Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Recap, Plot, Synopsis

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Synopsis

Ling Miaomiao unexpectedly enters the “novel world,” becoming a minor supporting character and is forcibly bound to a task system. Besides the main task of defeating the powerful demons, Miaomiao is also assigned a side mission: to capture the heart of Mu Sheng, the “black lotus” villain in the story. Failure in this mission would mean she can never return to the real world. Throughout this journey, Miaomiao teams up with demon hunters Mu Sheng, Mu Yao, and Liu Fuyi, forming the “Four Heroes of the Bamboo Grove.” Together, they face numerous crises, supporting each other and growing alongside one another.

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Recap

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Ling Miaomiao, an ordinary office worker, loved Saturdays the most. This Saturday, her most important plan was to watch her idol Fu Zhou's new work, "Catching Demons. " Just as Ling Miaomiao was engrossed in the story, Tao Zong suddenly called to say there would be a meeting and asked her to notify everyone. Everyone had to be in the office by noon. Ling Miaomiao didn’t even finish her sentence about it being Saturday before Tao Zong hung up.

So, Ling Miaomiao put on her headphones and boarded the bus to the company, listening to the novel while on the way. During the meeting, she remained immersed in the world of "Catching Demons" until Tao Zong called her name, snapping her out of her daydream. She was then assigned work that had to be submitted by Monday. After listening to the novel all day, Ling Miaomiao felt it was somewhat absurd; after all, Fu Zhou was her favorite author.

The story had no major twists until the very end, and in her frustration, she typed out her thoughts in the comments section. However, before she could post it, the computer screen suddenly displayed strange patterns, and then she was sucked into the screen, disappearing without a trace. Ling Miaomiao fell from the sky and found herself in a completely different environment, one that looked ancient.

Not only were the surroundings dressed in ancient style, but even the maidservants were in traditional garb. When she looked in the mirror, she realized she was also wearing ancient clothing. Just as she was recovering from her shock, everything around her suddenly froze, and a mechanical voice rang out: she had entered the story, and from now on, she was Lin Yu, the vicious female supporting character she often criticized.

To return to reality, she had to complete the main quest and survive until the end, which included eliminating the great demoness and completing secondary tasks. The first secondary task was to enter the bridal chamber with Liu Fuyi. Startled, Ling Miaomiao tried to escape, but when the system disappeared, everything resumed. She ran out of the room and was struck by lightning, nearly meeting a tragic end. Once more, Ling Miaomiao found herself back at the beginning.

Xiao Wan came to her with wedding attire. Ling Miaomiao sneakily entered the courtyard, cautiously testing the waters, but ended up getting hit again. It seemed she was truly stuck in a bug. With no other options, Ling Miaomiao decided to wear the wedding dress, thinking, "If I'm getting married, then so be it! " She donned the wedding dress and married the male lead, Liu Fuyi.

In the plot, this was a fake marriage intended to lure out the great demon. Liu Fuyi was quite the gentleman, inviting Ling Miaomiao to drink a ceremonial cup with him. Suddenly, she felt a chill run down her back; it seemed the great demoness was coming! Liu Fuyi warned her not to look back, but he himself was captivated by the mirror demon in the reflection and walked towards it, bringing the demon into the real world.

In an instant, the mirror demon clashed with Liu Fuyi and then vanished. As Ling Miaomiao huddled in a corner, trembling, the system's voice congratulated her on completing the beginner's task. She calmed down, recalling that in the original plot, she was supposed to tear up Mu Yao's talisman! Fearing being blamed for harming the female lead, she hurriedly urged Liu Fuyi to save her.

Mu Yao was still fast asleep in her room, while the mirror demon silently approached her, eyes filled with malevolence. Mu Yao sensed it and got up to confront the demon. Liu Fuyi arrived just in time to protect her, causing the mirror demon to disappear again. When Ling Miaomiao rushed in, Liu Fuyi had closed the door. Mu Yao warned her that the mirror demon was still inside!

The silence in the room was terrifying as the mirror demon trapped all three of them in the mirror world. Ling Miaomiao urged them to find the real mirror demon and shatter it to return to reality. With her prompt, Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao carefully searched among countless mirrors and finally located the real demon, encountering Ling Miaomiao in the process, but she was held in a life-or-death situation by the mirror demon.

The demon often harmed grooms on their wedding night, as they couldn't resist its temptation, while their brides were usually oblivious, like its own master. To save Ling Miaomiao, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi put down their magical tools, but despite being demon catchers, without their tools, they were just ordinary people. The mirror demon was about to start a massacre when suddenly, a blinding sword energy surged forward.

After a flash of light, Ling Miaomiao saw the male second lead from the novel: the sickly, ruthless black lotus, Mu Sheng, Mu Yao's brother. Ignoring the mirror demon's threat, Mu Sheng swiftly destroyed it with his blade, and the group instantly returned to the real world. Mu Sheng was about to deal a fatal blow to the mirror demon, but Liu Fuyi advised him to put her in the demon-catching tower.

However, Mu Sheng, being an overprotective brother, wouldn’t hear it. Luckily, Mu Yao’s physical condition drew his attention, giving Liu Fuyi time to confine the demon in the tower. When Mu Sheng realized his sister had been supported by Ling Miaomiao, he quickly embraced her. Finally free, Ling Miaomiao took a good look at Mu Sheng—this was her husband in the book. Originally, Mu Sheng didn't love Lin Yu; he married her just to humiliate her.

After their marriage, he treated her terribly and even used a love curse on her, causing her immense suffering, a fate she brought upon herself. Ling Miaomiao trembled; Mu Sheng’s terrifying character was truly someone she couldn’t afford to provoke. Mu Sheng expressed his dissatisfaction with Liu Fuyi, saying that if he hadn’t returned, his sister would be dead. Yet Liu Fuyi not only abandoned her but also married another woman.

Ling Miaomiao found herself tearing up, which caught Mu Sheng's attention. He asked her whether she felt envious or resentful. Only then did Ling Miaomiao recall that Mu Sheng despised Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi being together. She felt overwhelmed by Mu Sheng's powerful aura and collapsed onto the ground after he left. Upon waking up, Ling Miaomiao realized she hadn’t returned to her world as she had imagined. She carefully reflected on the book's worldview.

Nine hundred years ago, the Cataclysm descended upon the world, and the sorcerer Mu Qingshi gained enlightenment to mend the heavens. After the Cataclysm, people began to fear demons, and sorcerers gradually turned to demon hunting, with the Mu family becoming a renowned name in this field. Seven years ago, the Demon King, a vengeful female spirit, rampaged through the Mu family, leaving only Mu Yao and Mu Sheng alive.

Along their journey, they met Liu Fuyi and later Lin Yu, who was now Ling Miaomiao, joining the main cast. Ling Miaomiao was dazzled by Lin Yu's jewelry box, while the servants served exquisite bird’s nest soup. Despite the lavish lifestyle, Ling Miaomiao remembered that in the book, Lin Yu's father was a corrupt official, and all this wealth was built on the backs of the people. As the servants urged her to fetch her father, Ling Miaomiao felt nervous.

To others, she might seem suspicious, but when she saw her father from the book, who looked exactly like her father in real life, she immediately forgot everything else and rushed into his arms.

Governor's Mansion of Taicang. Mu Yao was preparing to set off again, but Mu Sheng was concerned about her injuries, insisting they should wait until she had recovered. Mu Yao worried that staying in the official's residence would be uncomfortable, as both she and Liu Fuyi were unaccustomed to the strict rules. Mu Sheng, however, resisted, mumbling that he had matters to attend to here.

He had long suspected that it was Ling Miaomiao who took Liu Fuyi's talisman, intending to frame Mu Yao by having someone else kill her. Coincidentally, he found a strand of Ling Miaomiao’s hair on the door, confirming his suspicion. He had checked almost everyone’s hair in the mansion; only a few remained. Meanwhile, Ling Miaomiao was still caught up in the joy of reuniting with her father.

In the real world, her father had passed away, and now, being able to see a long-missed family member filled her with emotion. Upon hearing that the demon had been defeated, Lord Lin immediately ordered a feast to thank Mu Yao, Mu Sheng, and Liu Fuyi. However, the steward reminded him that his health was not suitable for drinking, which prompted Ling Miaomiao to interject. "That sounds like hypertension! " she thought.

Health had to come first, so she insisted he follow the doctor's advice. Deeply touched by her concern, Lord Lin teared up. He expressed his gratitude to Mu Yao and Mu Sheng, although Mu Sheng seemed indifferent. Ling Miaomiao glared at him but covered for him by drinking in his place, only to get drunk after one cup. Later, Mu Yao scolded Mu Sheng for his rude behavior, but Mu Sheng dismissed the hypocrisy of people like Lord Lin.

“With his position, how could he afford such a grand mansion? ” he scoffed. After sobering up, Ling Miaomiao planned to enjoy a hearty meal. Yet, the maid brought only a meager portion, explaining that Ling Miaomiao’s former self was known for strict dietary restrictions and a melancholy disposition—quite unlike the present Miaomiao. Trying to stick to her role, Miaomiao quickly devised a logical explanation.

She claimed her health was poor and that building strength was essential if she hoped to complete her tasks. She requested a jump rope and, to her father’s surprise, dragged him into a workout session. However, he quickly tired and, upon spotting Mu Sheng nearby, handed the jump rope to him before running off, leaving Ling Miaomiao struggling to keep up. Mu Sheng, growing suspicious, compared her hair to what he had gathered, though Miaomiao had secretly taken care of it.

Still dissatisfied, he questioned her other maid, Huayi. Ling Miaomiao remembered this unfortunate maid from the story: she had attracted Liu Fuyi’s attention with a bracelet, which led the jealous Lin Yu to marry her off to a crippled kitchen worker. Heartbroken, Huayi had later thrown herself into a well. Feeling the weight of yet another accusation, especially after learning that Huayi had a blind mother depending on her, Ling Miaomiao wavered.

She told herself it was all fiction, yet she couldn’t resist devising a plan to save Huayi. She arrived just as Huayi was about to jump into the well, but she tripped and fell beside Mu Sheng. Expecting some sort of dramatic “princess carry” moment, she was disappointed when Mu Sheng simply dodged her. Ignoring him, she rushed to the courtyard where Huayi was, but Mu Sheng used an instant-transference spell to reach Huayi first and saved her.

Miaomiao comforted Huayi, reassuring her that marriage was off the table. Witnessing all this, Mu Sheng’s suspicions about Miaomiao’s actions grew once more. Quick-witted, Miaomiao managed to deflect his suspicion, silently vowing to survive until the end without slipping up. But the system was unrelenting and issued her second mission: to swap Mu Yao’s healing medicine to delay their departure. Ling Miaomiao sneaked into the kitchen.

In the original story, Mu Sheng had returned after hearing Mu Yao was in pain and accused Lin Yu of tampering with the medicine. This revelation led to the exposure of corruption in Lin’s family, resulting in the execution of the entire household. Trying to convince herself that completing the mission would allow her to return home, Miaomiao felt a pang seeing her father again.

Cleverly, she swapped the medicine with a tonic instead of a laxative since the system hadn’t specified the type of replacement. Bringing the medicine to Mu Yao’s room, she was surprised to find Mu Sheng there, insisting on tasting it himself before giving it to Mu Yao. Yet, despite her efforts, Mu Yao still suffered unbearable pain after drinking it, and Mu Sheng, enraged, killed Miaomiao on the spot. When she reopened her eyes, she was back in the kitchen.

Realizing her change had led Mu Sheng to return earlier and her own premature death, Miaomiao tried different methods, from altering the formula to using a tonic, but each time ended in Mu Sheng’s swift retribution. After countless deaths, she became numb to it all. This time, she tried simply bringing a bowl of water, hoping for success, but Mu Yao still experienced pain.

At last, Miaomiao understood the issue: it was the heavy-metal glaze on the pot, to which Mu Yao was allergic. After preparing the medicine in a safe pot, Mu Yao showed no symptoms, and Miaomiao finally completed the second novice task. Overwhelmed, she hugged Mu Yao, crying with relief, much to Mu Sheng’s bewilderment.

Liu Fuyi brought Mu Yao a small trinket for her recovery, while Mu Sheng remarked dryly, watching Miaomiao lingering by Mu Yao’s side, “It seems she doesn’t need it.

Ling Miaomiao was eagerly picking out blush with Mu Yao when thoughts of her mother crossed her mind. Her mother was still in her original world, and Miaomiao felt a pang of longing. Misunderstanding, Mu Yao thought Miaomiao was referring to another world as a form of comfort and mentioned her own mother. In truth, she envied Miaomiao's freedom, as she had been born into the Mu family, destined to become a demon hunter.

Suddenly thinking of Liu Fuyi, Miaomiao rushed outside to fetch him, asking him to bring the prepared grasshopper to Mu Yao, pushing the plot between the main characters forward. In the book, Lin Yu insisted on this grasshopper, causing quite a mess. Such plotlines felt dull to Miaomiao. After completing her mission, Miaomiao straightened up and left.

Outside, Mu Sheng was visibly irritated, not understanding why Miaomiao, an outsider, could make Mu Yao laugh so easily, while it was so difficult for him to cheer up his sister. Finding him jealous was amusing to Miaomiao, and Mu Sheng clenched his fists in frustration. To provoke him further, she hugged Mu Yao tightly, forcing Mu Sheng to apologize. Leaning against Mu Yao, Miaomiao teased Mu Sheng with a challenging look.

Mu Yao instructed Mu Sheng to make amends by personally peeling fruit for Miaomiao, and with Mu Yao backing him, Mu Sheng dared not protest. Mu Sheng quickly found a chance to retaliate by chasing after Miaomiao, offering to give her a massage, which scared her into apologizing. In the midst of this, Miaomiao spotted a dust demon, and Mu Yao explained to Mu Sheng that this was the lowest type of demon, omnipresent in their world.

These dust demons were as common as mosquitoes, and Miaomiao grew curious about other demons. Mu Sheng mocked her lack of experience, but Mu Yao urged him to patiently explain. Mu Sheng then set aside his disdain to teach her about the level nine demon, the vengeful woman, who was the ultimate boss of the story. Suddenly serious, Mu Yao declared that they would eliminate the vengeful woman, no matter the cost.

Late at night, Mu Sheng recalled childhood memories of a voice that claimed to be his mother, the vengeful woman. Miaomiao genuinely liked Mu Yao, but at that moment, the system instructed her to infiltrate Mu Yao’s bedroom and destroy the “Hundred Demon Mountain and Sea Map. ” The book stated that the map was a family heirloom of the Mu family, damaged a century ago.

Mu Yao always carried it with her, hoping to restore it and find the vengeful woman. Mu Sheng suspected that Liu Fuyi was getting close to Mu Yao for the map, leading to their disagreement. In the book, Lin Yu overheard their conversation and secretly burned the map, believing this would cause Liu Fuyi to leave Mu Yao. Miaomiao internally screamed in disbelief—what a ridiculous plot twist! Now she had to run through it all over again.

Stealthily, Miaomiao made her way to Mu Yao’s bedroom, overhearing a conversation between Mu Sheng and Mu Yao. Surprisingly, they were arguing about her. Mu Sheng believed Miaomiao's intentions were malicious, while Mu Yao patiently reassured him that they both were unsure how to make friends, but Miaomiao was different; she was Mu Yao’s first close friend. Hearing this made Miaomiao feel guilty, prompting her to run outside and scold the system, only to be hit by a falling meteor.

Resetting her scenario, Miaomiao decided to just get through this silly plot quickly. Before leaving, Mu Sheng placed a talisman on Mu Yao, ensuring she could sleep peacefully. Immediately after, Miaomiao sneaked into Mu Yao’s room and located the map. Just as she hesitated to set it on fire, the candle ignited the mountain and sea map, and she managed to snatch away a piece.

However, as she exited, she ran into Mu Sheng, leading to her being killed three times. On the fourth attempt, in a moment of desperation, she held onto Mu Sheng’s hand and confessed her feelings for him, finally allowing her to pass and complete all novice tasks. In the courtyard, Mu Sheng was practicing, and Liu Fuyi challenged him to a sparring match. Just then, Mu Yao rushed in, flustered, declaring that the map was missing!

Inside the room, Miaomiao was selecting jewelry to give to Mu Yao as compensation. Liu Fuyi found the map’s fragment just as Miaomiao entered, and Mu Sheng simultaneously suspected both Miaomiao and Liu Fuyi. He immediately drew a heart-burning spell, claiming that whoever received it would never tell a lie. Liu Fuyi, unable to tolerate Mu Sheng's nonsense, reprimanded him, but Mu Sheng only sought the truth and, leading by example, accepted the spell himself.

Mu Yao could no longer bear it and said that it was she who accidentally burned the mountain and sea map last night, resolving the farce. Back in her room, Ling Miaomiao felt a wave of guilt; it turned out that Mu Yao believed Mu Sheng was the one who stole the map.

Over the past few days, Liu Fuyi had been in seclusion, and Lin Yu was an outsider, but Mu Sheng was different—he knew all her secrets and had always opposed her search for the vengeful woman. Mu Sheng wanted to explain that he was just afraid of Mu Yao getting hurt by the vengeful woman.

However, in a fit of anger, Mu Yao said something hurtful: if she could easily injure a friend she had gone through life and death with, how could it be any different for her parents, who were not even Mu Sheng's biological parents? Hearing this, Mu Sheng's expression filled with disappointment.

At that moment, Miaomiao, who had been struggling with whether to enter and confess, pushed the door open and heard the system's voice: the ten-day novice protection period had ended, and from now on, the storyline could not be reset. Startled, she immediately etched the protection of her life into her heart and turned to leave. Mu Sheng remained in a low mood.

He had thought he could always be by Mu Yao’s side, but now it seemed that she no longer needed him. Darkness slowly crept into his heart. Ling Miaomiao wanted to comfort him, but he showed no appreciation for her concern. The system then issued a side quest: win over Mu Sheng, or she would never return to the real world.

The target favorability was set at one hundred percent, but currently, Mu Sheng's favorability towards Miaomiao was negative two hundred percent! Feeling hopeless, Miaomiao thought that although she had done some wrong things, she had been forced into those situations. Still, she felt guilty about wiping out an entire family. Recalling the incident where the governor's mansion had been destroyed was truly tragic.

Looking at the two maids beside her, Miaomiao felt a pang of sympathy and considered letting them go. However, they remembered all the kindness she had shown them over the past few days and were unwilling to leave. Lin Fu heard that Ling Miaomiao was interested in magic, so he bought some nice items to cheer her up. Miaomiao pretended she had never seen them before while inwardly complaining that they were just voice-activated lamps, refrigerators, and fans.

But upon hearing their prices, she felt a twinge of pain; it was unfair that Lin Fu would be executed for embezzling so much money. This time, Miaomiao was determined not to lose her father. To protect her family, Miaomiao specially had someone brew soup to send to Mu Sheng, but he crushed the flowers she brought in front of everyone. Miaomiao had no choice but to kneel and plead for mercy.

In a fit of rage, Mu Sheng nearly attacked her, prompting Miaomiao to run to Mu Yao to vent her frustrations. Along the way, she cleverly used provocation to extract Mu Yao's true feelings about Mu Sheng—he was her only family. Yet even if Mu Sheng heard Mu Yao's heartfelt words, his favorability toward Miaomiao did not change. Miaomiao felt frantic; she really needed a strategy manual for dealing with black lotus characters!

