“Chong Yu…”

Wang Chongyu looked at Bai Fanlu’s stiff expression, calmly curling his lips into a smile. “It’s me. Surprised?”

Hearing that voice, Bai Fanlu seemed to awaken from a deep dream. His throat was dry, and his shock was beyond measure. “…How? Why would you…”

Wang Chongyu coldly interrupted, “Senior Brother, you should worry about Yun Zhan first.”

“You!” Bai Fanlu turned around, and sure enough, Yun Zhan was surrounded by enemies.

Seeing Ling Qingzi’s back, Bai Fanlu quickly thought of a strategy and sent a message through his spiritual sense, “A Zhan, distract Master’s attention! Don’t worry about the monster for now! Quick!”

Yun Zhan reacted swiftly, leaping past the monster and striking at Ling Qingzi. Naturally, Ling Qingzi wasn’t caught off guard and met the attack head-on.

Bai Fanlu had initially moved toward the monster, but he feinted at the last moment and struck Ling Qingzi from behind. However, Bai Fanlu’s blow carried no killing intent; he merely channeled his spiritual energy into a pressure point on Ling Qingzi’s neck.

Ling Qingzi was forced to open his mouth slightly, and Bai Fanlu quickly sent a thread of his prepared herb, the Cangjin, infused with celestial energy, into Ling Qingzi’s mouth.

This entire sequence happened in a flash, with Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan working together seamlessly.

In the next moment, Wang Chongyu had already rushed over. Bai Fanlu barely exchanged a move with him when the monster attacked from the side. Yun Zhan grabbed Bai Fanlu, dodging two lightning spells in succession.

Wang Chongyu landed beside Ling Qingzi and asked, “What’s going on?”

Ling Qingzi shook his head without answering, but after a moment, a trickle of black blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Master!” Wang Chongyu called out, but before he could say more, Ling Qingzi vomited more blood and suddenly fainted.

Wang Chongyu had no choice but to support Ling Qingzi, glancing down at the battlefield below. The monster swung its arm, shattering the riverbank. Sword lights and water splashed across the sky, and both Yun Zhan and Bai Fanlu were entangled, barely able to fend off the attacks.

“At last, you’re playing along. Let’s see how long you can last,” Wang Chongyu sneered before leaving with Ling Qingzi.

The monster’s attacks became even more violent, its strikes precise and relentless. Yun Zhan and Bai Fanlu, determined to prevent it from wreaking further havoc, resolved to keep it contained in this area.

The battle raged on for two whole days and nights, but no victor emerged. Although the monster sustained injuries, it healed rapidly. Even more peculiar was the energy it possessed, neither celestial nor demonic—an odd mix of overwhelming force with a constant regenerative power.

What exactly was this thing?

With every close encounter, Bai Fanlu found the energy more familiar, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Additionally, the fact that the monster primarily targeted him was strange. Could it have some kind of connection with him?

Compared to the monster’s rapid healing, Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan were clearly wearing out. Neither Cangjin nor Biluo could deal a fatal blow to the creature.

With just the two of them, this was becoming a battle of attrition. They couldn’t keep this up any longer.

A creature with such strong regenerative abilities could only be defeated with a single, decisive strike. If only they had a powerful divine weapon…

Suddenly, it hit Bai Fanlu—how could he have forgotten about the divine weapon!

When he first arrived in this world, the system had mentioned that a special quest could unlock a peerless divine weapon.

At the time, Bai Fanlu had dismissed it, but now it seemed that every side mission or hidden event offered rewards with a purpose. This setup had to have its use.

“A Zhan, we need to retreat for now.”

Bai Fanlu sent a spiritual message. He had been fighting without a break, so his voice was slightly breathless.

“Senior Brother, you go. I can hold him off.”

“You can’t handle it alone.”

But if they both retreated at the same time, the monster would undoubtedly wreak havoc elsewhere.

“I’ve got it. Let’s lure him to the western desert. It’s uninhabited, and we can set up a formation to hold him off for a while.”

“Alright! Let’s do it!”

The two of them immediately executed their plan, fighting as they retreated, luring the monster across the desert.

Bai Fanlu acted as bait while Yun Zhan used the terrain to set up a formation infused with Biluo. Once Bai Fanlu had distracted the monster, the formation roared to life.

