Upon hearing this name, Bai Fanlu’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.

Then he gave a self-deprecating smile. Should he be relieved that Yun Zhan still had some humanity left and didn’t just leave him somewhere for someone to find?

At least now, he could be assured that he wouldn’t be seen by others in a disheveled state.

So, their situation… no one else should know about it, right?

“After Yun Zhan brought you back, he resigned from the position of Sect Leader before Master. Now… he’s no longer with Tianxu Sect.”

Bai Fanlu, who had been agonizing over his feelings, was suddenly so shocked by this news that he forgot what he was even agonizing about. Yun Zhan? That Yun Zhan? He left Tianxu Sect? How could that be possible?

Only now did Bai Fanlu realize that according to the original story, Yun Zhan should have already pushed him to awaken his demonic blood, making it impossible for him to remain in the immortal realm, forcing him to return to the demon realm. How could he have quietly brought him back instead?

This development… is off again, and the deviation is quite significant.

“I found it unbelievable too, but naturally, Master didn’t agree. However, he couldn’t keep him here by force, so he allowed him to leave, saying he should think things over on his own.”

“…Is that so? Then he…” Bai Fanlu, trying to calm the turmoil in his heart, hesitated slightly before asking, “Has he reverted to his original form?”

Wang Chongyu shook his head, “No.”

No…?

Bai Fanlu wasn’t sure why, but his heart first sank, then relaxed, only to sink again. As those two words replayed in his mind, that face involuntarily appeared once more.

He froze, immediately wanting to slap himself. He had already returned in such a miserable state, wasn’t that enough regret and reflection? How could he still be thinking about that bastard?

Forcing himself to steady his emotions, Bai Fanlu reminded himself that to truly overcome something, one must first learn to face it. Escaping was the least effective approach; there could be no running away.

After taking a deep breath, Bai Fanlu asked as calmly as possible, “Why hasn’t he changed back?”

Since Yun Zhan had personally returned to Tianxu Sect, Ling Qingzi would have seen him in his altered form and would undoubtedly have asked about the circumstances. Yun Zhan couldn’t avoid explaining.

As expected, Wang Chongyu answered, “I was there when he spoke to Master. He said… he used ‘Bu Shi Chen.'”

“… Bu Shi Chen?”

In the dust, yet not of the dust. This is the name of an ancient mirror, originating from the ancient times of primordial chaos, long lost to history.

The novel mentioned this mirror when Yun Zhan was still young. The original character had taught him about the history of the immortals and various famous artifacts mentioned in ancient texts, specifically including ‘Not Dust.’

Because the name was so unique, young Yun Zhan had been curious and asked the original character about the mirror’s function and origins, which is how Bai Fanlu happened to know about it as well.

According to legend, ‘Not Dust’ was created by the God of Creation from a grain of sand at the dawn of the primordial chaos. If a person stands before this ancient mirror and imagines a form in their mind, the mirror can create an image based on that form. However, at the same time, the real person will temporarily disappear.

But the created image has no thoughts, just like a puppet on strings. The creator has two options for controlling this puppet: one is to treat it as an emotionless fake and control its every action through commands, which is the simplest approach.

The other option is much more complicated. The creator can merge their consciousness with the image, allowing the image’s thoughts and feelings to align harmoniously with the creator’s, making it as if they are one person.

However, there is a drawback. The image cannot inherit any of the creator’s spiritual power or magical abilities, meaning the creator temporarily becomes an ordinary person. The unused spiritual power must be stored in a ‘vessel,’ and as long as it is a living being, it can serve as this ‘vessel.’

At the same time, if the creator’s control over their consciousness is strong enough, they can use their spiritual power as bait to freely transfer between the image and the ‘vessel,’ even controlling the ‘vessel’ to act on their behalf.

But since the ‘vessel’ is an independent third party with its own thoughts, this method carries two risks.

The first risk is that during the limited time the image exists, the creator must not use any magical abilities or spells. If the creator breaks this rule, they will be forced to break through the ‘vessel’ and temporarily reappear in their original form.

However, this can only last for a very short time. After that, the original form will be devoured by the image, turning the image into a real existence with both personality and magical power.

This also means that the original form will disappear from reality, and a portion of their spiritual power will be absorbed by ‘Not Dust,’ potentially even dissipating completely.

But the extent to which the image becomes lifelike or the eventual outcome of being devoured depends entirely on the creator’s willpower.

“And what’s the second risk?”

The novel mentioned this part, and young Yun Zhan had asked.

