Back when he was laughing and teasing with Xie Jianwei, Lu Li hadn’t thought much of it. But now, as he recalled it piece by piece, a chill ran down his spine.

Only Xie Jianwei knew the spell to transfer pain—and that little succubus was Xie Jianwei…

His head was in a complete dynamic haze, and a truth was nearly breaking through the surface. Lu Li couldn’t help asking, “Are demons transformed from humans the only non-native demons?”

The little demon replied, “I suppose so, My Lord. You were transformed from an angel—aren’t you immune to the Night of the Canopy?”

He was immune. In the hundreds of years he had lived in the Demon Realm, through countless Nights of the Canopy, he had never once experienced that bone-corroding agony. Yet thinking back carefully, it seemed that every time that night arrived, he would see that little succubus.

The succubus would secretly watch him from the corner, occasionally stepping a bit closer as if by accident.

Had he touched him? The banquets were crowded and chaotic, and even Lu Li himself couldn’t tell for sure.

Perhaps they had touched.

The more Lu Li thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, his heart throbbing with sharp, sudden stabs of pain.

In truth, Lu Li didn’t even need to ask any further. Once night fell, nothing could remain hidden—without Xie Jianwei able to cast his spell, the bone-corroding pain would descend directly onto Lu Li’s own body.

Yet Lu Li couldn’t bring himself to wait even for that brief span of time. He opened his mouth and asked, “How exactly did I become a demon?”

He murmured the question aloud. Both Yan Ke and the little demon turned to look at him in slight astonishment: “My Lord, you don’t even know yourself?”

Lu Li’s pupils shrank abruptly. “I…” He didn’t know. Back then, his mind had been entirely consumed by pain and despair.

Xie Jianwei had wanted to kill him for the sake of a human. Their promise to stay together had turned into a complete farce, and all their vows of eternal love had become the spark that consumed Lu Li alive. At that time, Lu Li hadn’t actually wanted to go on living.

If Xie Jianwei wouldn’t let him live, how could he possibly go on?

Lu Li had believed he was going to die, yet when he opened his eyes again, he had become a High Demon. Immediately following that, a deep-seated, bone-deep hatred grew wildly. Unreconciled and unwilling, he swore to drag Xie Jianwei back and make him taste the exact sensation of having a heart split wide open!

Carrying this obsession, he had lived for over four hundred years.

Yet throughout these centuries, he had never once questioned how he had managed to survive in the first place.

Night arrived as scheduled. In this night of revelry that he had taken part in countless times, Lu Li finally experienced the true bone-corroding pain.

It descended without warning, sweeping through his entire body like a plague in an instant. The feeling was beyond description—a normal person would likely die from the sheer shock of having that many bones shattered, yet he couldn’t die; he could only endure it, raw and unshielded.

When pain reaches its absolute threshold, sweat really does pour down like torrential rain.

Lu Li suddenly recalled the curled-up succubus: his face deathly pale, yet forcing himself to keep walking. With every step the succubus took, those dripping drops of sweat were more piercing to the eye than blood itself.

Lu Li suddenly felt that compared to the physical agony, his heart hurt immeasurably more.

What on earth was going on?

Why was he undergoing this bone-corroding pain, and why had Xie Jianwei been bearing it in his place?

Over four hundred years—just how many Nights of the Canopy had passed? Had Xie Jianwei endured it like this every single time? Shrinking in a freezing, desolate corner of an unfamiliar Demon Realm, enduring it all alone…

He was a person who feared pain so deeply.

Lu Li could hardly imagine what sheer force of will Xie Jianwei—who used to knit his brows tightly at the slightest bump—had drawn upon to bear such unbearable agony.

But why? Why on earth? Hadn’t he hated him enough to want to kill him? Then why… why endure this agonizing torment for his sake?

Lu Li rose unsteadily to his feet. Sensing his abnormality, Yan Ke asked in surprise, “My Lord, you are…”

Lu Li said nothing, returning to his room with faltering steps.

