Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

The two faced each other, speechless for a long time.

In that tangled and ever-flowing tide of fate, there was really nothing to say; those were things that could hardly influence the outcome. But he was always unwilling, unable to accept it, unable to be content.

Saying less wouldn't make a difference, but staying a little longer... well, he couldn't think of anything to say, but at least he felt that staying a little longer might make her feel better.

He felt things shouldn't be like this. He would rather not have this so-called Taiyin inheritance. He suddenly wanted to say that he didn't want to be the messenger of some demon lord.

But he still didn't speak.

He always sensed the harm in words before they were even spoken.

And so he could only stand there blankly, watching the ten suns shine brightly, their light pouring down from the sky, gilding the girl's hair with scattered gold, like a shadow that had traveled from those unforgettable yet unrememberable years past.

After a long while, the girl finally made a move.

She held something in her hands.

Ning Che was somewhat dazed, and after a moment of stunned silence, he looked closely and saw that Zhao Di was holding a small rabbit carved from pale yellow wood in her palm.

The carving is very rough, and you can barely make out the outline, but it is shiny from being rubbed.

"This is for you."

"Why a rabbit?"

"I feel you'll like this. Actually, I originally wanted to paint a picture, but oil paints are too expensive..."

She didn't finish her sentence, and Ning Che couldn't help but take half a step closer, wanting to reach out and take it, but he felt that the hand was as heavy as a thousand pounds and he couldn't lift it.

He knew he had to leave, and he also knew that this departure might be the last time they would see each other.

But looking into those clear eyes that reflected his image, he couldn't utter a single word of farewell.

"I'll wait for you to come back."

Finally, it was Zhao Di who spoke first. She placed the small wooden rabbit into Ning Che's intact left hand, her palm warm.

"Um."

Ning Che gripped the rabbit tightly, its rough edges digging into his palm. He replied softly, "I'll try my best to come back."

He said nothing more, turned around, and walked towards the restless blue horse at the village entrance.

There was no turning back.

He was afraid that if he turned back, he would never be able to leave again.

As hooves trod across the wasteland, the outline of Shizhu Village slowly shrank in the twilight, eventually becoming a tiny black dot.

Time was too tight. Even if he seized every opportunity to improve his strength, once caught in the eye of the storm, he would only be a pawn who could be killed at any moment, yet still wanted to fight back.

……

at the same time.

In the south of Feihu City, there is an underground stone palace that is never exposed to the light of day.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating the demon god reliefs on the wall.

The eighth-rank dark purple rat demon, which had been injured by Ning Che's sword energy in Liutang Village, was lying on the ground, its abdominal wound still faintly frosty, causing it great pain.

"He went to the Shi family, then returned to Shizhu Village, and is now on his way back to the city." The dark purple rat demon's voice trembled slightly. "Master, this person's whereabouts are hard to trace. Should we...?"

In the shadows deep within the stone hall, a blurry figure sat, whose gender and age were indistinguishable.

"fine."

The voice rang out, calm as a stagnant pool, yet possessing a power that could see through people's hearts.

"That greedy dog ​​Mu Qingming is still searching the whole city for the container of his great medicine, thinking he can use it to reshape his Dao body. Heh—he doesn't understand that a perfect container is ultimately just a container."

"What we want is different from what he wants."

There was an unusual excitement in the teacher's voice.

"What he wants is the withered ghost, that corrupted vessel."

"What we need is the Demon Lord's messenger, the one who wields the power of the Moon!"

The dark purple rat demon's body trembled even more violently, a mixture of awe and excitement emanating from its bloodline.

The wise teacher slowly stood up, and the shadow lengthened with his movement, like a statue that had awakened.

"Now that it's already started, there's no need to wait any longer."

"Pass on my order: get all the eyes hidden in the city moving."

"Tell those self-righteous guys..."

His voice paused, tinged with a cold laugh.

"The will of the Moon."

……

The night was as dark as ink, staining the world.

Ning Che rode the Green Wind Horse, but did not return directly to the mountains.

The horse's hooves made a crisp sound as it trod on the bluestone slabs, and he turned into a previously secluded and desolate alleyway.

But now, even at night, you can see two elderly people helping each other walk in.

Ning Che was slightly surprised to see them walk into the free clinic, knock on the door and enter. He quickly walked forward.

Seeing Zhao He standing guard at the door, and knowing how familiar the two were, he didn't bother with formalities and directly asked what was going on.

Zhao He pointed to the free clinic, where he saw that the person diagnosing the two elderly people was Zhong Hongyao.

Ning Che then dismounted. The Qingfeng horse was quite intelligent; without being told, it quietly stood against the wall, making no sound.

Then, Zhao He pulled him aside and explained briefly that someone had fallen seriously ill at night and rushed to the free clinic, only to find it closed, nearly losing their life. Upon learning of this, Zhong Hongyao came to help every night.

Ning Che nodded, then glanced at Zhong Hongyao, who was giving a serious diagnosis.

Some of the effects he brought have already deeply penetrated this city in another world.

He did not disturb her at this moment, and went into the inner room on his own.

Inside, a thin, small figure stood in the darkness.

Ning Che didn't say anything, and casually closed the door slightly.

The room was empty, containing only a wooden bed and a small table. Lin Caiwei stood in the center of the room, her plain white dress making her look like a ghost that might disappear at any moment.

"Uncle, you're back." Her voice was flat, like still water.

Ning Che hummed in agreement, walked to the table, and, using the dim light filtering through the crack in the door, examined her.

She seemed unchanged, except that she was thinner and her face was paler.

"What are you doing here?"

"Someone was watching this place, so I came."

Ning Che thought for a moment, but because there were probably too many forces watching him, he really didn't know which side they were from—of course, he couldn't rule out the possibility that they were from both sides.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and, as if telling a story, slowly said, "I went back to Shizhu Village and also visited the Shi family."

He briefly recounted the affairs of the Shi family, including the secret of the dossier, the deal with Shi Cheng'an, and the current stance of the third branch of the Shi family. He did not mention Zhao Di, nor the rabbit.

Lin Caiwei listened quietly, her dark eyes unmoving in the shadows, like two cold obsidian stones.

Only after Ning Che finished speaking did she speak, asking a completely unrelated question: "Will they come to kill you?"

"Probably." Ning Che raised his hand, releasing his inner energy, and gently pushed open the window. He looked at the moon hanging high in the sky, his expression revealing neither joy nor sorrow.

There were some insects outside the window, making a "coo-coo" sound.

After a moment, Lin Caiwei heard Ning Che slowly continue, "Actually, I don't know either. I don't even know what they're going to do. They won't reveal anything until the very last moment, unless..."

As he spoke, a slight smile played on his lips: "Unless I do something completely unexpected, they won't be forced to reveal anything."