Love in Pavilion Recap, Plot, Synopsis

Love in Pavilion Synopsis

In ancient times, humans and demons coexisted. To resist the black fox’s attempts to corrupt hearts and to protect the safety of both races, the "Three Young Masters of Aolai" established boundaries between the inner and outer regions. They formed the Yi Qi Alliance, composed of prestigious families such as the Wangquan and Dongfang clans, and created the Inspection Division to oversee all affairs within the alliance. Together with forces from the demon tribes of Nan Chui, Tushan, Xixiyu, and the Demon-Taming Kingdom, they stood against the black fox and the dangers beyond the borders.

Meanwhile, the cold-faced yet warm-hearted dual-blade swordsman Wangquan Hongye, the clairvoyant Yang Yitan of the Yang family, Zhang Zheng, the head of the Zhang family, and other second-generation heirs of eight great clans formed the Masked Group. Driven by a desire to uncover the world's hidden truths, protect the harmony between humans and demons, and uphold fairness and justice, they embarked on a daring adventure.

Love in Pavilion Recap

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To please Lady Poison, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord mobilized great manpower to build the Star Picking Tower. Although there were still ten days left until the tower's scheduled completion, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord ordered his subordinate, the Ghost-Faced Spider, to finish it within five days. Following the order, the Ghost-Faced Spider captured more people to work on the Star Picking Tower, causing widespread panic in Nanchui, with more and more people disappearing.

Dongfang Huaizhu, the eldest daughter of Divine Fire Villa, and Dongfang Qinlan, the second daughter, went to Lilu Mountain in Nanchui to gather medicinal herbs. As in previous years, they stayed at a small town in Nanchui, only to find it completely different from before—deserted, with crumbling walls and ruins, and spider webs covering everything, clearly abandoned for a long time. However, the inn where they used to rest while gathering herbs still stood, brightly lit, though it seemed eerie.

Despite the strangeness, the sisters entered the inn. The innkeeper explained that a great demon had appeared in Nanchui, abducting many people, and those who remained had fled in fear. The innkeeper said there were many magical treasures left behind by demon-hunting heroes, so there was no need to worry about demonic attacks. However, the server who brought the food moved stiffly, and Dongfang Huaizhu noticed that he was a demon who had only recently taken human form.

She immediately attacked. The Ghost-Faced Spider had been prepared and blocked Dongfang Huaizhu’s assault. Dongfang Qinlan was skilled both in martial arts and magical artifacts, and easily subdued another small Ghost-Faced Spider, but when faced with the larger one, she was at a disadvantage. Soon, Dongfang Qinlan was seized by the larger Ghost-Faced Spider, her life hanging by a thread.

The Ghost-Faced Spider used Dongfang Qinlan to force Dongfang Huaizhu to put down her bamboo flute artifact, then launched a sneak attack from behind while she was off guard. Dongfang Huaizhu fainted to the ground. Just as the Ghost-Faced Spider was about to strike her down, a surge of powerful sword energy arrived, forcing the Ghost-Faced Spider to realize the vast gap in strength and retreat decisively.

Dongfang Huaizhu awoke in a spacious area and found that her rescuer was a masked man with a tall, straight figure, wearing a smiling mask. Although he was the legendary "Sword Gentleman," he looked somewhat comical. Dongfang Huaizhu tactfully asked him to turn away. Seeing Dongfang Huaizhu using Divine Fire to fend off enemies, the Sword Gentleman guessed she was from the Dongfang Spirit Clan.

He had a request he found difficult to voice, so instead, he simply took a lock of Dongfang Huaizhu’s hair without asking. The Sword Gentleman then flew away on his sword. Dongfang Huaizhu caught up with him and proposed a partnership. Since the Sword Gentleman only knew the general location of the demon while Dongfang Huaizhu knew the exact location of her sister Dongfang Qinlan, he agreed, on the condition that they establish three ground rules. Dongfang Huaizhu accepted.

They quickly located the Star Picking Tower, but it was already shrouded in a poisonous miasma barrier. The Sword Gentleman unleashed a sword strike that split the dense, purple miasma, his sword energy unstoppable like a blade through bamboo. Dongfang Huaizhu was astonished and grew suspicious of his identity, but the Sword Gentleman claimed he was merely a swordsman who liked cute masks. In a dungeon cave, the Sword Gentleman and Dongfang Huaizhu found and rescued Dongfang Qinlan.

They encountered three members of the Yiqi Alliance, who disparaged the Masked Group. Then, Li Zizai and Li Quzhuo of the Masked Group appeared and severely beat the three, locking them back in the dungeon as per the Sword Gentleman's instructions, and rescued all the imprisoned townsfolk. The Sword Gentleman and Dongfang Huaizhu confronted Lady Poison and the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord. Lady Poison was no match for Dongfang Huaizhu and collapsed, coughing blood.

The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord unleashed his Hundred-Eyed Golden Eyes, each carrying a hundred years of cultivation. However, the Sword Gentleman broke the formation using only a few strands of Dongfang Huaizhu’s hair. Previously, Lady Poison’s clan had stolen nanmu wood from the Nangong family, which they used for coffins. The Nangong family retaliated by sending people to massacre Lady Poison’s clan at the Star Picking Tower.

The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord sought revenge for Lady Poison, capturing many Nangong family members, killing them, and hanging their bones as bone chimes at the center of the Star Picking Tower. The Sword Gentleman's goal was to take the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord's demon core to save Nanchui. However, unexpectedly, a greater threat appeared: Huan Du Qingtian, the Poison King of Nanchui. Huan Du Qingtian’s demonic power was far greater than that of the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord.

The Sword Gentleman's sword shattered into dust after blocking just one attack. Huan Du Qingtian unleashed wave after wave of attacks, sealing off the Sword Gentleman’s qi flow and releasing poisonous gas. Li Quzhuo, the fourth brother, formed a sword formation. The Sword Gentleman forged a spiritual sword to break Huan Du Qingtian’s Black Tortoise position, allowing Li Zizai and Li Quzhuo to escort Dongfang Huaizhu away first.

The three of them charged out from the Xuanwu position, but the poison formation closed again. Dongfang Huaizhu couldn't help but worry about the Sword Master’s safety. However, the Sword Master was far more powerful than she imagined; within moments, he broke the Poison King of Nan Chui’s poison formation. The Sword Master’s strength genuinely surprised the Poison King of Nan Chui and even made him feel some admiration, deciding not to wipe them out completely.

Nevertheless, the Sword Master had come for the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord’s demon core and would not leave empty-handed, while the Poison King, fiercely protective of his own, would never let him succeed, even if it meant inviting a bloody reprisal from the Nangong family against Nan Chui. The prophecy "Eradicating emotions, pursuing hatred, eternal night descends" was a warning for both humans and demons to stop their conflicts, but upon hearing it, the Poison King only snorted coldly.

At that moment, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord appeared with Lady Poison. He was already wavering, and with the Sword Master’s added promise—that if he obtained the demon core, he would do everything in his power to save Nan Chui and make Nangong ye pay the price—the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord willingly offered up his demon core, choosing to atone for his sins by turning back into a powerless little spider.

Dongfang Huaizhu entrusted the little spider to Lady Poison, letting her take the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord to start anew at the Star Picking Tower—a new beginning of sorts. Dongfang Huaizhu’s spiritual fire restrained poison, allowing her to remain unharmed within the poison formation, but the Sword Master, having stayed too long, showed signs of poisoning. Dongfang Huaizhu handed him a small medicinal pill, instructing him to take it and circulate his energy for a while to detoxify.

She carved two lines of words onto the Sword Master’s scabbard, inviting him to meet her at the Bamboo Pavilion By River Huai on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. After all, the Poison King was still the Poison King, with exceptionally sharp eyes. Although the Sword Master used a different sword technique to conceal his identity, the Poison King still recognized that he was from the Wangquan family.

"The sword comes from Wangquan, the fire from Dongfang"—the Poison King saw clearly that they were there to help Nan Chui, and that Nangong Ye, who was slaughtering both great and small demons of Nan Chui, was about to face his retribution. While Nangong Ye was hunting down minor demons, he was stopped by Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan. Nangong Ye’s subordinates were no match for them, and they even managed to seize the map of Nangong Ye’s Sword Furnace.

The Sword Master’s true identity was Wangquan Hongye, the young master of Wangquan Manor, who had long been plagued by a certain dream. To conceal his identity, Wangquan Hongye, along with Li Zizai and Li Quzhuo, wore masks. After obtaining the map, Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan hurried back to Po Tian Temple to regroup with the three masked individuals. At Divine Fire Villa, countless suitors sent betrothal gifts and marriage proposals for Dongfang Huaizhu.

Dongfang Qinlan and their father Dongfang Churi even used the stacks of proposals to play cards, only to be exposed by Dongfang Huaizhu, leaving them both embarrassed. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Wangquan Shouzhuo, the head of the Wangquan family, remained unknown. The Wangquan family claimed he had gone traveling and had not yet returned, and thus the young master Wangquan Hongye was acting on his behalf.

Several family heads gathered in the council hall, and Housekeeper Fei reminded Wangquan Hongye to be wary of Nangong Ye’s ambitions to seize power. Nangong Ye was the first to ask when they would launch an attack on Nan Chui, but just then, the Poison King's letter of surrender and the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord’s demon core were delivered. Wangquan Hongye used this as a pretext to halt the planned assault on Nan Chui.

Yang Yan of the Tianyan Yang family was a close friend of Dongfang Huaizhu. Her beloved, Mu Xiaowu, worked at a mine and once, out of kindness, released a minor demon. This incident was reported to the Yiqi Alliance, and subsequently, Mu Xiaowu was taken away by the Inspectors. The Nangong family controlled the Inspectors, using them to threaten the major families and Wangquan Manor. As the Yang family was of low influence, they couldn't intervene to help Mu Xiaowu.

Yang Yan was very worried about him, and Dongfang Huaizhu comforted her, assuring her that a solution would be found. Nangong Ye sought to win over Divine Fire Villa, hidden from the world for years, to weaken the Wangquan family and thus seize power. The moment the long-honed Demon Sword appeared would be the moment Nangong Ye’s ambitions were revealed.

As Dongfang Huaizhu fretted over not being able to help Yang Yan, Nangong Ye arrived with an offer: if Divine Fire Villa helped him capture and kill Wangquan Hongye, he would grant any request. The moment the invitation for Nangong Ye’s Sword Unveiling Ceremony arrived, Wangquan Hongye knew it was a trap. The ceremony was set for ten days later, and he instructed Housekeeper Fei to have Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan accompany him to attend.

Ten days later, the Nangong family's Sword Unveiling Ceremony was held as scheduled. This time, Dongfang Huaizhu made a move, hoping to strike with a single blow and help Yang Yan rescue Mu Xiaowu. Nangong Ye arranged for her to stand on his left side as a sword attendant. When Wangquan Hongye saw Dongfang Huaizhu, he couldn’t help but be surprised, and he also realized that Nangong Ye’s plan was anything but simple.

Nangong Ye ordered four demon cores to be retrieved and forged into four treasured swords, which he presented to the heads of four noble families. The other clan heads accepted them with smiles, but Wangquan Hongye refused. A dancer used her pipa to trigger a reflected bell sound formation behind Wangquan Hongye, causing him to lose all senses except touch.

Yet he remained calm, and Nangong Ye wasn’t sure if the trap had worked, so he sent Dongfang Huaizhu to investigate. After a brief inspection, Dongfang Huaizhu found that Wangquan Hongye was indeed forcing himself to hold on. After only a few moves, Wangquan Hongye was defeated. Even so, he never let go of his sword, which Dongfang Huaizhu admired.

As she expected, Wangquan Hongye was extremely cautious in his movements, fearing Nangong Ye might realize he had been affected, and he avoided making any abrupt sounds. Dongfang Huaizhu struck him directly into the bath pool, and Wangquan Hongye lost consciousness. Afterward, Dongfang Huaizhu cast a spell on Wangquan Hongye so that the two could temporarily share vision and hearing within five steps. When Wangquan Hongye awoke and drank tea, he found that his sense of taste had returned.

However, once he stepped more than five steps away from Dongfang Huaizhu, he lost all his senses again. Dongfang Huaizhu had executed the spell with precision, leaving Wangquan Hongye with no choice but to cooperate with her. Wangquan Zui used a magical artifact to perform mental control on a servant of the Nangong family but failed to uncover Nangong Ye’s plan for the next day’s Sword Unveiling Ceremony. All she learned were a bunch of the young master's shortcomings.

Yang Yitan interrupted her casting, joking that such mental manipulation was useless on these lowly servants and wouldn’t work against someone powerful. Dongfang Huaizhu and Wangquan Hongye sat down for a proper conversation. Just as Dongfang Huaizhu said, a phoenix never rests without treasure—if Nangong Ye could make her a promise, then Wangquan Hongye certainly could as well. Wangquan Hongye used an invisibility talisman and went with Dongfang Huaizhu to the area near the sword furnace.

Outside the furnace was a Mystic Sound Formation that grew stronger the deeper they went. Dongfang Huaizhu helped Wangquan Hongye break the formation, and the two entered the sword furnace located in the Nangong waterside pavilion. As expected, not a single guard was in sight. The furnace flames inside burned fiercely, and who knows how many demon cores had already been smelted within. Around the furnace were many cages sealed with talismans.

A Bifang bird demon sat beside them, under the control of a talisman. Her name was Ah Nan. Dongfang Huaizhu removed the talisman and learned that Nangong Ye had deceived her, saying that once the demon swords were forged, her mother would return. To incite the demons’ hatred, the young Nangong master used the demon fire within the divine bird clan to control the furnace. Once a demon core is removed, the demon cannot possibly survive.

Nangong Ye had tricked young Ah Nan and used her demon fire to refine her own mother's demon core—an act of unspeakable cruelty. A man like Nangong Ye deserves to die a hundred times over. Dongfang Huaizhu intended to destroy the sword furnace but was stopped by Wangquan Hongye. He insisted that the demon sword must be forged; otherwise, it would disrupt his plans.

In his urgency, Wangquan Hongye accidentally called out Dongfang Huaizhu’s name, and only then did she realize he had known her identity all along. The young Nangong master was already calling out from outside, demanding that they leave the sword furnace at once. Dongfang Huaizhu didn’t know whether to trust Wangquan Hongye, and he told her to trust her instincts.

Regarding the incident of sneaking into the Nangong family’s sword furnace late at night, Wangquan Hongye gave a flawless explanation, even dragging Dongfang Huaizhu into it by claiming that she rang the Soul-Calming Bone Bell to give a warning. Nangong Ye didn’t grow suspicious, but knowing Wangquan Hongye was a man of deep calculation, he didn’t let his guard down.

He ordered his son to lead men to guard the sword furnace, ensuring there would be no delays for the Sword Unveiling Ceremony the next day. Though Dongfang Huaizhu helped Wangquan Hongye cover up the truth, she remained angry about what happened to Ah Nan. She stepped more than five paces away from him, causing him to lose all five senses again. Yet in the end, she stopped because of Wangquan Hongye’s words. Dongfang Huaizhu had some knowledge of formations.

This Silk-Entwining Kasyapa Bell was originally an illusion-inducing bell used by spider demons of the Southern Realm. The Nangong family had incorporated it into a formation called the Mystic Sound Formation, which was similar to the one outside the sword furnace. Only during tomorrow’s Sword Unveiling Ceremony would it be possible to reverse the sound formation. At that time, Wangquan Hongye could stand at the center of the formation, where the sound waves naturally converged.

Dongfang Huaizhu could then reactivate the Bell Sound Formation to help him regain his five senses. Her condition for helping him was to rescue someone being held at the Inspection Division, and Wangquan Hongye readily agreed. Although they had reached a cooperation, Dongfang Huaizhu didn’t sleep a wink that night. She feared that once Wangquan Hongye’s injuries were healed, he would turn his back on her.

When Wangquan Hongye casually said he could take a poison pill as a guarantee, Dongfang Huaizhu immediately produced a Quedan Poison Pill. Wangquan Hongye swallowed it without hesitation. Compared to mutual suspicion, trust would take them further. Yang Yitan opened his Heavenly Eye and saw that there were only Nangong Chui and a few weak guards around the sword furnace. Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan easily knocked them unconscious.

The Nangong family used the Li family’s Spirit-Purifying Mirror to cleanse the ferocious aura of the demons sinking within the sword furnace. However, Yang Yitan used the Eight Trigrams Mirror mentioned by his fourth brother to block the purification. As a result, the sword Nangong Ye would hold during the Sword Unveiling Ceremony would be a wicked blade filled with malice. Wangquan Zui altered the memories of Nangong Chui and the four guards, secretly rescuing Ah Nan.

The demon swords were forged on schedule and unveiled. They were distributed among three family heads, while Nangong Ye held a Heavenly Demon Sword. He raised a banner and challenged Wangquan Hongye, the acting leader of the Yiqi Alliance, in public. Following Dongfang Huaizhu’s instructions from the previous night, Wangquan Hongye walked to the spot where sound waves naturally gathered. Dongfang Huaizhu cast a spell with her bamboo flute, helping him restore his senses.

Wangquan Hongye’s Wangquan Sword clashed fiercely with Nangong Ye’s Heavenly Demon Sword. The momentum was overwhelming, and Nangong Ye’s blade could not withstand it. He vomited blood and was gravely injured. Realizing that it was Dongfang Huaizhu who helped Wangquan Hongye, he pointed his sword at her, only to be blocked by Wangquan Hongye. Ten years ago, Nangong Ye lost to Wangquan Shouzhuo; now he had lost to Wangquan Hongye.