The moment the door was slammed open, Xie Jianwei stepped forward with a face full of anxiety: “Lirfeu, undo my seal and let me restore my power.”

Lu Li stared at him intently, his eyes a crimson haze: “And after I undo it? You’ll use the pain transfer on me, won’t you?”

Xie Jianwei froze, his face pale. “You…”

Before he could finish, Lu Li asked in a heavy, low voice, “Why? Tell me what is really going on!”

Xie Jianwei’s eyes were filled with heart-wrenching distress. He knew all too well what this bone-corroding pain felt like. Supporting Lu Li, he pleaded anxiously, “Undo it for me. I’ll transfer the pain over. I’m used to it—it doesn’t hurt me anymore.”

Used to it… Used to it… These three words were like a blade dipped in venom, driving savagely into Lu Li’s heart and lungs. He pulled Xie Jianwei into a tight embrace, his voice raspy beyond recognition: “How could anyone ever get used to something like this?”

Xie Jianwei was stunned, then quickly changed his words: “I have a way. I can numb the pain—I’ve researched it. Please, leave it to me, alright?”

Lu Li didn’t believe him at all: “Tell me what way.”

Xie Jianwei was rendered utterly speechless.

Lu Li buried his face into the nook of Xie Jianwei’s neck. Thinking of the life Xie Jianwei had led over these past centuries, he lost all control over his emotions. This man, who had never shed a single tear in his entire life, dropped a scalding tear onto Xie Jianwei’s neck.

Xie Jianwei was truly burned by it. Even knowing this was merely a dreamscape, his heart ached beyond measure—he ached both for the physical suffering Lu Li was enduring and the emotional torment weighing on Lu Li’s soul.

“Lirfeu, I’m sorry,” he forced himself to utter softly.

Surprisingly, Lu Li suddenly relaxed. He stopped questioning him, simply releasing Xie Jianwei to look him in the eyes: “Kiss me.”

Xie Jianwei stared at him blankly, clearly caught off guard.

Lu Li’s face was as pale as paper, his teeth chattering from the intense agony, yet he forced a lighthearted tone: “Give me a kiss, and I won’t hurt anymore.”

A wave of rushing memories flooded back. In a daze, Xie Jianwei seemed to see the Lu Li from that narrow escape—covered in blood, with a hole pierced through his lower abdomen, so battered he could barely stand. Without a word, Xie Jianwei had performed surgery on him with a blank expression. Once his condition stabilized, Lu Li had whispered weakly, “It hurts so much.”

At that time, Xie Jianwei had been both furious and heartbroken, keeping a stern, rigid face.

Lu Li had smiled and said, “Kiss me. Just give me a kiss, and I won’t feel the pain.”

What was happening in the dream was completely different from reality, yet because it had always been the same person, everything overlapped seamlessly.

Xie Jianwei held him tight and did what he hadn’t done back in reality.

He kissed Lu Li with gentle care, even as tears spilled uncontrollably from his eyes.

Lu Li grew anxious again: “Don’t cry…”

Xie Jianwei commanded, “Shut up.”

Lu Li didn’t dare make another sound. Xie Jianwei had likely never been this disheveled in his entire life.

Crying while kissing him, completely stripped of his usual composure.

He regretted it deeply—so incredibly remorseful. Why hadn’t he given Lu Li a kiss back then?

It was true… a kiss couldn’t actually lessen physical pain; only the medication he injected could truly soothe those nerve fibers overflowing with agony. But Lu Li had simply wanted a kiss like that, hadn’t he? The psychological comfort carried by that kiss was vastly more powerful than any drug could ever be.

Yet back then, Xie Jianwei hadn’t realized it.

“I’m sorry…” Xie Jianwei repeated those three words over and over, saying them to Lirfeu, saying them to Lu Li, and constantly reminding himself: Never make Lu Li sad again. The only thing he truly wants is you.

