The Ordinary Demon Lord

Dan Fusheng and the others had always slept with Jade Mastiff, so they adapted to the large black-and-tan mother dog remarkably quickly.

Dan Fusheng was still a human child, and he feared adults—especially Ji Wujiu, who appeared even larger than his late Master.

“Do you really know this dog?” Ji Wujiu inquired, his brow furrowed in confusion.

The three children spread their arms, shielding the large dog. Upon hearing his question, Ying Wangyou and Dan Fusheng nodded vigorously. Chen Gui’s face flushed crimson, but he ultimately couldn’t bring himself to nod.

“This dog is kept at the Qianyu Sect; we occasionally see her when we go down the mountain,” Bai Yu confirmed, recognizing the animal. “She probably saw Jade Mastiff with his pups and decided to lend a paw.”

“It’s not safe to leave children with stray dogs,” Ji Wujiu expressed, a hint of worry in his voice.

The children’s expressions instantly shifted. Red dragon scales even began to emerge on Ying Wangyou’s face. If Ji Wujiu dared to harm the mother dog, she would attack him without hesitation.

Ji Wujiu stood there, observing them for a moment. Finally, he sighed and unslung the massive backpack from his shoulders. The children remained wary, only to watch the giant pull out… plush dolls from his bag.

Their tense expressions vanished, replaced by looks of utter bewilderment.

Ji Wujiu crouched down, though his immense height meant that even with his back bent to its limit, he was still much taller than the three children.

“These are welcome gifts I brought for you,” Ji Wujiu said, handing several vacuum-sealed, flat dolls to the children.

The children’s eyes immediately lit up. This time, they decided Ji Wujiu was a good person.

“I hope we get along well,” Ji Wujiu remarked, still a little nervous. He had never looked after children before.

Bai Yu looked at him. This senior expert was unlikely to quibble with a group of children, so he could probably entrust Dan Fusheng to him with peace of mind. In Bai Yu’s experience, the more profound a senior’s cultivation, the easier they were to get along with. They rarely acted impulsively and weren’t bothered by trivial matters. However, when such individuals did become serious, they were truly unyielding.

Still, Bai Yu had his own work, and he couldn’t completely hand over the three children to Ji Wujiu. He left his phone number with Ying Wangyou and Chen Gui, instructing them to call him immediately if anything happened.

Dan Fusheng currently had no adult memories. While he possessed a gentle and interesting personality, he was too much like an ordinary child. Bai Yu worried he wouldn’t be able to handle emergencies. Ying Wangyou exuded a sharp, “only I can do it” confidence, while Chen Gui was remarkably precocious and sensible.

Dan Fusheng, however, was different. He wasn’t mature enough, lacked any sharp edges, and was insecure, appearing as ordinary as any child one might encounter on the street. He simply lacked the ability to bear responsibility.

Dan Fusheng vaguely sensed the difference; the people around him treated his Senior Sister and Junior Brother with much more gravity than they treated him. He deeply envied his Senior Sister’s strength and his Junior Brother’s composure. He yearned to become like them, but he simply didn’t know how.

To Dan Fusheng’s surprise, Ji Wujiu seemed to have caught on to his subtle thoughts. He proved to be a remarkably competent guardian. He would take Ying Wangyou out to expend her endless dragon energy, and he would comfort Chen Gui—who was quietly mourning his deceased parents—despite how mature and serious Chen Gui appeared. He would even tell the three children bedtime stories.

Initially, the children slept beside the mother dog, but soon, all three of them, along with the entire puppy family, were lying beside the giant Ji Wujiu. Ji Wujiu always remained impeccably dressed in front of the children, even though suitable clothes for his large frame were scarce.

One evening after dinner, Ji Wujiu called Dan Fusheng aside. “Do you want to talk?”

Dan Fusheng, who was helping clear the dishes, jumped. He looked at Ji Wujiu, and before he could think, his head nodded. He was immediately filled with quiet remorse.

Yet, the end result was Ji Wujiu and Dan Fusheng sitting face to face on stone stools. Ji Wujiu watched Dan Fusheng, who kept his gaze fixed on his own fingers. He couldn’t make any grand promises to Ji Wujiu, for he didn’t know what his future self would be like.

“Are you alright?” Ji Wujiu suddenly asked him.

Dan Fusheng froze, then quickly replied, “F-fine! I’m fine!”

“I thought you weren’t adapting very well,” Ji Wujiu said, sensing the boy’s aversion. He shifted back a bit, but his physique was so large that he remained conspicuously noticeable no matter how he moved.