Enraged, he suffered a backlash from the Heavenly Demon Sword, went on a bloodthirsty rampage, and killed many. Chaos erupted, and people fled in panic. Wangquan Hongye struck with one final blow, and Nangong Ye drew his last breath. Dongfang Huaizhu used Divine Fire on the Heavenly Demon Sword, setting countless demon spirits free. Wangquan Hongye took Dongfang Huaizhu to the Inspection Division to retrieve the person. The guard captain there didn’t recognize Wangquan Hongye and behaved arrogantly.

But when Dongfang Huaizhu presented the Wangquan Sword, the guard captain was immediately terrified, knelt in fear, and released the person. However, Dongfang Huaizhu was not yet ready to detoxify Wangquan Hongye. She hoped he would act as a matchmaker for Mu Xiaowu, arranging for him to marry Yang Yan within a month. Only then would the matter be settled. Wangquan Hongye did not refuse.

Meanwhile, the conflict between humans and demons within the circle grew more intense, just as the Black Fox Queen desired. She used hatred as soil and despair as fuel, growing stronger by the day. One day, she would return to the inner circle.

Since Wangquan Shouzhuo’s disappearance, he took the Wangquan Sword with him. Therefore, the sword in Wangquan Hongye’s possession was not the real Wangquan Sword. During the battle with Nangong Ye, the fake Wangquan Sword developed a crack. Steward Fei had no choice but to forge a new one to avoid arousing suspicion from the other clan heads. Except for the Nangong family’s head, all the other noble family heads gathered in the council hall.

On Wangquan Hongye’s behalf, Steward Fei announced that from now on, forging swords with demon cores would be strictly forbidden. Mu Xiaowu knelt outside the Yang family gate all night. Yang Yitan couldn’t bear to see it and pleaded with the Yang family head—his grandfather, Yang Huan Zhou—but Yang Huan Zhou looked down on Mu Xiaowu’s humble origins. He ordered his son Yang Ying to find a midwife to abort the child in Yang Yan’s womb.

Yang Yitan wouldn’t let anyone harm even a single hair on his aunt Yang Yan. To help her, he went out and knelt beside Mu Xiaowu. Yang Ying advised Yang Huan Zhou not to push Yang Yitan too far. After all, there were few in the Yang family who could open the Heavenly Eye, and Yang Yitan’s marriage was the most respectable cover for the family’s shame.

Just then, Wangquan Hongye arrived at the Yang residence to propose marriage on Mu Xiaowu’s behalf. He brought a chest full of betrothal gifts and had someone pick an auspicious date for the wedding—exactly one month later. Following Wangquan Hongye’s instructions, Mu Xiaowu served tea to Yang Huan Zhou. Yang Huan Zhou requested that Mu Xiaowu marry into the Yang family and become a live-in son-in-law. Mu Xiaowu hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed.

Dongfang Qinlan teased Dongfang Huaizhu, saying that the seventh day of the seventh lunar month was fast approaching, and she would soon meet the masked Sword Master. Jin Renfeng, the senior disciple of Divine Fire Villa, had returned. He had always liked Dongfang Huaizhu, but she made her attitude clear—she didn’t return his feelings. Wangquan Zui helped Wangquan Hongye pick out an outfit.

She was also pleased with Dongfang Huaizhu and looked forward to the moment her brother would take off his mask and face Dongfang Huaizhu. At the Bamboo Pavillion By River Huai, Dongfang Huaizhu met with the Sword Master. They soared into the sky, one casting Divine Fire, the other wielding fire with his sword—they were absolutely thrilled. The two got along exceptionally well. Dongfang Huaizhu wasn’t curious about the face behind the mask.

The timing and situation weren’t right for revealing his face, so Wangquan Hongye wore the mask from beginning to end. Wangquan Zui fretted over her brother’s lifelong happiness. Yang Yitan reminded her that one month later would be Yang Yan and Mu Xiaowu’s wedding day, and Dongfang Huaizhu would likely be there. On the wedding day, Dongfang Qinlan noticed that Wangquan Hongye looked at Dongfang Huaizhu strangely.

She deliberately kept him from interacting with Dongfang Huaizhu and quietly reminded Wangquan Hongye that Dongfang Huaizhu already had someone. She even mentioned the leader of the Masked Troupe, the Sword Master, and her words were full of admiration for him. Wangquan Zui was undeterred. She planned to stage a chance encounter between Dongfang Huaizhu and Wangquan Hongye the next day while Dongfang Huaizhu was out shopping for jewelry.

To prevent Dongfang Qinlan from interfering, she drugged a sugar-coated hawthorn skewer and gave it to her. Everything went according to plan, except Dongfang Qinlan didn’t remain unconscious all morning. She showed up and interrupted the arranged encounter between Dongfang Huaizhu and Wangquan Hongye. When a Taoist handed Wangquan Hongye an umbrella, Wangquan Zui, hiding in a corner, activated a Wind and Rain Talisman.

However, it summoned a fierce storm, blowing the umbrella away and drenching Wangquan Hongye like a drowned rat. Dongfang Qinlan made sure to come over and mock him with sarcastic remarks. Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan arrived at Ruyi Pavilion. Wangquan Hongye, who came to see their fifth sister Qingmu Yuan, was also there. Despite being soaked, his appearance still stirred admiration and envy among the women around.

Qingmu Yuan was in charge of intelligence gathering within the Masked Troupe, and she handed the collected information to Wangquan Hongye. As Wangquan Hongye had expected, though Nangong Ye was dead, the Nangong family's power remained strong. Nangong Chui had already sent people to the Inspection Bureau to retrieve Mu Xiaowu’s complete records. Wangquan Hongye was unconcerned—he intended to use the Nangong family to remove the spies within the Inspection Bureau.

Wangquan Zui saw how kind Dongfang Huaizhu was to Dongfang Qinlan—buying her a fine bracelet without hesitation—and she became even more certain of her feelings for Dongfang Huaizhu. She was determined to make her her sister-in-law. Qingmu Yuan revealed what people and events Dongfang Huaizhu and Wangquan Hongye would encounter after leaving Ruyi Pavilion, and suggested that rather than harboring misgivings, they should meet openly and talk.

At the Star Gazing Tower, Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu drank wine under the stars. Dongfang Huaizhu offered Wangquan Hongye two toasts. Just as Wangquan Hongye was about to reveal that he was the Sword Master, Dongfang Huaizhu interrupted him. After finishing the third glass, Dongfang Huaizhu took her leave without looking back, leaving Wangquan Hongye visibly disappointed. After their conversation at the Star Gazing Tower, their moods differed.

Wangquan Zui confessed that the idea had been hers, and she had also mistaken the talisman. Wangquan Hongye didn’t blame her—instead, he thanked her. On the day of Yang Yan and Mu Xiaowu’s wedding, it was likely that several noble families would make trouble. Wangquan Hongye still had things to do; as for everything else, he would let nature take its course. On the wedding day, Yang Yan wore a phoenix crown and red wedding dress.

Dongfang Huaizhu personally placed the red hairpin in her hair and told her to enjoy her day as a bride and not to worry about anything else. Nangong Chui barged into the Yang residence with his men, claiming that a lingli demon once released by Mu Xiaowu (also known as Mu Renzhi) had killed someone. Mu Xiaowu couldn’t believe it—the demon, named Chujing, had always been gentle and couldn’t possibly kill.

Since Nangong Chui couldn’t produce the real killer, Wangquan Hongye had no choice but to go and capture the culprit himself. Until his return, he forbade Nangong Chui from taking any action against the Yang family or Mu Xiaowu. Wangquan Zui stayed at the Yang residence to prevent Nangong Chui from going back on his word. Since the matter involved Yang Yan, Dongfang Huaizhu went with Wangquan Hongye to find the killer.

Nangong Chui tried to coerce and bribe Yang Huan Zhou into handing over Mu Xiaowu. Just as Yang Huan Zhou was about to give in, Yang Yitan stopped him. Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan joined forces to drive Nangong Chui out of the Yang residence. Bearing a grudge afterward, Nangong Chui ordered his men to find an excuse to shut down the Yang family's sand mine.

As for the killer, Nangong Chui was determined not to let Wangquan Hongye find him. His men were to locate the killer first and kill him to ensure there would be no witnesses. Wangquan Hongye took Dongfang Huaizhu to Ruyi Pavilion. Though Dongfang Huaizhu had heard of its fame, this was her first time seeing it in person.

The Qingmu family's silver buildings were spread across the land, forming an intelligence network, with each silver building serving as an intelligence node. Yet this was Dongfang Huaizhu’s first time seeing the true Ruyi Pavilion. Inside, everyone wore black veils, and though the place was busy, it was highly orderly. Within Ruyi Pavilion was a water platform, and the other eight branch locations should each have a similar one.

Dongfang Huaizhu used her smoke technique to form words and sent the message out. All eight branches received it simultaneously, and soon intelligence came back: Chujing had committed murder on Qian Street in Suzhou Prefecture and was listed as a major criminal by the Inspection Bureau. It was said that Chujing was inherently kind, so there must be another side to the story. However, Ruyi Pavilion only collected intelligence and did not judge good from evil.

The hidden truth would have to be uncovered by Dongfang Huaizhu and Wangquan Hongye. The Suzhou branch of Ruyi Pavilion acted quickly and soon sent back information. The water platform displayed six large characters: "Suzhou Li Family Dyehouse.

Chujing was hiding in the Li Family Dyehouse. The captain of the Inspection Bureau reached him before Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu did, threatening him to hand over the Demon-Control Talisman. The captain used the talisman to control Chujing, and just as Chujing was about to take his own life under compulsion, Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu arrived in time to stop him and rescue him. Nangong Chui had Liuyun Pavilion find some Demon-Control Talismans.

These talismans could force demons to do anything. If a demon resisted, the talisman would burn, causing the demon to perish in flames. Yang Ying was sent by Yang Huan Zhou to apologize to Nangong Chui, but it was clear that Nangong Chui would not accept it. Dongfang Huaizhu found a physician for Chujing to eliminate the effects of the drugs in his body and personally stayed by his side until he woke up.

When Wangquan Hongye was injured while protecting Dongfang Huaizhu, she applied medicine to his wounds and sincerely thanked him for saving her. When Chujing woke up, he was deeply worried about Mu Xiaowu’s safety. While in the mine, Chujing had been tasked with surveying the veins and was accidentally discovered by Mu Xiaowu, who found that he survived by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and could control wind and rain.

The lingli demon had been trapped in the mine for a long time and would eventually die. Mu Xiaowu pleaded with Yang Ying to let Chujing go, but Yang Ying refused. In Yang Yan’s eyes, the life of a demon was no more than that of an ant. He warned Mu Xiaowu not to entertain dangerous thoughts—the demons were all registered in the Celestial Prison records. Despite this, Mu Xiaowu’s kindness to Chujing never changed.

He secretly let him go and arranged for him to become a gardener for Master Zhou. Later, the captain of the Inspection Bureau arrived and forced Chujing to swallow a Demon-Control Talisman, using it to control him and make him kill. He then used this as an excuse to hunt Chujing down, but Chujing escaped and stole the talisman. After learning the full story, Wangquan Hongye was determined not to let the matter go.

Meanwhile, Yang Ying had drugs placed in the osmanthus rice dumplings to knock out Wangquan Zui and the others. Yang Yan did not eat the dumplings, but even the osmanthus honey was drugged. As she remained barely conscious, she saw Yang Ying take Mu Xiaowu away right in front of her. Mu Xiaowu was soon brought to the Inspection Bureau and tortured until he lost consciousness. Then he was revived through cruel means and forced to implicate the Yang family.

To stay awake, Yang Yan stabbed her palm with a hairpin. Wangquan Hongye had another dream—in it, the tree grew larger and larger, perhaps a sign that Eternal Night was drawing near. After the incident with Mu Xiaowu, Dongfang Huaizhu began to see Wangquan Hongye in a new light and detoxified him in advance. In fact, the pill she gave him earlier was not the Sparrow Gall Poison Pill, but a Golden Flower Pill.

No wonder Wangquan Hongye had felt no ill effects recently. As they spent more time together, Dongfang Huaizhu’s opinion of Wangquan Hongye changed, marking a good beginning for him. Yang Yan, dragging her heavy body, slowly made her way to the Inspection Bureau, asking to see Mu Renzhi, but was blocked from entering. Her hands were covered in wounds as she faced the spears of the guards, small and helpless. Mu Xiaowu had been tortured beyond recognition.

Nangong Chui was determined to make him admit that the Yang family had ordered him to release Chujing, so he could pin the crime of colluding with demons on the Yang family. Moreover, Nangong Chui also wanted Mu Xiaowu to implicate the Wangquan family. Though of humble origin, Mu Xiaowu had never gone back on the promise he made to Yang Yan and would not betray his conscience by falsely accusing the Yang family.

Infuriated, Nangong Chui ordered even harsher torture. Elsewhere, Chujing had yet to awaken. The Divine Fire mark on Dongfang Huaizhu’s forehead began to flash—she had a premonition that something had happened to the Yang family.

Dongfang Qinlan had only one antidote, which she gave to Yang Yitan to wake him up. Yang Yitan immediately questioned his grandfather about why he had allowed Yang Ying to drug Mu Xiaowu and let the people from the Inspection Bureau take him away. At that moment, Dongfang Huaizhu and Wangquan Hongye returned to the Yang family, learned what had happened, and hurried to the Inspection Bureau without delay.

With Wangquan Hongye backing him, Chujing entered the Inspection Bureau with Yang Yitan and identified the captain, saying he had been controlled by the Demon-Control Talisman and forced to kill in the street. Seeing this, the captain immediately knelt and begged Nangong Chui to save him, as everything had been done on Nangong Chui’s orders. But Nangong Chui kicked him away and coldly denied it, accusing him of slandering others.

Cornered and desperate, the captain tried to attack Wangquan Hongye, who killed him on the spot with a single wave of sword energy. Wangquan Hongye rescued Mu Xiaowu, but Mu Xiaowu's injuries were too severe—his meridians were shattered, and there was no hope of survival. Even Dongfang Huaizhu of Divine Fire Villa could not bring him back from the brink.

However, she had a Bu Tian Pill that could awaken Mu Xiaowu briefly, giving him the chance to bid farewell to Yang Yan. Mu Xiaowu woke up and left his final words, urging Yang Yan and Chujing not to bear resentment—one should live well, and the other should enjoy the warmth of the sun. Yang Huan Zhou also came, intending to take Yang Yan back, but she refused.

Yang Yan cut off a lock of her hair, severing all ties with the ungrateful Yang family. Watching the carriage fade into the distance, Chujing felt utterly hopeless—his life had been saved by Mu Xiaowu. Now that Mu Xiaowu was gone, the sun in Chujing’s heart vanished as well. He used his own demon core to summon a snowfall as a farewell for Mu Xiaowu and died with him. Though both were gone, the matter was not over.

Now that both the testimony and evidence were clear, Dongfang Huaizhu looked to Wangquan Hongye to give justice to Mu Xiaowu and Chujing. Wangquan Hongye would, of course, take action. His first target of accountability was Yang Huan Zhou. But Dongfang Huaizhu overheard him and believed that he had used Mu Xiaowu as a pawn to eliminate the Inspection Bureau's venomous fangs, which indirectly led to Mu Xiaowu's death.

The goodwill Dongfang Huaizhu had just begun to feel toward Wangquan Hongye vanished instantly, and the two parted ways. As the young master of the Wangquan family, Wangquan Hongye had responsibilities he must fulfill, yet he fell into despair—why did loyal and righteous demons die unjustly, while the heartless aristocrats survived? Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan returned to Divine Fire Villa, but not long after sitting down, Dongfang Huaizhu left again, heading to Ruyi Pavilion.

Since Yang Yan had severed ties with the Yang family, Dongfang Huaizhu had heard no news of her. She asked Qingmu Yuan to investigate Yang Yan's whereabouts. This time, Qingmu Yuan asked for no payment and promised not to inform Wangquan Hongye of the matter. The Inspection Bureau underwent reform and was changed to a rotating system managed by the major families. Except for Family Head Zhang Zheng, who abstained, the other families all agreed to the new system.

Nangong Chui was already imprisoned in the Celestial Prison. Considering that he had previously killed the kin of those evil demons, it was time for closure. Although Nangong Chui was imprisoned in the Celestial Prison of the Inspection Bureau, Wangquan Hongye intended to place him in the very cell where the evil demons were held. Those demons remembered all too well that Nangong Chui had murdered their clansmen, and their hatred for him had only grown.

Now, fallen from power, stripped of his guards, and locked in the same prison, Nangong Chui had no one left to protect him. It was obvious what would happen—those demons would take revenge. Surrounded by them, Nangong Chui’s fate was sealed. Even if he had nine lives, he would not survive. The demons swarmed him, and the outcome was clear.

Dongfang Huaizhu was feeling down and painted a picture of Mr. Sword’s mask. Dongfang Qinlan deliberately teased her to cheer her up. Jin Renfeng had forcefully plucked the scales from a lingli demon and made them into accessories with calming and eyesight-enhancing effects. When Dongfang Huaizhu heard that Jin Renfeng had ripped the scales from the lingli demon while it was alive, she immediately gave him a cold glare and walked away without looking back.

