Wang Chongyu’s area, Nanmeng Creek, had just seen the emergence of the largest demonic fissure to date.

When Bai Fanlu arrived, dozens of disciples from the Tianxu Sect were guarding the fissure, struggling to maintain a barrier, but demonic energy continued to pour out uncontrollably.

Wang Chongyu hadn’t expected Bai Fanlu to be sent, but when he saw the ice spike in Bai Fanlu’s hand, he understood.

Bai Fanlu had already learned that all the villages and towns within a hundred miles of Nanmeng Creek had been wiped out by infected demons, leaving no survivors. They had barely managed to contain the spread of demonic energy, but couldn’t get close enough to seal the fissure.

Bai Fanlu had been sent to take the ice spike into the heart of the demonic energy, to enter the fissure and investigate.

Wang Chongyu was concerned because he had to stay outside to guard the barrier, which meant Bai Fanlu had to go in alone.

“Don’t worry, Master said that with the ice spike, nothing will happen.”

This reassurance was like a calming pill, even though Bai Fanlu might not fully understand its meaning, Wang Chongyu knew exactly what it implied.

Bai Fanlu was fully prepared. The demonic fissure in Nanmeng Creek was the third one mentioned in the book after the one in Ling City.

Yun Zhan had initially failed to seal this fissure because he didn’t have the right method and only succeeded after borrowing the ice spike from Ling Qingzi. However, Bai Fanlu didn’t even need to ask for it; his master had given him the ice spike without hesitation.

His master had said he couldn’t leave the Tianxu Sect, so he sent the ice spike to help Bai Fanlu in his stead.

Even though he didn’t have the protagonist’s aura, Bai Fanlu felt that being cared for and specially looked after by his master was better than any so-called protagonist’s halo.

With the ice spike protecting him, it felt like his master was by his side, so Bai Fanlu wasn’t afraid at all. He easily entered the center of the fissure, brushing aside thick mists, passing through a desolate village until Nanmeng Creek appeared in his sight.

The creek had turned black from the surrounding heavy demonic energy, and as he approached, something swiftly swam through the water, causing red waves to rise on the black surface.

Soon, something burst out of the water—a huge snake, with a purple-red body, its scales raised like hooks, looking extremely terrifying.

Another demonic beast, a water python.

Bai Fanlu gripped the ice spike, and flying on his sword, he ascended into the air, directly aiming for the python’s weak spot. His eyes quickly locked onto a circle of purple markings three inches below its head.

The giant python coiled its massive tail around itself, hiding its weak spot, while its head turned swiftly, opening its bloody maw towards Bai Fanlu.

Bai Fanlu intended to pierce its mouth with the ice spike, but reconsidered. If the python was injured, its blood would pollute the waters of Nanmeng Creek.

More importantly, he needed to use the water python to seal the demonic fissure to avoid taking a roundabout path.

Seal the fissure first, then kill the enemy, striking its weak spot for a lethal blow.

Bai Fanlu dodged the python’s massive body as it tried to coil around him, deliberately leading it into a chase in the air. The python was extremely agile and soon coiled into a tight ball. Bai Fanlu stopped mid-air, raised his hand, and an invisible force grabbed the python’s tongue, which was flicking dangerously close.

In the next moment, the snake’s body twisted and writhed in mid-air as if wrung like a rag, contorting and twisting under his control.

Bai Fanlu silently exerted more strength, continuously channeling his spiritual energy into his palm, and the python’s body gradually stretched and deformed, finally transforming into a giant bow.

He quickly summoned the ice spike with his other hand, which transformed into an arrow. He drew the bow slowly, assuming a shooting posture.

“Hmm…”

The thing was heavier than he expected, and Bai Fanlu soon felt his strength waning.

Controlling both the python and the ice spike simultaneously, the python struggled violently, trying to break free from his grasp.

Meanwhile, the demonic energy from the python was constantly being drawn into the ice spike, causing it to tremble violently.

But at this moment, Bai Fanlu could still hold on.

Gritting his teeth, Bai Fanlu suddenly heard a strange sound in his mind, and then a surge of infinite strength filled his hand holding the snake bow and ice arrow.

