Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

8:55 PM.

Su Zhiyuan had finished showering, dried her hair, changed into her most comfortable pajamas, and wrapped herself tightly in the blankets.

Turn the bedside lamp to its dimmest setting.

The phone battery is at 100%.

The tissue box is placed next to the pillow, within easy reach.

She stared at the time in the upper right corner of her phone screen, her heart inexplicably racing.

8:59.

She opened the Red Eggplant Literature Network APP, her fingertip hovering over the bookshelf page of "Zhu Xian".

Nine o'clock sharp.

refresh.

The page bounced slightly.

[Zhu Xian Volume 2, Chapter 1: Ten Years]

Su Zhiyuan held her breath and clicked on it.

[An ancient, desolate road, the rain as dark as ink.]

A dilapidated little shop, huddled at the end of a mountain road, resembles an aged beast.

Merchants sat around the fire, discussing the changes that had occurred in the martial world over the years.

The resurgence of the demonic sect has shaken the righteous path, severely weakening the Qingyun Sect...

Su Zhiyuan's gaze followed the words slowly.

This opening lacks the peaceful warmth of the first volume's Grass Temple Village; instead, it exudes an indescribable chill.

It was as if someone had lifted the lid of an old coffin from ten years ago, and the bones inside were covered in frost.

She continued reading.

In a corner, a man dressed in black sat alone. His bamboo hat was pulled low, revealing only half of his pale, gaunt face.

Someone mentioned Zhang Xiaofan, a disciple who betrayed Qingyun Mountain years ago, and a wave of sighs swept through the area around the campfire.

The man suddenly spoke, his voice low and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against dry bones—

"Even if you've seen him before, you probably wouldn't recognize him now..."

Su Zhiyuan's fingers tightened.

She guessed.

This person... might be Zhang Xiaofan.

【The Ancient Cave of Ten Thousand Bats, the Abyss of the Dead.】

The Ghost King Sect launched a large-scale purge of the remaining members of the Blood Refining Hall.

Footsteps approached in the darkness. Each step left a trail of blood.

The Ghost King Sect members lined up on both sides like a surging tide; the entire place was deathly silent, even breathing was suppressed.

The dark blue Soul-Devouring Staff, shrouded in blood-red light, lit up; the once-useful firewood stick had become a notorious and malevolent weapon.

[Gui Li officially makes his debut as the Vice Sect Master of the Ghost King Sect.]

Su Zhiyuan's breathing unconsciously slowed down.

Every word on the screen carried a heavy, bloody stench, as if it were seeping out of the phone.

That clumsy boy practicing swordsmanship on Dazhu Peak, that simpleton being teased by his senior sister in the Black Bamboo Forest, that Xiao Fan who gritted his teeth and persevered in the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament...

Now it looks like this.

Black robes, a blood-stained club, each step leaving a mark.

The words "Blood Prince" weighed heavily on her heart.

Then she read about the Wild Dog Taoist.

That minor character who barely existed in the first volume, that cowardly and opportunistic Wild Dog Taoist.

While everyone in the Blood Refining Hall knelt down and surrendered, he stood alone under the boulder in the Abyss of the Dead, his body trembling like a leaf, yet he gripped the Black Heart Token tightly.

"No, boss, no! I'll do anything you want, but I won't betray the Blood Refining Hall!"

Su Zhiyuan was stunned.

She never expected that in this blood-soaked place, the first person to bring tears to her eyes would be the Wild Dog Taoist.

An insignificant nobody upheld the last vestige of dignity for the Blood Refining Hall.

She sniffed and continued flipping through the pages.

Chapter two.

Gui Li did not kill the wild dog; instead, he took it in by his side.

"I've forgotten this name for many years."

Su Zhiyuan stared at the words, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.

Zhang Xiaofan.

He really...lost himself.

The perspective shifts back to Qingyun Mountain.

Ten years have passed, and things have changed.

Cangsong defected, the chief left, and Qi Hao took over as head of Longshou Peak.

Lin Jingyu received guidance from a mysterious old man in the ancestral temple for ten years before leaving the mountain.

When Su Zhiyuan saw the part where Lin Jingyu bid farewell, her nose tingled with emotion.

"A fine young man need not put on such an act, go forth!"

That once brilliant young prodigy, who had shown his talent ten years earlier, silently grew into a steadfast swordsman.

