The Price of Indifference

“Is your injured patient named Dan Fusheng?” The nurse, recording the names, frowned deeply.

The name Dan Fusheng was not uncommon; after all, it was the true name of the Demon Lord, and many in the demon tribe bore it. However, the nurse’s concern lay elsewhere. “That person kept shouting ‘Bixia’ the whole way here.”

“Bixia is his nickname,” Si Chen explained smoothly. “He shares a name with the Demon Lord Dan Fusheng, so his nickname is ‘Your Majesty’.”

The nurse nodded, refraining from further questions. Her priority was to save the injured before discussing anything else. Yet, there was one more thing she needed to confirm. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong with that very large deceased person?”

“He’s not dead; he just occasionally has his soul leave his body.” That poor child was likely traumatized into shutting down by his senior martial brother.

“Then can you carry him back?” The nurse pointed at Chen Gui, who lay sprawled behind Si Chen.

“My apologies, we don’t have the time for that right now. We’ll just put him in a corner, out of the way,” Si Chen said, reaching down to grab the large bag Chen Gui was lying on, dragging him away. He pulled Chen Gui with surprising ease, likely because Chen Gui was subtly lending him some assistance.

But Chen Gui didn’t want to “wake up”—or perhaps, he dared not face the sheer social embarrassment of the situation.

“And that other… never mind.” The nurse had originally intended to ask if You Zhi, who had been crying out “Bixia” incessantly, might have some mental issues.

This You Zhi had collided with Dan Fusheng, yet he reacted as if he had run over his own father. He was kneeling by the operating room doors, wailing hysterically, beating his chest, and stomping his feet. His cries made the families of other patients feel a jolt of alarm. However, the man was weeping with such genuine emotion that interrupting him seemed inhumane.

“Oh, by the way, our hospital doesn’t allow demon beasts to revert to their original forms. Their fur is very difficult to clean up.” The nurse gestured towards Jade Mastiff, who was leashed by a collar and baring his fangs nearby.

“Understood. I’m holding his leash,” Si Chen replied, tugging on the rope.

The nurse let out a heavy sigh. This must be an incredibly complicated situation.

“I apologize for the trouble,” Si Chen said to the nurse. “I’m truly sorry.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You’ve had a difficult time.” The nurse watched Si Chen—dragging a “dead” man with one hand and leading a ferocious dog with the other—and felt exhausted just looking at him.

Jade Mastiff stared intently at You Zhi, his leash pulled taut. Jade Mastiff had carried his own leash to the hospital, but dogs weren’t allowed inside. He’d had no choice but to transform into his human form and rush in, enduring everyone’s astonished gazes, just so Si Chen could walk him.

He had beaten You Zhi soundly, but You Zhi paid him no mind, only knowing to repeatedly shout “Bixia!” at the operating room doors.

Eventually, Dan Fusheng was wheeled out. Si Chen glanced at him, utterly bewildered as to how a surgery had even been performed. Yet, the doctors had found no issues, and Dan Fusheng himself looked the part, appearing quite frail.

“Bixia!” You Zhi charged forward again.

Si Chen released Jade Mastiff and Chen Gui, then pinned You Zhi to the ground. “Allowing you to stay here for this long was already showing utmost benevolence. Now, you must come with us.”

Si Chen was somewhat concerned he wouldn’t be able to subdue You Zhi, whose cultivation was higher than his own. Moreover, Si Chen’s current body was outwardly strong but internally weak, suppressing his limited cultivation power.

However, You Zhi made no struggle under his grasp. No, that wasn’t right. Si Chen noticed You Zhi’s resentful gaze. He understood that either Dan Fusheng or Chen Gui must have secretly helped him. With both of them currently “incapacitated,” he couldn’t ask for confirmation.

Si Chen contacted the Special Administration Bureau. Such a formidable weapon certainly couldn’t be taken to a regular police station.

Si Chen accompanied the guards escorting You Zhi to the Bureau. Before leaving the hospital, he cast a worried glance back at Dan Fusheng. ‘Would Dan Fusheng be temporarily confined to the hospital?’

“What are you looking at?” Dan Fusheng asked him.

“Ah!” Si Chen jumped. The driver almost lost control of the car.

“Hey, sir, be careful!” Dan Fusheng swayed slightly as the vehicle skidded.