With a strong pull, Bai Fanlu released the arrow, which shot out with a whoosh, carrying the python’s demonic energy and his own celestial energy, the two forces intertwining as they pierced through Nanmeng Creek’s waters, vanishing instantly.

With a splash, countless shimmering points of light spread from where the ice spike had struck, dispersing the demonic energy wherever they reached, revealing clear mountains and green waters once more.

The python’s body coiled tightly in Bai Fanlu’s hand. He abruptly released his grip and swiftly struck with his sword, decisively piercing its weak spot.

The python let out a mournful cry, struggled for a moment on the ground, and then fell silent, its massive body instantly shrinking into a small whip-length piece.

Bai Fanlu retrieved the ice spike, planning to dispose of the snake’s body, but to his surprise, it disintegrated on its own.

As he wondered about this, he suddenly felt a slight warmth on his wrist. When he looked up, he noticed that another spiritual vein had gradually appeared on the Cangqin bracelet, making a total of five now.

Unexpectedly, he had gained something more from this trip.

But when had the fourth vein appeared? He hadn’t been aware at all… Could it have been the day his demonic blood awakened?

Bai Fanlu pondered. In the original story, the final form of the Cangqin bracelet had seven spiritual veins. There was a scene where the seven veins spread out like the strings of a zither, used to control dark spirits and unleash a deadly move.

So, there were still two veins left. Why did it feel like collecting the seven Dragon Balls to summon Shenlong? Bai Fanlu found it amusing, but he didn’t want Shenlong; he thought it wasn’t fun at all.

He turned to leave, and as the demonic energy quickly dissipated, the disciples outside, including Wang Chongyu, began to retract the barrier. Upon seeing Bai Fanlu emerge, a junior brother exclaimed in delight, “Senior Brother, you’re amazing as always!”

“Not at all, it was all thanks to Master’s help.”

After exchanging some pleasantries, when only Wang Chongyu and Bai Fanlu were left, Wang Chongyu asked, “You said Master helped you?”

Bai Fanlu recalled what had just happened and believed it must have been his master who had channeled his power through the ice spike to help him.

After describing the situation to Wang Chongyu, the latter fell into thought but said nothing more.

Since he was already out of the sect and Ling Qingzi had sent him to assist Wang Chongyu, Bai Fanlu decided to act with him from then on.

Nanmeng Creek had urgently gathered many people, but now that the crisis was over, Wang Chongyu instructed the disciples to return to their patrols as previously arranged. Being naturally cautious, he gave them numerous reminders before they parted.

Wang Chongyu had his own team, and with Bai Fanlu joining them, their strength was formidable, making dealing with demons that had infected ordinary people seem trivial.

The most awkward part was that after Bai Fanlu arrived, the demons seemed to tacitly avoid revealing themselves.

This was becoming a bit too subtle.

Without waiting for Wang Chongyu to say anything, Bai Fanlu took the initiative to return to the Tianxu Sect to report back, temporarily leaving the group.

But the reason he wanted to act alone actually involved something he couldn’t say. As expected, once he parted from Wang Chongyu, shadowy demon guards emerged.

This was convenient, as Bai Fanlu had some questions for them. “Where is the Elder now?”

The demon guard responded, “The Elder is currently in the Demon City. Does the Young Master need me to deliver a message?”

Bai Fanlu thought for a moment. “No need. I killed the water python the other day and have been helping my junior brother exterminate demons these past few days. Is the Elder aware of this? Did he say anything?”

“The Elder is aware,” the demon guard paused before continuing, “He said, ‘Whatever makes the Young Master happy.'”

“Whatever makes me happy?”

Of course, to him, those people were just cannon fodder. But wasn’t Bai Junming trying to strengthen his forces? Why was he so unconcerned while one demonic fissure after another was being sealed?

At this point in the novel, the original character’s demonic blood had awakened, his identity had been exposed, and he had severed ties with the celestial realm. The celestial tribes had finally mobilized to eradicate the demons everywhere.

Bai Junming should have led the demon army to challenge the celestial realm, and during the chaos, Yun Zhan would have pushed the original character into the abyss of the endless realm, delivering a fatal blow, setting him on an irreversible path of darkness and slaughter.

But now, although Bai Fanlu had indeed become a demon, not only had Yun Zhan sent him back to the celestial realm, but Bai Junming also hadn’t taken him back to the demon realm. After staging such a heart-wrenching scene together, they both retreated into the background?