Dan Fusheng didn’t understand what Ji Wujiu was referring to.

“You seem to be deliberately imitating your Senior Sister and Junior Brother,” Ji Wujiu observed gently. “I feel like you’ve lost your place a little.”

Dan Fusheng’s face instantly turned scarlet. For a moment, he was utterly speechless.

Ji Wujiu scratched his head. “Honestly, your personality greatly surprises me.”

This sentiment had been uttered by countless people in his past, and Dan Fusheng had heard it more times than he could count.

“Is it because I’m not so bad… or because I’m not very powerful?” Dan Fusheng whispered, no longer daring to meet Ji Wujiu’s gaze.

“I don’t know if you’re good or bad. Do you consider being ordinary a bad thing?” Ji Wujiu asked, puzzled.

‘Of course it’s a bad thing! Even Chen Gui tried to comfort me. But I’m going to become the Demon Lord in the future! How did that happen? Was I possessed by someone else? Was it because I didn’t have my Senior Sister’s courage? I’m just an ordinary person. Because I’m not firm enough, I lack courage.’

Ji Wujiu lowered his body, trying to appear less intimidating. “Becoming the Demon Lord isn’t something that happens simply by making mistakes.”

Dan Fusheng finally looked up. “But so many people died!”

Ji Wujiu understood. “So, what do you want to do now?”

Dan Fusheng didn’t know how to answer.

Ji Wujiu delved deeper, making the question more concrete. “Do you want to become like True Monarch You Qing? Respected by thousands, a truly good person?”

Dan Fusheng pondered for a moment, then nodded. He was True Monarch You Qing’s disciple; he ought to be a good person.

Ji Wujiu’s lips curved into a warm smile.

Dan Fusheng lowered his head again. “I know I’m very ordinary. Perhaps it’s because of this that I eventually went down the wrong path. My Senior Sister and Junior Brother both come from prominent families. And me? Well, I possess the bloodline of a Demon God, but I don’t even know what that means. My parents weren’t great figures like Demon Venerables either. There weren’t many demons with the bloodline of a Demon God; they were all killed. This bloodline hasn’t been able to stabilize my character, nor has it granted me the innate qualities others possess.”

“You’re not ordinary; the Demon God bloodline is highly beneficial for cultivation,” Ji Wujiu stated.

“But this power isn’t truly mine. Many people have talent; it’s not uniquely Dan Fusheng’s,” the boy said, uttering a strangely mature remark.

Ji Wujiu understood the meaning behind his words. “Being beneficial for cultivation isn’t necessarily a good thing. If one’s character isn’t stable, rapid growth in cultivation can be entirely detrimental to a cultivator. Your current temperament is like that of an ordinary child. I suspect your adult self has been shattered and reassembled countless times,” Ji Wujiu said, discerning the psychological hardships the Demon Lord must have endured.

“So, I’m not good enough now, am I?” Dan Fusheng clenched his small hands. “I have to abandon myself to become a more powerful person.”

“You are very good, child,” Ji Wujiu shook his head. “It’s just that some things aren’t as perfect as you imagine. For instance, True Monarch You Qing. He is revered by thousands, but after interacting with him, you must have discovered an unknown side to him.” At this point, Ji Wujiu wasn’t entirely sure himself. ‘Could True Monarch You Qing really have flaws?’

Dan Fusheng, however, nodded repeatedly.

‘He really does?!’ Ji Wujiu was startled. “…If I may change the subject slightly, what is True Monarch You Qing’s little secret?”

“Even if you kill me, I won’t tell you!” the young Dan Fusheng vowed, fiercely defending his Master’s integrity.

Ji Wujiu felt a little disheartened but continued to comfort him. “In any case, since you haven’t been disturbed by an Inner Demon, it means that what’s inside you has never changed. Perhaps it wavered, but in the end, you overcame it. However, nothing in this world is easy. You are only five years old; you don’t understand yet. That adult Dan Fusheng is still you, having gained many things and become more resolute, but you are the same person, unchanged for over two thousand years.”

Ji Wujiu walked to Dan Fusheng’s side, crouched down, and took his hand. “I’ve never been able to fathom the Demon Lord’s thoughts; no one could understand what he was thinking. But I’ve met you, and now I feel that the Demon Lord wouldn’t be a complete scoundrel.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re very ordinary, child,” Ji Wujiu said, sitting cross-legged on the ground. “You don’t harbor grand ambitions, you aren’t controlled by hatred, you have compassion, and your mind isn’t yet clear about what ‘path’ you want to take. What you care about is probably something very small, yet very small and very vast at the same time. That’s why you are the Demon Lord,” Ji Wujiu explained. “You must understand that the most numerous people in this world are ordinary people.”

