After the matter was settled, Hai Jing returned to the side hall to catch up on the lessons he had missed that evening.

However, Ruyi was in no hurry to leave.

Feng Rugu's intoxication surged. Propping up his head, he saw Ruyi's red lips and white teeth under the lamplight, elegant and graceful, with a section of his long, jade-like fair neck exposed above his monk's robe. The sight filled Feng Rugu with pride, but then he thought, this is not my own child. If this face had some of my own features added to it, wouldn't it be perfect? He instantly felt regret.

His drunken gaze was somewhat bold and straightforward. Ruyi was no fool and couldn't help frowning slightly upon noticing it.

Only at times like this would he have a bit less of the otherworldly air of "moonlight shining on a cold river" and more of the youthful spirit appropriate for his age, instead of always sitting high on the Buddha's altar like a golden clay sculpture.

He had a hint of competitiveness with Feng Rugu and held back the question he had originally wanted to ask.

Ruyi didn't want Feng Rugu to laugh at him for being thin-skinned, feeling embarrassed just from having Feng Rugu look at him a few times.

It was still Feng Rugu who broke the stalemate with a smile: "Since the others are gone, just ask if you have something to say."

Ruyi didn't decline and asked directly: "Is the Lord Yunzhong acquainted with that masked murderer?"

Feng Rugu, engrossed in beauty, said: "That sounds like you're suspecting me."

Ruyi didn't deny it.

And Feng Rugu wasn't angry either.

"How does Master Ruyi want me to prove that I don't know that person?" Feng Rugu pointed to his chest and said with a smile, "I can even dig out my heart for you to see. Would that work?"

Ruyi wasn't very interested in Feng Rugu's heart: "He killed the monks of Hanshan Temple, and I am the temple's protector. Now that there are clues, naturally I have to inquire about it."

"Yes, that makes sense." Feng Rugu nodded with an air of importance, "Ask away."

"What was his intention in specifically finding Wen Chen to convey the message 'The Dao is no longer the Dao'?"

Feng Rugu shook his head: "I don't know."

"The Lord Yunzhong doesn't know?" Ruyi didn't believe it, "He used the corpses of sixteen Buddhist and Daoist monks to spell out the Lord Yunzhong's surname."

"Either he loves me to death or hates me to death." Feng Rugu said nonchalantly, "The latter is more likely. I have grudges with the evil way and don't get along with the righteous way either. I'm a detestable genius who has probably offended people somewhere and am being retaliated against."

"Sixteen lives, this is definitely not an ordinary retaliation. But if he had a grudge against the Lord Yunzhong, using the blood-written character 'Feng' to force the Lord Yunzhong down the mountain, and clearly knowing the Lord Yunzhong would come to Wenshi Sect, specially entrusting Wen Chen to pass on a message, yet not waiting here to seize the opportunity to take his life, it's truly contradictory..."

Ruyi's eyes gradually turned cold: "...Is the Lord Yunzhong deliberately concealing something?"

Feng Rugu was neither angry nor anxious: "Why would I hide anything?"

"The Lord Yunzhong doesn't know someone who could form such a karmic bond with him?"

"Don't know, don't know." Feng Rugu waved his hands repeatedly, "There are many who hate me to this extent, but none who hate me with such creativity."

"...There is one more thing I don't understand." Ruyi knew he was determined not to say anything, so he changed the question, "Why did this person think that Wen Chen would definitely convey this message to the Lord Yunzhong? And why would Wen Chen be so obedient to truthfully pass it on, even revealing Wenshi Sect's secret harboring of demon cultivators?"

Just now, when Ruyi was in the main hall, he quietly extended his spiritual sense to cover the entire guest house.

In the mountains, on the trees, including on Wen Chen's body, there was not a trace of spiritual power flow.

That murderer didn't even place a single sound-gathering flower here, which is used for monitoring.

He hated Feng Rugu, so he was familiar with him and knew that Wen Chen's little trick of hiding corpses couldn't escape his eyes, which could still be explained.

But how did he know that Wen Chen would be honest with Feng Rugu and not conceal the ugly matter for the sake of Wenshi Sect's reputation?

