Sure enough, Zi Xiao left at first light the next morning.
When Cheng Mo woke, a maid was already tidying the guest room Zi Xiao had used. He couldn't help asking, "When did Daoist Zi Xiao leave?"
The maid replied, "I'm not sure, Alliance Leader. He seems to have departed before dawn."
Cheng Mo nodded. He had grown used to having someone by his side; now that he was alone again, an unexpected emptiness settled in his chest. He walked slowly toward the front gate and stood on the steps, unconsciously tracing the image of Zi Xiao's departing back in his mind.
Zi Xiao seemed far more carefree than he was—unfettered, unbound, a true man beyond mortal affairs.
The thought made Cheng Mo laugh at himself. His body was already enslaved by the blood pact, and now even his heart was growing weak. He really was starting to sound like some lovesick woman.
He turned to go back inside when a man came sprinting up the road, shouting, "Alliance Leader Cheng! Our gang leader has captured the demon girl!"
Cheng Mo turned, slightly startled. "Where is she?"
"The gang leader is escorting her here personally. They'll arrive any moment."
Cheng Mo acknowledged the report and immediately ordered his disciples, "Invite Abbot Nianbei at once!"
Besides the abbot, he summoned several other highly respected elders of the jianghu.
He waited in the Hall of Righteous Qi. Soon the disciples led Zhang Guan and his group inside. Zhang Guan personally dragged a woman in red gauze robes, her long hair unbound and half-covering her face. She was indeed a strikingly seductive beauty.
Zhang Guan shoved her hard. She stumbled and fell with a soft cry.
He gripped his broadsword and declared, "I've sealed her acupoints. I wanted to cut her head off right there, but I couldn't let the demon cult behind her keep running rampant. So I brought her to you, Alliance Leader!"
Cheng Mo rose and walked over. Seeing her weak, struggling form, he wasn't entirely convinced she was a demoness skilled in evil arts. He crouched and asked, "Are you from the Shuiyue Demon Cult?"
The woman looked up in panic. "What Shuiyue Cult? I've never heard of it! Who are you people? Why have you kidnapped me?!"
Zhang Guan roared, "Don't fall for her act, Alliance Leader! I saw her sneaking around the inn myself. She killed my son and still wasn't satisfied—she actually dared to come back!"
Cheng Mo grew even more doubtful. If she had already murdered Zhang Chengyu, why return to the inn? And how had she been captured so easily?
Either Zhang Guan had the wrong person, or she had some other scheme.
To test her, Cheng Mo suddenly struck toward her chest. The woman didn't dodge or block—she simply screamed in terror. Cheng Mo pulled his palm back at the last second and stood.
He turned to Zhang Guan. "Did the inn waiter identify her?"
Zhang Guan shook his head. "He said he couldn't remember clearly—only that it was a beautiful woman."
Suddenly the woman burst into tears. "I'm not some beauty at all! You've all wronged me!"
She swept her long hair aside, revealing two deep, ugly crimson scars running from her temples down her cheeks. With her hair down, they were completely hidden. The once-lovely face now looked grotesquely demonic.
Cheng Mo asked Zhang Guan again, "Gang Leader Zhang, are you certain it's her?"
Zhang Guan hesitated, unable to answer.
At that moment a disciple announced that Abbot Nianbei and the others had arrived.
Cheng Mo quickly said, "Invite them in!"
Abbot Nianbei saw the woman in red and chanted, "Amitabha."
Cheng Mo asked, "Master, is this woman from the Shuiyue Demon Cult?"
Kunlun Sect Leader Lin Xuwang suggested, "Test her inner force."
Abbot Nianbei apologized politely, crouched, and checked her pulse. After a moment he shook his head and stood.
Cheng Mo knew that high-level cultivators could disperse their true qi and fake being powerless, only to gather it again later. No one could judge her guilt for certain. And every sect present claimed to be righteous—they dared not slaughter an innocent.
After long debate, they reached no conclusion.
The woman could neither be killed nor released. Cheng Mo had no choice but to imprison her for further investigation.
As Zhang Guan left he said, "If you prove she really killed my son, I beg you to hand her over to me for punishment!"
Cheng Mo agreed. "Naturally. Rest assured, Gang Leader Zhang."
He ordered strict guard over the prisoner and allowed no negligence.
That night, lying in bed, Cheng Mo kept turning the matter over in his mind. If she truly was a demoness, what was her purpose in walking straight into the Wulin Alliance? Did it have anything to do with them?
