Summoned by the sect leader, Chen Zoe made his way to the meeting hall. The elders were already gathered, clearly prepared to tear him apart for acting on his own during the battle. More than peace, they would have preferred if he had returned with the head of the beastmen leader.
However, spotting a few familiar faces aside from his father brightened Zoe's expression. His uncle quickly noticed and gestured for him to compose himself. Understanding the warning, Zoe adjusted his expression at once, standing calmly with a neutral face.
"Regarding the recent incident, do you have anything to explain?" his father's cold voice echoed through the hall. Not only had Zoe disobeyed orders, he had also allowed the captured beastmen to leave.
"I know I shouldn't have acted on my own," Zoe began steadily. "But the situation was dire—a matter of life and death. Someone had to make a decision, so I took that responsibility."
He continued without hesitation. "On one side, there were thousands of beastmen. On the other, the lives of innocent villagers. We were prepared to die at the battlefield… but after seeing the innocent villagers, how could we act recklessly?
With only a few disciples, how could we possibly win... We wouldn't even have been able to hold them back until Uncle Zeon returned with reinforcements…"
Blending truth with carefully placed lies, Zoe displayed his acting skill flawlessly.
Hearing this, both Chen Zeon and Xi Shen were left speechless, staring at him in disbelief.
'When did my nephew grow like this? He can lie without even blinking… How did I never notice this talent? ' Chen Zeon wondered.
'Is he really the sect leader's son? How can he lie with such confidence?' Xi Shen thought.
"If what I did was wrong, I am ready to accept any punishment." Zoe lowered his head, quietly observing everyone's reactions.
"What he says is true," Chen Zeon finally spoke. "I witnessed the scale of their army myself. There is no way the two of them could have handled it if it had turned into a full battle."
He paused before adding firmly, "Saving innocent lives should always come before anything else. I don't think anyone here would disagree."
The elders fell silent. None could refute his reasoning. If a warrior could not protect lives, then what meaning was there in killing thousands of enemies?
"Does anyone have anything further to say?" Chen Zeng asked, his authority filling the room.
"What you did may be commendable," Elder Wu said coldly, "but never again let our enemies go. We do not forgive those who invade our lands."
Chen Zoe nodded in agreement. He understood their stance—even if he personally didn't care.
"If that is all, this meeting is dismissed," his father concluded.
Zoe's face brightened slightly, only to dim again at the next words. "Zoe, stay behind. I wish to speak with you privately. Come to my study."
"Uncle…" Zoe glanced at Chen Zeon for help, but the man deliberately looked away, clearly unwilling to get involved.
In the study room—
"Now tell me what really happened." Chen Zeng fixed his gaze on Chen Zoe, his tone calm but firm.
"Didn't I already explain?" Zoe replied, attempting to brush it off.
"You expect me to believe that?"
Zoe nodded without hesitation, as if to say, why not?
Chen Zeng let out a quiet sigh. "My son—who crushed several buildings with a single strike—couldn't defeat a few beastmen? That's… difficult to accept."
Zoe paused. "…How did you—"
Realizing there was no point hiding it any longer, he exhaled and dropped into a chair. Slowly, he revealed everything. Despite his father's stubborn nature, Zoe had always believed he would understand.
"I already heard part of it from your uncle, when he returned." Chen Zeng said after listening. "And you handled the situation well."
There was no surprise in his voice—only quiet acknowledgment.
Zoe blinked, confused. His father didn't question how he knew the beastmen's language, nor did he press further into the details.
"What is it?" Chen Zeng asked, noticing his expression.
"Nothing…" Zoe shook his head. He decided not to bring up anything unnecessary.
"Zoe."
As he turned to leave, his father called out again.
"Stay with your uncle for the time being." The words carried a quiet concern—not just from a sect leader, but from a brother.
Zoe hesitated for a moment… then nodded. He couldn't refuse.
Meanwhile, in the Demon Realm—
"What was that feeling…?"
Long Tian paced back and forth across his chamber, his brows tightly furrowed.
"I've never felt anything like it before… so why did I react that way to a human? Why can't I stop thinking about him…?"
He ran a hand through his hair, clearly unsettled.
"He's strong… what if he used some kind of black magic on me?"
He stopped abruptly, frowning at his own thoughts.
"What am I even thinking? He probably doesn't even know who I am… he didn't even look at me."
Lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice that Zera was still in the room, watching him circle endlessly.
"How many rounds has it been…? I'm getting dizzy just watching," she muttered under her breath. "Tian…"
"What?" he snapped, clearly irritated.
"What's wrong with you?" Zera stepped closer, eyeing him curiously. "You've been acting strange ever since we returned from the human realm."
When he didn't respond, her curiosity only grew.
"Is it about that guy we saw?" she continued, trying to read his expression. "The one with the claw mark on his face…"
A knowing smile slowly appeared on her lips.
"So you've been thinking about him too, huh?"
She clasped her hands together, her tone turning playful.
"He was really strong… and good-looking as well. What do you think—should I go after him?"
She continued, completely unaware of the change in Long Tian's expression.
"Those cold eyes, that fierce aura… where else would I find someone that handsome—"
A faint darkness flickered at Long Tian's fingertips, his anger rising without restraint. The energy began to creep toward Zera—
—but just before it could reach her, he snapped back to his senses and withdrew it instantly.
For a moment, even he was stunned.
What was I just thinking…?
If he had been even a second slower, Zera would have been hurt.
"Your imagination is getting out of hand," Long Tian said coldly, turning away. "There can never be anything between demons and humans."
"H-Hey, I was just joking…" Zera raised her hands defensively. "We demons admire strength, even if it belongs to an enemy."
Long Tian remained silent for a moment before speaking again, his voice steady—too steady.
"The day we conquer the human realm, I'll hand him over to you. You can do whatever you want with him then."
It was a casual remark—meant to dismiss the topic. But beneath his calm expression, something dark and unfamiliar continued to stir.
Days later—
Long Tian finally gathered information about the northern region of the human realm, where the incident had taken place. His search led him to the Chen Long Sect, located at Longwei Peak.
Even though he refused to admit it, he still wanted to know more about Chen Zoe. To justify it to himself, he convinced his mind that he was simply investigating an enemy—searching for weaknesses.
With his ability to control animals, Long Tian chose a crow as his medium. Through it, he watched Zoe closely, using the bird as his eyes.
Day after day, he observed everything—whether Zoe was training, teaching disciples, wandering through the grounds, or simply lying across the vast grasslands.
Whether he found any weakness or not remained unclear. But one thing was certain—those around Long Tian began to notice the changes in him.
The man who once showed no interest in any living being had started planting flowers in the Demon Realm. Even though the land was unsuitable for growth, he stubbornly tried to make them bloom, forcing the maids to work overtime.
He even instructed the chefs to recreate unfamiliar desserts—ones he had only seen Zoe eat with quiet satisfaction.
No one could tell whether this change was a good sign… or something far more troubling.
Then one day, without warning, Long Tian announced to his mother that he intended to visit the human realm.
And the place he chose—
was none other than Kiachi.
The very same place Chen Zoe was about to visit.