Wandering Swordsman |

Shen Mo nodded slightly, signaling Moon Demon Lord to continue. Moon Demon Lord cleared his throat and slowly spoke: "Heavenly Demon God, you should be well aware of Linglong's feelings for you. Now that she has reached the age where she can discuss marriage, I hope Heavenly Demon God will seriously consider this."

Yue Linglong stood to the side, her blush deepening, her hands unconsciously twisting together, her heart filled with both anticipation and a touch of unease. She secretly glanced up at Shen Mo, only to find him intently watching her, and quickly lowered her head, her heart involuntarily quickening.

Shen Mo remained silent for a moment, a complex look flashing in his eyes, before finally speaking slowly: "Moon Demon Lord, I am very grateful for your help when I first arrived at the Heavenly Demon God Sect. As for Yue Linglong's feelings for me, I think we are still young, and now is not the best time to talk about feelings. Especially since I have just become the Heavenly Demon God, I need more time to focus on understanding the Heavenly Demon God Sect."

Hearing Shen Mo's polite refusal, Yue Linglong felt a pang of sorrow, but she tried to maintain a smile to hide her disappointment. Her lips trembled slightly, her hands unconsciously twisted together, and her eyes revealed an indescribable pain.

The Moon Demon Lord stood aside, carefully observing the interaction between the two. She understood that Shen Mo's words were merely giving Yue Linglong a way out, and he didn't want to be too harsh and hurt her feelings. She gently patted Yue Linglong's shoulder, signaling her to leave the Heavenly Demon Palace with her.

Stepping out of the main hall, sunlight bathed them, but Yue Linglong felt no warmth whatsoever. Seeing this, the Moon Demon Lord sighed inwardly, knowing his granddaughter's emotions were complex and heavy. The two walked slowly along the winding path; the surrounding scenery remained beautiful, but to Yue Linglong, everything seemed to have lost its color.

"Linglong," the Moon Demon Lord spoke softly, breaking the silence, "Do you really like Shen Mo? Even if he rejects you now, are you still willing to persist?"

Yue Linglong bit her lower lip, a resolute glint in her eyes: "Grandma, I know this path will be difficult, but my feelings for him are real. No matter what the future holds, I want to keep walking down this path."

The Moon Demon Lord nodded, her eyes filled with a hint of emotion and understanding. "I can see that you are deeply in love with him. Since your mind is made up, Grandma won't stop you." She paused for a moment, then continued, "However, you must remember that matters of the heart cannot be forced. If one day you feel tired, stop and look around; Grandma will always support you."

Yue Linglong raised her head, tears glistening in her eyes, but she still said firmly, "Grandma, thank you. I know you're worried about me, but I really like Shen Mo. Even if he doesn't accept my feelings yet, I believe that one day he will see my sincerity."

Looking at Yue Linglong's resolute eyes, the Moon Demon Lord felt both gratified and somewhat helpless. She knew that once her granddaughter made a decision, she would never easily change her mind. "Alright, since you insist, then continue down this path," the Moon Demon Lord said gently. "But, Linglong, you still need to learn to protect yourself. Only when you truly love yourself can you better love others. If any unexpected changes occur during this process, don't let yourself get hurt too much."

Yue Linglong listened quietly, her resolve unwavering, yet she also felt her grandmother's love and support. She knew that with her grandmother's support, she would walk more firmly on this unknown path. "I will, Grandma. No matter what happens, I will not give up."

......

Two days later, Shen Mo had made preparations to return to the Central Plains, and thus arranged all affairs within the Heavenly Demon Sect in an orderly manner. The four Demon Lords had clear divisions of labor, each performing their duties: the Flame Demon Lord was responsible for internal security; the Blood Demon Lord managed daily affairs; the Heavenly Demon Lord focused on cultivation guidance and martial arts inheritance; and the Moon Demon Lord continued to be responsible for intelligence gathering. In the days leading up to Shen Mo's departure, they would continue to ensure the normal operation of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

That afternoon, sunlight streamed through the carved windows into the main hall of the Heavenly Demon Palace. Shen Mo sat in the main seat, calmly awaiting Juechenzi's arrival. Soon after, Juechenzi arrived as promised. He bowed respectfully and then stood aside, awaiting Shen Mo's instructions.

"Juechenzi," Shen Mo spoke, his voice steady and powerful, "I want to ask you, how are the preparations for my return to the Central Plains going?"

Juechenzi nodded, a hint of confidence in his eyes: "Heavenly Demon God, everything has been arranged. Considering your disappearance in the Central Plains five years ago, we need a reasonable explanation to cover up this period of absence."

Shen Mo nodded slightly, signaling Juechenzi to continue.

"I have already contacted a renowned master in the Northern Desert to act as a cover," Juechenzi explained in detail. "This master is named Yang Zhi. He is highly respected in the martial arts world and has a reclusive personality, rarely interacting with the outside world. Therefore, your story will go like this: Five years ago, Yang Zhi rescued you by chance and brought you back to the Northern Desert. There, you followed him to learn martial arts until recently, when you finally mastered them and returned to the Central Plains."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. This reason was both plausible and effectively concealed his past experiences. "A master from the Northern Desert... this story does sound very convincing," Shen Mo said. "However, I'd like to know more details, such as Yang Zhi's personality, style of action, and the characteristics of his martial arts."

Juechenzi coughed lightly and began to introduce Yang Zhi in detail: "Yang Zhi has a cold and aloof personality and acts in a low-key manner, but he is an upright person and is highly respected in the martial arts world. His famous martial arts are mainly based on the 'Sunset True Qi,' which is extremely domineering, with incredibly fierce and powerful moves. People in the martial arts world call him the 'Sunset Swordsman.'"

Juechenzi continued, "Heavenly Demon God, I plan to take you to meet Yang Zhi, and then learn a couple of moves from him. This will greatly increase the credibility of this matter."

Seeing how meticulous Juechenzi's plan was, Shen Mo nodded, his trust in Juechenzi growing even stronger.

That very night, he and Juechenzi left the Heavenly Demon God Sect and embarked on their journey to the northern desert.

Throughout the journey, Shen Mo's feelings were complex and contradictory. As he prepared to return to the Central Plains, his heart was filled with both anticipation and unease.

Countless questions swirled in his mind: How was Murong Qing? Was she still waiting for him so persistently? Did He Yun and Zhao Xue have children? Was their little family happy and fulfilled? Was his master, Luo Wangchen, alright? And two years had passed since his promise to Master Zhang of Wudang; he wondered if Master Zhang would hold a grudge. Even more concerning to him was the state of his childhood village. Had his parents' graves become overgrown with weeds?