Chapter 43 Are You Falling in Love with Him?

Fortunately, this group of fierce entities had no intention of staying long. On the day they finally departed, the demonic beasts of the Nanmu Forest rejoiced.

Even the natural enemies, the wolves and the sheep, embraced one another and wept tears of joy.

Good heavens!

They were finally gone!

Standing aboard the spirit boat, Yun Zhao sighed with emotion, "These demonic beasts are truly sentimental and righteous. Now that we're leaving, they are actually crying this bitterly."

The others: "..."

Are you certain that was sorrow?

Bai Lingxiao looked somewhat perplexed. "By the way, we've been away for so long, why hasn't anyone come looking for us?"

Logically speaking, with Hu Guichen's tendency to inquire every two or three days, Master Guiyuan should have long since discovered that they had run away from home.

Yun Zhao exchanged a glance with Qiyan, and she offered a mysterious smile. "It's a secret!"

Meanwhile, Master Guiyuan looked helplessly at Mu Qianqian and Lin Shu, who were lingering relentlessly in his study. "I won't tell Sect Master Hu. The two of you should just go back."

The pair agreed verbally, yet stubbornly continued to pester Master Guiyuan, terrified that he might send a message to Hu Guichen the moment they let down their guard.

"Sect Master," Mu Qianqian said with a beaming smile, "naturally we trust you. We simply wish to listen to your esteemed teachings, which is why we refuse to leave."

Lin Shu echoed, "Me too."

Master Guiyuan: "..."

If you have the ability, young man, stop laying your bedding out to sleep on the floor of my room to keep watch at night!

"Sigh."

It was simply quite helpless.

Master Guiyuan resigned himself to fate, letting them do as they pleased.

Outside the study, Song Zhiyuan listened to the entire exchange, then turned and quietly walked away.

Seeing Song Zhiyuan return, Xue Hairui asked, "Senior Brother, didn't you go to see Master? Why are you back so soon?"

"Mu Qianqian and Lin Shu are in Master's study, likely seeking his instruction," Song Zhiyuan replied. "I won't disturb them. Sending Master a message will suffice."

"Alright," Xue Hairui said obediently. "Shall we set off now?"

Seeing Song Zhiyuan nod, Xue Hairui packed her neatly folded bundle into her storage pouch and followed behind him as the two left the Qingyun Sect.

Upon arriving at the Demon-Slaying City, a lengthy queue awaited them at the city gates. Because certain demons could transform into human shapes and sneak into the city, the guards at the gates maintained exceptionally strict inspections.

Yun Zhao softly tugged at Qiyan's sleeve, and Qiyan gave her a reassuring look. Understanding immediately, Yun Zhao signaled the others to join the queue.

All of them had applied disguise techniques to prevent being recognized by acquaintances.

Although encountering acquaintances was unlikely, taking precautions against the unexpected was always wise.

As Yun Zhao and her companions waited listlessly in line, near the opposite city gate of the Demon-Slaying City, a middle-aged man stood waiting as if anticipating someone's arrival.

"Steward Song, you've been standing here for quite a while. You should sit down and rest a bit."

The city gate guard suggested this.

Steward Song waved his hand in refusal. "Thank you, little brother. My young master should be arriving shortly."

Just as his voice trailed off, the figures of Song Zhiyuan and Xue Hairui appeared before him. He hurried forward to greet them. "Young Master."

Song Zhiyuan addressed him as "Steward Song" and introduced Xue Hairui.

Steward Song spoke respectfully, "Greetings, Miss Xue. This humble one is a steward of the Song family."

Xue Hairui exchanged polite greetings with him, then stood silently beside Song Zhiyuan, appearing somewhat shy.

Song Zhiyuan smiled. "Steward Song, let us return."

Steward Song acknowledged with a prompt nod and summoned the carriage that had been prepared in advance. Song Zhiyuan helped Xue Hairui inside, and the carriage slowly rolled into the city.

A person waiting nearby in the queue could not help asking, "Hey brother, why don't they have to wait in line? The guards don't care either—what if they turn out to be demons?"

