze.

Xie Qianjing embraced Sheng Ningyu, his embrace growing tighter and tighter.

Even now, he remains perplexed.

He didn't understand why, even though he clearly wanted to kill her, and clearly should have killed her, all his resentment, hatred, and accumulated demonic energy... would vanish as soon as he thought of that gentle breeze.

It was just a gentle breeze.

"Xie Qianjing."

When Sheng Ningyu reached out her hand, she hesitated for a moment, but still did not put her arm around the person in front of her.

If it weren't for that suspicion, Sheng Ningyu might not have cared about these things. But now, her suspicions were growing stronger, and she was almost certain.

The hand she raised finally landed on the back of the person who was embracing her, very lightly, as if afraid of disturbing a snowflake.

She called his name so close, so earnestly, and with such anticipation.

Xie Qianjing's breathing became somewhat halting, as if something was slowly dissolving in his chest.

The demon lord, who had slain countless demons in just seven days, frowned. He was somewhat uncomfortable with this long-lost thrill, so he loosened his embrace slightly and hesitantly placed his hand on his chest.

Just as Xie Qianjing turned his gaze away, someone pressed down on his shoulder, and he met those clear and bright eyes.

"In the past, did I... have feelings for you?"

-----------------------

Author's note: So this question arises: who struck first (crossed out) the heart back then!

A wave of scandals is about to unfold (?).

After all, our eerie senior brother is about to make his appearance!!

It's Friday! This chapter includes a 24-hour red envelope giveaway!