But at that time, the original character had carefully flipped through the ancient texts, only to find the faded pages revealing a single, barely visible character: ‘memory.’

He shook his head, “I can’t make it out.”

So Bai Fanlu never knew what the second risk of ‘Not Dust’ was. But now, he understood why Yun Zhan said he “couldn’t change back.”

Because he had been devoured by the image he created, and the trigger for this devouring… Bai Fanlu recalled that before Zi Zi, the ‘vessel,’ lost its divine light, he had been attacked at the City Lord’s residence in Yingzhou and then miraculously escaped…

So it wasn’t just a fluke.

Did Yun Zhan really take such a huge risk to save him?

Bai Fanlu shook his head. How could he interpret it that way? Of course, Yun Zhan wouldn’t have done it for his sake. He must have been trying to eliminate the enemy. After all, if the enemy wasn’t eliminated, his ‘vessel’ would be in danger too.

However, the ancient texts didn’t explain what would happen if the ‘vessel’ were to die. Perhaps that’s the second risk? Or maybe there wouldn’t be any risk at all, and it would just mean finding another ‘vessel.’

But no matter what, Bai Fanlu just wanted to believe that Yun Zhan did it for himself and not for Bai Fanlu.

And as he thought this, he deliberately ignored one thing: Yun Zhan had never needed to take such a big risk in the first place.

Although the immortal clan was different from the demon clan, lacking proficiency in disguise or puppet techniques, if Yun Zhan had wanted to toy with him, he could have just created a fake puppet image. Why go through all the trouble of merging real emotions?

But this was a question that Bai Fanlu was unwilling to touch, let alone delve into.

His detailed recollection of ‘Not Dust’ was merely to figure out why Yun Zhan hadn’t changed back, preparing himself mentally in case he ever had to face that face again.

But now there was no need to worry. Yun Zhan had left right after returning, and it had already been three days. Wang Chongyu had accompanied Ling Qingzi to yesterday’s alliance meeting.

The fake Wu Yue Shuang had mysteriously disappeared from Qingyang Sect, the real Wu Yue Shuang hadn’t returned to the immortal realm, nor sent anyone to the alliance meeting, and Cheng Ying Sect had been wiped out, leaving only six of the original eight sects in attendance.

And as Bai Fanlu expected, the news of him having “gone mad due to demonic influence” was spreading wildly outside. Some sects questioned his identity, but they were harshly rebuked by Ling Qingzi.

Tianxu Sect’s status as the leader of the righteous path wasn’t for nothing. The “First Immortal” had spoken out to protect him, and given the current situation where the immortal realm needed to stand united against their enemies, no one dared to openly object.

Even if two of the sect leaders had more seniority, they had to show Ling Qingzi respect. But there were always “flies” buzzing around, causing minor disturbances here and there.

For the protection offered by his master and fellow disciples, Bai Fanlu naturally felt guilty because he was indeed a demon. Though he didn’t know what method Ling Qingzi had used, it seemed that he no longer had any demonic energy within him, but that didn’t change the fact.

But regarding this matter, Wang Chongyu had only two sentences to express his stance.

“Senior brother, if Master wants to protect you, we will unhesitatingly protect you to the end.”

“No matter your identity, to me, you are just my senior brother.”

Though his words weren’t explicit, they conveyed to Bai Fanlu that both he and Ling Qingzi knew he was a demon.

Despite the delicate position Bai Fanlu was in, Wang Chongyu even told him the conclusion of the final alliance meeting.

Due to the continued corruption of mortals by demonic energy, causing them to fall into the demonic path and wreak havoc, and without an effective way to purify this energy, all the sects were preparing to seal the demonic energy rifts and eradicate those who had fallen, while also searching for the location of the demonic capital, the “Dilapidated Pavilion.”

Bai Fanlu knew about the “Dilapidated Pavilion,” but that place constantly changes its location and is concealed by Bai Junming’s illusions. In the original story, it was Yun Zhan who broke the illusion and initiated the final battle.

Furthermore, after the original character turned to the dark side, he lost his consciousness, and the novel didn’t clearly describe how he traveled to and from the demon realm. Even if Bai Fanlu wanted to help the immortal clans skip ahead and directly reach the demon realm’s stronghold, he wouldn’t be able to do it.

The fact that Wang Chongyu dared to reveal the alliance’s plans to him was probably because he knew Bai Fanlu had demon blood but didn’t know he was actually the demon realm’s young master.

