Chapter Thirteen: The Demon Child Emerges

Before he could recover, Steward Zou’s eyes flew wide open as he stared at the figure before him.

Though his words sounded mild and unhurried, his actions were anything but—they were ruthless and sinister beneath the surface.

Su He stepped back, putting a little distance between them and allowing the energy at his sword-pointed fingers to dissipate.

He remained calm as he addressed Steward Zou, “Well? Now, can we make a deal?”

“Despicable! Shameless! Where are you from, you ignorant brat? Even daring to lay a hand on one from Willow Heart House—aren’t you afraid my master will hunt you down?” Steward Zou seethed with rage, unable to contain his fury.

They were always the ones to scheme against others—who would have thought today the tables would turn? If only he’d left as soon as he realized the master and mistress were absent, he wouldn’t now be at someone else’s mercy.

“To each their own methods—you know that, don’t you, old Zou?” Su He stood with his hands behind his back, unfazed by the insults, his tone still gentle and courteous.

Yet in his eyes, there flickered a coldness and distance that was not easily discerned.

Steward Zou, unable to swallow his anger, snorted and turned away.

Su He continued, “Don’t comfort yourself with false hope. If I dare use a spell on you, it means I’m not afraid of anyone breaking it. If you don’t believe me, you can ask your master to help you. With his abilities, I’m sure he’ll see the truth. As for my demand, it’s simple: become my eyes and keep a close watch on Lin Mao for me.”

“And if I refuse?” Steward Zou shot back, still shaken by the earlier pain at his heart meridian. But the thought of simply giving in was hard to accept.

“You know the answer, don’t you?” Su He replied, glancing meaningfully in his direction.

Steward Zou’s face grew even more ashen, his breath trembling as he stammered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about...”

“My friend He,” Huai Yin interjected, settling himself at a table and picking up a piece of fruit, peeling it as he spoke, “I say you might as well just kill him. The saying goes, ‘To root out evil, leave no accomplice behind.’ Even if he’s a minor player, it’s something. Kill him, and we can consider it a small atonement for those eighteen wronged souls, don’t you think?”

What was once laid out for guests was now left for him alone in the empty halls.

Su He actually hesitated at these words.

Steward Zou, sensing the danger, seized the moment when Su He’s guard dropped, mustered his energy, and broke free of the spell, striking out with a sudden palm.

Huai Yin tossed aside his fruit and rushed to help.

But his opponent, pressed to desperation, was equally swift— sensing the threat at his back, he pushed his energy to the limit and vanished in a blink.

Huai Yin arrived only to find his efforts in vain.

Su He, however, with a flick of his sleeve, moved with deliberate steadiness, splitting yin from yang, and dissolved the threat before him. Steward Zou’s powerful strike was redirected to the archway, shattering a filthy, grimy entrance to pieces.

When the rumbling subsided, dust filled the air.

“Are you hurt?” Huai Yin hurried forward to ask.

“It’s nothing—a few days of rest will do.”

“You just let him go? Aren’t you afraid he’ll gather a pack of vermin to bite you when this is over?” As he spoke, he mimed a snapping jaw with his hands.

Su He’s eyes flashed with a hint of laughter. “Brother Huai, you are my lucky star. With you by my side, I doubt a few pests could harm me.”

“Hey, don’t you go pinning this on me.” Huai Yin was momentarily taken aback, then broke into laughter himself.

After a moment of mirth, he leaned in with a conspiratorial air. “Come on, there’s no one else here now. Satisfy my curiosity—did you really place a spell on him, or were you bluffing? There are countless mystical arts, but that man’s no fool; it can’t be easy to trick him. Tell me, how did you manage it?”

Su He glanced at him but said nothing, simply walking past at an unhurried pace.

Huai Yin stood frozen, then grabbed up his saber from the table and hurried after him.

“Really not going to tell me?”

“It was real,” Su He replied, ducking under the trailing willow branches as he made his way to the door.

“Hmm? I thought you were just scaring him.”

“If you want someone to believe without doubt, you must leave no flaw for them to find. And what in this world is most flawless? Nothing but the truth itself.”

If he believed it, then the rest would take care of itself. Su He wouldn’t need to seek him out—the man would come to him. After all, people value their lives above all.

Huai Yin caught up, walking alongside him. “That’s true. The real thing holds up to any test. But why choose him as your eyes? What if the information he gives you is false?”

Standing at the threshold, Su He pulled open the doors, revealing the bustling world outside.

Who would have thought that the infamous Willow Heart House was hidden right in the midst of the city?

Had they not stumbled in by chance, who knows how many more lives would have been lost before it was discovered?

He exhaled a long, heavy breath, watching the passersby. “I’ve always sensed an inexplicable hostility from the Priestess. And Lin Mao and his wife—if they can sacrifice their own daughter, it means there must be a link between them and her. Steward Zou is Lin Mao’s man. Even if he can’t reach the Priestess directly, in time, he’ll surely learn something.”

“I see,” Huai Yin said, stepping over the threshold and stretching lazily. He shaded his eyes and gazed into the distance, thinking to himself how good it felt to be under the sun again.

Then, turning back, he asked, “What now? I’ve no pressing business—how about I accompany you?”

His idea was simple—since he’d been drawn into the open, he might as well use this opportunity to move from shadow to light. That way, his presence would seem natural and arouse no suspicion.