This outer layer of barriers was followed by another layer of demonic magic from Bai Fanlu, using Cangjin illusions to further hinder the monster, allowing them some time.

After completing these tasks, both were nearly drained of their powers. Without delay, Bai Fanlu summoned the system in his mind.

“How do I enter the ‘Peerless Divine Weapon’ quest?”

Beep, beep: “Insufficient ‘Reader’s Inspiration Fragments,’ missing four fragments. Unable to unlock the quest.”

“Are there any unfinished tasks?”

Aside from the side missions, Bai Fanlu had visited many hidden maps with Xiao Liu during their travels in the human realm and had completed two. He wasn’t sure how many fragments he had, but missing four was troublesome.

Beep, beep: “All tasks are complete. There is one hidden map left.”

“Where?”

Beep, beep: “Wanhua City.”

Without hesitation, Bai Fanlu grabbed Yun Zhan and flew toward Wanhua City.

Oddly, Yun Zhan didn’t question his sudden, abrupt action. Instead, he obediently let himself be pulled along, even seeming to enjoy it.

Compared to Bai Fanlu’s serious, mission-focused demeanor, Yun Zhan’s carefree attitude in the face of impending disaster left Bai Fanlu at a loss for how to react.

“Why don’t you ask where we’re going when I say to go?”

“Because wherever Senior Brother goes, I’ll be there too. No need to ask.”

Yun Zhan twirled his sword in the air, making a show of it, his movements graceful and smooth.

“This is what they call… husband and wife in sync.”

Bai Fanlu ignored him and sped up on his sword.

“Tsk tsk!” Yun Zhan chuckled to himself. His Senior Brother seemed to blush just now.

For someone who had already consummated their marriage more than once, Bai Fanlu’s reactions were still as shy as a first love. It was an oddly endearing feeling.

If not for the unstable situation, how delightful it would have been to soar through the sky together. What a pity!

While Yun Zhan reveled in their reunion, Bai Fanlu, finally distracted from the monster, was reminded of something else that weighed heavily on him. “I still can’t believe it… Chongyu is…”

Yun Zhan wasn’t as surprised. “I suspected it ever since I was knocked into the Abyss of No Return. But when he fell into the furnace, I thought it wasn’t him after all. Now it seems there’s more to the story. He probably used some method to rebuild his body.”

“I still feel like something’s off. I don’t believe Chongyu was pretending all this time… By the way, you know about the Hengqing Key, right?”

“The Hengqing Key doesn’t actually belong to Qizhao. It was… left behind by Mo Jiuli.” Yun Zhan deliberately used their full names, worried Bai Fanlu might overthink things again.

Bai Fanlu reflected, realizing that what Xun Huang had said was true.

“When Mo Jiuli was nearing the end, he was worried that his demonic energy would escape again in the future, so he gathered it and sealed it within the Hengqing Key, entrusting it to Qizhao…”

At this point, Yun Zhan suddenly gasped, “Could it be because of this?”

“What? What did you think of?” Bai Fanlu asked urgently.

“The Hengqing Key can reincarnate, but since it also contains demonic energy, does that mean Senior Brother Chongyu has two souls… two personalities?”

Bai Fanlu was shocked. Could it really be dual personalities?

“That… actually seems possible.”

When they were together, Wang Chongyu had never shown any sign of abnormality. If he had been pretending all this time, then his acting skills were too perfect.

Even Yun Zhan had doubted him. Yet, without seeing that face, no one would ever have suspected it was the same person.

Bai Fanlu thought, that explains it!

But Wang Chongyu had definitely fallen into the furnace, revealing the Hengqing Key’s true form. So what body was he using now? Would the original personality return?

Bai Fanlu had countless questions, but the memory of Wang Chongyu’s fall into the furnace was still vivid, causing his heart to ache. Now, all he hoped for was that Wang Chongyu hadn’t completely turned to darkness and that he could find a way to bring him back.

Lost in thought, Bai Fanlu didn’t realize they had arrived at Wanhua City. He waited for the system’s prompt to start the divine weapon quest, but even after landing in the city, no notification came.

Bai Fanlu grabbed a passerby and asked, “Excuse me, is this Wanhua City?”

“Yes, it is!”

Getting a positive answer, Bai Fanlu was confused. He had arrived, but the system hadn’t prompted him. Had the system malfunctioned at the critical moment?

The system remained silent.