It was interesting, but also completely baffling.

Bai Fanlu was truly puzzled. He asked the demon guard, “What mission did the Elder assign you?”

“To protect the Young Master in secret.”

“Oh?”

“Protect” wasn’t the right word; “surveil” was more accurate. Bai Fanlu’s gaze turned cold. “Do you know about the Baishen Pavilion Event？” 

“……” The demon guard was momentarily speechless. 

But this reaction was essentially a tacit admission. He knew about it, or at least witnessed it, but being under Bai Junming’s orders, he was powerless to intervene even if he wanted to.

And considering the dangers Bai Fanlu had faced along the way, if this so-called “protection” was really in place…

“Protection? It’s more like surveillance,” Bai Fanlu said coldly.

The demon guard immediately knelt down. “This subordinate deserves death!”

Bai Fanlu wasn’t trying to frighten him—it wouldn’t be meaningful. He just wanted to make sure the demon guard understood the situation.

This time, however, he didn’t tell the demon guard to get up. “You’re well aware of what the Elder is doing. I don’t expect you to do anything, but take care of yourself.”

After all, Bai Fanlu still hoped the demon guard wouldn’t get too deeply involved in Bai Junming’s schemes, lest he end up as cannon fodder.

As for Bai Junming himself, let him keep watching if he wants—what’s there to fear?

In fact, Bai Fanlu felt like playing along and letting the big boss see how well he could “play the role” of a virtuous celestial. He was sure he could outshine Bai Junming’s portrayal of Yun Zhan.

Thinking back on what Bai Junming did while disguised as Yun Zhan at Baishen Pavilion, Bai Fanlu now had only two words to describe him: perverted freak.

The original character was Bai Junming’s own nephew, yet he made him wear women’s clothes and did all sorts of indecent things. Bai Fanlu still got goosebumps whenever he thought about it.

Even if it was done to force Yun Zhan’s true self to emerge, Bai Fanlu couldn’t accept such methods. He was disgusted, utterly disgusted, and on top of that, the big boss was someone who deserved to be eliminated.

But now Yun Zhan was nowhere to be found, and Bai Fanlu couldn’t kill Bai Junming. However, he could certainly make life difficult for him.

Since he was being watched, Bai Fanlu decided he might as well go and slay a few more demons!

Originally, he had intended to return directly to the Tianxu Sect, but now he felt like taking his time. He wandered around, eliminating any malicious demons he encountered while sending any demons that still had some semblance of goodness to Demon City with the demon guard.

Didn’t they say to let him do as he pleased? Well, this was pretty good. Over time, the demon realm might even become a more harmonious place.

In just a few days, Bai Fanlu’s presence alone was enough to make demons avoid him. He had gone from being a recluse on the mountain to a wanderer below.

But the world was vast, and while flying on a sword made it feel small, covering such a wide area in this thorough manner was quite difficult.

Bai Fanlu decided to expand his activities. When he arrived at a place called Gonghua Town, the name triggered a memory.

The young man who had asked him to deliver the Snow Lingzhi had a family in Lushui Village, near Gonghua Town. The young man’s ghost had worried that the village was too small for Bai Fanlu to find, so he had mentioned the more well-known Gonghua Town as a reference.

Bai Fanlu immediately decided to visit Lushui Village. With demonic activity on the rise, he wondered if the elderly widow living alone was safe.

Lost in these thoughts, he didn’t realize until he reached the entrance of Lushui Village that the side quest related to delivering the Snow Lingzhi hadn’t been marked as complete. So Yun Zhan hadn’t come?

Well, he had overestimated him.

Every time Bai Fanlu thought about that person, he couldn’t help but expect the worst, though a small voice in his head kept reminding him otherwise.

Yun Zhan had taken care of Xiang Wan’s matter; surely he wouldn’t neglect this one, especially since it concerned an elderly woman’s illness—something important to a righteous celestial…

“Senior Martial Brother risked a lot to clear his meridians… It seemed really serious…”

The words of a junior brother echoed in Bai Fanlu’s mind, making him uneasy. Could something have really happened?

Wait, why should he be worried about that fraud?