One of the maids suggested that the upcoming Moon Invitation Night was a fictional festival in the book, and also a romantic scene between Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi. In the story, after they lit the lanterns together, Mu Sheng, filled with jealousy, secretly shot down their lantern, causing a fire. While trying to put it out, he discovered the rice store was empty, and in a bad mood, he killed Lin Fu on the spot.

Miaomiao initially wanted to stop Lin Fu from continuing the lantern festival, but he had already made plans with Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao, mistakenly thinking that Miaomiao liked Liu Fuyi and wanting to please her. Meanwhile, Liu Fuyi privately sent a message to the valley, revealing that he had his own agenda in getting close to the Mu siblings. Liu Fuyi in the book wasn’t inherently bad; he was just indecisive.

Suddenly, Miaomiao slapped her forehead and called for the most extravagant clothes to be brought to her—she was going to compete with Mu Yao for the male lead! Mu Yao was also carefully getting ready, even though she usually didn’t enjoy such occasions, she was excited to go with someone important.

Mu Sheng, overhearing this, felt pleased, thinking that Mu Yao remembered her promise to accompany him to the lantern festival, unaware that she was actually looking forward to going out with her close friend. On the day of the Moon Invitation Night, Miaomiao and Mu Yao both dressed dazzlingly and complimented each other. Behind them, Mu Sheng and Liu Fuyi couldn’t understand a word they were saying—one thought Miaomiao was pretentious while the other was at a loss for words.

That night, Miaomiao's mission was to ruin the romantic scene between the main characters. If Mu Sheng didn’t get angry, the warehouse wouldn’t catch fire, and her father would be safe. Miaomiao invited Liu Fuyi, but Mu Yao pulled her away to play games, insisting she would help Miaomiao win.

Although the situation wasn’t what she had imagined, at least the direction was right. Mu Sheng should be in a better mood now, but unexpectedly, his favorability towards Ling Miaomiao decreased by fifty percent. He watched the two of them together, jealousy bubbling up inside him. He wanted to make a scene to get some snacks, but Mu Yao focused all her attention on Ling Miaomiao. Frustrated and angry, Mu Sheng crossed his arms and left.

As Mu Sheng was feeling down, he was bumped into by a pair of siblings, reminding him of his childhood with Mu Yao. They had gotten separated while attending a lantern festival, which was why he looked forward to going with her again. Seeing this, Ling Miaomiao didn’t want his hopes to be dashed and reminded Mu Yao of their childhood story.

Mu Yao quickly recalled that during that lantern festival, she had twisted her ankle, and Uncle Seven had been furious, even scolding Mu Sheng. It was during that time that Mu Yao promised to take him to enjoy the lantern festival properly once he healed. She won the first prize and received a beautiful lantern to give to Mu Sheng. Mu Sheng snapped out of his disappointment.

Ever since he was young, he had been fascinated by the stories of the Charming Lady. That lantern festival was when Mu Yao was supposed to win him the Charming Lady’s lantern. He felt happy and touched but still pretended to be aloof, claiming he had forgotten all about it. When he saw Mu Sheng smile, Ling Miaomiao finally felt relieved, while Liu Fuyi also looked at Mu Yao with a smirk.

Ling Miaomiao suddenly felt a bit guilty, saying that she had been too focused on having fun with Mu Yao and Mu Sheng, neglecting Liu Fuyi. She encouraged Liu Fuyi to bravely pursue his heart’s desire. Lin Fu, seeing the two of them standing together, was pleased but wondered if Liu Fuyi would end up being part of their family.

As the lantern festival was coming to an end, the organizer had to secretly cheat to ensure the governor's daughter was happy, counting all four of their winnings to finally give her a prize lantern. Ling Miaomiao thoughtfully invited everyone to come up and receive the award, as they were friends after all. Mu Sheng realized that it was Ling Miaomiao who had reminded Mu Yao about the lantern festival, but he resented her meddling.

The four of them released their lanterns, silently making their most important wishes. Ling Miaomiao had initially wished for many things, but Mu Sheng said that one could only make one wish; otherwise, it was too greedy. So she wished for the safety of all lovers in the world, as safety was the greatest wish of ordinary people. Upon hearing this, Mu Sheng felt a surge of emotion and magically wrote the words “Peace” in the sky.

Everyone looked up, hoping for the simplest of things. Ling Miaomiao heard the system notification that Mu Sheng’s favorability towards her had significantly increased, currently standing at zero percent. She secretly rejoiced, feeling that he no longer disliked her and that her father would be safe! However, Ling Miaomiao's happiness didn’t last long. A lantern fell onto the grain warehouse, causing it to catch fire and creating chaos.

She rushed towards her father, wanting to get him out, but Lin Fu, the governor, wouldn’t abandon the situation. He turned and ran toward the flames. Ling Miaomiao followed, desperate not to lose her father again, even pleading with Mu Sheng to save him, fearing others would discover the warehouse was empty. Mu Sheng urged her to calm down and take a closer look at the warehouse—it was full!

Once the fire was extinguished, Ling Miaomiao asked Lin Fu why the warehouse was full. She had always thought her father was corrupt, but it turned out he was not. Her grandfather was the richest man in Jiangnan, and their household had relied on that wealth for many years. There was not a bit of ill-gotten gain involved; the warehouse had been empty because they had supplied it to the palace for the dowager Zhao.

Lin Fu had been used as a tool to gather wealth for the dowager! The warehouse had been replenished because Lin Fu had spent all his savings. When she was young, Ling Miaomiao had said she wanted to be a noble lady, which had prompted her father to take up an official position. Now that she wished for his safety and happiness, he had given away all their wealth.

At that moment, Mu Sheng noticed something strange with the messenger, walking closer. Suddenly, the box in his hand moved, and an invisible golden toad jumped out, heading for the warehouse's silver. After feasting, the toad transformed into a gigantic creature. Mu Sheng initially wanted to take it out in one blow, but if he killed it, the treasure would disappear with it. Watching the family silver being swallowed, Ling Miaomiao panicked.

Mu Sheng couldn’t care less about the gold and silver; stopping the creature from harming the world was the most important thing. They discovered that the toad had stopped moving after swallowing a rice ball from a child. Thinking quickly, Ling Miaomiao led everyone to feed the toad human food, and eventually, it spat out all the gold and silver. The invisible golden toad was captured by Liu Fuyi and put into the Demon Suppression Tower.

Each year, the gold and silver from the warehouse were secretly transported to the capital by the dowager Zhao with the help of messengers. The messenger presented forged evidence, but Mu Sheng burned it on the spot. Lin Fu immediately perked up, shouting that he wanted to resign, suggesting that the dowager Zhao could find someone else for her wealth. Ling Miaomiao's perception of Mu Sheng changed drastically; she hadn’t expected him to speak up for others. Yet, Mu Sheng was not gentle, recalling that he had tossed the rice balls Mu Yao had given him to the toad and demanded compensation from her!

Lin Fu resigned from his official position and spent all his wealth, sending the household servants away. In the blink of an eye, the once grand estate was left with only Ling Miaomiao and her father. Worried about her father’s low spirits, Ling Miaomiao hurried to comfort him. However, Lin Fu’s sadness wasn’t for himself; it was for his daughter. At such a beautiful age, she was facing poverty for the first time.

She had never experienced the life of a poor family and didn’t know what it was like. But Ling Miaomiao understood all too well; it was Lin Fu, raised in a wealthy household, who had no idea how to live in hardship. Ling Miaomiao took her father to the market to buy supplies. Using her excellent bargaining skills, she managed to get a lot of items, leaving Lin Fu dumbfounded.

When they returned home, Ling Miaomiao cooked a feast for her father. Having been accustomed to a life of luxury, she found that even this simple life could be quite enjoyable. However, Lin Fu had never done these things before, and his demeanor changed significantly. He found it strange and Ling Miaomiao made up an excuse, saying she had learned from the maids.

Then she mentioned a dream she had, where he was her father in that world too, a place without monsters, where their family of three lived happily—ordinary but without suffering. Ling Miaomiao had always led a joyful life until one day she stood up for a bullied classmate and got called to the school. Her father rushed to the school after receiving the call, even buying her milk tea on the way, which led to a car accident.

Although the classmate was punished after Ling Miaomiao transferred schools, it remained the darkest day of her life. Upon hearing Ling Miaomiao’s story, Lin Fu was overcome with emotion, tears flowing freely. Although it was just a dream, it felt so unfair. In that world, he hadn’t even had the chance to say a final word to her. Yet, he knew he couldn’t blame Ling Miaomiao.

As a father, he regretted leaving his daughter alone in this world and not taking better care of her. Mu Sheng, who was eavesdropping in the corner, was also moved but chose not to interrupt. In the middle of the night, Mu Sheng came to chat with Ling Miaomiao. At first, she felt it was inappropriate, but then she realized that since she wanted to win him over, this was a golden opportunity!

Mu Sheng was intrigued by the dream she mentioned and proposed they play a game of Go to catch her off guard. Ling Miaomiao wasn’t very good at Go, so she cleverly suggested they play Connect Four instead. After a few rounds, her favorability dropped by twenty-five percent. It was hard for a single Ling Miaomiao to flirt, so she decided to take a break. Mu Sheng asked Ling Miaomiao what her name was in that dream.

She answered honestly and even asked him to call her Ling Miaomiao from then on, as if it were her nickname. Mu Sheng didn’t have a nickname, only a courtesy name: Ziqi. The next morning, Liu Fuyi packed his belongings, ready to leave. Since he had approached them with ulterior motives, he decided to act as if they had never met. Just then, he received orders to stay by the side of the Mu siblings.

Today was the day Mu Yao and Mu Sheng would face their punishment, and Mu Yao didn’t want to say goodbye to Ling Miaomiao; they were from two different worlds. Ling Miaomiao suddenly remembered that today was their departure day and hurriedly got up to catch up with them. In the book, Lin Yu became a lonely girl forced to join them. If they left now, the plot would be interrupted!

Ling Miaomiao chased after Mu Yao and proposed to join them, but Mu Yao refused, saying she had to be responsible for Ling Miaomiao’s safety. Ling Miaomiao made up an excuse, claiming she didn’t want to be trapped in this kind of life. Liu Fuyi and Mu Sheng both agreed, and seeing this, Mu Yao had no choice but to relent, deciding that the four of them would set off together to explore the world!

With the demon-hunting team formed, Lin Fu, who had overheard Ling Miaomiao’s words, felt very low, but he didn’t stop his daughter. Ling Miaomiao thanked Mu Sheng for speaking up for her; otherwise, Mu Yao wouldn’t have taken her along. However, Mu Sheng didn’t care whether she was included or not, and his words were sharp and cutting. Lin Fu saw the four off as they boarded the boat.

Suddenly, he received good news: Ling Miaomiao had asked him to buy a temple before leaving, and when they dug the foundation, they discovered a gold mine containing ten thousand taels of gold. Their family was wealthy again! Ling Miaomiao experienced the life of a rich second generation through a god-like perspective. Although she felt reluctant to leave Lin Fu, she knew she couldn’t turn back.

On the boat, Mu Sheng suddenly confessed to Ling Miaomiao that he had actually helped with the fire that burned the mountain and sea map. Otherwise, how could a mere candle have caused such destruction? But Mu Sheng still believed that Ling Miaomiao approached Mu Yao with ill intentions. As he set off with her, he intended to keep a close watch on her and tear away her facade!

When reading the book back then, Ling Miaomiao had skimmed through it quickly, especially glossing over the subplot involving the second male lead, which remained rather vague. Now that she was trying to win over Mu Sheng, it turned out to be no easy task. Ling Miaomiao had initially assumed the plot would follow the original story, where the four of them would go directly to the Shengjing.

However, since the Lin family hadn’t been implicated, they no longer had any reason to go to Shengjing for clues. Instead, they arrived at a small town and checked into its only inn. During dinner, Mu Yao noticed that Ling Miaomiao seemed low in spirits and thought perhaps the food wasn’t to her taste. Little did she know that Ling Miaomiao was racking her brain to steer the plot back on track.

Later, Ling Miaomiao suggested they set out for Shengjing, but Mu Yao replied that a place like Shengjing wouldn’t usually harbor monsters; the primary task of a demon slayer was to exterminate demons. She reassured Ling Miaomiao that they could stay at the inn for a while, where she would teach her some spells, and only after she’d learned to protect herself would they head to Shengjing. Ling Miaomiao quickly agreed.

Back in her room, Mu Yao found Liu Fuyi helping her tidy up her bedding. He had seen her first prepare bedding for Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng but hadn’t had time to do his own, so he came over. Liu Fuyi seemed a bit out of sorts recently and, blushing, quickly found an excuse to leave. Mu Yao wanted to teach Ling Miaomiao some spells, but Mu Sheng scoffed at the idea.

Then, with a mischievous glint, he offered to teach Ling Miaomiao himself. Ling Miaomiao repeatedly refused and shot a pleading look at Mu Yao, but it was no use. Mu Sheng wasn’t planning to teach her any useful spells, so Ling Miaomiao brought up Mu Yao. Only then did Mu Sheng reluctantly teach her a basic fire-spark spell. Although it looked simple, Ling Miaomiao was at a loss, especially with Mu Sheng’s lack of patience.

She practiced for half a day but couldn’t even manage a single spark. Mu Sheng told her she needed a magical artifact, then handed her a ladle as an improvised artifact. After a whole day of fruitless efforts, Ling Miaomiao decided it was more urgent to increase Mu Sheng’s favorability. Since she and Mu Sheng were in a master-disciple relationship, and such relationships often turned romantic in novels and dramas, Ling Miaomiao devised a careful plan.

Ling Miaomiao sneaked into Mu Sheng’s room and placed cute dolls on his bed. But Mu Sheng wasn’t charmed at all; he simply burned them, causing his favorability rating toward her to drop by two percent. Ling Miaomiao pestered him to teach her more about demon-slaying knowledge, pointing out that there were no high-level demon-slayers yet. While Mu Sheng shared some techniques, Ling Miaomiao still struggled to learn them.

When she tried to act coquettish, his favorability dropped by another two points. One day, as Ling Miaomiao was practicing spells, a water demon suddenly sprang out of the water tank behind her and abducted her. Mu Sheng sensed something amiss and went to check the courtyard, where he confronted the water demon. Unable to defeat Mu Sheng, the demon only wanted a drop of his blood.

He even tried to use Ling Miaomiao as a shield, but Ling Miaomiao, quick-witted, managed to escape from his grasp. The demon accidentally injured Mu Sheng and caught a whiff of the scent of demon blood—Mu Sheng was part demon! Ling Miaomiao was utterly shocked; this secret wasn’t supposed to be revealed until the story’s end! Just then, Mu Yao appeared.

Afraid she would learn the truth, Mu Sheng used a reversal talisman to pull them all into a mirrored realm. In this domain, Mu Sheng’s powers were weakened, making it difficult to deal with the water demon. Ling Miaomiao watched from a corner as Mu Sheng suffered wounds all over his body, looking increasingly desperate.

The water demon relentlessly attacked the secrets Mu Sheng wished to keep hidden, until finally, in a fit of rage, Mu Sheng unleashed his full strength and killed the demon. His energy was now in disarray, preventing him from lifting the barrier for a while. Concerned, Ling Miaomiao ran over to Mu Sheng.

He handed her a talisman, instructing her to use it to open the barrier at noon and leave, and then to give all her blood to Mu Yao once outside. Everyone desired his blood, but Mu Sheng wanted only his older sister to have it. Ling Miaomiao was so frightened by his final-sounding words that she began to cry, tearing up the talisman. No matter what, she was determined that they would leave together!

Even if Mu Sheng was part demon, Ling Miaomiao only wanted him to survive. Mu Sheng’s eyes softened a bit as he told her to remove his hair tie. As Ling Miaomiao lifted her hand, the force of his energy knocked her back, injuring her as well. But despite her injuries, she crawled back to Mu Sheng, bloodied, and reached out to remove his hair tie.

She was once again knocked back, while a dark mist swirled around Mu Sheng, revealing his demonic form. Yet Ling Miaomiao’s eyes held no fear—only a glimmer of relief, which took Mu Sheng by surprise.

When Ling Miaomiao woke up, she found Mu Sheng beside her, chattering away about how Mu Yao had been taking care of her these past few days. Ling Miaomiao immediately sprang out of bed and pulled open his clothes to check his injuries, which made Mu Sheng feel embarrassed. He even peeled a small rabbit-shaped apple for her, which made Ling Miaomiao smile so much that her eyes disappeared.

After Mu Sheng left, Ling Miaomiao realized that his favorability toward her had greatly increased. Although it was only 8. 5, it was a vast improvement from being negative! Mu Sheng came back again, still puzzled as to why Ling Miaomiao had risked her own safety to save him, especially since they weren’t even close. He also wondered if what Ling Miaomiao had said that day was true. Ling Miaomiao nodded.

Although it wasn’t exactly as Mu Sheng imagined, she did care about him a great deal. Mu Sheng’s heart softened, which was a good thing for Ling Miaomiao, but she felt a little guilty. As for their disappearance, Mu Sheng explained that Ling Miaomiao had accidentally fallen into the water. Mu Yao was upset, believing that Mu Sheng hadn’t taken good care of Ling Miaomiao.

Ling Miaomiao, acting on her own, decided to wash the bloodstained clothes Mu Sheng had worn that day, using the soap she had made herself. Mu Sheng was quite surprised by this, and Ling Miaomiao playfully blew bubbles, which made him laugh. The atmosphere between them became subtly ambiguous as their eyes met. Ling Miaomiao asked Mu Sheng why, whenever he encountered danger, he refused to take off his hair tie, especially since he seemed so powerful without it.

Mu Sheng explained that when he took off the hair tie, he lost control of himself. He feared that one day, even the hair tie might not be enough to contain his power. Ling Miaomiao continued washing the clothes and softly asked, “Can you stop bleeding so much in the future? ” Mu Sheng agreed, and when she raised her hand with water droplets on her hair, he reached out and gently touched her face.

His eyes flickered with emotion, and after a long sigh, he placed a binding charm on Ling Miaomiao’s back. He knew that Mu Yao would never accept the truth about his demonic nature, so he decided to send Ling Miaomiao home. They would head west, and once she was safely home, everything would be okay. The next morning, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi couldn’t find Ling Miaomiao.

The innkeeper said she had left early in the morning with her bag, heading home. Mu Yao was a little upset, thinking that at least a proper goodbye should have been exchanged. Mu Sheng stopped her from going after Ling Miaomiao, stating that as the daughter of a noble family, Ling Miaomiao should return home soon.

However, Mu Sheng hadn’t expected that Ling Miaomiao hadn’t gone to the direction of Taicang County, but instead headed east, towards the deep bamboo forest, which the innkeeper said was known to be the territory of a great demon. Mu Sheng, Mu Yao, and Liu Fuyi immediately spurred their horses and raced towards the east. Meanwhile, Ling Miaomiao, under the control of a charm, was walking aimlessly forward when she suddenly fell into a huge pit.

The charm also fell out of her reach. Ling Miaomiao found herself standing before a massive bamboo stalk, where a bamboo demon let out a terrifying screech. The demon had been looking for someone to make new clothes out of, and by the time Ling Miaomiao tried to escape, it was already too late. She was caught by the demon’s vine-like tendrils, which bound her tightly. Suddenly, a straw doll fell beside her, and the vines disappeared.

A small bamboo demon appeared from the bamboo. It turned out that this little demon, named Cui Cui, was too timid and had set up the trap to protect himself by spreading rumors about a great demon in the bamboo forest. Cui Cui explained that he had once lived with his grandfather here, but his grandfather had since passed away. His true form was a small bamboo shoot, and he never intended to harm Ling Miaomiao.

