Senior brother, may I lean on your shoulder?

She was licking his wound.

Xiao Qinghe gave an awkward laugh and tried to pull his hand back. "Junior sister, I'm fine. It isn't a deep cut."

The girl gave him a long look, then rose without a word to find medicinal herbs in the cave. She chewed them into a paste and gently applied it to Xiao Qinghe's palm.

She kept her head lowered the entire time, like a child who had done something wrong and couldn't bear to face him.

That once cold-blooded, ill-tempered girl had learned to care about someone?

Progress!

Deeply gratified, Xiao Qinghe lifted his other hand and gently rubbed her head. "What grown man hasn't had a few cuts? It's fine. Your senior brother isn't hurting."

The girl stared at his bloodstained palm without a word.

No one had ever treated her the way her senior brother did.

She tore a strip from her robe's hem and bandaged Xiao Qinghe's wound with painstaking care.

In that moment, she suddenly wanted to tell the person before her about the past she had never shared with anyone.

"When I was born, everyone in the village was slaughtered. I was the only survivor. They saw the demon mark on my body as proof that a star of calamity had descended and brought the massacre upon the village. Everyone called me a harbinger of misfortune. They all wanted me dead."

Her voice was quiet and flat, as though she were talking about someone else's life.

"I've never known who my parents were. All I know is that they brought me into this world, then didn't want me. I suffered every hardship and narrowly escaped death several times, but they never came looking for me."

Xiao Qinghe said nothing.

The original novel had run for over a million words, yet even when he transmigrated into its Xiao Qinghe, Xie Jun's origins remained a mystery. All that was known was that she had been born to a great demon of the Demon Realm, with a pure bloodline and extraordinary talent.

For Xie Jun in the early part of the story, however, that had been terrible news.

The purer her bloodline, the harder it was to control the backlash from her demon blood. Xie Jun had lost control several times, her demon marks fully exposed, and been discovered, surrounded, and hunted by those so-called righteous cultivators.

It was a miracle she had survived this long.

Xiao Qinghe couldn't imagine what she had endured. After a few seconds of hesitation, he finally rested his hand on her head and said softly, "Junior sister, you've suffered."

Xie Jun shuddered and slowly raised her head, the corners of her eyes faintly red. "Senior brother, may I lean on your shoulder?"

She still had a youthful air, and her face was that of an unrivaled beauty. Her gaze was tentative, holding a certain hope.

Who could resist that?

A sudden surge of paternal, eldest-brother affection filled Xiao Qinghe. He gave his shoulder a shake and offered generously, "Lean all you like."

Xie Jun moved closer, rested lightly against his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

The campfire burned.

It gave off faint crackles.

The cave was exceptionally quiet, yet a gentle warmth filled the air.

Xiao Qinghe yawned repeatedly before his body tipped sideways and he began to topple toward the ground.

Xie Jun reacted swiftly and caught him.

Xiao Qinghe fell straight into her arms.

Xie Jun froze. Looking down, she found his eyes closed and his breathing steady. He had actually fallen asleep.

Perhaps he was cold; he curled up and unconsciously huddled closer to Xie Jun, his human furnace.

Xie Jun went rigid and didn't dare move for a long while.

She loathed having men near her, but Xiao Qinghe was different. Not only did she not dislike it, she even...

"As a member of the Demon Clan, you've debased yourself by getting entangled with a mortal. You'll reap the bitter consequences!" the Octopus Monster said sinisterly.

Xie Jun ignored him and circulated her internal energy, making her body radiate more warmth.

As though sensing it, Xiao Qinghe nestled a little closer in his sleep.

Xie Jun looked down at him, a hint of pleasure entering her eyes.

The Octopus Monster saw it and sneered. "One day, you'll end up just like I did. You'll trust the Human Clan too easily, lose all your cultivation, and be sealed inside the Demon-Suppressing Tower by those sanctimonious hypocrites of the Demon-Slaying Sect, never to see daylight or escape again!"

Xie Jun looked thoughtful. "So a mortal deceived you? Took both your body and your heart?"

"Shut up!" The Octopus Monster seemed to have been struck where it hurt and flew into a humiliated rage. "Not one member of the Human Clan is any good! They believe anyone not of their kind must have ulterior motives. This Xiao Qinghe knows perfectly well you're from the Demon Clan, yet never mentions it. He clearly has something underhanded in mind!"