Bai Fanlu pushed down his frustration and took a step into Lushui Village.

The small village had only five households and appeared peaceful, untouched by demonic disturbances.

Bai Fanlu soon found the most dilapidated cottage under the large locust tree.

In front of the house, a white-haired old woman was sitting by the roadside, stripping corn kernels from some yellowed cobs. A small stone mill nearby contained freshly ground cornmeal.

The elderly woman, clearly advanced in age, found it difficult to strip the kernels, working slowly and only managing to remove one row at a time. When two kernels accidentally rolled out of the basket, she bent over, trembling, to pick them up.

Seeing this, Bai Fanlu quickly stepped forward to help. But just as he did, a skinny black dog sprang out of nowhere and bit his leg, growling threateningly.

The old woman hurriedly scolded, “Heizi! Get away! Go!” She even raised a broom to hit it, but halfway through, she started coughing from the exertion.

The small black dog retreated a little but continued to glare at Bai Fanlu, still on guard.

Bai Fanlu stood still to avoid provoking the dog further.

After the old woman caught her breath, she took the two corn kernels from Bai Fanlu’s hand with her frail, bony fingers and placed them back in the basket. The basket held only a meager amount of corn kernels, barely covering the bottom.

“Thank… thank you… May I ask who you are?”

Bai Fanlu was about to respond but didn’t know how to introduce himself, so he asked, “Ma’am, has anyone brought you a Snow Lingzhi recently?”

“Oh!” The elderly woman’s eyes brightened. “Yes, yes, they did… cough, cough…”

She couldn’t speak more than a few words without coughing. Her son had said she suffered from chronic respiratory issues, and it seemed to be true.

But since she said yes, did that mean Yun Zhan had already been here?

Bai Fanlu patiently waited, subtly using his celestial powers to ease the old woman’s condition.

Feeling a bit better, she continued, “A young man said… it was from his elder brother. Are you his elder brother?”

Bai Fanlu hesitated but eventually answered, “Yes, did you receive it? Then why…”

The elderly woman shook her head. “Thank you, young man, but I don’t need such good medicine anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

The elderly woman waved her hand, intending to sit back down on the small bamboo stool. Bai Fanlu took the opportunity to help her.

The small black dog barked twice but didn’t pounce on him this time, though it still watched him warily.

The elderly woman sat down and began grinding cornmeal. Bai Fanlu wanted to help, but she stopped him.

“This is just to pass the time; there’s no rush. I have plenty of food.”

The old woman seemed to have some cognitive issues, or perhaps she hadn’t had anyone to talk to in a long time. She started talking about her son, then about the little black dog, before finally remembering the young man who had brought the Snow Lingzhi.

“That boy was just like you, willing to keep an old lady company… though he was much more talkative, always chattering away until I got dizzy!”

Bai Fanlu couldn’t help but smile, though he quickly suppressed it. He definitely wasn’t amused by the thought of someone chattering non-stop like that.

“He kept talking… oh yes, he kept talking about you!”

“About… me?”

Bai Fanlu’s heart skipped a beat, unsure whether he wanted to stop the old woman from rambling or hear more. Torn between the two, he hesitated, and she continued.

“He said, ‘My elder brother is the best person in the world,’ and then said, ‘If one day he starts hating me…’ Hmm, what was it?”

The old woman imitated the young man’s tone but then seemed to forget the key part.

Bai Fanlu held his breath, not wanting to interrupt her train of thought.

“Oh yes!” The old woman clapped her hands, finally recalling. Her face brightened with a smile. “That boy said something strange. He said he hoped that before he forgets you, you’d forget him first. That way, he could… he could…”

She trailed off again, stopping at the most poignant moment.

Bai Fanlu realized he’d been holding his breath, a lump stuck in his throat. After waiting for what felt like forever, he couldn’t help but ask, “He could what?”

The elderly woman shook her head. “That’s it.”

Bai Fanlu: “…”

It was unclear whether she had truly forgotten or if the young man had simply left it at that, repeating the same inexplicable words over and over.

Yet those few words left Bai Fanlu feeling increasingly restless, his mind agitated. He couldn’t explain why, but he felt uneasy, unable to sit still.

Perhaps it was because they had been talking for so long without getting to the point. The real focus should have been on the Snow Lingzhi, after all.