Upon sensing Mu Sheng’s presence, Cui Cui quickly hid. Ling Miaomiao, seeing Mu Sheng’s imposing figure, quickly stood in front of the little bamboo demon to protect it. Mu Sheng found Ling Miaomiao, but she was a bit angry, especially because Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi were upset about her leaving.

Seeing that Mu Sheng didn’t seem to understand what he had done wrong, Ling Miaomiao deliberately said that she had come here to practice magic and was planning to surprise everyone. Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi stopped being angry, but Mu Sheng was in trouble now. Mu Yao had the inn prepare a special gourd chicken for Ling Miaomiao, and gave her both chicken legs.

Mu Sheng, feeling guilty, helped peel an orange for her, but Ling Miaomiao purposely refused to eat it. She had spent so much time trying to win his favor, but today, even if her favorability dropped to negative, she would not give in! However, surprisingly, Mu Sheng’s favorability went up instead of down. Ling Miaomiao decided to deliberately ignore him, but it only caused his favorability to increase even more.

Liu Fuyi made a protective talisman for Ling Miaomiao, and as she was about to refuse, she noticed that Mu Sheng’s favorability was increasing rapidly. Realizing that she had accidentally triggered this, Ling Miaomiao quickly took the talisman, thanked Liu Fuyi, but her favorability with Mu Sheng still dropped a little.

Liu Fuyi spoke up for Mu Sheng in front of Ling Miaomiao, and when Mu Sheng had gone to rescue her, he seemed unusually anxious, which was the first time Liu Fuyi had seen him like this. Later that evening, Ling Miaomiao brought oranges to Mu Sheng to make peace. But Mu Sheng instead asked her why she hadn’t reported him to Mu Yao. Ling Miaomiao, feeling speechless, explained that she had repaid kindness with kindness.

She leaned forward, asking Mu Sheng not to drive her away again. In response, Mu Sheng crafted a small magical ring for her, and personally placed it on her finger.

Ling Miaomiao felt the magical artifact ring was too small, but Mu Sheng personally placed it on her finger. She paused, then withdrew her hand, took a step back, and glared at him, sulking by herself. Despite now having Mu Sheng’s personally crafted magical item, Ling Miaomiao’s magic skills didn’t improve, so she set her eyes on Mu Sheng’s demon-catching rod.

The water demon had told her that it was a low-level artifact and looked worn, but Mu Sheng treasured it greatly. It turned out that Mu Yao had made it herself, making it the most important thing to Mu Sheng. Ling Miaomiao felt a bit disheartened, realizing that Mu Sheng prioritized Mu Yao’s matters over her own feelings.

But Mu Sheng was indifferent, explaining that his purpose in life was for Mu Yao, and otherwise, he couldn’t see the point of a creature like him existing. Ling Miaomiao felt a pang of sympathy and jokingly told him he should see a therapist. Under the moonlight, the two watched the stars together, and Ling Miaomiao spoke about her own world. Although she was ordinary there, she still wanted to return, as it was the world that belonged to her.

Initially, she yearned to go home, but meeting Mu Sheng, Mu Yao, and the others gave her a sense of belonging to this world as well, including its demons and magic. But Mu Sheng focused on something else, realizing that this might be why she was struggling to learn magic. Ling Miaomiao then told Mu Sheng to call her Miaomiao, and she would call him Ziqi. Only then would she agree to train.

Though Mu Sheng appeared nonchalant, when he called her “Miaomiao,” a slight smile appeared on his lips. Mu Sheng used magic to set off fireworks for her, successfully advancing their progress to 35 percent. Early the next morning, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi also learned Ling Miaomiao’s name. Ling Miaomiao finally mastered creating firecrackers, and Mu Sheng encouraged her to continue practicing her core energy.

While they played around, the little bamboo demon Cui Cui suddenly appeared, timid as ever but still determined to follow Ling Miaomiao. Because Ling Miaomiao had arrived, the Mu family’s aura was everywhere in his territory. Demons were drawn there due to rumors that the Mu family possessed the blood of extreme yin.

Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng quickly went to discuss this matter with Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi, and Mu Yao guessed that the rumor might have been spread by the vengeful woman demon. Cui Cui stubbornly stuck with Ling Miaomiao, but Mu Yao, who despised demons, would surely kill him if she found out, so Cui Cui reluctantly left. Late that night, Mu Yao heard a noise outside her window and saw Liu Fuyi.

Growing up, she had trained in magic and once wondered if she might be the destined heavenly-grade demon hunter, but after meeting Liu Fuyi, she realized his renowned reputation was well-deserved and genuinely hoped he would achieve that rank. As they prepared to set off, Ling Miaomiao discovered that Cui Cui had transformed into a ladle, insisting on following her.

Cui Cui explained that he wanted to find his grandfather, who had been taken by a demon hunter who couldn’t distinguish between good and evil. He believed his grandfather might still be alive. Ling Miaomiao was touched by his story, but this character, Cui Cui, wasn’t in the original plot, and she’d already deviated from the main storyline too much. In the end, she reluctantly refused Cui Cui.

As they left the inn, Mu Yao reminded Ling Miaomiao not to show pity, as demon nature is unpredictable. Hearing this, Mu Sheng’s heart darkened once again. Halfway through their journey, they stopped for a meal, and Ling Miaomiao went to collect firewood but ran into danger. It turned out Mu Sheng was the one who frightened her on purpose.

He then burned the protective charm Liu Fuyi had given her and offered her a sachet resembling a beanbag instead, insisting that as his disciple, her protective item should come from him. Although Ling Miaomiao was initially annoyed, she happily accepted it and tied it to her waist. When Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi saw it, they thought she had picked up a random beanbag somewhere.

Mu Sheng had been in high spirits lately, and Mu Yao was gratified to see that for the first time in years, Mu Sheng had found a friend, and having Ling Miaomiao around was wonderful. When they reached a small town, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi went to arrange accommodations, while Ling Miaomiao admired the town’s simple folk customs. Just then, her money pouch was stolen.

It turned out the child’s father had passed away, and he had been stealing to pay for his mother’s treatment. Ling Miaomiao, feeling sympathy, gave him some money. At the inn, the innkeeper told them about the tale of Lost Valley. No one in town had ever ventured there, as it was considered an ominous place. The rumor had been spread by a swindler who carried an official-looking waist token from the Astronomy Bureau.

The four of them watched with clenched jaws as he scammed people, but even after they revealed their identities, he still warned them against entering the valley, insisting it was truly a place of misfortune!

On the way back to the inn, Cui Cui transformed into a hairpin, unknowingly attaching himself to Ling Miaomiao’s hair. The innkeeper mentioned that his wife had gone to visit her family five years ago and was finally coming back tomorrow. The group sensed something strange—since they arrived in this town, every household mentioned someone away who would return the next day.

Suddenly, a woman’s wailing sounded outside; it was the mother of Douya, the child who had stolen money earlier. She was begging the Heavenly Official, as Douya had gone to Lost Valley to get a talisman for her. She anxiously pleaded for the Heavenly Official to save her daughter. The Heavenly Official used a Forgetfulness Spell on Douya’s mother, claiming he was helping them, as Douya wouldn’t return from Lost Valley and he was simply easing their pain.

Unconvinced, Mu Yao’s group immediately headed to Lost Valley, determined to fight whatever demons lay within and rescue Douya. As they went deeper into the valley, the mist grew thicker. Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi moved ahead to scout the path, while Ling Miaomiao followed Mu Sheng, but the two soon got separated. Ling Miaomiao spotted a figure and followed it, only to find a strangely-behaving Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi.

She then stumbled into a mysterious place, and the system informed her that she had failed the quest and was about to be erased. In the real world, Ling Miaomiao was moving forward in a daze, muttering for herself to be let out. Cui Cui, realizing she was about to drown, transformed back into human form to hold onto her tightly.

But Ling Miaomiao still became engulfed in a water sphere, and a dark force lulled her to sleep, promising to erase her troubles. Luckily, the sachet Mu Sheng had given her woke her up, allowing her to break the water sphere and save herself. Mu Yao, Mu Sheng, and Liu Fuyi also experienced something similar—they lost themselves as soon as they entered the valley.

Ling Miaomiao and Cui Cui went looking for them and came across Mu Sheng, who was walking in a trance. Mu Sheng, once a homeless child, was adopted into the Mu family thanks to Mu Yao’s compassion but endured mistreatment. The children mocked him, demanding he remove his headband, and when he did, he transformed into a white-haired demon. His inner demon was the fear that Mu Yao would discover his true nature.

Ling Miaomiao and Cui Cui tried to wake him but couldn’t hold him back, so Ling Miaomiao positioned herself in front of him and entered the water sphere with him. Inside his inner demon, she called out brightly, urging him to wake up, telling him that what he saw wasn’t real. Mu Sheng finally snapped out of it, shattering the water sphere, and they were safe at last.

This was the Water Demon’s curse, which trapped people in spheres and drowned them in their darkest fears. Unable to contact Mu Yao and the others, Cui Cui hesitantly offered to help by trying to connect with his kind to locate their companions. Liu Fuyi’s inner demon was his own self, heavier than anyone else’s. Mu Yao’s inner demon was the memory of the Mu family’s massacre, where the vengeful woman demon killed her family.

But Mu Yao’s mind was strong, and she quickly broke free from her inner demon. Suddenly, Cui Cui was flung by a magic array. His kin explained that demon hunters from the capital had set up this array, strengthening the Water Demon.

Mu Yao found that Liu Fuyi was deeply trapped in his inner demon and couldn’t escape, so Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng used Cui Cui as a signal base to connect with them, and they arranged to meet outside. Exhausted, Cui Cui fainted, and Ling Miaomiao softened, deciding to find a way to take Cui Cui with them on their journey. On the way out of the valley, Mu Sheng deliberately vanished to scare Ling Miaomiao.

When he reappeared, she threw herself into his arms, crying and demanding he swear never to leave her again. From that point on, the two walked hand in hand, leaning on each other as they continued forward.

Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng were walking hand in hand toward the exit of the valley when a small figure suddenly appeared—it was Douya, who had entered the valley earlier. Mu Yao was supporting Liu Fuyi as they left, but seeing this, the Water Demon King became furious. However, he wasn’t too worried since he had already lured the Blood of Ultimate Yin that the Water Demon Queen needed into the valley, ensuring their reunion soon.

Due to their simple minds, neither Cui Cui nor Douya was affected. Douya insisted on finding her father, saying she watched him enter the valley to find a cure for her mother’s illness. Although Mu Sheng acted indifferent, he decided to help Douya find her father. Ling Miaomiao knew deep down that Mu Sheng was a kind-hearted person. Mu Sheng released the people trapped in the water spheres, including Douya’s father.

Though he had no heartbeat, he still had body warmth. Using modern medical techniques, Ling Miaomiao tried to revive him. Mu Sheng, seeing her determination, used a healing technique as well, and finally, Douya’s father awakened. Unfortunately, others who had been trapped too long could not be saved. Ling Miaomiao only later realized that using the healing technique had greatly harmed Mu Sheng’s own body. As they prepared to leave, the Water Demon Queen appeared.

Mu Sheng then woke Cui Cui and instructed him to lead Ling Miaomiao and the others out while he stayed behind to fight the Water Demon Queen. She craved the Blood of Ultimate Yin within him. With the water’s constraint and his already weakened state, Mu Sheng couldn’t break free. Recognizing that she was a powerful seventh-level demon, Cui Cui desperately pulled everyone away, but Ling Miaomiao, unable to abandon Mu Sheng, decided to return to save him.

Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi had made it back to the town, only to be drugged and captured by Douya’s mother and the townspeople. When Mu Yao awoke, she saw the Heavenly Official, who insisted he was the town’s savior. He shared his story: twenty years ago, he had entered a sect to learn the mystic arts, but his master forbade him from worldly pursuits, deeming him too distracted.

Defying his master, he joined the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, where he quickly earned the favor of Consort Zhao. She ordered him to eliminate demons that had escaped from Qilin Mountain and even provided the Mountain-Severing Talisman. Pursuing the Water Demon, he discovered a mystical lake in the town and realized that using the talisman would doom the townspeople. Though he urged them to leave, they refused, so he sought his sect’s help.

When they ventured into the valley, none returned, except his master, who cast a barrier that trapped the Water Demon within but sacrificed himself and the others. The barrier held back demons but couldn’t prevent humans from entering, so the Heavenly Official spread rumors to keep people away.

Mu Yao warned him that the barrier no longer held the Water Demon, urging him to let them work together to fight it, but he had already used the Mountain-Severing Talisman, meaning the mountain would soon collapse. Mu Yao grew anxious—Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng were still in the valley! The Heavenly Official cast the Forgetfulness Spell on her, making it impossible for either of them to resist.

Meanwhile, Mu Sheng was trapped by the Water Demon, and Ling Miaomiao, hiding behind a tree, used small sparks to attack the Water Demon Queen bit by bit. When she fought back, Mu Sheng, unable to bear it any longer, unleashed his full power. Seeing Ling Miaomiao hurt, Mu Sheng tore off his headband, revealing his true form. Just in time, Liu Fuyi woke up and snapped Mu Yao out of her daze.

With the valley on the brink of collapse, they had to save Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng immediately. Mu Sheng’s immense demon power overwhelmed the Water Demon Queen, and as she tried to flee, Ling Miaomiao rushed forward and held him from behind to stop him from pursuing her. Mu Sheng fell silent, obediently sitting down to let Ling Miaomiao re-tie his headband. She gently patted his back, soothing him, saying everything was fine now.

To Mu Sheng, his unleashed form was monstrous, but Ling Miaomiao wasn’t afraid; she simply wondered why touching the headband this time brought no reaction. The ground suddenly trembled, and they hurriedly left. The Heavenly Official didn’t anticipate that the townspeople hadn’t escaped; the Water Demon King had trapped them.

Years ago, as the sect master cast the barrier, the Water Demon Queen exhausted her strength to push the Water Demon King out, and he concealed his identity, luring people into the valley for her to absorb their energy and become a higher-level demon. Initially, they weren’t evil spirits and had never harmed humans until they were pushed into a desperate situation.

With the mountain’s tremors intensifying, Liu Fuyi held it up, allowing Mu Yao to enter the valley to rescue Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng, while the Heavenly Official went to evacuate the townspeople. The villagers were attempting to escape when they saw Cui Cui bringing out Douya and her father. The family’s reunion brought tears to everyone’s eyes, but Cui Cui was immediately flung back into the array, unable to leave. Despite being trapped, he fearlessly returned to the valley to find Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng, urging them to leave quickly.

Liu Fuyi used all his strength to hold up the collapsing valley with the Demon-Suppressing Tower as the villagers evacuated. After Mu Yao defeated the Water Demon King, the Water Demon Queen emerged from the valley, separated from them by the barrier. Severely injured, the Water Demon Queen knew she wouldn’t survive.

She urged the Water Demon King to leave, saying it was her own actions that had led her down this path, but he was different—he was kind-hearted and would never harm humans if it weren’t for her. Because he avoided using human blood to increase his power, he had only reached the fifth level. Offering her seventh-level demon core, the Water Demon Queen proposed using it to stop the collapse, asking only that they spare her beloved.

With a heart-wrenching cry, the Water Demon King broke through the barrier to reach her side, regretting that he hadn’t stayed with her back then. His greatest mistake was leaving her alone for so long; now, no one could separate them. Embracing the Water Demon Queen, they let go of any attachment to life.

Seeing that Liu Fuyi was struggling to hold on, Mu Yao attempted to retrieve the demon core, but he stopped her, saying the deal could not go on and that he would enter the tower, sacrificing his lifetime of cultivation. Furious, Mu Yao confronted the Heavenly Official, who, after much hesitation, approached the Water Demon King, offering to save the Water Demon Queen and complete the deal.

He explained that if they could bring her to the source of the Weak Water, she could survive. To ensure their escape, the Heavenly Official reluctantly broke the barrier his master and fellow disciples had once set. After a glance at his beloved, the Water Demon King handed over his seventh-level demon core, halting the valley’s collapse.

Cui Cui ran back into the valley, only to see Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng standing close, protecting each other, which startled him into covering his eyes. The Water Demon King and Queen had named themselves after the two springs that symbolized their love, choosing names inspired by the affectionate bond between the springs.

Though Mu Sheng was still wary that the Water Demon King might cause more harm, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi’s perspective on demons had changed after the recent events. Remembering Mu Sheng’s solitary battle with the powerful seventh-level Water Demon Queen, Mu Yao wondered how he managed to wound her alone when it had taken all four of them to face her briefly.

Mu Sheng looked down, uncertain of what to say, and Ling Miaomiao quickly jumped in, saying she’d helped by using several firecrackers. Liu Fuyi also chimed in to defuse the situation, letting them both breathe a sigh of relief. However, neither of them knew that Liu Fuyi had witnessed Mu Sheng’s transformation when he removed his headband during the fight.

The Heavenly Official prepared to leave the town, leaving behind a bundle of useless charms and a magic artifact called the Gongshu Bag, a sophisticated tool he intended to use for rebuilding the villagers’ homes. When he asked Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng to pass the items to the villagers, they insisted he deliver them himself if he truly wished to atone.

Worried about their resentment, he hesitated, but the kind-hearted villagers brought provisions for his journey, knowing full well how he had treated them all these years. With the Gongshu Bag, the inn was repaired, and the innkeeper’s long-lost wife returned, fulfilling his heart’s desire. Ling Miaomiao grew more attached to this world, finding every person full of life—this was the world Fu Zhou had created.

One day, Ling Miaomiao fainted from a cold, prompting Mu Sheng to rush out to buy medicine, but the town’s herbs were limited. However, Cui Cui detected the scent of some herb spirits nearby, and Mu Sheng soon tracked down two herbal spirits in the mountains, where there were plenty of herbs for treating her cold. Cui Cui hurriedly woke Ling Miaomiao, appalled by Mu Sheng’s harsh treatment of the herb spirits and unable to watch any longer.

Ling Miaomiao rushed to the kitchen, only to find Mu Sheng sharpening a knife in front of the pig and sheep spirits. Mu Sheng explained he only wanted a bit of their hair and beards for her treatment. Amid the chaos, Ling Miaomiao quickly stopped him and led him to make sweets by hand. She didn’t want to force spirits into doing anything, believing spirits and humans were the same.

Her words softened Mu Sheng’s expression, and, after enjoying the sweets, the herb spirits willingly offered some of their hair and beards. Although Mu Sheng didn’t like sweets, Ling Miaomiao made him eat a piece since they made it together. Shaking his arm, she asked if it was sweet, but Mu Sheng turned away, refusing to look at her, though his favorability rating quietly rose to 55 percent.

Mu Yao had been wanting to ask Liu Fuyi something for a long time. In the illusion created by the Water Demon, what exactly was his inner demon? By all logic, Liu Fuyi’s cultivation was the highest among them, yet he was the one trapped the longest. What had he experienced? Over the past five years, Liu Fuyi hadn’t shared anything about his past with Mu Yao, and she didn’t understand why he wouldn’t let her in on it.

No matter what his inner demons were, she was willing to be by his side, just as he had been there for her. Ling Miaomiao’s illness had mostly healed, but her internal heat seemed to worsen. Cui Cui explained that the herbs Mu Sheng caught were ancient plant spirits, and plant-based demons were particularly good at hiding. It had taken Mu Sheng an entire night to capture them, which made Cui Cui excited, believing they must be very close friends.