Jin Renfeng appeared honest but was actually cold-blooded and dark-hearted. After being given the cold shoulder by Dongfang Huaizhu, he vented his anger on a weak leech demon. The leech demon, named Cui Yu Xiao Tan, begged Jin Renfeng for mercy in order to survive, claiming she had a way to make him stronger. Dongfang Huaizhu once again went to the Bamboo Pavilion By River Huai to meet with Mr. Sword, who was still wearing his smiling mask. Mr.

Sword accompanied her to the secluded place where Yang Yan lived, leaving behind some daily necessities and prenatal medicine without disturbing Yang Yan’s peaceful life. Afterwards, Mr. Sword and Dongfang Huaizhu returned to the pavilion and shared drinks and conversation. Mr. Sword spoke of something that made Dongfang Huaizhu laugh. Dongfang Huaizhu regarded Mr. Sword as a confidant and gave him a golden-orchid mask. Feeling he should show sincerity in return, Mr.

Sword removed his mask and revealed his identity as Wangquan Hongye. Dongfang Huaizhu’s eyes welled up with tears, and she flew away. The promise of “the seventh day of the seventh lunar month at the Bamboo Pavilion By River Huai” was broken. She had already told Wangquan Hongye before that there would be no reunion. After the incident with his aunt and uncle, Yang Yitan was filled with resentment toward his grandfather, Yang Huan Zhou.

He had never forgotten how he awakened his Heavenly Eye. That winter, in the bitter cold, he had been drugged by Yang Ying and thrown into a mine shaft, all to force him to awaken the Heavenly Eye. Young Yang Yitan had stumbled through the mine, searching for a way out, and unexpectedly encountered Wangquan Zui there. To save her, Yang Yitan’s Heavenly Eye opened. After returning from the mine, he remained unconscious for a whole month.

These childhood memories were etched into his bones. The fact that Yang Yitan still remained in the Yang family, preserving its last shred of dignity, was already the greatest show of respect he could give to Yang Huan Zhou. Yang Huan Zhou was filled with resentment, dissatisfaction, and hatred—these negative emotions condensed into a black fox clone of Jia Lan. Just like Nangong Ye back then, Yang Huan Zhou also craved power, aiming to battle Wangquan Hongye in the future.

In the Kingdom of Demon Taming, Wangquan Hongye demanded that King Daluo’an restrict the use of Demon-Control Talismans strictly within the kingdom and never allow them to flow into the Yiqi Alliance again—otherwise, a coffin would await Daluo’an. Wangquan Hongye was too powerful, and Daluo’an had no choice but to temporarily halt the spread of the talismans into the Yiqi Alliance.

The Wind Sword Attendant discovered that a Demon-Control Talisman capable of controlling a demon king had been sold by Liuyun Pavilion, and the buyer had gone to the underground palace of the Kingdom of Demon Taming. Yang Huan Zhou obtained powers from the black fox Jia Lan, who instructed him to rescue a celestial demon. The celestial demon was sealed at the altar of the Kingdom of Demon Taming, trapped by dragon’s breath.

Fearing that Jia Lan would abandon him once she had the celestial demon, Yang Huan Zhou developed the idea of using a Demon-Control Talisman to enslave the celestial demon for himself. Just as Yang Huan Zhou was about to use the talisman, Wangquan Hongye appeared and questioned his identity.

Yang Huan Zhou donned a mask and used the evil curse taught by the black fox to control Wangquan Hongye, ordering him to pull out the dragon bone sealing the celestial demon. After the bone was removed, Yang Huan Zhou further commanded Wangquan Hongye to use the talisman on the celestial demon. Wangquan Hongye resisted and knocked Yang Huan Zhou unconscious. However, the celestial demon Jiuhuo of the Yellow Spring Clan had already been released.

He absorbed the evil curse from Wangquan Hongye’s body, causing Wangquan Hongye to collapse and fall unconscious. The black fox Jia Lan reunited with Jiuhuo and instructed him to go to Divine Fire Villa to find Dongfang Huaizhu, as she was the most suitable physical vessel for Jia Lan.

Dongfang Huaizhu was unsettled and vented her frustration by wielding her sword through the bamboo forest. Deep within the woods, the celestial demon Jiuhuo observed her and discovered that Dongfang Huaizhu was a descendant of the Spirit Blood. Yang Yitan, while tracking the demonic aura from the underground palace of the Kingdom of Demon Taming, found that the great demon had visited Divine Fire Villa twice.

Wangquan Hongye rushed to Divine Fire Villa but was a step too late—Jiuhuo had already knocked Dongfang Huaizhu unconscious and taken her away, leaving behind only a golden lotus-shaped artifact. Jiuhuo used this artifact, which could tear through space and time, to travel to Biluo City twenty years in the future. He had intended to use the Yellow Spring Clan's sacred item, the Golden Morning Light, to refine a physical vessel, but unexpectedly found the artifact damaged.

For the past five hundred years, the Yellow Spring Clan’s guardian, Ye Yuan, had been waiting in Biluo City for the return of Lord Jiuhuo. Li Quzhuo was skilled in crafting magical artifacts, but the golden lotus was an ancient demonic tool capable of tearing through time and space—not something easily reproduced. Nevertheless, Li Quzhuo promised to finish it before dawn. It was the first time Wangquan Hongye had heard of tearing through time and space.

Li Quzhuo gave a brief explanation—this artifact could transport someone into the past or the future. According to the residual information from the artifact, the celestial demon had taken Dongfang Huaizhu into the future. Li Quzhuo created a replica of the golden lotus, which could only be used once. If they found Dongfang Huaizhu in the future and wanted to return, they were to immediately activate the replica—it would resonate with the real golden lotus.

Dongfang Huaizhu awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar place. Jiuhuo appeared. With Dongfang Huaizhu’s power, she was no match for Jiuhuo and fainted once more. When she next awakened, she would have no memory, and her identity as Huaizhu, the Left Guardian, would replace everything. Wangquan Hongye, accompanied by Yang Yitan and Wangquan Zui, used the artifact to travel twenty years into the future. They found Divine Fire Villa desolate and empty, and the same with Ruyi Tower.

There, they encountered a crazed woman being pursued. The three stepped in to help. The woman spoke incoherently, saying the Yiqi Alliance had perished five years ago, and the world had fallen into chaos—humans slaughtering demons, demons killing humans—complete disorder. Biluo City was now the divine capital of the Yellow Spring Clan, the last sanctuary for both humans and demons. Guided by the woman, the three set off toward Biluo City. Dongfang Huaizhu had already become the Left Guardian Huaizhu.

The divine fire mark on her forehead had disappeared, replaced by a mandala flower mark. Shortly after entering Biluo City, Wangquan Hongye recognized Dongfang Huaizhu, but it was clear that she no longer remembered him. Wangquan Hongye’s sword emitted no killing intent. He sensed demonic energy within Huaizhu, fully fused with her being. To uncover the truth, he exchanged a few blows with Dongfang Huaizhu before retreating.

The demon, following Dongfang Huaizhu’s instructions, sought refuge at Jinchen Inn but was betrayed by the innkeeper and became one of the many demons used to repair the Golden Morning Light artifact. After reuniting with Wangquan Zui and the others, Wangquan Hongye took an antidote for demon poison and meditated to purge it, his mind filled with confusion—he could not understand what had happened to Dongfang Huaizhu.

Jiuhuo’s wound from the dragon bone would not heal and required human blood to sustain himself. Ye Yuan was responsible for finding people and bringing them into Jiuhuo’s chamber to be drained. Ye Yuan grew jealous of Huaizhu and deliberately let her into Jiuhuo’s room during one of his feedings. Jiuhuo exercised great self-control to avoid feeding on Huaizhu and sternly ordered her to leave. Seeing through Ye Yuan’s scheme, Jiuhuo punished him and forbade any recurrence. Terrified, Ye Yuan’s legs gave out—he likely wouldn’t dare try again.

Wangquan Hongye was eager to know what had happened to Dongfang Huaizhu, so during their exchange, he secretly planted an eavesdropping talisman on her. At the same time, Dongfang Huaizhu recalled the moment when Lord Jiuhuo nearly lost control and connected it with what Wangquan Hongye had said—she became convinced that Lord Jiuhuo must be hiding something from her. She did not conceal what had happened that day from Jiuhuo.

Jiuhuo discovered the eavesdropping talisman on Huaizhu and reminded her to follow his lead, setting a trap at Lizi Slope in the northwest to capture their enemies. Twenty years later, the Yiqi Alliance had long declined, and the Masked Group had vanished without a trace. Wangquan Zui felt very afraid and did not go with Yang Yitan to deliver a message; instead, she drank mild wine alone upstairs.

As her brother, Wangquan Hongye naturally understood his sister’s temperament and reassured her that he wouldn’t let her lose anyone dear. Wangquan Hongye was still plagued by nightmares. In his dreams, a black tree with twisted branches grew ever more lush, its roots thickening, exuding an aura of despair. The tree claimed to be Eternal Night. When the mandala flower appeared, Dongfang Huaizhu would disappear.

Yang Yitan returned with information: Biluo City’s original ruler was the demon king Ye Yuan of the Yellow Spring Clan, but four months ago, a celestial demon suddenly arrived and quickly became the new ruler of the city. That celestial demon was clearly Jiuhuo. But why did Jiuhuo bring Dongfang Huaizhu twenty years into the future? Wangquan Hongye had a hunch that it might be connected to the tree in his dream.

At Lizi Slope in the northwest, Wangquan Hongye, Wangquan Zui, and Yang Yitan easily subdued Dongfang Huaizhu. He had already seen through Jiuhuo’s plan to set a trap for them, so he struck first and activated the golden lotus, intending to take Huaizhu back. Jiuhuo, who had been secretly watching the scene, suddenly appeared at Lizi Slope to stop Wangquan Hongye from taking Dongfang Huaizhu away.

Knowing he was no match for Jiuhuo, Wangquan Hongye immediately instructed Yang Yitan to take Wangquan Zui away. He had a backup plan—he grabbed Huaizhu’s hand and entered the barrier of Hanging Mountain. Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan couldn’t return for the time being, so they sneaked into Jiuhuo’s chamber, where they smelled a strong scent of blood. Yang Yitan activated his Celestial Eye and saw intense demonic energy in the main hall, but the view was unclear.

Ye Yuan reported to Jiuhuo that the breeding ground had been prepared and the remaining fragments of the Golden Morning Light would be delivered within two days. The artifact could be fully restored in less than ten days. However, a leech demon had escaped, so Ye Yuan had to go retrieve it himself. Overhearing this, Yang Yitan and Wangquan Zui were about to follow, hoping to capture the leech demon first, but Jiuhuo returned and saw through their invisibility charms.

A fight broke out. Yang Yitan deciphered Jiuhuo’s demonic aura, temporarily learned his demonic techniques, and narrowly escaped from Jiuhuo’s grasp. In Hanging Mountain, Wangquan Hongye and Huaizhu encountered the mountain’s mistress, the fox demon Jia Lan. She warned that soon the mountain would be filled with poisonous mist, and no living creature would be able to escape. Only by defeating her could they leave the barrier of Hanging Mountain. Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan hid in a dilapidated hut.

Yang Yitan concealed the fact that he was injured, but Wangquan Zui exposed his lie and personally applied medicine to his wound. Due to excessive blood loss, Yang Yitan fainted temporarily. Wangquan Hongye, Dongfang Huaizhu, and Jia Lan made a wager: if they beat her once, they could leave, but the loser had to remove an article of clothing—whoever had nothing left to remove would lose completely.

Wangquan Hongye lost the first round and had to take off his outer garment. In the second round, Dongfang Huaizhu voluntarily conceded. Wangquan Hongye didn’t remove her clothing, but instead only took off one of her earrings.

While Yang Yitan was unconscious and unable to take medicine on his own, Wangquan Zui recalled a storybook method and tried feeding him the medicine mouth-to-mouth—but it didn’t work at all. Left with no choice, Wangquan Zui decided to try anything that might help. Fortunately, Yang Yitan’s weakened state made him susceptible to mental influence. He obediently woke up and drank all the medicine. Though it was only a small wound, it kept bleeding.

From his response, Wangquan Zui learned that he was born with a condition that prevented blood from clotting. Losing too much blood, Yang Yitan felt cold all over, so Wangquan Zui held him close to pass on her warmth. According to Jia Lan’s game rules, Wangquan Hongye and Huaizhu were bound to lose. Huaizhu demanded a different game. Jia Lan proposed a contest of hand seal speed. Huaizhu helped Wangquan Hongye control the flames and broke Jia Lan’s seal.

Jia Lan accused them of cheating and furiously tried to poison them. But then she unexpectedly recognized Huaizhu and changed tactics. She sent the two of them to a location, ordering them to kill each other—whoever survived could leave through the water. That place turned out to be the Bamboo Pavilion By River Huai, though Dongfang Huaizhu didn’t remember it.

Jia Lan had created this illusion to completely erase the love hidden deep in Dongfang Huaizhu’s heart, believing that only by doing so could Huaizhu become a suitable vessel. At first, Huaizhu naïvely believed Jia Lan and prepared to fight Wangquan Hongye to the death. This was a mindscape—if someone died here, their consciousness would perish too, rendering them no different from the living dead.

Wangquan Hongye said that if one of them had to die, it would never be Dongfang Huaizhu. Wangquan Hongye took Dongfang Huaizhu to the place where they had once watched the sunset together, hoping it would stir her memories. But Huaizhu took advantage of his unguarded moment and stabbed a knife into his chest. With his final breath, Wangquan Hongye warned Huaizhu not to believe anything Jiuhuo said. Wangquan Hongye died within the illusion, and Huaizhu awoke.

As for Jiuhuo and Wangquan Hongye, Huaizhu trusted neither—she only believed in herself. She deliberately sought to extract information from Jia Lan. Jia Lan was born from the Bitter Love Tree of Mount Tu. The elders foresaw that her fate was cursed and tricked her into entering a barrier, promising that she could leave once she grew a Bitter Love Tree. Jia Lan planted one out of hatred—a black tree—and in doing so, killed many fox demons.

That was when Jiuhuo appeared and brought her back to Biluo City under his protection. Once Huaizhu learned all this, her goal was achieved. She absorbed the last remnants of Jia Lan’s soul completely—their demonic auras were identical and fused flawlessly. There was still one missing fragment of the Golden Morning Light. Ye Yuan had no choice but to reveal that the leech demon had escaped.

Jiuhuo ordered it to be found quickly, or he would use Ye Yuan to patch the Golden Morning Light himself. Huaizhu returned safely to Biluo City, but grew even more suspicious of Jiuhuo. Just like in Hanging Mountain, she tried to dig into his past with Jia Lan. According to Jiuhuo, after he brought Jia Lan back to Biluo City, Mount Tu allied with the Dragon Clan to hunt him down and stole his demon core.

Jia Lan fought the dragons alone, reclaimed his demon core, and saved him. The two became each other’s only companion. But their happiness was short-lived. The Demon-Taming Kingdom coveted Jia Lan’s power to command legions of demons, captured Jiuhuo, imprisoned him in their underground palace, and lured Jia Lan into a trap. What happened in that palace was a memory Jiuhuo least wanted to revisit.

When Wangquan Hongye was mentioned, Dongfang Huaizhu appeared indifferent, saying that the Yiqi Alliance’s humans, who had blood on their hands, only wanted her demon power and deserved to die.

Mu Xiaowu’s son, Mu Mie, possessed the ability of prophetic dreams. He frequently dreamt of someone gouging out their own Heaven’s Eye, but could not understand why. To solve the mystery, Mu Mie decided to head to the well-informed city of Biluo to inquire about it, which led to the earlier scene where he asked the leech demon Cui Yu Ming Luan for directions.

Dongfang Huaizhu absorbed Jia Lan’s demon power and lifted the spell on Wangquan Hongye, allowing him to awaken once more. Jiuhuo and Wangquan Hongye had given differing accounts, so Dongfang Huaizhu realized one of them must be lying. She firmly believed that she was herself and no one’s substitute. Wangquan Hongye asked her to prove it to him. After learning that Jiuhuo had left the city, Dongfang Huaizhu searched her room and recalled Jiuhuo had once mentioned the Demon Taming Kingdom.

She then found related texts which mentioned a black fox beyond the Circle—one that fed on hatred and possessed immense power, yet lacked a physical form. Dongfang Huaizhu instantly understood why Jia Lan had previously said she was very satisfied with her. Following the directions given by Cui Yu Ming Luan, Mu Xiaowu wandered through twists and turns until he was completely disoriented. After walking a long distance, parched and starving, he finally saw a village.

This village was named Baiyu Village. The village chief, seeing how travel-worn he was, made him some food. When he learned that Mu Xiaowu had encountered a leech demon, the chief slammed the table and demanded to know the demon’s whereabouts. Lacking a good sense of direction, Mu Xiaowu racked his brains but still couldn’t recall where he had seen the leech demon.

Dongfang Huaizhu asked Jiuhuo a question, and even though he didn’t answer, his few seconds of silence gave her all the answers she needed. This helped her resolve to collaborate with Wangquan Hongye against Jia Lan and Jiuhuo. However, Dongfang Huaizhu still didn’t trust Wangquan Hongye, so she used demon power to lock his heart pulse, causing excruciating pain at will.

The village chief’s eldest son claimed that the leech demon Mu Xiaowu saw had killed his younger brother, so he rallied the villagers to seek revenge against Cui Yu Ming Luan. But Mu Xiaowu felt that Cui Yu Ming Luan didn’t seem like an evil demon—after all, she had even given him directions. The chief’s son said demons were adept at trickery, and dragged Mu Xiaowu along to capture her.