“You… how could you…”

“Blood puppet and illusion art.” Dan Fusheng leaned back slightly in the seat. “I’m a genuinely good person. Those doctors who ‘performed surgery’ on me are sleeping quite soundly in the break room.”

“Was it really you that You Zhi hit?” Si Chen asked.

“No,” Chen Gui, who should have been “dead,” answered this time. “The one who got hit was another man. We fed him a diluted medicinal pill, so he only has some superficial injuries. He’s currently getting them bandaged at the hospital.”

“Cultivator’s medicine shouldn’t be given to ordinary people so casually!”

“My junior martial brother used something left behind by Master; there won’t be any problems.”

Dan Fusheng still wanted to ask Chen Gui for some of that diluted solution, but Chen Gui refused to give it to him. Chen Gui believed the solution was indeed a good thing, but he wasn’t sure Dan Fusheng would use it for righteous purposes. Dan Fusheng felt Chen Gui was prejudiced against him. Chen Gui retorted by asking if Dan Fusheng would drug ordinary people after figuring out the formula.

“If your Sunset Red Martial Arts Team were competing against another group, and that group bribed the judges, are you sure you wouldn’t drug the others?” Chen Gui had asked.

Thus, Dan Fusheng failed to obtain the medicinal solution left by his Master. He sadly lifted the wrecked car door and climbed inside himself.

“Is there no one left at the hospital?” Only then did Si Chen realize Chen Gui had also gotten into the car.

“There is. A blood puppet.” Chen Gui’s blood puppet was currently communicating with the doctors regarding medical fees.

“Of course,” Si Chen nodded. Running around with Dan Fusheng to earn money—even though Dan Fusheng didn’t truly feel tired—Chen Gui still felt for him. Especially since Dan Fusheng recently needed to save money to buy a car.

Dan Fusheng had many high-grade magical artifacts in his storage device that he didn’t need, so he couldn’t possibly lack money. Moreover, he didn’t need a car; a car couldn’t possibly run faster than Dan Fusheng could fly. This was probably just a small hobby of his.

You Zhi was incarcerated in the Special Administration Bureau. Dan Fusheng received a certificate of commendation and a thousand-yuan bonus from the Bureau, rewarding him for helping to resolve the major nuisance that was You Zhi.

Bai Yu waited for Dan Fusheng to ask him about You Zhi’s past deeds, but Dan Fusheng seemed indifferent. After receiving the commendation, he ran off again to fix air conditioners for people.

Bai Yu agonized for several days, and Dan Fusheng eventually noticed his distress. Finally, after dinner one evening, Dan Fusheng called out to Bai Yu, saying he wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with him.

‘It’s here!’ Bai Yu’s heart tightened.

“Mr. Xiao Bai, do you have someone you like?” Dan Fusheng asked him.

Bai Yu: “Huh?”

Dan Fusheng continued, “It can’t be me, can it?”

Bai Yu: “…”

“Mr. Dan, although what I’m about to say might sound a bit harsh,” Bai Yu couldn’t bear it anymore, “you are truly powerful and excellent in every aspect, but not everyone will like you.”

“I know, but you’ve been looking at me these past few days, glancing at me after every two bites of food. Sometimes when I’m working in the vegetable patch, I turn my head and find you staring at me.” Dan Fusheng was almost getting annoyed by Bai Yu’s constant gaze.

“I want to know why you haven’t asked about You Zhi!” Bai Yu retorted loudly.

Dan Fusheng was bewildered. “Why should I ask about him?”

“Both he and Jade Mastiff are your trusted subordinates!”

“I’m not the Demon Lord; where would I get trusted subordinates?” Dan Fusheng asked.

“He…”

“He and I haven’t seen each other in a thousand years! A thousand years! How many times have ordinary people reincarnated through dynastic changes? I’m not familiar with him!” Dan Fusheng vehemently tried to distance himself.

“But you treat Jade Mastiff…”

“Jade Mastiff sought me out himself!”

“He did too.”

“There’s a huge difference!” Dan Fusheng adamantly refused to acknowledge You Zhi.

Bai Yu couldn’t quite understand. Dan Fusheng had been comforting Jade Mastiff every day recently; he seemed to care about his former subordinates. Why, then, could he be so utterly indifferent to You Zhi? Even if You Zhi had made a mistake, wasn’t he still upholding Dan Fusheng’s old will?

