Some of these unrealistic rumours were becoming more and more intense.

    During these few days that Jiang Zheliu was unable to read any books, he just listened to Ah-Chu telling him some exaggerated stories. These were all rumours that he had heard from the ginseng children …… This little deer did not seem to be interested in cultivation at all but was rather far more interested in idle gossip.

    At first, Jiang Zheliu listened for a bit, he thought he’d just take it with a pinch of salt, until he heard the rumour which had evolved from “the overbearing Devil Lord” into “the monster who had a ferocious-looking green face, three heads and six arms”, after pondering over it and being bewildered for half a day, he still could not put that description together with the little Devil Lord who had been beside him this whole time.

    Wen Renye was handsome and mysterious, with a kind of overflowing sharpness of a pointed sword that brought with it a certain element of aggressiveness. It was just that a devil’s human form is still a disguise, so it was perfectly possible that his genuine devil body may really have a ferocious-looking green face, three heads and six arms.

    Jiang Zheliu thought of the pair of horns on Wen Renye’s head that day before he’d put them away. The horns were dark purple, with intricate and distinct blood-coloured patterns, gorgeous and hideous at the same time but non-conflicting, there is a sense of wildness and romantic beauty about them.

    He lowered his head to take a sip of tea, and his thoughts strayed a bit during Ah-Chu’s story…… Devil horns….want to touch them.

    These rumours were just Lie Zhen and Jin Yujie wanting to use this as an excuse to occupy the moral high ground, and hurl some verbal abuse at Wen Renye. They probably didn’t really have the courage to really go to war with the Devil Realm …… Jiang Zheliu had already thought about it anyway, if the Devil Realm was to incite a war, it would be like a chariot loaded with gunpowder only rolling forward and completely flattening any obstacles in its way.

    There wouldn’t be a second person like him in the Cultivation World, an ignorant mantis that would try and stop the chariot1.

    Plus, Lie Zhen had Qing Lin to hold him back, and Jin Yujie had his father. Therefore, Jiang Zheliu listened to these rumours in passing with a light heart, thinking only that the little devil lord’s reputation was harmed, and his image in the outside world seemed to be becoming more and more obscure.

    He finished his tea, but then the cup of tea in his hand was replaced by Ah-Chu. A strong bitter smell wafted over, the medicine was still warm and bubbling upwards.

    Jiang Zheliu looked slightly stiff and he had a hardly noticeable frown on his face.

    It was only now that Wen Renye was not there, that Jiang Zheliu realised how he had been coaxed and pampered by this person. He thought that without a mouthful of candy, he did not even want to drink the medicine.

    Jiang Zheliu did not say it out loud, he just lowered his head and slowly drank the medicine.

    Ah-Chu was hanging up some clothes, when he asked: “Gege? Did you meet another demon today? Why does this robe have the scent of a demon I don’t know?”

    Demons have a keen sense of smell.

    “It’s a koi carp that I used to know.” Jiang Zheliu said, “She lives in this lake.”

    Ah-Chu racked his brains for a long while, but did not find such a character from the thin pages of the contents that he had read. He sat next to Jiang Zheliu, watched him drink his medicine, and moved closer to bury his face into the other’s shoulder to soak up the other’s scent.

    Crisp and clear but not biting cold, there was very light coolness mixed with a hint of slightly bitter medicinal herbs. The spiritual scent leaking out of his meridians was fragrant and sweet, rushing straight to one’s brain.

    Ah-Chu gulped and said, “I blame gege for smelling too good, otherwise why would you be picked and trampled on2 as soon as you come out in the sun.”

    Jiang Zheliu paused for a moment and asked rhetorically, “…… Picked and trampled on?”

    Jiang Zheliu’s eyes had not gotten better yet, but his body had seen some improvement. He could feel the changes in these recent days, he felt like his body was like a vase full of cracks, using all its strength to patch and repair itself, not knowing when it’d be able to be filled up with water again.

    He propped up his chin whilst rubbing the antlers on the deer’s head slowly, thinking that this was also good.