Mu Xiaowu used his Heaven’s Eye to track Cui Yu Ming Luan’s traces in the bamboo forest. The chief’s son lured her out using an injured cat demon and controlled the cat demon with a demon-controlling talisman to attack her. Eventually, Cui Yu was captured. However, Mu Xiaowu could tell that Cui Yu didn’t intend to harm anyone, and demanded to know the truth before allowing anyone to hurt her.

The chief’s son decided to drug him and later shot Mu Xiaowu with an arrow. Only then did Mu Xiaowu realize the village chief and his son were not good people. Fortunately, Cui Yu turned red-eyed, released poisonous mist, and escaped from Baiyu Village with Mu Xiaowu. Dongfang Huaizhu brought Wangquan Hongye to her room and personally treated his wounds. The closer Dongfang Huaizhu got, the faster Wangquan Hongye’s heart pounded.

His feelings for her could be used to her advantage. The incense she burned contained an aphrodisiac, and Wangquan Hongye’s face flushed red as he struggled to restrain himself from touching her. Wangquan Hongye’s strong self-control surprised Dongfang Huaizhu. If he could hold out until the incense burned out, she would believe in him. But that wouldn’t be easy, especially since she had concocted the incense herself.

Wangquan Hongye distanced himself from her and sat cross-legged, channeling his energy to resist the incense’s effects. Mu Xiaowu awoke and stubbornly insisted on returning to Baiyu Village to seek the truth. The red-eyed Cui Yu thought he was truly ungrateful. Seeing Yeyuan leave the city, Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan secretly followed.

Mu Mie returned to Baiyu Village only to find all the villagers massacred, corpses strewn everywhere. Yeyuan killed the last one, recognized Mu Mie as the one who had discovered the leech demon, and interrogated him about its whereabouts. Cui Yu appeared just in time to try and rescue Mu Mie, but Yeyuan would not let them go so easily. Yang Yitan secretly assisted by helping Mu Mie use his Heaven’s Eye to see the flow of Yeyuan’s demon aura.

Realizing he couldn’t win against Yang Yitan and Wangquan Zui, Yeyuan fled. When Mu Mie saw Yang Yitan, he recognized him as the person from his dream who gouged out their own Heaven’s Eye. Upon learning Mu Mie’s surname was Mu, Yang Yitan quickly questioned him and confirmed he was the son of his aunt, Yang Yan, who had died six months prior. Mu Mie, however, didn’t tell the truth about why he had come to Baiyu Village.

Dongfang Huaizhu knew Wangquan was pretending to be asleep and ordered someone to keep watch over him. After she left, Wangquan used a sleeping incense to knock out the guard and went to investigate the Pool of Rebirth on his own. He discovered that the golden morning light above the pool had a powerful formation and purification ability, but something in its aura was missing.

Yeyuan caught Wangquan there, and then Dongfang Huaizhu appeared, using Jia Lan’s powers to control Yeyuan and safely left the pool. Yeyuan’s memories of the encounter were erased. Wangquan Zui and the others wanted to learn the secrets of Biluo City and the Golden Morning Inn from Cui Yu, but the blue-eyed Cui Yu only knew that Biluo City was dangerous and nothing more.

Even if Wangquan Zui hypnotized her to recall her time at the inn, she refused to remember. The leech demon was skilled in healing and could tell that Yang Yitan’s internal and external injuries were severe, making it dangerous for him to use his Heaven’s Eye anytime soon. The red-eyed Cui Yu agreed to heal Yang Yitan on the condition that Mu Mie would assist her.

Wangquan could tell Dongfang Huaizhu was testing him, so he proposed they cooperate and put on a show to draw Jiuhuo in. Dongfang Huaizhu then brought Wangquan to meet Jiuhuo and claimed they could use Wangquan’s life to exchange the leech demon from Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan. Jiuhuo agreed and gave her three days. Soon, Dongfang Huaizhu’s public notice spread throughout the city. Mu Mie and Cui Yu went out to gather herbs together.

The clever Mu Mie had long noticed the dual nature of Cui Yu Ming Luan—gentle and kind when blue-eyed, fiery and bold when red-eyed. The red-eyed Cui Yu teased him about which side he preferred. Mu Mie, straightforward as ever, said that no matter which side she was, she didn’t seem like someone who would kill lightly. While others feared and hated demons, Mu Mie chose to believe in them.

The red-eyed Cui Yu became frustrated, as Mu Mie’s logic of only trusting outcomes without caring whether one was human or demon failed to convince her. Jiuhuo wanted to save Jia Lan, and Wangquan Hongye wanted to save Dongfang Huaizhu. This gave Dongfang Huaizhu an opportunity to manipulate both. Blue-eyed Cui Yu didn’t understand why Yang Yitan would treat Wangquan Zui better than his own life.

Yang Yitan said little, but outside the door, Wangquan Zui realized how important she was to him. Dongfang Huaizhu dressed elegantly to attend a meeting. Though Wangquan worried about her using Jia Lan’s demon power to control Jiuhuo, Dongfang Huaizhu was confident and insisted on going to Jiuhuo’s room to implement her plan. At the time, Jiuhuo was in a weakened state. Dongfang Huaizhu took the opportunity to perform mental control and asked the questions she needed.

After achieving her goal, she erased Jiuhuo’s memory, but someone as powerful as Jiuhuo still recalled a fragment of a red-clothed figure. Blue-eyed Cui Yu wanted to leave, but red-eyed Cui Yu insisted on staying and agreed to let Yang Yitan hypnotize her. Jiuhuo claimed to control everything and said Wangquan could not leave Biluo City. But Wangquan Zui smiled faintly and said that Dongfang Huaizhu could.

Wangquan Zui hypnotized Cui Yu and asked about her experiences in Baiyu Village. It turned out that Cui Yu had come looking for her disciple Cui Yu Xiaotan and encountered Sun Yuanji, who had broken his leg. She kindly saved him and stayed at the Sun family’s home, but they drugged her with sleeping incense and sent her to the Golden Morning Inn. The inn contained many large vats filled with golden liquid that could submerge an entire demon.

The golden liquid enveloped Cui Yu’s demon core, absorbing all her power and forming a new object similar to a demon core. Driven by the will to survive, Cui Yu developed her red eyes and escaped from the Golden Morning Inn. The red-eyed Cui Yu returned to Baiyu Village for revenge and had just killed Sun Yuanli when her blue-eyed self awoke and fled in panic.

Yang Yitan and Wangquan Zui found the Masked Group’s mark on the street, then found a bamboo tube with “Wei hour, Pear Slope” written on it. They arrived on time and saw Dongfang Huaizhu, also realizing that Wangquan Hongye had allied with her. The two then shared all the information they had with Dongfang Huaizhu, but she didn’t believe they could come out unscathed after dealing with Jiuhuo. Jiuhuo already suspected Dongfang Huaizhu.

When he learned that Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan wanted to make an exchange at the Golden Morning Inn, he refused Dongfang Huaizhu’s offer to go with them and ordered Yeyuan to accompany him and bring Wangquan Hongye. At the inn, Jiuhuo openly revealed the source of the golden liquid and said he was using the power of great demons to recondense it into fragments of Golden Morning Light to repair his magic artifact.

Once repaired, it would be even more powerful than before. Having said all he wanted, Jiuhuo lost patience and attacked. Having absorbed the hatred of many, Dongfang Huaizhu’s demon power had grown even stronger. She secretly followed, remained unnoticed by Jiuhuo, unlocked Wangquan’s seal in the shadows, and struck Jiuhuo with a surprise attack. Then, using herself as bait, she aroused Jiuhuo’s desire and got him to let everyone go.

Yang Yitan left behind an explosive talisman that destroyed the Golden Morning Light—by then, Jiuhuo’s true face must have been revealed to everyone in Biluo City. Dongfang Huaizhu had no intention of heading to the Po Tian Temple with Wangquan and the others. She told him that only dragon bones and dragon blood could restrain Jiuhuo and that she would wait for him to return to Biluo City.

Returning alone, Dongfang Huaizhu staged a ruse of self-sacrifice, mentioned Jia Lan, and pretended to be out of favor to lower Jiuhuo’s guard. Jiuhuo fell for the trick and treated her injuries, promising to reveal everything the next day. Before heading to the Po Tian Temple, Mu Mie shared his dream. Yang Yitan said the future is uncertain, and their priority now was to deal with Jiuhuo.

Yang Yitan had already sent signals to all members of the Masked Group, but only the Yang family had responded. They didn’t know what had happened to the group in the past twenty years, but since the Li family replied, it meant someone from the Li clan had survived. The three entered the Po Tian Temple and saw Li Quzhuo twenty years in the future. His hair was white, his legs crippled, sitting in a wheelchair and visibly aged.

He said the Masked Group had fought the black fox beyond the Circle and all perished. He hadn’t even been able to retrieve their bodies. He only remembered Yang Yitan had self-destructed his Heaven’s Eye to save the only surviving Li Quzhuo—something that matched Mu Mie’s dream. Li Quzhuo led them to the burial mound. Wangquan Hongye learned that the destruction of the Masked Group happened eighteen years ago.

With the Heaven’s Eye, Yang Yitan saw things more clearly and complexly than they did. Their arrival twenty years in the future was no accident—everything followed a pattern. Now, they could prepare early to prevent a tragic ending. Li Quzhuo had survived all this time just to wait for the Wangquan of twenty years ago and help them restore the artifact.

Mu Mie had something on his mind. Cui Yu Ming Luan knew what troubled him and advised him to go traveling in the mountains and rivers instead of getting involved in the matters of Biluocheng and the Yiqi Alliance. Cui Yu Ming Luan asked Mu Mie whether he liked the blue-eyed version of her or the red-eyed one.

Mu Mie did not answer at the time, but his actions and later words made the red-eyed one feel that he liked the blue-eyed version more. Enraged, she left. The blue-eyed one tried to emerge, but was suppressed by the red-eyed one. They both liked Mu Mie, but the red-eyed one was more assertive and had grown increasingly extreme.

The blue-eyed one said that Mu Mie had said those things on purpose to drive her away, to protect her from getting involved. According to Mu Mie’s character, he would never abandon Yang Yitan. Even so, the red-eyed one would not listen and cast a spell to plunge the blue-eyed one into eternal slumber. Although the Golden Lotus magical artifact had been destroyed, Li Quzhuo from twenty years later could soon repair it.

However, he had no other solution for the demon aura within Huaizhu. Li Quzhuo speculated that the Jin Chenxi magical artifact must have contained the Huangquan clan’s Spirit-Summoning Umbrella, which could purify resentment and might also purify the demon aura inside Huaizhu. The top priority was to deal with Jiuhuo, the true source of all the chaos. Li Quzhuo had already sent people to fetch dragon blood, which was on its way.

Tomorrow's battle would be the final one, and Wangquan Hongye was determined to bring Huaizhu back. With no leech demons left, Jiuhuo chose to use the Huangquan clan’s people to repair Jin Chenxi. At midnight, Wangquan Hongye led Yang Yitan and the others in an attack. Despite their numbers, Jiuhuo's immense demon power kept the battle at a stalemate. Li Quzhuo threw out the dragon blood, but Jiuhuo seized it and smashed it to the ground.

Mu Mie and Cui Yu Ming Luan appeared in succession to buy time for Wangquan Hongye and his allies. Wangquan Hongye immediately launched another offensive, with assistance from Yang Yitan and Wangquan Zui. Ignoring his severe injuries, Mu Mie rejoined the battle and finally dealt a heavy blow to Jiuhuo. Cui Yu Ming Luan gathered the dragon blood from the ground.

The final battle broke out as a sword strike infused with everyone's magical power surged like a breaking bamboo toward Jiuhuo. Empowered by dragon blood, it greatly suppressed Jiuhuo’s formidable demon power and sent him flying. It seemed like Wangquan’s side had won—until Huaizhu appeared midway. She had been acting all along to make Wangquan believe that Dongfang Huaizhu still existed, urging him to help her defeat Jiuhuo. But the current Huaizhu was neither Jia Lan nor Dongfang Huaizhu.

She had developed a new personality and let Wangquan and Jiuhuo exhaust each other so she could reap the benefits. Huaizhu now possessed Jia Lan’s ability to command demons and fed on hatred, becoming increasingly powerful. She declared that she was who she was, the only mandrake flower on the Tree of Sorrow, not a substitute for anyone.

Wangquan Hongye, taking a desperate gamble, pulled Huaizhu into Jin Chenxi, determined that if they couldn’t live together, then they would die together. Inside Jin Chenxi, Wangquan saw the Spirit-Summoning Umbrella and recalled Li Quzhuo’s words, speculating that it might indeed purify the demon aura in Huaizhu. He then burned his own life force to fuel his sword and amplify the umbrella’s purifying power. The black demon aura on Huaizhu was gradually devoured by golden light and faded away.

The heartless, hatred-fueled Huaizhu vanished, and the true Dongfang Huaizhu finally returned. Wangquan Hongye exhausted his last breath and silently prayed that Dongfang Huaizhu would come back. Dongfang Huaizhu embraced Wangquan Hongye. He opened his eyes, unable to distinguish between illusion and reality.

Dongfang Huaizhu returned once more, declaring that Jiu Huo would regret abducting her to Biluo City. She then melted Jin Chenxi into countless fragments with Pure Yang Flame, rendering Jin Chenxi no longer whole. When Wangquan Hongye awoke, the first person he mentioned was Huaizhu, but Wangquan Zui and the others remained silent, leading Wangquan Hongye to mistakenly believe he had failed.

The next moment, Dongfang Huaizhu approached him with medicine in hand, leaving Wangquan Hongye stunned—it turned out Wangquan Zui and the others had been deliberately teasing him. They had won a decisive victory. Though Jiu Huo possessed an immortal body, Wangquan Hongye planned to bring him back twenty years to reseal him. Wanting time alone with Dongfang Huaizhu, Wangquan Zui understood his intention and quickly pushed Li Quzhuo, who was in a wheelchair, away with Yang Yitan.

Dongfang Huaizhu still retained some residual inner breath and soul fragments of the Black Fox within her; they must not allow the Black Fox to break free. Dongfang Huaizhu and Wangquan Hongye took a walk together to witness the world of peaceful coexistence between humans and demons twenty years later. When asked why Wangquan had gone to such lengths to save her, he admitted he hadn’t really thought about it himself. Touched deeply, Huaizhu kissed him.

Meanwhile, Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan shared a pot of wine. She teased him, asking if that counted as an indirect kiss—Yang Yitan dared not admit it. When Wangquan Zui asked whether he liked her, Yang Yitan confessed that he did, but followed it with a sentence that contradicted his true feelings, which angered Wangquan Zui, and she stormed off. Li Quzhuo retrieved letters that Dongfang Huaizhu had written to Wangquan Hongye from twenty years in the future.

But there weren’t many letters, as Dongfang Huaizhu had already passed away ten years ago. He placed them in a box and handed them to Wangquan, but Wangquan did not read them, firmly believing that this was not the true ending between him and Dongfang Huaizhu. Though Jiu Huo had been defeated, he remained arrogant and mad. Wangquan considered him no longer a threat. Everyone gathered for food and drink when Mu Mie suddenly collapsed.

Upon checking his pulse, Huaizhu discovered his five internal elements were shattered and his meridians broken. She had no solution but to seek help from Cui Yu Ming Luan, who was skilled in healing. The red-eyed Cui Yu Ming Luan didn’t know healing magic; only the blue-eyed one did. Yet Cui Yu kept this to herself, only requesting a room and that no one disturb her. Previously, the red-eyed Cui had already sealed away her blue-eyed counterpart.

To release the blue-eyed Cui again, she would have to put herself into eternal slumber. In order to save Mu Mie, the red-eyed Cui decided to sacrifice herself and return the body to the blue-eyed Cui. As the red-eyed Cui began casting her spell, Mu Mie dragged his heavy body toward her and confessed his feelings. He had always loved the red-eyed Cui. He liked her passion and boldness, her frank and straightforward nature.

Although she could be unreasonable at times, Mu Mie knew her heart was kind. Moved to tears by Mu Mie’s heartfelt confession, the red-eyed Cui lamented that it was all too late. She sacrificed herself, turning into the final shard of Jin Chenxi and flying toward it, unexpectedly making Jin Chenxi whole again. The red-eyed Cui had in fact been one of Jin Chenxi’s fragments.

Her will to survive had granted her independent consciousness, and with her sacrifice, she merged with the main body of Jin Chenxi. Jiu Huo sensed this and immediately forced out the dragon blood, breaking his bindings, his eyes flashing with vicious intent. No one had anticipated such a turn of events. Even the red-eyed Cui likely hadn’t expected it—otherwise, she wouldn't have made that choice.

Jiu Huo repaired Jin Chenxi. To save Jia Lan, he willingly drowned himself in the abyss, regardless of the devastation to the living world. Sensing the abnormal celestial change, Dongfang Huaizhu and Wangquan Hongye immediately realized Jiu Huo had escaped. When they arrived at the formation, they found Jiu Huo had already repaired Jin Chenxi and taken it. Unable to stop him, they called Yang Yitan to join the pursuit.

Taking advantage of the Seven-Star Alignment, Jiu Huo used Jin Chenxi to help the Black Fox Jia Lan break through the seal. A crack was torn open in the barrier, and the sinister being Jia Lan emerged as a mass of black mist. Though she had no physical form, her power was immense. Wangquan Hongye and his companions used the Combined Breath Technique, but it was no match for the Black Fox’s attack.

