Wu Xingxue lowered his eyes and saw that his hands were covered in blood.

On the way to Great Sorrow Valley, he had been secretly channeling his inner energy for emergencies, fearing that without his memories, he wouldn't even know how to fight, making a fool of himself. He didn't expect to actually run into trouble with some scumbags, and when he did, he didn't even have to think.

Who knows how many years he had been a Demon Lord, or how many things he had killed, for this set of skills to be engraved into his very bones.

In fact, just before entering the valley, he had been curious about his relationship with Xiao Fuxuan.

Although one was the High Immortal in charge of the Canglang Northern Domain, and the other a Demon Lord imprisoned for twenty-five years, perhaps things between them weren't so bad.

But looking at these hands, he couldn't think of a single reason why things wouldn't be bad.

...

Wu Xingxue was silent for a moment, then turned to look at his two filial underlings.

The Yin Creature was gleefully holding Duan Bi's face, kissing him so much he wished he were dead.

Ning Huaishan had probably just been defiled with a few kisses, and his mouth was now pursed like an old lady's. It was clear he wished he could sew the Yin Creature's mouth shut...

Or even sew his own.

Wu Xingxue walked over.

The moment Ning Huaishan saw him, he started to cry, tears streaming down his face. "City Lord, we were wrong, City Lord! We just thought someone was impersonating you, we never meant to rebel."

Wu Xingxue nodded. "Oh, I know."

Ning Huaishan's crying came to an abrupt halt. "?"

He could tell even that?

He mumbled, swallowing his words.

Since the word "impersonating" was out, Wu Xingxue simply lifted his robes, bent down, and pinched the back of the Yin Creature's neck.

The Yin Creature's lips were puckered out, but it couldn't touch Duan Bi. Duan Bi could finally breathe. His very soul was trembling; a lot of his life force had been drained, and his face was extremely green.

"City Lord..." Duan Bi called out, about to apologize and pledge his loyalty. But he heard Wu Xingxue ask him, "I know he's called Ning Huaishan. What about you? What's your name?"

Duan Bi's cry for mercy got stuck in his throat. "?"

Duan Bi looked shocked. "Wh-what?"

Wu Xingxue: "I'm asking for your name."

"Fang Chu... City Lord, my name is Fang Chu." Duan Bi still looked shocked, hesitating for a moment before saying softly, "City Lord, you were the one who gave me this name."

"?"

Wu Xingxue didn't expect that as a City Lord, he was in charge of everything, even naming people.

"You said that since I had entered Zhaoye City, I should forget my past and take a new name. Back then, I was fighting with wild ghosts and Yin Creatures for food and didn't have a name. So I was called this, and it has been so until now," Duan Bi... oh no, Fang Chu said.

Wu Xingxue listened, but still had no recollection.

"City Lord, you're...?"

"I was locked up in Canglang Northern Prison for too long. I can't remember things from the past," Wu Xingxue said without hiding it any longer.

"Ah???"

Fang Chu and Ning Huaishan looked at each other, finally understanding where that sense of him being an "imposter" had come from.

"So from now on, if I run into something and ask, you are to tell me." Wu Xingxue's pitch-black eyes stared at the two of them. After giving his instructions, he suddenly seemed to remember something and added, "Oh, right. Remember this, do not ever lie to me—"

"No, no, no, no." The two shook their heads like rattle drums. "We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare."

Wu Xingxue said unhurriedly, "Since I've forgotten the past, no matter how many years you two have followed me or what kind of bond we shared, I won't acknowledge it. Let me ask you, was I fierce before?"

Ning Huaishan: "..."

How the hell was he supposed to answer that?

Wu Xingxue smiled. "I'm even fiercer now."

Ning Huaishan: "..."

The two underlings looked at the Yin Creature with its pestering, puckered lips and thought, 'Point taken.'

Whether he's fierce or not is hard to say, but he's certainly unsettling.

After threatening them, Wu Xingxue let go. The Yin Creature, freed again, grinned and rushed toward Ning Huaishan.