    To pass a quiet and monotonous life, with someone to keep him company so that he wasn’t lonely, no one to visit so it wouldn’t be noisy. Everything was easy and comfortable, everything was as it should be.

    But life has never ever let him have his own way.

    At the moment of sunset, the sky above Dan Xin Monastery suddenly dyed a flaming red, and the song of the Vermilion Bird could be heard from the clouds, and then the bird landed slowly.

    Lie Zhen was wearing a red and gold robe, his eyes bright intense red, his entire body was burning with an intense energy. But he still subconsciously lowered the temperature of his body when he saw his good friend and headed to his side.

    Wherever Vermilion Bird Zhenjun goes, he’d always make an extravagant entrance that was indeed difficult for anyone to be able to continue sleeping.

    Yesterday, Ah-Li had stumbled upon Jiang Zheliu, and today the Zhenjun of the Demon Realm had already come knocking, so it wasn’t really necessary to think very deeply about what had happened.

    Lie Zhen did not speak, but stood beside him for a moment before reaching out and gently pressing the back of Jiang Zheliu’s hand.

    Jiang Zheliu retracted his hand.

    After a few moments, he heard Lie Zhen ask in a low, hoarse voice, “Your eyes…… can’t you see?”

    Since Lie Zhen was here, Jiang Zheliu could guess that everyone else also knew where he was now. Jiang Zheliu was too lazy to talk to him, so he just did not answer.

    Jiang Zheliu loosened his grip, he patted the little deer’s shoulder indicating to Ah-Chu to go inside.

    Thousands of miles of clouds across a red horizon. The twilight fell behind Lie Zhen, contrasting with the fiery red flamboyance of his body.

    It was just the two of them.

    Lie Zhen reached out to hold Jiang Zheliu’s hand: “My good friend, I …… stood by and did nothing, I was wrong. Qing Lin and I did not expect that you’d be injured to this extent. If I had known that day, I would never have let you go.”

    He didn’t expect that not one person would help Jiang Zheliu from a huge sect like Ling Xiao Sect, and he didn’t expect that Zhu Wuxin would also stand by and do nothing.

    But others also thought this way, they could not imagine why the two Zhenjuns of the Demon Realm who had been friends with Jiang Zheliu for over a thousand years, really stood by and did nothing.

    Jiang Zheliu tugged his hand, but failed to break free from the other’s grasp, he said: “I’ve already told you. I do not blame you, there is no blame, you do not have to keep insisting that I forgive you.”

    “But every word you say is clearly blaming me.”

    Jiang Zheliu sighed helplessly and said, “You think too much.”

    He took Lie Zhen’s wrist with his other hand and pulled the other’s fingers off his other hand and added, “I have never thought that way. I just don’t like the way that you shower your affections on someone who is not interested and let your imagination run wild, putting on an act of being deeply devoted. I especially don’t like you trying to remove others and saying that it is for my sake. Lie Zhen, do you understand what I mean?”

    Jiang Zheliu’s tone was indifferent like ice, but it was also sharp enough to make anyone’s heart feel a chill, every word cutting into the other.

    This vermilion bird’s heart ached, and the pain was slowly spreading outwards. He looked at him in a daze, unable to speak for a long time.

    Jiang Zheliu sighed and said; “At least the story of the great devil taking me by force is still a good one to listen to.”

    The lake water was rippled by a light breeze, which also ruffled the white hair on his shoulders.

    Jiang Zheliu touched his hair, he did not wait for a response from Lie Zhen, but he was suddenly grabbed by the wrist.

    On his wrist he was still wearing the ink-colored bracelet with the dense seal and devilish patterns. Lie Zhen noticed the devilish pattern on it at a glance. He suddenly began to harden up, he thought that it was some kind of confinement spell or controlling devilish tool. He was afraid that this was some sort of ploy left by Wen Renye, that he could not help but want to take a closer look.

    “Don’t……”

    Jiang Zheliu also reacted, his heart skipped a beat, he only had enough time to say “don’t”, then he felt Lie Zhen’s fingers touch the bracelet.