Seeing this, Li Quzhuo wielded the restored Golden Lotus and deployed thousands of talismans to hold off the Black Fox, buying Wangquan’s group time to return to the past. As the talismans were shattered one by one, Li Quzhuo’s body suffered massive attacks from the Black Fox, leaving him gravely wounded and coughing blood. At the critical moment, the Golden Lotus from twenty years ago reacted, retrieving Wangquan and the others.

Upon arriving in the past, Wangquan Hongye was seriously injured and was the first to collapse unconscious. Dongfang Huaizhu was extremely worried about him, but the old master of the Dongfang family reassured her that with him there, Wangquan Hongye would be fine. To have his daughter Dongfang Huaizhu returned home safely, the old master admired Wangquan’s courage and resolve, his eyes full of appreciation for Wangquan Hongye. Nearby, senior disciple Jin Renfeng showed a flash of jealousy and malice.

After eavesdropping on Li Quzhuo and the others discussing their plan to destroy the Golden Lotus to cut off Jiu Huo’s access, Jin Renfeng devised an extremely sinister scheme. Wangquan Zui repeatedly sought a clear answer from Yang Yitan, but he never said what she wanted to hear, leaving her angry and upset. Though Li Quzhuo knew she was distressed over Yang Yitan, he misunderstood the reason, thinking it was because their childhood engagement couldn’t be annulled.

Only Li Zizai saw through the truth, assuring Wangquan Zui that Yang Yitan definitely had feelings for her. Li Quzhuo, realizing too late, blurted it out, prompting Wangquan Zui to angrily stuff his mouth with food. Dongfang Huaizhu had been tending to Wangquan Hongye the whole time. One day, she nearly collapsed from exhaustion and lack of sleep, but Wangquan Hongye, now awake, caught her in time.

The old master sent someone to say that once Wangquan Hongye woke, he should come meet him. Huaizhu reminded him there was no need to be nervous about seeing her father. The old master dismissed Qinlan and spoke privately with Wangquan Hongye. At first, both remained formal, but after some drinks, they opened up and began talking like brothers, creating a comically warm atmosphere.

When Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan entered and saw the scene, they ordered vinegar to sober them up. Waking up with a hangover, Wangquan Hongye was reminded by Dongfang Huaizhu to take medicine continuously for seven days. Once the medicine ran out, he would personally return to Divine Fire Villa for more. Wangquan Hongye had business to attend to and didn’t stay long at the villa. During Huaizhu’s absence, the villa’s medicinal herbs and income had actually increased.

When two disciples returned from gathering herbs without bringing climbing tools, Huaizhu sensed something was wrong and asked Qinlan to gather all disciples for questioning. Housekeeper Fei handed the reforged Wangquan Sword to Wangquan Hongye. Now, Wangquan Hongye would no longer easily venture beyond the barrier to fight the Black Fox. Regarding the Black Fox, he needed to take a long-term approach.

During the questioning, the old master exposed Jin Renfeng’s vile act of enslaving demons to gather herbs for the villa. Seeing that Jin Renfeng felt no shame and even pride, Huaizhu challenged him to a duel. Before they even crossed hands, Jin Renfeng was shocked to discover that Dongfang Huaizhu had mastered the Pure Yang Flame.

Dongfang Huaizhu mastered the Pure Yang Flame. Jin Renfeng made a shocking statement, claiming they no longer needed to remain subordinate to the Wangquan family. Dongfang Churi immediately rebuked him and ordered the disciples of Divine Fire Villa to listen to her teachings: often show compassion, help the world when needed, do not meddle in Jianghu affairs, and strive to be good people.

Cui Yu Xiaotan became Jin Renfeng’s demon and used demonic techniques to help him absorb demonic power for cultivating the Divine Fire. Jin Renfeng also secretly took back the golden lotus that had been burned by Li Zizai and the others, hoping it might be useful one day. The words of Jiu Huo and Black Fox still echoed in her mind, leaving Dongfang Huaizhu uneasy.

She vented by practicing swordplay in the bamboo forest, all of which was clearly seen by Dongfang Churi deep in the forest. Although the golden lotus had been burned, it remained sharp. Jin Renfeng was accidentally cut and saw an illusion of the Celestial Demon Jiu Huo. Jiu Huo claimed he could restore the golden lotus if Jin Renfeng followed his method and came to him.

Jin Renfeng didn’t believe him, but Jiu Huo had all the time in the world to wait for him to consider. Dongfang Huaizhu went to see Yang Yan. As before, she intended to leave quietly, but Yang Yan returned early, and they ran into each other. Huaizhu couldn’t tell her about the future and only said she would definitely protect her and the child. Twenty years later, after the Black Fox was born, Biluocheng had become a living hell.

Mu Mie and Blue-Eyed Cui Yu Ming Luan were protecting a group of the elderly, weak, and sick, unsure of how much longer they could hold on. Blue Eyes gave Mu Mie a flower crown that Red Eyes had made when she was alive. Once everything was over, Blue Eyes and her jade body would also part from Mu Mie. The members of the Masked Group gathered at Po Tian Temple.

Deng Qiyue had just returned from investigating in the Western Regions. To learn more about the origins of the Black Fox, Wangquan Hongye decided to take Li Quzhuo to the Demon-Taming Kingdom, while the others stayed behind to support them when needed. Previously, Wangquan Hongye had asked Qingmu Yuan to make another hairpin. Qingmu Yuan handed it to him.

The matter Dongfang Huaizhu asked Qingmu Yuan to investigate was finally uncovered: her mother, Jiang Juanxue, was the Saintess of the North Mountain Sect before marrying Dongfang Churi. Back then, Dongfang Churi gave up a promising future to live a secluded life in the countryside for the sake of marrying Jiang Juanxue. When it came to Jiang Juanxue, Dongfang Churi knew more than anyone else. However, in her conversation with her father, Huaizhu realized he didn’t know much either.

All the answers were in a letter Jiang Juanxue had left for her. When Huaizhu was ready to know, Dongfang Churi would give her the letter. When Huaizhu opened it, Jiang Juanxue instructed her to go to the Zui Meng Tower in the Demon-Taming Kingdom and find a person named Er Zhu Yu to obtain a plant called Sunset Mist Flower. At that time, all the answers would be revealed.

Secretly, Jin Renfeng overheard the key information about Zui Meng Tower and the Sunset Mist Flower and began scheming. Wangquan Zui was troubled. As her brother, Wangquan Hongye guessed it was because of Yang Yitan. So he advised Yang Yitan to consider what Wangquan Zui truly wanted. Li Quzhuo and Li Zizai tried to get Yang Yitan drunk to make him speak his true feelings.

But before the wine that made people spill their hearts was even drunk, Yang Yitan already opened up. Li Zizai secretly activated a sound transmission so Wangquan Zui could hear everything. Yang Yitan and Wangquan Zui seemed to be in perfect sync. Just after Yang Yitan told Wangquan Hongye that he was going to propose to Wangquan Zui, she, too, told Wangquan Hongye she planned to propose to Yang Yitan near Ruyi Tower.

She even said that life was too short and didn’t want his feelings to go unreciprocated. Their words were identical, and Wangquan Hongye couldn’t help but laugh.

Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan were strolling near Ruyi Tower amid a lively crowd, with cheers and performances all around. Wangquan Zui mustered her courage to confess her feelings to Yang Yitan and sincerely shared her heart. Moved to tears, Yang Yitan kissed her in the next moment, as brilliant fireworks lit up the sky at just the right moment.

These fireworks weren’t set off by Qingmu Yuan, but were part of the finale that Dongfang Huaizhu helped Wangquan Hongye prepare. At the Bamboo Pavilion by River Huai, they also saw the fireworks in the city, showing that everything went smoothly. At the pavilion, Huaizhu and Wangquan watched the moon and stars. She spoke of her mother, Jiang Juanxue, who had left her a riddle to solve. Wangquan also had business to attend to.

Neither of them imagined they would soon meet again in the Demon-Taming Kingdom. Qingmu Yuan and Zhang Zheng had been classmates for many years. When the other classmates bullied her, Zhang Zheng had saved her countless times, so Qingmu Yuan developed feelings for him. But after Zhang Zheng became head of the Zhang family, his personality changed drastically. Qingmu Yuan, as the mistress of Ruyi Tower, invited him multiple times, but he never came.

Now that news came from Ruyi Tower that Zhang Zheng had once again gone undercover into the Demon-Taming Kingdom, Qingmu Yuan wanted to find out why he kept going there and decided to go with Wangquan Hongye. It was rare for Qingmu Yuan to go on missions herself. Though Wangquan Zui found it surprising, she didn’t question it deeply. Before heading to the Demon-Taming Kingdom, Wangquan Hongye had one more major matter to settle—Yang Yitan and Wangquan Zui’s wedding.

Yang Yitan promised not to skimp on any of the proper rituals and gifts. Wangquan Hongye also had one requirement: Yang Huan Zhou and Yang Ying must come in person to propose marriage. The Yang family marrying into the Wangquan family was a great honor. Yang Huan Zhou eagerly agreed and promised to pass the head of the family position to Yang Yitan after the marriage.

Yang Ying, a gambler who owed a lot of debt, had all his debts cleared by Wangquan Hongye. Not only that, Wangquan Hongye bought two jade mines in Nan Chui and sent Yang Ying there with his wife and children to prevent further trouble. Wangquan Hongye had done a lot for Wangquan Zui, yet still felt it wasn’t enough. Especially now that his sister was about to get married, he felt a complex mix of emotions.

With no progress in his cultivation, Jin Renfeng decided to side with Jiu Huo and deliver a message to the king of the Demon-Taming Kingdom on his behalf, hoping to obtain the Sunset Mist Flower before Dongfang Huaizhu. Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan arrived in the Demon-Taming Kingdom. Before they could even go to Zui Meng Tower to find the Sunset Mist Flower, they were thrown into prison for lacking identification plaques and not bringing a demon with them.

Fortunately, informants from Ruyi Tower recognized them as likely being from Divine Fire Villa and quickly sent word. Wangquan Hongye and Li Quzhuo disguised themselves as two demons and rescued them from prison. Wangquan Hongye was very worried about Huaizhu. As he spoke, he held her hand. Dongfang Qinlan quickly stepped in between them, separating them. Huaizhu recognized them because Li Quzhuo had written the word “sister-in-law” on his palm.

Qinlan grew curious and asked what it said, and Li Quzhuo hurriedly wiped it off before she could see. Though the purpose of Huaizhu and Qinlan’s trip to the Demon-Taming Kingdom was still unknown, Wangquan Hongye suggested they work together. Qinlan quickly declined. Hongye didn’t insist and instead handed them two identification plaques. Qinlan hastily pulled her sister away, afraid that in the next moment, her sister might be snatched away by Wangquan Hongye. After all, the way he looked at Dongfang Huaizhu—his eyes were practically glued to her.

Qingmu Yuan told Wangquan Hongye that the first clue she found was related to Dongfang Huaizhu’s mother, Jiang Juanxue. Jiang Juanxue was the Saintess of the Beishan Sect and closely tied to the origin of the Black Fox. Jiang Juanxue had once trained a woman named Erzhu Yu, who was mysteriously killed a year ago. The identity of the current tower master remains unknown. Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan settled at the Quiet Courtyard.

The person who brought them there gave Huaizhu a note. On it was written: "Erzhu Yu, the former tower master of Zui Meng Tower, was assassinated. The identity of the current tower master is unknown. "The Demon Kingdom closed its city gates for three days but still failed to locate Wangquan Hongye. The King of the Demon Kingdom flew into a rage. The national advisor, Ana Yan, claimed that she had already sent someone to assassinate Wangquan Hongye.

The assassin failed to kill Wangquan Hongye and fled, injured. Qingmu Yuan was troubled. The assassin’s technique felt familiar to her—she kept thinking it was that person. Huaizhu dreamed of the Black Fox and realized that the fox's aura still lingered inside her—it was just temporarily suppressed. Identity tokens in the Demon Kingdom are made from red ochre stone, which is controlled by the King.

Qingmu Yuan had only two pieces, which Wangquan Hongye had used to save the Huaizhu sisters. If they wanted to continue hiding in the Demon Kingdom, Wangquan Hongye and Li Quzhuo had to disguise themselves as someone else’s demons. And it was obvious whose identities they would assume. Wangquan Hongye and Li Quzhuo joined up with the Huaizhu sisters and obtained demon blood from Qingmu Yuan.

Demon cores with demonic thoughts stripped away were harmless to them, but they couldn’t use spiritual power. Li Quzhuo swallowed a dog core, and Wangquan Hongye swallowed a snake core. Wangquan Hongye’s demon transformation wasn’t complete yet, but his sleepy snake instincts had already shown up. After showing off a bit, he collapsed into a watery nap. The next day, Huaizhu went to the pharmacy to offer free consultations, and Wangquan Hongye accompanied her, taking the chance to meet someone.

Qinlan didn’t want the two of them to be alone together, but Wangquan Hongye asked her to take care of Li Quzhuo, who hadn’t fully fused with the demon core. Huaizhu also asked her to stay at the courtyard, so Qinlan could only grudgingly accept the arrangement. Wangquan Hongye went to the underground palace to meet Prince Bumu, the younger brother of the Demon Kingdom’s king.

Years ago, he had helped Prince Bumu, so now that Wangquan Hongye was in the Demon Kingdom, Prince Bumu promised to assist him fully. Wangquan Hongye learned from him that the Nine Enchantments of the Celestial Demons had been sealed by the Beishan Sect back then. There was also a barrier that could not be broken by force, which only successive monarchs carrying the royal seal could enter. Dongfang Huaizhu didn’t gain much from the consultations today.

All she learned was that Zui Meng Tower was a money pit. Since Erzhu Yu’s death, the demon-fighting competitions it hosted had become increasingly frequent. Wangquan Hongye used his demon power to manipulate water into a heart-shaped ice block, but his control was still clumsy. The heart-shaped ice shattered with a plop—a literal “broken heart. ” Wangquan Hongye said each shard belonged to Huaizhu. Dongfang Huaizhu found it hilarious.

When they returned to the Quiet Courtyard, Li Quzhuo—who had been trained all day by Qinlan using primitive methods—burst into tears the moment he saw Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu. Wangquan Hongye brought back their favorite roasted chicken, so Li Quzhuo didn’t have to cook anymore. Dongfang Huaizhu told Wangquan Hongye that she still had traces of the Black Fox’s aura inside her. They exchanged the information they had gathered that day.

Everyone agreed that although the Beishan Sect had perished, it was closely tied to the Black Fox’s origin. And the most direct clue to the Black Fox’s origin now lay in Zui Meng Tower.

Qingmu Yuan told Wangquan Hongye that the first clue she found was related to Dongfang Huaizhu’s mother, Jiang Juanxue. Jiang Juanxue was the Saintess of the Beishan Sect and closely tied to the origin of the Black Fox. Jiang Juanxue had once trained a woman named Erzhu Yu, who was mysteriously killed a year ago. The identity of the current tower master remains unknown. Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan settled at the Quiet Courtyard.

The person who brought them there gave Huaizhu a note. On it was written: "Erzhu Yu, the former tower master of Zui Meng Tower, was assassinated. The identity of the current tower master is unknown. "The Demon Kingdom closed its city gates for three days but still failed to locate Wangquan Hongye. The King of the Demon Kingdom flew into a rage. The national advisor, Ana Yan, claimed that she had already sent someone to assassinate Wangquan Hongye.

The assassin failed to kill Wangquan Hongye and fled, injured. Qingmu Yuan was troubled. The assassin’s technique felt familiar to her—she kept thinking it was that person. Huaizhu dreamed of the Black Fox and realized that the fox's aura still lingered inside her—it was just temporarily suppressed. Identity tokens in the Demon Kingdom are made from red ochre stone, which is controlled by the King. Qingmu Yuan had only two pieces, which Wangquan Hongye had used to save the Huaizhu sisters.

If they wanted to continue hiding in the Demon Kingdom, Wangquan Hongye and Li Quzhuo had to disguise themselves as someone else’s demons. And it was obvious whose identities they would assume. Wangquan Hongye and Li Quzhuo joined up with the Huaizhu sisters and obtained demon blood from Qingmu Yuan. Demon cores with demonic thoughts stripped away were harmless to them, but they couldn’t use spiritual power. Li Quzhuo swallowed a dog core, and Wangquan Hongye swallowed a snake core.

Wangquan Hongye’s demon transformation wasn’t complete yet, but his sleepy snake instincts had already shown up. After showing off a bit, he collapsed into a watery nap. The next day, Huaizhu went to the pharmacy to offer free consultations, and Wangquan Hongye accompanied her, taking the chance to meet someone. Qinlan didn’t want the two of them to be alone together, but Wangquan Hongye asked her to take care of Li Quzhuo, who hadn’t fully fused with the demon core.

Huaizhu also asked her to stay at the courtyard, so Qinlan could only grudgingly accept the arrangement. Wangquan Hongye went to the underground palace to meet Prince Bumu, the younger brother of the Demon Kingdom’s king. Years ago, he had helped Prince Bumu, so now that Wangquan Hongye was in the Demon Kingdom, Prince Bumu promised to assist him fully.

