The Demon Palace had never felt so restless.
For days, they searched.
Mountains.
Forests.
Human territories.
Even forbidden lands.
Yet no trace of him remained.
Until—
Li Feng stopped walking.
His eyes narrowed.
"I found him."
Xu Tianming immediately stepped forward.
"Where?"
Li Feng's voice was quiet.
"A human village."
Mo Zhu stood from his throne instantly.
"We leave now."
The village looked peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Smoke rose from chimneys.
Children laughed.
People moved normally.
Nothing seemed wrong.
Yet every instinct inside Li Feng screamed otherwise.
They walked through the village calmly.
Observing.
Watching.
Then—
They saw him.
Standing near a wooden house.
Alive.
Safe.
Mo Yanluo.
Xu Tianming's breath caught.
"Yanluo…"
Mo Yanluo turned.
His eyes met theirs.
For a moment—
Nothing.
No recognition.
No emotion.
Just silence.
Then—
A flicker.
Confusion.
Pain.
Memories.
His body trembled slightly.
"...Brother…?"
Xu Tianming froze.
That word.
That voice.
It was him.
Xu Tianming ran forward and grabbed his shoulders.
"Yanluo!"
Mo Yanluo stared at him.
His breathing became unstable.
Images flooded his mind.
The Demon Palace.
Training.
Laughter.
Li Feng.
Mo Zhu.
Xu Tianming.
His family.
"I… remember…"
His voice broke.
"I remember everything…"
Relief spread through Xu Tianming's chest.
Behind them, Mo Zhu and Li Feng watched silently.
Mo Zhu stepped forward.
"Come home."
Mo Yanluo nodded slowly.
"...Yes."
He didn't even look back at the village.
The return was celebrated.
The Demon Palace felt alive again.
Servants bowed.
Warriors relaxed.
Xu Tianming stayed beside Mo Yanluo constantly.
As if afraid he would disappear again.
But—
Something was wrong.
Small things.
Almost invisible.
At first.
Mo Yanluo laughed less.
Spoke less.
His aura felt different.
Colder.
Weaker.
Unfamiliar.
Xu Tianming noticed it first.
One night, during training—
Mo Yanluo failed a basic technique.
Xu Tianming froze.
"Yanluo… you never fail that."
Mo Yanluo smiled faintly.
"I'm still weak."
But Xu Tianming knew.
Even weak—
Mo Yanluo never forgot.
Never failed.
Never hesitated.
This wasn't him.
Days passed.
The feeling grew stronger.
Li Feng noticed.
Mo Zhu noticed.
Xu Tianming especially noticed.
Then—
One day—
Mo Yanluo left the palace briefly.
That was when they spoke.
Inside the throne hall.
Only three remained.
Mo Zhu.
Li Feng.
Xu Tianming.
Xu Tianming spoke first.
"...That's not him."
Silence followed.
Li Feng didn't deny it.
Mo Zhu's eyes darkened.
"I know."
Xu Tianming clenched his fists.
"Where is the real Yanluo?"
Li Feng answered calmly.
"...Still trapped."
Silence filled the hall.
Then Mo Zhu spoke.
"We test him."
Xu Tianming nodded.
"Yes."
A trap.
Simple.
But effective.
That evening—
Mo Yanluo returned.
Xu Tianming approached him normally.
"We couldn't properly thank the people who saved you," Xu Tianming said.
Mo Yanluo froze.
Just slightly.
Almost invisible.
But they saw it.
Xu Tianming continued.
"We should go tomorrow."
He smiled.
"I'll prepare gifts for them."
Mo Yanluo's expression stiffened.
His eyes darkened for just a moment.
Then he smiled.
"...Alright."
He agreed.
Too easily.
Too carefully.
Behind him—
Mo Zhu and Li Feng watched silently.
Their suspicions confirmed.