He finally fell asleep—only to be jolted awake in the middle of the night by a knock at his door.
"Who is it?" he called.
No answer. Cheng Mo rose, walked to the door, and opened it—only to find the red-robed woman he had locked in the dungeon standing right there. She had been under heavy guard. How had she escaped the Wulin Alliance's underground prison so silently?
Before he could react, he met her eyes. Her pupils glowed with a strange, blood-red shimmer, hypnotic and enchanting. In that split second of hesitation, Cheng Mo lost consciousness.
The woman whispered, "Come with me."
Cheng Mo's eyes glazed over. "Yes…"
When he regained awareness, he was lying on a pile of straw inside a ruined temple, panting heavily. He stared in confusion—then looked down to see the woman with his soft, limp cock in her mouth, sucking and licking with obvious frustration.
She spat it out and cursed, "The great Wulin Alliance Leader is actually impotent! What a fucking waste!"
Cheng Mo's face burned crimson. His breathing was ragged from the stimulation, yet his cock remained completely soft, refusing to harden no matter what she did.
The woman stood and began stripping—when a low, magnetic male voice drifted in from outside the temple.
"He's not impotent. He simply doesn't react to you. Why force it?"
The woman's face drained of color. "Cult Leader!"
Cheng Mo's heart lurched at the title. He tried to struggle, but found his body completely powerless—his acupoints had been sealed.
His robes were wide open, pants stripped away, long powerful legs spread obscenely. His soft cock lay limp between them, utterly exposed.
The temple door burst open with a gust of wind. A tall, elegant man walked in wearing a cold bronze mask that hid his entire face. Only his dark, piercing eyes were visible.
The masked man asked the woman calmly, "What did you say when you left the cult?"
The woman lowered her head. "That I was going to avenge Zhang Chengyu."
"And did you?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you return?"
The woman dropped to her knees. "Cult Leader, Yunxiang was wrong. Yunxiang got greedy… I wanted to drain Cheng Mo's inner force while I had the chance."
The man gave a soft laugh. "You thought the Wulin Alliance Leader would be so easily drained? You underestimate the Central Plains martial world."
"Forgive me, Cult Leader! Give me one more chance!"
The man waved a gloved hand. "Leave. I'll overlook it this time."
The woman fled the temple in terror.
Suddenly the dim, ancient ruin contained only Cheng Mo and the masked man.
The man crouched in front of him and chuckled. "I had hoped to witness the legendary Cutting Yang Skill. I never imagined we would meet like this. Still… it is an honor, Alliance Leader Cheng."
Cheng Mo was desperately trying to break the seal on his acupoints with inner force. He gasped, "You're the leader of the Shuiyue Demon Cult?"
The bronze mask remained motionless, giving nothing away. The man's voice was low and seductive. "The Shuiyue Cult is just a tiny, insignificant sect on the southwestern border. I'm flattered that even Alliance Leader Cheng has heard of us."
Cheng Mo snarled, "So you really are the demon cult leader!"
"Correct. Allow me to introduce myself—Shu Changhua, leader of the Shuiyue Demon Cult."
"Shu Changhua…" Cheng Mo repeated the name.
Shu Changhua laughed softly. "Remember it well, Alliance Leader. We will meet again."
Cheng Mo sensed the man intended to let him go. "You…"
"Consider today a free pass," Shu Changhua said. "I'm sure you don't want to continue this conversation in such an… undignified state." His gloved hand reached down and flicked Cheng Mo's soft cock.
Cheng Mo only then noticed the man wore black gloves that covered every inch of skin.
The moment those fingers touched him, Shu Changhua froze mid-sentence. He wrapped his hand fully around the limp shaft, voice turning curious. "Lust Heart Gu?"
Cheng Mo's most private part was being toyed with. Pleasure surged through him, yet his cock refused to harden—another cruel effect of the blood pact.
Still, the deliberate stroking made his face burn with shame. "Let go!"
Shu Changhua ignored him. His fingertips circled the sensitive head, coaxing out a thin string of clear fluid. Even through the glove, Cheng Mo could feel the man's body heat. He threw his head back, panting helplessly.
Suddenly a long, thin worm emerged from the tip of Shu Changhua's gloved finger. It wriggled, then slowly pushed its head into the tiny slit at the head of Cheng Mo's cock.
Cheng Mo's eyes widened in horror. He couldn't move—could only watch in terror as the worm slithered inside.