The night passed in a blurred haze. When morning arrived, Lu Li finally fell into a deep sleep.

Xie Jianwei went nowhere, staying by his bedside the entire time.

Around the afternoon, Lu Li woke up. As if snapping out of a nightmare, his eyes opened wide without a trace of sleepiness.

He searched frantically beside him, only relaxing completely when his eyes landed on Xie Jianwei.

Xie Jianwei held his hand: “I didn’t leave.”

Lu Li offered a faint smile.

Xie Jianwei repeated softly, “I won’t leave.”

Lu Li squeezed his hand in return, his raspy voice laden with exhaustion: “Was it you who made me turn into a demon so I could survive?”

At this point, there was no longer any need for concealment. Xie Jianwei nodded.

Lu Li said softly, “That spell requires the life force of a beloved person as a medium. You…”

Xie Jianwei cut him off: “You don’t need to worry about that. A God of Death cannot die.”

Lu Li’s heart tightened as he added, “And the bone-corroding pain over these hundreds of years…”

Xie Jianwei replied, “That was nothing.”

How could it be nothing? Having experienced it just once, Lu Li felt as if he had walked to the gates of hell and back; merely recalling that intense agony made every nerve in his body scream.

Lu Li gripped his hand tightly: “Why did you do all this? Didn’t you hate me? Didn’t you want to kill me? Why burn your life force for me, why endure this endless pain for my sake?”

Xie Jianwei’s eyes dimmed slightly. After a long silence, he spoke slowly, “I don’t hate you.”

Lu Li said, “I slaughtered the entire Vance family and nearly drove that kid insane. How could you not hate me?”

Bringing up these bloody past events still left a devastated mess. Xie Jianwei lowered his eyes: “I resented you, but I had no way to hate you. Because…” He paused, his voice turning extraordinarily strained, “…because I couldn’t stop loving you.”

Lu Li’s heart leaped violently, yet what came out of his mouth was: “Didn’t you love that human?”

Xie Jianwei answered, “From the very beginning… from the day we first met, the only person I have ever loved is you.”

“But…” Lu Li could never forget the scene from that day. He couldn’t help bringing it up.

Xie Jianwei was visibly startled. He said, “I… I never did any such thing. Yali (the original name of the human Lu Li) and I were always just friends, without the slightest boundary crossed. However…” He paused for a moment, “During those years when I thought you were dead, I lost all desire to go on living. I spent my days in a daze, spending more time in dreams than in reality. Perhaps…”

In truth, digging into this now was meaningless. Xie Jianwei definitely loved him—Lu Li knew this clearly, and loved him deeply. Otherwise, through the countless Nights of the Canopy over these four hundred years, Xie Jianwei couldn’t possibly have endured it so willingly.

But… if he loved him, what about that sword thrust?

Lu Li didn’t dare ask this question.

Yet Xie Jianwei took the initiative to speak: “All these years, I didn’t dare to see you, nor did I have the face to see you…” He kept his head lowered, his voice thick with repentance. “No matter what, I was the one who thrust that sword into you… I was the one who… killed you.”

He seemed to squeeze those last three words from the depths of his throat, carrying a remorse that centuries of time could not dissolve.

Lu Li finally asked, “Back then… what actually happened?”

He believed Xie Jianwei wouldn’t kill him, yet the event had indeed occurred.

Xie Jianwei finally seemed unable to hold it together any longer. He broke down: “I don’t know, Lirfeu, I don’t know… When I saw the destroyed Vance family and Lu Li, my mind was entirely consumed by rage. Immediately after, a voice echoed in my ear, asking if I wanted to restore everything to how it was. I wanted to—of course I did! I felt that you couldn’t have done it, that the person who did it wasn’t you…”

His words were disorganized, yet it was obvious that even after so long, the memory remained excruciatingly vivid. It was an unhealable scar that would bleed profusely at the slightest touch.