Dan Fusheng finally realized that this large man wasn’t trying to pick a fight with him. He stared at Ji Wujiu for a moment, then softly said, “Thank you.”

Ji Wujiu breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he had managed to soothe the child.

“May I ask, who is the person you want to save?” Dan Fusheng asked, now pulled into Ji Wujiu’s embrace.

Ji Wujiu paused slightly.

“If… if I really can be reborn, I will remember your words just now! I will remember you are a good person! I will help you!” Dan Fusheng declared firmly.

Even if Dan Fusheng could truly bring someone back to life, his adult self probably wouldn’t fulfill a promise made when he was five. Moreover, Ji Wujiu didn’t consider himself a good person.

“I want to see my friend again,” Ji Wujiu said, lowering his head. “I’m sorry for him; his death is not unrelated to me.”

“You killed him?”

“I didn’t directly do it, but… yes, I killed him.” Ji Wujiu showed a calm, self-deprecating smile. “If only I had realized earlier that I was just an ordinary person.”

“But you’re not ordinary.” After all, he was so tall.

“No, everyone is very ordinary,” Ji Wujiu’s smile faded. “Everyone in this world is very ordinary.”

Dan Fusheng didn’t understand. He felt that his Junior Brother and Senior Sister were not ordinary, and neither was his Master. However, he didn’t refute Ji Wujiu, because Ji Wujiu was a formidable adult, and in his eyes, he was extraordinary.

Ji Wujiu carried Dan Fusheng back to the room and placed him among the other children. Ying Wangyou lifted an eyelid to glance at them, then tightly hugged Dan Fusheng. Chen Gui, meanwhile, lay stiffly on his back.

The next day, Ji Wujiu took Ying Wangyou out to expend her energy, while Chen Gui quietly sidled over to his senior brother.

“I don’t agree with you,” Chen Gui said solemnly, holding a large peach.

“What?” Dan Fusheng was busy munching on a peach Ji Wujiu had given them.

“I heard what you said yesterday,” Chen Gui stated seriously. “I heard that you envy me and Ying Wangyou.” He didn’t call her ‘Senior Sister’; he still hadn’t come to terms with his parents’ deaths.

Dan Fusheng immediately froze, his face turning pale.

“You are too indecisive; such a temperament is unhelpful for cultivation,” Chen Gui continued. He didn’t mind Dan Fusheng following him, but he felt Dan Fusheng was too soft. “If you don’t even know who you are, how can you cultivate? Without self-cultivation, it’s normal to become the Demon Lord.” Chen Gui placed the peach on the stone table and looked at Dan Fusheng with a stern expression.

He didn’t know why, but he felt as if some force was preventing him from saying these words. Something was covering his mouth. That force seemed to originate from himself, but Chen Gui overcame it.

“I… I’m just… I’m not used to it,” Dan Fusheng stammered. “I’m not used to interacting with humans.”

“Is your discomfort because you feel humans are superior to demons?” Chen Gui pressed further.

Dan Fusheng’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What?!”

“I asked you, do you feel—”

[Shut your mouth right now!] a frantic male voice cut in.

Chen Gui: “…”

He tried to converse with the voice in his mind: [Senior, are you trying to possess me?]

[Possess your mother’s head!] the Inner Demon shrieked in exasperation. [I’m an Inner Demon! I was already suppressed! You little bastard, you scared me awake!] If he hadn’t woken up, his Senior Brother’s feelings would have been deeply hurt!

[You’re so ill-mannered,] Chen Gui noted, seeing through the entity. [You can’t be me.]

Ignoring the Inner Demon’s cursing, Chen Gui continued, “Do you feel that your demon identity is shameful, leaving you uncertain? Or is it because of your parents?”

Dan Fusheng’s eyes widened even further.

“You don’t hate humans. Why? Is it because you don’t dare to hate?” Chen Gui felt that Dan Fusheng’s current state was highly problematic; he had no path of his own to uphold. He genuinely wanted an answer, yet his words, to anyone who heard them, sounded like a cruel provocation.

[Ahhh, you bastard!] The Inner Demon was numb, on the verge of collapse. It hated its host’s bluntness!

