In the Land of Extreme Cold, deep beneath the earth, Bian Menghan was drenched in blood, his demonic energy surging. His robes, which had once been white as snow, were now dyed a deep crimson, resembling a blood-colored flower blooming in the darkness. That incomparably handsome face had lost its usual spirit, replaced by a chilling, heart-wrenching numbness.
Wave after wave of ferocious, brutal beasts surged toward him like a tide. They bared their fangs and claws, letting out low, guttural growls as they lunged, as if determined to tear this tiny body to shreds.
Bian Menghan held his long sword, fighting with all his might. Every swing brought a spray of blood, but the beasts showed no sign of retreating, continuing to charge forward one after another. It seemed there was no end in sight.
“Is it worth it?” a voice suddenly echoed from deep within the cavern.
Bian Menghan’s eyes were sharp as lightning. His long sword thrust out with the force of a thunderbolt, piercing deep into the belly of a divine beast as massive as a mountain. A dull, heavy roar followed, as if the entire world were trembling. Bian Menghan twisted the blade viciously inside the beast’s abdomen before yanking it out.
A fountain of crimson blood erupted instantly, creating a mist in the air, while the internal organs burst forth like detonated fireworks, scattering as countless fragments and chunks of flesh in every direction. An intensely thick, foul stench permeated the air, filling every inch of the space. It was so pungent that the moment Bian Menghan smelled it, his stomach heaved, and he nearly vomited.
At this moment, he could feel the already turbulent demonic energy within him surging even more violently, as if desperate to break free from its restraints. However, Bian Menghan knew he could not let it spiral out of control. He gritted his teeth, channeling his cultivation with all his might to suppress this overwhelming power.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stabilized his internal energy. His gaze was so firm that anyone who looked into his eyes would be burned by the light within. Despite the agonizing pain, he smiled faintly. “It is worth it. For Master, everything is worth it.”
A sneer followed. “Foolish. Do not forget our bargain; I have no desire to pay the price for your stupidity.”
“Rest assured, I remember.”
He remembered his promise to his Master—that he would return safe and sound. He remembered it all. He would never break his word. At the thought of Shi Changting, Bian Menghan’s expression finally shifted, his eyes misting over.
Master, at this very moment, are you thinking of me? Are you waiting for me to return safely? Perhaps not. But Master, I truly miss you so much.
Blood surged from wounds all over his body, causing Bian Menghan’s consciousness to blank out for a split second. He could clearly perceive his life force rapidly ebbing away. He bit his lip hard, mobilized every ounce of his remaining demonic energy, and charged into the deepest part of the cavern without the slightest hesitation.
Meanwhile, Shi Changting, having made an appointment with Bian Mengyu, finally received a message from him inviting him to the Demon Palace for a meeting after three days of restless waiting. Shi Changting breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought the kid might have regretted it and tried to bail.
He and Ying Zhou hurried over, but on the way, they were blocked by Bian Que.
“Where is the Immortal Venerable heading?” Bian Que’s lips held a smile, but his gaze was cold and obscure, making one feel thoroughly uncomfortable.
Shi Changting frowned in annoyance. Among the three brothers, Bian Que’s malice was the most blatant and the most difficult to deal with; once he latched onto you, it was like a cat touching a fish, only leaving you covered in the stench.
Shi Changting’s voice was cold and detached. “I am going to see the Young Venerable.”
Shi Changting knew that as the son of the Demon Queen, Bian Que was accustomed to being arrogant and domineering. There were very few in the Demon Realm he feared—the Demon Lord was one, and his eldest brother, Bian Mengyu, was the other. Although Bian Mengyu’s mother had passed away, her clan’s influence remained. Furthermore, being over a hundred years older than Bian Que, he possessed seasoned capabilities and strategies. Thus, even though Bian Que was the son of the Demon Queen, it was Bian Mengyu who sat in the position of the Young Venerable.
Shi Changting had calculated well. In normal circumstances, Bian Que would not blatantly obstruct his brother’s affairs. Usually, he would keep his distance on the surface while sabotaging things from behind the scenes. But today, for some reason perhaps due to a bruised male ego, or perhaps he was simply fed up when Bian Que heard Bian Mengyu’s name, he did not step aside. Instead, he radiated a menacing hostility and stood his ground.
