The Flatland lay close to Fanli Valley; beyond Fanli Valley rose Wuming Demon Mountain.
Under cover of night, Li Luoning slipped into Wuming Demon Mountain in silence. This was demon territory—one wrong step and the whole mountain would move. He landed lightly on a roof eave and swept his gaze across the darkened compounds, careful not to let so much as a breath leak out.
He searched through several courtyards before finally finding Hua Ruoying's. From a distance he spotted Mi Xingzhe.
The boy sat alone on a stone stool in the courtyard, looking up at the stars. Bored, he talked to himself while idly twirling a blade of grass between his fingers.
"I wonder if Master and Qingyi-ge are frantic, searching everywhere for me… I thought I'd just sneak out to play for a bit. Great. Now look at me—doesn't seem like I can get back anytime soon. I've been out for so long… when I do return, Qingyi-ge is definitely going to chew me out."
Li Luoning drifted down behind him and called softly, "Nian"
Mi Xingzhe froze, then whipped his head around, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Master? Master—how did you know I was here?"
The moment he saw Li Luoning, Mi Xingzhe's face lit up—until he caught the worry carved between Li Luoning's brows. The joy drained from him at once.
"Master… I'm sorry. I—" Mi Xingzhe lowered his head.
"This isn't the place to talk." Li Luoning stepped forward, caught his wrist, and started to pull him away. "Come back with me first."
"Master, I…" Mi Xingzhe stumbled after him, about to explain—when demon soldiers surged out of the shadows and closed in, surrounding them in an instant.
A path split open through the ranks.
Li Minghan walked forward unhurriedly.
"Li Luoning," he said, voice lazy and cold. "Did you think Wuming Demon Mountain is a place you can enter and leave as you please?"
Mi Xingzhe leaned close to Li Luoning, whispering in a daze, "Master… he knows you?"
"Demon Sovereign," Li Luoning said, calm but uncompromising. "You've detained my disciple without cause. What is the meaning of this?"
"Him?" Li Minghan's tone turned amused. "Because he's your beloved disciple."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Li Luoning's gaze sharpened.
"Everyone knows Immortal Master Xiao Yi keeps to himself," Li Minghan drawled, his left hand idly stroking the edge of his mask. Mockery dripped from every word. "Rarely deals with outsiders. I was curious—whether your little disciple is worth you, the great master, taking a trip for."
Li Luoning's jaw tightened.
He'd suspected the hand behind the curtain was targeting him—but he hadn't expected the Demon Sovereign himself. He'd never had dealings with the demon clan. And judging by how much effort Li Minghan had invested, this wasn't a misunderstanding that could be resolved in two sentences.
Li Luoning didn't waste breath on argument.
"Stay close to me," he ordered Mi Xingzhe, expression grim.
Then he moved.
He plunged into the demon soldiers like a blade cutting water.
Li Luoning had no desire to fight to the death, nor to slaughter mindlessly. These lackeys couldn't last more than a few exchanges against him. Still, he struck to disable—wounds and knockdowns, but no killing blows.
Watching from the side, Li Minghan curled his lip in contempt and flicked his fingers.
"Still soft-hearted." He spoke as if mildly entertained. "Qiuyuan."
Hua Qiuyuan stepped forward.
Without warning, a crushing killing intent cleaved down from above. Li Luoning raised a hand, catching Hua Qiuyuan's descending palm wind, twisting aside at the same time to avoid the other hand's Turbid-Sha Spike. He countered with an internal-force strike that shoved Hua Qiuyuan back.
"There must be some misunderstanding between us," Li Luoning said, stepping away, voice steady. "Why not speak plainly, Demon Sovereign?"
Hua Qiuyuan didn't answer.
He flipped in and pressed the attack, the Turbid-Sha Spike whirling in a murderous arc. Li Luoning tilted back in a smooth, controlled lean; Hua Qiuyuan's palm cut past just above his face.
Li Minghan's deep brown eyes glinted with cold amusement.
"There's nothing to explain," he said lightly. "I simply want to make trouble for you."
Li Luoning's brows drew tight.
He pressed two fingers to the space between them, then snapped them outward—golden threads shot into the air. His right palm turned, and he murmured a spell:
"Heavenfire—burn the dark.Soul—answer the sky. Manifest!"
A longsword erupted into his grip, haloed in faint gold-red light.
Li Luoning pushed off the ground, wrist turning as he drove the blade straight toward Hua Qiuyuan. Caught off guard, Hua Qiuyuan raised the Turbid-Sha Spike to block.
Steel met steel—sparks burst.
Li Luoning's sword flared with a sudden surge of light, blasting Hua Qiuyuan back several paces. He rotated his blade and released a sharp wave of sword qi that split through the demon soldiers nearby.
From the sidelines, Li Minghan's mouth curved upward—an expression of satisfied calculation, as though the scene matched a plan already drawn.