Ling Miaomiao felt a bit guilty and could only reply vaguely that they might be friends now; after all, she used to see Mu Sheng as just another NPC to conquer. But recently, she had almost forgotten about the “conquest” part. Mu Yao suddenly approached Ling Miaomiao, and Cui Cui quickly transformed into a feather duster to avoid her. Nervous about whether Mu Yao would still let it join their journey, Cui Cui feared being left behind.

Ling Miaomiao bundled up the bedding with Cui Cui inside, only for Mu Yao to notice immediately. Smiling, Mu Yao made it turn back into a hairpin and promised to take it along. Their destination this time was beyond the mountains. After walking for some time, Ling Miaomiao felt exhausted but forced herself to keep moving. The group came across a panda statue.

The others had never seen a panda before, but Ling Miaomiao had, and she felt a strange, unsettling sense of familiarity. As they walked further, they encountered the same statue again, as if looping back. Ling Miaomiao found it strange, especially since the others seemed to forget each encounter, even addressing her with increasing distance. Determined to understand what was happening, Ling Miaomiao marked their path and moved forward, only to find the mark gone when they circled back.

At their fourth encounter with the statue, Ling Miaomiao turned around to prove her point, only to find herself alone, then pulled into an unknown space. In this space, she glimpsed scenes from the original story. Liu Fuyi admitted approaching Mu Yao solely for the Hundred Demons Mountain and Sea Map, and in a fit of anger, Mu Sheng killed him. Afterward, Lin Yu poisoned Mu Yao, leading Mu Sheng to kill him as well.

When Mu Yao discovered Mu Sheng’s demon identity, she was devastated and left vulnerable to a vengeful spirit who took over her body. Then, Ling Miaomiao heard the system’s voice, explaining that the recent events were a mistake and that it would now transport her back to complete the main storyline. The panda monument was actually the system’s host, and because the group reached the edge of the world, it had triggered a memory wipe for everyone but Ling Miaomiao.

Returning to her friends, Ling Miaomiao was eager to change the ending and show Mu Yao that everyone’s feelings were genuine. At that moment, Mu Yao received the family jade token from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, summoning her to the Holy Capital. Relieved that the story seemed back on track, Ling Miaomiao realized that this also meant everyone might be heading toward their own predetermined fates.

She chose to travel by land to the capital, hoping to spend more time with everyone. While resting on a tree branch, Mu Sheng was approached by Ling Miaomiao, who asked about his memories of his parents. He remembered vague memories but wasn’t sure they were truly his. He recalled a woman who might have been his mother, but he had no memory of his father.

Mu Sheng didn’t miss them; after all, they had abandoned him, and he had grown up just fine without them. Ling Miaomiao couldn’t understand why all his memories from before age seven had disappeared. Ling Miaomiao had seen everyone’s fates and was feeling down, so Mu Yao ordered Mu Sheng to cheer her up. After some thought, Mu Sheng made a bamboo dragonfly for Ling Miaomiao, awkwardly claiming it was Mu Yao’s idea.

Cui Cui exposed him, revealing he had made it himself to make her happy. However, the bamboo dragonfly was flat and couldn’t fly, so Mu Sheng resorted to using a talisman to make it float. When Ling Miaomiao found out, she insisted it should be flown against the wind and even made a wish while holding it.

Mu Yao learned that the person who summoned her was Consort Zhao, and while the jade token was invaluable to their family, she couldn’t understand how it had ended up with the consort. Nonetheless, with the jade token’s call, both she and Mu Sheng were bound to respond. Ling Miaomiao began recalling the story’s events in the capital, where everyone’s paths diverged. Though the details were now fuzzy, she knew this was where tragedy began.

Determined to prevent it, she quietly warned Liu Fuyi to be cautious of a “peach blossom calamity” in the capital and to be wary of any woman besides Mu Yao!

The four-person group traveled together toward the Holy Capital, journeying through mountains and rivers, relying on each other for support. Ling Miaomiao silently vowed to protect everyone, especially Mu Sheng; she was determined not to let him turn dark. Before long, they arrived at the Holy Capital. Just before entering the city, Ling Miaomiao announced that she had something very important to say, summoning Cui Cui to listen as well.

She insisted that once they were in the capital, they had to trust each other completely and suggested they adopt a group name: the Four Heroes of the Bamboo Grove! She even crafted badges and a flag. While Mu Yao, Mu Sheng, and Liu Fuyi looked on with a mix of amusement and exasperation, Cui Cui was thrilled. Mu Sheng initially refused to wear his badge, but Ling Miaomiao put it on him anyway, and he didn’t resist further.

Once they arrived, Mu Yao’s family received word that the prince intended to make contact with the Monster-Catching Team before Zhao Ruoshi saw them. As the Four Heroes entered the city, the crescent moon overhead began to glow with a strange red light, causing everyone to panic—an ominous sign foretelling disaster. This crescent moon was actually left behind by Mu Qingshi when she sacrificed herself to mend the heavens.

It had taken the form of a stone embedded in this place, immovable except by the destined Heavenly-Level Monster Catcher, to whom it would awaken and recognize as its new master. Liu Fuyi went to find an inn, while Mu Yao decided to join him and left Mu Sheng to accompany Ling Miaomiao. Ling Miaomiao took a liking to a shell she saw, but it cost two taels of silver.

Disappointed, she dragged Mu Sheng away, realizing that prices in the Holy Capital were indeed exorbitant, with no hope of haggling. Pouting, she walked away, while Mu Sheng quickly went back and bought it for her. Meanwhile, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi were admiring a grand palace, which locals said was the Xing Shan Hall, built by Zhao Ruoshi to pray for the people’s blessings.

To the commoners, she was a benevolent figure, and her daughter, Princess Danyang, would marry next month, with the wedding held in this hall. Mu Yao sensed there was something suspicious behind it all. After paying double the price for a wind chime, Mu Sheng returned, only to find that Ling Miaomiao had wandered off.

Ling Miaomiao had entered the Wan Zhen Hall, where she overheard that the face masks sold there were infused with demon blood, and even demon fur was used to make clothing. Cui Cui was terrified by what it heard. In the hall, people were even selling demons as pets. Ling Miaomiao stepped forward, pretending to buy something, but the shop owner noticed the high-quality hairpin on her head and recognized Cui Cui as a top-grade bamboo demon.

She claimed its inner core would be extremely valuable. Ling Miaomiao refused to hand it over, and the shopkeeper tried to grab it by force. Just then, Mu Sheng arrived and rescued her. However, the shopkeeper began to cry and accuse them, claiming they were causing trouble because they couldn’t afford anything. Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi rushed over, only for the shopkeeper to demand eight hundred taels of gold in compensation.

In an exchange of insults, Ling Miaomiao argued back fiercely. A large man arrived, paid the shopkeeper, and left without giving his name, merely offering greetings from his master. It seemed they had been watched since entering the city—this was no ordinary place. After a brief rest, they decided to enter the palace the following day. That evening, Ling Miaomiao chatted with Mu Sheng, sharing her newfound realization of how harshly this world treated demons.

She finally understood why Mu Sheng never admitted he was one. Mu Sheng quickly denied it, explaining that someone had cast a spell on him when he was young, which made him this way. He was human, a monster catcher, not a demon. As Liu Fuyi passed by, he advised Mu Sheng to be gentler with Ling Miaomiao, which only annoyed Mu Sheng further.

Ling Miaomiao realized that if she didn’t intervene, the rift between them would deepen, but this time, Mu Sheng wouldn’t even listen to her. When they entered the palace, Zhao Ruoshi didn’t arrange for them to use the main entrance, directing them through a side gate instead. Feeling slighted, they protested, only for Zhao Ruoshi’s attendant, Peiyun, to explain that, due to palace regulations, they had to avoid the main gate’s records.

Inside Zhao Ruoshi’s palace, she only summoned Mu Yao and Mu Sheng, leaving Liu Fuyi and Ling Miaomiao to wait outside. Inside, Princess Danyang awoke from a nightmare, speaking incoherently. Zhao Ruoshi brought Mu Yao and Mu Sheng into the inner hall, hoping they could detect any demonic presence. However, after examining the area, they found no sign of demons. Zhao Ruoshi, skeptical, still believed it was the work of a demon and began to doubt their abilities.

Calmly, Mu Yao promised to uncover the truth before the wedding. In the palace, a nobleman happened to see Ling Miaomiao, who appeared as ethereal as a fairy, and was immediately captivated. However, he was quickly led away by his servants; after all, he was due to marry the princess next month.

The young lord approached Zhao Ruoshi, suggesting that Mu Yao and her group of exorcists were unlikely to solve the problem and implying that he himself might have a solution. Though his intentions seemed dubious, Zhao Ruoshi appreciated his concern for the princess, feeling reassured about marrying her to him. Soon, the man who previously paid for their expenses reappeared, informing them that his master had arranged a place for them to stay and proposing a meeting that night.

Mu Yao and her companions were unsure of his intentions but decided to attend. That evening, they arrived at Yiyun Tower, where the owner warmly welcomed them and introduced the Tianxing Pavilion as the most luxurious suite, reserved by a distinguished guest. Mu Sheng was unimpressed, while Ling Miaomiao speculated that the guest must be an interesting person. However, upon entering the room, Ling Miaomiao was at a loss for words—the decor was messy, nowhere near the luxury promised.

The owner quickly distanced himself, claiming that the guest had decorated it himself, and it was not their responsibility. Ling Miaomiao began to recall the plot of the book and wondered if there had been a character like this. The young lord, on his way there, had been repeatedly reminded by his servants to maintain his composure, but he fell flat on his face as soon as he arrived.

Ling Miaomiao immediately knelt down to check on him, and seeing the woman he had fallen for at first sight, he quickly composed himself, his eyes gleaming. Liu Fuyi recognized the young lord immediately, while Ling Miaomiao recalled that this character was merely a minor NPC in the novel. Wondering why he now had so many scenes, the young lord saw Ling Miaomiao gazing at his fan and considered her a kindred spirit, generously offering the fan to her.

Despite her repeated refusals, Mu Sheng looked on with a fierce gaze. The young lord continued to flirt, giving Ling Miaomiao goosebumps, while Mu Sheng simmered with jealousy. The young lord’s gaze never left Ling Miaomiao, and with a few probing words, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi nearly coaxed his secret out of him. He had no desire for them to catch the demon near Princess Danyang.

Realizing that the young lord was about to spill too much, his servant quickly dragged him away, though his eyes remained fixed on Ling Miaomiao. The truth was that the evil spirit affecting the princess was the doing of the young lord and his servant, who were anxious that he would reveal too much. Initially, the young lord only wished to avoid marrying the princess, intending to come up with a scheme, but things had escalated to drive her mad.

The group had already begun to suspect the truth, which only made the young lord even more cautious. Mu Yao, Mu Sheng, and Liu Fuyi realized that the young lord was sabotaging his own duties. But given that he was set to marry the emperor’s sister, they couldn’t understand why he would harm her. As a modern person, Ling Miaomiao was not surprised, having seen such schemes often.

The young lord had tampered with the princess’s bedding, likely covering his tracks, so the group decided to investigate the Imperial Observatory that night. Ling Miaomiao wanted to join, but Mu Yao, concerned for her safety, refused and even suggested that Mu Sheng stay back to watch over her, saying that she and Liu Fuyi were enough for the task.

Later that night, Ling Miaomiao, Mu Sheng, and Cui Cui all set their sights on the shop that tortured demons, planning to blow it up. Meanwhile, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi arrived at the Imperial Observatory and easily bypassed the barriers. Mu Sheng did the same at the shop, and he and Ling Miaomiao began searching inside. Mu Yao spotted the crescent moon artifact.

Her grandfather had said that when it met its destined master, it would awaken, and she suggested that Liu Fuyi might be the next Heavenly-Level Exorcist. However, when he tried to pull it out, he couldn’t. Ling Miaomiao tugged on Mu Sheng’s sleeve as they discovered the store’s account book, finding a record of items bought by Lu Jiu.

They accidentally knocked over a bottle of potion, causing Mu Sheng to act strangely, suddenly confessing his feelings to Ling Miaomiao, calling her the smartest and most beautiful girl he had ever met. Ling Miaomiao, taken aback, was pulled closer as he passionately declared that he had liked her for a long time. In truth, Ling Miaomiao had inhaled a hallucinogenic fragrance, causing her to respond lovingly, even leaning in to kiss him.

When Cui Cui entered to warn them, he saw the two completely entranced in their fantasies, each far apart but acting as if they were face-to-face, with one puckering up and the other holding a book as if kissing it, leaving Cui Cui utterly speechless. Cui Cui managed to snap them out of it, revealing that the fragrance caused people to see their deepest desires, explaining the scene that had just unfolded. Both turned red with embarrassment.

Feeling sorrowful upon seeing fellow creatures suffering, Cui Cui asked them to free the little demons, and Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng released them all, blowing up the corrupt shop before leaving, hand in hand, with youthful pride. That night, Ling Miaomiao couldn’t sleep, disturbed by the atmosphere, and ended up tossing and turning. Her restlessness kept Cui Cui awake, as well as Mu Sheng.

Eventually, Ling Miaomiao went to Mu Sheng’s room, lay beside him, and insisted that she couldn’t sleep. She mentioned knowing what he had seen in the Wan Zhen Hall, making Mu Sheng blush. However, when he opened his eyes, he realized it was a dream, and beside him was actually Cui Cui.

Unable to sleep because of Ling Miaomiao’s strange behavior, Cui Cui had come over, and hearing that Ling Miaomiao was calling Mu Sheng’s name in her dreams, he hid under the blanket, laughing in a manner unlike his usual self—exactly like Ling Miaomiao. It seemed no one would get a good night’s sleep. The next day, both Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng, exhausted from lack of sleep, pretended to act tough when they met.

Liu Fuyi had already figured out the effects of whale demon blood, though the hallucinations only lasted half an hour. Strangely, there was nothing unusual in the princess’s chambers, leading them to suspect only one possibility. The Imperial Observatory requested to meet with the four, and they were surprised to find that its head was Guo Xiu, the chief astrologer. He revealed that the princess’s madness was all an act, but the group was unsurprised, having already guessed as much.

Guo Xiu explained to the four that the princess had been feigning madness. Everyone at the Celestial Observatory was aware of this, as she was concealing her search for her true love from Dowager Zhao. Similarly, the young marquis had no desire to marry the princess, resulting in this complicated situation. The Celestial Observatory hadn’t revealed the truth to avoid offending influential figures in the court.

Although Mu Yao and her companions seemed like outsiders, Guo Xiu didn’t expect them to take a firm stand, insisting that they would reveal the truth. Guo Xiu quickly asked for their assistance with a matter related to Qilin Mountain. At the mention of Qilin Mountain, Mu Sheng’s memories grew hazy, and Ling Miaomiao followed him out, discovering that Qilin Mountain might be Mu Sheng’s family home and that the woman appearing in his dreams could be his mother.

However, due to his vague recollections, Mu Sheng resisted digging deeper into his past. The actions of Dowager Zhao to completely eradicate anything related to Qilin Mountain raised suspicion. Guo Xiu wanted to uncover the truth, as his master and fellow disciples had all lost their lives there.

Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi exchanged glances and agreed to help, on the condition that Guo Xiu provide information on whether Dowager Zhao had any connection to the fire that broke out at the Hall of Flourishing Goodness years ago. The princess, led by a maidservant, went to see Liu Fuyi. She had been saved by him in the past and was visibly moved upon reuniting with him.

Wanting to prolong their encounter, she sent people to detain Mu Yao and her group in the palace, asking them to help inspect the small weeds in the imperial garden. Mu Yao refused, as they had plans to see Dowager Zhao, leaving Liu Fuyi to go alone. Ling Miaomiao, wanting to follow, was stopped by an envious Mu Sheng. Liu Fuyi found no abnormalities in the garden. However, the princess appeared before him, acting flirtatious.

Meanwhile, Mu Yao, Mu Sheng, and Ling Miaomiao waited outside as the young marquis rushed to speak with Dowager Zhao. Mu Sheng used an eavesdropping charm to listen in. The young marquis confessed to using a mind-altering incense on the princess, as he did not wish to marry her. Dowager Zhao was furious.

Although she also believed that the young marquis wasn’t worthy of the princess, he was the only remaining male of the Zhao family, which had adopted him, forcing her to resort to such measures. However, the young marquis, remembering his father’s sadness, was determined to follow his own desires, even if it meant exile. Hearing this, Mu Yao and the others quickly stepped in, intending to reveal the truth, but just then, the princess appeared with Liu Fuyi in tow.

She announced that she was perfectly fine, leaving Ling Miaomiao perplexed about Liu Fuyi’s involvement, while the young marquis’ gaze was fixed on her. Mu Sheng, standing behind, looked ready to explode. In the ensuing chaos, the princess pleaded with Dowager Zhao to annul the engagement, stating that she only wished to repay Liu Fuyi for saving her life. On their way out of the palace, Mu Yao, feeling a twinge of jealousy, asked Liu Fuyi what had happened.

The princess, catching up, squeezed Mu Yao aside and invited Liu Fuyi to stay for a drink. As Mu Yao quietly walked away, Liu Fuyi hurried after her. With the two following each other, Ling Miaomiao observed the clingy princess and the young marquis acting like a persistent shadow. Frustrated, Mu Sheng quickly pulled Ling Miaomiao away. After hastily bidding farewell to the princess, Liu Fuyi chased after Mu Yao, though the princess was clearly not giving up.

Liu Fuyi explained that he and the princess were merely passing acquaintances. Mu Yao was not angry, but Ling Miaomiao sensed a rift forming. Before they could discuss further, a messenger arrived with an invitation from the young marquis, causing Mu Sheng to storm off.

Ling Miaomiao, puzzled by his sudden mood swings, turned to Cui Cui, who shared an old story about his grandfather, who had fallen for a viburnum tree in his youth but had been too stubborn to confess his feelings. Cui Cui surmised that Mu Sheng was likely in love with Ling Miaomiao, sparking her curiosity about the affection points she could earn. Unfortunately, the dust sprites, her usual indicators, were hiding somewhere in the capital.

Later that night, a worried Cui Cui sought out Mu Sheng, asking if he liked Ling Miaomiao. Mu Sheng paused in his work, startled. Trying to reason with him, Cui Cui urged him to be honest with his feelings, warning that if he remained tight-lipped, Ling Miaomiao might just run off with someone else. At a loss for words, Mu Sheng grew increasingly flustered, and the following morning, he felt unexpectedly down when he saw Ling Miaomiao smiling brightly.

Ling Miaomiao proposed a group outing, but Mu Sheng, visibly sour, retreated to his room. She then decided to play matchmaker for Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao. Ling Miaomiao, noticing Mu Yao examining a hairpin, quickly suggested that Liu Fuyi help her put it on. At this moment, the princess reappeared, unrelenting in her pursuit, having invited Liu Fuyi to accompany her. After being turned down, the princess boldly arrived with an entourage of guards and maids, walking directly up to the trio.

The princess persistently sought out Liu Fuyi, causing Ling Miaomiao to glance anxiously at Mu Yao while stepping in to interrupt the princess's conversation with him. Mu Yao, however, remained emotionless, finally leaving with a cool expression. Liu Fuyi noticed and quickly followed her. Ling Miaomiao tried to sneak away as well, but the princess called her back, recognizing her as Lin Yu, the daughter of the Taicang prefect.

The princess assured Ling Miaomiao she wasn't offended by today’s events but wanted to make it clear that in matters of love, timing doesn't matter—she was the one who met Liu Fuyi first. Back when he saved her during a patrol, she hadn’t had the courage to step down from her carriage to greet him. Later, after much searching, she learned his name. Now that they’d met again, she wanted to express her feelings.

