Chapter 112 – The Little Snow Ferret No Longer Ran Away (13)
Night God carried the fallen celestial soldier’s body toward the Northern Forest, only to encounter an unexpected obstacle midway. A figure in black robes floated in midair, exuding ominous black energy filled with malice. Raising the magical weapon in his hand, the figure aimed directly at Night God.
Though Night God had not personally experienced the ancient wars, he had taken part in the battles between the Eastern and Western Divine Realms. As an avid “combat enthusiast,” he was far from the weak and harmless figure he usually portrayed.
Without hesitation, he drew his life-bound weapon to engage in battle. Whether it was because the mastermind had underestimated him or because the black-robed figure simply lacked the necessary strength, the fight ended in fewer than thirty rounds. Defeated, the black-robed figure bit down on a poison capsule hidden in his molars. Before Night God could restrain him, the poison had already taken effect, and the figure collapsed, dead.
“Dead already?” Night God sneered.
Whoever said the dead couldn’t speak? A corpse carried countless clues.
Just as he was about to take the body with him, the black-robed figure suddenly burst into blue flames, igniting without any external source. In the blink of an eye, the fire consumed the body entirely. Night God barely had time to snatch the skull before the rest of the body was reduced to ashes.
His expression darkened. Failing to retrieve the corpse was not just an insult—it was a blatant provocation. He could almost picture the arrogant and smug look on Hanyue Immortal Lord’s face.
Although there was not yet enough solid evidence to prove that the black-robed figure had been sent by Hanyue, Night God’s instincts screamed that both the figure and the celestial soldier stripped of his divine bone were undeniably connected to him.
Gathering the skull, he wasted no time rushing to the Northern Forest, where he successfully met with the Northern Emperor Immortal Lord.
Many high gods were aware that Night God supported the Northern Emperor, but few knew just how close their personal relationship was. Most assumed it was merely a superior-subordinate dynamic.
“Lang Wu, we need to move up the timeline.” Night God got straight to the point. He had been one of the participants in the plan to unseal the Netherworld Realm, though on the surface, only the Northern Emperor and the Celestial Sky Tree were known to be involved.
“Those creatures have been restless for some time now. And now, celestial soldiers are being stripped of their divine bones. I strongly suspect that the Divine Realm has already been infiltrated from within.” Night God’s gaze flickered with an unusual light as he added, “I suspect Hanyue Immortal Lord.”
Jiang Lang Wu raised an eyebrow but neither confirmed nor denied Night God’s claim. Instead, he asked calmly, “Why do you think so?”
Hanyue had always been a fool—lacking intelligence but eager to show off. Previously, he had not posed a significant threat to the Divine Realm, so the Northern Emperor had simply ignored him.
“You know my intuition never fails me. He came running out from behind the main hall, and ever since he returned from the Nine Provinces, he’s been acting strangely…” Night God proceeded to list all of Hanyue’s odd behaviors: his dust-covered appearance upon returning, his completely depleted spiritual energy, his sudden mastery of increasingly aggressive spells in just a few days, his newfound habit of picking fights, and his ruthless retaliation against those who resisted him.
The Northern Emperor pondered for a moment before instructing Qiu’er to investigate where Hanyue Immortal Lord had gone after being expelled from the Nine Provinces.
“Jianmu went in.” The Northern Emperor stated casually.
Night God was stunned for a few seconds before reacting.
“You mean… Jianmu entered the Netherworld Realm?” His surprise was understandable—this was not the right time for anyone to enter.
“Mm. He went with his wife to visit his family.”
When it came to spoiling one’s wife, the Northern Emperor was an expert. He could fully understand why Jianmu would risk venturing into the Netherworld Realm at an unsuitable time just to make Bai Mo happy. After all, it wasn’t like he lacked the ability to do so. If going there could improve his wife’s mood, then it was worth it—no big deal.
Unfortunately, as a millennium-old bachelor, Night God completely failed to comprehend the thought process of those in relationships.