The creature was razor-thin. It didn't hurt; instead it sent waves of unbearable, tingling pleasure through his entire body. Every hair on Cheng Mo's skin stood on end. A broken moan tore from his throat. "Nngh…!"
He wanted to struggle, but the maddening sensation left him trembling, tears pricking his eyes.
After a moment Shu Changhua brought his finger to his lips, bit through the glove, and coaxed the worm back out. It disappeared into his fingertip once more.
Cheng Mo lay there drenched in sweat, completely spent, as if he had just died once.
Shu Changhua sighed. "It really is the Lust Heart Gu."
Cheng Mo had no idea what the Lust Heart Gu was, but he guessed it had something to do with his body's current state—and the blood pact. He tried to steady his breathing. His attempt to break the acupoint seal had been interrupted and wasted. He didn't know what Shu Changhua would do next, but he clung to the faint hope that the man would simply leave.
Instead Shu Changhua extended his arm. "Since that's the case…"
He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a pale wrist, then pulled the hairpin from his own hair and sliced a thin line across the skin. Blood welled up. With his other hand he pinched Cheng Mo's jaw, forcing his mouth open.
Cheng Mo's eyes widened in pure terror as drop after drop of fresh blood fell onto his tongue.
Shu Changhua murmured, "Alliance Leader Cheng, this is a rare opportunity. My Soul Absorption Technique probably won't work on you again. It would be a shame to waste it."
The blood pooled in Cheng Mo's mouth. He swallowed involuntarily. His face turned deathly pale, body beginning to tremble.
Shu Changhua continued, "You already know the effect of the Lust Heart Gu, don't you? That girl Yunxiang tried so hard and still couldn't make you hard. Someone must have already fed your gu with blood." He leaned close to Cheng Mo's ear. "Tell me, Alliance Leader… did he fuck you good?"
Cheng Mo's chest heaved with humiliation and rage. He tried desperately to break the seal, true qi surging dangerously close to qi deviation.
Shu Changhua tapped several major acupoints, stopping the flow, then tore a strip of cloth to bandage his wrist. "No need to get so worked up. Soon you'll know exactly who fucks you better—him or me."
A scorching heat suddenly flooded Cheng Mo's veins. The blood he had swallowed was taking effect. His long-dormant cock began to swell and harden under Shu Changhua's gaze, rising thick and heavy, veins pulsing.
Shu Changhua laughed softly. "Look at you… already so eager."
Cheng Mo panted harshly. "Shu Changhua… we're both men. Just fight me fairly. Don't humiliate me with this filth."
Shu Changhua wrapped his gloved hand around the now rock-hard cock and stroked slowly. "You know the truth, Alliance Leader. Even if I released you right now, you'd be on your knees begging me to fuck you. The gu has tasted blood and it's starving. If I don't breed you, your essence pathway will clog and you'll die in agony. I'm doing you a favor."
Cheng Mo laughed bitterly. "A favor? Then just kill me."
Shu Changhua stopped stroking and gazed at Cheng Mo's humiliated expression. He gently wiped a tear from the corner of Cheng Mo's eye, then traced those wet fingers across his trembling lips. "How could I kill someone who looks like this? If I kill you… it'll be with my cock."
He slowly untied his pants. "Just seeing that desperate face of yours already has me hard. No wonder you rule the Central Plains martial world, Alliance Leader Cheng."
His cock sprang free—long, thick, and beautifully carved like fine jade, pale and flawless. When Shu Changhua gripped it with his black-gloved hand, it looked like a priceless treasure.
He knelt between Cheng Mo's spread legs, grabbed both thighs, and yanked them wide apart, forcing Cheng Mo's ass up high. The lewd position left his dripping cock and twitching hole completely exposed.
Shu Changhua pressed the fat, leaking head of his cock against Cheng Mo's swollen one, rubbing them together in slow, filthy circles. Precum mixed and smeared everywhere.
Cheng Mo's chest heaved. Broken moans spilled from his lips. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to bear the obscene sight.
But without sight, every sensation became ten times stronger. The slick, hot friction made his whole body melt. His cock throbbed painfully, drooling nonstop, soaking Shu Changhua's cockhead.
Then the thick head slid lower, nudging against his heavy balls before pressing insistently at his entrance.
Shu Changhua's control was perfect—teasing, never quite pushing in. Cheng Mo's hole clenched desperately, aching to be filled.
