In the vast desert, the wind and sand raged, turning the sky and earth a desolate yellow.

Two people, two swords, one in front and one behind, walked through the sandstorm.

Despite the howling gales and swirling sand, their steps remained steady, for the person in front had activated a wind-warding technique, allowing the sand to pass by without sticking to their clothes.

He was unsparing with his overflowing spiritual power, firmly protecting both of them within it. With one hand holding a sheepskin map and the other hand forming a seal, his sleeves with silver-purple trim fluttered in the wind.

The person walking behind was pale and gaunt, head lowered as he walked, his expression not very good.

As the wind passed, it lifted the sleeves of the person behind, revealing a ring of stitches encircling his left wrist.

...It was as if that hand had been chopped off at the wrist and forcibly reattached.

After walking for a while, the person in front stopped, holding the map with a troubled look on his face: "Hey, help me take a look..."

As he turned his head, he discovered that the person following him had silently walked out of the protective range of the wind-warding technique and was heading into the distance, already quite far away, leaving only a hazy silhouette.

The sand pelted that person's face like wasps, but he seemed not to feel the pain as he walked forward on his own.

The person in front was startled and called out "Xu Pingsheng" a couple times. Seeing no response, he could only activate the technique and hurry to chase after him.

The man called "Xu Pingsheng" turned a deaf ear to the shouts, striding forward with long legs until he reached his destination before stopping.

It was a few clumps of camel thorn still standing upright amidst the raging winds.

Xu Pingsheng chose a spot sheltered from the wind under the camel thorn and sat down hugging his knees, waiting for the other person to catch up.

While doing all this, his expression remained cold and indifferent.

The person who caught up, seeing Xu Pingsheng acting as if this were a matter of course, became furious and smacked him on the head.

Despite having a refined and proud face, Xu Pingsheng unhesitatingly hit back: "Why did you hit me?!"

"Why did you run off? What if I lost you?"

"You hit me."

"So what if I hit you?! You dare to hit me back?! ...You're still hitting?"

The two of them tussled for a while, pushing each other, glaring, both fuming.

After the scuffle, the other person was also exhausted. He simply sat down beside Xu Pingsheng: "I'm so tired already, can't you give me some peace of mind? Why are you throwing a tantrum for no reason again?"

Xu Pingsheng glared: "I'm not throwing a tantrum."

With that said, Xu Pingsheng undid his front lapels, took off his clothes, revealing a body covered in crisscrossing stitched scars.

He held the clothes up to cover both their heads.

The other person was a bit surprised by his sudden actions: "...What are you doing?"

Xu Pingsheng said: "Resting."

He continued in a halting manner: "You haven't slept for three days. Don't waste spiritual power on unnecessary things. When the wind stops, then look for the ore vein."

This stuttering, not very fluent explanation made the other person pause, a slight warmth in his heart.

After some thought, he withdrew the wind-warding technique and sat under this tiny makeshift shelter made of a few clumps of camel thorn and a piece of clothing.

The raging wind howled past the two of them sitting side by side. He had to shout for Xu Pingsheng to hear him: "You care about me, don't you!"

Xu Pingsheng held the clothes over both their heads to block the wind and sand. At the same time, risking getting a mouthful of sand, he loudly cursed: "You're sick!"

The other didn't hold back either, retorting: "You're the one who's sick! You're not mute, why didn't you say anything earlier when following behind me? You had me worried to death!"

Xu Pingsheng fell silent, resting his chin on his knees, not looking at him.

The other curved his eyes, smiling: "You knew I wouldn't abandon you, right?"

Xu Pingsheng pursed his lips, glaring fiercely at him.

Just as he was about to tease Xu Pingsheng a bit more, he suddenly sensed something and raised his head.

Amidst the swirling sand, a blue butterfly gracefully arrived, its wings parting the sand as it landed on his fingertip.

It was a letter from Jing Sanchai of the Thousand Mechanisms Court, the contents quite concise:

Uncle Sa Si, please return promptly upon receiving this letter. Big-Eye Feng is also at the court and has a matter to entrust you with.

...

