When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

Chu Xianlan felt as if she had been struck by a heavy blow.

I simply can't imagine... and I can't possibly associate this terrifying reaction with my master.

He had heard his master express his feelings before, but those favors always seemed to him like something intangible, like the spring breeze showing pity for the winter plum blossoms, or the morning mist gently gathering the roadside grass, gathered from fragmented moments, not very real.

In his mind, his master was a pure and aloof immortal who rarely showed his emotions. Even when he lost his mind during his half-demon transformation, it could be attributed to his violent nature, driven by instinct and out of necessity.

But now?

He had nowhere to hide. For the first time, he directly felt such a burning, straightforward, and clear emotion from his master. The strong sense of threat was nowhere to hide, and he could no longer find any lame excuses.

Because all of this was entirely caused by him.

Chu Xianlan felt dizzy and lightheaded. Ahhh, it's all his fault…

It's all his fault...

Seeing that his disciple remained silent and stunned, Yi Chen sighed inwardly once more. His pupils gradually returned to normal, and he whispered in his ear, coaxing him:

"Don't be afraid."

After marking the territory, the claimant relaxed his restraints, and Yi Chen released Chu Xianlan's tense body, forcibly suppressing the clamoring nature within him and the surging desire in his heart, without making any further moves.

Chu Xianlan looked up in surprise.

Even in complete darkness, Yi Chen could clearly see the expression on his face.

The boy's eyes were half-closed, and his eyelashes and slightly swollen lips trembled gently. He was fragile and helpless. He probably never knew how beautiful he looked like this.

It is common for love to give rise to desire, and even Yi Chen could not avoid it, let alone hide it.

But what could Yi Chen do about it? Even though he was entangled in feelings and his love was deepening, he still didn't want to scare Chu Xianlan away, nor did he want to nip the budding romance in the bud because of his impatience. Only when the young man took the initiative to take the next step could he let go of all his restraint and embrace him without any inhibitions.

There's plenty of time ahead. After all, we've waited this long, so a little longer won't hurt.

Yi Chen said, "If you dislike it, just say so. Your master will not force you..."

"Master...I...I...I'll help you!" Chu Xianlan suddenly said incoherently.

He broke his short sentence into several parts, and with each word he uttered, his face turned a little redder.

Yi Chen was taken aback.

As if she had burned away all the courage she had ever had, Chu Xianlan slowly closed her eyes, her cheeks burning red, and lowered her head, reaching out her trembling hand to rush forward.

My heart was pounding.

His slender fingers, which never wavered even when crafting the most exquisite magical artifacts, were now trembling like sieves.

Even he himself couldn't tell whether he was more afraid or more excited. He just felt that he was running wildly down the path of the rebellious disciple, heading straight into a deep pit from which he could never climb out again.

……wrong……

If you fill in all the potholes on a road, wouldn't it become a road that you can continue walking on?

The sounds of her master's disordered breathing, clearly agitated, filled her ears, and Chu Xianlan bit her lower lip in shame. Her wet eyes were blurry, her mind a complete mess, and she couldn't think clearly about anything.

He was terrified and felt incredibly guilty.

Yes, it was him... who caused Master's condition. It was his fault, so he must take responsibility...

Just as his trembling fingertips were about to touch the warm fabric, a sharp scream rang out in the night.

"ah--!"

The fox demon, who had been unconscious for a long time, woke up at some point. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw the two embracing each other affectionately, which terrified her.

The fox demon jumped up, angrily shouting, "Father! Big brother!"

"You, you, you—no wonder my charm spell didn't work on you! So you like men! You should have said so earlier! You made me waste all that effort!"

Am I some kind of lowly fox?

Hmph, I thought it was something wrong with my charm, turns out you're just a tasteless jerk!

The fox demon glared fiercely at the two men in the room, clearly furious. Her delicate and beautiful face was filled with rage. She had no interest in being a free spectator, and angrily gave the master and disciple the middle finger.

Chu Xianlan: "..."

The fox demon nimbly dusted herself off, kicked open the door with a flourish, and disappeared into the night.

"Bang!"

The door was slammed shut!

A second later, it was pushed open again.

"Hey, how about... the three of us together?" The fox demon peeked out from under the door, her eyes sparkling, her practiced movements admirable.

Essence, you might as well absorb it; the more the better.

Anger is life, absorbing yang energy is work.

As soon as she finished speaking, the half-demon's cold and piercing gaze silently pressed down from the darkness, spreading murderous intent. The fox demon trembled all over, instantly feeling that her life was about to end.

She immediately backed down, pulling her hand away at lightning speed: "Fine, fine, you two stay locked up, I won't bother you!"

