Creak—A soft sound of gears turning, the wheelchair slowly moved forward, and the man gently stroked the white rabbit’s ears on his lap. The spotless fur contrasted with the elegant dark purple robe that looked as good as new.

The rabbit’s obsidian-like eyes darted around innocently.

Outside, a commotion could be heard, as if many people were approaching the mansion.

The man curled his lips into a smile and murmured to himself, “Finally, you’ve gotten what you wanted… It’s time to leave.”

Outside the City Lord’s mansion, Bai Fanlu saw the crowd of townspeople, carrying torches, flooding towards the mansion.

The ninety-eight people had already returned to their homes, and now they, along with their families and other townsfolk who harbored resentment towards Wei Lin, had gathered to burn down the cursed place, putting an end to this nightmare once and for all.

Bai Fanlu quietly left Yingzhou. Once he reached an open area, he activated a spirit talisman and found that the bluebird had returned.

Through his spiritual connection, Yun Zhan’s voice reached him, briefly informing him that he had received the message, but nothing more.

Bai Fanlu didn’t know what Yun Zhan was doing or if he would come to help, but since the matter in Yingzhou was now settled, he sent a message to the bluebird, telling Yun Zhan not to bother coming to Yingzhou and to meet him directly in Lingcheng.

With previous lessons in mind, Bai Fanlu decided that, for his safety, it would be wiser to continue the investigation of the source of demonic energy alongside Yun Zhan.

Bai Fanlu had thought it over—if the person who had taken He Sang was indeed Bai Junming, then by leaving Bai Fanlu behind at the City Lord’s mansion, it was likely that Bai Junming had tacitly allowed him to stay and continue his undercover work.

So, he still had to go to Lingcheng. Unlike Yingzhou, Lingcheng was more dangerous, with more powerful opponents. Sealing the demonic energy rift there would require a direct confrontation, not the shortcuts he had taken in Yingzhou. Therefore, it would be dangerous for either him or Yun Zhan to act alone.

Moreover, because Bilu had not yet reached its divine state, Yun Zhan’s current strength was not as formidable as it was in the novel. Bai Fanlu knew it was unrealistic to leave everything to Yun Zhan while staying on the sidelines.

“Immortal brother, who were you talking to?”

“My junior brother.”

Bai Fanlu answered casually, raising his right hand. The bluebird flapped its wings and flew away, dissolving into a puff of blue smoke that disappeared into the sky.

Xiao Liu gazed in the direction where the bird had flown. “So, where are you planning to go next?”

“I’m heading to Lingcheng in the north to meet my junior brother. Xiao Liu, you…”

They had already walked a fair distance outside the city when Bai Fanlu turned around. Now that his spiritual energy had recovered, he could fly with his sword. It was also time to bid farewell to the young man in front of him.

But when he turned and saw Xiao Liu’s expression, Bai Fanlu opened his mouth to say his name, but the words “all good things must come to an end” just wouldn’t come out.

“I want to go with you, Immortal brother.”

Of course… Bai Fanlu sighed. Based on his understanding of Xiao Liu, if he tried to scare him off with talk of danger and not wanting to involve him, it would only make Xiao Liu cling to him more. So, he had to come up with a more painful reason.

“Lingcheng is farther away than Yingzhou. Traveling with you will slow me down. My junior brother… um, well, he’s not very patient. I can’t keep him waiting too long.”

Bai Fanlu spoke as if implying that taking Xiao Liu along would be a burden, something that should make any sensible person hesitate.

But Xiao Liu wasn’t like most people. Especially after hearing Bai Fanlu describe his junior brother as “impatient,” his eyebrows twitched slightly, and he pursed his lips, showing a pitiful expression.

“How do you know your junior brother is faster than you? He wasn’t even there when you were in danger, so he’s probably busy with something else right now.”

This statement reminded Bai Fanlu that only four days had passed on his side. In such a short time, Yun Zhan might not have finished dealing with matters in Yufang City, where, according to the novel, he had spent more than half a month enjoying the company of beauties.