Although Liu Fuyi might have feelings for Mu Yao, the princess wanted him to know she was also someone worth loving. Upstairs, the young marquis was missing Ling Miaomiao when he suddenly spotted the princess below, startling him. Upon closer look, he saw that Ling Miaomiao was there as well. Fearing the princess might bully Ling Miaomiao, he quickly rushed downstairs, positioning himself protectively in front of her.

Both rolled up their sleeves in sync, and the servants skillfully grabbed their weapons. Just as Ling Miaomiao was at a loss, the princess picked up a stick and chased the young marquis around. After the commotion, the princess returned to the palace. The young marquis, gritting his teeth in anger, instantly softened and turned gentle toward Ling Miaomiao. Meanwhile, Mu Sheng didn’t quite understand the meaning of love.

Staring thoughtfully at an injured wind chime, he felt uncertain about giving it away, growing increasingly irritable. Ling Miaomiao, meanwhile, was racking her brain on how to help Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi confess their love. After much thought, she decided that a new, memorable scene might help them seal the deal.

She asked Cui Cui if there were any romantic spots in the capital, and upon hearing of a meteor shower that night, she immediately went to ask Mu Sheng for help. Busy with his training, Mu Sheng impatiently refused to open the door. Cautious, Cui Cui warned Ling Miaomiao not to provoke him. Undeterred, she and Cui Cui staged a fake crying act outside his door.

Initially unmoved, Mu Sheng finally opened the door in a panic when he thought something might have happened to her. With her plan underway, Ling Miaomiao led Mu Sheng and Cui Cui to the outskirts to set up a scene for Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi’s confession. However, they lacked flowers and a swing, and none of Cui Cui’s chairs met Ling Miaomiao’s expectations.

Frustrated, Mu Sheng eventually stepped in, somehow intuitively knowing what sort of swing she had in mind. As Ling Miaomiao sat happily on the swing, Mu Sheng found himself lost in thought beside her. Soon, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi arrived. Ling Miaomiao quickly pulled Mu Sheng aside to hide. Mu Yao sat on the swing, lost in thought, and Liu Fuyi soon joined her, thinking Mu Sheng had challenged him to a duel based on a note he’d received.

Mu Sheng, brought there by Ling Miaomiao under the pretense of discussing important matters, watched silently. After a long pause, Mu Yao offered Liu Fuyi a spot beside her, and Ling Miaomiao grew excited. Yet Mu Sheng wondered, must feelings always be spoken aloud to bring people together? Many people never find a happy ending with their true love; if it only leads to heartbreak, then what's the point?

Ling Miaomiao, however, believed differently—how many people could truly be with their beloved? As the meteor shower streaked across the sky, Ling Miaomiao clasped her hands together to make a wish, while Mu Sheng's feelings grew even more conflicted. Awkwardly, Mu Yao rose to leave, but Liu Fuyi finally reached out and confessed his feelings. Watching them kiss, Ling Miaomiao covered her eyes in excitement.

Just as their kiss deepened, Mu Yao suddenly heard a haunting melody from a woman’s song. In an instant, she drew her rope weapon, assuming a defensive stance, and Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng immediately stepped out to assess the situation. Meanwhile, the young marquis was planning a romantic confession scene, bringing out his father’s keepsake—a bracelet his father had cherished throughout his life and held onto until his final moments.

As a child, the young marquis had once asked about the bracelet's origin, but his father had merely brushed it off as a long-forgotten dream. Late at night, Pei Yun visited her true master, who instructed her to place a wooden bracelet on the princess’s wrist. Made from a demoness's strand of hair, the bracelet would make anyone who wore it fall hopelessly in love with the giver.

Although Pei Yun had been hiding by the princess's side to avenge her sister, she’d developed genuine feelings for her, now holding a grudge solely against Dowager Zhao and reconsidering her original plans. Guo Xiu secretly approached Mu Yao, revealing that Dowager Zhao was indeed involved in the fire at the Hall of Flourishing Goodness. He had kept this from Liu Fuyi, as it implicated Mu Yao’s ancestors.

In the meantime, Mu Sheng had spent days pondering love, finally deciding to act, spurred on by Ling Miaomiao’s smile. He had Cui Cui distract Ling Miaomiao, then began setting up flowers, a swing, and even caught many dust sprites, just as she had wanted. Simultaneously, the young marquis sent people to Ling Miaomiao’s inn to arrange his own confession setup.

Cui Cui dragged Ling Miaomiao through the streets, buying everything in sight. Ling Miaomiao, exhausted, decided to head back to rest. This startled Cui Cui, who worried that Mu Sheng would scold her. Hearing that Mu Sheng had prepared a surprise for her, Ling Miaomiao was delighted and mentally prepared herself before opening the door. The first thing she saw were the performers hired by the young marquis, but she mistakenly assumed that everything had been arranged by Mu Sheng.

Cui Cui pushed Ling Miaomiao forward to receive the confession, but the man who descended from above turned out to be the young marquis instead. Ling Miaomiao was stunned, realizing that it was the young marquis, not Mu Sheng, who intended to confess, and she quickly stopped him, feeling her mood drop. Cui Cui rushed to inform Mu Sheng, knowing this was a big issue. Noticing Ling Miaomiao’s displeasure, the young marquis quickly apologized.

Ling Miaomiao firmly rejected him, stating that she already had someone she loved. The young marquis, though disappointed, offered her his blessings. Nevertheless, he presented a wooden bracelet as a gift, and when she attempted to refuse, he quickly slipped it onto her wrist. Once Ling Miaomiao wore the bracelet, her demeanor changed; as if transformed, she suggested marrying the young marquis, leaving Mu Sheng completely dumbfounded.

Ling Miaomiao then announced to everyone that they’d already discussed the wedding date and invited them to stay and celebrate. Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi were surprised but chose to respect her wishes, thinking that a noble marriage might be safer for her than the life of adventure they led. However, Mu Sheng couldn’t accept it, convinced she had lost her senses, his eyes turning red with concern.

The young marquis then appeared with Ling Miaomiao, and the crowd began whispering about her being the future marquis’s wife. Mu Sheng caught up and pulled Ling Miaomiao aside, baffled by her sudden behavior. He inspected her surroundings, suspecting some dark influence, but detected no trace of evil. Even the wooden bracelet gifted by the young marquis revealed nothing suspicious. Frustrated, Ling Miaomiao lifted her skirt and went to find the young marquis again.

Heartbroken but not giving up, Mu Sheng chased after their carriage, wedging himself between the two, claiming that Mu Yao had sent him to protect Ling Miaomiao. The young marquis took Ling Miaomiao to look at wedding attire, while Mu Sheng, watching them select clothes together, seethed with frustration. Ling Miaomiao chose a wedding outfit that the young marquis didn’t particularly like, opting instead for something extremely tacky.

Surprisingly, she agreed, saying that as long as her beloved was satisfied, so was she. Hearing her call the young marquis her "beloved," Mu Sheng’s heart shattered, and he angrily muttered harsh words in her direction. Hearing Mu Sheng and the others call her Ling Miaomiao, the young marquis attempted to do the same, but she insisted he call her Lin Yu.

Meanwhile, Mu Yao learned from Guo Xiu about Tao Ying’s involvement in assisting Dowager Zhao to build the Hall of Flourishing Goodness, even showing her Tao Ying’s blueprints. Mu Yao realized it was a malicious formation, capable of nourishing demons and granting them an immortal body. Years ago, misled by Tao Ying, Dowager Zhao had brought in a young girl as a deity to pray in the hall, while townsfolk gathered for the ceremony.

The formation almost succeeded, but Mu Yao’s father, Mu Huaijiang, happened to pass by and saved everyone. Ling Miaomiao and the young marquis dined and drank together, with the young marquis growing merry from the alcohol. Taking advantage of the moment, Ling Miaomiao left to prepare a sobering soup, and Mu Sheng seized the opportunity to whisk the young marquis away to a secluded spot.

In a near frenzy, he demanded to know what the young marquis had done to Ling Miaomiao to make her suddenly infatuated with him. The young marquis vehemently denied any wrongdoing, but Mu Sheng, overcome, grasped his throat tightly. In his daze, the young marquis noticed a hair ribbon tied in Mu Sheng’s hair, one he vaguely recalled seeing as a child. Reaching out, he untied it just as Ling Miaomiao rushed to the scene.

In his demonic form, Mu Sheng stood with his hair loose, exuding a fierce aura. But seeing the fear in Ling Miaomiao’s eyes shattered his heart; he never imagined that she, the one person who hadn’t feared his true form, would look at him that way. Ling Miaomiao tried to calm him with a nervous explanation, but he instantly saw through her lie.

For a brief moment, Ling Miaomiao regained her senses, but the wooden bracelet soon overpowered her once more. In agony, Mu Sheng hastily picked up the ribbon from the ground and tied it back on himself, the dark energy dissipating. He turned to see Ling Miaomiao tenderly supporting the young marquis, her concern evident, his eyes reddening. Years ago, the girl offered as a deity in the Hall of Flourishing Goodness was Pei Yun’s sister, Pei Yu.

Her hatred had never faded, and for revenge, she had waited seven long years. Now, her master required a wedding on the eighth day to complete the plan, and Pei Yun’s objective was to ensure the ceremony proceeded as planned. Mu Yao entered the Hall of Flourishing Goodness, discovering hidden magic within it. She sensed her father’s spiritual power, yet wondered why he would seal a demon instead of destroying it. Could it be that this seal held a powerful ninth-level demon that even he couldn’t kill?

In the Tianji Pavilion of the Directorate of Astronomy, Mu Yao went to see Guo Xiu. She reviewed the complex formation and concluded that without Dowager Zhao's assistance, it would have been impossible to complete. The demon was not destroyed; the resentful spirit in the formation was the vengeful woman, who now resided within the Hall of Flourishing Goodness, intent on completing the powerful "Ziwu" array.

With many burdens on her mind, Mu Yao grew anxious as she planned to avenge her family and eliminate the vengeful spirit. Liu Fuyi’s heart grew heavier as he finally decided to confess the truth to Mu Yao. He admitted that he had originally been ordered to approach her but had developed genuine feelings over time. Liu Fuyi feared Mu Yao would be hurt by the truth, yet the more time he spent with her, the more captivated he became.

He knew that Mu Yao harbored feelings for him, though she firmly denied it, explaining their previous kiss as a moment of impulse. Determined to exterminate the vengeful spirit, Mu Yao told Guo Xiu to keep this information from their companions. Disheartened by her rejection, Liu Fuyi went drinking and found that Mu Sheng had already reserved all the wine at the tavern. Both in a gloomy mood, they nearly got into an argument with the drunken Mu Sheng.

Meanwhile, Ling Miaomiao stayed by the young marquis’s side, and when he woke up, he asked her not to pursue any disputes with Mu Sheng. The young marquis remembered seeing a powerful demon the night before, but Ling Miaomiao reflexively dismissed it as a mistake. The young marquis seemed fine, and Ling Miaomiao considered returning to the inn, her wooden bracelet flashing once again.

Mu Sheng and Liu Fuyi, both lonely wanderers, drank together until their faces turned red, finding an unexpected camaraderie. Ling Miaomiao grew worried when she heard Mu Sheng hadn’t returned all night. Just then, a waiter from the tavern informed Mu Yao and Ling Miaomiao that both Liu Fuyi and Mu Sheng had drunk themselves unconscious and needed to be picked up. The young marquis, noticing it was about to rain, hurried to meet Ling Miaomiao.

She and Mu Yao arrived at the tavern and found the two men passed out. Mu Yao quickly sought help, and though Mu Sheng grasped Ling Miaomiao’s hand, she pulled away. The young marquis rushed in to escort Ling Miaomiao, who initially wanted to stay and care for them but hesitated when she thought of her upcoming wedding. Mu Sheng, heartbroken, forced himself to let her go, reminding her of the preparations awaiting her as a bride-to-be.

On the way back, Ling Miaomiao saw some children playing with bamboo dragonflies and eagerly asked to stop. Princess Duyang, hearing of Liu Fuyi’s intoxicated state, arrived with a large entourage to take him away. Ling Miaomiao ran back to the tavern, but Mu Sheng had already been taken away by Mu Yao; she only wanted to return the bamboo dragonfly he had made for her.

The young marquis sensed that Ling Miaomiao might have feelings for Mu Sheng, but under the bracelet's influence, she instinctively claimed to like the young marquis. Mu Yao walked back to the inn with Mu Sheng under an umbrella, knowing they’d be departing the next day. The siblings understood each other's feelings—Mu Sheng could see that Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi cared for one another.

However, to Mu Yao, her vendetta was a personal matter, and she refused to involve others. She instructed Mu Sheng to go to Lu City and borrow something from their aunt, and then meet her at the waystation, advising him to take care of himself. Mu Yao’s sudden concern made Mu Sheng laugh, not realizing she intended to send him away deliberately. Cui Cui waited at the inn for a long time, but only Mu Yao returned.

Mu Yao said they wouldn’t be coming back, that there was no "us" anymore, and advised Cui Cui to find his grandfather. Shocked, Cui Cui wondered if the "Four Heroes of the Bamboo Forest" had really disbanded. The next day was the wedding, but Ling Miaomiao felt a strange sense of loss. The young marquis suggested she write to inform her father, but after he left, Ling Miaomiao was at a loss for what to write.

Cui Cui visited her, disappointed, accusing her of betrayal, for she had once promised they’d roam the world with swords but was now marrying someone else. Liu Fuyi awoke in the princess’s palace and quickly left, but the princess told him that Mu Yao had entrusted him to her care. Liu Fuyi firmly refused, insisting he needed to return to report to his master.

The princess then said she’d be waiting for him in the Hall of Flourishing Goodness, dressed in wedding attire. Meanwhile, Dowager Zhao was plagued by nightmares, haunted by the sins of her past. The young marquis ultimately chose the wedding outfit Ling Miaomiao preferred, unwilling to force her into something she disliked.

Ling Miaomiao was about to change into her formal attire with the blessing bracelet, but as she was about to remove the wooden bracelet, the royal nanny, Madam Ruyi, arrived. The young marquis understood that Dowager Zhao did not oppose the marriage; otherwise, she wouldn’t have sent Madam Ruyi. Upon learning that Madam Ruyi was close to the young marquis, Ling Miaomiao politely offered her tea, earning the nanny’s approval. However, when Madam Ruyi noticed the wooden bracelet on Ling Miaomiao’s wrist, her expression changed.

The princess planned to wait for Liu Fuyi at the Hall of Flourishing Goodness, but unexpectedly, Liu Fuyi came to see her before she set out. He didn’t want her to suffer criticism on his behalf, so he came early to make things clear: no matter how long she waited, he wouldn’t come. He promised he would not appear before her again in the future. The princess couldn’t understand why Mu Yao mattered so much to him.

Liu Fuyi’s eyes were filled with sorrow as he thought of Mu Yao—a strong, determined woman. Five years ago, while tracking a powerful demon, he was injured and saved by Mu Yao. She was always silent and serious, and many in the martial world ridiculed her, doubting her ability to restore the Mu family’s honor. But Mu Yao, along with Mu Sheng, fought relentlessly, proving that as long as she led, the Mu family would not fall.

Mu Sheng had never seen Mu Yao’s vulnerable side, but Liu Fuyi had. Perhaps Mu Yao assumed he was unconscious at the time, so she allowed herself to reveal her worries. What she didn’t know was that he had regained consciousness from the very first day and heard her every word, all the way to this day.

To Liu Fuyi, Mu Yao was his true love; he wanted to protect and accompany her, whether she knew it or returned his love. Liu Fuyi told the princess that she was a remarkable woman and deserved the best love. Madam Ruyi revealed to the young marquis that Ling Miaomiao only agreed to marry him because of an enchanted wooden bracelet. Years ago, a demoness from Qilin Mountain used it to bewitch his father, Marquis Qingyi.

Madam Ruyi urged him to destroy the bracelet and stay away from demonic influences to avoid future disaster. The young servant suddenly realized that Ling Miaomiao, who didn’t seem the type to marry impulsively, was likely under the bracelet's influence. On the wedding day, Ling Miaomiao, dressed in her wedding clothes and carefully adorned by attendants, overheard them talking about Marquis Qingyi.

They mentioned how he had gone on a long journey before his wedding, only to return a changed man, eventually attacked by a peculiar little boy with a strange headband. Ling Miaomiao’s mind filled with flashes of memories, recalling Mu Sheng saying that Qilin Mountain might be connected to her family. She instinctively wanted to find Mu Sheng, but the servants prevented her.

The young marquis remembered he was supposed to exchange the wooden bracelet with a blessing bracelet for the wedding and rushed back inside. When he saw Ling Miaomiao, he feared she might have changed her mind, no longer willing to marry him. To his surprise, Ling Miaomiao hadn’t removed the wooden bracelet, thinking it symbolized their engagement and should be worn for the wedding. After hesitating, the young marquis removed it himself, restoring her clarity of mind.

She immediately wanted to find Mu Sheng. The young marquis, understanding the misunderstanding, let her go, unwilling to let a mistake continue. After she left, he broke down in tears, devastated that she had left once the bracelet was removed. Ling Miaomiao, still in her wedding attire, searched for Mu Sheng but was told her companions had already left, and her room at the inn was still unclaimed.

Heartbroken, she opened the door to find it romantically decorated by Mu Sheng, with flowers, fireflies, and a swing chair—all things she had once mentioned. Seeing the thoughtful touches, tears streamed down her face. Mu Sheng appeared unexpectedly, holding a wind chime he had prepared.

It turned out Cui Cui had found him and given him the bamboo dragonfly Ling Miaomiao had wanted him to have, along with a letter she wanted sent to Taicang County, in which she wrote, "I like Ziqi, and I am willing to marry Ziqi. " Moved by her heartfelt letter and the bamboo dragonfly with a carved heart, Mu Sheng regained his strength and resolve, setting aside the past and returning to the capital.

Ling Miaomiao, with tears still on her face, threw herself into Mu Sheng’s arms, now understanding his feelings. She repeatedly apologized, and Mu Sheng’s fondness for her had unknowingly reached ninety-nine percent. While the princess mourned her broken heart, Mu Yao found her and asked for her help with something important. Meanwhile, Guo Xiu sought out the young marquis, asking for his assistance in vanquishing a powerful demon.

Dowager Zhao once again dreamed of Tao Ying, and as she struggled to recover, a servant reported that the princess, seemingly possessed, had dressed in wedding clothes and gone to the Hall of Flourishing Goodness, claiming she was going to be married. Guo Xiu led the Directorate of Astronomy members in supporting Mu Yao from afar, as Mu Yao was determined to enter the formation to slay the demon, ready to face death.

But as she turned, she saw Liu Fuyi, Mu Sheng, Ling Miaomiao, and Cui Cui—all unwilling to let her face this alone. Liu Fuyi had thought Mu Yao saw him as unworthy of her trust, yet to his surprise, she rushed forward and embraced him. Cui Cui quickly covered his eyes.

When the Hall of Flourishing Goodness was completed after five years, Tao Ying informed her that her daughter, Princess Duanyang, would be needed. Due to her auspicious birth, she was the perfect choice to be the ceremonial priestess for the grand ritual. Although it wouldn't take her life, it would shift all her happiness to the Seventh Prince. As a result, the princess would live in perpetual sorrow, forever unfulfilled and unable to find joy.

For the sake of the Zhao family’s prosperity and to secure her son’s position in the Eastern Palace, the Dowager Zhao set her plan in motion. Then, someone reported that Princess Duanyang had entered the Hall of Flourishing Goodness and was about to perform the wedding ceremony, prompting the dowager to hasten over.