Dan Fusheng didn’t respond.

“Didn’t True Monarch You Qing teach you anything either? Did he choose to indulge you because of your current state? So it seems you ultimately became the Demon Lord… Ugh!” Chen Gui was suddenly hit in the face by a thrown peach.

Inner Demon: [Good hit!]

Dan Fusheng, his eyes red, rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight. Chen Gui reached out to block, but he was actually held down by Dan Fusheng’s unexpected, adrenaline-fueled strength.

Chen Gui looked in surprise at his restrained wrist. Before he could speak, Dan Fusheng delivered a headbutt. Dan Fusheng was infuriated by his words. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re harsh and annoying?!” How could his junior brother be like this?!

Chen Gui covered his nose. “The truth is often unpleasant to hear.”

“The truth? I’m five, and you’re five. So what you say is profound wisdom?!” Dan Fusheng didn’t possess Ying Wangyou’s innate talents, and at five, he had only recently begun his studies, but the gap between him and Chen Gui wasn’t too vast. He was seething with anger, while Chen Gui was still trying to “calmly” assess his personality.

The two children began running around the courtyard, Dan Fusheng chasing and beating him. The large mother dog barked frantically in distress.

“How dare you lecture me so condescendingly?!” Dan Fusheng cried, tears streaming down his face.

Chen Gui explained as he ran, “I’m not being condescending; I’m reasoning with you.”

“Reasoning?! Bringing up my parents is reasoning?!” Dan Fusheng caught up to him. It wasn’t that he ran fast, but that the young Chen Gui preferred wearing long robes over practical shirts and trousers. Dan Fusheng grabbed the back of Chen Gui’s robe, and Chen Gui tumbled to the ground. Dan Fusheng held him down. “Yes! I hate humans! I had everything! How dare you kill demons?! My parents did nothing wrong! How dare you kill my parents and then question whether I’m insecure?!” Dan Fusheng’s tears fell on Chen Gui’s face.

Chen Gui’s face stung from Dan Fusheng’s blows. “I didn’t kill your parents.”

“Yeah, how could it be you? How could you be that powerful?!” Dan Fusheng, furious, actually calmed down a little. “You’re just a little brat who still refuses to accept the truth of your own parents’ death!”

This time, Chen Gui’s expression also changed.

Dan Fusheng continued, “Your parents are dead! Before they died, they entrusted you to True Monarch You Qing! What’s so unclear about that?”

Chen Gui began to struggle. Dan Fusheng refused to let go. “You’re so magnanimous when advising others, why don’t you advise yourself? Is the path in your heart truly that firm?”

Chen Gui broke free from Dan Fusheng’s grasp and sat up. Dan Fusheng thought Chen Gui was about to retaliate, so he raised his hand and punched him. However, Chen Gui simply lay back down on the ground and didn’t get up.

Dan Fusheng: “…” ‘Did I kill this annoying junior brother?’

He was unsure; he didn’t dare to look. By this time, the mother dog had long since run away with her pups. Dan Fusheng looked around, but found no adults to help. It wasn’t until he heard a sob that he breathed a sigh of relief. This annoying junior brother wasn’t dead; he was just crying.

“Why are you crying?! You offended me first!” Dan Fusheng shouted.

Chen Gui began to sob, covering his face.

When Ji Wujiu and Ying Wangyou returned, led back by the barking dog, this was the scene they witnessed: Chen Gui lying in the middle of the courtyard, crying with his face covered, while Dan Fusheng hid behind a tree, shedding tears.

Ying Wangyou looked left and right, unsure what to do. Ji Wujiu reacted quickly. He first checked on Dan Fusheng, finding some scrapes on his face.

Ying Wangyou understood. “Chen Gui! How could you hit your Senior Brother?!”

Ji Wujiu held Dan Fusheng, then went to pull Chen Gui up. When Chen Gui’s arm was pulled away, his face showed dried blood from his nose and purple bruises.

Ying Wangyou: “?!!! Dan Fusheng! You went too far!” What kind of beating was this?!

Dan Fusheng didn’t feel he was wrong; he was also wronged. Who could tolerate such words from Chen Gui? Dan Fusheng pouted, tears threatening to fall again.

“Don’t cry! No matter what, you shouldn’t hit people,” Ying Wangyou said, feeling both distressed and angry. Being a Senior Sister was proving too difficult.

“Senior… Senior Sister, don’t blame Senior Brother,” Chen Gui choked out.