Wangquan Hongye learned from him that the Nine Enchantments of the Celestial Demons had been sealed by the Beishan Sect back then. There was also a barrier that could not be broken by force, which only successive monarchs carrying the royal seal could enter. Dongfang Huaizhu didn’t gain much from the consultations today. All she learned was that Zui Meng Tower was a money pit. Since Erzhu Yu’s death, the demon-fighting competitions it hosted had become increasingly frequent.

Wangquan Hongye used his demon power to manipulate water into a heart-shaped ice block, but his control was still clumsy. The heart-shaped ice shattered with a plop—a literal “broken heart. ” Wangquan Hongye said each shard belonged to Huaizhu. Dongfang Huaizhu found it hilarious. When they returned to the Quiet Courtyard, Li Quzhuo—who had been trained all day by Qinlan using primitive methods—burst into tears the moment he saw Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu.

Wangquan Hongye brought back their favorite roasted chicken, so Li Quzhuo didn’t have to cook anymore. Dongfang Huaizhu told Wangquan Hongye that she still had traces of the Black Fox’s aura inside her. They exchanged the information they had gathered that day. Everyone agreed that although the Beishan Sect had perished, it was closely tied to the Black Fox’s origin. And the most direct clue to the Black Fox’s origin now lay in Zui Meng Tower.

Li Quzhuo and Dongfang Qinlan captured the Swallow and placed three talismans on him, thereby locating his base in Liyuan. The leader of these Swallows was a honey badger demon, known as Flathead Bro, nicknamed the Indestructible. Ana Yan ordered her men to find new demons. If they couldn’t locate a new batch, her subordinates would have to go sacrifice themselves.

Zhang Zheng refused to help Ana Yan assassinate Wangquan Hongye again, but Ana Yan still threatened him using the indenture and the Zhang family as leverage. With no other choice, Zhang Zheng reluctantly compromised and had a meal with Ana Yan. To his shock, she had poisoned the food, intending to permanently control him. Dongfang Huaizhu and Wangquan Hongye went to Liyuan and easily subdued the honey badger demon.

Huaizhu pointed out that the honey badger demon was already at the end of his strength. If he told them where the assassin was, they would pretend today never happened and wouldn’t harm a single Swallow. The honey badger demon complied, and the two went off to find the assassin. When they saw Zhang Zheng, both were surprised. Before they could act, Qingmu Yuan rushed in to stop them.

Wangquan was furious that Qingmu Yuan had kept this from him and was even angrier that she thought he was someone who acted without discerning right from wrong. After hearing what Qingmu Yuan had to say about Zhang Zheng, Wangquan calmed down and immediately sent word back to the Yiqi Alliance, asking Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan to root out Ana Yan’s people within the Alliance and retrieve Zhang Zheng’s indenture.

Three days later, Wangquan brought a bowl of wontons to Zhang Zheng. Zhang Zheng, still harboring resentment toward Wangquan, appeared prickly, but Wangquan didn’t mind. He pulled out the indenture and burned it in front of him to show that he would never stoop to Ana Yan’s tactics of using it to manipulate him. Wangquan returned the black sword to Zhang Zheng and said that the Wangquan and Zhang families were never enemies.

He hoped Zhang Zheng could understand his intentions. Zhang Zheng went to Ruyi Tower and looked at Qingmu Yuan from afar. Qingmu Yuan ran after him to give him a sword tassel she had prepared, but was shocked to see blue scales under Zhang Zheng’s eyes—signs of Gu Huo Niao demon poison. With the poison already in his bloodstream, Qingmu Yuan didn’t have time to take him back to Ruyi Tower.

She used a blood-exchange cauldron from the leech demon clan to swap her blood for his, drawing the poison into herself before it could reach his heart, hoping to suppress it. When Zhang Zheng awoke, only a campfire remained by his side. As before, he remembered nothing and had no idea Qingmu Yuan had saved him by exchanging her blood. The Golden Lotus, an ancient artifact, though burned, still had the power to regenerate.

Through the Golden Lotus, Jiu Huo passed a message to Jin Renfeng, saying Ana Yan had failed and instructing him to head to the Yao-controlling Nation. Wangquan Hongye prepared the candied hawthorn Dongfang Qinlan liked. In Qinlan’s eyes, the Wangquan Sword and Dongfang spiritual blood were a burden to Huaizhu. The reason she liked the Masked Group leader was because Huaizhu did—more than that, it was about longing for a life of freedom.

Qinlan thought Wangquan would back off after hearing her words, but he insisted on pressing forward regardless. Qinlan didn’t know how to repay Huaizhu’s kindness and was feeling down, but a few words from Li Quzhuo made her feel enlightened. During the Yao-controlling Nation’s annual Wulan Festival, Wangquan took Huaizhu out for a stroll. Afraid Wangquan might be unreliable, Qinlan dragged Li Quzhuo to secretly follow them. Wangquan was sincere.

He knew Huaizhu yearned for a peaceful and quiet life, and he promised to give her exactly that—that calmness would become the main theme of their life together. As the crowd moved toward Wulan Lake, Wangquan also took Huaizhu there to make a wish.

Wangquan Hongye took Dongfang Huaizhu to Half-Moon Lake to make a wish. Their wishes were all about each other, hoping for one another’s happiness and safety. The Half-Moon Lake turned round, and the trees glowed with a purple light—it was a beautiful sight. Seeing her elder sister and Wangquan Hongye as a perfect match, Dongfang Qinlan felt emotional and decided to head back. But since she was already there, Li Quzhuo pulled her along to make a wish too.

Before Li Quzhuo could even make his wish, he turned back into a puppy. Dongfang Qinlan returned to her courtyard, full of conflicting emotions, and couldn’t help but drink to drown her sorrows. Li Quzhuo also joined in the mood, got drunk, and began to daydream. Zhang Zheng refused to tell Ana Yan that he had lost to Wangquan Hongye and was about to leave the Demon-Taming Nation to return to the Yiqi Alliance.

Ana Yan’s spy in the Yiqi Alliance had been rooted out, so she could no longer use the slave contract as leverage, and instead turned her attention to the location of the young master’s remains. But Zhang Zheng still refused. Enraged and humiliated, Ana Yan tried to use the Demon-Taming Talisman on Zhang Zheng, but the demon poison in his body had already been removed, so she couldn’t control him.

Being kind at heart, Zhang Zheng didn’t take Ana Yan’s life and resolutely turned to leave. Jin Renfeng arrived at the Demon-Taming Nation, and Ana Yan said she would naturally give Lord Nine Temptations an explanation after the Demon-Slaying Tournament in four days. The demon poison in Qingmu Yuan’s body was only temporarily suppressed, and the antidote hadn’t been found yet. Qingmu Yuan didn’t want to tell Zhang Zheng about it—he already carried too heavy a burden.

Qingmu Yuan handed the intelligence to Wangquan Hongye, but the demon poison flared up again. Both Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan could see that she had been poisoned—it was obvious it had something to do with Zhang Zheng. Four days later, the Drunken Dream Tower hosted the Demon-Slaying Tournament. Huaizhu and Qinlan each brought Wangquan and Li Quzhuo to participate, but there was a twist this time.

They had to obtain a treasure in the illusion today in order to win. Ana Yan also noticed something strange about the sisters Huaizhu and Qinlan, but perhaps they were the destined ones to obtain the Twilight Mist Flower. Once the flower was in hand, Ana Yan’s people would strike to kill them. As soon as they entered the illusion, strange black grass quickly spread inside the cave.

Wangquan Hongye escaped with Huaizhu, but they and another group were trapped within the same encirclement. A flower floated in the air, carrying the ethereal voice of the flower spirit. They had to kill each other inside the circle, or they would all die. Elsewhere, Li Quzhuo struggled to lift off using a few paper kites, holding onto Qinlan, who in turn held two others.

But the kites weren’t enough to carry four people’s weight, and Li Quzhuo was reaching his limit. Tuoba was devoured by the black grass and eliminated—that meant death. Just as Wangquan Hongye saved his demon, that demon was killed by someone outside the illusion using a Demon-Taming Talisman. Ana Yan had been watching the illusion closely. When she saw Huaizhu use the Divine Fire of Dongfang, she recognized her as Dongfang Huaizhu.

As for the demon she brought, Ana Yan had her own guess and ordered someone to rush to the palace to request an audience with the king. The flower spirit of the Twilight Mist Flower found Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu surprising and allowed them to advance to the next round of selection. Huaizhu, being kind, obtained a Twilight Mist Flower capable of purifying evil.

However, Wangquan Hongye had committed many killings in his youth, and the flower spirit judged him as evil and turned him to stone. Without hesitation, Huaizhu injected the Twilight Mist Flower into Wangquan Hongye’s body, trying to wake him up. Wangquan Hongye’s soul left his body and entered the moment closest to becoming a demon. Dongfang Huaizhu awakened him. Deeply moved, the flower spirit let Qinlan and the others on the other side survive as well. The flower spirit left behind a trace of Jiang Juanxue’s spiritual energy, allowing her to say final words to the sisters Huaizhu and Qinlan.

Jiang Juanxue answered her two daughters’ questions. She was born in the Demon-Taming Kingdom and was the Saintess of the North Mountain Sect. However, the so-called Saintess was nothing more than a pitiful sacrificial offering. Back then, she commanded the Holy Land to bury ten thousand people to seal Jia Lan and Jiu Huo, but it only resulted in lingering resentment that could not be calmed.

For that reason, Jiang Juanxue had to offer the Saintess herself to appease the resentful spirits. Yet appeasing the spirits was an extremely difficult task—no Saintess had ever made it out alive. Jiang Juanxue had no choice but to enter the Holy Land herself. Fragments of Jia Lan’s soul forced her to go to Divine Fire Villa and give birth to a daughter with spiritual blood, who would serve as Jia Lan’s best vessel.

Thus, Jiang Juanxue initially approached Dongfang Churi with a purpose. But plans could not keep up with fate—Jiang Juanxue fell in love with Dongfang Churi and became pregnant with Dongfang Huaizhu. Jiang Juanxue did not want to be controlled by Jia Lan, but that was not something she could decide.

In order to prevent Jia Lan from taking control of her body and killing Dongfang Churi, Jiang Juanxue had no choice but to give birth to Huaizhu and use all of her spiritual blood and energy to nourish the Evening Mist Flower, leaving a letter for Huaizhu. One day, when Huaizhu came seeking, she would absorb the Evening Mist Flower to suppress the black fox soul fragments within her.

They obtained the Evening Mist Flower and returned from the illusion to reality. Ana Yan and the Demon-Taming Kingdom's king, Daluoan, were already standing by with tight security. But with Wangquan's Black Sword Zhang Zheng assisting them, Daluoan was no match. Sensing the shift in power, Daluoan tried to switch sides and ordered Ana Yan to be seized, but Ana Yan acted first and took control instead. Wangquan Hongye paused time and sealed Ana Yan’s acupoints, swiftly turning the tide.

Daluoan decisively allowed Wangquan Hongye and the others to leave freely and guaranteed them unrestricted movement in the Demon-Taming Kingdom. Back at the serene courtyard, Huaizhu absorbed the Evening Mist Flower. The flower within her would take the black fox soul fragment into eternal slumber. However, it would take some time to completely absorb the flower. Wangquan Hongye worried for her and kept watch outside the door. Qingmu Yuan waited long for Zhang Zheng, but he didn’t show up.

She fell asleep, and only then did Zhang Zheng quietly arrive to cover her with a cloak. Not daring to drink with her, he simply drank her cup of wine in silence. When Qingmu Yuan awoke, she saw the cloak and the empty cup, understanding that Zhang Zheng had been there but had not dared to face her. She wasn’t angry and decided to settle the score with him once they returned to the Yiqi Alliance.

The Golden Lotus was fully restored. Jin Renfeng opened it, and Jiu Huo, now twenty years older, arrived in the Demon-Taming Kingdom. He went to the prison and gave the Seven-Star Resentment Bell to Ana Yan, helping her use it to conquer the Demon-Taming Kingdom. Soon, Daluoan was killed by Ana Yan using the Seven-Star Resentment Bell. The bell absorbed the spiritual blood of the royal family and grew more powerful, allowing Ana Yan to release the resentful spirits.

By the time Wangquan and the others arrived after receiving the news, the spirits had already been unleashed. Without the ability to use spiritual power, they were at a disadvantage. Zhang Zheng appeared and told Qingmu Yuan to find a way to destroy the Seven-Star Resentment Bell. Qingmu Yuan removed the bracelet that suppressed her demon poison, and it instantly spread throughout her body.

Holding on to a shred of reason, she transformed into the Gusu Bird and used all her strength to crash into the bell, shattering it and allowing Wangquan Hongye and the others to regain their spiritual power. But in doing so, the resentful spirits also lost control. Huaizhu summoned the Evening Mist Flower to purify the spirits’ resentment. The petals of the flower spread out, dissolving the grievance in each spirit.

However, Huaizhu vomited blood from the heavy spiritual drain, though she successfully protected everyone. Yet Wangquan Hongye said there was still one more person. He then used his spiritual power to recondense the Evening Mist Flower and placed it before Huaizhu. It turned out, the person he was referring to—was Huaizhu.

Qingmu Yuan was seriously injured. Before falling unconscious, she gave her jade pendant to Zhang Zheng. She really didn’t want to say goodbye to him. Dongfang Huaizhu rushed over to take Qingmu Yuan’s pulse and found that her heart meridian hadn’t been severed. She quickly brought her back to the Ruyi Pavilion for treatment, while Wangquan Hongye and Li Quzhuo went to find herbs to save Qingmu Yuan.

Back at the Ruyi Pavilion, Zhang Zheng used his spiritual power to protect Qingmu Yuan’s heart meridian. From Qingmu Yuan’s maid, he learned that the demon poison in Qingmu Yuan’s body had actually been transferred from his own body. Enraged and distressed, compounded by his own injuries, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Sitting beside Qingmu Yuan’s bed, Zhang Zheng poured out his heart.

Though Qingmu Yuan was still unconscious, she retained a sliver of awareness, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye. Huaizhu and Qinlan were brewing medicine together, lacking only the final ingredient to cure the demon poison: the pistil of the Udumbara flower—a rare treasure that blooms only once in a hundred years and is guarded by a fierce beast. Qinlan was deeply worried whether they could obtain it safely.

Just then, Wangquan Hongye and Li Quzhuo returned, looking battered but successful in retrieving the Udumbara flower pistil. The medicine Huaizhu brewed successfully cured Qingmu Yuan’s demon poison. Afraid of disturbing her rest, they decided to visit her again the next day. Qingmu Yuan awoke with Zhang Zheng by her side. After everything that had happened, Zhang Zheng finally opened his heart to her and would no longer keep her at a distance as he did before.

The king of the Demon Kingdom, Daluo’an, was killed by Ana Yan, leaving the country leaderless. Wangquan Hongye and the others had subdued the resentful spirits, and Prince Bumu, Daluo’an’s younger brother, became the new ruler of the Demon Kingdom. He invited Wangquan Hongye and the others to the underground palace the following day. The Black Fox was furious at Jiuhuo’s repeated failures.

Jiuhuo promised to find a way to break the connection between the Black Bitter Sentiment Tree and the regular Sentiment Tree, allowing the Black Fox to harness the power of the trees within the circle. This action would consume a great amount of demon energy, especially since Jiuhuo was already extremely weak, yet he reassured the Black Fox not to worry.

Seeing this, the Black Fox softened his tone and apologized for getting angry earlier, attempting to play the sympathy card—but unfortunately, Jiuhuo didn’t notice. Even Jiuhuo himself couldn’t pinpoint when he fell in love with Jia Lan—perhaps when she first grew up, or when she kept vigil for him three days and nights without sleep, or maybe when she slew a dragon for his sake. Even if it cost him his life, Jiuhuo was determined to bring Jia Lan back.

Prince Bumu led Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu into the underground palace of the Demon Kingdom. Holding the royal seal, he hesitated in front of the barrier. Wangquan Hongye understood his concerns and assured him that he harbored no ambitions toward the Demon Kingdom and would never do anything to harm it. He only wished to enter the sealed chamber to uncover the origins of the Black Fox.

After hearing this, Prince Bumu let go of his doubts and led them into the secret chamber. The murals on the wall depicted how the Northern Mountain Patriarch had unearthed the remains of two dragons and used resentment to turn it back on Jiuhuo, imprisoning him in the underground palace with a cruel method. Later, Jia Lan broke into the palace and killed everyone there, unaware that she had already fallen into a trap.

The Northern Mountain Patriarch, a rare genius in formations and talismans, used the blood of ten thousand demons to create the Myriad Spirits Formation. He used Jiuhuo to lure Jia Lan into the array, where she was ultimately trapped. Jia Lan was then sacrificed to exchange for demon power for both the Northern Mountain Patriarch and the Demon Kingdom. Jiuhuo witnessed Jia Lan die before his very eyes, yet he was powerless to resist—no wonder he was so unwilling to recall the events in that underground palace.

Although Jia Lan’s physical body was destroyed, she was still able to manifest her primordial spirit. The old king of the Demon-Taming Kingdom had sacrificed Jia Lan and sealed Jiuhuo, then roamed the world wielding the Demon-Taming Talisman with impunity. However, he never expected that Jia Lan’s spirit could absorb the power of hatred in the world—a power beyond imagination. In one night, Jia Lan slaughtered the entire Demon-Taming Kingdom.

The countless wrongful deaths bred immense resentment, which she absorbed into her body, growing stronger day by day. Not only could she control demons, but also people. She incited them to kill each other, and the endless hatred continued to nourish her power. In this way, Jia Lan completely lost herself and became Lady Black Fox. Lady Black Fox had no physical form and fed on hatred, leaving slaughter in her wake.

