Once Shu Yue and the fox demi-human disappeared into the bamboo bushes, Liwei emerged from his hiding place, right behind Lu Baiyu. He watched the old man in silence for a long minute. Then his eyes shifted to the lifeless body of the disciple.

He had just arrived a few minutes ago, so he hadn't seen everything. The young disciple was already dead and Lu Baiyu was confronting Shu Yue. But from what Liwei could deduce from the scene, the fox demi-human was the one who engaged in physical combat, while Shu Yue simply stood by and spectated, like what she always did at the sparring ground.

It actually surprised him too when he found out that the fox was stronger than a demi-human was typically expected to be--even stronger than the master he served.

Liwei couldn't help himself but dwell on that new-found information. That fox was a rare existence. As far as Liwei knew, demi-humans were forbidden to cultivate and learn martial arts and magic alike. They were once strong creatures, even stronger than humans. But after the reign of the First Emperor, they were reduced to a slave--weak, defenseless creatures who were treated more poorly than animals. That was to prevent them from overpowering humans and ruling over mankind as they had once before.

But how could the fox-human outclass its master? He was SS-rank, while Shu Yue was only B-rank. The demi-human was three levels above his human master.

That's absurd.

There could only be one explanation. That half-beast had been learning martial arts way long before he became her servant. That fox was hiding a secret of his own.

Where have you come from, bastard?

But Liwei wasn't really bothered by it. What bothered him was how the half-beast behaved around Shu Yue. He was more troublesome than he thought.

It seems like that fox will be a pain in the ass. Should I get rid of him?

Liwei shoved the thought to the back of his mind. He couldn't do that. That would only mess things up. The demi-human seemed to be very important to her. If Liwei killed him, he'd only give her more reason to despise him. That would simply derail his plans. He might have been playing her, but everything he'd done so far had been to help her.

Because of me, she obtained such a valuable item with just one thrust of her sword. I even helped her uncover the old man's schemes. She should be grateful to me.

His eyes glittered with mischief.

Bringing his attention back to the scene before him, Liwei clasped his hands behind his back.

"I told you not to make things difficult for her."

At the sound of his voice, Lu Baiyu abruptly turned around, shock and horror taking over his features. As soon as his gaze met Liwei's, his eyes grew wider. He took a step backward, only to trip over the corpse's foot and fall down.

"Now look at you," Liwei went on, his silver eyes boring into his. "Beaten by a young woman. Lost his secret manual. A dead disciple by his side. What will you do now that you lost your hope to ascend?"

"It's all your fault..." Lu Baiyu seethed, his eyes now flashing with anger. "I haven't done anything to you, but you came out of nowhere and ruined everything!"

Liwei acted as if he hadn't spoken. "I know you know it too. Should the new master you're serving find out, you are doomed. Neither the Scorpio nor the Ophiuchus would want you. But unless you negotiate with her, there will be hope for you. So if I were you, I'd be good to her."

Lu Baiyu frowned at his words, but Liwei only greeted his confusion with a sly grin.

"And about that mess," Liwei said, looking at the corpse of the disciple. "I'll take care of it for you."

He whistled.

There was a rustle, followed by the sound of running footsteps not clearly belonging to a man. Liwei's grin broadened as the approaching creature drew nearer with unsettling speed. Then, a dark figure leaped out of the bamboo trees. Lu Baiyu went white as a wolf covered in jet-black fur landed in front of him, exposing its teeth in a muffled growl. It was a bit bigger than an ordinary wolf, and its eyes were deep red.

A beast.

"Not him," Liwei muttered. "The dead one."

The wolf glanced at him before turning its back on Lu Baiyu, who was still frozen in shock and fear. Pulling out the sword from the disciple's body with its mouth, the wolf plunged its sharp claw into the chest, tearing the hole even larger. A growl bubbled out of its throat as it ripped the corpse's heart out and tossed it onto the ground before sinking its jaws into his neck.

Lu Baiyu just stared while it happened, his expression horrified. He didn't even blink or scream. He stayed frozen to the spot. After the wolf's little performance, it disappeared back into the shadows, leaving behind a trail of red prints. But not before looking at Lu Baiyu with blood dripping down its teeth.

"Now, this is what happened," Liwei announced. He snapped his fan open over his chest and began waving it slowly. "That disciple was killed by a beast. Unless you insist on telling the truth and confess your sin." He clasped his hands behind him and started walking, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. When he reached Lu Baiyu, he momentarily stopped.

"Think about what I said, old man. Until then." Giving him one last glance, Liwei left, leaving traces of an ominous and compelling aura.

Liwei departed from the bamboo forest and headed to the market. He walked down the busy street, his hands clasped behind his back. The strong aroma of wine and roasted meat tickled his nose as he walked into Ancient Moon. The place was filled with laughter and chatter. He sat at the far end of the inn and ordered rice wine and a few dishes for two. Picking up a steamed bun, he started eating while waiting for someone. When his hand reached for another steamed bun, he had realized he just finished them all, so he ordered again.

The inn's door opened a few moments later, and Yu Xuan entered. He was dressed in the same black robe as before, with a purple belt tied around his waist. Yu Xuan was an SSS-Rank demon beast, but Liwei asked him to disguise himself as an A-ranker to avoid drawing the attention of humans. Just like how Liwei was pretending to be a B-ranker today. It wouldn't be good if they raised suspicion and that information reached Shu Yue's ears.

