Lan Sizui had severely damaged his meridians after forcefully suppressing the demonic energy inside Mo Zhan. Even with his talent, using an anti-demon talisman and sealing Lu Wang a second time within Mo Zhan had pushed his body beyond its limits. Not even the most skilled healers were able to repair the internal injuries he suffered.
Lord Shen Yu, unwilling to let his gifted disciple remain powerless and in pain for months, gave him ten years of his own cultivation without hesitation—ignoring the mistake he had made.
Thanks to that sacrifice, Lan Sizui's internal organs were restored to their original state.
He remained unconscious for a full day. As soon as he woke, a formal meeting was held in the Tao Palace hall—its purpose: to discuss Mo Zhan's incident and to reprimand Lan Sizui.
Lord Shen Yu, as imposing as ever, sat upon the golden throne. Only a few important members of the court were present, along with all four of Shen Yu's disciples.
"I sensed dark energy from Mo Zhan. Even though the elder said his cultivation is weak, that day something strange was rising from him."
Xiao spoke with authority—and clear disgust.
Lin Yu stepped forward. "I agree. I saw it too. His energy wasn't normal at all."
Yi Er added softly, "But… it felt like he was being possessed."
Everyone turned to her in shock.
Li Sui frowned. "Possessed? No demon can enter the Immortal Realm."
"I don't know," Yi Er said. "But it felt like something inside him was trying to take over."
Her words stirred confusion throughout the hall.
Lord Shen Yu remained silent, simply listening—his gaze fixed on Lan Sizui.
Lan Sizui had been kneeling from the start of the meeting. His expression was stern, his cold eyes fixed on the floor, refusing to speak.
"Lan Sizui," Shen Yu finally called with a commanding tone.
"Yes… Master." Lan Sizui bowed respectfully.
"You used a talisman on him. You should know what exactly happened."
All eyes turned toward him.
Lan Sizui knew Mo Zhan's body held two souls, with the evil one being extremely powerful. He had sensed a similar force years ago—when his parents were killed by a single sword strike. He had always wanted to observe Mo Zhan more closely. And so, for the first time, he lied.
"Yes. The energy I felt was strong and dark—but it wasn't his. It seemed like someone placed a powerful curse on him."
The hall erupted in murmurs.
Possession was one thing—now a curse?
Guan Zhou asked sharply, "A curse? What kind of curse injures your own meridians so severely?"
Lan Sizui held his cold gaze. "I don't know what kind it was. But it was trying to devour his soul. As for my injuries, they have nothing to do with the curse. I used one of the strongest curse-breaking talismans without understanding its nature."
Li Sui scolded, "You can't use powerful talismans recklessly! Lord Shen Yu sacrificed ten years of his cultivation to heal you."
Lan Sizui looked at his master with rare sincerity. "I am deeply grateful, Master."
Shen Yu's voice softened. "I know you. You must've had a reason."
Lan Sizui actually had none—but with his intelligence, he crafted a convincing explanation.
"If I hadn't broken the curse, he would have died. And his death would ruin the peace between our two realms. Disciples from other realms were there. If the news spread, they'd believe the Immortals killed a weak demon in their custody. It would spark conflict between allies."
The room fell silent—stunned.
The accusing eyes slowly shifted to admiration.
Li Sui, who had been deeply upset with him, softened as well.
"I see. In that case… you did well."
The others echoed their approval.
Lord Shen Yu's expression didn't change. He merely sighed and said, "Then this matter is settled. No further issues."
But Lin Yu stepped forward.
"There is something else I must report."
Shen Yu gestured for him to continue.
"It's about the other demon—Han. When he tried activating his inner power, I noticed his energy wasn't black, red, or even gray—the colors belonging to demons."
Guan Zhou said lazily, "So what?"
Lin Yu replied quietly, "His aura was an Immortal's aura."
Gasps filled the hall.
Li Sui frowned. "Maybe he focused on the light within him. That can produce the Immortal aura."
Lin Yu shook his head firmly. "I thought so too. But the aura wasn't normal. His aura was… blue."
Shock froze the room.
A blue aura—an advanced Immortal's aura—was nearly impossible to obtain.
How could a demon possess such a thing?
Unless… he was actually an Immortal.
Lord Shen Yu closed his eyes and whispered, "He has returned."
---
"Han, you should've seen him! The way he spoke—ugh! The real Lu Wang's face might be beautiful, but it's terrifying too!"
Mo Zhan half-sat on the bed, munching on a peach while talking excitedly.
He had been unconscious for two days. Now that he was awake, he was full of energy—his usual mischievous self.
Han sat beside him, listening quietly. He had been watching over Mo Zhan the entire time.
"But none of it makes sense," Han muttered. "In the original novel, Lu Wang didn't know about the trap. And he wasn't aware of the 'destined person.' So how could he suddenly tell you everything was planned and he knew who the destined one was?"
Mo Zhan groaned. "Exactly! Everyone's motives and actions here are completely different from the original novel. It's driving me insane."
Han looked out the window. "Did he tell you who the destined one is?"
Mo Zhan narrowed his eyes. "No. He didn't."
Then he shot Han a suspicious glare.
Han noticed and struck a pose. "What? Am I too handsome to look at?"
Mo Zhan scrunched his nose. "Anyway, forget about me. What about you? Did you see Zhao?"
Han hesitated briefly. "Yeah… I did."
Mo Zhan raised a brow. "When?"
Han already knew Mo Zhan would explode, but he still answered, "The afternoon of the ceremony."
Mo Zhan's jaw dropped.
"It's been three days, you idiot! And you tell me NOW? Wait—if I hadn't asked, would you even tell me?"
Han gave a sheepish smile. "I wanted to… but I thought you'd think I'm teasing you and we'd end up fighting."
Mo Zhan's frown eased slightly.
"My tolerance isn't that low… fine. Tell me what he said."
Han thought for a moment. "Surprisingly, he was nice. He didn't insult me or complain. He actually praised me and said, 'Good job.'"
Mo Zhan blinked. "Seriously? He wasn't angry at all?"
Han shook his head. "Not even a little."
Mo Zhan sulked inwardly.
(Why am *I* always the unlucky one…)
Then he recalled Lu Wang's warning and stared at Han suspiciously.
"Han… Lu Wang told me you might hurt me."
Han sighed. "Zhao told me the same thing about you."
The two stared at each other—then burst into quiet laughter.
Han shook his head. "They were clearly trying to pit us against each other."
Mo Zhan nodded proudly. "As if! They don't know how loyal we are."
But then Han's expression turned serious.
"There's a bigger problem. We now know Lu Wang and Zhao are still inside our bodies—but they can't get out."
Mo Zhan agreed. "Since they know everything we do… they must be watching."
Silence fell. Both sank into deep thought.
Han finally said, voice firm:
"The priority is to make sure they never return to their bodies. We'll figure out the rest… little by little."