Half a day ago, the demonic cultivator Sa Si was still in the scorching desert, following a sheepskin map, intending to find a spiritual stone vein to be used by the Bushi Sect.

Half a day later, he sat in Jing Sanchai's Thousand Mechanisms Court, sipping freshly picked tea. Across from him sat his second nephew Feng, referred to as "Big-Eye Feng" by Jing Sanchai.

Due to Feng Rugu wearing a monocle over one eye, his right eye appeared slightly larger than the other under the crystal lens.

Only Feng Rugu and Ruyi were in the main hall.

Jing Sanchai had just arranged for the four young demonic cultivators to hide in the basement of the Thousand Mechanisms Court. With a pile of other matters pressing, he had no time to sit and chat with them. He was only responsible for contacting Sa Si. Now he had left the court to attend to other business.

The Xu Pingsheng that Sa Si brought along obediently stayed in the central courtyard, sitting across from a caged nightingale, warily observing each other.

...And there were also people observing him.

Luo Fuchun, Sang Luojiu, and Hai Jing were in a side courtyard cottage. The three of them sat side by side, studying him through a slit in the paper window.

"He's a jiangshi, isn't he," Hai Jing whispered, clinging to the window edge. "I heard others say that the demonic cultivator Sa Si has a jiangshi that always follows him. His falling out with the Dao Sect was also because of this jiangshi, right?"

Luo Fuchun and Sang Luojiu exchanged glances, their expressions complex.

Hai Jing noticed the unusual atmosphere and looked at them curiously.

Sang Luojiu began to explain: "...The jiangshi Xu Pingsheng...is the brother of our grand-master Lord Xiaoyao, who's also our master's master."

Luo Fuchun added: "Biological older brother."

"Him?" Hai Jing was shocked. "...How can that be?"

This was a secret of Fengling Peak, naturally not something that could be explained in detail to outsiders.

To divert Hai Jing's attention, Luo Fuchun told Hai Jing about Sa Si's life story.

Sa Si, of pure demonic bloodline, a legitimate descendant of the demonic way. His raven-black eyes were a mark of his pure blood.

Among those still living in the world today, there were probably none of more pure demonic lineage than him.

The two golden ages of the demonic way in the past hundred years—one was created by his uncle, the other by his cousin Jiu Zhideng.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, he was not very close with these two, only distantly related by blood.

During the first golden age, he was not even as tall as a sword, so he did not participate. In the second golden age, he became a traitor to the demon sect.

At that time, the righteous sects were invaded by the demon sect, the four major sects were scattered, and countless died or were injured.

After the catastrophe, Sa Si, who had not participated and had no interest in the conflict between the righteous and demonic sects, happened upon Xu Pingsheng, who had been refined into a jiangshi, as well as disciples of the righteous sects who were hiding in the mountains.

Sa Si was born with a distaste for killing, and only applied the demon sect's obsessive zeal to the way of the sword. He was intoxicated with sword cultivation and was a genuine sword fanatic.

Among his sword companions, the most important one was Fengling's young Lord Xiaoyao at that time, Xu Xingzhi.

Relying on the thin blood relation, Sa Si shamelessly begged the demon sect leader Jiu Zhideng for this mountain to use for cultivation.

...He protected these disciples on the mountain for Xu Xingzhi.

He used the thirteen years that he could have enjoyed freely to shelter these disciples, until the four major sects accumulated strength and made a comeback.

The demon sect collapsed, he became the savior of the righteous sects, and also the sinner of the demon sect.

He laid down the heavy burden, and took the jiangshi Xu Pingsheng who recognized him as the master but rarely listened to him. Sometimes he would travel the lands, sometimes return to the cave where he had stayed for thirteen years to recuperate, and sometimes deal with the demon sect's revenge. He lived freely for a few years.

However, sadly, good times don't last long.

Nine years ago, Lord Xiaoyao, Xu Xingzhi ascended with his Daoist companion Meng Chongguang.

Since then, some small righteous sects began to stir.

After all, Sa Si was a demon cultivator, a pure-blooded demon cultivator, of the same lineage as his uncle and cousin. How could it be guaranteed that he had no ambition?