However, that title was merely nominal, as aside from Bai Junming and the guards of the Demon Court, no one in the demon realm even knew of his existence.

This was because the original character had never stayed in the demon realm. The novel mentioned that when Ling Qingzi found him, he was just over a year old, a child found by a human couple.

Afterward, the original character was taken in as a disciple by Ling Qingzi, who genuinely raised him. If anyone understood the original character best, it would be Ling Qingzi, as there was likely no one in the world who knew him better.

Actually, when reading the book, Bai Fanlu always suspected that Ling Qingzi might have already discovered that the original character had demon blood. With his cultivation level and the five hundred years he spent with the original character, it wouldn’t make sense if he didn’t know.

Thinking of how he had left Sanmu Residence without even a word, Bai Fanlu decided to return and find Ling Qingzi.

On the way, he encountered two junior disciples from Tianxu Sect. Upon seeing him, they bowed and saluted. After they passed by, they looked back at Bai Fanlu and whispered to each other.

“I feel like Senior Brother looks different somehow. How should I put it… it’s like he’s become even… even more beautiful.”

“Senior Brother was already very beautiful. I’ve heard that our Tianxu Sect once had someone called the ‘Most Beautiful Person in the Three Realms.’ I never saw them, but I think Senior Brother must be more beautiful.”

“Ah, if only I could be a cultivation partner with Senior Brother…”

“What are you daydreaming about? Senior Brother and the Sect Leader’s junior disciple are already cultivation partners.”

Bai Fanlu’s keen hearing picked up these words, and he thought to himself how gossip was both pointless and frightening. It would be best to leave quickly.

But soon, his steps involuntarily slowed…

“I was just sighing, that’s all. I wouldn’t really compete with the Sect Leader’s junior disciple… But now that I think about it, when Senior Brother went mad, the Sect Leader’s junior disciple worked to unblock his meridians. Just looking at him… Hey, did you see how the Sect Leader’s junior disciple looked that day? It wasn’t just a matter of disguise; he seemed… seriously affected.”

“That’s why it was an act of great righteousness. You have to admire him. If you could do that, you could also become Senior Brother’s cultivation partner.”

“Uh, if that’s what it takes, I think I’ll pass…”

…What does that mean? Yun Zhan, he…

Bai Fanlu considered turning back to ask, but after a moment’s hesitation, he decided against it.

Whatever he did, it had nothing to do with him anymore, right? If something did happen, it was something Yun Zhan brought upon himself.

With a wave of his sleeve, Bai Fanlu stopped walking and decided to ride the clouds to leave those annoying rumors behind, determined not to think about them anymore.

When he arrived at Sanmu Residence, Ling Qingzi was seated at a table, intently studying a game of Go. The black and white pieces were locked in a fierce battle, but there was no one on the other side of the board.

Bai Fanlu chose not to disturb him and instead stood quietly to the side.

Since transmigrating into this world, apart from just after he woke up earlier, Bai Fanlu had only entered Sanmu Residence once. At that time, his mind had been preoccupied with figuring out how to… how to sever ties with Yun Zhan, never expecting to end up being thrown down the mountain together.

It’s truly ironic how fate works—trying to avoid something only to find it unavoidable. Had he known it would come to this, he would have simply faced it boldly alongside Yun Zhan.

Bai Fanlu smiled bitterly at himself and then looked around the room where his master resided, Sanmu Residence.

It was larger than his own room, probably because of the large wooden shelves filled with books. This must have been the place where the original character and young Yun Zhan often snuck in to read.

In front of the bookshelf was a long, low table made of Tang wood, with a paperweight holding down a half-written piece of calligraphy. The free-flowing script was upside down from where Bai Fanlu stood, so he couldn’t tell what it said.

The inkstone on the side had worn down by half, and the ink inside was still wet, reflecting the faint light coming from the window’s edge.

Hmm? That light didn’t seem to be coming from the window…

Bai Fanlu focused his gaze and realized that the faint glow was coming from a lotus-shaped jade incense burner positioned against the wall next to the low table.

Why was there light coming from the incense burner?

The light source was faint, filtering through the thin layer of jade. As Bai Fanlu stared at it, it seemed to flicker lightly. His vision blurred, and he blinked hard, trying to take a closer look.

“Mo’ke? Come here to me.”

Bai Fanlu snapped out of his thoughts and walked over to Ling Qingzi.

However, his mind was still flashing back to the scene he had just seen. It seemed as if two shadowy figures had appeared in front of the table. Was it just his imagination?