“Everything that happened afterward, I could only watch helplessly. I couldn’t control my own body, couldn’t control my actions—I didn’t even know what I was trying to do!”

“By the time I regained complete consciousness, a black sword was thrust into your heart, and your body was entirely pierced through by my scythe.”

By the time he reached this point, Xie Jianwei was weeping uncontrollably. Lu Li’s chest ached so much he could hardly breathe. He held him tightly, comforting him: “It’s alright, it’s alright now. It’s all in the past.”

“I didn’t want to kill you! How could I ever bear to kill you? I would rather die myself than let you die! You don’t know how overjoyed I was when I found out you were still alive, nor how desperate I was when I thought you had died in battle in the Demon Realm. I finally managed to see you again—how could I ever bear to hurt you!”

Lu Li held him with all his strength, kissing him repeatedly: “I know, I know everything now. Ah Wei, I’m so happy. I’m truly, truly so happy.”

No words could describe Lu Li’s current state of mind.

As long as Xie Jianwei loved him, his entire world was filled with bright sunshine once more.

What did the bone-corroding pain matter? As long as he could be with Xie Jianwei, he would willingly suffer that pain every single day!

Except…

As Lu Li comforted Xie Jianwei, a dark hatred began to brew within his heart: It was obvious that Xie Jianwei had been controlled by someone taking advantage of the situation back then. The one who delivered that sword strike wasn’t Xie Jianwei—it was that High Demon!

That creature was the root cause of this entire tragedy!

Because of it, he and Xie Jianwei had missed out on each other for so long; because of it, he and Xie Jianwei had suffered for hundreds of years; and most of all, because of it, Xie Jianwei had tasted that bone-corroding pain countless times!

That last point alone made Lu Li tremble with uncontainable rage.

How dare it subject Xie Jianwei to such suffering!

At this point, Xie Jianwei could finally catch a breath.

He had successfully coaxed his Lu Li and managed to pull all the hatred onto that creature. As for what came next…

He would eliminate them one by one.

Demon Lu Li undoubtedly had one hidden inside him, while the other was likely the High Demon causing trouble on the outside.

After all, from any angle, Xie Jianwei had no motive to kill Lirfeu, and the timing of that High Demon’s appearance had been far too coincidental.

How could a powerful High Demon appear at such a perfect moment? One must remember that the situation in the Demon Realm back then was dire—the formidable figures were mostly dead, fled, or crippled. If such a powerful High Demon had been around, how could the Heavenly Realm’s army have breached seven demon cities in one go?

Furthermore, another detail was highly suspicious: with Lauren’s capabilities, without outside help, how could he have entered the Sacred Temple and taken Xie Jianwei away?

This unknown High Demon was definitely derived from the little skeleton, because it possessed the ability to alter setting details to a certain degree.

And the part attached to Lirfeu was likely sharing the status of a “guest” just like Lirfeu—other than tampering slightly with Lirfeu’s emotions, it couldn’t trigger major events.

Therefore, the top priority was to kill that external High Demon first.

What was even more interesting was that Xie Jianwei felt this “Master” entity actually couldn’t tell which Lu Li was the true owner of the dreamscape.

Looking at the entire recalled storyline, even if the dream’s true owner was the human Lu Li, the human Lu Li was simply too weak. From start to finish, he remained unremarkable and completely unable to contend with Lirfeu.

Thus, the entity assumed that this high-and-mighty Archangel was the owner of the dream, and consequently targeted him from the very beginning.

In reality, it didn’t understand Lu Li. The real Lu Li who controlled the dream would definitely set up the condition that “Xie Jianwei does not love him” right from the start.

So throughout this entire recollection, Lu Li—as the dream’s owner—had set up the plot such that Xie Jianwei fell in love at first sight with Lirfeu, a “stranger.” He set it up so that Xie Jianwei loved Lirfeu to death, while making himself a pathetic human who, even after being saved, could never obtain him—forced to watch from afar, tasting the piercing pain of unrequited love every single day.