“What did you just call me?” Ying Wangyou was stunned. Hadn’t Chen Gui always refused to acknowledge their sect?

Chen Gui didn’t answer. He simply said, “I said that Senior Brother had issues because of his parents’ death, and I said he believed human identity was superior, willingly debasing himself.”

Ying Wangyou: “…” ‘Is this junior brother really that annoying?’ Those words were truly wicked.

“I understand now; I was prejudiced,” Chen Gui said, feeling distressed after his realization. He sobbed, “I… I should apologize to Senior Brother.”

Dan Fusheng clung tightly to Ji Wujiu, refusing to look at Chen Gui, making it clear he wouldn’t accept the apology. Ying Wangyou looked back and forth between her two junior brothers, feeling awkward.

“Senior Brother, I was biased,” Chen Gui said, dropping to his knees.

“Hey, hey, hey! That’s not necessary!” Ying Wangyou pulled Chen Gui up. She wasn’t very tall, and Chen Gui himself refused to stand.

“I shouldn’t have hurt you; what that voice said might be true,” Chen Gui muttered.

“What voice?” Ji Wujiu grew alert.

“It said it was my Inner Demon,” Chen Gui explained. Dan Fusheng also looked at him. Ji Wujiu reached out to probe Chen Gui’s spiritual platform, but as his spiritual energy neared it, he found himself unable to delve deeper due to Chen Gui’s profound innate cultivation. However, Ji Wujiu could confirm that the entity wasn’t an outsider; it was indeed an Inner Demon.

“What did your Inner Demon say?” Ji Wujiu asked. Chen Gui was only five years old; would he be influenced by the demon?

“The Inner Demon said that our bad relationship was due to outsiders’ jealousy and malicious rumors, and that Senior Brother and I are actually very close. It also said I occupy three special privileges.” Chen Gui always felt that what the Inner Demon said was particularly absurd.

“Privileges?”

“It said Senior Brother cares about me first because I’m his junior brother, and second because I’m the first child he raised before he matured. Third…” Chen Gui suddenly hesitated. He stammered, then finally mumbled in a tiny voice, “Third, we’ve already developed a romantic relationship, and I’m considered Senior Brother’s partner.”

…

…………

Silence. A deathly silence fell over the courtyard. The wind rustled through the leaves, loud and clear.

‘Dan Fusheng and True Monarch Yaoling have such a relationship?’ Ji Wujiu felt as if his brain had been struck by lightning. “Huh?”

“Junior… Junior Brother, were you… were you beaten silly by your Senior Brother?” Ying Wangyou’s hands trembled. Logically, a five-year-old shouldn’t understand love and romance, but she instinctively felt that something major had happened.

Only Dan Fusheng, after his Senior Sister and Ji Wujiu spoke, couldn’t help but burst into tears. “No! I don’t want to!” How could he marry such an annoying person in the future?! Why would he ever like such a bothersome child? Dan Fusheng felt his life had no hope.

Chen Gui also cried, manipulated by the Inner Demon.

[Senior Brother hates me now. He raised so many children; what if someone replaces me?] the Inner Demon wailed.

Chen Gui initially thought it was fine: [So what if I’m replaced? You also said that my current self and future self are different. If he abandons my adult self because of what my five-year-old self said, then our feelings aren’t stable anyway.]

The Inner Demon immediately retorted: [We have a love-hate relationship! There’s a push and pull between Senior Brother and me! Do you understand ‘push and pull’?]

Chen Gui was just a five-year-old child; no matter how precocious, he didn’t understand what ‘push and pull’ meant. [Like when we just fought?]

The Inner Demon lied. [No, our feelings are very complex, so complex you can’t even imagine! Your words just now will make him feel that you look down on him deep down. He’ll become insecure, suffer internally, and then be afraid to get close. I’m doomed!] His senior brother would probably beat him up once he found out the truth in his adult years.

But it didn’t matter! The Inner Demon would lie to protect its existence! It was far stronger than Chen Gui’s true nature.

Chen Gui was finally completely misled by the Inner Demon, believing that his Senior Brother would be a fragile, kind person, weathered by life and not long for this world. He also felt that he had just delivered the final blow to his Senior Brother’s fragile heart, and he couldn’t bear the guilt.

Chen Gui cried as he asked, “Will you be so fragile that you’ll die?” Now, it seemed very possible, given Dan Fusheng’s shy, non-confrontational childhood personality.

‘Fragile enough to die? Who? Dan Fusheng?’ Ji Wujiu began to ponder.