Shu Changhua suddenly leaned over him, mask inches from Cheng Mo's face. A strange, intoxicating floral scent filled Cheng Mo's nose. The cold bronze pressed against his nipple, making it harden instantly.
Shu Changhua used two gloved fingers to pinch and tug the sensitive buds while his thumb rubbed circles underneath, swelling both nipples until they were red and aching.
Without warning, something cold covered Cheng Mo's eyes. The bronze mask. Shu Changhua had placed it over his face so only his nose and mouth remained exposed. Through the gaps Cheng Mo could see light, but not Shu Changhua's face.
Shu Changhua's bare fingers—warm, slightly slick—pinched his jaw again. Then the man leaned down and kissed him.
Cheng Mo kept his teeth clenched. Shu Changhua licked and sucked at his lips patiently, tongue tracing the seam until Cheng Mo finally gasped. The moment his mouth opened, Shu Changhua's tongue plunged inside, claiming him in a deep, filthy kiss—sucking, licking, devouring.
Through the mask's gap, Cheng Mo caught a glimpse of a sharp, pale jaw and soft lips. He stared, dazed—then realized he was kissing back, tongues sliding wetly together.
Shu Changhua pulled away with a soft laugh. "You…"
He ducked down and sucked hard on one swollen nipple.
Cheng Mo was still swallowing the excess saliva when suddenly—without warning—Shu Changhua slammed his entire massive cock balls-deep into his ass in one brutal thrust.
"AAAAH—!!" Cheng Mo screamed, eyes flying wide behind the mask.
The tearing pain was blinding, but it was instantly drowned out by the overwhelming fullness. His greedy hole clenched like a vice around the thick shaft, as if terrified the man would pull out.
Shu Changhua hooked Cheng Mo's long legs over his shoulders, folding him in half. The position made every inch of that fat cock grind against his prostate. He started thrusting—slow at first, then harder, faster—wet, obscene slapping sounds echoing through the ruined temple.
Cheng Mo's cock bounced heavily against his stomach, purple and leaking, right on the edge but unable to cum.
Shu Changhua pounded him mercilessly, gloved hands gripping his hips hard enough to bruise. "Fuck… your slutty hole is sucking me in so greedily… You really were made for cock, Alliance Leader."
Cheng Mo could only moan brokenly, tears soaking the inside of the mask. "Shu… Changhua…"
The thrusts stopped. Shu Changhua leaned down, breath hot against his ear. "What is it, Alliance Leader?"
Cheng Mo's voice cracked with shame. "Please… let me go…"
"Beg me properly."
Cheng Mo refused.
Shu Changhua chuckled darkly. "Then you'll just have to suffer." He slammed in again, grinding against Cheng Mo's prostate until the man wailed.
"Such a pretty voice. Keep moaning like that and maybe I'll be nice and flood your guts with my cum. Wouldn't you love that, you desperate little cumdump?"
Cheng Mo bit his lip bloody, refusing to speak.
Shu Changhua sucked hard on his navel, then kept pounding—long, savage strokes that made Cheng Mo's vision blur.
Time lost meaning. Cheng Mo floated in a haze of unbearable pleasure and humiliation.
Then suddenly Shu Changhua buried himself to the hilt and came with a low groan—thick, scorching ropes of cum painting Cheng Mo's insides, pulse after pulse, so much it overflowed and ran down his ass in creamy rivers.
The moment the hot load flooded his guts, Cheng Mo's own cock exploded. He came so hard his vision whited out, shooting jet after jet across his own chest and the bronze mask.
Shu Changhua stroked his softening cock gently. "Poor thing… all that pent-up cum."
Cheng Mo was too wrecked to reply.
Shu Changhua kissed him again, tongue lazily exploring his mouth. "You're too good, Cheng Mo. I'll come find you again… and next time we can play properly…"
Before Cheng Mo could respond, Shu Changhua tapped the side of his neck.
Everything went black.
Cheng Mo woke in his own bed back at the Wulin Alliance—completely naked under the covers.
He sat up with a groan. His waist and ass throbbed. Memories flooded back and his face turned ashen.
He threw off the blanket and stood. A sharp sting at his lower back made him freeze. Reaching back, he felt something embedded in his skin.
Heart pounding, he grabbed a bronze mirror and twisted around.
A grotesque worm-like creature was embedded just above his tailbone—ten legs, five on each side, body coiled, two long antennae twitching faintly.