That was why the three young masters of Aolai later risked everything to keep her outside the barrier. The demonic aura beneath the altar originated from the innocent citizens sacrificed back then by the old king and the Patriarch of Beishan. Among the thirty-six monarchs of the Demon-Taming Kingdom, there was one who fell in love with a female demon. He devoted his efforts to developing a method to break the Demon-Taming Talisman and recorded it in a secret chamber.

However, once the talisman was broken, the demons who had long been enslaved would lose their restraints, and all demon tamers would be doomed. Then, the demon race would retaliate in madness, returning cruelty with cruelty, and the world would descend into a living hell. Only by eliminating Lady Black Fox could it all be stopped. Wangquan Hongye’s top priority was to uncover the names of all the victims buried in the mass grave.

Dongfang Qinlan had seen how good Wangquan Hongye was to Dongfang Huaizhu, but she still felt guilty toward her masked brother-in-law. Her emotions were tangled into a mess. Li Quzhuo handed her a flower, telling her to leave everything to fate. On the last night in the Demon-Taming Kingdom, Huaizhu felt it was time to tell Qinlan that Wangquan Hongye was actually the masked gentleman.

When Qinlan learned that Wangquan Hongye was her masked brother-in-law and that Li Quzhuo was another masked hero, she became both angry and flustered. But her temper came and went quickly—she never truly blamed them for hiding the truth. After spending time together, Li Quzhuo fell for Qinlan. But when Qinlan said she liked a childhood playmate, Li Quzhuo was instantly deflated and didn’t dare confess his feelings.

Qinlan, still innocent to matters of the heart, cheerfully gave Li Quzhuo a sachet, telling him to give it to someone he liked someday. Li Quzhuo gave her a teleportation talisman in return. When activated, it could transport the user ten miles away, helping them escape danger. Back at Divine Fire Villa, Huaizhu did not go see her father but instead went alone to the bamboo forest.

Dongfang Churi came to see her, and Huaizhu told him about seeing a trace of her mother in the Demon-Taming Kingdom. She embraced Dongfang Churi in her mother’s stead. Dongfang Churi sighed with sorrow, thinking of his late wife as he lingered in the bamboo grove, lost in memory. The members of the Masked Alliance gathered at Po Tian Temple. Wangquan Hongye put on the new mask Huaizhu had given him, instantly exuding the dashing presence of a sword immortal.

He announced the addition of a new member, ranked eighth—the man was none other than Black Sword Zhang Zheng. Zhang Zheng knew the Masked Alliance was devoted to stopping the conflict between humans and demons and to breaking the darkness. Though the goal seemed distant, since Qingmu Yuan was also part of the alliance, Zhang Zheng believed in its mission. As Wangquan Hongye’s birthday approached, Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan had Steward Fei try to find out his thoughts.

As always, Wangquan Hongye was unwilling to celebrate. At Yang Yitan’s suggestion, Wangquan Zui thought of asking Huaizhu for help. Huaizhu asked about Wangquan Hongye’s reason for not wanting to celebrate and helped him resolve his inner turmoil. Everyone then gathered to celebrate his birthday. Wangquan Hongye was very happy that day. He took out a betrothal letter and gave it to Huaizhu. Once the current crisis was resolved, he intended to formally propose marriage. As it was his first time writing a betrothal letter and he lacked experience, Wangquan Hongye prepared several versions for Huaizhu to choose from.

Wangquan Hongye once again saw his father in a dream and confirmed that he was outside the barrier. All along, Wangquan Shouzhuo had been communicating with Wangquan Hongye through dreams, using his consciousness. When Wangquan Hongye was sixteen, Yang Yitan’s father, Yang He, witnessed something terrifying. The Bitter Love Tree outside the barrier had somehow become connected to the one in Tushan. Through this connection, the Black Fox was frantically absorbing hatred from within the barrier.

Yang He used all his life force to forcibly open his celestial eye and saw the weak point in the connection. Wangquan Shouzhuo then came with the Wangquan Sword to sever the link between the two trees. After Wangquan Shouzhuo cut the connection, he was discovered by the Black Fox. Realizing he was no match for her, he could only hide in the shadows and communicate with Wangquan Hongye through dreams.

However, his powers were limited, and each conversation with Wangquan Hongye was brief. Yang He also said that during a solar eclipse, the Black Bitter Love Tree’s hatred was at its peak and could very likely reconnect with the Bitter Love Tree in Tushan. A solar eclipse was imminent, so Wangquan Shouzhuo warned Wangquan Hongye to be extremely cautious—unless he had a sure strike, he must not rashly step outside the barrier.

In the dream, Wangquan Shouzhuo placed a coronet on his son's head—late, but at last. He also told Wangquan Hongye that once he fully comprehended the sword intent of "Heaven and Earth as One Sword," the Wangquan Sword would come to him. When Wangquan Hongye woke up, he shared all this with the members of the Masked Squad. Yang Yitan also learned the cause of his father Yang He’s death.

When he told Yang Huan Zhou the truth, he didn’t expect his grandfather to understand. Instead, Yang Huan Zhou was full of resentment toward Wangquan Shouzhuo. But Yang Yitan didn’t mind—he was now the head of the Yang family, and Yang Huan Zhou no longer had the final say. Yang Yitan had already decided to stand with the Yiqi Alliance. Yang Huan Zhou, consumed by hatred, was once again haunted by the Black Fox’s remnant spirit.

With just a bit of provocation from her, Yang Huan Zhou became overwhelmed with hatred for the Wangquan family. After Yang Yitan and Wangquan Zui paid respects to his parents, they immediately departed for Tushan, where they saw the Bitter Love Tree. There, a vendor was selling red thread fate knots from Tushan, claiming they had been personally blessed by Tushan’s head and were highly effective.

Though Yang Yitan thought the knots were poorly made and didn’t believe in them, he bought one anyway because Wangquan Zui liked it. When it came to fate, Wangquan Zui would rather believe than not. The next day, Yang Yitan woke up first and didn’t wake Wangquan Zui. By the time she awoke, Yang Yitan was gone, but he had left her a letter. Yang Huan Zhou appeared in Tushan.

Wangquan Zui let down her guard and was seriously injured by him. When Yang Yitan saw the kite signal, he immediately realized that something had happened to Wangquan Zui and rushed over. He never expected that his grandfather Yang Huan Zhou had already been controlled by the Black Fox and was releasing a massive amount of demonic aura.

Recalling what Wangquan Hongye had said, Yang Yitan realized that it was probably Yang Huan Zhou who had released the Nine Bewitchments in the underground palace of the Demon-Taming Kingdom. Using his flesh and blood as a sacrifice, Yang Huan Zhou summoned the world’s evil thoughts. Yang Yitan was no match for him and was quickly knocked unconscious. Yang Huan Zhou inflicted pain on Wangquan Zui and used that pain to manipulate Yang Yitan into generating hatred.

The Black Fox guided and controlled Yang Yitan to raise his blade against Yang Huan Zhou, who was ultimately killed. At the same time, Nine Bewitchments used his demon core to open a passage between the Bitter Love Trees inside and outside the barrier. During Yang Huan Zhou’s funeral, Wangquan Hongye knelt in front of his spirit tablet, considering it a final farewell. Although Wangquan Zui had been hurt by Yang Huan Zhou, she didn’t blame Yang Yitan. She simply said that once she recovered, Yang Yitan would owe her a few jars of good wine.

The black Bitter Love Tree outside the realm ultimately connected with the Bitter Love Tree in Tushan, and the Masked Squad quickly learned of it. Given Yang Yitan’s personality, he would surely blame himself. Wangquan Hongye asked Wangquan Zui to stay behind and accompany Yang Yitan, while he went to Tushan with Dongfang Huaizhu. At first, Tushan's second-in-command, Tushan Yaya, thought Dongfang Huaizhu and Wangquan Hongye came to provoke them.

But when they explained that the two Bitter Love Trees had connected and that the black Bitter Love Tree was frantically absorbing the power of the Tushan one, with love fading and hatred growing, eternal night was approaching. Tushan Yaya could not determine if what they said was true. It was a grave matter, and she would have to wait for her elder sister and Rongrong to return before making a decision. But time was of the essence.

Dongfang Huaizhu and Wangquan Hongye needed to know how to restrain the Black Fox. Tushan Yaya could see that Huaizhu carried a fragment of the Black Fox’s soul inside her, wrapped in Xiwu Flower and lying dormant—making her a unique nemesis to the Black Fox. Since the passage had already been opened, when they stepped outside the circle, Tushan Yaya said Huaizhu could use the Xiwu Flower to reverse-absorb the power of the black Bitter Love Tree.

But now was absolutely not the time to act, as the Black Fox would sense it. The best moment would be when Wangquan stepped outside the circle and Huaizhu coordinated with him from within. They also learned that the Black Fox had a powerful demon ally within the circle—this could only be Jiuhuo.

After investigation, Huaizhu and Hongye discovered that there was a traitor within the Yiqi Alliance, and it turned out to be Jin Renfeng, the top disciple of Divine Fire Villa, who had been secretly assisting Jiuhuo. Jiuhuo's spine had been broken and could not recover for a long time.

Since Jiuhuo had already opened the passage and was no longer useful to the Black Fox, she revealed her true nature and informed Jin Renfeng of Jiuhuo’s weakness, tacitly allowing him to use Jiuhuo’s demon core to forge a sword. Jiuhuo never expected that his Jia Lan was gone, and the figure before him was now the Black Fox Empress—a new being born from countless grievances. The Black Fox wanted to destroy all feelings in the world, like a madwoman.

She handed Jiuhuo over to Jin Renfeng, but Jin Renfeng did not expect Jiuhuo to still have the strength to resist, and Jiuhuo instead absorbed all of his spiritual power. Jiuhuo had always disdained absorbing the power of others, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t. To grow stronger, he went on to absorb the spiritual power of many others. At that moment, he sensed Wangquan Hongye’s arrival and decided that before he completely dissipated, he would also destroy Wangquan Hongye.

Jiuhuo’s demon power surged in a short period due to absorbing so much spiritual power, but Wangquan Hongye had already mastered the Sword of Heaven and Earth and defeated Jiuhuo. Jiuhuo’s demon power was exhausted, and he was wounded by the Sword of Heaven and Earth, making him no longer indestructible. Before dying, Jiuhuo said that Wangquan Hongye’s sword could kill him, and naturally, it could also kill the Black Fox and set Jia Lan free.

Wangquan Hongye sympathized with the fates of Jiuhuo and Jia Lan but did not agree with Jiuhuo’s actions. Huaizhu hoped that in the next life, Jiuhuo and Jia Lan could be ordinary people, living an ordinary life without enduring such suffering. Cui Yu Ming Luan tended to Jin Renfeng’s injuries. Jin Renfeng remained obsessed with gaining strength and even attempted to exchange spiritual blood with Dongfang Huaizhu.

There was one final secret to blood exchange, but when Jin Renfeng brought it up, Cui Yu Ming Luan’s expression changed drastically. She bluntly refused to teach him the last secret, as she had promised her master. Jin Renfeng coaxed her with sweet words, promising that he would kill Dongfang Huaizhu after the exchange. Only then did Cui Yu Ming Luan waver and agree to teach him the final secret. But she never imagined that Jin Renfeng would betray her after getting what he wanted and kill her, leaving Cui Yu Ming Luan to die with eyes wide open.

The Misty Twilight Flower had already deeply fused with Dongfang Huaizhu’s essence and bones. If it were forcefully summoned, it would not only cause her severe physical damage, but also render her unable to regain her former power, and her cultivation for the rest of her life would never progress again. For this reason, Wangquan Hongye didn’t want Huaizhu to go to the Bitter Love Tree at Tushan.

But Huaizhu believed she had something she must do—even if her power diminished, she still had Wangquan Hongye to protect her. Before going beyond the barrier, the Masked Squad had one final gathering. Qingmu Yuan had prepared a feast. Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu were the last to arrive, and the rest greeted them in unison, “Welcome big brother and sister-in-law! ” No one left sober; everyone was completely drunk.

To stop Qingmu Yuan from blurting out everything she had done in pursuit of Huaizhu while drunk, Wangquan Hongye quickly poured wine into her mouth. That night, though the Broken Heaven Temple was rundown, it was incredibly warm. Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu didn’t drink much. They sat at the door gazing at the moon in the sky. Huaizhu sighed that the moon was so beautiful, while Wangquan Hongye only wanted to look at her.

Though he didn’t say it, Dongfang Huaizhu knew he planned to secretly go beyond the barrier. According to the plan, one of them would be outside the barrier and one inside, working in tandem. Li Zizai found over a thousand talismans hidden beneath Li Quzhuo’s bedboard, and unexpectedly discovered a sachet there too. Li Quzhuo had taken it out and looked at it more than once.

Li Zizai teased, asking which girl it belonged to and suggested bringing her home someday. Yang Yitan and Wangquan Zui agreed to keep their wedding date on the fifth day of the twelfth month unchanged—once they returned from beyond the barrier, they would marry as planned. Deng Qiyue carved many wooden swords by hand, planning to give them to his daughter when he returned.

Li Quzhuo debated whether to give the sachet to Qinlan, wondering how she would react, and drifted off into a dream with those thoughts. Wangquan Hongye, wearing a mask, rode his sword at high speed toward the western border city of the Yiqi Alliance. An old Daoist guarding the gate used the Heavenly Gate Spell to stop him, but Wangquan Hongye, being highly skilled, easily dissolved the spell. Soon after, the rest of the Masked Squad arrived one after another.

They had long known that Wangquan Hongye didn’t want them to take the risk with him, so they had pretended to be drunk—then suddenly appeared to surprise him. Wangquan Hongye shattered the Daoist’s Heavenly Gate Array with a single strike. The group entered the outer realm through the torn gap. Meanwhile, Huaizhu went to Tushan. Even though she knew the consequences, she still decided to go.

She had to wait until the black fox reversed the flow of the Bitter Love Tree’s energy—when the tree rapidly withered, that would be her moment to act. Just after Huaizhu left, Jin Renfeng had Xiao Dong poison Dongfang Churi’s medicine. Beyond the barrier was pitch-black, filled with dense fog. Li Zizai used his gourd to clear the path. The Black Bitter Love Tree, radiating despair and death, suddenly appeared before them.

Wangquan Hongye took Yang Yitan to scout ahead and told the others to stay put and not act on their own. Yang Yitan discovered a concealed barrier. Using his Celestial Eye, he opened it—Wangquan Shouzhuo was sitting inside with his eyes closed. Wangquan Hongye had still come too late. His father’s image faded before his eyes, and he picked up his father’s Wangquan Sword. The black fox attacked fiercely.

Wangquan Hongye immediately ordered Wangquan Zui to set up a formation to fend off the assault. But what they never expected was that Yang Yitan had already been controlled by the black fox while still inside the barrier. The black fox activated the demon energy within Yang Yitan, taking control of him, causing a crack in the formation, which was then breached. Everyone was blasted away, leaving Wangquan Hongye alone to face the enemy.

But gradually, he realized that all his moves seemed to be seen through by the black fox. He launched a surprise strike and finally wounded her, but as long as hatred remained, the black fox would not die. Meanwhile, Qingmu Yuan was struck down by the black fox and coughed up blood.

The black fox took control of Qingmu Yuan, saying he would take her to find Zhang Zheng. Meanwhile, Zhang Zheng woke up and the first name he called was Qingmu Yuan. The place he was in was different from where Qingmu Yuan was. It was a world of ice and snow, and a grave with a tombstone suddenly appeared before him. The black fox used the young master to strike at Zhang Zheng’s weakest point.

While his mind was vulnerable, the black fox injected demon aura into his body, stirring intense hatred within him. The jade pendant brought Zhang Zheng back to his senses. He remembered the young master’s words before his death, his eyes regained clarity, and he broke free from the black fox’s control, slashing his sword toward the mass of fog that was the black fox. In response, the black fox brought Qingmu Yuan.

She was now emanating demon aura all over, clearly already under control. The black fox was certain that Zhang Zheng would not be able to strike a fatal blow against the one he loved. But under the black fox’s control, Qingmu Yuan would strike at Zhang Zheng without mercy. The black fox forced the two lovers to fight. Qingmu Yuan wounded Zhang Zheng multiple times. While blocking her attacks, he tried to awaken her in the gaps between strikes.

It was clear how difficult this was. In the end, Qingmu Yuan stabbed Zhang Zheng in the heart with his own sword. The black fox was elated, filled with contempt toward Zhang Zheng, and ordered Qingmu Yuan to kill him. As soon as he finished speaking, Qingmu Yuan pushed the sword deeper into Zhang Zheng’s chest. Using his last breath, Zhang Zheng awakened Qingmu Yuan.

He did not blame her but asked her to remember never to fall under the black fox’s control again. After Zhang Zheng died, the black fox still tried to use Qingmu Yuan to kill the rest of the Masked Group. Qingmu Yuan was no longer under his sway. She empowered a magical artifact with her life to fight the black fox. The ending was tragic. The pair of lovers died within the Circle.

Li Quzhuo and Li Zizai traveled together in the darkness. Li Quzhuo fell a few steps behind and stepped into a black fox illusion. The black fox specialized in attacking a person’s vulnerabilities and stirring conflict. This time was no different. Li Quzhuo was struck where it hurt, and gradually his mind was overtaken by the black fox, leading him to stab his own arm and thigh with his sword.