“I… I won’t. Don’t cry,” Dan Fusheng said, a little shocked. So Chen Gui was worried about him after he had beaten him up? But why didn’t Chen Gui say anything? Dan Fusheng suddenly felt that Chen Gui wasn’t so annoying after all.

Chen Gui, wiping his tears, ran towards Dan Fusheng. He reached out to grab him, but Dan Fusheng was in Ji Wujiu’s arms, out of his reach. Chen Gui bounced several times, and Ji Wujiu finally crouched down.

Chen Gui grabbed Dan Fusheng’s hand. “Although I don’t know why I would like you, I will be good to you.” He felt responsible. “I… I don’t like you either, but there’s nothing I can do.” He didn’t know why his future would turn out that way, but he could only adapt to the fate.

They looked at each other—two little kids who didn’t understand what feelings were, deciding to take responsibility for their future relationship.

Jade Mastiff went mad.

Upon hearing the news, he immediately declared it impossible; that Inner Demon was a big liar. What kind of relationship could Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui have? They were simply senior and junior brothers!

“What are these two children doing?! They’re only five years old!” Jade Mastiff could no longer speak in a normal tone.

“They are currently… living their lives, raising their six children.”

“Where did six children come from?!”

“That black-and-tan dog has six pups,” Ji Wujiu said, looking at Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui.

Jade Mastiff was strangely silent for a moment. “…So what kind of life are they living?”

Ji Wujiu simply turned on his phone’s camera.

In the frame, Chen Gui, wearing a small apron, used a plastic toy knife to cut a plastic carrot attached by Velcro. Then, he put all his chopped vegetables into a toy ‘pot,’ pressed the picture of a flame on a sticker, and finally wiped his forehead, telling the short-legged, chubby puppy beside him, “Wait a little longer, dinner will be ready soon.”

At this moment, Dan Fusheng walked to his right, but instead of communicating, he raised his hand and made a knocking motion, uttering a sound effect: “Knock, knock, knock.”

“Daddy’s home,” Chen Gui said, embracing two chubby little dogs and mimicking opening a door.

Finally, Chen Gui handed one dog to Dan Fusheng, freeing a hand to hug Dan Fusheng briefly.

Dan Fusheng said solemnly, “You’ve worked hard, father of the children.”

Chen Gui nodded. “You’ve worked hard too, father of the children.” Dan Fusheng pulled out several small snack bags and freeze-dried treats from his pocket, stating that he earned them from work, and told Chen Gui and the children to eat them.

Jade Mastiff: “…What is this?”

Ji Wujiu explained, “Children who cultivate are indeed precocious, but do you expect two five-year-olds to truly understand what emotions are? Their ‘children’ are puppies.”

Jade Mastiff’s finger pressed against his chin. “Hmph, may I ask what Dan Fusheng’s job is?”

Ji Wujiu moved the camera, and Jade Mastiff finally noticed a pile of wooden sticks and grass in the courtyard. “These are Dan Fusheng’s engineering projects; he’s in construction,” Ji Wujiu explained seriously.

Then he turned the camera to the other side, where a pile of stones of various sizes was arranged. “Those are weapons and equipment; Chen Gui is in weapon development. They take turns working.”

Jade Mastiff: “…What about Ying Wangyou?”

Ji Wujiu finally aimed the camera at Ying Wangyou, who was lying on a lounge chair. After Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui finished distributing food to the puppies, they took their snacks and ran to her side.

Dan Fusheng looked worried. “Have some more, old madam.”

Ying Wangyou waved her hand weakly.

Ji Wujiu continued to explain, “She plays a great hero who fought three hundred rounds against an evil sect. Now, in her twilight years, she has Alzheimer’s, but she always reminisces about her passionate life during sunset. Oh, right, she doesn’t walk now; Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui push her around.”

Their story was quite grand…

Jade Mastiff felt a little relieved; it was just a children’s game after all.

However, after Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui lived a week of this uneventful life, a change occurred. Something within their Senior Sister’s body had clearly accumulated, and then one night, her body began to stretch, and her power continued to return. At this moment, Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui briefly regained consciousness.

The instant they awoke, they left behind blood puppets and entered the barrier themselves. Then they remembered all the foolish things they had done in their childhood, and they fell silent.

Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui stood face to face, speechless. At some point, both of them reacted simultaneously, turning away from each other.

“W-we’re here to discuss serious matters, right?!” Chen Gui forced himself to appear calm.