“Isn’t this just making our plan even more difficult?” he groaned in frustration. But what was done was done—there was no point in complaining. That didn’t stop him, however, from shooting the Northern Emperor a look of silent condemnation for not preventing this.
Once the Netherworld Realm was unsealed, Jianmu could stay there as long as he wanted—but for now, his absence was a problem. The Northern Emperor had to keep watch over the Four Great Demonic Beasts, Night God needed to set up the formation, and now there was no one left to open the boundary gate of the Netherworld Realm.
He didn’t trust outsiders with the task.
The Northern Emperor’s lips curled into a faint smile, as if he greatly enjoyed watching Night God’s impotent frustration.
Life in the Divine Realm was too long, too constrained, and over time, even a god’s emotions dulled. Watching Night God’s heart get some much-needed stress testing? Quite amusing.
As Night God continued to complain, a figure slowly emerged from the depths of the forest. A deep, magnetic voice flowed forth:
“Perhaps I can.”
The Supreme Ruler of the Demon Realm—Lou Shun.
Night God’s head snapped around, his heart skipping several beats upon meeting Lou Shun’s expressionless yet striking face.
He quickly turned back to the Northern Emperor, his gaze screaming a silent question: “When did this guy get here?!”
Since the signing of the peace treaty between the Divine and Demon Realms, both sides had kept to their own territories, avoiding unnecessary contact. At most, the Demon Empress would visit the Northern Forest, or the Divine Queen would travel to the Demon Realm. But the Northern Emperor and Demon Sovereign? They had never interacted.
“You invited him?”
Good heavens. Night God couldn’t believe it. Jiang Lang Wu had silently expanded their team behind his back, and the worst part? He had no idea.
“The Empress is recuperating in the Northern Forest. Didn’t you know that?” The Northern Emperor shrugged, casually motioning for Lou Shun to take a seat, as if they were old friends.
Steam rose from the tea cup, and the gentle sound of water filled the air as the liquid was poured to the seventh layer. A celadon cup was pushed toward Lou Shun.
“Try it. My Tang Tang just made this new blended floral tea.”
Lou Shun didn’t move, but the Northern Emperor wasn’t the least bit bothered. With a bright smile, he added,
“Chuan Su also likes it. It’s good for the baby. Freshly brewed this morning.”
If his wife liked it, then that was a different matter altogether—it must be worth trying. He could even learn to make it himself for Su Su in the future.
Lou Shun lifted the cup and took a sip. The tea was subtly sweet, yet not cloying—exactly the kind of flavor Su Su loved.
“I’ll have Tang Tang write down the recipe for you later.” When asking for someone’s help, it was only proper to offer something in return.
Although Lou Shun stepping in to open the Netherworld Realm’s gate after Jianmu left was technically his way of repaying Bai Tang for taking care of Bai Chuansu, since Tang Tang had taken over the responsibility of looking after someone else’s wife, he had to do it properly. Because of this, Tang Tang had been sleeping over with Bai Chuansu, leaving Jiang Lang Wu alone in an empty bed for several nights. Now that Lou Shun was finally back, he naturally hoped Bai Chuansu would be well enough not to need Tang Tang’s overnight care anymore.
“Mm.” As always, Lou Shun was a man of few words.
Night God, on the other hand, was still unaccustomed to interacting with cold and quiet people. Sure, Lou Shun was incredibly handsome—pleasing to the eye—but the atmosphere was just too frigid. Talking to him felt like performing a monologue, which was unbearably awkward.
As they were drinking tea, Bai Chuansu happened to stroll over, supporting his waist as he walked.
With a swift motion, Lou Shun stood up and quickly strode over, pulling Bai Chuansu into his arms. His previously icy demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced by the warmest, gentlest tone imaginable.
“Why did you come out on your own? I told you I’d accompany you for a walk later.”
Night God was utterly dumbfounded by the drastic shift in attitude.
Turning to Jiang Lang Wu, he asked, “Are all of you in relationships like this? Two completely different personas depending on the situation?”
He recalled that Jiang Lang Wu’s attitude toward other deities was vastly different from how he treated Bai Tang. Even the Heaven-Piercing Divine Tree was the same way.
