The moment Li Yuheng entered the study, the feigned composure on his face vanished instantly.
He rushed to the huge bookshelf like a gust of wind, looking for books about the demon race.
"Demon race... Demon race contract... Ancient contract..."
He muttered to himself, completely ignoring the door that was suddenly pushed open behind him.
"Li Yuheng, you're really back?!"
A boy wearing a bright gold brocade robe, with curly hair and eyes as bright as stars, rushed in, his face full of undisguised excitement and curiosity.
"I heard you went to the human world for fun? And you became a dog? Tell me, was the human world fun? What was it like being a dog? Did you encounter any interesting things? Did you win any fights?"
This is Li Zhaoyan, Li Yuheng's cousin from Heaven, a sunny and cheerful young man.
Li Yuheng didn't even turn his head, waving his hand impatiently: "Go away, stop making noise, can't you see I'm busy?"
His finger rested on a thick, ancient-looking book.
The Origins of Ancient Covenants and Forbidden Techniques
This is it!
Li Zhaoyan wasn't angry even after being scolded. He leaned against the edge of the bookshelf, blinking his big eyes: "What are you busy with? You come back and immediately dive into books. This isn't like you! Did you learn something good in the human world?"
Li Yuheng ignored him and carefully prepared to pull out the heavy book.
Li Zhaoyan tilted his head curiously, his gaze following Li Yuheng's movements, finally settling on Li Yuheng's brow.
He stared at it for a few seconds, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he had discovered something strange.
Then, on a sudden inspiration, he raised his hand and slapped down on Li Yuheng's forehead.
The movement was as fast as lightning, with a swiftness that came without much thought.
Li Yuheng: "!!!"
His movements suddenly froze, and he grabbed Li Zhaoyan's wrist before he could retract it.
Li Zhaoyan raised his chin high and said, "Done! No need to thank me, bro! I don't know where you got this from, it's just an eyesore!"
Li Yuheng slowly raised his head.
He gently placed the book he had just taken from the bookshelf onto the desk next to him.
Then, he turned to Zhao Yan, a warm smile playing on his lips.
Li Zhaoyan felt a chill run down his spine at his brother's unusual smile. He tried to pull his hand away but found his wrist was gripped tightly. However, he still forced a proud expression.
"How is it? Is it clean now? Why are you still holding my hand?"
“Zhaoyan,” Li Yuheng asked with a smile, “do you know what contract you just auctioned off?”
Li Zhaoyan honestly shook his head: "No way! Who cares about the contract? If I don't like it, I'll just take it down! Don't worry, brother, I can easily deal with these little things—"
"You don't know? Then why are you trying to figure it out?"
As he spoke, Li Yuheng clenched his other hand into a fist, and with a whooshing sound, he mercilessly smashed it into Li Zhaoyan's face, which was filled with innocence and smugness.
"Awooo—!"
Caught off guard, Li Zhaoyan was struck by the punch, which made him see stars. He staggered back several steps and sat down on the ground with a thud.
Li Yuheng didn't give him any time to react, and pounced on him with a chaotic but powerful "love".
"You're just being cheeky, aren't you?!"
"Smack!"
"You think you're so special?!"
"Bang!"
"I went through so much trouble to get this! It was the first gift my brother ever gave me! I haven't even figured it out yet! And you just took a picture of it without even asking me?!"
"Thump! Clang!"
The study erupted into chaos, filled with Li Zhaoyan's wailing screams and pleas for mercy.
"Brother! I was wrong! Stop hitting me! Ouch—!"
"What's so important?! It's just a stupid contract!"
"Li Yuheng, you value your love over your brother! You hit me for some random contract you came up with! I'm going to tell Auntie! Waaaaah..."
After a while, Li Yuheng, looking refreshed, straightened his slightly disheveled robes and stood back at his desk.
In the corner, Li Zhaoyan, with his messy hair, was curled up in a ball, hugging his knees, sniffling pitifully, and occasionally letting out soft sobs. He was really crying and sucking his fingers.
Li Yuheng glanced at him, snorted coldly, and picked up the book "The Origin of the Primordial Covenant and Forbidden Techniques" again.
Although the contract was broken up, he still had a general impression of its outline.
Based on his memory, he quickly identified several similar ancient demon clan contracts.
