The man's hand remained extended—steady, unhurried, as though he were certain Huaiyu would take it sooner or later.
"There was no insistence, no impatience—only quiet confidence."
Huaiyu accepted it.
The grip was warm. Firm, yet careful—supportive rather than restraining. With a single smooth pull, Huaiyu was guided back onto stable ground, his robes settling neatly around his ankles.
Only then did the man release him.
"Thank you," Huaiyu said softly, then looked up. "May I ask who you are?"
The man smiled faintly. "Just a passerby."
Huaiyu nodded, not pressing it further. His eyes flicking briefly to the empty houses and the quiet paths.
"This place is dangerous," he said gently. "You shouldn't remain here."
The man blinked, then tilted his head. "Then why are you here?"
"I am a cultivator," Huaiyu replied.
"I came to capture the origin of the plague."
The man stepped aside to give Huaiyu room, unconsciously falling into step with him.
"Did you come alone?" he asked.
Huaiyu shook his head lightly. "I came with two others."
"Yet…" the man said quietly, "you are alone now."
Huaiyu stilled.
He had spoken only of the present, yet the words reached deeper than intended, brushing against a past he had long learned not to touch.
"Why did you stop?" the man asked.
Huaiyu offered a faint, reassuring smile. "Ah… it's nothing."
The man gave a low, husky laugh, its reason unclear to Huaiyu.
"May I accompany you?" he asked, as though the thought had only just occurred to him.
Huaiyu hesitated, offering a small, helpless smile. 'This place… is dangerous."
"I know," the man replied.
"I can help you find the origin's hideout."
Huaiyu did wonder how he knew such a thing, but he did not ask.
"…As you wish," he said softly.
The man's expression warmed, pleased.
His smile lingered for a moment longer before he spoke again, as if remembering something only just then.
"Ah—right," he inclined his head slightly. His presence was calm, but Huaiyu felt the subtle weight in every movement. "Xie Wujiu."
There was no title, no flourish. Just a name, offered as though he expected it to be enough.
Huaiyu paused, then returned the gesture with a small bow, his expression softening.
"Shen Huaiyu," he said.
-----
The path narrowed as they left the outer streets behind.
The houses thinned, their walls slanting inward as though the land itself were closing its eyes.
Roof tiles lay shattered beneath their feet, dust clinging to everything like old ash.
The air grew heavier with each step, carrying a faint, sour scent that Huaiyu recognized too well.
Decay.
He slowed, fingers tightening around the hilt of his weapon.
They turned the corner—and the world shifted
Ahead, a building stood intact among the ruins.
Doors were closed, windows unbroken.
A dense demonic aura saturated the air, heavy with resentment—so thick it seemed to press against the lungs.
So this was their hideout.
Red talismans hung beneath the eaves, inscribed with characters Huaiyu did not recognize. They did not ward against demons—they welcomed them.
When a voice brushed against his mind, formal and precise
" Your majesty, are you there? "Tian Xuan said
Huaiyu touched his temple.
"Yes. I'm here."
"Yun Ze and I are together," Tian Xuan continued. "The demons misled us to… three false paths. They tried to separate us."
Huaiyu's eyes narrowed, as though reading between the lines. They probably tried the same with me
" Where are you two at the time?" he asked calmly
"Back at the starting point," Tian Xuan replied evenly
Huaiyu's eyes swept the ruined streets as he spoke, steady and clear.
"Head east. You'll reach an area with fewer cramped houses. One building stands apart from the rest—it's heavy with resentment, talismans that attract demons. That's the hideout. Meet there"
"Understood," Tian Xuan replied, the weight of command in his tone.
"Yun Ze and I will follow your lead."
Huaiyu exhaled softly, returning his attention to eerie residence
From beside him, Wujiu tilted his head, a half-smile brushing his lips.
"Shall we continue?" he asked, casual as ever.
Huaiyu nodded, expression calm but alert.
He opened the door, stepping into the main hall.
Shadows stretched along the walls, figures stirring—blurred, shifting, demonic forms watching silently.
Suddenly there was a loud cruel laugh echoing through the halls
From the far end, a tall, muscular demon stepped forward, horns curling over his head, eyes glinting with malice. Larger than the other demons
"We have guests today," he growled, low and cruel.
"Do you feel that? Fresh blood, walking into our midst." A ripple of movement passed among the gathered demons, claws flexing, teeth bared.
" I can't believe you came straight to the den of ours, are you two truly seeking death"
"Today, let these babies have a feast," the demon leader said with a wicked grin. "Go—have them!"
The horde surged forward.
Huaiyu touched his ribbon, qi coiling for the counter—but before he could unleash it, the demons froze mid-stride.
The demon leader's head jerked slightly as he met the calm brown eyes of the figure behind Huaiyu.
His posture was casual, yet something in his gaze radiated cold menace.
As those eyes locked onto his, the figure's pupils sharpened to a deep, flickering red, like embers in an abyss. The air seemed to compress around him
The demon leader staggered, his spine crawling with dread, claws trembling. His grin disappeared. He looked around, confusion breaking through his malice.
The hordes froze mid-step, then scattered, shrieking like ash caught in a storm.
Huaiyu hand tightens around the ribbon at his waist—then slowly loosens, as though unsure whether any threat remained.
" What's wrong with them?" Huaiyu muttered
Wujiu's gaze flicked toward the fleeing demons.
"You're intimidating them," he said.
Huaiyu paused. "Am I?"