Yun Zhan pulled Bai Fanlu toward the crowd. “We’ve been fighting for two days straight. I’m starving; let’s grab some food first.”

“You can still get hungry?” Immortals didn’t need to eat.

Bai Fanlu, preoccupied with everything on his mind, couldn’t sit down to eat in peace.

But Yun Zhan, much more relaxed, said, “Don’t worry. The formation I set up is solid. It’ll hold for two or three days. Right now, we need to replenish our strength. Otherwise, how will we fight?”

Yun Zhan ordered a full table of dishes and kept adding food to Bai Fanlu’s plate. “Instead of frowning, why not eat up and think of a solution?”

Seeing that they had already sat down, and Yun Zhan made a valid point, Bai Fanlu stopped overthinking. He put aside his frustration and began to eat.

While eating, Bai Fanlu glanced up and noticed that the waitstaff running around seemed quite young, likely only in their teens.

This made him think of something. “Is this the Ziyue Inn?”

“Yes!” Yun Zhan laughed. “The innkeeper greeted you earlier, but you didn’t notice.”

Bai Fanlu suddenly realized that when they arrived, the innkeeper had indeed warmly greeted Yun Zhan, and he had instinctively ignored her, thinking she was just any innkeeper.

“Does she still recognize me?”

“Of course she does. We came here together last year, remember? And she’s known us since she was a little girl.”

That was the original Bai Fanlu, not him. Bai Fanlu didn’t point it out, having agreed not to dwell on that anymore.

However, “My appearance has changed. How did she still recognize me?”

Yun Zhan was eating happily, but hearing this, his expression turned a bit strange. He swallowed his food and smiled, saying, “Oops, I let it slip. I was going to give you a surprise, but oh well…”

He beckoned Bai Fanlu to lean in closer.

“What is it?” Bai Fanlu was confused.

Yun Zhan playfully lifted Bai Fanlu’s chin, casting a mischievous look over his face.

“Hm… People used to say that your previous face was the most beautiful in the three realms, but in my opinion, this one is better—unique and unmatched. No beauty compares to my Senior Brother.”

So, he was teasing him! Just as Bai Fanlu was about to slap away Yun Zhan’s hand, he froze.

That statement meant…

Yun Zhan chuckled, withdrew his hand, and poured a cup of tea, handing it to Bai Fanlu.

“You’ve already reverted a bit. It seems most of the poison has been neutralized. So we don’t need to worry too much about Master anymore, right?”

“…” Bai Fanlu touched his face. Over the past few days, he hadn’t had time to think about it, and the transformation had happened gradually.

Without realizing it, the Cangjin’s antidote had been effective. He accepted the tea and took a sip, feeling much more at ease.

“The innkeeper… I’ll go talk to her later.”

“Who are you going to talk to, huh? Just a few words won’t do; we’ll need many!”

A cheerful voice cut through the bustling inn. The innkeeper walked over to their table and set down a wine cup. “Bai Dage, it’s been so long since you visited! And now that you’re here, you ignore me? You deserve a punishment!”

She snatched the tea from Bai Fanlu’s hand, replacing it with a cup of wine, smiling brightly at him.

“…I was wrong. I should apologize.”

It was just a small cup of wine, so Bai Fanlu decided to drink it in one gulp.

The innkeeper clapped her hands. “So straightforward! That’s what I like about you two. Come on, today’s a busy day, and I’m in the mood to drink with you! It’s on me!”

She promptly replaced their cups with large bowls, filling them with wine in a show of camaraderie.

Bai Fanlu was stunned. Although he wasn’t afraid of drinking, now was hardly the time to drink to excess.

“This…” Bai Fanlu shot Yun Zhan a look, hoping he would help out, but Yun Zhan feigned ignorance, grinning at the innkeeper. “If Sister Xu insists, how could we refuse? We’ll gladly join you!”

Bai Fanlu sent Yun Zhan a message through their spiritual link. “Now’s not the time for drinking!”

Yun Zhan replied, “Can’t I indulge a little?”

Bai Fanlu was speechless. So much for being a proper protagonist. Even Bai Fanlu, the supposed villain, had a better sense of priority.

“We’ll have plenty of chances to drink after we deal with that thing,” Bai Fanlu tried to reason.

But Yun Zhan looked up at him, his voice dropping unexpectedly, “Who knows if this will be the last time we drink together?”