This commotion immediately changed the atmosphere inside the room.

Chu Xianlan cracked open.

He was filled with regret, not knowing what to do with his hands and feet, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

I'm insane! What audacious thing has possessed me?!

Normally, she wouldn't even dare to touch her master's hand, and she couldn't understand a single proper love confession. Yet, just now, in a moment of impulsiveness, she dared to do that... One shouldn't, or at least shouldn't...

Ugh, I don't want to live anymore!

Just as he was burying his head in despair, his chin was suddenly lifted and hit by eyes that were like deep pools.

"Chu Li, do you know what you just did?"

The overwhelming sense of oppression abruptly pulled him back from his shameful escape to the burning present moment, clearly forbidding him from pretending to be nonchalant, and even more so from lying and running away.

Yi Chen gently brushed his hair behind his ear, the movement tender and affectionate, and from this angle, the small mole under his eyebrow was clearly visible.

Then, in the same gentle tone, she said, "Think it over carefully before you answer."

"Disciple...understands."

Chu Xianlan breathed softly and nodded, her voice hoarse.

He recalled the days when he was a child, squatting in front of the Jade Capital Pavilion. It was the highest and coldest place in the entire Taiyi Sect, freezing cold, with fierce winds and snow. His fellow disciples jokingly called it a cold and lonely cage, a celestial abode that mortals could not approach.

But only he knew that it was not a cage, but an abyss he had willingly jumped into.

"This disciple also wishes to... stay by Master's side."

These few words alone caused Yi Chen's already calmed-down reaction to surge again, his gaze becoming increasingly ardent, so intense that it was no longer the coldest time of winter.

The pressure on Chu Xianlan's chin increased slightly, while another large, well-defined hand rubbed against his leg. The tall shadow enveloped the boy, gradually taking him into its territory.

Yi Chen bent down and slowly pressed himself against her again.

Chu Xianlan obediently closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. She felt the hand on her leg slowly move upwards, gradually approaching her lower back, gently caressing her spine, and exploring...

"—Xianlan, it's time to change shifts!" Ayue's clear voice rang out from outside the door.

"..."

Chu Xianlan practically scrambled to her feet, her noodles burning red from the heat, and stammered, "I...I understand!"

Oh no, how could I forget the important thing?!

Now, as the former Crown Prince's guard, he must also take turns on duty according to fixed shifts.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Chu Xianlan forced herself to remain calm as she walked out of the house.

Ah Yue had been waiting impatiently for a long time, stomping her feet on the floor. Seeing his restless appearance, she raised an eyebrow and said, "Why are you so slow? Are you hiding a beauty in a golden cage? Are you indulging in lust? Have you been bewitched by the fox spirit sent by the Demon King?"

In a sense, this was a deadly triple threat to Chu Xianlan, who was feeling guilty.

Every blow was fatal, and they couldn't answer a single one.

Unable to express their grievances, they simply gave vague answers.

Chu Xianlan secretly glanced at the direction of her sleeve, where the tip of her white tail swayed back and forth.

Yi Chen wrapped around his wrist.

Since the two were going to act together, it would be difficult to explain the sudden appearance of a half-demon to outsiders. So Yi Chen concealed his aura and transformed back into the appearance of a little white snake.

As Chu Xianlan followed A Yue toward the direction of the guard post, she secretly used telepathy to exchange information with her master.

"Master, do you see that the people and demons here also have no faces?"

"Memory illusions from a thousand years ago may not be completely preserved, and it is normal for some fragments to be blurry. There is nothing to worry about."

Chu Xianlan had only been in the illusion for a short time, and what she saw and heard mostly revolved around the former crown prince and the True Man Pointing at the Moon. Even now, she was still somewhat dazed and could not believe that she had actually met her master from a thousand years ago.

Yi Chen knew very little about the past of the Pointing Moon Immortal, and could only take it one step at a time and slowly explore the purpose of the Earth Spirit sending them here.

Chu Xianlan secretly observed A Yue beside her. From what she could see... this former crown prince held quite a place in her master's heart.

Just then, a loud commotion suddenly came from the courtyard where the former crown prince lived. The previously lazy A-Yue instantly stopped smiling and rushed into the courtyard.

"What's going on? What's all this commotion?" Ah Yue grabbed a palace servant on duty and asked.

The palace servant looked tense: "It seems like a thief has broken in."

"Thief? What the hell?" Ah Yue frowned. "Is His Highness alright?"

"No, it's nothing. There were guards on duty outside the bedroom just now. Suddenly, they saw a dark shadow flash inside. When I called the others, we heard something fall inside. But His Highness responded quickly and specifically told us not to panic."