"Master, watch out!" Mi Xingzhe shouted from behind.
More demon soldiers rushed Li Luoning's blind side. With a single turn, Li Luoning's sword qi overturned them like leaves.
His left hand formed seals—golden light wove into a net that pinned the fallen soldiers tightly to the ground.
Hua Qiuyuan snapped his Turbid-Sha Spike forward, slashing straight for Li Luoning's throat.
Li Luoning's sword knocked it aside with ease. He spun in close and seized Hua Qiuyuan's wrist.
Too close.
In that breath of distance, Hua Qiuyuan's sleeve weapon fired.
Shhh—shhh—shhh.
Three icy needles shot out, screaming toward Li Luoning's face.
Li Luoning dodged two—
The third punched clean through his shoulder.
Instant, piercing cold flooded the wound, biting all the way into bone.
Hua Qiuyuan, shoved back, saw his chance. He knew Li Luoning's weakness.
He lifted his sleeve weapon and aimed—past Li Luoning.
At Mi Xingzhe.
"Watch out!"
Hua Ruoying burst in from nowhere, striking with her palm. The needle deflected, snapping away into the dark. She planted herself between Mi Xingzhe and Li Luoning.
Mi Xingzhe blinked, stunned to find her shielding him. He leaned toward her ear and whispered, baffled, "Hey—are you on the wrong side? Those are your people." He pointed at the demon soldiers trapped under the net.
"Shut up," Hua Ruoying hissed.
Li Luoning drove Hua Qiuyuan back once more and retreated to Mi Xingzhe's side, voice low.
"Are you hurt?"
Mi Xingzhe shook his head quickly.
Li Luoning's gaze flicked to Hua Ruoying. He didn't speak—only measured her in one quiet look.
At that moment, Qingping arrived, crouched on the eaves. He glanced at Hua Ruoying. Their eyes met.
A single nod.
Wind surged.
Qingping dissolved into a streak of shadow that wrapped around Li Luoning and Mi Xingzhe like black smoke. Hua Ruoying tossed a small hidden weapon—boom!—a sharp explosion blossomed, and thick smoke swallowed the courtyard.
When the smoke thinned, the four of them were gone.
"Don't chase," Li Minghan said lazily, stopping Hua Qiuyuan mid-step.
He wore a faintly pleased smile—like a man watching a trap finally spring.
Li Luoning, Mi Xingzhe, Hua Ruoying, and Qingping stumbled through the night until they reached a patch of woods. Only then did they stop, breathing hard.
"No demon soldiers behind us." Hua Ruoying checked the darkness and exhaled. "We can rest up ahead."
They had barely sat when Li Luoning's control finally broke.
He spat a mouthful of dark red blood.
"Master!" Mi Xingzhe lurched toward him.
"It has poison," Li Luoning said, voice steady despite the pallor. "I am fine." He drew in a breath and began circulating inner energy to suppress it.
Hua Ruoying thrust a pill toward him.
"Eat this."
Li Luoning took it, lifted it to his nose, and inhaled once. His eyes narrowed with faint surprise as he looked at her.
"What are you staring at?" Hua Ruoying snapped. "It's the antidote."
"How does a young lady carry an antidote at hand?" Li Luoning asked. He couldn't deny it—his own medicine-sense told him immediately it was real.
"Daily necessity." Hua Ruoying shrugged. "What's so strange? We both work with medicine—what's there to be surprised about?"
Mi Xingzhe frowned. "But how do you have an antidote for a demon soldier's poison?"
Hua Ruoying shot him a glare, irritation flashing.
"My brother poisons people. I detox them. What's so strange about that?"
"Your brother!!?" Mi Xingzhe blurted, eyes widening. "The one fighting my master just now—was your brother?"
Hua Ruoying lifted her chin. "Yeah. Don't we look alike?"
Mi Xingzhe stared, utterly unconvinced.
Hua Ruoying dug into her sleeve again and tossed a packet of medicinal powder to Li Luoning.
"External application."
Li Luoning caught it and tucked it away. "Thank you, miss."
After a short rest, Li Luoning cast a spell and sent a message to Yun Qingyi.
Mi Xingzhe sat off to the side, shoulders hunched, guilt weighing him down. He wanted to say something—apologize, explain—but every sentence felt wrong in his mouth.
Li Luoning saw him.
And deliberately left him there, silent.
Instead, he turned to Hua Ruoying, clasped his hands, and bowed.
"Thank you for saving us just now. I am Li Luoning. May I ask your name?"
Hua Ruoying returned the gesture. "Hua Ruoying. That's Qingping."
She pointed toward the boy.
Li Luoning studied her more carefully. Surprise flickered in his eyes, quickly smoothed away.
"You don't seem… like someone of the demon realm."
"It's a long story." Hua Ruoying answered vaguely. "My brother and I were adopted up by the Demon Sovereign years ago."