In that instant, a white seal with golden inscriptions floated from the hall's entrance, striking the floor—the 'demon securing seal.'
The white seal rippled, and without a sound, every demon in the hall was swallowed into its confines.
Huaiyu turned—Tian Xuan and Yun Ze stood at the entrance, windswept and resolute.
"You two arrived sooner," Huaiyu said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Tian Xuan stepped into the hall just as the celestial seal floated back toward him, its golden inscriptions shimmering faintly in the dim light
He was about to speak, but his attention shifted—drawn to a young man in dark robes standing silently behind Huaiyu. He stood at ease, as if he had claimed the space around him before even standing there.
Tian Xuan's brow furrowed, eyes narrowing as he studied the newcomer.
"Who… might he be?" he asked, suspicion threading his calm tone.
"Ah… he's the one who helped me locate this hideout," Huaiyu said
"And how did you know of this place?" Tian Xuan asked, his voice low and threatening
"I saw them here," Xie Wujiu says, his tone cool, effortless, a smug smile playing on his lips
Tian Xuan's eyes narrowed further.
"And how did you see them?"
The young man's gaze dipped, sharp and unreadable, but the cold smile remained
"With my two beautiful eyes," he replies with full confidence
Tian Xuan's jaw tightened. Normally no one dared test him—but today… apparently, the rules were different. 💢
Before the tension could deepen, Huaiyu stepped between them, lifting his hands slightly and offering an awkward smile.
"Alright," he said lightly. "This should be enough."
"Yes master , it's alright" Yun Ze adds, glancing at the figure behind Huaiyu
With a sharp exhale, Tian Xuan turned on his heel and strode out of the hall, his robes snapping in his wake.
Yun Ze hesitated only a moment before following closely after him.
Huaiyu sighed lightly and turned around.
The hall fell quiet.
Huaiyu released a soft sigh and turned back.
"I apologize for my subordinate's suspicion." he said. "He is cautious by nature."
"And you?" Xie Wujiu asked.
Huaiyu lifted his gaze. "Pardon?"
"Do you doubt me?"
Huaiyu's expression softened into a smile.
"I wouldn't dare," he replied. "Not someone who has already helped me."
He inclined his head in a shallow bow, formal yet sincere.
"We must take our leave now. Thank you for today's assistance."
Xie Wujiu offered no words—only a slight inclination of his head in return.
Huaiyu turned and stepped out of the hall.
Just as he crossed the threshold, a voice followed him, low and unhurried.
"See you again."
Huaiyu halted.
He turned back—but the hall lay empty, silent as though no one had ever stood there at all.
Only a single red blossom drifted toward him, carried by no wind.
He caught it instinctively—the petal warm against his palm.
At that moment, Huaiyu remembered the plague that had marked him.
Huaiyu's gaze dropped to his right wrist.
The skin was unmarked—smooth, unscarred, as though the plague had never touched him at all.
That is weird
He looked back at the red blossom in his grasp. It vanished again—without sound, without trace.
----
"Why did you choose the hardest mission?" the Emperor asked.
Huaiyu answered calmly, "I simply went where Heaven was needed most."
They sat upon a quiet terrace veiled in thin clouds, small cups of cloud dew resting between them. Pale stone caught the light, and the air remained clear and still.
The Emperor sighed. "Don't push yourself so hard—you haven't fully recovered yet."
Huaiyu met his gaze. "Do not worry, Your Majesty. I am well, and the mission was completed easily… thanks to someone's help."
"Who?" the Emperor asked, curiosity edging his voice.
"A… passerby?" Huaiyu said, a hint of uncertainty. "At first, I thought he might be someone you sent—but he didn't feel like he was from Heaven, nor a mortal."
"So… he helped you?"
"Yes. He's probably a cultivator. A demon wouldn't help Heaven capture its own kind… would they?"
"They wouldn't… unless they have a larger motive," the Emperor replied, a hint of worry in his voice. "Did you notice anything else?"
Huaiyu considered for a moment. "Perhaps it's a coincidence… but before I met him, a red blossom appeared out of nowhere. And after he left, it appeared again, in the same way."
"Red blossom?" the Emperor asked, a note of dread in his voice.
"You… know about it?" Huaiyu said, his tone calm but probing.
The Emperor exhaled slowly. "You weren't here at the time. It began years ago, when a young man appeared out of nowhere and challenged the late Demon King."
"That king… he underestimated him, thinking him a reckless youth. But with a single flick, the boy defeated him. It was a disgrace the demons have never forgotten."
"Years later, five heavenly officials challenged him in arrogance, drawn by rumors of a young demon taking control of the Underworld. They acted without my consent. None returned. Only one came back… barely alive, with a message."
"He declared that the Demon King sent a warning: as long as Heaven did not interfere in his affairs, he would leave us be."
"His power… it was beyond anything Heaven could hope to oppose. I had never witnessed such strength."
"And yet… he truly kept his word. Demons no longer roamed the mortal world at will—they only appeared when mortals called upon them with deals."
"We could not trust them. Always on guard, expecting something greater… and it seems our caution was warranted."
"And the Red Blossom… what does it have to do with him?"
"The day he first appeared in the Underworld, red blossoms marked his arrival. That's how he earned his title: Dark Bloom of the Endless Night," the Emperor said. "So… be careful if you encounter him again."
Huaiyu just nodded, his gaze lingering on his right wrist.
Did he truly help me… or not?