Before it could suck on Ning Huaishan, Wu Xingxue released the pressure on the two of them and undid the belt that was tying them up. "Put your pants on."

Ning Huaishan struggled and found he could move. He immediately pushed back the Yin Creature's face and, holding up his pants, jumped to his feet.

"Damn you, one kiss after another, you're really getting into it, aren't you! You slobbered all over my face, ugh—" He cursed while gagging, and together with Fang Chu, they killed the amorous Yin Creature.

They viciously threw the Yin Creature back onto the ground, fastened their belts, and vigorously scrubbed their mouths, afraid of leaving even a hint of the Yin Creature's scent.

Wu Xingxue ignored them, instead following the sound of dripping water to find a small, cold pool.

He thought he was truly strange.

He was frank and undisguised with the two underlings who had almost killed him, even telling them about his amnesia. But with Xiao Fuxuan, he tried to hide things, only making them more obvious.

What was there to hide?

Didn't he already see that you were the real person?

It was perfectly natural for a Demon Lord to kill people. Getting a little blood on him was as normal as could be. Why wash it off?

So fussy.

Wu Xingxue stood by the cold pool, expressionless.

A moment later, he lifted his robes, squatted down, and washed the blood from his hands. After washing them, he held them to the tip of his nose and sniffed.

Not a trace of the warmth from the hand warmer remained. His inner energy was cold to begin with, and he had just frozen the blood in the tomb. Now, his fingers were like ice, but at least they no longer smelled of blood.

"City Lord," Ning Huaishan called out.

Wu Xingxue straightened up and walked back, subconsciously glancing up.

He had been dragged down from there by Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu. There should be a trapdoor there, leading to the mountain temple above. But now, the mountain wall looked seamless, with no trace of a trapdoor. Naturally, he couldn't hear any movement from the people outside either.

Ning Huaishan saw his action and, remembering his amnesia, eagerly explained, "City Lord, you probably don't remember, but that foolish disciple from the Immortal Sect was wrong. The trapdoor can't be opened at any time. Fang Chu and I are the most familiar with this area of Great Sorrow Valley. This tomb was originally a secret place, said to open only once a day and night. It's sealed with immortal magic, and no one can make an exception. Those people above can't come down for now... yet."

As he spoke, he slowly trailed off.

Because Wu Xingxue was staring at him, asking faintly, "Did I say I wanted anyone to come down?"

Ning Huaishan: "...No."

"Then why did you say so much?"

"I was wrong." While Wu Xingxue wasn't looking, Ning Huaishan slapped his own mouth.

He was just about to say he would never be a blabbermouth again when he heard their City Lord suddenly speak up, "In the past, Xiao Fuxuan and I..."

Ning Huaishan silently waited for the rest, but after saying "Xiao Fuxuan," their City Lord fell silent, perhaps pondering his choice of words.

After a long while, Wu Xingxue seemed to give up on pondering and turned to ask him, "What was our relationship like?"

A question mark slowly formed above Ning Huaishan's head. "?"

Did he even have to ask??? The High Immortal and the Demon Lord, what kind of relationship could they have???

Ning Huaishan almost thought the City Lord was testing him. But considering their City Lord's consistently unpredictable temper, he decided not to be clever and answered honestly, "I don't know."

Wu Xingxue was stunned. "You don't know? Did you follow me around back then?"

Ning Huaishan: "Yes, most of the time I was with you."

Wu Xingxue: "Then you don't know?"

Ning Huaishan was a bit troubled. "City Lord, please don't be angry after I say this."

Wu Xingxue did not promise not to be angry. "Speak."

Ning Huaishan: "..."

"Who you like and who you detest is hard to figure out. Making people guess something like that, isn't that asking for death?" Ning Huaishan said.

He had gone out with Wu Xingxue many times and handled many matters. Logically, he should be very familiar with him, but he still couldn't figure him out. Because his City Lord was too good at deceiving people.