Bai Yu looked at the nonchalant Dan Fusheng.

Dan Fusheng sighed regretfully. “Your abnormal behavior really wasn’t because you loved me.”

Bai Yu: “…”

He felt that Dan Fusheng was addicted to tormenting people through ‘love affairs’. He absolutely refused to become a plaything for this despicable senior!

Afterward, Dan Fusheng resumed his normal life. However, You Zhi, who was under supervision, couldn’t bear it.

You Zhi refused to confess anything, only muttering about “Bixia.” After Bai Yu told him that Dan Fusheng didn’t care about him, You Zhi collapsed and erupted. He believed that the officials had slandered him to Dan Fusheng, and then he blew up the isolation room.

Dan Fusheng received the news while haggling with the fishmonger at the market.

“Oh? But why me?” Dan Fusheng chatted on the phone while signaling ‘ten’ with his hand to the fishmonger.

The fishmonger shook his head repeatedly. “You can’t bargain like that.”

Bai Yu yelled from the other end of the phone, “He wants to see you now!”

“But I don’t want to see him.” Dan Fusheng covered his phone and whispered to the fishmonger, “This fish is about to turn belly-up.”

“Where is it about to turn belly-up?!”

“Junior martial brother!” Dan Fusheng slapped Chen Gui, who was standing behind him.

The fishmonger cautiously stepped back half a pace. “This is a civilized society now! No hitting people!”

Dan Fusheng pushed Chen Gui forward. “Cry for him! This old man is bullying us senior and junior martial brothers!”

Chen Gui wanted to die again.

“Cry quickly!” Dan Fusheng pushed Chen Gui twice.

“I won’t.” Chen Gui didn’t want to appear mentally unstable.

“You carry too much baggage… never mind.” Dan Fusheng only felt weary, as if he had to bear all of this himself.

“Mr. Dan! He’s going crazy right now! We can’t hold him down! Please come quickly!” Bai Yu couldn’t take it anymore.

“I have other things to do.” Dan Fusheng stood by the fish tank, glaring fiercely at the fish, ready to scoop it up and buy it the moment it turned belly-up. “I really can’t spare any time right now. Besides, it’s not appropriate for me to go. What would my involvement in your official work be considered? You know my identity is quite sensitive.”

Dan Fusheng pointed at the fish and told Chen Gui to keep an eye on it for him. “If your superiors find out what I did, I’ll be in big trouble.”

“I guarantee you, it won’t happen!” Sounds of explosions could be heard from Bai Yu’s side.

“Mr. Xiao Bai, it’s not that I don’t believe you. We have a good relationship; you’ve been good to me, and I’ve been good to you.” Dan Fusheng spoke very slowly. “Last time you asked me why I had no feelings for You Zhi. Oh, actually, I lied to you then. I really do care about that child, You Zhi. Just thinking about having to move against him makes my heart ache, do you understand? My heart aches.”

Bai Yu understood. Dan Fusheng was just beating around the bush. As for his ultimate goal…

“I understand what you mean! I’ll go apply for approval from my superiors!” Bai Yu hung up the phone.

Dan Fusheng would not act without authorization; he would not let anyone catch him by his weaknesses. Every plan, every task, could not be his own doing; he had to obtain official approval. Later, if anything went wrong, it wouldn’t fall on him, as he was acting according to the official leadership’s wishes, with approval in hand.

Dan Fusheng smiled at his phone.

“The fish, it’s dead,” Chen Gui reminded him.

Dan Fusheng exclaimed in surprise, then looked triumphantly at the fishmonger, shouting with full confidence, “Discount!”

The fishmonger’s head throbbed with pain from Dan Fusheng’s smug expression. “You young man, you only have your good looks going for you.”

“Thank you for the compliment,” Dan Fusheng said cheerfully, patting Chen Gui and telling him to take the fish.

Chen Gui had heard the sounds from Dan Fusheng’s phone, and he whispered a reminder, “Jade Mastiff seems to have gone over there.” He had heard the fox’s shouts amidst Bai Yu’s chaotic background noise.

“That’s to be expected. The death of Jade Mastiff’s loved one is likely related to You Zhi.” Dan Fusheng understood. After all, he had been comforting Jade Mastiff these past few days.