"This I can answer for you. If you want to blame someone, blame my destined but ill-fated father-in-law. His whole heart is devoted to Wenshi Sect, and he doesn't care at all about what kind of people his children are."

Feng Rugu said leisurely: "...But I've interacted with Wen Chen and know what kind of person he is. He's just an embroidered pillow with a straw core, weak, timid, and completely without his own opinions. Such a person can't keep any secrets at all. Old man Wen telling him 'there are descendants of demon cultivators hidden in the mountains' is even less advisable than telling Third Young Lady Wen."

"Also, he owes me. He's extremely afraid of me, like a mouse seeing a cat."

Saying that, Feng Rugu's eyes smiled again: "I dare to bet with you that the first time he came today, he must have investigated beforehand to make sure I wasn't in the main hall before daring to enter. In his words, although he repeatedly said that I treated him with kindness heavier than the sea, he didn't ask how I was now at all, let alone mention wanting to stay and see me. Is this the case?"

Ruyi's brow moved.

And at this point, Feng Rugu's expression also subtly changed.

The two looked at each other and said in unison: "...The murderer also knows Wen Chen."

Feng Rugu indeed had many enemies, but Wen Chen was just the son of a small Daoist sect leader.

To the outside world, Wenshi Sect was still in its prime under Wen Runjin's leadership, and Wen Chen was publicly recognized as steady and taciturn. When he put on airs, he could indeed fool people.

Forcing Feng Rugu down the mountain, while also being able to see through Wen Chen's weakness beneath his exterior and knowing Wen Chen's fear of Feng Rugu, and using it for his own purposes, showed that this person was extremely familiar with Wen Chen.

This was indeed rare.

Feng Rugu propped his chin: "Counting my interactions with Wen Chen, it would be 'that incident' from ten years ago. Perhaps... Master Ruyi?"

Ruyi had actually been distracted and only came to his senses when Feng Rugu called him: "Yes. I'm listening."

The reason Ruyi was distracted was because of Feng Rugu.

...Why would he be in sync with this person, as if their minds were connected?

When he was young, he most revered his adoptive father. His adoptive father had an ingenious mind and many wonderful ideas. He had to rack his brains to keep up.

He followed closely for four years before barely catching up to his adoptive father's steps, only wishing to have a tacit understanding and mutual comprehension with his adoptive father.

But now, the one resonating with him was Feng Rugu.

Feng Rugu knew Ruyi wasn't listening and didn't mention what happened ten years ago. He changed the subject: "With Wen Chen's personality like this, I'm not surprised. But you, you're unexpected to me."

Ruyi: "The Lord Yunzhong doesn't know me well, so being a bit surprised, isn't that normal?"

Feng Rugu: "With Senior Brother Chang around, I still have some understanding of you."

Hearing the words "Senior Brother Chang", the cold pond in Ruyi's eyes rippled subtly.

Feng Rugu asked, "Killing the demon cultivators and framing the Wenshi Sect with this, in your view, is this the best strategy?"

Ruyi calmly said, "I'm not just doing it for the Wenshi Sect. It's also for their sake. Even if they escape down the mountain, it would be useless. The world hates demons, and demons have no place to stand. In the end, they can only harm the world in order to protect themselves."

Feng Rugu: "Demons are also part of the world. Does Buddha teach you to not love the world and kill indiscriminately?"

Ruyi: "However, since the world does not recognize them, there is no difference between Buddha and demons."

Feng Rugu: "Ha, these words are truly outrageous. If your Buddha heard this, he would probably be hopping mad."

Ruyi: "But it is the truth. If this poor monk sheltered demon cultivators in Hanshan Temple, the next day, once the news spreads, Hanshan Temple would be removed from the orthodox sects for harboring demon cultivators. Although Buddha is compassionate, he cannot make everyone compassionate overnight."

"But if we sit by and do nothing, letting nature take its course, it is also pushing these children into the Avici Hell. If the ways of the world do not change, these children of demon cultivators will inevitably fall into the bitter karma of hating the world due to discrimination, hatred, and endless enmity, unable to attain liberation."

Ruyi's Buddha eyes slightly closed as he spoke calmly and sincerely, "Rather than hating the world, it's better to hate me."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, he was flicked on the forehead.

Ruyi: "......"

Feng Rugu bluntly commented, "Fool."