Dan Fusheng nodded, but quickly realized Chen Gui couldn’t see his nod. ‘No! This won’t do! I’m the Senior Brother! I can’t be flustered and helpless! I must show the demeanor of a Senior Brother!’

Dan Fusheng closed and opened his eyes, his internal struggle complete. He simply curled his lips into a slight smile, his tone light and airy: “Indeed, father of the children~” As long as he took the initiative to tease, only Chen Gui would be left embarrassed!

As expected, Chen Gui trembled like a sieve, then closed his eyes, ready to die.

“Don’t! Junior Brother! Control yourself!” Dan Fusheng laughed. Chen Gui couldn’t die now; they still needed to figure out their Senior Sister’s condition, keep up with her, and clear themselves of suspicion.

“But I deserve to die,” Chen Gui choked out. “I took advantage of you while you were still a child to do such things!”

“Are the ‘such things’ you’re referring to us playing with toy kitchenware together?” It was quite clear that five-year-old Chen Gui and Dan Fusheng understood nothing of romantic matters!

“I even used your parents to hurt you!” Chen Gui couldn’t accept it.

“Junior Brother, honestly, you’ve always been like this. Otherwise, why do you think our Master didn’t dare let you go down the mountain?” Dan Fusheng comforted Chen Gui. “Besides, I beat you black and blue; I didn’t necessarily lose out.”

“What are physical pains compared to that?!”

“Junior Brother, can you not be such a tough guy when you talk like this?” Dan Fusheng felt more relaxed. He found his junior brother to be a particularly handy tool. Talking more with Chen Gui, seeing how many hurdles Chen Gui had in his heart that he couldn’t overcome, suddenly made his own problems seem insignificant.

“Isn’t it just having a crush on Senior Brother? Isn’t it just liking Senior Brother? Senior Brother can accept it! Come on!” Dan Fusheng generously patted Chen Gui’s back. “Let’s talk about Senior Sister first!”

“Senior Sister was also quite angered by me,” Chen Gui remembered.

“Senior Sister was just surprised for a moment. Didn’t she later join the game and play as a retired warrior?” Dan Fusheng laughed. “That’s just because she doesn’t understand now… Why did you kick me?” his thigh received a swift kick from Dan Fusheng.

“Snap out of it! Otherwise, I’ll just strip your clothes off right here and let’s really have a ‘house play’!” This junior brother was incredibly difficult to comfort!

Chen Gui became obedient, crossing his arms and not daring to move.

Dan Fusheng breathed a sigh of relief. “How’s your Inner Demon?”

“It’s asleep again, but if we continue with our plan, it will probably wake up again and spread rumors.” Chen Gui truly wished he could strangle it now.

“Since we can’t completely resolve the Inner Demon right now, we can only leave it for the time being.” Dan Fusheng perceived the outside world through the blood puppet; his Senior Sister’s body had finished growing to about ten years old.

“Let’s grow to ten years old too!” Dan Fusheng immediately decided.

“And our memories will also be ten years old?” Chen Gui suddenly grew panicked; that was the period when he relied on Dan Fusheng the most!

“Of course not! Junior Brother, can you act like you’re ten? You don’t even look the part,” Dan Fusheng said, understanding his fear, but stating the facts. “Ten-year-old children are approaching puberty; they’re very boisterous.”

Chen Gui softly retorted, “I wasn’t boisterous at ten.”

Dan Fusheng: “…” ‘Oh, I almost forgot. My junior brother has been pretty much the same his entire life.’

“Then why don’t you just not restrict your memories? You can just act the part?”

“I’ll adapt,” Chen Gui quickly convinced himself. He was also worried that someone might ask him a barrage of questions that he wouldn’t be able to handle.

“Alright, let’s do that,” Dan Fusheng nodded.

However, before Chen Gui changed, he remembered something even more important. Dan Fusheng grabbed Chen Gui’s wrist. “Junior Brother! Has your ‘possibly falling in love with Senior Brother’ progress regressed? Are you disenchanted with me now?” After all, he had seen his awkward childhood self.

Chen Gui, his ears red, shook his head. “The progress hasn’t regressed; it’s advanced. I might like you a little more,” he whispered.

From his current perspective of over two thousand years, he looked back at Dan Fusheng’s childhood, finding him pitiful and adorable. He was a fragile child in need of protection, and Chen Gui particularly wanted to protect the young Dan Fusheng. And after understanding the immense changes Dan Fusheng had experienced, his affection grew noticeably stronger.