“Help me with this game. Does black still have a chance to win?”

Ling Qingzi asked, so Bai Fanlu set aside his thoughts and sat down opposite him.

Although Bai Fanlu knew a little about Go, he had never studied it formally. Initially, he only intended to take a casual look, but once his eyes fell on the board, he found himself unable to look away.

He stared at the group of white stones for a long time before suddenly locking his gaze on a particular spot.

Noticing his expression, Ling Qingzi picked up a black stone and asked, “Here?”

“Give it a try,” Bai Fanlu nodded.

Ling Qingzi placed the black stone where indicated, and after a brief consideration, a white stone was immediately placed in response.

After that, it was as if their minds were completely in sync—wherever Bai Fanlu thought, the black stones would follow. Until the final move, a “connection” formed, and the black stones linked together, successfully reversing the losing position.

Bai Fanlu let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as though he had just been through a fierce battle, amazed that they had actually succeeded.

Did he have a talent for playing Go? How had he never realized this before? Perhaps it was something worth exploring further after this.

“So happy?” Ling Qingzi asked him with a gentle expression, one that was rarely seen, making Bai Fanlu feel as if he were basking in the warmth of spring.

Bai Fanlu felt even more certain that his decision to return and play a game of Go with his master was the right one. After finishing the game, he felt completely rejuvenated.

Ling Qingzi looked back at the game board and mused, “This move is quite remarkable. It can be called…”

“Pulling the firewood from under the cauldron.”

Bai Fanlu blurted out before he could stop himself, then blushed. How could he interrupt his master like that?

However, Ling Qingzi showed no sign of reprimand. Instead, he smiled faintly, as if amused, “Mo’ke, you and I think alike. It’s indeed like pulling the firewood from under the cauldron.”

Bai Fanlu smiled sheepishly, feeling as though he had overstepped his bounds, but his master’s gentleness reassured him. Reflecting on all the times since his transmigration when he had been injured and his master had always been there to heal him and speak to him with seemingly indifferent yet caring words…

Bai Fanlu felt a pang of guilt in his heart, wanting to confess to Ling Qingzi that he wasn’t the original character. But when it came down to it, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Call it selfish if you will, but his time in this world was limited, and when he left, the original character would likely return.

So, could he be allowed to cherish these moments carefully?

Just as he had resolved earlier, not to turn evil, not to die—that was the one thing he could do for Ling Qingzi and for those who cared for the original character. It was the most meaningful thing he could do in this world.

No longer just for the sake of returning, but for the new conviction that had grown within him, Bai Fanlu knew he couldn’t afford to be lost in petty emotions or continue wallowing in despair.

Bai Fanlu was suddenly filled with renewed energy and determination. Now, there was just one more thing he needed to confirm.

“Master, your disciple… has a question.”

Ling Qingzi nodded, “Ask.”

“Why did you choose to take me as your disciple all those years ago?”

Even Wu Yue Shuang had said that Ling Qingzi wasn’t someone who would take on disciples, let alone a disciple with demon blood.

Ling Qingzi only smiled slightly at this question without answering immediately. Instead, he raised his right hand slightly, causing a strand of silver hair on his shoulder to slip down, trailing along his back and onto the bamboo mat beneath him.

It was only then that Bai Fanlu noticed a hint of red within the coiled silver hair on the bamboo mat, like a ribbon of some kind.

“Mo’ke, come closer.”

Bai Fanlu withdrew his gaze and knelt down before Ling Qingzi, moving closer.

Ling Qingzi raised his hand and gently touched Bai Fanlu’s forehead.

Bai Fanlu couldn’t see anything, only feeling a cool sensation spread from where Ling Qingzi’s fingers touched his brow.

Then, a fragrant aroma wafted into his nose along with the flow of energy…

It was his own demonic energy! Bai Fanlu’s eyes widened in shock.

At the place where he couldn’t see, as Ling Qingzi’s fingers brushed over it, the purple mark on his forehead flickered in and out of visibility. But in an instant, it was covered by a transparent veil of icy silk, and with a flash of light, the mark on his forehead returned to its original smooth appearance.

The demonic energy disappeared along with it.

Ling Qingzi’s hand suddenly dropped, covering Bai Fanlu’s eyes.

In the hazy darkness, Bai Fanlu felt a gentle touch on his forehead, though he couldn’t quite discern what it was. Then, Ling Qingzi’s voice came from nearby.

He said, “Because you are my Mo’ke.”