It wasn't the time to be caught, yet.

When Yu Xuan saw Liwei, he immediately lowered his face as if embarrassed and approached his table. Liwei knew right away why his subordinate was acting that way.

"I deeply apologize for being late, my lord," Yu Xuan said with a bow.

Liwei calmly took a sip of his wine. "Let me guess. You got lost again?"

Yu Xuan nodded his head like a guilty child.

Liwei couldn't help but chuckle. "You really have such a poor sense of direction. I know this is your first time in the Mortal Realm, but we've been going into this same inn for weeks now."

"I'm really sorry, my lord."

"Have a seat."

Obeying his master, Yu Xuan sat down across from him and scanned the food on the table. There was grilled steak, roasted chicken, steamed buns, and a jar of rice wine. He grinned as he glanced up at Liwei. "Steamed bun again?"

"Of course," Liwei said, not even denying his fondness for the aforementioned food. He grabbed a steamed bun and took a huge bite. "I think this is the best thing that humans have ever made. Perhaps I should bribe the cook to show me how it's done."

Yu Xuan looked at him as if Liwei had just said the most absurd thing ever.

Liwei ignored him and sipped his wine before grabbing another steamed bun.

Unlike Yu Xuan, this wasn't Liwei's first time in the Mortal Realm. But he'd never heard of steamed buns during his first stay, which was eleven years ago. He got his first taste of it a month ago when he visited this inn. Maybe he was just too busy at the time to go out and eat whatever he saw. After all, he had a master to serve--a human master.

A terrible pang shot through his chest like a needle, followed by an instant surge of rage and hatred.

I will avenge you.

"How does that human taste, by the way?"

At Liwei's question, Yu Xuan grimaced and responded, "Awful," before stuffing a piece of meat into his mouth.

Liwei chuckled.

"I assumed everything went as planned? How's the human girl?" Yu Xuan asked.

"Everything went well," Liwei answered as he refilled his cup with wine. "Honestly, I never thought that woman could be capable of great evil." A smile broke across his lips as he thought about her pretty face and gentle demeanor. "Isn't she a bit interesting?"

Yu Xuan frowned. "You must be careful, my lord, or you will fall into your own trap."

"What's the situation in the Demon Realm?" Liwei grabbed another steamed bun, ignoring his subordinate's warning.

"The severed head was displayed on a spike in front of the castle, and the warning spread throughout the Demon Realm. Prince Zhaoyan punished and replaced the guards of the Gate who were on duty at the time."

Liwei arched a brow at him. "Oh, he did?"

Yu Xuan nodded. "Yes, my lord. I'm really surprised by how fast he acted. Prince Zhaoyan is very clever."

"Of course, he is." Liwei smiled proudly. "He's my brother, after all."

Liwei ordered another jar of wine and steamed buns. They fell into silence as an inn worker approached their table with the order.

Once the inn worker left, Yu Xuan leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. "My lord," he lowered his voice as he spoke, "Prince Zhaoyan said that His Majesty's condition has gotten worse." He hesitated for a moment. "I'm afraid His Majesty the Demon King has only two years left to live."

Liwei froze. His hand that was holding the cup tightened as pain gripped his chest. At first, he wanted to doubt Yu Xuan, refusing to believe what his soldier had just told him. However, he had already anticipated it. Even though he was hoping for the Demon King's recovery, Liwei knew that wasn't going to happen.

His father was beyond help.

"I guess there's really no hope for him, eh?" Liwei emptied his cup with one swallow. He looked at the warm steamed buns in front of him, but he didn't take one. After hearing the news about his father, he didn't feel like eating anymore.

"My lord." There was a touch of hesitation in Yu Xuan's voice. "That means-"

Liwei cut him off with a slash of his hand. "I know, I know. Don't remind me." He poured rice wine into his cup and drank it down.

Liwei didn't touch any of the food again, so Yu Xuan was the one who finished them all. Afterward, Liwei sent his aide back to the Demon Realm. Because Yu Xuan was his closest and most trusted subordinate, he asked him to act as his spy while he was away.

Sighing, he lay on a bed with his hands behind his back. He had rented a room in the inn. He planned to stay here for a while until the recruitment day.

His father was dying, which meant he would take his place as Demon King soon. Or he was supposed to be. It wasn't that he didn't want it; he just wasn't ready for it yet. And his father knew it. Liwei couldn't inherit the throne until he was freed from the seal.

A seal that only a Celestial being could break.

A demon with sealed powers was unfit to be a Demon King. That was why, as much as his father wanted, he couldn't pass the throne to Liwei yet. But Liwei didn't have much time left. Now that his father had only two years to live, Liwei needed to break the seal within those two years. If he failed, he wouldn't be able to claim the throne. He couldn't let that happen. He didn't want that to happen. After all, before his mother passed away, he promised her that he would become the next ruler of the Demon Realm.

No one else.

Hence he was now in the Mortal Realm with the goal of breaking the seal, not just for the sake of personal vengeance. He had to regain his honor as soon as possible and ascend the throne.

That was where he needed Shu Yue for.

The sooner Shu Yue achieved her goal, the sooner Liwei achieved his own.

That's why I need you to win.