"My senior brother isn't that kind of person."

"You refuse to see reason! My present is your future!"

Xie Jun abruptly raised her head and drew her sword. "Keep prattling, and I'll roast you right now!"

She really did refuse to see reason!

Aside from his looks, there was nothing special about Xiao Qinghe. Was he worth all this concern?

Still, he was her weakness. Perhaps that could be exploited.

The Octopus Monster's eyes flickered.

Just then, a disturbance came from Black Water Lake.

The murk in the water visibly dispersed, leaving it clear and transparent.

The lake's surface heaved, sending water splashing everywhere.

The commotion was loud enough to wake Xiao Qinghe.

"Junior sister, what's happening?" Xiao Qinghe opened his eyes just in time to see the churning lake and over a dozen people burst out of the water, one after another.

At their head stood a white-robed figure riding a sword above the lake, ethereally handsome and incomparably elegant.

"Master?" Xiao Qinghe was startled.

That was fast!

In the original novel, the female lead and Xie Jun had been trapped in the cave for seven full days and nights before the Demon-Slaying Sect finally arrived. Now, fewer than three days had passed, and they had already come charging in.

And Master had come in person!

Bai Yuqing's gaze landed on him, and his pupils abruptly contracted.

Xiao Qinghe wore only a loose outer robe, its collar hanging open to reveal a small patch of his chest. The hem couldn't cover his legs, leaving two long, pale legs exposed below the knees. Clearly, there was little clothing beneath it.

And that outer robe obviously belonged to Xie Jun.

Xie Jun was likewise scantily dressed, wearing only a thin inner garment on her upper body, further confirming where Xiao Qinghe's outer robe had come from.

Now the two of them sat exceedingly close together in this secluded cave, inviting all sorts of speculation.

Bai Yuqing's expression turned icy. "You two... have you no sense of propriety?"

The Demon-Slaying Sect disciples behind him looked back and forth between Xiao Qinghe and Xie Jun, all eager for gossip.

At precisely that moment, Xie Jun stepped forward and volunteered a confession. "The fault is entirely mine. Senior brother had nothing to do with it. If Master wishes to hold someone accountable, I am willing to accept punishment."

Her words only fueled their imaginations.

Every Demon-Slaying Sect disciple wore an expression that practically screamed, Oooooh! Baffled, Xiao Qinghe said earnestly, "Master, I was at fault too. You can't blame junior sister alone."

He was even speaking up for that bewitching girl. His disciple truly had been beguiled!

Bai Yuqing's face darkened. He stripped off his white robe and tossed it over, scolding, "What do you call that outfit? Disgraceful! Come here. You're coming back with me!"

Xiao Qinghe had barely taken two steps when a Demon-Slaying Sect disciple suddenly drew his sword and shouted, "Master Yu Qing, that's not Senior Brother Xiao! He's from the Demon Clan! There's demonic energy on him!"

Subduing demons was the Demon-Slaying Sect's foremost duty, and it was irreconcilably opposed to the Demon Clan.

Once a member of the Demon Clan was discovered, they would be captured or killed. There was no room for negotiation.

The Octopus Monster burst into laughter and looked sinisterly at Xie Jun. "See? These sanctimonious hypocrites won't tolerate the Demon Clan. Between the Demon Clan and the Demon-Slaying Sect, one side must die. Coexistence is impossible!"

"Stop spouting nonsense, demon!" Xiao Qinghe interrupted him, inwardly praising Xie Jun's foresight in planning to use the Octopus Monster to explain away their demonic energy. "Master, my junior sister and I fell victim to this Octopus Monster's scheme and were accidentally tainted with demonic energy. But we have absolutely no connection to the Demon Clan! This Octopus Monster is spreading lies to mislead everyone. Please investigate carefully, Master!"

Bai Yuqing stood upon his flying sword, looking down at Xiao Qinghe with a gaze as sharp as a blade.

Cold sweat poured off Xiao Qinghe, who was terrified that he would notice something.

But the Demon-Slaying Sect disciple beside him grew anxious. "Master, the Demon Clan is treacherous and cunning. Better to kill ten thousand innocents than let a single one escape!"

Xiao Qinghe's heart lurched. He instinctively looked toward Xie Jun and was about to say more when he suddenly heard her cry out in alarm-

"Senior brother, watch out!"