“My big brother?” Bian Que’s eyes flashed with an unreadable light. “What could the Immortal Venerable possibly have to discuss with my brother?”
Shi Changting remained calm. “Nothing of great importance.”
Whether it is important or not, I have no intention of telling you!
Bian Que moved closer to Shi Changting, acting like a rogue. “Since it is not important, why does the Immortal Venerable not discuss it with me first?”
Discuss, discuss, discuss! I have nothing to discuss with you! If not for the fact that he couldn’t win in a fight, Shi Changting would have punched him all the way to the Southern Heaven Gate just to stop the nonsense.
Shi Changting did not want to be entangled further. “Sorry, I have nothing to say.” He turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, Bian Que was faster. In the blink of an eye, he moved in front of Shi Changting, blocking the path with his body. When Shi Changting moved left, he moved left; when Shi Changting moved right, he moved right.
This shameless scoundrel!
A flicker of anger crossed Shi Changting’s face. “Second Young Master, what exactly do you want?” Why was he pestering him?
Bian Que’s smile, in Shi Changting’s eyes, seemed particularly infuriating. “The Demon Realm is beautiful and the environment is pleasant. I imagine the Immortal Venerable has not been here long enough to see it all. My brother and third brother are busy men; why not let me accompany the Immortal Venerable for a walk?”
I really want to spit on him! The smug look on the kid’s face—as if saying, “You are lonely, you are bored, you have no one to keep you company, so be grateful I am here”—made Shi Changting itch to beat this demon to death for the sake of the people.
Damn it! Shi Changting regretted for the umpteenth time why he had written such perverted and troublesome characters, only for him to be the one suffering for it in the end. Damn it! This is absurd!
Shi Changting took a deep breath. “There is no need. The Young Venerable is waiting, and he will be impatient if I am late.”
Shi Changting shouldn’t have mentioned that. The moment he did, Bian Que’s expression darkened. On a normal day, he might have let it slide, but today, for some reason, he simply did not want to let those two get their way. Moreover, Shi Changting had repeatedly used Bian Mengyu’s name to pressure him. If he allowed them to succeed, wouldn’t it be a clear admission to Shi Changting that he was completely suppressed by his brother and feared him? Where would his face be then?
While his heart was consumed with rage, his expression remained perfectly aggrieved, as if it were Shi Changting who had wronged him. He sighed softly. “The Immortal Venerable is always so aloof, keeping everyone at a distance. It truly hurts my heart.”
Shi Changting’s inner turmoil intensified. Keep acting! Keep acting! If you keep acting, I will tear your head off!
Bian Que continued, “The Immortal Venerable humbles himself for the Third Brother and remains tangled with the Eldest Brother, yet is so cold to me. How can I not be heartbroken?”
“You, you, you!” Shi Changting was thin-skinned, and his face flushed beet red in front of everyone. “What are you spouting?!”
Ahhhhhhh! Spreading rumors! Talking nonsense! Blathering! What “humbling himself”? What “tangled with”? What was he even talking about?
“Is it not so?” Bian Que teased Shi Changting with a perverse sense of amusement, watching the man’s embarrassment with great interest. He drawled, “Oh, so I was mistaken?”
Shi Changting took a deep breath. “Second Young Master, please show some self-respect!”
Shi Changting’s cool, immortal-like face was now flushed with anger, the redness extending to his neck. He looked like a perfectly ripe apple—delicate, moist, and exuding an alluring fragrance. From Bian Que’s angle, it was a breathtaking beauty.
Bian Que’s gaze shifted, and he was momentarily stunned. He had a somewhat niche hobby: he loved watching high-mountain flowers fall from their pedestals, seeing the loyal die from betrayal, watching acts of kindness lead to tragedy, and witnessing those who bet everything end up with nothing.
The greater the contrast, the more he liked it. He loved watching people struggle in the mire, their expressions of despair and helplessness making his very soul tremble with excitement. It felt even better than doing the deed himself.
If he had been merely teasing before, now he had only one thought: to drag the cold, noble, god-like Immortal Venerable down from his pedestal and trample him at will. The mere thought of Shi Changting lowering his noble head, weeping in his arms, made every drop of blood in Bian Que’s body roar with madness. An indescribable excitement surged over him, completely engulfing him.
“Self-respect?” Bian Que offered a sinister smile. “I will let the Immortal Venerable see exactly what self-respect means.”