The resident Ruyi, who was branded a "fool", remained expressionless.

"Back then, my senior brother lacked killing intent and was too good-natured, that's why he was slow to make progress in his swordsmanship." Feng Rugu poked him again, "You, on the other hand, have too much killing intent, always thinking that death is the way to liberation. My senior brother didn't teach you this back then, right?"

Ruyi was flicked until he became even more indifferent: "Thank you for the guidance, Lord Yunzhong."

"Even the Buddhist sect cannot eliminate the killing intent in your heart." Feng Rugu sighed deeply, "To think my senior brother went to great lengths to inquire about your whereabouts back then, and was delighted to know you went to Hanshan Temple."

Ruyi's heart suddenly pounded: "Adop... Lord Duanrong inquired about me?"

"Mm, after rescuing me from the 'Forgotten World', he was covered in wounds. As soon as he woke up, he wanted to descend the mountain. No one could stop him, foolish beyond belief."

At this point, Feng Rugu lowered his voice, "Didn't he... tell you to wait for him at the inn?"

Ruyi abruptly stood up, the golden Buddha prayer beads spinning around his fingertips, wrapping around his index finger.

He pushed open the hall door and turned sideways, speaking distantly, "Lord Yunzhong, please rest early."

With that, he left without looking back.

Until he returned to the side hall, Ruyi's heart was still aching with a hidden pain. He didn't even notice Hai Jing's squinting gaze observing him.

...He never dared to mention to anyone that period of time he spent with his adoptive father, like wearing brocade at night, cherishing a precious jewel in his heart, carefully protecting it, afraid that it would be tarnished even a little bit.

But perhaps, to his adoptive father, it was just a past event that could be casually mentioned to others, an insignificant topic of conversation.

In the end, the one his adoptive father cared about most was only his junior brother, Feng Rugu.

To calm his mind, Ruyi pressed his palms together, but his right little finger bent and stretched, pressing against the red thread wrapped around his left little finger.

Heartbeats, one after another, each one audible, yet surprisingly gentle.

Ruyi's heart, filled with murderous intent, strangely gradually calmed down with the soothing of this red thread.

No matter how much blood stained his sword, as long as he heard his adoptive father's heartbeat, he could quickly calm his mind and restrain all his evil thoughts.

In the end, he just didn't want his adoptive father to see what kind of person he really was.

...In front of his adoptive father, he was not Ruyi, not the protector of the temple who knew the Suopo Sword Technique, not someone who lacked the heart to save the world and only sent people to the afterlife, the Jade-Faced Killing Buddha.

He was just his adoptive father's Hongchen.

As his heartstrings gradually settled, a conversation between Luo Fuchun and Feng Rugu came from outside: "Master, I've prepared the water, you can take a bath anytime!"

"What bath, my skin already soaked off earlier, not going."

"Master, someone died in that pool..."

"Where in this world has no one died before. Have they all gone to sleep?"

"Those little demon heads? Don't know, they should be asleep."

Footsteps sounded all the way to the side hall, the door of the side hall opened and then closed.

Feng Rugu strolled into the hall.

In the darkness, no breathing could be heard.

They indeed hadn't fallen asleep. Hearing someone enter, they all held their breaths.

Feng Rugu sat down on the bed, "Don't hold it in, be careful not to get caught and beaten to death, but suffocate yourselves first."

Four pairs of eyes quietly opened, sizing each other up for a while.

In the end, it was still the oldest little demon cultivator who spoke first, "Lord Yunzhong, will we die?"

Feng Rugu opened the storage pouch prepared for him by Sang Luojiu, took out a bamboo smoking pipe from the neatly arranged and labeled small boxes, lit it, and exhaled a breath of fresh bamboo, "You will die. Everyone will die, but not now, and not tomorrow."

"Will you hand us over to Sect Leader Wen?"

"This I won't do. Old Man Wen dislikes me, and I won't let people who dislike me have their way."

The few exchanged glances again, feeling that this Lord Yunzhong was indeed inscrutable, not quite righteous, but not quite evil either.

"Why did you save us?"

"Why indeed--" Feng Rugu drawled, "To make you owe me a favor. When you grow up, I'll come to collect. A fair trade, credit now, repayment later."