Realizing that the dowager had walked into their trap, the Four Heroes of the Bamboo Grove became serious; after all, they had set up the entire hall as a trap. Inside, Princess Duanyang and the young marquis were dressed in wedding attire, prepared to perform the wedding rites. Dowager Zhao rushed to stop them, but the princess declared it was already fifteen years too late—she could no longer wait.

Seeing how different the two had become, the dowager was deeply shocked, especially as Tao Ying appeared behind her. Enraged, she drew her sword and struck him, but he dissipated into a wisp of smoke. Then, the Nightmare Demon appeared, revealing that Tao Ying had died a decade ago and that he was the one truly in control all along. The dowager, shaken, called him a monster.

The Ziwu Lifeforce Array was about to be activated, and the astronomers were panicked, yet Guo Xiu had unwavering faith in Mu Yao. The Nightmare Demon reveled in his triumph, but he quickly noticed that the guests in the hall remained calm, repeatedly uttering the same words like puppets—they were nothing but paper figures!

At that moment, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi revealed their true forms; only the two of them, along with Dowager Zhao and three others, were real people in the hall. The Ziwu Lifeforce Array was impossible to activate; they’d thought they were dealing with a powerful vengeful spirit, only to discover it was merely a fourth-tier demon.

Ten years ago, when the guests had tragically died, their resentment became the source of the Nightmare Demon’s power, making his inner core indestructible. The Nightmare Demon then transported them to an illusory world—a beautiful place, which Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi quickly recognized as the dowager’s dream, her nightmare of Qilin Mountain. As the scene shifted, they saw a young Dowager Zhao arriving at Qilin Mountain, ordering her men to trap all the demons with ten Mountain-Sealing Talismans.

The four of them turned to the dowager and asked why she had done it, to which she insisted it was for the peace of the realm. The dowager’s second nightmare began, as Marquis Qingyi lay dying, asking her if she had ever loved anyone. Though he had never sought the truth, the emptiness in his heart had been real.

Seeing this, the young marquis and the princess realized that Marquis Qingyi must have fallen in love with a female demon he encountered during his travels near Qilin Mountain, which led the dowager to cut off the mountain and conceal the truth. Dowager Zhao insisted she acted to protect the Zhao family, but Mu Yao revealed the truth: she had used the Forgetting Sorrows Curse on Marquis Qingyi, unknowingly killing her own brother.

Suddenly, the dreamscape returned to the Hall of Flourishing Goodness. Unable to bear sacrificing her daughter, the dowager had found a poor village girl, Yuer, to replace her as the ceremonial priestess. The princess noticed the rattle drum in Yuer’s hand, which Peiyun always carried and had said her sister left her. Finally, the dowager realized that Peiyun must have entered the palace seeking revenge for her sister.

The princess, the young marquis, Mu Yao, and Liu Fuyi all looked at Dowager Zhao—how could she claim innocence after committing so many wrongs? Now, only by admitting her misdeeds could she dispel the resentment, or else she, the princess, and the young marquis would be trapped forever. The dowager still refused to accept her fault, infuriating the resentful spirits, which were indeed real.

The young marquis shielded her from an attack, forcing her to realize that these spirits could indeed claim her life. With Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi pushing further, they were reaching their limits. Overwhelmed, Dowager Zhao saw the princess struck down by the spirits, finally breaking down and repenting, admitting that it was her selfish desires and greed that had led to countless lives being lost.

With her repentance, both Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao breathed a sigh of relief, and the princess and young marquis, who had collapsed, revealed their true identities as Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng in disguise. The nightmare world began to fracture, the Nightmare Demon’s plot crumbling as he refused to let his painstakingly crafted array go to waste.

The Nightmare Demon, knowing that his death was inevitable, destroyed his demon core, causing the entire array to start collapsing. Mu Yao, Mu Sheng, and Liu Fuyi rushed to dismantle the array, but they were completely powerless. The reason was that Mu Yao's father had sealed the demon core, and the seal was intertwined with the array itself.

Mu Yao argued that her father had sealed the demon core because he hadn't been able to kill it at the time, but she couldn't understand why, as a fourth-tier demon, it had been impossible to kill him. The array was on the brink of collapse. Once it shattered, it would affect the entire capital. Without hesitation, Mu Yao stood firm. The array was powered by her father’s spiritual energy, and only she could enter the array.

If she replaced the demon core with her own inner core, she might be able to delay the explosion. The others strongly disagreed; they didn’t want Mu Yao to risk it alone. However, Mu Yao knew she wasn’t alone—she had their support. She handed her sound transmission talisman to Ling Miaomiao, asking her to inform Guo Xiu and the others for help, while she, with the assistance of Liu Fuyi and Mu Sheng, entered the array.

When Guo Xiu and the others realized the array was about to break, they were shocked. Ling Miaomiao's sound transmission talisman reached them, but they feared they couldn’t make a difference and decided to leave everything behind. However, Ling Miaomiao and Cui Cui rushed forward to help, even though they were weak, every little bit of strength mattered. Luckily, Guo Xiu and the other astronomers arrived just in time to assist, and they didn’t abandon the effort.

The group worked together, but Cui Cui soon collapsed from exhaustion. More people fell as they could no longer hold on. In the critical moment, Ling Miaomiao entered the system space to unlock the Apocalypse Divine Power. The system warned her that it was a very dangerous force, but Ling Miaomiao didn’t care. She activated the Apocalypse Divine Power to help everyone stop the array, and the perilous night finally passed.

The people heard the commotion from the previous night, but the Four Heroes of the Bamboo Grove credited the achievement to the astronomers. Ling Miaomiao’s colorful inner core was rare, and the astronomers were very surprised. They even brought out a portrait of Mu Qingshi, and to their astonishment, Ling Miaomiao resembled her so closely. The astronomers even knelt and acknowledged Ling Miaomiao as the World Protecting Deity, asking her to draw the Crescent Moon Sword.

Ling Miaomiao, flattered, could only step forward to give it a try, but to everyone’s disappointment, she couldn’t draw the sword. She wasn’t the World Protecting Deity after all. Ling Miaomiao threw herself into Mu Yao’s arms, seeking comfort, while Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi both tried and failed to draw the sword. Mu Sheng, watching from the sidelines, casually stepped forward and, to everyone’s surprise, easily pulled the sword out.

Ling Miaomiao and Mu Yao were both stunned, staring at Mu Sheng in disbelief. Earlier, Peiyun had come to the Four Heroes of the Bamboo Grove to seek their help, assisting the great demon in activating the array. However, seeing what had happened to the princess, she felt guilty.

That was why she had helped the Four Heroes of the Bamboo Grove set up last night’s trap, and after the mission was complete, she left the palace to meditate and cultivate. Everyone was getting irritated, so Mu Sheng, seeking peace, used an invisibility talisman. The astronomers then began bothering Ling Miaomiao, who quickly found an excuse to escape. With the invisibility talisman, Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng finally had some peace.

Ling Miaomiao clung to Mu Sheng’s arm, and the two were sweet and affectionate. Mu Yao couldn’t understand the words the great demon had spoken before his death. Her father had always despised evil, but the events in the capital were inextricably linked to him. Why had her father left such an evil demon alive? And why was the jade pendant in Dowager Zhao’s possession?

Mu Yao decided to go to the palace the next day to confront Dowager Zhao and invited Liu Fuyi to accompany her. Liu Fuyi naturally agreed. Mu Yao had already begun to accept Cui Cui, and Ling Miaomiao wanted Mu Sheng to find an opportunity to reveal his true identity to Mu Yao. She spoke cautiously, afraid that Mu Sheng might get upset, but now that Mu Sheng had someone he loved, he treated Ling Miaomiao with great tenderness.

Encouraged by Ling Miaomiao, Mu Sheng tried to confess to Mu Yao, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to speak. Ling Miaomiao, witnessing this, felt helpless. One night, Ling Miaomiao got drunk and collapsed on the floor, unmoving. When Mu Sheng found her, he quickly placed her on the bed. Ling Miaomiao told Mu Sheng that she had a secret too.

Mu Sheng, listening closely, pressed his ear to her head as she confessed that she wasn’t Lin Yu. Mu Sheng, however, wasn’t fooled. He knew she was Ling Miaomiao. Ling Miaomiao had a strange dream where a mysterious statue spoke to her, saying something odd. The statue, which served as the system’s host, had gradually faded from her memory. Mu Sheng then took out a letter that Ling Miaomiao had written to Lin’s father. Embarrassed, Ling Miaomiao tried to snatch it away, but Mu Sheng had already placed it on Lin’s father’s desk.

Dowager Zhao had been imprisoned in the Cold Palace by the emperor. When she saw Mu Yao visiting her, she instinctively thought it was her own daughter. Mu Yao explained that the princess had entrusted her with a message—once she resolved her inner turmoil, she would come to visit Dowager Zhao. Dowager Zhao had lied many times, deceiving the entire world, but the truth she most wanted to hide was about her own daughter.

Mu Yao had come to fulfill the task entrusted to her, but she was also seeking an answer. She couldn’t understand why her father had given the jade pendant to Dowager Zhao. Dowager Zhao told Mu Yao the truth. She said that Mu Yao’s father had known the blueprint for the construction of the Xing Shan Hall when it was being built and had given the jade pendant to her.

Two years later, when the hall was completed, Mu Yao's father had visited it and even instructed Dowager Zhao to use an ordinary daughter to replace the princess. Mu Yao absolutely refused to believe it, saying that this was not how her father would act. But Dowager Zhao sneered and said that Mu Yao did not truly understand her father.

On the night of the fire at Xing Shan Hall, someone had helped her lock the temple doors, and that person was Mu Yao’s father. Perhaps from the beginning, Mu Yao's father had already planned everything, and everything was part of his scheme. Mu Yao refused to believe the truth spoken by Dowager Zhao. From childhood to now, her father had always been the person she aspired to become.

Liu Fuyi wanted to take her back to see her master, as there were no answers here, and perhaps her master could provide some insight. Guo Xiu hurriedly called for the Four Heroes of the Bamboo Grove, claiming that in three years, there would be a catastrophe that could destroy the world. The group pleaded with Mu Sheng to save them, but Mu Sheng was impatient and refused to take on such a burden.

The astronomers revealed that a few years ago, someone had gone mad and claimed that a catastrophe would occur in a few years. His name was Master Wenxin. Liu Fuyi’s expression changed when he heard this. Master Wenxin was his own teacher. Liu Fuyi had always thought his teacher was an unnamed wandering cultivator. Only after completing his training and using the magical artifacts his teacher had given him did he realize the awe his teacher inspired wherever he went.

Lately, Liu Fuyi had many doubts, so he decided to set out tomorrow to meet Master Wenxin. Mu Yao instructed Mu Sheng to bring the Crescent Moon Sword with him, as this matter was too important to be taken lightly. In the past, it was always Ling Miaomiao who carried all the heavy bags, but this time it was Mu Sheng who took on the task, carrying everything that Ling Miaomiao used. The large bags were exhausting for Cui Cui.

As they prepared to set out, the young prince sent some gold bars to be used for expenses. Mu Yao refused, but the young prince then sent someone to invite Mu Sheng for a chat. Mu Sheng initially thought the young prince had ill intentions toward Ling Miaomiao, but to his surprise, the young prince wanted to talk to him instead.

It turned out that the young prince had investigated and learned that Mu Sheng and he were half-brothers, sharing the same father but different mothers. Mu Sheng adamantly denied it, saying he had no parents. However, the young prince didn't care whether Mu Sheng acknowledged it or not—he considered Mu Sheng to be his older brother.

When he was young, he had often felt lonely and wished for a brother, but now he understood that the two of them were only connected by blood. The young prince even expressed envy for Mu Sheng, who lived a carefree life, avenging his enemies and enjoying love with the one he cared for. This was the life that his late father, the Light Cloak Marquis, had always wanted.

The young prince took out a wooden bracelet, a relic from both the Light Cloak Marquis and Mu Sheng’s mother. He hoped that, if possible, the bracelet could be returned to its rightful owner. Although Mu Sheng remained stubborn, he accepted the gift and even turned back to fist-bump the young prince before leaving. As they arrived at the tea stall near the capital's entrance, memories were stirred up.

It was here that Ling Miaomiao had come up with the name for the Four Heroes of the Bamboo Grove. But since the fire at Xing Shan Hall, Ling Miaomiao’s memory had started to fade, and she couldn’t remember many things clearly. It seemed that everything would need to be explained by Master Wenxin. While traveling, a group of bandits passed by and attempted to rob them.

Before Mu Sheng, Mu Yao, and Liu Fuyi could act, Ling Miaomiao, unable to tolerate it, stepped forward and used her inner strength to deal with them. Her extraordinary power stunned everyone. Realizing that her abilities had grown stronger, Ling Miaomiao was as energetic as a rabbit, busy using her magic to assist the others with various tasks. Liu Fuyi sent Mu Yao away and handed Mu Sheng a defensive talisman.

His master had set up a formation at the entrance to the valley, and the talisman would help Mu Sheng avoid being exposed as a demon. Mu Sheng was stunned, unsure how Liu Fuyi knew his true identity. Cui Cui and Ling Miaomiao quickly denied that they had revealed anything about Mu Sheng. Mu Sheng was worried that Liu Fuyi would tell Mu Yao, but fortunately, Liu Fuyi had been keeping his secret all along.

When they reached the entrance to the Ràn Valley, Liu Fuyi led the group inside. The valley had a formation set by his master as well. As Liu Fuyi stood in the formation, the walls revealed his true heart—a child. Mu Yao’s heart revealed herself, dressed as the head of the Mu family. Cui Cui’s heart showed an enormous bamboo forest.

Ling Miaomiao’s heart was that of an office worker in front of a computer, though she seemed to have forgotten her modern memories and found this vision strange. Everyone took their turn, and Mu Sheng nervously stepped forward. Fortunately, his shadow appeared normal, and he let out a sigh of relief. As they continued, Master Wenxin suddenly appeared. He had noticed that Mu Sheng had entered the valley while concealing his half-demon identity.

He scolded Liu Fuyi severely and took back the defensive talisman. His true form was revealed, and his demonic nature was exposed. Mu Yao was shocked and quickly retracted her sword.

Mu Sheng was forced back into the formation and revealed his true demon form. Liu Fuyi tried to explain on his behalf, and Ling Miaomiao hurried to help Mu Sheng explain to Mu Yao, but Mu Sheng stopped her, saying that Mu Yao was his sister, and it should be her decision. Master Wenxin continuously pressured Mu Yao to take action against Mu Sheng, insisting that the Mu family, as a prestigious demon-hunting family, should have no dealings with demons.

When he saw Mu Yao ready to act, Master Wenxin drew Liu Fuyi's sword and aimed it at Mu Sheng. However, Mu Yao firmly stood by her brother's side. What if Mu Sheng was a demon? They had grown up together, sharing a bond like that of siblings—no outsider had the right to interfere. Originally, Mu Yao had thought Master Wenxin was wise, but now she realized he was narrow-minded.

She decided that if this was the way things were, they might as well not enter the Ràn Valley. Mu Yao, with Mu Sheng, prepared to leave, but Master Wenxin suddenly attacked Mu Sheng, and the area where they clashed turned into a barrier. Mu Yao and the others outside the formation were frantic, but they couldn’t enter. Once again, Mu Sheng was thrown back into the formation, but this time, something unexpected happened—his shadow changed.

His true shadow was a lotus flower. Master Wenxin explained that if Mu Sheng had not concealed his true nature, there would have been no issue. Seeing this, Liu Fuyi finally breathed a sigh of relief. Afterward, Mu Sheng, Ling Miaomiao, Liu Fuyi, and Cui Cui went to apologize to Mu Yao. They hadn't meant to hide anything from her, but Mu Yao only allowed Mu Sheng to stay behind.

Ling Miaomiao understood that Mu Yao wasn’t truly angry with them, but the fact that everyone else knew Mu Sheng's secret while she, as his sister, did not, made it hard for her. Mu Yao was indeed upset. She felt she had failed as a sister, always concerned about everything else but neglecting Mu Sheng. She had thought he was aloof and didn’t like making friends, only to realize today the kind of life he had been living.

Mu Sheng, with a lump in his throat, finally cried, and the years of unresolved feelings were released by Mu Yao’s words: "A Sheng, I’ve wronged you. "Mu Yao, along with Liu Fuyi and Cui Cui, also apologized to Mu Sheng, vowing not to keep things from her in the future. Ling Miaomiao suddenly felt a strange sensation. It seemed like today's events were somehow orchestrated.

Master Wenxin appeared to know a lot, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to everything. Their conversation was interrupted by Master Wenxin, who invited them to help with cooking. Ling Miaomiao and Cui Cui busied themselves assisting, while Mu Sheng was tasked with chopping firewood. Though he did as told, he remained wary of Master Wenxin. They discovered that the back mountain of the Ràn Valley was home to many demons.

It turned out that Master Wenxin didn’t harbor any resentment toward demons and never drove them away. Here, humans and demons coexisted harmoniously. In a vast bamboo forest, Cui Cui went to check if his grandfather was there, and to his surprise, he found his long-missed grandfather, Qingqing. However, Qingqing was old and had only just remembered his grandson after a long time.

While they reminisced, Mu Yao, Ling Miaomiao, and Mu Sheng had already fallen asleep on the ground, yawning. Liu Fuyi seemed to know everything about Qingqing’s background, indicating that he had known the old demon resided in the valley for a long time, but had kept it secret because of Master Wenxin’s wishes. Master Wenxin had prepared a meal for everyone. He seemed to know Mu Yao's father but avoided answering questions, instead speaking about the coming catastrophe.

In three months, a blood moon would appear in the sky. Ling Miaomiao was startled. Could there really be an apocalypse? After dinner, Master Wenxin had Qingqing lead them into the memory of the Catastrophe that occurred nine hundred years ago. In Qingqing’s memories, they saw scenes of widespread suffering until Mu Qingshi appeared, defying the flow of people to save them. The group was shocked to see that Mu Qingshi looked exactly like Ling Miaomiao!

They were all baffled—why did Ling Miaomiao have the Seven-Colored Inner Dan, and why did Mu Sheng pull out the Crescent Moon Sword? Master Wenxin, however, did not agree that Mu Sheng was the savior. He mocked Mu Sheng for his weak and ineffective moves, leaving Mu Sheng furious, almost grinding his teeth. To help Mu Sheng live up to the title of the savior, Ling Miaomiao took it upon herself to supervise his training.

One day, when Ling Miaomiao wasn’t looking, Mu Sheng snuck up to her and tried to get close, but she coldly rejected him. Mu Sheng, unwilling to back down, decided to challenge Master Wenxin himself, curious as to why Master Wenxin was afraid to enter the formation of "Wenxin Zhi Zhen.

Mu Sheng wanted to know why Master Wenxin didn’t dare to enter the Wenxin Formation. When asked, Master Wenxin dodged the question, which prompted Mu Sheng to question if he was deliberately being cryptic to hide his true plans. Master Wenxin, however, turned the tables, provoking Mu Sheng instead. But Mu Sheng, being a half-demon who had endured much suffering since childhood, didn’t care about the pain or trials he might face.

His reason for saving the world wasn’t for others but for his family, friends, and comrades—those he truly cared about. As for everyone else, he was indifferent and certainly wouldn’t be swayed by Master Wenxin’s provocations. Liu Fuyi brought over some bedding to make a comfortable spot for Mu Yao on the soft couch in Master Wenxin’s study.