Su He made his way into the crowd, Huai Yin following at his side—a tall, forthright man, impossible to refuse.

“I’m caught in the whirlpool of trouble, Brother Huai. You’re a free man—why get dragged into this mess?”

Huai Yin hefted his saber and grinned. “Do you really think it’s too late for me to back out now?”

Well...

“If we don’t eradicate that lingering trace of the Priestess’s spirit, it will come back to haunt us. The moment I stumbled into that house, we were tied together. Rather than wait for that shrew to recover and pick us off one by one, we might as well stick together and watch each other’s backs. If push comes to shove, at least we can fight.”

Su He sighed inwardly. “It’s my fault for implicating you, Brother Huai.”

“Don’t act like it’s all on you. Just my rotten luck, I suppose.” Huai Yin waved it off, a little awkwardly looking away.

That old fox, Baili Xiao Jing, could have a wastrel for a son like Baili Wu Shuang, he could believe that. But how, out of such a family, did a Baili Su He appear?

Made him feel almost guilty. Nonsense—ridiculous...

Su He paused, then managed a wry smile. “I’ll be counting on you on this journey to Invitation Moon Peak.”

“Bah, don’t worry. Let’s get moving. Otherwise, if that wicked woman comes to, our lives won’t be worth much.”

“You’re right, Brother Huai.”

“Hey? Why are you going to Invitation Moon Peak? Don’t tell me you’re interested in the Young Master?”

“...”

“Come on, man. If you like someone, just admit it. If that’s the case, I can help you out. You know I have experience in these matters.”

Su He walked through the crowd, one hand behind his back, his bearing as refined as ever. At Huai Yin’s teasing, he only glanced over. “You mean experience in cultivating form, not appearance?”

“...”

Huai Yin froze, taking a moment to process, then hurried to catch up, hands on hips. “Hey, are we brothers or not? Don’t hit where it hurts, don’t expose a man’s shortcomings. Why do you always go straight for the sore spot...”

“I… I’m not good at lying. Sorry.”

“...That explanation hurts even more than your silence.” He glared at the hilt of his saber, then at Su He’s retreating figure. Which of us is the real knife-wielder here?

Su He stifled a cough behind his sleeve. “Let’s go, or we’ll be sleeping on the mountain tonight.”

“You… Forget it. Since you’re injured, I’ll let it go. Let’s go.”

With that, he strode ahead of Su He.

They hurried on in silence, making for Invitation Moon Peak.

Meanwhile, the Priestess’s spirit, battered and nearly dissipated by Su He and Huai Yin’s combined assault, fled like a star chasing the moon and returned to a hidden, secluded place—the Demon Realm. There, green peaks rose like ink strokes, cliffs steep and sheer, all shrouded in layers of poisonous miasma.

As soon as the spirit arrived, it plunged like a meteor into the waterside pavilion beneath the peaks.

Inside, a figure sitting in silence suddenly opened her eyes.

“Well done, Baili Su He. You killed me once, and now again. Do you really think I am some clay idol or wooden puppet?”

As her words faded, a maid entered and announced, “My lord, Lin Mao and his wife request an audience.”

“Tell them to answer at the door,” came the reply from behind layers of gauzy curtains, concealing the Demon Lord’s face. Occasionally, a breeze would lift a corner, revealing slender, jade-like hands—soft and delicate. With hands like those, her beauty must be peerless among women.

“Yes.” The maid withdrew. A moment later, she led Lin Mao and his wife along a winding path.

The woman, on arriving, swallowed nervously and clung to Lin Mao’s sleeve. “H-husband, is this really the place you wanted me to come?”

Such a perilous, eerie place—she’d never seen the like in all her years. Clearly, its owner was no ordinary being.

“Serve my lord faithfully, and you’ll gain benefits beyond imagination.” Lin Mao shot his wife a smug look, then turned to the maid, his face full of obsequiousness.

Anyone who could attend the Demon Lord was not to be offended—he’d need someone to speak well of him in the future.

“Thank you for leading us, miss. A small token of gratitude—please accept it.” He drew a brocade box from his sleeve and opened it, revealing the medicine bestowed by the Priestess.

The maid glanced over the couple and the pill in Lin Mao’s hand, making him squirm, but he forced a smile and offered it up.

Luckily, she did not make things difficult. She only withdrew her gaze and said, “As you said yourself, all who devote themselves to my lord will be well rewarded.”

She paused, then added, “Do your duty well, and there will be much finer medicine than this.”

“Yes, yes, thank you for your guidance. May I ask your name?” Lin Mao, face flushed, put the pill away.

“Qing Fu.”

“A fine name.”

“We’re here. The Demon Lord is resting in the waterside pavilion ahead. State your business, but do not incur her displeasure. Understood?” Qing Fu stopped and reminded them.

“Thank you! Thank you!” Lin Mao bowed and tugged his still-dazed wife. “Come.”

The woman came to herself, offering Qing Fu a shy smile, then hurried after him.

At the pavilion’s entrance, Lin Mao told his wife to wait outside while he knelt beneath the dripping eaves and bowed his head to the ground. “Lin Mao pays his respects to my lord.”

Immediately, a harsh voice rang out from within. “Lin Mao, do you realize your crime?”

“My lord…”

At those words, Lin Mao’s courage failed him utterly. He trembled, not daring to lift his head.