Mi Xingzhe muttered from the side, unable to help himself, "The one who just injured my master."
"Shut up!" Hua Ruoying snapped.
Mi Xingzhe bristled, ready to retort—until Li Luoning's gaze swept over.
Whatever he was about to say died in his throat.
He lowered his head and started picking at rocks by his feet.
Li Luoning continued calmly, "You rescued us from Wuming Demon Mountain. Will your brother face trouble for staying behind?"
"Don't worry about him," Hua Ruoying said, waving a hand. "He's not like me—he's actually useful. The Demon Sovereign's right-hand man won't be mistreated."
Li Luoning's next question came softly, but carried weight.
"And now that you've fled with us… where will you go?"
Hua Ruoying let out a long sigh. "We'll figure it out. One step at a time. It is what it is."
Li Luoning glanced at Qingping in the distance, then at Hua Ruoying, then at Mi Xingzhe.
He lowered his eyes, thinking.
Finally he spoke.
"If Miss Hua doesn't mind, I have a humble cottage in the Peach Blossom Forest. You may stay there for now, and plan your next move."
Hua Ruoying's eyes brightened immediately.
"Sure." She sounded almost cheerful. "Qingping and I have nowhere else to go anyway. I've heard your Peach Blossom Forest is beautiful—and full of rare herbs."
Mi Xingzhe frowned. "Master, why not just bring them back to Mirror Cloud Residence with us?"
Hua Ruoying rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into her skull.
"Are you really that dense? Wuming Demon Mountain and Liao Yin are mortal enemies. And Qingping is a demon. Bringing him into Liao Yin would be like dropping a mouse into a cat's house."
"He is… a demon?" Mi Xingzhe turned, startled, looking at Qingping—who stood far away, keeping his distance. No wonder the boy had always been afraid of him, and now feared Li Luoning even more.
Li Luoning looked from Mi Xingzhe to Hua Ruoying, then lowered his head with a quiet smile, saying nothing.
Near dusk, Yun Qingyi finally arrived with a carriage.
"Master—you're injured." Yun Qingyi rushed in, face tightening.
He opened his medicine chest at once, treated Li Luoning's shoulder wound, and circulated inner energy to steady his master's breathing.
Only after the situation stabilized did he exhale, straightening slowly.
Then he turned.
His face hardened.
He marched straight toward Mi Xingzhe.
Mi Xingzhe's instincts screamed danger.
He backed away with both hands raised, forcing a pleading smile.
"Senior brother, senior brother—calm down. We can talk when we back home!"
Mi Xingzhe knew he was in the wrong. He turned to bolt—
Too slow.
Yun Qingyi seized his ear in one swift motion.
"Aaah—Senior brother! It hurts, it hurts—let go! Let go!"
"You know pain?" Yun Qingyi snapped, dragging him closer. "If you hadn't run off on your own, Master wouldn't have been hurt. And you still dare to scream?"
Fury boiled over. Yun Qingyi lifted his leg and delivered several sharp kicks to Mi Xingzhe's backside.
"Aaah! I am sorry, I am sorry—Senior brother, stop kicking!"
Mi Xingzhe yanked free and fled behind a tree, rubbing his rear with a miserable, guilty face.
"Still running?" Yun Qingyi barked. "Get over here!"
He was so angry he didn't care who was watching. This junior disciple—leave him untrained for a few days and his courage would swell like a balloon.
"No—" Mi Xingzhe pouted, refusing to come out.
"Yun Wan Nian!" Yun Qingyi's voice dropped, dangerous with restrained rage. "Don't make me come to get you!"
Mi Xingzhe inched out, inch by inch, sulking, until he stood in front of the tree—still stubbornly motionless.
Yun Qingyi stepped forward, raising his hand—
"Master, save me!" Mi Xingzhe shouted on instinct, covering his head.
"Qingyi." Li Luoning finally cut in, shaking his head with a faint, helpless smile.
Hua Ruoying and Qingping stood to the side, watching with open schadenfreude.
"You wait until we get back to Mirror Cloud Residence," Yun Qingyi threatened, lifting his hand as a warning. "I'll deal with you properly then."
Mi Xingzhe shrank his neck and lowered his eyes, not daring to argue.
Li Luoning said, voice calm. "Let's go."
Yun Qingyi helped Li Luoning into the carriage.
Wuming Demon Mountain, Demon Sovereign's Hall.
"How did your investigation go?" Li Minghan asked.
"My lord," Hua Qiuyuan replied, "Hua Ruoying left with the Liao Yin party who came to retrieve them. They departed by carriage."
"I see." Li Minghan waved his hand. "Keep eyes on her. Report any movement."
"Yes." Hua Qiuyuan bowed and withdrew.
When he was gone, Li Minghan opened his palm.
In the dim light, a core glimmered in his hand.
He lowered his gaze to it, voice a soft murmur—cold and pleased.
"Li Luoning… let's begin our game."