“How do you guys do it?”
How did they manage to switch faces so effortlessly? Night God was genuinely curious.
The Northern Emperor leisurely sipped the tea his beloved Tang Tang had brewed, then smiled mischievously and delivered a brutal blow:
“Why don’t you try falling in love yourself? Then you’ll understand.”
Changing faces? That sort of thing was entirely self-taught.
Night God refused to be force-fed dog food and was about to kick over… Forget it. He didn’t dare to knock over the dog bowl—not with the Demon Lord present. They still needed his help.
“It was too stuffy inside, and Tang Tang went to check on Li Li again. I had nothing to do, so I decided to take a walk.” Bai Chuansu carefully cradled his swollen belly as he sat down with Lou Shun’s support.
Ever since he stopped taking Red Rainbow Grass, the spiritual energy that had been leaking from the fetus was no longer being lost. Now that the baby was receiving proper nourishment, it had stopped tormenting Bai Chuansu. His belly, which had only been slightly rounded before, suddenly swelled to its proper size, startling Lou Shun—who was experiencing fatherhood for the first time. He regretted leaving Su Su alone and was immensely grateful to Bai Tang for taking care of him.
Qiu Er, who had previously served as a system for a long time and excelled at gathering information, returned just as Lou Shun was about to pour Bai Chuansu a second cup of tea.
“Hanyue Immortal Lord was blown all the way to the South of Heaven!” Qiu Er gasped for breath. After receiving this information and realizing its gravity, he had rushed back at full speed.
Everyone exchanged looks of surprise. Night God murmured, “The South of Heaven, that place…” Even a dog wouldn’t willingly go there. Not only had Hanyue Immortal Lord stumbled in by accident, but he had also managed to make it back out in one piece.
Night God did a quick calculation, his fingers forming signs. It had taken Hanyuè Immortal Lord only a day and a half to return. If he had only been at the outskirts of the South of Heaven, it wouldn’t have taken him that long to come back. But if he had actually gone inside, a day and a half wouldn’t have been nearly enough time to escape. Considering the accusations from the celestial soldiers…
A terrible thought struck Night God. His face changed drastically as he shot to his feet.
“This is bad. Extracting celestial bones, stripping spiritual veins, seizing divine souls—who is he sacrificing all this for? Have there been any unusual disturbances at the bottom of the Abyss?”
All the gods knew that the Four Great Fiends were sealed beneath the Abyssal Rift in the farthest reaches of the Northern Forest, but none knew their precise location. The only one who could pinpoint it, the North Emperor, shook his head and said, “No abnormalities. In fact, they’ve been growing weaker by the day.”
It was as if something had drained their demonic energy.
Now, it was clear—the one siphoning that energy was none other than Hanyuè Immortal Lord. And he wasn’t offering it to the Four Great Fiends. He was feeding something else—something even more sinister.
Considering that Hanyuè had entered the South of Heaven and emerged in record time, orchestrated multiple schemes to weaken various factions, the entity he was sacrificing to was becoming obvious.
“The Hunyin Demon Sword,” North Emperor Immortal Lord uttered the name.
The Hunyin Demon Sword had originally been a mere weapon wielded by a fiend. But over countless years, it had developed a sword spirit, one that grew stronger by devouring gods, demons, spirits, ghosts, and mortals alike. Only it possessed the intelligence to systematically weaken the powers of all realms—the Four Great Fiends weren’t nearly as cunning.
“For us, this is both good and bad,” North Emperor mused. “If the fiends break free, it will be complete chaos. But the demon sword, while dangerous, is still only a fraction as powerful as they are. The downside, however, is that it’s clever. It strategizes. Hanyue Immortal Lord has already fallen under its influence. That mysterious figure we’ve been chasing—it must be the sword. It has infiltrated the Demon Realm, manipulated the Divine Realm’s leadership, and if I had to guess, the Underworld was its first target. It may already be half its domain by now.”
“Inform Jianmu. We cannot allow the demon sword to grow any stronger. We must unseal the Underworld ahead of schedule.”