Meanwhile, in the Yuqing Hall, Lu Xueqi, Zeng Shushu, and Song Daren gathered together.

When Dao Xuan Zhenren uttered the words, "The younger generation, outstanding disciples, should descend the mountain for training"—

Everyone fell silent in unison.

The same words were spoken ten years ago, but now one of the companions is gone.

Su Zhiyuan closed her eyes and gently pressed her phone against her chest.

She recalled the group of spirited young men and women during the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament in the first volume.

Zhang Xiaofan was still alive then.

Now, that person stands in the main hall outside the Jade Purity Hall, yet he has been forgotten by everyone.

No, it's not forgetting.

I dare not mention it.

Chapter Three.

Gui Li, accompanied by wild dogs, sneaked into the back mountain of Dazhu Peak in Qingyun Mountain.

Black bamboo forest.

Su Zhiyuan's heart softened when she saw those three words.

That was the place where Zhang Xiaofan used to cut bamboo every day when he was young.

Those were the most ordinary, peaceful, and home-like times of his life.

[Sensing the familiar presence, Little Grey and Big Yellow rushed over.]

The monkey and dog reunite with Gui Li, their affection as strong as ever.

[The Wild Dog Taoist complained that sneaking into Qingyun was too dangerous, as he was chased and bitten by Big Yellow, leaving him in a sorry state.]

Su Zhiyuan finally smiled.

As I laughed, tears started to fall.

"Little Gray... Big Yellow..."

She remembered the gray-furred monkey Zhang Xiaofan picked up from the stream in the first volume, and she remembered Da Huang, that lazy old yellow dog.

So they still remember.

It turns out that there are still living beings in this world who remember Zhang Xiaofan.

"Only you guys still treat me the same way you always have!"

Su Zhiyuan gripped the corner of the blanket tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Gui Li stood by the bamboo grove, gazing at Shoujing Hall.

He didn't go in.

He watched for a while, then took Little Gray and silently left on the Soul-Devouring Staff.

When Tian Ling'er rushed over upon hearing the noise, she only saw Da Huang barking incessantly at the sky, unaware that she had just missed her old friend whom she hadn't seen for ten years.

Su Zhiyuan buried her face in the pillow and wept silently.

She hated that old scoundrel to death.

He always manages to deliver the most devastating blow when the opponent least expects it.

There was no bloodshed, no screams.

There was only a dog barking at the sky and a person who had already walked away.

But the knife wasn't finished yet.

Inside the stone chamber, Biyao lay quietly.

Gui Li sat beside her, muttering to himself.

"I'm back, Biyao."

"This time, you wiped out another sect for your father, the Blood Refining Hall, the one we met back then. You must still remember it, right?"

"A few days ago, I secretly slipped past the guards and made a trip up Dazhu Peak, and brought Little Grey back with me."

"I went to the Black Bamboo Forest, and guess what I saw?"

"So, that black bamboo that fell to the ground is still lying there. Biyao, do you remember? It's the bamboo where the two of us sat together..."

"So, nothing has changed, Biyao."

"Biyao..."

Su Zhiyuan completely broke down.

She cried so hard her whole body trembled, but she bit her lip tightly, afraid to make a sound, lest her mother in the next room hear her.

Nothing has changed.

Biyao lay there, motionless.

The black bamboo is still there, but the person is gone.

The green-clad girl who would secretly gaze at her beloved in front of the Full Moon Well, the Biyao who said, "I would do anything for you if you were in danger," is now just a cold, lifeless body.

And Zhang Xiaofan—no, Gui Li—

He walked alone for ten years, carrying all his memories.

Su Zhiyuan struggled to reach the tissue box, pulled out three tissues, and the sound of her blowing her nose was particularly loud in the quiet night.

She cried and cursed, "You old bastard from Mount Akina...you're not human...you come back and the first thing you do is give out this kind of knife..."

But the finger still honestly slid down.

She wanted to keep watching.

She wanted to know where Gui Li would go next.

She wanted to know if Biyao could wake up again.

She wondered what Lu Xueqi's expression would be when she saw him again.

Su Zhiyuan was engrossed in reading when she subconsciously swiped down a page.

Gone.

She paused for a moment, then flipped through the pages again to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

It's really gone.

She glanced at the time—9:30.

In just half an hour.

I've prepared tissues, an eye-protecting lamp, and even made an appointment for tomorrow's dark circles.