Right, the Snow Lingzhi!

Bai Fanlu finally calmed down enough to ask the elderly woman about the Snow Lingzhi, and only then did he learn why the side quest hadn’t been marked as complete.

It turned out that although the Snow Lingzhi had indeed been delivered to her, she hadn’t had the heart to use it. She eventually sold it to a passing herbal merchant, intending to use the money to buy a fine coffin for her son and give him a proper funeral.

From a modern perspective, Bai Fanlu found it hard to understand why someone would sacrifice their own chance at life just for peace of mind regarding the deceased.

But the old woman had made her choice, fulfilling her wish. At least for now, she seemed to be living out her remaining days contentedly.

Does that mean the mission is a failure? Just as Bai Fanlu was wondering this, a prompt echoed in his mind.

Ding-ding: “Mission Manual: White Hair Sending Off Black Hair, A Mother’s Unsolved Heart; Come and Go, Back and Forth, A Wanderer Can Finally Return Home.”

Bai Fanlu had forgotten about this cryptic message since it made no sense at the time. But now, looking at it again, his attention was drawn to the phrase “come and go, back and forth.”

What kind of back and forth does this refer to?

Just as he was pondering this, the sound of a horse-drawn carriage came from nearby. A coachman drove the carriage up and stopped in front of the cottage. The little black dog was the first to rush over, barking furiously at the carriage.

The coachman struggled to calm the startled horse and held tightly onto the reins. When he saw Bai Fanlu, he called out, “Young master! Could you come here for a moment?”

Bai Fanlu approached, and the little black dog retreated slightly. The coachman turned and pulled back the curtain of the carriage.

Someone inside handed him something carefully, and the coachman took it—a finely crafted brocade box.

He handed the box to Bai Fanlu. “This is something my master is returning to the old madam. Could you kindly pass it to her? I won’t go inside to disturb her.”

Though curious, Bai Fanlu assumed it was a private matter and didn’t pry. He took the brocade box inside and gave it to the elderly woman.

The old woman was also puzzled and wanted to ask the coachman, but the carriage had already left. She opened the brocade box, and Bai Fanlu was shocked to see that inside was a Snow Lingzhi!

He was stunned and immediately rushed out to catch up with the carriage.

“Brother, may I ask who your master is?”

“My master is the owner of the Renshen Pharmacy in Gonghua Town.”

Bai Fanlu was even more surprised. The old woman had mentioned selling the Snow Lingzhi to this very person. Why would they return a Snow Lingzhi, which was extremely rare? Could this be the same one?

And what about the money she received? Did the shopkeeper just give it back?

At that moment, the elderly woman came hobbling after them, waving her hands and shouting.

The coachman quickly jumped down to meet her. “Old madam, what is it?”

The old woman was gasping for breath and struggling to speak clearly. After several attempts, she finally managed to explain that she wanted to return the brocade box because she had already used the money. It was an honest transaction, and she couldn’t go back on it.

But the coachman replied, “A young master redeemed it for you and insisted that it be returned. My master is a man of integrity; once he agreed to return it, he made sure it was done. Please, you must accept it; otherwise, I won’t be able to report back to him.”

“Young master?” Bai Fanlu asked, “What kind of young master?”

“He was slightly taller than you, a rather young fellow.”

“Did he say his name?”

“Well…” The coachman looked troubled. “I don’t know, but my master might. If you’d like to ask…”

“Oh, never mind, it’s fine.”

Bai Fanlu wasn’t sure what he was thinking or what kind of answer he was hoping to hear.

As the carriage left, the elderly woman watched it with gratitude, and Bai Fanlu also found himself staring after it.

On the bumpy mountain road, the carriage swayed as it traveled, and the curtain beside the window fluttered, revealing and concealing the figure inside. As the carriage reached the end of the road and tilted slightly to the right, the curtain lifted, exposing a narrow gap.

Through that gap, Bai Fanlu caught a glimpse of the person inside, sitting still, looking straight ahead, one hand gripping the side for balance.

As the carriage finally turned the corner, that hand rose slightly to brush aside the curtain.

At that moment, Bai Fanlu, supporting the elderly woman, seemed to sense something and turned to glance at the departing carriage.