Chapter Thirty-Eight: Each Returns Home

Junyang crouched down, carefully examining Li Xiaoran’s corpse, then stood up again.

“I’ve seen him in the lower realm.”

“Does he have some special qualities?” Ming Chenyu noticed the unmistakable look of recognition on his master’s face. If this were merely an ordinary person from the lower realm, his master wouldn’t remember him. “Senior Junyang, why do you know this man?”

Junyang stroked his chin, pondering as he explained, “His family was destroyed, and the Thousand-Faced Demon Lord avenged him. He spent his days defending the Demon Lord.”

“Defending?” Yan Qingye released his spiritual senses to examine the corpse, then asked in confusion, “But I can’t detect a trace of demonic energy. Is he not the demon youth from last night?”

“Not only is there no demonic energy, there’s not even spiritual power or a spiritual root,” Ming Chenyu added. “How did he come to the upper realm, and who killed him?”

“What a strange affair,” Ming Yuyao muttered, scratching her head in frustration.

“Could it have been Yuan Yibai?” Junyang secretly transmitted a message to You Xiyue.

You Xiyue glanced at Junyang and replied, “Were you fooled yesterday?”

Junyang fell silent in deep suspicion. He had spent several hours on the inn’s rooftop yesterday and hadn’t sensed Yuan Yibai leaving the inn at all.

“But only Yuan Yibai suddenly borrowed the Celestial-Demon Dual Jade yesterday. That would explain why this corpse is utterly devoid of demonic energy, and the demon youth’s situation makes sense as well.”

By Junyang’s reasoning, it did fit, except Yuan Yibai hadn’t left the inn yesterday.

With Junyang’s cultivation, he couldn’t possibly have lost track of Yuan Yibai.

You Xiyue’s eyes were deep as she glanced at Junyang, making him uneasy. It was clearly a look of suspicion.

“Impossible!” Junyang denied swiftly.

You Xiyue pressed her lips together and turned to walk down the mountain.

Halfway down, she transmitted a message to Junyang, “I lost track of him yesterday too. What’s so strange about you losing him?”

Junyang had no retort. If that were so, it wasn’t strange at all.

Could it really be Yuan Yibai?

The two hurried back to the inn and headed toward Yuan Yibai’s room.

You Xiyue pushed the door open without hesitation, Junyang following close behind.

To their surprise, Yuan Yibai was bare-chested, his chest bearing a sunken palm print, flesh mangled, and thick demonic energy emanating from the wound.

“You…” Junyang stared at the injury for a long time. “You borrowed the Celestial-Demon Dual Jade because of this?”

“Yes.” As You Xiyue turned away, Yuan Yibai quickly closed his robe. “I once encountered the master of the Thousand-Faced Demon Lord in the lower realm. This palm strike came from him. If not for the Demon Lord’s secret assistance, my soul would have long since scattered.”

Junyang didn’t respond, instead analyzing the truth of Yuan Yibai’s words.

Yuan Yibai continued, “Cultivators in the upper realm regard demons as the vilest beings, but the Thousand-Faced Demon Lord saved me. I’m curious about him, but I fear my friends and family would resent me for being tainted by demonic energy, so I kept my injury hidden.”

“With such a grave wound, how did you withstand Mu Sanbing’s palm?” Junyang asked.

Yuan Yibai gave a bitter smile. “That’s why the demonic energy worsened. I can barely suppress it. Afraid it would one day be exposed, I shamelessly borrowed the Dual Jade from… the little senior.”

You Xiyue listened and left the room, pausing at the doorway to glance back.

Junyang followed, whispering, “Little ancestor, do you believe him?”

“No,” You Xiyue replied, heading toward her room.

“I don’t believe him either,” Junyang added, aggrieved. “But yesterday I truly sensed he was in the inn the whole time.”

“His explanation is quite reasonable,” You Xiyue said.

Junyang agreed, “Indeed, he didn’t slip up at all.”

“But it’s too reasonable, almost excessive.”

“Excessive?” Junyang pondered their earlier conversation but couldn’t find anything unnecessary.

“I never once mentioned the Thousand-Faced Demon Lord, yet he brought him up repeatedly.”

“Could Yuan Yibai be the demon youth?” Before You Xiyue could reply, Junyang dismissed his own thought. “That doesn’t add up. When Fei Chao died, he was with us the whole time—no chance to commit the crime. Besides, as the Yuan clan’s heir, he has no reason to join the demons.”

Junyang was nearly pulling his hair out with frustration. Looking back, he saw You Xiyue had already lain down on the Dream Mushroom, ignoring him.

Since Li Xiaoran’s corpse was found, Ye Linsong had spent three days on the street cursing the Thousand-Year Demon Lord, but the demon youth never appeared again, as if he’d vanished into thin air.

Ye Linsong returned to the inn, fuming.

“I’ve run out of insults, and no one’s come to attack me.”

Ming Chenyu glanced at Ye Linsong and rubbed his forehead, speechless. “My intuition tells me Senior Junyang knows that Li Xiaoran was the demon youth from that night.”

“But there’s no demonic energy on him,” Yan Qingye replied.

That was precisely what puzzled Ming Chenyu.

The group lingered a few more days on the third continent, but found nothing and had to give up the investigation for now.

Before leaving, Yuan Yibai returned the Celestial-Demon Dual Jade to You Xiyue, then took his leave, heading back to the Thirty-Third Continent.

In a little over a month, the Illusory Maze of the Thirty-Third Continent would open.

Yuan Yibai, as the young master, was summoned back by his father to prepare.

The Illusory Maze was one of the upper realm’s high-grade secret realms, filled with treasures and high-level spirit beasts. Its opening was a major event in the upper realm.

Ming Chenyu and the others accompanied You Xiyue back to the Phoenix clan, while Ming Yuyao and Ye Linsong returned to their families to complete their tasks.

Feng Qinghe’s cultivation advanced rapidly with You Xiyue’s help; in half a month, he reached the mid-stage of Void Reversal, albeit purely because You Xiyue provided rare materials.

That day, as usual, the group waited for You Xiyue in the pavilion of the guest courtyard.

You Xiyue rose early, but brought them unwelcome news.

“For the next six months, you are forbidden to eat foods with excessive spiritual power.”

“Why?” Yan Qingye and Ye Linyi wailed. They were used to daily feasts, and now, deprived, they could hardly bear it.

Junyang knocked each of them on the head, scolding, “With your bodies, if you don’t build a solid foundation and only rely on celestial fruits, what’s the point? You barely survived your last tribulation, so settle down and cultivate properly.”

“Understood,” Yan Qingye grumbled, rubbing his head.

After admonishing the juniors, Junyang turned expectantly to You Xiyue. “Little ancestor, what are we eating today?”

You Xiyue glanced at him and replied coolly, “Fasting.”