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

On the other side, the main street of the Night City of Ten Thousand Demons was bustling with activity.

"Brother, you can't do this! Your price is too low; this isn't how business is done!"

"Shut up, don't stop me!"

"But...but we'll go bankrupt!"

"Then I'd rather lose money than not give this fellow Daoist a benefit!!"

Over there, a handsome young man dressed in yellow and white robes stood in front of the stall watching the two demons perform their act. He smiled gently and said in a mild voice, "Please don't be impatient, lest we ruin our harmony."

The two demons exchanged a furtive glance, deciding that the time was ripe.

The man in front of them was fair-skinned and spoke in a kind and understanding manner. They had seen many customers like this in all their years of business! He was probably a naive and innocent young master from a wealthy family, someone who had never seen much of the world and was the easiest to fool.

Scanning the stall, Chu Xianlan pointed to a piece of raw material and sincerely asked, "How much is it priced?"

"Two high-grade spirit stones! Fellow Daoist, you can take them!" The boss closed his eyes, as if he was about to empty his pockets at any moment.

"What!?" Upon hearing this, the younger brother stamped his feet in panic, his face filled with heartache.

"I have made up my mind, no need to say more."

"Big brother...you're really willing to go to any lengths to give out perks...!" The younger brother's voice was almost choked with emotion as he spoke. He couldn't stop his willful older brother and had no choice but to kneel down and stay there.

The boy ignored them, picked up the piece of raw material, and weighed it in his hand: "Would you sell it for fifty?"

The boss was taken aback.

He still retained some professional ethics and thought he had overacted, so he said, "Fifty high-grade spirit stones? Fellow Daoist, that's too much, you don't need that many..."

Chu Xianlan: "Fifty low-grade spirit stones."

The younger brother hadn't even reacted yet: "Hey, hey, we don't make that kind of dirty money... What!?"

The two demons were immediately shocked. They had been struck on the forehead by the Dragon-Slaying Saber. Damn it, had they encountered an expert?

We can attack or defend, so we can change our strategy!

"……ninety."

Chu Xianlan: "Forty."

"sixty!"

As if disappointed, Chu Xianlan shook her head and left, politely declining, "Then there's no need."

"Hey, hey, hey—! Deal!" The shopkeeper panicked. "Fellow Daoist, don't go! Why be so impulsive on such a holiday? Forty it is, the price is negotiable! Negotiable!"

The demon race prefers to be active at night and hide during the day. The streets become more lively as the night deepens, with spirit lanterns filling the sky like a galaxy. Amidst the bustling crowds, a figure in white stands quietly under the eaves of the street.

The man's demeanor was extremely aloof and detached, subtly isolating him from the hustle and bustle of the place. Passing cultivators couldn't help but glance at him, but then consciously took a detour, not daring to get too close.

He remained motionless for a long time until, as if sensing something, he turned his head.

The next second, Chu Xianlan quickly squeezed out of the dense crowd, haphazardly smoothed her disheveled hair, and ran back to Yi Chen's side.

Yi Chen's gaze lingered on the slightly upturned ends of his hair for a moment before he asked, "Have you bought it?"

"Yes," Chu Xianlan nodded vigorously and smiled, "I've kept Master waiting."

Yi Chen shook his head. "No."

Under the bright lights of the night, a flock of spirit butterflies fluttered by. One of them, pure white, flew a little slower and landed on Yi Chen's shoulder.

Chu Xianlan noticed it.

He cautiously approached, trying to get a clear look at the butterfly, but the butterfly suddenly flapped its wings, circled the two of them twice, scattering tiny specks of light from its wingtips, and then drifted away.

Subconsciously following the spirit butterfly, Chu Xianlan looked up. The light reflected in the boy's pupils, creating a dazzling display of light and shadow. His lips were slightly curved, and his eyes were filled with the brilliance of stars, captivating the soul.

Yi Chen carefully scanned every expression on his face, the icy aura around him dissipated, and his tone unconsciously softened, "Xianlan."

"Um?"

Chu Xianlan snapped out of her daze and saw Yi Chen leaning closer. He met the other's deep, affectionate eyes and his heart skipped a beat.

Even now, Chu Xianlan is no longer as naive as before. He thinks that his master probably wants to kiss him.

My heart suddenly started racing.

Even though it's unfamiliar territory, with people coming and going all around... it's not a good idea...

After a moment of internal struggle, Chu Xianlan's breathing quickened. Just as she was about to close her eyes, Yi Chen simply reached out and gently smoothed her hair, saying calmly, "Come for a walk with me."