The person he addressed curled his lip. "You don't even recognize this person? That is the young master of the Demon-Slaying City's Song family. Who would dare make the Song family's young master wait in line? And which demon would dare impersonate him?"

"Fair enough."

Since they lacked power and influence, they might as well obediently wait in line.

Inside the carriage, Xue Hairui curiously observed the streets of the Demon-Slaying City. Unlike other cities, every short distance featured an archaic mirror tied to a pole along the roadway.

Curious, she asked, "Senior Brother, what are those mirrors for? Could they be used for checking one's appearance and tidying up?"

Song Zhiyuan could not help smiling. "Of course not. Those are screening mirrors, substitutes for the Demon-Reflecting Mirrors. They can detect demonic aura, though they are only capable of identifying demons with lower cultivation levels."

Xue Hairui experienced a sudden epiphany.

"Then wouldn't demons with high cultivation levels be completely untraceable once they sneak into the city?"

"Not necessarily, not necessarily," Gu Dinghan said with an air of profound mystery. "Even if they successfully sneak in and evade the screening mirrors, the Demon-Slaying City periodically dispatches personnel to conduct thorough investigations. Very few demons can escape the scrutiny of high-level experts."

Yun Zhao nodded. "So that's how it is."

However, since Qiyan possessed a secret technique to conceal his aura, there was no need to worry about such matters.

They found an inn within the city to stay for the night, intending to rest and recuperate before discussing further plans tomorrow.

Dinner was served in the inn's main dining hall, and while eating, they happened to overhear some gossip regarding the Demon-Slaying City.

For instance, the head of the Song family had taken another concubine; the fourth young master of the He family had died, causing great fury within the clan as they searched for the culprit; the young master of the Tong family was critically ill, prompting the head of the Tong family to organize a marriage contest to see if an auspicious wedding could cure him...

Yun Zhao listened with rapt attention, consuming an extra bowl of rice as a result.

Once the dining hall cleared out, they returned to their respective rooms. Yun Zhao's room was adjacent to Xiaotong's, and she happened to catch Xiaotong walking straight into her door in a daze.

Quick as lightning, Yun Zhao reached out and grabbed her. "Xiaotong, what is wrong with you? Why are you so absent-minded?"

Xiaotong glanced at her and rubbed her temples. "Thank you, Senior Sister Zhaozhao. I'm fine, probably just didn't rest well last night."

Uneasy, Yun Zhao released her grip. "Then make sure to get some rest early tonight."

Xiaotong acknowledged her words and opened the door to enter her room.

Once back in her own room, Yun Zhao did not rest; instead, she took out her small notebook to write and sketch.

According to the plot, an elderly maidservant who had once served Qiyan's mother was still alive. By sheer coincidence, she crossed paths with Qiyan and revealed the truth of those past events to him.

Previously, bound by considerations for his mother, Qiyan had focused solely on developing his own forces and had exercised considerable restraint when confronting Song Zhiyuan.

However, once he learned that his mother had never interfered in the marriage of Song Zhiyuan's parents, but had instead been tricked into marriage by Song's father, and that the banishment and subsequent death of Song's mother involved other dark secrets, he began targeting Song Zhiyuan with relentless fury.

His innocent mother had been deceived, maliciously slandered, and ultimately framed, leaving her broken and muddled in mind.

Furthermore, it resulted in him being branded a "bastard child" from birth, subjected to constant bullying and abuse, and forced to spend his entire childhood living in a sunless dungeon...

If Qiyan did not turn dark and vengeful after all that, he would hardly deserve the profound injustices he had suffered!

Yun Zhao felt a twinge of heartbreak for Qiyan.

"Host, since your heart aches for him, have you fallen in love with him?"

"No," Yun Zhao replied, somewhat bewildered. "Is there any causal link between the two? Must one fall in love with someone simply because one feels sorry for their plight?"

The system stuttered. "Isn't there a saying that feeling heartbreak for someone is the beginning of falling in love with them?"

Yun Zhao pondered this for a moment. "But Qiyan's background is so tragic; any normal person would feel pity for what he has been through, wouldn't they?"