If Bai Fanlu arrived in Lingcheng too early, there was a risk of encountering unexpected problems. Besides, Lingcheng was in the extreme north, where it was bitterly cold. Waiting around there might be less enjoyable than taking a leisurely journey along the way.

And if he were to take a leisurely trip, having a companion would be a hundred times better than traveling alone. However, the only concern was that the more he bonded with Xiao Liu, the more likely it was that the boy would be dragged into the upcoming conflict between immortals and demons.

Bai Fanlu didn’t respond to Xiao Liu right away. He wanted to wait for a message from the bluebird to see how long it would take Yun Zhan to reach Lingcheng.

Xiao Liu assumed that Bai Fanlu’s silence meant he was allowed to come along, and his joy was evident. Without saying a word, he quickly summoned Hou Xue from behind the mountain.

But Bai Fanlu wasn’t planning on riding with him. One on horseback and the other on a flying sword, each lost in thought, they traveled for about half an hour before stopping by a small village.

This was a nameless fishing village located on a peninsula where the Qingjiang River met the sea. The surrounding area was dotted with water-filled depressions, and the residents made their living by fishing, drying most of their catch to sell inland.

Bai Fanlu remembered a description of this nameless fishing village from the novel. It had gained some fame because it once captured a stranded mermaid—He Sang.

The village was so small that it didn’t even have a decent inn. Bai Fanlu and Xiao Liu had to spend the night outdoors once again.

While they rested, Bai Fanlu brought Zizi over. The little monkey still had a trace of Cangjin’s spiritual energy on its wrist. As Bai Fanlu stroked its fur, he sensed that it was fine, though it had been listless since they left Yingzhou.

At first, Bai Fanlu thought it might be due to some internal injury, but now he realized that wasn’t the case.

Retracting Cangjin, Bai Fanlu probed Zizi’s body and suddenly discovered something strange.

The golden divine light he had sensed earlier was gone! Now, the little monkey in his arms seemed like an ordinary monkey.

Bai Fanlu thought back. Wei Lin’s puppet had tried to extract his soul and put it into the monkey but failed because it already had two souls.

It seemed that the golden divine light was one of those souls. It wasn’t the monkey’s power but rather another soul, a powerful one.

But who could it be? And why had it suddenly disappeared? Could it be related to Bai Junming?

“Immortal brother, how about I grill some fish for you?”

Bai Fanlu was deep in thought when he heard Xiao Liu calling him. He released the seal in his hand and put Zizi down. The little monkey curled up in the bag Xiao Liu had placed on the ground, lazily refusing to lift its eyelids.

Xiao Liu had already rolled up his pant legs and waded into the shallow river. As he bent down to search for his target, a fish suddenly swam around his ankle. Xiao Liu, quick as lightning, stabbed into the water with a branch. Amidst the splashing, a large fish, flipping its tail, was lifted out of the water.

“Haha! Look at this! It’s big enough for both of us!”

Hearing Xiao Liu’s joyous laughter, Bai Fanlu couldn’t help but smile. It was as if the tension that had been gripping him all day finally began to ease at that moment.

As he watched Xiao Liu walk back with the fish, Bai Fanlu thought to himself how capable this boy was, skilled at catching wild chickens and river fish alike.

As Xiao Liu approached, he lifted the fish high above his head, waving to Bai Fanlu. The sun was setting, casting a silhouette of the tall young man in the warm light.

For a moment, his face seemed to blur, leaving only the glistening droplets on the tip of his nose and eyebrows, reflecting the sunlight.

While Bai Fanlu was lost in thought, Xiao Liu had already cleaned the fish and skillfully started a fire, roasting the fish on a long stick over the flames.

At first, Bai Fanlu watched with interest, but as the aroma grew stronger, he closed his eyes to avoid temptation.

Not long after, he felt the warm, fragrant scent of the fish close to his mouth, mixed with a hint of charred smell. He opened his eyes to see Xiao Liu holding the fish in front of him.

“I… I don’t eat fish,” Bai Fanlu frowned.

Xiao Liu looked at the fish in his hand and then showed a look of sudden realization.

Then he brought the fish closer to his mouth, carefully blowing on it, testing by removing a piece of the charred skin.