"Where... can we go? Can we still grow up?"

The youngest demon cultivator fell into confusion.

"We can't go back to the 'Forgotten World' either. Sect Leader Wen made our fathers and mothers bring out useful things from the 'Forgotten World' every time they came, sword manuals, mind scriptures, medicine recipes, weapons... Last time, my mother couldn't find anything useful, and was forced to steal a sword for me. Because of this, she was already driven out of the 'Forgotten World'. I don't even know if she's still alive, if I can still see her..."

With that, he started sobbing.

But Feng Rugu said, "Don't ask me about this kind of thing. I'm not your father."

Little demon cultivator: "Wuu--"

Feng Rugu: "Hold it back."

The little demon cultivator was still afraid of him. He covered his mouth with both hands, not daring to make another sound.

Feng Rugu quickly finished a pouch of tobacco. As he reached into the storage pouch to feel for bamboo leaves, his brow raised.

Sang Luojiu was too thoughtful, even bringing along the konghou he played for leisure.

He took out the konghou.

It was a phoenix-headed harp with a body red like flowing fire. The soundboard was shaped like a boat, carved from a large piece of blood-like natural red jade. The strings were divided into yin and yang double rows. On top was a carved phoenix looking back, its beak vivid, as if crying blood. Feng Rugu placed the guqin on his lap and casually plucked a few notes.

The sound lingered on, carrying a hint of ancient charm.

Feng Rugu sat with the guqin in his embrace, the melody flowing gently like a mountain spring, as if he was just playing it on a whim.

However, there was also something profound in the music.

He played for no more than the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, and the children who were previously anxious and unable to sleep were now yawning incessantly, with the youngest already hugging a soft pillow, fast asleep.

After three pieces, all the children were sound asleep.

Taking advantage of their deep slumber, Feng Rugu extended his fingers and removed the "forbidden to leave the mountain" seals on their bodies.

Fuchun and Luojiu's cultivation was insufficient to remove the seals personally placed by Wen Runjin, while Ruyi and Hai Jing were Buddhist disciples who did not understand Daoist techniques.

Therefore, he had to do it himself.

As his fingertips glowed with a sacred light, the four seals were erased one by one.

However, Feng Rugu did not leave immediately. Instead, he sat there for a while, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his expression indescribably painful.

After a long pause, he pulled back his left sleeve.

— At some point, the winding, upright green lotus bud tattoo on his forearm had bloomed into an enchanting fire lotus, as vivid as blood and fire.

He clenched his fist and chanted in Sanskrit, "'The flame turns into a red lotus, the heavenly sin dissipates on its own, hearing it is said to increase blessings and longevity'..."

When he opened his eyes again, the tattoo petals had closed back into a green bud.

The green pistil swayed, looking very delicate.

As if it had never bloomed.

Only then did Feng Rugu stand up. After putting away the konghou, smoking pipe, and other items, he took out the last thing from a small brocade pouch.

He placed a sweet rice cake in each child's mouth to sweeten their dreams.

He tiptoed out and closed the door.

By this time, Hai Jing had long finished his homework.

He loved music, and from the moment the guqin started playing until it ended, he listened in a trance, not daring to comment because Ruyi was meditating.

It was only after the music had stopped for a while that Ruyi opened his eyes.

Hai Jing quickly said, "Martial Uncle Ruyi, did you hear that? It was Lord Yunzhong playing the guqin."

Ruyi: "Mm."

Feng Rugu left the side hall and felt a bit dizzy. Only when he reached Ruyi's hall did he realize it was not the main hall where he was staying.

Just now, he had expended too much mental energy to suppress the red lotus outbreak, and coupled with the alcohol, his body could not quite hold up. He simply concealed his aura and quietly sat down on the cool steps of the side hall to rest for a bit.

He heard Hai Jing inside praising his guqin skills endlessly, saying he must have been taught by a master and so on.

After a long while, he heard Ruyi's cold comment on his guqin playing: "A poor imitation, it will never be the same."

Upon hearing this, Feng Rugu laughed silently. He had just rested his head against a red wooden pillar when he heard Sang Luojiu's gentle inquiring voice beside him: "...Master? Why are you sitting here?"

Inside the side hall, it suddenly became silent.