The demon palace was heavily guarded and protected by array formations and barriers. Where could such a thief have come from?

The group immediately dispersed to search the surroundings, but found no unusual spiritual energy fluctuations. They then returned to report the results to the Crown Prince.

The bedroom was dimly lit. The prince sat on the edge of the bed and smiled at the two of them, saying, "I told you it's nothing, don't be so nervous." He himself was a cultivator, and his cultivation was not shallow. Even if he really encountered danger, he would not be helpless.

A-Yue was still worried, and she sadly pulled Chu Xianlan to the door and repeatedly gave her several instructions before finally leaving, turning back every few steps.

Before leaving, she murmured to herself, "I always feel so awkward staying here. It's not as comfortable as the capital. Sigh, I wonder when I'll be able to go back... I'll go and investigate some more."

A moment later, only Chu Xianlan and the Crown Prince remained in the room.

Chu Xianlan had never been a guard before, but he was full of conviction, probably similar to the night patrols of the Taiyi Sect. Just as he was about to turn around and go outside to stand guard, the Crown Prince behind him suddenly called out softly, "Come and see."

Chu Xianlan was taken aback and slowly turned around.

Although he couldn't see the prince's expression, he could sense that the other person was smiling, and seemed a bit mysterious.

In front of Chu Xianlan, the Crown Prince reached out and lifted a corner of the quilt.

"This is……"

Seeing this scene, Chu Xianlan was full of questions. Just as she was about to say something, the Crown Prince raised his index finger first and said, "Shh."

"Keep your voice down, don't startle it."

It was a black snake.

Its scales were dull and lifeless, its body was filthy and muddy, and its condition was visibly terrible; its body was curled up in a ball.

The prince said, "Don't be nervous, it's just an ordinary snake. It seems to have rushed in because it was very hungry. I saw that it was breathing weakly, so I used my spiritual power to heal it. Perhaps it was too tired and hungry, because after I finished healing it, it crawled into my bedding and fell asleep."

That must be the reason for the commotion just now.

Chu Xianlan didn't know what to say.

This... the Crown Prince is too ambitious!

Putting a snake of unknown origin in your bed to sleep??

I was truly moved, moved by compassion!

Chu Xianlan could hardly believe that such a bold move would happen to the Crown Prince. In his limited memory, the former Crown Prince always presented a mature and proper image to the outside world, and would never do something so childish.

But after secretly investigating, he found that it was indeed just an ordinary snake without any spiritual power, not even a spirit pet.

The prince stroked his chin, as if worried the black snake might suffocate, and slightly opened the blankets: "It still looks listless. What should we feed it? Would spirit herbs or fruits work?"

Seeing that he was genuinely troubled, Chu Xianlan had no choice but to bite the bullet and try to find a solution together.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked telepathically, "Master, snakes...do snakes usually eat this?"

Yi Chen: "..."

At this moment, the lifeless black snake on the bed suddenly moved, as if it had exhausted all its strength, and slowly crawled out from under the warm bedding, leaving through the crack in the window without looking back.

The black snake shadow quickly disappeared into the shadows.

The crown prince sighed, "Don't get hurt like that again next time."

Soon, the prince sat back down at the table, opened the book again, and quietly turned the pages with his eyes lowered.

Chu Xianlan suddenly perked up, still thinking about the forbidden techniques she hadn't learned last time, and secretly glanced at them.

To my utter surprise, it wasn't a cultivation technique.

That was something Chu Xianlan was most familiar with: weapon-forging blueprints.

He was stunned, staring blankly at the blueprints for a long time. He didn't even hear Yi Chen calling him telepathically, because what was drawn stroke by stroke on those blueprints was clearly... the mechanical puppets of Peach Blossom Spring.

Refining artifacts was his forte. Chu Xianlan could understand the structure of any magical artifact with just a glance and never made a mistake in this area. He saw the Crown Prince sketching on the blueprints and outlining the prototype of the mechanical puppet a thousand years later with just a few strokes.

Is this the "scribbles" that Ah Yue mentioned earlier?

Therefore, the predecessor who designed the mechanical puppet is both far away and right before our eyes.

For some reason, Chu Xianlan suddenly felt an urgent need to see the Crown Prince's face clearly, but the thick fog remained shrouded in the other's face, refusing to dissipate.

"Holding an orchid in one's hand".

Yi Chen called him again.

Chu Xianlan snapped out of her daze and saw A-Yue, who had returned, running towards her from afar. For some reason, A-Yue looked disgusted and breathless as she said, "Your Highness, let's not stay in this wretched place of the demon race any longer. Let's leave tomorrow!"