That was the kind of drama the dream’s owner would write for himself.

However, the entity didn’t understand this. It only saw Lirfeu’s power, saw Xie Jianwei loving him, and saw the two of them deeply attached, so it concluded Lirfeu was the master.

It was precisely because Xie Jianwei had figured this out that he dared to enter the Demon Realm alone, preparing to join hands with Lirfeu to eliminate it.

Without this prerequisite, Xie Jianwei wouldn’t have dared to act rashly.

If he had gone to comfort Demon Lu Li instead, the entity would surely instigate the little skeleton, and there was no telling what the little skeleton might do then.

Now, because it believed Lirfeu was the master of the dream, it didn’t take the little skeleton seriously at all. In fact, after Xie Jianwei comforted Lirfeu, it would panic and make an emergency move—specifically targeting Lirfeu. By doing so, it would inevitably expose its trail.

Dealing with a High Demon was hardly a difficult task for the current Lirfeu.

Furthermore, given what that High Demon had done, with Lu Li’s hatred maxed out, it was guaranteed to die a swift death.

Xie Jianwei was in no hurry to track it down; under these circumstances, the entity would definitely lose its composure first and deliver itself right to their doorstep.

Besides, having finally made Lu Li happy, Xie Jianwei wanted to spend more time accompanying him.

The two lived sweet and affectionate days in the Demon Realm, enjoying a thoroughly delightful time.

Although Lu Li wished he could make up for the centuries they had lost all at once, he didn’t forget the main task. He had long dispatched subordinates to investigate the High Demon’s whereabouts; once news arrived, he would make it suffer a fate worse than death.

Xie Jianwei understood him completely, so he subtly reminded him: “Regarding the past, I hope we can both let it go.”

Whenever those past events were mentioned, Lu Li felt a sharp pang in his heart. He kissed him and said, “It’s all in the past.”

Xie Jianwei clenched his fist and added, “But that High Demon must die!”

Lu Li said, “Rest assured, I won’t spare him.”

Xie Jianwei insisted stubbornly, “I want to watch him die with my own eyes.”

Lu Li had originally intended to make that thing suffer a living hell, but seeing Xie Jianwei’s insistence, he conceded: “Alright, we’ll let it die directly.”

Xie Jianwei’s reminder was timely—it should dispel Lu Li’s thoughts of tormenting it and instead send it straight on its way.

Even though it was truly despicable, putting a swift end to it was the safest path; if it were given even a single breath of leeway, who knew what else might happen?

After all, this was a dreamscape that possessed logic yet was simultaneously utterly devoid of it.

Before Lu Li could even track down any news of this High Demon, it had already delivered itself right to his door, exactly as Xie Jianwei had predicted.

And it had brought Xie Jianwei a grand gift!

Xie Jianwei and Lu Li couldn’t stay in the Demon Realm forever. Xie Jianwei needed to carry out his duties, while Lu Li required sustenance.

The two negotiated this aspect smoothly.

Xie Jianwei would locate the souls of heinous criminals for Lu Li to hunt.

Such souls possessed an extremely high degree of corruption; even if they entered the cycle of reincarnation, they would only continue to commit evil upon emerging. It was far better for them to be consumed directly.

In truth, a balance could be maintained between demons and humans.

Souls continuously reincarnated, but they would split during the process. If these split souls re-entered reincarnation and split again without demons consuming a few, the Human Realm would eventually become overcrowded, leaving living space severely constrained.

Previously, Lu Li had hated humans to the core, engaging in wanton slaughter and wasting many souls. Now, with Xie Jianwei’s duties in mind, he naturally became a demon who fed rationally, diligently helping his lover “purify” souls.

This time, Xie Jianwei came to the Human Realm to help Lu Li screen edible souls. Unexpectedly, in the lair of a human arch-villain, he spotted a young youth.

