Guo Cheng hit the back of Shan Lu's head when Shan Lu just continued to eat. "Are you a starving ghost?!" he snapped at him.

Shan Lu made a time to answer. "No." he said and buried his face on his bowl again.

Guo Cheng. "…" am I raising a pig?! A pig is better in moderating its eating than this human pig! He thought as he glared at Shan Lu. "Have you seen Wu Xi?" he asked.

Shan Lu chewed before he gulped down his food. "Yes. I saw him walking towards the river." He answered.

Guo Cheng sighed.

"I'll fetch him." Sun Yi said and then rose from his seat. He crossed the grove and walked down towards the river. "Wu Xi?" he called. "It's dinner time." He said.

Suddenly, he saw something glistened. He squinted his eyes and turned to see the hilt of the sword. He resumed walking, before he saw the blade of the sword. It is really Wu Xi's long sword. But, where is Wu Xi? He thought as he looked around when he heard the sound of something splashing.

"Wu Xi?" he called and followed the direction of the sound. He saw, on top of the rocks, are pieces of clothes. "Wu Xi!" he called.

Something moved underwater and a head popped out. It's Wu Xi. He opened his mouth to speak, but he realized he can't speak. He swam ashore and picked up a Thought Talisman from his pocket. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Sun Yi smiled. "It's dinnertime." He answered.

Wu Xi nodded, then swam to the side. He picked up his sword lying on the grass.

"Why did you leave your sword there and not with your clothes?" Sun Yi asked.

Wu Xi heard his question and he raised the Thought Talisman. "In case a bad guy appears, he wouldn't know I'm able to fight." He answered.

Sun Yi. "…" alright. That is reasonable. "Come up." He told him.

Wu Xi nodded and swam closer.

Suddenly, Sun Yi saw that there are two rounds of flesh on Wu Xi's chest. He immediately turned his back on him… or her. "… you're a woman?" he asked, not a bit flustered. He is homosexual, afterall.

Fortunately, though, he didn't see anything more, and he reacted very fast. Or else, he would've wronged Wu Xi. He heard the rustling sounds behind him. Wu Xi must be dressing up. He saw the Thought Talisman flew in front of him.

"I'm not. I have always identified myself as a man." Wu Xi answered.

"Oh…" Sun Yi muttered and waited until Wu Xi finished dressing up before he turned. "Your braided hair…" he said.

"I'm from a tribe." Wu Xi answered. "A mute tribe." She added.

"There isn't a tribe in the Huilong Continent." Sun Yi said. His meaning is clear: Wu Xi isn't from the Huilong Continent, so she must be from the Heilong Realm.

"You thought right. I'm from the Heilong Realm." Wu Xi calmly answered.

Sun Yi knows Wu Xi isn't an enemy. Or else, she would've long killed them. "Your tribe… were you all born mute?" he asked.

Wu Xi dried her hair using her qi before she braided them. "I am, along with the fellow children of my generation." She answered.

"… you mean your parents and ancestors aren't?" Sun Yi asked.

Wu Xi nodded. "They were poisoned, so we, their descendants, were born mute." She answered. "But, I'm the only one left." She said.

"What do you mean?" Sun Yi asked, although he already has an ill premonition.

"They were all killed." Wu Xi answered. "And it is my fault." She said.

"Why?" Sun Yi asked.

"Our tribe has a witch." Wu Xi answered. "She casts spells, so her tongue was cut. To avoid having witches in our tribe again, they poisoned all of us." She explained.

"… wait. You said it was your fault, so…" he stared at Wu Xi.

Wu Xi smiled. "My resentment is deep towards those who killed me, so I didn't leave the tribe." She said. "Although I can't cast spells anymore, but I can still learn martial arts, right?" she asked.

Sun Yi looked at her, his gaze complicated. "Who killed you?" he asked.

"Wu Ran's father." Wu Xi answered.

Sun Yi was shocked.

"He feared our tribe, precisely me. He is afraid we will rebel against him." Wu Xi explained.

"Then, Wu Ran…" Sun Yi said.

"He found out I was also reincarnated like him." Wu Xi bitterly smiled.