While resting, Mu Yao unintentionally discovered that the formations Master Wenxin had drawn were identical to those her father had used in the Xing Shan Temple. Why did her father use them, and why was Master Wenxin drawing them now? Worried that learning the truth might overwhelm Mu Yao, Liu Fuyi went ahead to question Master Wenxin. Master Wenxin had intentionally let Mu Yao see his notes and was now waiting for Liu Fuyi.

Seven years ago, Master Wenxin left the Ràn Valley for the last time to seek the truth. He confirmed that Mu Yao’s father had been collecting demon cores from great demons to fight the Vengeful Woman. He had always known that the root of the Catastrophe lay with the Vengeful Woman. Liu Fuyi realized that Mu Yao hoped her father’s actions and words had deeper reasons rather than being the deeds of a hypocrite.

Master Wenxin explained that twenty years ago, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had foretold the birth of a destined celestial-grade demon hunter. Everyone, including Mu Yao’s father, believed he was the one. However, on the day the Mu family was massacred, he died at the hands of the Vengeful Woman. Liu Fuyi had one final question—who was Master Wenxin?

Master Wenxin revealed that he was an old friend of Mu Yao’s father and that the artifact in her possession was something he had crafted himself. Liu Fuyi finally realized that his master was none other than Lu Huaian, the very person Mu Yao’s father had been searching for all his life. Meanwhile, Mu Sheng was bored during training and threw a tantrum by sprawling on the ground.

Qingqing commented that he was far from matching the prowess of the Goddess of the past. Mu Sheng wondered what would happen to the world if he failed to master his skills and couldn’t save it. Qingqing’s response was simple: never leave regrets with the one you love. Hearing this, Mu Sheng immediately dropped his weapon and went off to find the person he cherished. Mu Sheng struggled to merge with the Crescent Moon Sword, much to Ling Miaomiao’s distress.

Master Wenxin remarked that he needed to find his origin to achieve this. Mu Sheng, however, knew everything but resisted recalling his childhood. Surprisingly, Mu Sheng approached Ling Miaomiao and asked her to accompany him to Qilin Mountain. He didn’t want to leave any regrets and wished to face everything head-on. Ling Miaomiao saw the dust demons forming symbols that were 99% complete but couldn’t remember what they meant.

As Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng departed, Master Wenxin told Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi that they needed to find the Vengeful Woman to stop everything. Although the Hundred-Demon Atlas had been mostly burned, Master Wenxin assured them it could still be repaired. Years ago, he had entrusted the Lu family treasure, the Hundred-Demon Atlas, to Mu Yao’s father, as he preferred not to meddle in worldly affairs. To repair the Atlas, the two decided to head to Cainan County.

Cui Cui was heartbroken to see the group of five splitting up, though he took solace in having his grandfather by his side. Mu Sheng and Ling Miaomiao set out for Qilin Mountain, following the map. Along the way, they bickered like children but shared many sweet moments. Mu Sheng even dragged Ling Miaomiao to find a painting demon to have their portraits drawn. Ling Miaomiao playfully made a scissors-hand gesture for the picture.

She couldn’t remember where the gesture came from but knew it symbolized happiness. Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi also departed for Cainan County, Liu Fuyi’s hometown. However, as they drew closer, Liu Fuyi’s mood became increasingly somber, which didn’t escape Mu Yao’s notice, leaving her a bit concerned. No one knew the exact location of Qilin Mountain until they saw Wufang Town on the map.

They heard that many people had been visiting the town in recent years to listen to opera performances, so Mu Sheng and Ling Miaomiao decided to head there. While dismounting the carriage, Ling Miaomiao accidentally dropped a book. It contained her strategy guide, but Ling Miaomiao had no memory of it at all.

Liu Fuyi finally opened up to Mu Yao and revealed the source of his inner demons. Orphaned at a young age, Liu Fuyi wandered aimlessly in Cainan County until his master took him in. His parents, who were bandits, were executed when he was only six years old, leaving him homeless and destitute.

He eventually stumbled upon Liuru Village, where kind villagers took him in and treated him as one of their own, refusing to judge him for his parents' sins. The villagers clothed and fed him, becoming like a family to him. One day, while chopping wood on the mountain, Liu Fuyi heard cries for help. He rushed over and saved a ragged little girl, only to later discover she was a phantom demon.

Liu Fuyi wasn’t afraid of her and secretly brought her food and clothes, treating her as his best friend. He assumed she was just another orphan like himself, but he was wrong. That day, the phantom demon slaughtered all the villagers, including his playmates. Consumed by rage, Liu Fuyi killed the demon in revenge. Wandering aimlessly in despair afterward, he was rescued by his master. From then on, he vowed to hunt all evil demons to atone for his sins.

Hearing this, Mu Yao felt deeply for him, knowing it wasn’t solely his fault. As the time of the Catastrophe drew near with no clues in sight, Ling Miaomiao was dejected. Mu Sheng, attempting to cheer her up, took her to listen to storytelling. They were bored until the storyteller mentioned the name "Ziqi. " Both Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng perked up and immediately sought out the author, Lord Jiyue.

However, there was a long line of people waiting to meet him, with at least a two-month wait. When the steward overheard the name "Ziqi," he promptly ushered them in. Lord Jiyue greeted them enthusiastically, focusing solely on Mu Sheng and ignoring Ling Miaomiao. Annoyed by the interrogation, Mu Sheng bluntly admitted to being half-demon, only for Lord Jiyue to embrace him excitedly. Inviting them into his room, Lord Jiyue explained that his bestselling stories weren’t his own creations.

Ten years ago, in Wufang Town, there was a place called the Flower Fragrance Pavilion, run by a woman named Liuniang. One day, Liuniang disbanded the music hall and burned it down. Back then, Lord Jiyue was a poor scholar scavenging through the ruins for valuables when he stumbled upon a box of pearls. However, these pearls had an eerie quality. Curious, Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng listened as Lord Jiyue revealed that the pearls held stories within them.

Mu Sheng confirmed they weren’t pearls but tears, each one containing the story of a Flower Fragrance woman. Lord Jiyue adapted these stories into his writings, which became wildly popular. Eventually, Liuniang sought him out and revealed that she was a demon. She gave him a single red pearl, explaining that it was a tear belonging to Mu Sheng’s mother, the Enchantress.

Years ago, the Enchantress and the Marquess of Qingyi fell in love at first sight, and Mu Sheng was the result of their union. However, the story of the half-red pearl ended there. Liuniang asked Lord Jiyue to find the child in the story and deliver a message to seek her out. Mu Sheng left immediately, overwhelmed by the realization that his mother had tampered with his memories, erasing everything before he turned seven.

He had always believed she abandoned him. Conflicted, he wondered if she was still alive, if she was happy, and whether she had ever truly loved him. Despite his turmoil, he knew he had to meet Liuniang. Meanwhile, Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao arrived at his childhood village, only to find that the villagers were somehow alive and recognized him. They affectionately called him by his childhood nickname, "Maodan.

" Stunned, Liu Fuyi remembered that the villagers had all died years ago. The villagers explained that Ten Niangzi had passed through the village a decade ago and saved them. They pointed the way to her residence. Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao visited Ten Niangzi's home, where they met her and her husband, Li Zhun.

Sensing demonic energy from Li Zhun, Liu Fuyi immediately attacked but later learned that Li Zhun suffered from asthma and was being treated with icy jade silkworms by Ten Niangzi. During their conversation, Li Zhun fell ill, prompting Ten Niangzi to take him to rest, looking visibly worried. Liuniang’s residence turned out to be a village filled with demons, all of whom seemed to adore her.

When Liuniang appeared, the Crescent Moon Sword in Mu Sheng’s hand attacked her of its own accord. Fortunately, Mu Sheng restrained it in time. Liuniang then led Mu Sheng to the home where he once lived with his mother. She had kept the place well-maintained, revealing that this village was originally built by her for the Enchantress.

Ten Niangzi belonged to the Chunhu fox clan, known for their expertise in both medicine and poison. As a sixth-rank practitioner, it was plausible she had saved the villagers, but Liu Fuyi remained skeptical—no medical skill could truly bring people back from the dead. Hearing their conversation, Ten Niangzi explained that her medical skills alone couldn’t achieve such a feat. However, with the help of the icy jade silkworm, it became possible.

She had even saved Li Zhun in this way. Ten years ago, Ten Niangzi had been captured by a demon hunter, but it was Li Zhun who secretly set her free. She had never forgotten Li Zhun's face. After hearing that he inherited the fragrance factory and ceased using demon blood in production, leading to financial ruin, she chose to assist him. Despite falling ill and becoming destitute, Li Zhun remained steadfast in his principles.

Observing his sincerity, Ten Niangzi decided to intervene. Li Zhun was unaware of her true nature as a demon, and saving the villagers was his idea. When Liu Fuyi asked if she had seen any demons, Ten Niangzi said she only found a scythe and a pool of blood when she arrived. Mu Yao requested to borrow the icy jade silkworm.

Initially hesitant, Ten Niangzi eventually agreed, but only after the full moon when the silkworms produced silk for Li Zhun’s medicine. Meanwhile, Liuniang avoided revealing whether the Enchantress was alive or dead. That night, she prepared to take Mu Sheng to uncover the truth but insisted Ling Miaomiao stay behind. Mu Sheng refused, stating that Ling Miaomiao was his fiancée, and he wouldn’t leave her alone no matter what.

Ling Miaomiao, understanding the situation, reassured him that she could manage and was placed in the same room as Tao Zi for the night. Hearing they were searching for Qilin Mountain, Tao Zi shared a legend. Ten years ago, someone cast an illusion over Qilin Mountain, making it nearly impossible to see. After the mountain’s destruction, only the illusion remained. Liuniang had been repeatedly climbing the ruined mountain, planting trees to recreate the landscape.

However, Mu Sheng was preoccupied with a burning question: why did the Crescent Moon Sword, which was supposed to protect him, suddenly show hostility toward Liuniang? Liuniang calmly admitted that she once harbored a desire to kill Mu Sheng, but it was during the time the Enchantress was pregnant with him. The Enchantress, however, refused to give up her unborn child. Liuniang revealed that the red pearl wasn’t the Enchantress's tear but her blood.

As a being of pure origin, the Enchantress was born without tears. She then led Mu Sheng into a garden where he could see the Enchantress's memories, stating that memories couldn’t lie. Mu Sheng knew Liuniang didn’t care for him, and he suspected she had lured him here for more than just sharing these memories. Yet, she avoided answering and slowly enticed him further into the garden. Meanwhile, Ling Miaomiao discovered that Tao Zi had a golden pearl.

Tao Zi explained that a person’s last tear in life is golden, and when worn by someone they care about, it becomes a protective charm. Ling Miaomiao suddenly thought of the red pearl in Liuniang’s possession and worried that Liuniang might harm Mu Sheng. She begged Tao Zi to take her to check on him. Unexpectedly, Tao Zi used Liuniang’s blood to knock Ling Miaomiao unconscious and extracted one of her tears, transforming it into a pearl.

Mu Sheng finally chose to step into Liuniang’s memories. Liuniang, a demon, had been rescued by the Enchantress, and the two became like sisters, living peacefully on Qilin Mountain. Mortals worshipped the Enchantress as a divine figure, believing her blessings could grant eternal love. Though pure and kind-hearted, the Enchantress herself suffered from love. During a journey to the mortal world, she encountered the Marquess of Qingyi and later gave birth to Mu Sheng, a half-demon.

From the day she became pregnant, Liuniang feared that Mu Sheng and his father would bring calamity. Two demon hunters eventually arrived at the mountain. Recognizing Mu Huaijiang’s face in the memories, Mu Sheng suddenly realized how everything from the past twenty years was connected. On that fateful day, the Marquess confessed his true identity to the Enchantress and Liuniang, expressing his wish to abandon his title and live with the Enchantress on Qilin Mountain.

Upon hearing of the demon hunters, he went to negotiate but never returned. Though peace returned to the mountain, the Enchantress became despondent. Her grief worsened as her powers began to wane, seemingly drained by the child growing within her. On the day Mu Huaijiang arrived, Liuniang took the Enchantress away, but Qilin Mountain was soon swarmed by demon hunters and razed to the ground.

The Enchantress later learned of the Marquess’s marriage, which shattered her completely, causing her to shed tears of blood. As Mu Sheng grew, the Enchantress became weaker, yet she risked everything to keep her child. She left Liuniang and, after giving birth, lost all her powers. To raise Mu Sheng, she even resorted to singing for money. Liuniang couldn’t fathom how the Enchantress endured those days and grew to hate the Marquess—and Mu Sheng.

Mu Sheng’s memories, however, were of his mother abandoning him. Liuniang led him into the Nine-Curve Maze, claiming it would reveal everything he wanted to know. Mu Sheng, with tears in his eyes, stepped forward, and memories of his mother’s gentle singing flooded his mind. He recalled everything. Filled with rage toward the man who abandoned the Enchantress, Mu Sheng resolved to kill him, unaware that this decision had harmed his mother.

The demon hunters had sealed the Enchantress, but to protect her son, she cast the Forgetfulness Curse on Mu Sheng, tied his hair with a ribbon, and surrendered herself in his place. Learning the truth devastated Mu Sheng. Liuniang’s plan had succeeded; she had bound him with memories, making him unable to escape. She demanded he return the Enchantress’s demon core and accept death.

Meanwhile, in the village, the villagers, hearing that Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi weren’t yet married, took the opportunity to prepare a feast and send them into the bridal chamber. For the first time in years, Liu Fuyi smiled—a true smile. He finally felt relieved that no one had died because of him. Liu Fuyi remarked that his family would be enthusiastic, but a proper wedding would not be so simple.

Mu Yao didn’t mind; she loved the intimate atmosphere and even called him by his childhood nickname, "Maodan. " However, the villagers who had been celebrating outside suddenly turned silent, their expressions lifeless as they shuffled toward an unknown destination.

Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi were married. As Liu Fuyi fell asleep, Mu Yao lay beside him, feeling an unusual sense of peace. However, a voice began calling her name, causing her a sharp headache. Sensing something amiss, Mu Yao left for the outskirts of the village, where she saw someone lying on the ground, appearing lifeless. Just then, Shi Niangzi appeared, and Mu Yao naturally assumed she had killed the person.

But to her surprise, the individual suddenly woke up and praised Shi Niangzi for curing him. Only then did Mu Yao put away her weapon. However, Shi Niangzi’s expression was odd as she urged Mu Yao to return quickly. Worried, Mu Yao asked Guo Xiu to investigate whether the Han Yu Silkworm and Qi Hun Flower required human blood for nourishment.

Guo Xiu examined the ancient texts and confirmed they did not, but he also noted that these two items often attracted phantom demons—strange, natural-born entities that cocoon themselves every few years, undergoing four transformations to become eighth-level demons. Realizing Liu Fuyi might be in danger, Mu Yao rushed back to the village, where she discovered that all the villagers had scars on their chests. They explained these scars were left by Shi Niangzi when she saved them.

Mu Yao immediately thought of the person she had encountered the night before. Realizing the village was unusual, she grabbed Liu Fuyi and prepared to leave, stating that Shi Niangzi had deceived them and the villagers weren’t alive. However, Liu Fuyi, his expression blank, revealed he already knew, as someone had told him earlier. Chu Chu then appeared, and Liu Fuyi, trapped in her illusion, even turned against Mu Yao.

Mu Yao noticed a thread of black hair linking Chu Chu and Liu Fuyi, and she attempted to cut it with her sword. Chu Chu warned her that severing the thread would kill Liu Fuyi. In a shocking moment, Liu Fuyi stabbed Mu Yao, and she noticed the scar on his chest. It was revealed that Chu Chu, the one pulling the strings, was Liu Fuyi’s former rescue, as well as Shi Niangzi and Li Zhun’s daughter.

Ling Miaomiao awoke with no memory of Mu Sheng. Instead, her mind was filled with the image of an unfamiliar figure, whose identity puzzled her. Chu Chu, determined not to lose Liu Fuyi, manipulated him and the villagers alike. Mu Yao, severely injured, was saved by Shi Niangzi. Shi Niangzi revealed that three nights from now, under the full moon, Chu Chu would cocoon herself for the final time.

They had no chance to defeat her, and the only reason she saved Mu Yao was because Chu Chu needed Mu Yao’s blood. The truth surfaced: Chu Chu, Li Zhun’s real daughter, had died ten years ago. In desperation, Shi Niangzi struck a deal with her to save Li Zhun. Chu Chu had demanded the revival of the villagers. Though Shi Niangzi possessed the skill to stitch bodies together, she could not resurrect the dead.

Instead, Chu Chu split her demonic power and used a demon core to revive them. She believed that by bringing everyone back to life, Liu Fuyi would no longer be angry with her. With Shi Niangzi’s cover, Chu Chu had been able to kill so many, but Shi Niangzi didn’t care as long as Li Zhun lived. Ling Miaomiao, now part of the village, spent her days immersed in daily tasks.

While she toiled, Liu Niang explained that she had gone to the flower field. Meanwhile, Mu Sheng, trapped for an entire day, was still alive but barely clinging to hope. Liu Niang, pitying his suffering, decided to end his life herself. She took out a shard of the Glazed Heart, which was part of the demoness’ heart. Liu Niang had nourished it with her own blood daily, hoping to restore the demoness.

With Mu Sheng’s demon core and the Glazed Heart, she believed she could resurrect the demoness, allowing her to live carefree in Qilin Mountain as she once had. Liu Niang didn’t wish to kill Mu Sheng out of hatred but rather because his existence caused instability in her power. Yet Mu Sheng couldn’t die—he had someone he deeply cared for now. Liu Niang, however, had erased Ling Miaomiao’s memories of him, leaving her to live in blissful ignorance.

Ling Miaomiao, realizing her memories were missing, demanded Tao Zi return them, no matter how painful the truth might be. Though trapped in memories, Mu Sheng held onto his belief that Ling Miaomiao wouldn’t forget him. True to his conviction, she soon arrived to save him. Liu Niang declared that as long as her formation remained, her plan wouldn’t fail, even if she were killed.

Ling Miaomiao tried to take the golden pearl from Liu Niang’s hand to save Mu Sheng. Suddenly, the pearl transformed into the demoness’ image. The demoness had given her demon core and life to her child, feeling guilty only towards Liu Niang. She left the pearl to protect her beloved sister one last time. Realizing the truth, Liu Niang had a profound moment of clarity and let go of her resentment, dismantling the formation and releasing Mu Sheng.

Guo Xiu arrived hurriedly after receiving Mu Yao’s message, but no one from the Qintian Bureau came. With the phantom demon set to cocoon itself tonight and Mu Yao gravely injured, they were left with little hope. Alone, she let out a heavy sigh.

Shi Niangzi discovered Guo Xiu and was about to attack him and Mu Yao when Li Zhun rushed over to stop her. It turned out that Li Zhun was the one who helped Mu Yao send a message to the Qintian Bureau. He had already learned everything. Ten years ago, when Shi Niangzi first saved him and Chu Chu, Li Zhun knew she was a demon.

Back then, Shi Niangzi had sought the help of the phantom demon to revive Chu Chu because, as a parent, she couldn’t bear to see her child die. She had hoped that Chu Chu could inherit the phantom demon’s essence. However, Li Zhun had known the truth all along. He understood that everything Shi Niangzi did was for him and urged her to stop, even pleading with Mu Yao and Guo Xiu for forgiveness.