Li Zizai managed to awaken him, but both of them were severely wounded by the black fox. To save his younger brother, Li Zizai set up a formation to hold off the enemy. But the formation wouldn't last long. Li Quzhuo remembered something Li Zizai had once said—humans are the instruments of heaven and earth. He decided to use his body as a vessel, refining all of Li Zizai’s talismans to harness the power of nature against the black fox.

Li Quzhuo chose to self-detonate his spiritual body, but in the end, he found himself still alive while his brother Li Zizai was gone. It turned out that Li Zizai had previously placed a talisman on him, urging him to always carry it. This life-exchange talisman allowed Li Zizai to trade his life for his brother’s. Yang Yitan, under the control of the black fox’s demon aura, attacked Wangquan Zui and Deng Qiyue.

Before her death, Wangquan Zui experienced a hallucination—she saw a future life with Yang Yitan and their child. The scene was so beautiful that it made the harshness of reality all the more cruel. Wangquan Zui did not indulge in this false vision. She woke up and questioned Yang Yitan about when he fell under the black fox’s control. It happened when he killed Yang Huanzhou to save Wangquan Zui.

Because of overwhelming hatred, the black fox entered his Heavenly Eye. The black fox incited Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan to fall into darkness together. While Wangquan Zui was in pain, the black fox was about to take over, but Deng Qiyue attacked from behind and shattered the black fox’s phantom, triggering the black fox’s vengeful fury in return. Yang Yitan controlled Wangquan Zui, forcing her to watch Deng Qiyue being harmed by the black fox.

The black fox then took over Deng Qiyue, ordering him to kill Wangquan Zui. He was killed in turn by Yang Yitan, who then drove his sword straight into Wangquan Zui’s body.

Wangquan Zui once said she would protect everyone, but now she could no longer do that—she could only protect the still-living Yang Yitan. As her words fell, she used Dream Sting on Yang Yitan, guiding him into a dream, and used the Fate-Thread Knot they bought in Tushan to awaken his consciousness. One end of the Fate-Thread Knot was tied to Wangquan Zui’s hand, the other to Yang Yitan’s body.

Wangquan Zui finally brought Yang Yitan back, while her own life came to an end. The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord deliberately brought Wangquan Hongye over to witness the moment of Wangquan Zui’s death. Yang Yitan was devastated, and the demon aura of the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord took over his Heavenly Eye, enabling him to see everyone’s weaknesses and predict all their actions. That was why all of Wangquan Hongye’s previous attacks had been anticipated in advance by the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord.

The demon aura spread from Yang Yitan’s Heavenly Eye into Wangquan Hongye’s eyes, dragging him into endless pain and guilt. Wangquan Hongye looked at his blood-stained hands, surrounded by accusations and blame from the Masked Group. Black mist swirled around him, and he gradually lost his reason. Under the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord’s manipulation, Wangquan Hongye picked up his sword and pointed it at his own throat.

Yang Yitan grabbed the sword, waking him up, and then gouged out his own Heavenly Eye, crushing it in his hand. The demon aura in Wangquan Hongye’s eyes immediately vanished, and Yang Yitan died. The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord became even more arrogant before Wangquan Hongye, pressing forward step by step, but was forced back by Wangquan Hongye’s sword aura.

At this moment, she absorbed power from the Bitter Love Tree inside the circle to strengthen her magic in the duel against Wangquan Hongye. Seeing the Bitter Love Tree begin to wither, Dongfang Huaizhu immediately summoned the Evening Mist Flower within her, purifying the power of hatred. As a result, all the spells the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord cast outside the circle against Wangquan Hongye ended up empowering his array instead.

Wangquan Hongye then burned his life to unleash the Heaven-Earth Sword, thrusting the Wangquan Sword toward the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord. He then used all his remaining strength to ignite his sword aura and sever the Black Bitter Love Tree. The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord was finally destroyed. At this moment, within the circle, the Bitter Love Tree’s love bloomed and hate faded. Dongfang Huaizhu realized the demon’s power had weakened but didn’t know the fate of the Masked Group.

Tushan Yaya wanted to take her to Tianmen Pass, but messengers from Divine Fire Villa arrived with a message: the old villa master was critically ill and requested Dongfang Huaizhu return immediately. Exhausted of spiritual power, Huaizhu returned to Divine Fire Villa, only to discover that Jin Renfeng had taken advantage of the situation.

He claimed that Dongfang Churi had gone berserk while training and that he had extended her life with his own energy, urging Huaizhu to go see Dongfang Qinlan first. With no choice, Dongfang Huaizhu returned to Lanzhu Courtyard and removed the immobilizing talisman from Dongfang Qinlan. Xiao Dong brought Yuping to attend to them—though he said she was there to serve them, in truth she was sent to spy.

Huaizhu allowed Yuping to stay, knowing she was forced into it and would not make things difficult for her. Yuping revealed the truth: Dongfang Churi had already been killed by Jin Renfeng, and her blood essence, which controlled the Pure Yang Flame, had been stolen. Jin Renfeng had seized control of all Divine Fire Villa. He killed the old villa master and, through a blood exchange ritual, acquired the old master’s blood essence and cultivated Pure Yang Flame.

Still unsatisfied, he also planned to marry both Huaizhu and Qinlan, using their power to challenge Wangquan Hongye. At this point, Dongfang Huaizhu’s spiritual energy was completely depleted and she was no match for Jin Renfeng. Though filled with agony and hatred, longing to slice him to pieces, reason told her she must not act rashly—otherwise, both she and Qinlan would die. Qinlan couldn’t restrain her urge to kill Jin Renfeng.

For her safety, Huaizhu had no choice but to knock her unconscious. Dongfang Huaizhu instructed Yuping to tell Xiao Dong that Qinlan was ill, so as not to arouse Jin Renfeng’s suspicion.

In Qinlan's bag was a talisman. Qinlan had once explained to Huaizhu that this talisman could teleport someone ten li away, so Huaizhu decided to use it to send Qinlan away from Divine Fire Villa. Wangquan Hongye had left the formation, and his life or death remained unknown. Qinlan could not turn to him for help, but she could go to the Ruyi Pavilion, which had many branches. Huaizhu reminded her that her safety mattered more than delivering a message.

Qinlan’s happiness was more important than something like revenge. The Dongfang family bloodline must be preserved. When Qinlan heard Huaizhu say this, she immediately understood what she meant—but it was too late. Huaizhu slapped the teleportation talisman onto her body, instantly transporting Qinlan ten li away. Of all those who left the formation, only Wangquan Hongye escaped with his life, and Li Quzhuo crippled both his legs to survive. The rest of the Masked Squad all perished outside the formation.

Wangquan Hongye’s spiritual power was nearly exhausted, and he had no will to live. Li Quzhuo was also consumed by grief, unable to let go of his elder brother’s death. He locked himself in his room and refused to see anyone. On a rainy night, Wangquan Hongye went alone to Po Tian Temple. Everything was still there, but the Masked Squad’s voices and faces from the past were gone. Only their masks remained, marking their existence.

Wangquan Hongye clutched those cold masks, sobbing uncontrollably. His pain was beyond resolution and could only be vented through wielding his sword. He couldn’t describe his feelings—regret, frustration, guilt—all kinds of emotions intertwined, tearing him apart and leaving his heart in tatters. Jin Renfeng ordered wedding robes to be prepared, determined to marry Dongfang Huaizhu. Outside the door, he told Huaizhu that all eight members of Wangquan Hongye’s Masked Squad had fallen outside the formation, and none had returned alive.

Dongfang Huaizhu clutched her bamboo flute tightly, determined to fight Jin Renfeng to the death. Although Huaizhu had successfully hidden the fact that she sent Qinlan away, she didn’t expect Jin Renfeng to have a backup plan. He had men waiting outside Ruyi Pavilion, hoping to catch someone. By chance, they spotted Qinlan. After being discovered, Qinlan escaped from under their noses and hid beside a horse, narrowly missing Li Quzhuo, who was sitting in a wheelchair.

Qinlan was pursued by Jin Renfeng’s men to the edge of a cliff. They called Jin Renfeng their Villa Master, which Qinlan found repulsive. As they pressed in closer, Qinlan turned and jumped off the cliff without hesitation. Fearing that Dongfang Huaizhu wouldn’t let the matter go and that Jin Renfeng might kill them to win Huaizhu’s favor, the group agreed to stick to the story that they had never seen Qinlan that day. Wangquan Hongye was devastated.

Steward Fei tried his best to console him, suggesting they hold a ceremony to officially install him as the head of the Wangquan family. He also mentioned that the messenger sent to Divine Fire Villa did not see Dongfang Huaizhu. When Huaizhu’s name came up, Wangquan Hongye’s expression changed slightly. At that moment, inside Divine Fire Villa, Dongfang Huaizhu was resisting with all her might.

She had previously used the power of the Evening Mist Flower to absorb the force of the Bitter Love Tree, which had significantly weakened her body. Her cultivation had stagnated, and her spiritual power had only just begun to recover. She now had to fight off many of Jin Renfeng’s subordinates, and she was clearly outnumbered. Jin Renfeng was cunning and knew to use a rotation of fighters to wear down Huaizhu’s strength.

Exhausted and disoriented, Dongfang Huaizhu's limbs were beginning to fail her. Just then, the gates of the villa were slashed open by a burst of sword energy—it was Wangquan Hongye.

Wangquan Hongye slashed open the gates of Divine Fire Villa with his sword aura and stepped in slowly, dragging his sword. Most of his hair had turned white. Jin Renfeng didn’t recognize him at first, but Dongfang Huaizhu had already recognized him through that familiar sword aura. Jin Renfeng launched Divine Fire at him, which Wangquan Hongye blocked with his sword. However, since this sword wasn’t the Wangquan Sword, it instantly disintegrated into dust after blocking the fire.

Jin Renfeng believed he was no threat and launched another burst of Pure Solar Flame. Dongfang Huaizhu instinctively stepped in front of Wangquan Hongye to shield him. Yet, the anticipated heavy strike never landed—the Wangquan Sword descended from the sky, easily neutralizing the Divine Fire. Then, the four Guardians of Wangquan Manor—Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning—descended from above to protect Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu.

Jin Renfeng was not afraid in the least, but what followed gave him pause: the steward of the Wangquan family, Steward Fei, entered with all the elite younger generation of Wangquan Manor. The strength of Wangquan Manor and Divine Fire Villa were evenly matched. With the Wangquan Guardians and all the elite young cultivators present, even someone as formidable as Jin Renfeng could not hope to come out on top.

Steward Fei made such a grand entrance, yet declared that Wangquan Manor was only here to propose marriage—to take Jin Renfeng’s cousin, Chu Ri Huaizhu, as a wife. Naturally, Jin Renfeng was unwilling to hand Dongfang Huaizhu over. But when Steward Fei laid out the stakes clearly, Jin Renfeng, no matter how resentful, could only allow the Wangquan family to take Huaizhu away.

To conceal Dongfang Huaizhu’s identity as the eldest daughter of the Dongfang family, Steward Fei referred to her as Chu Ri Huaizhu, leaving Jin Renfeng, now head of Divine Fire Villa, with no excuse to stop them. And for Wangquan Hongye, marrying her as a concubine was a last resort. The ceremonial procedures for a principal wife were overly complex, and Jin Renfeng could easily disrupt things at any point.

Taking her as a concubine simplified everything—an eight-carriage sedan was enough to bring her away, the simplest and most direct solution. Steward Fei fulfilled his promise to Wangquan Hongye, and Hongye upheld his word by raising the Wangquan Sword and officially becoming the new head of the Wangquan family.

Though marrying her as a concubine was the only feasible way to resolve the situation, all ceremonial formalities for Dongfang Huaizhu’s marriage were carried out according to those of a principal wife. After joining Wangquan Manor, her status within the family was no different from that of a principal wife. That day, the strongest swordsman Huaizhu had ever met held the strongest sword in the world—but he no longer had the heart of a swordsman.

After the wedding, Huaizhu had two things she wished to ask of Steward Fei. Before she could even speak, he had already guessed that the first must be related to Qinlan. He had already dispatched people to search for Dongfang Qinlan everywhere, and arranged for a niece of similar age to stay hidden in a secluded location.

The Wangquan Guardians and four elite patrol squads rotated in secret to guard the place, creating the illusion that Qinlan was being protected inside, so no one else would continue searching for her. The other matter was that Huaizhu wanted to investigate the origin of the Blood Exchange Technique of the leech demon clan and how Jin Renfeng had learned it. Steward Fei brought all the texts related to the Blood Exchange Technique for her to study.

Through these ancient records, Huaizhu discovered that although the Blood Exchange Technique could extract spiritual blood from the Dongfang lineage, the blood was non-regenerative. Even a small wound could potentially claim Jin Renfeng’s life. Huaizhu plotted an assassination, but hadn’t expected Jin Renfeng to be wearing armor. She managed only to slash his hand before being severely injured by him. When Jin Renfeng attempted to kill her, Wangquan Hongye appeared and blocked the strike for her.

He then counterattacked and wounded Jin Renfeng. Jin Renfeng aged rapidly, turning into an old man in moments. The cost for Huaizhu was a grievous injury and a frail body. Because the younger elite generation of the Yiqi Alliance had been wiped out, their strength declined significantly. The demon clans seized the opportunity to invade, and countless cries for help rained down on Wangquan Manor like snowflakes.

Everyone was waiting to see how the swordless heart of the new head of the Wangquan family would respond to the crisis. Wangquan Hongye constantly tried to stop the conflict between humans and demons, but no matter how hard he fought, he could never eliminate them all. The peace he yearned for between humans and demons was forever out of reach. He had sacrificed everything to prevent the Black Fox from entering the world, only to face this outcome. Wangquan Hongye began to doubt himself, and could no longer merge with his sword.

In this world, as long as hatred persists, the Black Fox will never be eradicated. To resolve this, Dongfang Huaizhu thought of only one way—she hoped to dissolve everything with love. One day, as Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu were walking in a bamboo forest and talking about children, Wangquan Hongye said he didn’t want their child to be like him.

But Huaizhu believed the child should be like his father—one who chases away the eternal night, saves all beings, and becomes a peerless hero. When he learned that he would become a father in eight months, Wangquan Hongye was shocked. From then on, he indeed pulled himself together. In his heart, there was finally a hope—a hope that could carry everything. He began putting Huaizhu and their unborn child first in all things, taking care of them wholeheartedly.

Huaizhu promised to visit the Bamboo Pavilion By River Huai with him once more, but there was one thing she didn’t say—she was already extremely frail and feared she wouldn’t live much longer. She had secretly informed the elders of Yiqi Alliance of the way to break the current deadlock. If the Dongfang family was willing, they could pass down their spiritual power to the child.

Then, using the Wangquan family’s unique secret technique, the child could awaken an innate sword spirit, thus possessing the combined talents of the two great clans—this would be the Yiqi Alliance’s warrior. Huaizhu supported Hongye in doing what he believed was right, so he went to Mount Tu to meet Tushan Yaya and discuss the establishment of boundaries between humans and demons to prevent future conflicts. However, Tushan Yaya was unwilling to take on such a thankless task.

She promised that the demons of the Tushan domain would not attack the Yiqi Alliance, but could guarantee nothing beyond that. Hongye wasn’t surprised by her refusal. When he didn't see Tushan Honghong during the visit, he already understood Tushan’s attitude. Huaizhu sent Hongye away to shop at the Tushan market while she went to the Tree of Bitter Love.

Tushan Yaya, knowing her life was nearing its end, couldn’t understand why she would still choose to use her spiritual blood to nurture the next generation. With the Black Tree of Bitter Love still standing and the Black Fox bound to return, Huaizhu could only place her hopes on her unborn child. And in the time she had left, she would love Wangquan Hongye with all her heart.

Having witnessed their love, Tushan Yaya, for the first time, felt the stirrings of love herself. Tushan's stance began to shift. Through the joint efforts of Tushan and Hongye, a boundary was finally drawn between the human and demon realms. With abundant resources in the demon realm, there was no longer a need for conflict. For a brief time, peace came to both realms.

Hongye and Wangquan enjoyed a beautiful period together, as if they had returned to their days at the Bamboo Pavilion By River Huai. Time passed quickly, and soon it was the day of Huaizhu’s childbirth. She safely gave birth to a son, but suddenly coughed up blood and fell unconscious. Wangquan transferred his true energy to her, reviving her. Only then did Huaizhu tell the truth—on the day she ambushed Jin Renfeng, he had struck her with a hidden technique.

Jin Renfeng likely intended to end the Dongfang family line. Huaizhu had been taking supplements, hoping to spend a few more days with Hongye and their child, but the day of parting by death came sooner than expected. Huaizhu had one last wish—to tidy her hair and clothes and run into Wangquan Hongye’s arms.

In her final words, she said that the Yiqi Alliance warrior was her plan, but if one day, their son Wangquan Fugui wanted to leave, please let him go. After saying this, Huaizhu passed away in Hongye’s arms. Time flew by like a galloping horse. In the blink of an eye, Wangquan Fugui had grown into a little boy who could run, jump, and laugh. Not a single day went by without Wangquan Hongye practicing swordsmanship with his son.

From then on, the Yiqi Alliance focused on restoring their strength—training diligently, nurturing talents, and preparing for a great resurgence. The Zhang family’s top disciple emerged, the Deng family’s Deng Jiuru became the new head of the clan, and Wangquan Hongye, by his own strength, rebuilt the order of the human and demon realms.

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