"So that's why you are fighting against him…" Sun Yi said.

Wu Xi nodded.

"… what does the Heilong Realm look like?" Sun Yi asked.

"Chaotic." Wu Xi answered.

Heilong Realm.

Wu Yuan and Fei Yin, who is carrying the unconscious Cheng Sheng, finally arrived in Meng Gui's base – the Lonely Moon City.

"Come! We'll bring you to our leader!" they said and dragged Wu Yuan and Fei Yin inside the manor.

"Leader! Leader!" a demonic cultivator called.

"What are you yelling for? Is there a fire?" a soft but masculine voice spoke in an irritated tone.

"Leader!" the demonic cultivators exclaimed when someone behind the screen appeared.

Wu Yuan and Fei Yin showed no surprise when they saw a beautiful young man with a fair skin and peach blossom eyes. Wu Yuan, who was already married, has his heart on only one person – Sun Yi. Fei Yin, who is devoted to Cheng Sheng, and even has his lover in his arms, didn't even flinch after they saw Meng Gui's beautiful face.

So, Meng Gui saw the two men weren't moved. "Oh." He just muttered. "Righteous cultivators." He said, his voice and face indifferent.

The demonic cultivators that brought them were shocked. Even though they were just joking yesterday, but it's still different after the truth was shoved on their face. "You are really…?" they asked.

"What?" Fei Yin said and frowned. "What if we are?" he asked.

"Yes. You must have already heard from them about my compassion towards the righteous cultivators." Meng Gui spoke. "Leave us." He told his subordinates.

"Yes!" the demonic cultivators answered and then left.

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan aren't stupid. Even though they have already heard what the demonic cultivators told them yesterday, unlike what Meng Gui thought of them that they are taking advantage of his compassion towards the righteous cultivators, but Fei Yin and Wu Yuan have never let their guard down even a bit even for a second.

Fei Yin is Cheng Sheng's da shixiong, and Wu Yuan who has accompanied Cheng Sheng for more than a month, have learned Cheng Sheng's over-cautiousness and over-vigilance towards everything. So, they still didn't trust the demonic cultivators. The only reason why they went with them is for the cure for the poison of the Star Fruit.

Meng Gui, after a few minutes, also has realized his mistake. "… you're different from the 'righteous' cultivators that I've helped over the years." He said.

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan didn't speak.

Meng Gui sat on his seat. "It's already in the past, my good impression towards the righteous cultivators. Over the years that I meet them, my good impression towards them only dwindles." He spoke. "My gratitude is what's been keeping me to continue helping them in the Heilong Realm. Not only did it raise the ire of the other demonic leaders towards me, but I also hate myself." He looked at them. "But, you two… you are different from them. You are also different from those kind-hearted righteous cultivators that helped me when I was young." he said before his eyes fell on Cheng Sheng. "I understand now. You wanted me to help him." he looked at them in the eyes.

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan nodded.

"I will help." Meng Gui agreed. "On one condition." He told them. "You must have already heard from my subordinates?" he asked.

"Yes." Fei Yin answered.

"We won't renege on our promise to them." Wu Yuan spoke.

Meng Gui smiled. "He won't die for the time being." He said as he looked at Cheng Sheng. "Only two days have passed… at sunrise, today, everyone will go to the Plum Blossoms City. I will also be present." He said. "But, you two, you will stay here. You two will be my trump cards." He told them.

"You're not afraid we will run away?" Wu Yuan asked.

"That's why I will give the cure to his poison after a week." Meng Gui said. It meant, he still doesn't trust them. "After poisoned by the Star Fruit, the person will die after ten days. On the third day from the last, I will give you the poison." He told them.

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan looked at each other. They didn't immediately agree.

"You want another benefit?" Meng Gui asked.

Fei Yin nodded. "We want to know if you have seen two righteous cultivators?" he asked.

"One is lean and fair. The other one is tall, muscular and tanned. They are always together." Wu Yuan answered, describing Wu Fan and Chen Jing, respectively.

"I haven't." Meng Gui honestly answered.

"Then, we want to ask another question." Fei Yin spoke.

"What is it?" Meng Gui asked.

"About the Heilong emperor." They answered.