“Then what do you think?” Chen Gui asked.

“What do I think about what?”

“About You Zhi. And the conflict between him and Jade Mastiff?” Chen Gui pressed on.

Dan Fusheng thought carefully, then came to a conclusion. “I’ve already said it: this matter has nothing to do with me, right?” Since it had no relation, why should he offer any opinion? He had no opinion.

“As expected,” Chen Gui showed no surprise.

“Expected what?”

“You are a heartless person.”

“How can you say that about your senior martial brother?! Your senior martial brother will be sad, you know!”

“You won’t.”

The conflict between Jade Mastiff and You Zhi had begun over fifteen hundred years ago. It had continued until now. You Zhi thought Jade Mastiff was a brainless idiot, and Jade Mastiff held the same impression of You Zhi.

“You betrayed Bixia, so why do you have the audacity to stay by his side?!” You Zhi questioned Jade Mastiff. His back was seeping blood from Jade Mastiff’s claws.

Jade Mastiff’s barrier enveloped the Special Administration Bureau, isolating ordinary people outside the boundary.

“Is it any of your business? He’s willing,” Jade Mastiff’s lips curled into a slight smirk. Then, he lunged forward again, resuming his fight.

Bai Yu anxiously shook his phone nearby. Jade Mastiff’s barrier was not like Dan Fusheng’s; the signal here was extremely unstable, and he wasn’t sure when the superior’s documents would be sent down.

“You’re just taking advantage of Bixia’s kindness!” You Zhi wielded a spear as his magical artifact, while Jade Mastiff was accustomed to using his own claws and teeth.

Jade Mastiff reverted to his original form, a massive white fox towering several stories high, staring intently at You Zhi. “Ha? Kindness? Dan Fusheng’s kindness?! That’s the most amusing joke I’ve ever heard! How self-important are you?! You’ve spent the most time with him; you should know him better than I do! How old are you?! Do you really think you’re still a child?!”

Jade Mastiff’s long tail swept across You Zhi’s position. “You’re capable of killing and harming people! And you’re still thinking about your ‘parent’ all day long?!”

Upon hearing this, Bai Yu couldn’t help but glance at the large white fox. If he remembered correctly, Jade Mastiff had recently curled up into a ball, weeping in Dan Fusheng’s arms. ‘It seems Jade Mastiff’s true nature isn’t affected by superficial changes.’

Speaking of which, Bai Yu always felt that after Jade Mastiff followed Dan Fusheng, his form became smaller and smaller, and his fur grew increasingly fluffy and soft. Jade Mastiff’s fur used to be smooth and lustrous, but recently, it seemed to have turned into something resembling soft cotton candy.

Could such a Jade Mastiff truly condemn others for ‘thinking about their parent’?

You Zhi evidently thought of this as well. He began to enumerate Jade Mastiff’s shameless tactics for vying for affection, expressing disdain for Jade Mastiff’s method of feigning youth, like ‘painting a cucumber green’.

The two fought with increasing ferocity. Jade Mastiff questioned You Zhi about whether he had killed his loved one. You Zhi admitted it, even going so far as to belittle Jade Mastiff’s aesthetic taste.

Finally, You Zhi also reverted to his original form. They fought furiously, fur and blood flying everywhere in the chaotic struggle. Jade Mastiff’s cultivation was slightly inferior to You Zhi’s, but he fought with reckless abandon.

Bai Yu’s hands trembled; if Dan Fusheng didn’t arrive soon, Jade Mastiff would die!

Bai Yu’s phone buzzed with a message—the approval had come through! Stamped and sealed! He felt a surge of relief in his chest and quickly forwarded the information to Dan Fusheng.

The instant the message successfully sent, the fight between Jade Mastiff and You Zhi ceased.

Dan Fusheng was suddenly there, embracing the inexplicably smaller Jade Mastiff, tenderly wiping the blood from his fur. “Does it hurt, my dear?”

Jade Mastiff’s leg twitched twice, and he loudly grumbled, “What do you think?! You never do anything!”

“I’m sorry…” Dan Fusheng looked at the gash on Jade Mastiff’s chest. He pulled out something he’d bought on the way from his pocket. “I have a band-aid here.”

Jade Mastiff: “Woof woof woof!” He began to curse.