He handed the fish back to Bai Fanlu. “It shouldn’t be too hot now. You can try it.”

“…” Bai Fanlu was speechless. The young man’s expectant gaze was so bright that it was hard to refuse.

Seeing his continued reluct

ance, Xiao Liu looked hurt and asked softly, “Are you afraid it won’t taste good?”

Lowering his head, the sparkle in his eyes dimmed instantly, looking so pitiful, “Though it might not look very appetizing…”

“No, it smells really good,” Bai Fanlu replied sincerely. “But I…”

In truth, he just had an aversion to fish because he had once witnessed someone nearly choke to death on a fishbone. Ever since then, Bai Fanlu had avoided eating fish.

But he couldn’t explain this to Xiao Liu.

“Immortal brother, are you afraid of eating fish?” Xiao Liu suddenly asked.

“…Do I look like I’m afraid?” Bai Fanlu thought that this kind of subtle expression shouldn’t be so easily seen through.

“You do.” Xiao Liu seemed to think for a moment, “This type of fish has fewer bones. If you’re afraid, I can pick them out for you. I’m good at it!”

Unfortunately, without chopsticks, picking out bones would be difficult. Seeing Xiao Liu struggling to figure out a solution, Bai Fanlu quickly stopped him, “No worries, I can handle it myself.”

“Really? Then go ahead and try it!”

Xiao Liu, rejuvenated, eagerly urged him on, his eyes shining even brighter than before, upgraded from a spark to the full moon.

Bai Fanlu thought that eating fish might be beneficial. Fish was known to be brain food, and after these few days, he felt like his brain cells were nearly depleted.

He had just made up his mind to take a bite when Xiao Liu suddenly withdrew the fish. Bai Fanlu looked on in confusion as Xiao Liu sheepishly removed the charred skin and explained, “The skin is burnt, not tasty. You should eat the tender meat inside.”

This thoughtful… Bai Fanlu, who had been repeatedly cared for, silently took a bite of the fish meat. It was indeed tender.

Freshly caught from the river, the fish was grilled on the spot, and it tasted incredibly fresh. As Xiao Liu had said, there were hardly any bones.

After a couple of bites, Bai Fanlu noticed that a warm gaze was fixed on him, causing his cheeks to flush slightly. He handed the fish back, “I’m full.”

“You’ve eaten so little,” Xiao Liu’s face fell. “I guess it’s not good.”

“It’s delicious,” Bai Fanlu quickly reassured him, “You should eat too. Let’s share it.”

“Then I’ll have a bit, and you can eat more later.” Xiao Liu looked worried that Bai Fanlu might be lying to him.

“Alright.”

With the assurance, Xiao Liu smiled brightly, lowered his head to inspect the fish, and stole a glance at Bai Fanlu.

Seeing that Bai Fanlu wasn’t paying attention, he took a bite from the same spot Bai Fanlu had eaten, a sly glint flashing in his bright eyes.

After they finished eating, Xiao Liu asked for Bai Fanlu’s thoughts, “It wasn’t so scary, right?”

Bai Fanlu smiled without saying anything, nodding slightly.

Xiao Liu used a stick to poke the ashes of the fire. “Actually, I used to be afraid of eating fish when I was little because I once got a bone stuck in my throat.”

Bai Fanlu was startled and turned to look at him. Usually, people who had been choked by fish bones would have a lingering fear, but Xiao Liu didn’t seem affected at all. Perhaps it wasn’t too severe?

“I almost lost my life that time.”

This statement completely overturned Bai Fanlu’s assumption, yet Xiao Liu said it so casually, as if it were no big deal.

“And you still dare to eat fish?”

“Of course!” Xiao Liu replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “But at first, I didn’t dare. Then my brother…”

“Your brother?” Bai Fanlu hadn’t known Xiao Liu had family. He had thought Xiao Liu was always alone.

“Yeah, but we got separated…” Xiao Liu said as he used a stick to draw small characters in the ashes.

Bai Fanlu didn’t know what to say, but as he looked at the side of the boy’s face, with his hair gently ruffled by the sea breeze, he suddenly felt an urge to pat him on the shoulder. And as he thought this, he found that he was already doing it.