The youth looked identical to the human Lu Li—even his demeanor was a complete replica of the scene from back then.

Xie Jianwei curled his lips slightly, stepping forward proactively to ask, “Are you alright?”

The youth’s dark eyes stared intently at Xie Jianwei.

Noticing the injuries on his body, Xie Jianwei asked with concern, “Do you need my help?”

As he spoke, he reached out his hand, but the battered youth slapped it away abruptly.

Xie Jianwei froze visibly.

An indescribable emotion flashed through the youth’s eyes—hatred intertwined with love, and an unshakeable affection within that hatred.

Xie Jianwei was shaken by that look.

“You…” Xie Jianwei said uneasily, “Are you Yali Vance?”

The youth raised his head, his voice raspy: “Does the name Lu Li no longer belong to me?”

Xie Jianwei’s face was “filled with shock,” his body stiffening visibly. He murmured, “How is that possible… how…”

The youth seemed not to want to look at him. Even though his leg was injured and he was unable to move, he refused to accept his care, calling out harshly, “Get away! Don’t ever let me see you again!”

His hatred made complete sense. If he truly were the human Lu Li, his entire life had effectively been destroyed by Xie Jianwei.

Falling in love with him without hesitation, yet never even getting the chance to say it aloud—able only to watch him secretly while telling himself that Xie Jianwei had a lover, that they were deeply attached, and that he shouldn’t entertain foolish thoughts… yet unable to stop himself from being drawn to him…

Until Lirfeu died in battle, and Lu Li, seeing a desperate Xie Jianwei, thought he finally had a chance. He invited him to his home as a guest, patiently taking care of him, hoping he could step out from the shadow of his lover’s death, hoping his own devotion could touch his heart.

And in the end? Just because he secretly kissed him, he suffered such horrifying retaliation.

Didn’t he hate him? He hated him to the extreme.

His family members were slaughtered like livestock right before his eyes, while he could do nothing—watching endlessly, screaming endlessly, despairing endlessly… All while Lirfeu told him that Xie Jianwei was in the Sacred Temple, in his bedchamber, entwined with him day and night.

Who did he hate? He hated Lirfeu, and he hated Xie Jianwei.

Falling in love with him was his own fault, but did they really have to torment him like this? Did they really have to vent their rage on the entire Vance family!

What were angels? Lirfeu was nothing more than a cruel tyrant!

It had to be said that by disguising itself as the human Lu Li who retained memories after reincarnation, “it” had been quite clever.

What a perfect entry point! Xie Jianwei had always felt indebted to the human Lu Li, harboring deep guilt toward him; after all, that human was entirely innocent, a complete victim of his and Lirfeu’s romance.

Moreover, Xie Jianwei possessed deep feelings toward the human Lu Li—after all, he was still a “Lu Li.”

Especially since its impersonation was flawless, down to the exact match in aura. If the person entering the dream hadn’t been Xie Jianwei, they truly might not have been able to tell the difference.

That way, it could make use of Xie Jianwei’s soft-heartedness to heavily strike Lirfeu.

Xie Jianwei, of course, was going to play along with it. Once the hatred was fully drawn, it could be sent straight to heaven in a second. As for the “grand gift” it delivered, he would certainly accept it in full.

Xie Jianwei acted completely flustered: “How could you… how could you…”

The youth sneered, “Are you disappointed that I didn’t die completely?”

“No!” Xie Jianwei explained hurriedly, “About what happened before… I was wrong to you.”

“Heh… wrong?” As the youth uttered those words, his eyes turned completely dark and ruthless.

Xie Jianwei said, “Regardless, it’s a good thing that you… that you’re still alive. Let me treat your injuries first.”

“A good thing to be alive?” The youth glared at him, his eyes looking ready to burst. “What meaning is there in me living like this?! My family is all dead! They begged, cried, and struggled right in front of my eyes before dying! I couldn’t do anything—I can’t kill that demon at all, can’t avenge them! What’s the point of living like this?!”