“It’s waterproof too!” Dan Fusheng added.

Jade Mastiff’s curses grew even fouler.

“Bixia!” You Zhi rushed towards Dan Fusheng. He bypassed Chen Gui, who stood nearby, and then a sharp pain shot through his chest as a powerful force sent him flying.

You Zhi slammed into the wall, his eyes wide open, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. “Bix…ia…”

His inner core shattered, and his left chest, along with his arm, was reduced to a bloody pulp.

Dan Fusheng placed the waterproof band-aid on Jade Mastiff’s wound, then fed him a medicinal pill. You Zhi’s tragic state seemed to have no bearing on him.

You Zhi instinctively looked towards Chen Gui. It wasn’t until Dan Fusheng stood up, a smile on his face, and pointed at You Zhi, then asked Bai Yu, “Is this acceptable? He’s not dead, but he can’t resist anymore.”

“Bixia?!” You Zhi didn’t understand. “You… why would you…”

Jade Mastiff’s chest wound had already healed. He spat out a mouthful of bloody foam and scoffed, “I told you long ago, Dan Fusheng is no great Samaritan! If you do something foolish, he’ll act faster than anyone! He—”

Jade Mastiff’s snout was pinched shut by Dan Fusheng.

Dan Fusheng looked very sad. “Don’t say such hurtful things.” He gently tapped Jade Mastiff’s mouth with his index finger.

“Bixia!” You Zhi didn’t want to hear Jade Mastiff’s words; he wanted Dan Fusheng to tell him directly.

Dan Fusheng had no intention of responding. Chen Gui, standing nearby, reached out and tugged Dan Fusheng’s wrist.

Dan Fusheng seemed a little surprised. “You also want me to communicate with this demon? You know how many absurd things he’s done, right?”

“I know,” Chen Gui nodded, but he still didn’t let go.

Dan Fusheng helplessly massaged his forehead. “So sentimental and righteous… making it seem like I’m the only bad guy.” He sighed and walked towards You Zhi.

Dan Fusheng squatted in front of You Zhi, looking at his desperate, broken expression, and sighed again. “So tell me, why do you think our relationship was so intimate?”

“Bixia, you cared about me!” You Zhi’s voice was hoarse. “It was you who dug me out of the mountain of corpses; it was you…”

“If I had known you would harm so many people later, I shouldn’t have dug you out then,” Dan Fusheng said softly. “I should have delivered another blow to your head.”

You Zhi froze. He stared at Dan Fusheng in disbelief.

“I told you, don’t look at me like that, making it seem like I’m the bad guy,” Dan Fusheng said, spreading his hands. “Did I ever tell you to harm people? Did I tell you to kill Jade Mastiff’s partner? Please, I was still in exile back then.”

“Bixia…”

“I am not Bixia,” Dan Fusheng corrected him. “If you want Bixia, go find someone else, or become one yourself.”

“How could I usurp your position?!”

“I told you, I am not Bixia, and you are not usurping my position,” Dan Fusheng reminded him. “You should be glad they only asked me to severely injure you. If they wanted to kill you, there would be nothing I could do.”

You Zhi was stunned for a while, then he finally reacted. “You would kill me?”

Dan Fusheng nodded.

“Why?! You clearly care so much about Jade Mastiff…”

“You two are different. Did he ever do those things? You’re over a thousand years old, aren’t you? Do you still need me to hold you and teach you how to be a person?” Dan Fusheng no longer wanted to offer comfort; he was never good at comforting these ‘children’ anyway.

Dan Fusheng stood up, intending to leave, but You Zhi grabbed his pant leg.

“Tsk, I told you not to make yourself so pitiful.” Dan Fusheng didn’t want to be the bad guy and pull his pant leg free, then watch You Zhi crawl on the ground, calling his name with heart-wrenching cries. Dan Fusheng imagined the scene for a moment before deciding to just take off his outer pants. He didn’t want them anymore! He’d ask Bai Yu and the others for compensation later.

“Wait!” Chen Gui saw Dan Fusheng’s hand go to his waistband and instantly understood what he intended to do.

Chen Gui rushed forward, knelt down, and pulled You Zhi’s hand away. Dan Fusheng walked forward.

As expected, You Zhi let out a mournful cry: “Bixia!”

Chen Gui covered You Zhi’s mouth. You Zhi was already very weak, but he still struggled.