"..."

The noise that had just disappeared due to tension suddenly rushed back into my ears.

It's just a haircut! What are you so disappointed about?!

Chu Xianlan secretly cursed herself for her wild thoughts just now. She followed her master's steps awkwardly, her mind filled with the awkwardness of having nowhere to put her secret thoughts.

Suddenly, my hand was taken.

Chu Xianlan heard Yi Chen say softly, "That place is crowded and chaotic, I don't want others to see you easily."

When he realized that his master was explaining something, his heartbeat, which he had forcibly suppressed, started racing again, and the problem of his uncoordinated movements, which had been cured by holding hands, relapsed.

After a long silence, Yi Chen said, "...It's a bit of a pity."

Chu Xianlan could no longer think about what was a pity, what was a pity? In order to distract himself, he looked around.

Looking at the orderly appearance of the streets, I couldn't help but sigh deeply.

The last time I came to Beiming was the last time!

The Northern Darkness Realm today is vastly different from what it was a thousand years ago.

Perhaps it was the fault of stereotypes. Chu Xianlan originally thought that Ming Si was a tyrant who only loved to eat, drink and have fun and was always giving a wicked smile. He was completely ignorant of governing the country. Now it seems that this is not the case.

Unlike the hereditary system of the Southern Cang royal family, the succession of the Demon King is like raising a poisonous insect—the victor becomes king, and only by fighting with strength to the very end can one ascend to the highest position.

In other words.

Throughout history, all demon kings have been solitary figures.

There are reasons why humans look down on demons. After all, every demon king has crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and they are cold-hearted, selfish, and only care about their own pleasure after seizing power. In addition, the demon race believes in the law of the jungle, and the vast Northern Sea is without rules and is in chaos for many years.

After Ming Si ascended to power, he quickly promoted the five major clans of the Mountain Lynx, Azure Phoenix, Crying Fox, Heart Rabbit, and Azure Deer, and appointed the clan leaders of each clan as the Five Great Demon Lords. He also voluntarily relinquished some of his power, governing clans by clans and managing demons by demons.

Over time, the five major clans each occupied their own territory, checking and balancing each other, and discussing matters together, gradually bringing order to the Northern Underworld. The Underworld clans, on the other hand, maintained a carefree attitude, going with the flow and not imposing many restrictions on the clans' actions.

This time, for example, Ming Si personally escorted them to Beiming, only to leave them with the words, "If you need anything, you can come to the palace to find him," and gave them a few travel tokens before swaggering away.

The Demon King is not as simple as he seems.

Chu Xianlan pondered to herself, then turned her head and softly asked, "Master, what do you think...?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a masked demon girl walked over from the opposite side and suddenly threw something at her when she got close.

Chu Xianlan caught it with her hand, stunned.

A flower?

Chu Xianlan was about to turn around and look for the person who threw the flower when he suddenly felt a lightness on his shoulder. Another delicate pink spirit flower came flying at him. Light purple flowers and bright red plum blossoms appeared one after another, seemingly appearing out of nowhere and being stuffed into his hand.

What are you doing?

Holding the flowers, he noticed a huge flower-shaped paper lantern standing in the center of the street, surrounded by a bustling crowd. Looking closer, he saw that the cultivators walking around him were also carrying flower branches. Chu Xianlan remembered the owner of the building materials store mentioning that there seemed to be some kind of festival today…?

Chu Xianlan, still confused, turned to look at Yi Chen when she heard a loud voice beside her:

"Brother Chu!"

The soft voice sounded familiar. Suddenly, a young boy with an excited expression darted in front of Chu Xianlan. It was Bai Xiaotu, the little rabbit demon he had saved in the Myriad Swords Immortal Realm.

"It really is you!"

Bai Xiaotu almost jumped up, feeling both nervous and excited, and hugged Chu Xianlan tightly.

"It's me, Bai Xiaotu! I saw you from so far away just now, I thought I was seeing things! Wow, you received so many flowers, you're so popular! Brother Chu, do you still remember me? I miss you so much!"

Chu Xianlan inexplicably felt a chill around her.

The little rabbit demon was so cold that her legs trembled.

I was too excited just now and didn't notice that Yi Chen was right next to Chu Xianlan!

Now it's impossible not to care.

Bai Xiaotu felt a chill run down her spine. She was already terrified of Immortal Lord Jixue, always feeling that his gray eyes were subtly scrutinizing her. Now, looking at him... his tall figure was backlit, his expression inscrutable, and his dark shadow stretched across the ground...

A ghost...a ghost!