He roared heart-rendingly. Xie Jianwei actually felt a bit pained—not for this fake, of course, but for his own little skeleton.

Indeed, it was better if those memories were never recalled; they were far too painful, far too dark, a knot that was nearly impossible to untie.

Keeping these thoughts in mind, Xie Jianwei’s face remained entirely filled with guilt: “I… I will compensate you.”

“Compensate?” The youth said fiercely, “Then go kill Lirfeu! Go avenge me!”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

The youth rose unsteadily, saying stubbornly, “Stop appearing in front of me. I don’t know why I remembered all this, but I am no longer Yali Vance, so…” He said in a low, raspy voice, “Let me go.”

He obstinately refused to accept Xie Jianwei’s help, wanting to leave on his own. But how could it actually leave? It was merely playing hard-to-get.

Sure enough, after taking a few steps, the youth stumbled, falling to the ground and losing consciousness.

Seeing this, how could Xie Jianwei just leave him be? Naturally, he rushed forward, gently pulling him up and tending to his wounds.

Since the youth was unconscious, he could no longer refuse him.

Xie Jianwei cared for him for a whole day. During this time, the youth ran a fever and babbled in delirium—his acting could be considered remarkably realistic.

Xie Jianwei could only “heartbrokenly” comfort him without pause.

Once his condition stabilized, the youth slowly woke up. Seeing Xie Jianwei before him, he struggled to get up again.

Xie Jianwei said bitterly, “Don’t move around recklessly, or your wounds will burst open again.”

The youth refused to listen: “Let them burst! If I die, so be it—I don’t want to see you!”

Xie Jianwei lowered his eyes: “Don’t be like this. If you want revenge… you need to recover first.”

“Revenge??” The youth said hysterically, “Who am I supposed to seek revenge against? He is the high-and-mighty Archangel—how could I possibly…”

“He has now reincarnated as a demon,” Xie Jianwei said, giving him hope because he wanted him to live.

The youth was visibly startled.

Xie Jianwei said, “He is a demon now, no longer an angel. So you have a chance… to take revenge.”

Humans possessed no resistance against the Heavenly Race, but they could fight back against demons; even if the hope remained slim, it was no longer utter despair.

The youth stopped struggling. He lay back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Xie Jianwei re-bandaged his wounds, and he no longer refused, clearly having taken those words to heart.

Xie Jianwei remained silent, the atmosphere between them stiff and tense.

At night, Xie Jianwei would return to the Demon Realm, returning the next day to tend to him.

The youth remained as silent as a stone statue. Even up until his full recovery, the words he exchanged with Xie Jianwei were pitifully few.

Yet whenever Xie Jianwei turned his head, the gaze the youth directed at him was filled with deep attachment.

Once the setup was sufficiently mature, Xie Jianwei prepared to accelerate the pace.

Running back and forth these past few days, Lu Li had naturally asked about it, and Xie Jianwei hadn’t hidden it, telling him directly.

Lu Li was quite surprised: “How do you need me to cooperate?”

Xie Jianwei explained the plan, and Lu Li’s eyes flickered: “That’s easy to handle.”

For him, this was practically acting as himself.

Today, when Xie Jianwei went out, he pretended to follow behind him, subsequently spotting that remarkably familiar human youth.

Xie Jianwei was organizing herbs on the other side, while the youth sat under the sun, staring at him with intense affection.

With a loud buzz in his head, Lu Li felt as if he were re-experiencing the sharp agony from when his heart was pierced back then. Approaching with a cold face, his voice was terrifyingly low: “What on earth is going on here?”

Xie Jianwei turned around “in panic.” Seeing Lu Li, he said anxiously, “Ah Li, this…”

Faster than him was the human youth. He stood up abruptly, his eyes brimming with hatred: “Lirfeu!”