“This is for your own good,” Chen Gui whispered. “If he gets impatient later, he might dye all your feathers black, a kind of opaque black!” He heard that these male bird demons were quite particular about their appearance.

Indeed, You Zhi stopped crying. He lowered his head dejectedly, allowing the Special Administration Bureau guards to take him away.

Dan Fusheng watched You Zhi leave, clutching his chest, then said to Bai Yu, “I have a kind heart; I can’t bear to see such things.”

Bai Yu: “…”

Si Chen’s expression was complex. “You’ve changed.”

Dan Fusheng raised an eyebrow, placing a hand on his cheek. “Changed how? Have I become more handsome?”

Si Chen shook his head. “You don’t need to joke around with me.”

The current Dan Fusheng… was too heartless. You Zhi had been raised by Dan Fusheng. He had gone astray, but the Dan Fusheng of the past wouldn’t have treated You Zhi like this. He would have tried every means to guide You Zhi back to the right path. He would even have blamed himself for You Zhi going astray.

But looking at Dan Fusheng now, he truly didn’t seem sad; You Zhi was like a stranger to him.

“You look more heartbroken than I am,” Dan Fusheng said to Si Chen.

“I’m heartbroken for you,” Si Chen explained.

“That’s rather disgusting.”

“…Is it?”

You Zhi was re-detained, and the once boisterous man became remarkably silent. Si Chen and Dan Fusheng agreed to have a drink together that evening, just as they had two thousand years ago.

Dan Fusheng was distressed, fearing that Si Chen would give him a lecture.

“What can I do? I’m already like this!” Dan Fusheng complained to Chen Gui while stewing fish soup. “They told me to stop You Zhi, and now that I’ve stopped him, they think I’m too heartless and are frightened by me. So what do they want me to do? Cry while beating You Zhi into a cripple? That’s insane, isn’t it?”

The fish soup Dan Fusheng made was milky white. He scooped a little, and after tasting it, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed.

“After all, You Zhi was raised by you. They just feel your emotions detached too quickly,” Chen Gui responded.

“Is that so? Why would they have such expectations of me? You know, during the Millennium of Chaos, I, your senior martial brother, even plotted an ambush against you. That’s hardly a secret.” Dan Fusheng offered Chen Gui a sip of the soup.

Chen Gui nodded. “I know.”

“Is it delicious?”

Chen Gui continued to nod.

Dan Fusheng then remembered something else. “Junior martial brother, has your inner demon been affected?”

“A little.” Chen Gui felt his inner demon was unprecedentedly powerful. After Dan Fusheng acted without hesitation against You Zhi, the inner demon kept questioning him: ‘What about me? How would he treat me?! He raised You Zhi for longer, yet he acted without hesitation!’

“Can you still suppress it?” Dan Fusheng asked him again.

“It’s a bit difficult.” Chen Gui’s mood was extremely complex right now.

Dan Fusheng thought for a moment. “Then how about I tell Si Chen that your inner demon is acting up, and I need to stay home with you?”

“Don’t use me as an excuse,” Chen Gui refused.

Dan Fusheng let out a long, desperate sigh. It seemed he had no choice but to keep his appointment with Si Chen.

That night, Dan Fusheng brought fish soup and wine to Si Chen’s small courtyard. He paused at the courtyard gate, pondering what excuse he should use to explain his heartlessness. However, the courtyard gate opened on its own. Dan Fusheng sighed helplessly, feeling he had sighed more today than in the entire month.

After entering the courtyard, Si Chen directly asked him, “Have you found an excuse yet?”

“Not yet.” Dan Fusheng sat opposite Si Chen. “Otherwise, why don’t you let me out to think about it some more?”

“You wish,” Si Chen scoffed. He didn’t stand on ceremony with Dan Fusheng, directly asking when he had started to change.

Dan Fusheng clicked his tongue.

Si Chen asked him again, “What? Does it touch an unspeakable pain in your heart?”

“Not really, I just don’t know where to begin.” Dan Fusheng felt like sighing again, but he suppressed the urge. “Indeed, I’ve encountered many major events, or perhaps too many things have happened.”