Is that all?

Only three chapters have been released?

She felt as if she had just been drawn into that bloody and desolate world, and before she could even settle in, the author pulled the chair away.

She stared at her phone, stunned for several seconds.

Then she saw the author's comment.

[Dear fellow cultivators, the first three chapters of Volume Two are presented here.]

I know you all want to yell at me right now. But please wipe away your tears and snot first, and maintain the basic decorum expected of a fellow cultivator.

[Gui Li has made his appearance, Bi Yao is still asleep, and all the old faces of Qingyun have shown up. The road ahead will be even more difficult.]

As for the update schedule... well, it depends on my mood.

Finally, a shout-out to Wild Dog Taoist. He may be ugly, but he's loyal and righteous.

Su Zhiyuan: "..."

She was sobbing, but surprisingly, she laughed at the last sentence.

That old scoundrel.

He killed someone, and then stood next to the corpse and did stand-up comedy.

That's incredibly unethical.

Meanwhile, in the comments section of Jade Dynasty.

[Fellow Immortal "Failed Tribulation Tonight": I cried, I really cried, I cried from chapter one to chapter three, and now my eyes are swollen like walnuts. But I still have to say—you old bastard, awesome!!!]

[Fellow Immortal "Professional Head-Feeder": The oppressive aura of Gui Li's appearance!!! I felt my knees buckle just looking at him through the screen!!! Blood Prince!!!]

[Fellow Daoist "Wild Dog's Dog": Wild Dog! My Wild Dog! Best player of the night! He'd rather die standing than kneel in surrender! From now on, I'll fight anyone who insults Wild Dog!]

[Fellow Immortal "Biyao's Hehuan Bell": Biyao... my Biyao... it turns out that Gui Li talks to her every time he comes back... he has never forgotten her... I'm devastated, completely devastated.]

[Fellow Friend "Chef of Dazhu Peak": The part where Dahuang barks at the sky made me, a grown man, cry like a fool in my bed. You heartless old bastard!!! But it's really well written, damn it.]

[Fellow Immortal "Lu Xueqi's Tianya Sword": That line in the Jade Purity Hall, "But one of our companions is already gone..." brought me to tears. Xueqi, you're thinking of him too, aren't you?]

[Fellow Immortal "Kui Niu Ben Niu": Only three chapters updated! What happened to the old scoundrel's promise of having enough chapters in reserve?]

[Fellow Immortal "Dao Xuan Zhenren Ben Xuan": Although, I've forgotten this name for many years—I've pondered this sentence ten times, and the more I ponder it, the more painful it becomes. Zhang Xiaofan didn't stop wanting to be Zhang Xiaofan; he simply dared not be Zhang Xiaofan anymore.]

[Fellow Immortal "Lin Jingyu's Dragon-Slaying Sword": Lin Jingyu! My Jingyu! Ten years guarding the shrine, finally becoming a swordsman! That bow and then straightening, it's all so beautifully written!]

[Fellow Immortal "Survivor of Grass Temple Village": I hereby announce that the opening of Volume Two will be the Conferment of Gods. Who agrees? Who disagrees?]

[Fellow Immortal "Tian Ling'er's Amber Crimson Silk": I agree! But I disagree with that old scoundrel saying "updates depending on my mood"! If you disappear for another month, I'm really going to send you razor blades!!!]

The number of comments exceeded 20,000 in just half an hour.

On Weibo's trending topics, #ZhuXianVolume2# broke into the top five.

#Gui Li Makes His Appearance# Following closely behind.

The hashtag #Give a shout-out to Wild Dog Taoist# inexplicably climbed to the bottom of the trending topics list, accompanied by a fan-made image of Wild Dog Taoist holding the Black Heart Token, with eight large characters written below:

[The last man of the Blood Refining Hall.]

Su Zhiyuan scrolled through the comments section, her eyes still red, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve into a smile.

These immortal friends... are so cute.

She thought for a moment, then pointed her finger and typed a line in the comments section:

[Fellow Immortal "A Paper Kite": Biyao definitely heard it. She heard every single word Gui Li said to her.]

send.

She put down her phone and buried herself even deeper into the blankets.

The moonlight outside the window was like water.

Just like the bamboo forest on Dazhu Peak ten years ago.

The old scoundrel may be a dog, but his story...

It's really hard to let go of.