"A Pact of Shared Fate? To live and die together? That's too exaggerated, it can't be that bad."
"The Master-Servant Contract? Ha, that stinky cat wants to be my master? Dreaming is too much."
"The Soul-Locking Contract? That thing is insidious, forcibly binding the soul, it's not like him..."
As he quickly browsed through the list, he subconsciously eliminated those that didn't match the contractual aura he sensed, or those with overly extreme and domineering effects.
Of course, "Love's Entanglement" was also skipped over.
Finally, his gaze settled on a page of contract descriptions depicting extremely intricate patterns, like intertwined threads of love.
The Spiritual Rhinoceros Pact: The Son's Pact
There is also a corresponding explanation of "Lingxi Qi: Mother Qi" next to it.
Li Yuheng read the description carefully:
"The Spiritual Pact, an ancient secret pact of the demon race, can only be obtained through bloodline inheritance. It consists of a mother and a child; the child pact is imbued with the soul, while the mother pact holds the reins. The child pact holder can faintly sense the location of the mother pact holder, providing a guiding force in times of crisis; the mother pact holder can track and locate the child pact, offering protection, but cannot control the child's mind or seize their will. The pact is formed silently, and its dissolution requires the consent of both parties, or can be forcibly erased by the application of supreme power..."
Li Yuheng's eyes slowly brightened.
It matches up!
Ziqi!
A faint sense of location becomes a lifeline in times of crisis!
This is clearly because that stinky cat was worried he'd die from a wild life outside, so he secretly put up an insurance policy for him.
As for the mother contract...
That stinky cat must have kept it himself, so he can easily find him later.
The more Li Yuheng thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. The annoyance he felt because the contract had been broken up was instantly replaced by a warm feeling.
This silly cat... is actually quite nice.
He cursed fiercely and showed no mercy in his actions, yet secretly he used this precious demon clan secret contract on him.
He's definitely cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
He truly deserves to be called a good brother by Li Yuheng.
What a perfect understanding!
In the corner, Li Zhaoyan was still sucking his fingers, looking aggrieved, and muttering under his breath, "...What kind of precious contract is this? They're so ruthless..."
Li Yuheng was in a great mood and, unusually, condescended to explain, "The 'Lingxi Qi,' you know? It's a life-saving talisman my brother gave me! And you, you brat, slapped it away!"
Li Zhaoyan blinked his large, tear-filled eyes, looking bewildered: "The Spiritual Pact? It sounds like the kind used between Daoist couples..."
"You know nothing!" Li Yuheng immediately interrupted him. "This is the highest level of trust and entrustment between brothers! It's a symbol of unbreakable revolutionary friendship! What does a little brat like you know?"
Li Zhaoyan: "...Oh."
Although the son contract was broken up, which is a bit of a pity, the mother contract should still be with Shu Bai.
Moreover, he remembered that he had told the cat demon that he was the Crown Prince of the Underworld.
In other words... that stinky cat can still find him?
Li Yuheng stroked his chin, thinking smugly.
…
Time is like the River of Oblivion in the underworld; it seems stagnant, yet it flows forward relentlessly.
Li Yuheng was eventually forced into the Crown Prince's Palace by his father and began cramming for intensive training.
To everyone's surprise, Li Yuheng did not resist much this time, and could even be described as cooperative.
He reined in his wildness, temporarily suppressing the mischievousness and naughtiness of his youthful nature, and displayed an intelligence and understanding that matched his status, and even far exceeded expectations.
He quickly mastered the complex official documents and regulations of the underworld.
He understood the intricate web of human relationships with a single glance.
Even the principles of being a ruler that once gave him a headache, he could calm down and listen attentively, and offer his own sharp insights.
He was like a dry sponge, frantically absorbing all the necessary knowledge and skills.
From initial surprise and uncertainty, Yama later nodded to himself, and eventually even occasionally revealed a hint of satisfaction that "my son has finally achieved great things."
Li Wanyao maintained a knowing smile throughout; she could see that her son was holding back a strong drive, as if a clear goal was propelling him.
Only Li Yuheng himself knew that part of the reason he worked so hard was to get rid of his father's nagging and the worried eyes of those old ghosts as soon as possible.
The other part is an urgency that even he himself has never deeply explored.