“…”

“The future is unpredictable, and time is running short. If there’s wine today, why not enjoy it?”

Yun Zhan downed his bowl of wine in one go.

Bai Fanlu felt a tightness in his chest. His fingers traced the rough edges of his wine bowl. He finally picked it up.

The innkeeper smiled as she refilled their bowls. The inn was filled with lively conversation and laughter, but to Bai Fanlu, those sounds seemed to drift farther away.

Yun Zhan asked through their spiritual link, “Senior Brother, are you afraid of death?”

After a pause, Bai Fanlu answered, “I am. But more than death, I’m afraid of…”

“Afraid of what?”

Bai Fanlu shook his head and smiled, saying nothing more.

In the bowl of wine, the dark interior reflected the crystal-clear liquid. He thought to himself, it’s fine.

Perhaps this really would be their last drink together. As for his promise to the Drunken Immortal, it seemed destined to be broken. After everything was over, Bai Fanlu wouldn’t have time anymore.

With these thoughts weighing on his mind, all of Bai Fanlu’s pent-up frustration and exhaustion from the past few days seemed to find an outlet. He no longer cared about the monster, Wang Chongyu, Ling Qingzi, or the fate of the world. He just wanted to be drunk for a moment.

They drank for who knows how long. By the time Bai Fanlu’s mind went completely blank, he didn’t know anything anymore.

Yun Zhan watched him down bowl after bowl, never stopping him. By midnight, the inn had closed, and the two staggered back to their room.

Yun Zhan helped Bai Fanlu onto the bed, used celestial power to clean him up, removed his shoes, and covered him with a blanket. Just as Yun Zhan was about to leave for the neighboring room, his sleeve was tugged.

“A Zhan…”

Bai Fanlu turned over, his eyes bright from the alcohol, a faint, drunken smile on his lips.

He called out, then hiccuped, frowning in discomfort, as if he had forgotten what he wanted to say, looking troubled.

“A Zhan…” he whispered again.

Hearing that familiar name said with such warmth, Yun Zhan’s heart melted.

He had never seen Bai Fanlu drunk before. Despite looking delicate, Bai Fanlu could hold his liquor well, making it difficult to get him drunk.

Yun Zhan sat down by the bed and was about to gently touch Bai Fanlu’s face when Bai Fanlu hiccupped again, his brows furrowing like little caterpillars. But even in his discomfort, he refused to let go of Yun Zhan’s sleeve.

“Uncomfortable…”

Bai Fanlu’s foggy eyes blinked, and Yun Zhan coaxed, “Be good, I’ll get you some water. Drink it, and you’ll feel better.”

Unlike in the chess game where Bai Fanlu had taken care of a drunken Yun Zhan twice, this third time it was Yun Zhan’s turn to look after him. The difference in their drunk behavior was night and day.

Yun Zhan poured a cup of water from the table and helped Bai Fanlu drink. Just as he was about to help him out of his outer robe for a proper rest, Bai Fanlu, who had been peacefully leaning against him, suddenly looked up.

Blinking groggily, Bai Fanlu asked, “Do newlyweds… always sleep without clothes?”

The question was familiar, and Yun Zhan smiled. “Yes, they do.”

“Oh…” Bai Fanlu lowered his head again, his face already flushed from the alcohol. The shy gesture made him look even more endearing in Yun Zhan’s eyes.

Yun Zhan was instantly reminded of their wedding night in the chess game, the red candles burning brightly, and the beauty in red. All the springtime warmth seemed to concentrate in his heart.

Suppressing his thoughts, Yun Zhan merely helped Bai Fanlu out of his outer robe and tucked him into bed. “Senior Brother, have a good sleep. I’ll be right next door.”

After he said this, Bai Fanlu’s hazy eyes widened slightly, and he looked at Yun Zhan in confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

When Yun Zhan asked this, Bai Fanlu stared at him for a moment, as if unsure, his flushed face retreating slightly into the blanket.

“After drinking… don’t we… don’t we have to do… that?”

“Hm?” Yun Zhan couldn’t hear him clearly, so he leaned in closer to Bai Fanlu’s lips.

Bai Fanlu softly whispered, “You know… the wedding night tradition… don’t we have to do that?”

Yun Zhan’s heart skipped a beat, then raced uncontrollably as he felt Bai Fanlu’s warm breath, still tinged with the scent of alcohol, brush past his ear.