Chen Gui didn’t hear Dan Fusheng’s response, so he repeated, “I said I like you more than before.”

“Yes, but it’s not good.” Chen Gui reached out and pressed his hand to his chest, then looked at Dan Fusheng. “But, what else can be done?”

“Can you rein it in?”

“I don’t know.” Chen Gui’s face grew redder. “I’ll try my best.”

“What if I bully you more?” Dan Fusheng suggested.

“But I think I kind of like that…”

“Like what?”

“I like being bullied.” Chen Gui had no choice; he genuinely seemed to like it.

Dan Fusheng was speechless. “Junior Brother, this won’t do.”

“I can only take it one step at a time,” Chen Gui said, then suddenly changed the subject. “What did you mean just now when you threatened to strip my clothes and have a ‘house play’?”

“That’s your Senior Brother’s linguistic artistry—a threat that would absolutely never happen in reality,” Dan Fusheng reassured Chen Gui.

Chen Gui’s lips formed a thin line. “It won’t happen, huh…”

“You wouldn’t really want me to do that, would you?”

“It’s not that I want to, but if you did, I would resist.”

Dan Fusheng’s brow furrowed deeply.

“But my cultivation isn’t as profound as yours, so I can only let it develop according to your wishes,” Chen Gui stammered. “I feel it would still be acceptable.”

Dan Fusheng felt extremely uneasy! ‘How could Chen Gui anticipate this?! No! This child’s head is completely solid; I’m genuinely worried he will be tricked by others if he goes out!’ As long as one knew the method, it was far too easy to trick Chen Gui.

Dan Fusheng wanted to understand his junior brother’s mental journey in more detail, but Chen Gui was already too shy to continue, urging him to seal their memories. They couldn’t talk anymore.

Dan Fusheng was pressured by Chen Gui, but before sealing their memories, he heard Chen Gui mumble in a tiny voice, “My ten-year-old self already knows Senior Brother; I’ll protect Senior Brother.”

Dan Fusheng: “…” ‘Oh! I forgot to tell his ten-year-old self what my ten-year-old self was like! I was almost completely transformed!’

In Chen Gui’s line of sight, as the spell reached its final stage, Dan Fusheng suddenly showed a surprised expression, followed by pity.

Early the next morning, the returning Jade Mastiff happened upon the three children changing into new clothes.

“They just grew up like that?!” Jade Mastiff still held the food he had brought for the children in his mouth.

“Yes, this is quite unusual,” Ji Wujiu explained. “They recalled memories from around ten years old, but their memories of being small children haven’t disappeared. They still recognize me, and they recognize you too.”

Chen Gui bowed respectfully to Jade Mastiff. “Senior Jade.”

Dan Fusheng, lounging lazily amidst a pile of dogs, raised a hand and waved. “Senior Jade~”

Jade Mastiff: “…”

Jade Mastiff looked at Dan Fusheng, who seemed boneless in the pile of dogs, and saw his familiar adult expression on the youthful face. “Is this Dan Fusheng?”

“Quite clearly, his personality shift is more obvious than anyone else’s,” Ji Wujiu said, feeling helpless.

Ying Wangyou had already flown into the sky. She was experiencing an incredibly powerful surge of strength.

“Senior Brother, you should stand up and greet Senior Jade,” Chen Gui said, disapproving of his senior brother’s lax attitude.

“Alright!” Dan Fusheng stood up crookedly, patted the dust from his backside, and then, swaying precariously, bowed to Jade Mastiff. “Senior Jade~ My regards.”

“Senior Brother!” Chen Gui felt Dan Fusheng was being mischievous.

“I’m only obeying because you’re the father of my children,” Dan Fusheng said, stretching. After regaining his memories, he found having this junior brother quite interesting. Oh, and he was also his partner.

Chen Gui wanted to apologize to Jade Mastiff, but Dan Fusheng pulled him back. “You and I are a couple in the future; what does it look like to constantly stare at other men?”

Jade Mastiff remained silent. He quietly lowered his head, and tears streamed down his face.

‘Give him back his little darling! Give him back his child!’

“Oh! Was my greeting posture wrong, did I make you cry?” Dan Fusheng asked Jade Mastiff.

“No…”

“If it’s not, then fine. I said, such a senior, his magnanimity couldn’t be so small.” If Jade Mastiff really cried, Dan Fusheng felt Jade Mastiff should reflect on himself.

Jade Mastiff’s tears fell even more profusely. ‘His child’s shelf life is so short!’