By the time Dan Fusheng came to his senses, he had become this cold and indifferent person. In the early days, he could confide in Si Chen and his friends, but the further he went, the less he had left. His true feelings were the complete opposite of the enthusiasm he displayed. He genuinely liked many people. But this kind of liking could never deepen.

Chen Gui had mentioned that before Master’s death, True Monarch You Qing had calculated Dan Fusheng’s marital fate, and after seeing the result, True Monarch You Qing repeatedly exclaimed, “It’s over!” Chen Gui believed Dan Fusheng would encounter a karmic entanglement, but Dan Fusheng couldn’t even imagine himself loving someone.

“You don’t need to worry about me; I’m quite used to this,” Dan Fusheng reassured Si Chen.

Jade Mastiff had actually seen through Dan Fusheng’s true nature. Their master-subordinate relationship was built on both sides being fully aware of each other’s true selves.

“You Zhi isn’t pitiful, and I’m not pitiful either. I’m just used to it. I’m not crazy, nor am I mentally broken. This habit is quite good, really.” Dan Fusheng served Si Chen a bowl of soup. “You Zhi carries a dangerous weapon. His going astray is different from a truly young child going astray; he must be responsible for his own actions.”

“If it weren’t for my Master paying my debts, I would also have to take responsibility.” Dan Fusheng had no intention of suffering punishment for You Zhi; he didn’t love him that much.

Si Chen took the fish soup. “But if you’re like this… who would dare entrust their true feelings to you?”

“Why should they entrust their true feelings to me?” Dan Fusheng countered.

“…Never mind,” Si Chen shook his head. “Now, you are more formidable and powerful than I am. Perhaps I just don’t understand your realm.”

“You praise me so highly, yet why don’t I see you respecting me like a great senior?” Dan Fusheng asked him.

“I used to think you were still you; after that, I’ll probably respect you,” Si Chen said casually. “I just didn’t realize you were already a great senior.”

“…” Dan Fusheng silently put down his bowl.

“Did I hurt your feelings?” Si Chen asked him.

“Perhaps a little. Hearing you call me ‘senior’ is rather disgusting.”

The two of them silently finished their drinks. Afterward, Dan Fusheng left everything for Si Chen to clean up and returned to his room.

After returning to his courtyard, he used a cleansing spell to remove the dust from his body, lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

‘How uninteresting.’
‘So utterly uninteresting.’

The next day, Dan Fusheng woke up at 5:30 AM, but he didn’t want to open his eyes. He felt so tired.

Dan Fusheng tried to turn over. Turn… Turn… He couldn’t turn over?!

At this, Dan Fusheng opened his eyes. He found himself bound by an Immortal-Binding Rope, while Chen Gui sat by his bed, staring intently at him.

Dan Fusheng: “Junior martial brother?”

Chen Gui reacted, letting out an “Oh.” “You want to turn over, don’t you?” He reached out and helped Dan Fusheng turn over, then gently patted his back.

“Junior martial brother, has your inner demon interfered with your mind?!” Dan Fusheng sensed that Chen Gui’s gaze was particularly off.

“Yes.” Even though he was influenced by his inner demon, Chen Gui remained honest. “I’ve decided, whether you love me or not, you can only be my senior martial brother.”

“I am your senior martial brother, and your senior martial brother truly likes you!” Dan Fusheng quickly said.

Chen Gui paused slightly, then placed a hand on his chest. “I’m so happy.” His ears began to turn red.

Dan Fusheng looked at Chen Gui’s expression, thinking, ‘This kid’s personality is indeed adorable.’

“Even if you’re lying to me, it doesn’t matter,” Chen Gui stared into Dan Fusheng’s eyes. “If you lie to me every day, I’ll still be happy.”

Dan Fusheng: “…”

‘Oh no!’
‘This child has been too stimulated!’

It was also this child’s fault for not saying anything, for not expressing anything, which made it impossible for Dan Fusheng to control the impact of his actions on him.

So he was going to be kidnapped by Chen Gui?

Hmm… ‘Alright, I guess.’

Dan Fusheng lay back down. “Help me turn over again.”

Chen Gui helped him turn over. Dan Fusheng closed his eyes again, while Chen Gui nervously pressed down on him.

Dan Fusheng tilted his head slightly. “Hmm?”

“Your blanket can only be mine!”

Dan Fusheng: “…”

Chen Gui: “C-can I?”

‘What a lacking inner demon!’