Lu Li didn’t look at him, staring solely at Xie Jianwei.

To lower its guard, Xie Jianwei continued his earnest performance: he wanted to explain, but was clearly at a loss for words, his shifting gaze only fueling Lu Li’s anger further.

“I’m going to kill you!” The human youth growled at Lu Li through grit teeth.

Yet Lu Li asked Xie Jianwei, “Tell me what on earth is going on!”

Just as Xie Jianwei was about to speak, the human youth cut in loudly: “Ah Wei, didn’t you say you’d help me take revenge? Lirfeu is here—help me, help me kill him, and I’ll forgive you!”

The youth spoke with a bit too much urgency.

However, this was clearly effective in provoking Lu Li. He turned to glare at the human youth: “What did you say?”

The human youth showed no fear whatsoever: “You monster! You slaughtered my family and ruined my life—I want you to pay with your life!”

Lu Li sneered, “I could kill you once—do you think I can’t kill you a second time?”

Yet the human youth showed no expression of terror: “Kill me then, you psychotic villain!”

Xie Jianwei felt it was time for him to say something. He said anxiously, “Ah Li, calm down! Don’t hurt him anymore—we owe him enough as it is!”

“Owe him?” Lu Li blew his top. “If he hadn’t harbored such filthy intentions toward you, would it have…”

“I do love him! I do want him! But did I ever say it aloud? Did I ever get in your way? Did I ever step in to ruin your relationship? But what about you… what did you do?! Just because I loved him, you killed my entire family and killed me?!” The youth seemed to have lost all reason. Staring at Lirfeu, he said, “I’m telling you: I love him, and I will love him forever! Even through reincarnation and rebirth, I can never forget him! So… what can you do about it? Kill me one more time?!”

Lu Li took a deep breath: “Fine, fine, fine. Since you want to die so badly, I’ll fulfill your wish.” As he spoke, he launched a strike.

“Don’t!” Xie Jianwei naturally had to leap in to block. If he didn’t block it, “it” would dodge on its own. To prevent it from dodging, Xie Jianwei had to throw himself forward to completely lower its guard.

Having reached this stage, its plan had been achieved perfectly. Watching as Xie Jianwei was about to…

In a flash of lightning, Xie Jianwei—who was originally shielding him—swerved to the side, allowing Lu Li’s fatal strike to charge straight ahead!

The human youth’s eyes widened abruptly. It couldn’t dodge… even if it reverted to its demon body, it couldn’t dodge!

What was happening? Why wasn’t Xie Jianwei saving him? He… he was Lu Li!

Xie Jianwei did save him—though not to save “it,” but to save this body.

The moment it was forcibly evicted from the body, Xie Jianwei’s God of Death scythe materialized out of thin air. As the blade sliced through, that wandering soul instantly shattered into fine dust.

Yan Ke cheered excitedly: “It worked!”

To the side, Lu Li said with lingering displeasure, “We let him off too easy.”

Xie Jianwei coaxed him, “As long as it’s dead, it’s fine. Otherwise, it really wouldn’t have been easy to find it.”

Lu Li said with disgust, “For it to actually disguise itself as Yali Vance—it was simply seeking its own death.”

Xie Jianwei let out a gentle sigh: “I was quite surprised as well.”

As he spoke, he shifted his gaze onto the youth’s body, which had now lost its soul.

Lu Li looked at him.

Xie Jianwei said softly, “You go back first. I’ll bury him.”

Lu Li said, “I…”

Xie Jianwei smiled bitterly, shaking his head: “He probably doesn’t want to see you, so it’s better if I send him off alone.”

Lu Li could only agree.

Now that the person was dead, dwelling on it further would make him look petty. Besides, Xie Jianwei had indeed looked after this human youth as a younger brother from beginning to end.

Author’s Note: It: “The most miserable villain in history—if not me, then who?” [crying loudly]