Cheng Mo had never seen anything like it. But he knew instantly: Shu Changhua had put it there.
The blood he had been forced to swallow, the promise that the man would return… Cheng Mo's temples throbbed. He sank back onto the bed, strength leaving him.
Too many thoughts crashed through his mind at once. The imprisoned demoness had escaped. He still had to explain that to Zhang Guan. And yet he had spent half the night moaning like a whore under the demon cult leader—fully conscious, willingly kissing back.
He knew it was the blood pact, the Lust Heart Gu… but that didn't erase the shame.
Then he thought of Zi Xiao—Zi Xiao who had spent days searching for a cure. And here Cheng Mo had…
A sharp pain stabbed his chest. He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
A knock sounded at the door. "Alliance Leader! Gang Leader Zhang and Abbot Nianbei are here again!"
Cheng Mo stood, dressing quickly. "Escort them to the Hall of Righteous Qi. I'll be right there."
Zhang Guan had spent the night stewing and had brought Abbot Nianbei, Kunlun's Lin Xuwang, Emei's Abbess Shande, and Huashan's Lu Shanqing to verify the woman's identity.
Cheng Mo greeted them and got straight to the point. "You've all come early about yesterday's demoness?"
Zhang Guan demanded, "Bring her out so we can question her again!"
Cheng Mo lowered his gaze. "There's no need, Gang Leader Zhang. She was indeed a demoness of the Shuiyue Cult."
Everyone gasped.
Abbot Nianbei asked, "How do you know?"
Cheng Mo's voice was heavy with shame. "I underestimated her. Last night she used her Soul Absorption Technique on the guards and escaped."
Zhang Guan cried, "Where is she now?!"
"Gone."
Abbot Nianbei chanted, "Amitabha."
Abbess Shande frowned. "If she's that powerful, why come to the Wulin Alliance at all before leaving? She must have had another goal."
Lu Shanqing agreed. "It does seem suspicious."
Cheng Mo was silent for a long moment before he spoke. "She hypnotized the guards, came to my room at night, and used the Soul Absorption Technique on me as well."
The others' expressions grew complicated, clearly remembering how Zhang Chengyu had died.
Cheng Mo continued, "Her technique can drain a person's cultivation. She came here specifically to steal mine."
Everyone stared. Cheng Mo still looked perfectly fine—there was only one explanation: he had resisted her seduction.
Cheng Mo gave a self-mocking smile. "It wasn't my own strength that saved me. Someone intervened midway."
Lin Xuwang asked, "Who?"
Cheng Mo sighed inwardly, then said it. "The leader of the Shuiyue Demon Cult—Shu Changhua."
The name was new to everyone.
"The demon cult leader came to Linyuan City?!"
"Yes."
Zhang Guan demanded, "Why would he save you?"
Cheng Mo's face paled, then flushed unnaturally. He coughed lightly into his fist. "He said he wanted to see the Cutting Yang Skill… but the situation wasn't suitable. So he let me go."
He shook his head. "As Alliance Leader, I have disgraced the entire righteous path."
Abbess Shande comforted him. "Don't say that. Demon cult members are cunning. In a fair fight, this Shu Changhua might not be your match."
Cheng Mo smiled bitterly. "I don't know if he's still in Linyuan City. I'm undecided whether we should search openly. I'd like to hear your opinions."
After discussion, Abbot Nianbei suggested keeping the matter quiet and sending reliable disciples to search discreetly. Lin Xuwang proposed blocking the roads out of the city. Abbess Shande asked for a description.
Cheng Mo's body stiffened imperceptibly. "He wears a bronze mask and black gloves. Easy to recognize if he keeps them on… impossible if he removes them."
Abbot Nianbei said, "We know the red-robed woman's face. If they're still here, we'll find them."
Cheng Mo cupped his fists. "I will have the Wulin Alliance assist fully. We must capture these demons as soon as possible!"
After seeing the elders off, Cheng Mo rubbed his aching temples and returned inside.
He ordered a bath, washed thoroughly, then told Cheng San, "I'm not feeling well. I'll rest. Wake me if anything urgent arises."
Once alone, he lay down and fell into a restless sleep.
In the dream he had captured Shu Changhua, bound him tightly, when the masked man smiled and said, "Alliance Leader Cheng, one night of passion, a hundred days of affection. How can you treat me like this?"
Cheng Mo recoiled in horror—only to realize he was completely naked. Shu Changhua lifted his legs and, in front of the entire martial world, slammed his cock inside him.