Mu Yao tried to persuade Shi Niangzi, reminding her that Li Zhun had always been by her side—he was her way back to redemption. Chu Chu appeared in the village with Liu Fuyi. Shi Niangzi captured Mu Yao and used her blood for Chu Chu. Chu Chu, preparing to break her cocoon, instructed Liu Fuyi to carve out Mu Yao’s heart after she emerged so she could consume it. However, Shi Niangzi had secretly poisoned Chu Chu.

During the cocooning process, a phantom demon’s power is at its weakest. This was all part of Shi Niangzi and Mu Yao’s plan. Enraged, Chu Chu manipulated everyone, but Guo Xiu arrived just in time to help them subdue her. Liu Fuyi, unaffected by Guo Xiu’s immobilization spell, was stopped by Mu Yao herself. The two fought for real this time, but when Mu Yao’s blade rested against Liu Fuyi’s neck, she couldn’t hold back her tears.

Her tears broke through Liu Fuyi’s illusion. He longed so much for peace that he had chosen to believe the falsehoods around him. But falsehoods remain false; Liu Fuyi had to wake up. He severed the threads of control himself, declaring that living like a puppet or dying made no difference. Liu Fuyi collapsed into Mu Yao’s arms, and even without a heart, he still loved her. As Chu Chu faced death, she vowed to take the world with her.

Shi Niangzi and Guo Xiu were at a loss until Mr. Wenxin appeared to stabilize the situation. Meanwhile, Mu Sheng and Ling Miaomiao bid farewell to Liu Niang. Liu Niang handed them a pearl containing fragments of the demoness’ memories, explaining that her previous obsession had blinded her from understanding them. Now, she entrusted it to them to explore on their own.

The memories revealed that the demoness had once told Qingyi Hou to leave with his companions, as he would bring disaster to Qilin Mountain. Their bond had ended there—true love isn’t always about staying together; sometimes, it’s about letting go. Though Qingyi Hou was reluctant to leave, he understood her intentions. As a parting gift, the demoness gave him a wooden bracelet, hoping that one day, the three of them—herself, Qingyi Hou, and their child—could reunite.

Mu Sheng was moved to discover how deeply his parents loved each other and him. The waxing moon stirred, and Mu Sheng finally merged with it, fully mastering its power. Though he had regained all his memories, Ling Miaomiao still found some details puzzling. Mu Sheng’s memory had begun returning much earlier than Liu Niang had claimed. But they put their doubts aside, focusing on the greater crisis of the impending Heavenly Destruction.

Shi Niangzi used Han Yu silk and her demon power to save Liu Fuyi, hoping that redeeming one life might be enough to justify her title as the Miracle Healer. Li Zhun, devastated by the loss of his love, fell into deep sorrow. Seeing this, Mr. Wenxin gifted him the Lu family’s secret techniques to maintain his health. He advised Li Zhun to live on, as life’s meaning could eventually be rediscovered.

Liu Fuyi buried the villagers’ bodies, finally understanding that some mistakes could never be undone. Mr. Wenxin repaired the Map of the Hundred Demons and Seas using Han Yu silk, making the journey worthwhile, though the restoration wouldn’t be complete until the New Year. By then, Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng were expected to return to the valley, and everyone could celebrate together.

When Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi returned, Cui Cui was overjoyed, and Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng quickly greeted them. Upon hearing of their marriage, Mu Sheng clenched his teeth in frustration, warning Liu Fuyi never to mistreat Mu Yao. As Mr. Wenxin worked on the map, he recalled memories of Mu Huaijiang. Mu Huaijiang had destroyed Qilin Mountain, and Mr. Wenxin blamed himself for giving him the map, which had fueled Mu Huaijiang’s greed. In anger, Mr.

Wenxin destroyed half of the map and severed ties with him. Mu Sheng unexpectedly challenged Mr. Wenxin again. With the waxing moon’s power, even Mr. Wenxin couldn’t defeat him. Mu Sheng realized that Mr. Wenxin had deliberately allowed him to search for answers. But who was the person imprisoned in the Mu family’s old residence? Mu Huaijiang had forbidden anyone from approaching the dungeon, but one day, Mu Sheng was drawn by a song and saw her.

She looked identical to his mother, yet she couldn’t possibly be her. This person was a Resentful Woman, created when a demoness loses her heart. To possess the demoness’ heart was to become a Heaven-tier demon hunter, but losing it transformed her into a Resentful Woman. This fate was entirely Mu Huaijiang’s doing—she became a ninth-tier Resentful Woman, the Heartless Demon King. Mr.

Wenxin had been deeply disappointed in Mu Huaijiang, refusing to read his letters and missing his chance to stop the tragedy. His greatest regret was failing to prevent everything. Mr. Wenxin didn’t reveal these truths to Mu Yao, believing that some truths are better left untold. However, he still wondered how the Resentful Woman had broken free to slaughter the Mu family.

The truth was that Mu Sheng, under her influence, had brought her tea, breaking the formation and enabling her massacre of the Mu family. Mr. Wenxin had discovered the Resentful Woman’s location and realized that the so-called Heavenly Destruction was her doing. Mu Sheng, knowing everything, proposed a solution. He believed that returning the Glazed Heart to his mother could restore her as a demoness. He was even willing to lose his demon core and all his powers.

Though uncertain of success, he wanted to try, seeing it as the fairest resolution for his mother and sister. Bowing respectfully, Mu Sheng pleaded with Mr. Wenxin for his assistance.

Mu Sheng humbled himself to beg Wenxin Xiansheng for help. Seeing his sincerity, Wenxin Xiansheng remained silent for a long time before finally agreeing to assist him. Meanwhile, Mu Yao, eager to see the Hundred Demons Shanhai Map, was repeatedly stopped by Wenxin Xiansheng, but she eventually managed to view it. To her shock, she discovered the location of the Resentful Woman. Ling Miaomiao described snow to Mu Sheng, who had never seen it.

Knowing how much she wanted to experience it, Mu Sheng conjured a snowfall for her with his thoughts. Watching her twirl and play joyfully with the snow, carefree and happy, he stood silently with his hands behind his back, gazing at the beautiful scene with a touch of sadness. Everyone gathered to make dumplings. Ling Miaomiao patiently taught Cui Cui, and the dumplings Mu Sheng made were criticized by Ling Miaomiao for their odd shapes.

Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi shared sweet moments, displaying their love openly. Qingqing and Wenxin Xiansheng brought out steaming hot dumplings, and after dinner, the group built snowmen in the courtyard. They promised never to part. Mu Yao was overjoyed, while Mu Sheng remarked that they would spend every year like this together, but hinted that their time might be short. Their words carried hidden meanings, as both silently prepared for the sacrifices they would make.

Meanwhile, Ling Miaomiao and Cui Cui joyfully watched fireworks, their happiness resembling that of carefree children. Late at night, Mu Yao told Wenxin Xiansheng that she was ready. The Resentful Woman resided within her, and she intended to sacrifice herself to destroy her. Even if she died for the world without anyone knowing, she had no regrets. For the sake of her family, her lover, and her closest friends, she felt her life was complete.

Wenxin Xiansheng began preparing the ritual for her. By the next day, Mu Sheng and the others noticed something was wrong with the formation. The Demon-Sealing Tower had grown immense, but Mu Yao was nowhere to be found. Wenxin Xiansheng had long known the Resentful Woman was within Mu Yao. Despite years of searching for a way to destroy the Resentful Woman, he found no solution.

Thus, Mu Yao chose to use her final Lunar New Year to bid farewell to everyone. Liu Fuyi refused to accept this reality, while Ling Miaomiao found the conclusion eerily familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before. Mu Sheng could no longer hide the truth. The Resentful Woman indeed resided within Mu Yao—he had seen it with his own eyes. Years ago, the Resentful Woman, using Mu Yao's body, massacred the entire Mu family, killing Mu Yao’s father.

She even made Mu Sheng remember her name, declaring herself as the Resentful Woman. When she tried to attack Mu Sheng, his hair ribbon protected him. Mu Sheng had kept this secret to himself all these years. In anguish, he questioned Wenxin Xiansheng about his actions. Wenxin Xiansheng justified them by claiming it was for the greater good—by destroying all demons in the world, the Heaven-Destruction Calamity could be averted.

Qingqing and Cui Cui were deeply disappointed, and Mu Sheng and Ling Miaomiao felt betrayed and outraged. Liu Fuyi tried to retrieve the Demon-Sealing Tower, but his master’s inner core was linked to the formation. Mu Sheng, enraged, wanted to kill Wenxin Xiansheng but was stopped by Ling Miaomiao, who urged him to stay rational. Ling Miaomiao opened the tower's pathway with her spiritual power, followed by Liu Fuyi, Mu Sheng, and Cui Cui.

Inside the tower awaited their loved ones, and they were determined to face whatever lay ahead, even if it meant dying within. Upon reaching the tower's summit, Liu Fuyi stated that the Resentful Woman resided on the final level, though reaching it would be exceedingly difficult. This was his first time inside the tower, and many demons he had personally captured were still imprisoned there. Three minor demons, who had committed no great crimes, approached them.

These demons, desperate to reach the top and find an exit, felt deceived and almost attacked. However, they ultimately chose to trust Liu Fuyi, who permitted them to pass. They soon located the karmic gate to the next level. Liu Fuyi instructed Cui Cui to stay behind, explaining that the layers below were harmful to demons, and Cui Cui wouldn’t be able to endure it. Though reluctant, Cui Cui obeyed and stayed to support them from above.

The second layer was far more desolate, and the remaining demons, harboring malice, refused to reveal themselves. This level was more dangerous than the last. The group managed to find the karmic gate quickly, and Liu Fuyi warned them that the third level would be even more perilous. Qingqing, heartbroken by Wenxin Xiansheng’s deceit, lamented her disillusionment. She had believed he was different from other demon-catchers, only to find him just as obstinate.

The trio fought their way down, sustaining severe injuries. As they neared the ninth and final layer, the challenges grew increasingly dire. On the eighth layer, amidst frigid winds and heavy snow, Liu Fuyi opened the karmic gate but collapsed from the backlash of opening the gates on each level. Vomiting blood, he was unable to proceed further.

He entrusted the task of slaying the Resentful Woman to Mu Sheng and Ling Miaomiao, imploring them to rescue Mu Yao from the tower at all costs. With the gate on the verge of closing, Mu Sheng steeled his resolve and dragged Ling Miaomiao into the ninth layer.

Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng reached the final level of the tower and found Mu Yao imprisoned. They were unable to approach her, as an invisible force kept them at bay. Mu Sheng nearly lost control of his emotions, but Ling Miaomiao noticed something was off—this wasn’t Mu Yao; it was the Resentful Woman. With a sinister smile, the Resentful Woman detached herself from Mu Yao’s body.

Seeing Mu Sheng attempt the same method he had used before, Ling Miaomiao urgently reminded him, “She’s not your mother! ” The Resentful Woman was absorbing Mu Yao's spiritual power but had yet to fully manifest. Apart from using words to manipulate them, she could do nothing for now. Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng believed that reshaping the Heart of Glaze and the demon core could bring back the Enchantress.

Ling Miaomiao, having overheard Mu Sheng’s conversation with Wenxin Xiansheng outside the tower, realized that Mu Sheng planned to sacrifice himself. She insisted that mutual trust was the only way to change their fates. Together, Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng attempted to reshape the Heart of Glaze but failed. The Resentful Woman, triumphant, absorbed all of Mu Yao's demon power and gained freedom.

Instantly, every demon in the tower knelt before her, including Cui Cui, who was assimilated, and even the half-demon Mu Sheng, who could not resist bowing. It was revealed that Mu Sheng’s arrival at the Mu family was due to the Enchantress’s lure—she had drawn him to her from the very beginning. The Resentful Woman regarded Mu Sheng as a pawn, declaring that the outcome was set, and everyone would die!

The Resentful Woman’s immense power led many demons to seize the opportunity to attack Liu Fuyi. Despite being gravely injured, Liu Fuyi fought on with sheer determination. Qingqing linked his life essence to the formation, knowing he wouldn’t survive. His act was to give Wenxin Xiansheng one last chance to make things right. Qingqing eventually vanished, transforming into a bamboo forest.

Seeing this, Wenxin Xiansheng had a change of heart and stabilized the Demon-Sealing Tower, urging the group to kill the Resentful Woman at all costs. The Resentful Woman’s attacks triggered Ling Miaomiao’s memories from the book, and she suddenly understood everything. Years ago, the Resentful Woman had intended to take over Mu Sheng’s body. When she failed, she was forced to inhabit Mu Yao instead. She had already lost once twelve years ago!

Ling Miaomiao used her Heavenly Revelation power to fight the Resentful Woman. However, under the Resentful Woman’s control, Mu Sheng attacked Ling Miaomiao. Unexpectedly, Mu Sheng resisted with all his willpower. To protect Ling Miaomiao, Mu Sheng blocked a fatal blow for her. In that moment, his demon core fused with the Heavenly Revelation power, granting him unmatched strength. He used this power to slay the Resentful Woman, saving both humans and demons.

Ling Miaomiao’s vision blurred as she saw the Resentful Woman vanish. When she opened her eyes, she realized Mu Sheng had won—they had succeeded! However, just as she embraced Mu Sheng, his weapon fell to the ground, and his body began to fade. The intense battle had drained all his spiritual energy. Even as a Ninth-Rank Demon King and a Heavenly-Grade Demon Hunter, he couldn’t escape this fate. Mu Sheng dissolved in Ling Miaomiao’s arms.

At that moment, the system’s voice echoed in her ears, announcing that Mu Sheng’s affection rating had reached 100%, and the character strategy was complete. Having fulfilled all the requirements, Ling Miaomiao unlocked the portal to return to the real world. However, she recalled the price she had paid to save everyone: unlocking the Heavenly Revelation power had cost her all memories of her modern life, and she might never return to the real world.

Though hesitant, Ling Miaomiao chose to save everyone at that moment. She hadn’t realized she had forgotten herself. Even now, she couldn’t accept this ending, as she still wanted to save everyone. The system revealed that Mu Yao, Mu Sheng, and Liu Fuyi were all dead, and only the Heavenly Revelation power could resurrect them. Using her remaining power, Ling Miaomiao brought Liu Fuyi, Mu Sheng, and Mu Yao back to life, reviving them from the snow-covered battlefield.

When Mu Sheng was reborn, he saw Ling Miaomiao again. But she wasn’t his beloved—she was Lin Yu. Realizing she wasn’t Ling Miaomiao, Mu Sheng refused to accept this outcome. He traveled to the Orchid Veil, where he met Mu Qingshi, who looked exactly like Ling Miaomiao. She explained that Ling Miaomiao had visited her before disappearing, asking her to guide Mu Sheng to find her. As a Heavenly-Grade Demon Hunter, Mu Sheng had the ability to reverse time.

Ling Miaomiao believed that no matter how many attempts it took, he would always find her. Ling Miaomiao began to wonder why she and Mu Qingshi looked identical and why she possessed his divine power. Mu Qingshi revealed that she was both Ling Miaomiao and not her. Thousands of years ago, she had saved Mu Sheng unintentionally; this time, it was a conscious choice.

Ling Miaomiao would wait for Mu Sheng in countless endings, and Mu Sheng would choose to reverse time to find her in every story. When he finally found Ling Miaomiao and returned to the beginning of the story, they joined forces to slay the Resentful Woman. In the process, Mu Sheng even caught a fleeting glimpse of his mother, the Enchantress. In another timeline, their family of three lived happily together.

Watching the children succeed, Wenxin Xiansheng shouted excitedly, “The children have won! We were wrong! ”As the Demon-Sealing Tower began to collapse, Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng hurriedly carried Mu Yao out. Liu Fuyi and Cui Cui also escaped. This time, no one died except for Cui Cui’s grandfather, Qingqing. Like bamboo, which flowers only once in its lifetime, Qingqing’s blooming signified his death.

The sky suddenly changed, glowing blood-red as if about to consume the world. The legendary Cataclysmic Blood Moon, marking the Heaven's End Calamity, had reappeared. But the Resentful Woman had already been slain—why hadn't the calamity been averted? Mu Sheng wanted to rewrite the ending again, but Ling Miaomiao knew this time was different. This ending was preordained, beyond their power to change. Mu Sheng dismissed her concerns and reached for his weapon, only to find it had vanished.

Ling Miaomiao revealed the truth: the source of the Heaven's End Calamity wasn’t the Resentful Woman—it was the author of the novel, Fu Zhou. She explained that she wasn’t Lin Yu but Ling Miaomiao, someone from Fu Zhou's world. Fu Zhou was her favorite author, known for writing about his own childhood. Suffering from smoke disease, his childhood had been devoid of joy as he could only watch other children play.

In his most desperate and angry moments, he wrote his first novel, a story where everyone concealed truths from each other, leading to tragic endings. Ling Miaomiao finally understood that demon hunting wasn’t Mu Sheng’s comeback work but the debut novel Fu Zhou had written as a child. While others struggled to grasp her words, Mu Sheng understood: only this child could change everything. In all of Fu Zhou’s novels, the first lullaby always held the final clue.

Mu Sheng suddenly realized something and asked Cui Cui to help broadcast their voices to the world. Transforming into a bamboo grove, Cui Cui connected all the spirits and demon hunters across the world, rallying their support. At the Imperial Observatory, the young marquis led a collective effort to construct a heavenly bridge. Hand in hand, Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng walked forward. Every person, spirit, and even the smallest dust demon contributed their strength to complete the sky ladder.

Supporting each other, Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng reached the end of the bridge. But when Mu Sheng turned his head, Ling Miaomiao was gone. He found himself in an empty room, where Fu Zhou was hiding in a closet, crying. Mu Sheng moved to open the closet, but a younger Fu Zhou appeared behind him, questioning what good it would do. After all, Mu Sheng was merely a character in his story.

Mu Sheng told him that one day, he would find courage and hope. His gaze fell on the pen in Fu Zhou’s hand. In his darkest days, the only light in Fu Zhou’s life was his classmate, Ling Miaomiao, who brightened his world like a little sun. He would always remember her hair ribbon and had drawn it on his hand, eventually writing her into his story.

Years ago, when their classmate was bullied, Ling Miaomiao was called to the principal’s office. On her way there, her father got into a car accident, and she transferred schools soon after. Before leaving, she gave Fu Zhou a pen, which he cherished ever since. Mu Sheng opened the closet and helped the young Fu Zhou out, promising him he would never need to hide in there again. His future self would be brave and strong.

Mu Sheng returned to the demon-hunting world, eager to tell Ling Miaomiao that the person he was when writing the novel was entirely different. Mu Sheng was Fu Zhou, and every novel he wrote was for her. As an adult, Fu Zhou returned to school and chose to undergo surgery. He made a wish: that the girl he loved would see his hidden feelings and that everyone’s endings could be rewritten.

As the Heaven's End Calamity drew near, the demon-hunting world was on the brink of collapse. Ling Miaomiao refused to leave, vowing to stay with Mu Sheng and fight to save it. Mu Sheng kissed her forehead gently and used his life force to halt the calamity. In the modern world, Ling Miaomiao woke up at her desk, brushing it off as a long dream. She returned to her ordinary life as a working-class woman.

In the dream, she had fallen in love with someone but couldn’t remember who. At Fu Zhou’s book signing event, Ling Miaomiao attended as a ten-year fan, despite thinking the book wasn’t great. She’d heard the ending had been rewritten, now beautifully complete. Cui Cui and Qingqing were at the venue, selling ice cream. Suddenly, fragments of Ling Miaomiao’s memories resurfaced, and at that moment, her familiar lover, Mu Sheng, appeared before her.

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