A cool breeze swept through the trees, rustling the leaves. Liwei, who was resting on a tree branch, opened his eyes and held out a hand to catch a falling leaf. He stared at it for a few moments, his silver eyes as lifeless as stagnant water, before crushing it in his hand.

His lips curved up in a mischievous grin as he remembered Shu Yue and how she defeated a man twice her size and strength, a warrior of higher rank than her. But there was only one level difference between them, so it wasn't as shocking to Liwei. And he already knew she'd win the match--of course, that was his plan, after all. What caught his attention was the woman's style of swordsmanship.

She possessed such unique martial arts that he hadn't seen used by other disciples of the Ophiuchus Clan. Could it be the clan's secret art that only the leaders possessed? So they managed to keep such a powerful technique out of the hands of the greedy Zodiac Clans?

Seems like the heiress of the Fallen Zodiac is quite capable. Now I'm more confident in my plans.

Liwei was surprised himself when he saw her fight. He didn't expect Shu Yue to be that good. The human girl did nothing more than avoid the enemy's attacks. Her every move was calculated. There was no luck involved; it was all a matter of timing. That made him feel more excited. Shu Yue could be a far more powerful tool than he imagined. The Ophiuchus Clan, which was regarded as the weakest clan in the Empire of Luo, seemed not to be as hopeless as some claimed.

He turned his head when he heard the sound of crunching leaves. Footsteps. Two men in similar black robes were approaching, their long dark hair tied in a half-bun. Liwei frowned when he noticed Yu Xuan, the taller and younger of the two, dragging the other man by the front of his robe. Judging by the man's attire and aura, he was also a demon. Liwei's eyes flickered with interest. He hopped off the tree branch onto the ground and landed with a thump. Dust and dry leaves puffed out from the impact.

Yu Xuan came to a halt and bowed his head before Liwei. "My lord," he said then pushed the man forward. With his hands tied behind his back with a glowing purple cord, the man spat a curse as he stumbled a few steps.

Liwei drew a black folding fan from his robe and snapped it open over his chest. It was embroidered with a silver crescent moon.

"Well, what do we have here?" Liwei asked as he looked at the captive, but the man turned his face away.

"My lord," Yu Xuan started. "I saw this man wandering in the forest; he tried to flee when he saw me. He's a demon, so I assumed he was suspicious."

Liwei slowly flapped his fan twice, his predatory eyes raking at the man as he closely scrutinized him.

Layered robes of black with silver embroidery and leather vambraces, identical to Yu Xuan's. He wasn't just a demon--he was a soldier in an army under the command of Liwei. But what was a demon soldier doing here? A soldier was not allowed to cross into another realm unless they were given an order to do so. Liwei had no recollection of giving him--or any other demons under his control aside from Yu Xuan--permission to come here. Was he sent here by someone in power, or did he come here on his own? Certainly not the latter.

"Don't be shy. Let me see that face of yours," Liwei cooed and closed his folding fan. He stroked the man's cheek with the fan and forced him to look at him. He was an inch or two shorter than Liwei and had the appearance of a mortal man in his mid-forties despite having lived for over a thousand years. Just like Liwei, who looked like a young man in his twenties.

Liwei's mouth twisted into a bitter smile as he looked at the man's familiar face. "Ah, if it isn't Jianyu."

Jianyu averted his gaze, shame on his face. His mouth was stained with blood, probably Yu Xuan's doing. Since he was taken by force, he must have not intended to be discovered.

He was indeed a traitor.

Liwei tightened his grip on his fan. He kept smiling, but his stomach was churning with anger. A soldier of his own was working against him? There could only be one explanation for this. He must have switched allegiances and was now under the command of a different master. Which wasn't surprising at all. Liwei was well aware that there were ambitious demons who wanted his power. His army.

He opened his folding fan and waved it slowly in front of his chest, a motion infused with grace.

"Jianyu, my man. Can you tell your dear lord why you're here? Crimson Fangs Mountain is the home of wild beasts. Don't tell me you're here to hunt . . . beasts? Or perhaps you're here to spy on me?"

Jianyu's eyes widened.

Bingo.

"So tell me, my dear man, who's master do you serve now?" Liwei continued, arching a brow at him.

Jianyu bowed his head forward. "N-no one, my lord! I swear I'm not serving another master besides you. I . . . I came here of my own free will. I wasn't ordered by anyone."

"Your own free will?" Liwei scoffed. "And you expect me to believe that?"

Has this shameless demon taken him for a fool? There was no reason for a mere soldier--a low-level demon--to enter the Mortal Realm other than to carry out someone's command. That much was obvious: Jianyu was working for someone. Someone with apparent power and influence. Someone very ambitious. Someone who wanted to take Liwei's place.

"Could it be General Qiong Qi?" Liwei suggested in an innocent voice, a faint smile on his mouth.

Jianyu froze, his face turning pale. With this Liwei's smile deepened. Qiong Qi was one of the Four Generals. They were the strongest demon beasts in charge of the four districts in the Demon Realm, and were under the leadership of Liwei.

Liwei had always been aware of Qiong Qi's thirst for battle and power, as well as his plans to conquer both the Celestial and Mortal Realms--plans that Liwei had repeatedly rejected, primarily because he disliked the man. And now that Liwei was in a slightly weakened state due to the incident eleven years ago, it wasn't surprising that Qiong Qi, the ruler of the Western District, would take advantage of the situation. He must be plotting to depose Liwei and wage war on the Celestials himself.

Very ambitious indeed.

"Your reaction says it all," Liwei said and chuckled.

Jianyu bowed his head again. "You're mistaken, my lord! I . . . I came here to report to you."

Liwei narrowed his eyes. "Report?"

"Yes, my lord," Jianyu replied, looking up. "It's about the Heart Seal Technique."

Liwei stiffened.