Cheng Mo heard himself moan sweetly.
Shu Changhua laughed. "Everyone's watching, Alliance Leader. How can you be so lewd?"
Cheng Mo tried to struggle but couldn't move. He turned his head and saw Abbot Nianbei, Abbess Shande, and all the others watching with mocking smiles. Then he spotted Zi Xiao standing far away in the crowd, face expressionless.
"Zi Xiao!" Cheng Mo screamed.
The dream shattered.
He woke drenched in cold sweat, the name still echoing in the room. He had actually shouted it out loud.
He wiped his soaked forehead. Sleep was impossible now.
The entire city of Linyuan was in turmoil. Most Wulin Alliance disciples, together with people from Shaolin, Kunlun, Emei, Huashan, and the Haisha Gang, secretly combed the city for any trace of Shu Changhua.
Cheng Mo stayed shut inside the Alliance, distracted and restless. He couldn't stop replaying everything that had happened. Every time he closed his eyes he saw that cold bronze mask. Night after night he dreamed of the entire jianghu learning what he had done with Shu Changhua—and Zi Xiao was always there, watching silently.
Many times he dreamed of chasing Zi Xiao's retreating back, never able to catch up. He would wake drenched in icy sweat.
He knew these were his deepest fears: that someone would discover his shameful secret, and that his filthy body would make him lose Zi Xiao forever.
Ten days passed like this. No trace of Shu Changhua or the red-robed woman was found. It was as if they had never been in Linyuan City at all.
Cheng Mo secretly hoped they had left. The thought brought him a small measure of relief.
The fifteenth day—the day he and Zi Xiao had agreed upon—arrived.
He guessed Zi Xiao had already returned to Linyuan and was watching over him from somewhere nearby, unseen.
Every time he thought of Zi Xiao being so close, his heart would tremble faintly.
Gradually the martial artists in the city began to leave. Abbot Nianbei and the others, unable to find any trace, also gave up and bid Cheng Mo farewell.
Before departing, Ling Xiaolu and Yu Xiaoshan's group came to the Alliance to say goodbye. It happened to be the exact fifteenth day.
Cheng Mo ordered a feast for the young Qingcheng disciples and personally escorted them to the gate.
Ling Xiaolu was reluctant to leave. "Alliance Leader Cheng, when will we meet again?"
Cheng Mo smiled and ruffled his hair. "When fate brings us together. Maybe by then you'll already be the famous Hero Ling."
Ling Xiaolu nodded vigorously. "I will! I'm going to become your best friend, just like Daoist Zi Xiao!"
Cheng Mo laughed softly. "I'll be waiting."
Yu Xiaoshan dragged Ling Xiaolu away. "Thank you for your hospitality, Alliance Leader. We'll take our leave."
"Safe travels."
Watching Ling Xiaolu bounce down the mountain path, Cheng Mo smiled—then suddenly felt a strange tug in his chest. He turned toward the dense woods beside the road. The leaves rustled in the wind, but nothing was there.
He sighed quietly and headed back inside.
That day, Zi Xiao did not appear.
And the blood pact did not flare.
Cheng Mo's heart remained uneasy. He knew one possible reason the pact hadn't activated was because he had been with Zi Xiao the day before… and then with Shu Changhua the night after. He had no idea how that might have altered the cycle.
Two more anxious days passed. Zi Xiao still did not show himself, and the blood pact remained dormant.
His cock stayed soft and lifeless between his legs, as if it had fallen into a deep sleep.
Cheng Mo began to worry. Had something delayed Zi Xiao? Had he come and left without showing himself?
Then, late one night, a faint sound of something piercing the air woke him. He opened his eyes to see a small paper ball on the table and a tiny hole in the window paper.
He unfolded the note. The handwriting was clean and familiar:
Since all is well, I shall take my leave for now.
— Zi Xiao
Cheng Mo's heart lurched. He threw open the door and chased after him, running all the way to the mountain path outside the Alliance.
There was no sign of Zi Xiao.
He clutched the note tightly. Zi Xiao must have returned only to make sure the blood pact hadn't flared, then left again because his nephew's urgent matter was still unresolved.
The thought made Cheng Mo's chest tighten with a complicated warmth.
But worry quickly followed. What could possibly keep Zi Xiao running back and forth like this?
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became.
By morning, Cheng Mo had made up his mind.
Tomorrow, he would set out for Yunyang Mountain to find Zi Xiao.