He wondered if, once he had sorted out all these troublesome matters and could come and go freely and legitimately, perhaps then...
What can you do then?
He didn't think about it carefully.
Only occasionally, during breaks from reviewing case files or when I'm distracted while listening to lectures, will I see a golden ginkgo leaf, a corner piled with discarded tires, or a string of cat paw prints resembling plum blossoms in the snow.
And that cat, with its eyes that always seemed cold or disdainful, occasionally revealing complex emotions.
As the days went by, Li Yuheng grew rapidly and gradually became a qualified, even outstanding, prince of the underworld.
He handles official business with swiftness and skill, and his sharp tongue and witty remarks are still precise, but now he exudes an undeniable authority.
His former youthful spirit has been well concealed beneath a composed exterior, and only on rare occasions does a hint of his true nature as "Li Yuheng" emerge.
When he was finally able to come and go freely again, the first thing he did was return to the human world.
He went straight to that old street.
However, what came into view was a scene of ruins.
The bulldozer tracks remain, and the ruins silently tell of the life that once existed there.
The world he remembered, that corner filled with arguments, fights, sunshine, and fallen leaves, had been completely erased.
The familiar trash cans, low walls, abandoned pipes, mailboxes, and parcel lockers... have all disappeared.
Only some broken bricks and rotten wood were mixed in with the mud after the snow melted.
Li Yuheng stood in front of the ruins, stunned for a long time.
A cold wind blew through, carrying dust, leaving the place empty.
He tried to sense the protective shield he had left on Shu Bai, but its aura was so faint as to be almost imperceptible, and it pointed to a distant and indistinct location.
That cat demon... has already left.
He stood there, silent for a long time.
Having matured considerably, he didn't experience much intense emotion at this moment; instead, a deeper understanding slowly surfaced in his mind.
He suddenly remembered that Shu Bai had never told him any specific information about "home".
He asked Shu Bai's brother, but Shu Bai gave a vague answer and did not reply.
His current understanding of Shu Bai is limited to: a cat demon who does not yet have a formal name, is undergoing adulthood trials, and is nicknamed "Meow Meow".
Perhaps, in Shu Bai's view, their brief encounter of a few months was really just a fleeting friendship during their wandering lives.
The friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water; they come together when the conditions are right and disperse when the conditions are right. That's all.
He could have easily used that faint aura as a guide, along with the Crown Prince's authority and power, to search for Shu Bai's whereabouts, both in the heavens and the earth.
As long as the protective shield remains, and as long as Shu Bai is still within the Three Realms, he will always find a way to locate him.
But what happens after you find it?
What reason did he give for going to find them?
Rush over, pat the other person on the shoulder, and say, "Hey bro, long time no see, I'm back to fight you!"
Just like I remember, will you shamelessly stick close and ask to touch me?
Li Yuheng twitched the corners of his mouth, realizing that he couldn't quite imagine how the "mature and steady" Crown Prince of the Underworld would deal with that cat demon whose temper was unlikely to improve.
Moreover, what if...
What if the cat doesn't find that time particularly special, or has even forgotten about it?
His sudden appearance would seem ridiculous, and... presumptuous.
But at the same time, an even more outrageous yet strangely consistent idea popped into his head:
Go directly to the cat demon, put on airs like a prince, and ask:
"Hey bro, I see you're pretty skilled and can take a beating. How about coming to the underworld to be my personal bodyguard? Food and lodging included. The job is mainly to be my sleeping pillow. Price is negotiable."
Thinking of this, Li Yuheng couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
He shook his head, dismissing the absurd idea.
He is Li Yuheng, the most handsome, intelligent, and confident man in the universe. He is shameless, but rarely does he know how to maintain boundaries.
Some lines cannot be crossed.
Some feelings need time to be sorted out.
He stood on the ruins that held countless memories, now unrecognizable, and took one last look.
His gaze was calm, tinged with a faint sense of melancholy.
Then he turned around.
With a flicker, he vanished from the spot without leaving a trace.
It was as if he had never been here.
Perhaps that cat demon was really just a brief but vivid dream from his childhood.
The dream is over, but the journey continues.
He was just a little disappointed that he couldn't say goodbye properly.
They couldn't find out whether the other person heard them or... would take it seriously.
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