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"Ali, is this the family you often talk about?"

The woman froze, looking up at the person who had arrived unnoticed. The man was dressed in black, strikingly handsome, with an extraordinary noble presence, clearly not someone their humble farming family could associate with.

Among the people she had met, including the Lord of State who had led them here, none possessed the nobility of this man before her. For a moment, she was entranced.

"Second..." Ali hesitated, then corrected herself, "Second Brother, why are you here?"

Second Brother...

Shen Er smirked, "This guy shouts pretty smoothly. By age, I should call her an ancestor."

"Sister, you’ve been staying a long time this time. Isn’t your Second Brother worried about you?"

Ali squinted her eyes, sensing that Shen Er’s visit wasn’t simple.

He was inherently a very pragmatic person. Although their relationship had improved significantly since their last collaboration, it wasn’t enough for him to travel a thousand miles to visit her. Something must have happened.

"I’m fine, I’m doing well here," Ali laughed softly, "Sister-in-law of the Xu Family, my Second Brother is here. I’ll catch up with him first and visit you another day."

"Oh, oh, then... how about coming to our house for a meal?" The woman’s eyes were fixated on the man.

She had chosen this man too hastily before, but now there’s no regret. Though there were other men more outstanding than her husband, they were just fine. Besides, her man treated her well, was honest, and their simple, well-fed life was quite good.

But... if she could marry such a man, even if it meant a lifetime of hunger and cold, she would willingly embrace it.

"Well, another day perhaps," Ali smiled, "Second Brother is here today; I suppose he has matters for me. If there’s time tomorrow, we’ll definitely come to disturb you."

"Then... make sure to come tomorrow!" The woman looked at Shen Er longingly.

This kind of man, she certainly couldn’t marry, but seeing him a few more times was no harm. If he had a meal at their house, she’d preserve the bowl he used carefully, maybe this would be their last connection.

---------------------------

"Second Brother, you have such good looks, you seem to have the Xu family’s wife utterly captivated. The way she’s acting, just a finger gesture from you and she’d probably abandon her husband and children to follow you."

"If you wished, you could make many men here abandon their wives and children for you, yet aren’t you equally impatient?" Shen Er laughed, "My dear sister?"

"Tsk..." Ali shivered, "Why are you looking for me?"

"Something happened."

"I heard... Is there unrest in Lyuzhou? That’s quite normal; back then, I reminded Chen Qing that such a thing would definitely happen, but he didn’t believe me. People hold grudges but forget kindness. You treat them well a thousand times, yet one misstep becomes a dire enemy act."

"Are you gloating?"

"Not exactly gloating, I’m just curious about how Chen Qing is handling it now. Back in the day, that’s how the King of Qin fell."

"So there’s need for your help."

"Does Chen Qing want to use the Moon Mirror?" Ali laughed, "This method only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause, and I can’t use it now..."

"Why?" Shen Er frowned.

"The last time I forcibly used my Extraordinary Ability, I overdid it. Now, it’s almost impossible for me to use my talent," Ali sighed, "If it weren’t for this, do you think I’d be currying favor with farmer families every day?"

"You’ve been recovering for so long and not yet restored?" Shen Er was taken aback.

"Perhaps my ability is too taxing, the system has imposed a limit. In any case, I feel that I likely won’t be able to use it for at least ten years."

"Ten years, that’s troublesome..." Shen Er thought aloud, "Then you must come back with me."

"Hm?"

"You’ve been targeted!"

"Me? Targeted by whom? Isn’t my whereabouts confidential? Everyone aware of my whereabouts has their memories altered, who can find me?"

"Fifth Elder Shen."

"That fat guy?" Ali was surprised, "Why is he seeking me?"

Shen Er roughly explained the situation, and Ali chuckled.

"Are you sure the so-called Heavenly Demon is parasitic on him?"

"You think not?" Shen Er frowned.

"It feels... quite random..." Ali smiled, "Although it’s true that fat guy once went to the Path of Yin Yang for a while, no one knows what happened during that time. But saying he’s parasitized, I don’t quite believe it. That fat guy..."

"What?" Shen Er raised an eyebrow.

"He’s different from you all..." Ali laughed, "I’ve never seen someone so pure. The first time outside, he was excited like a child about going out to explore the world. You members of the Shen Family mostly have endless schemes, but he’s different, he’s a very pure person, unpolluted.

If a Heavenly Demon were attached to such a person, one couldn’t possibly hide it. "

Shen Er was stunned, momentarily at a loss for words. Truth be told, Fifth Elder might indeed be like that.

Personality-wise, inherently serious most often, yet all these years, just as innocent as a child. If such a person were parasitized, with his brothers’ cleverness, how could they not realize it?

Could it be he had made a mistake?

"Compared to them, Shen Er, do you ever think that perhaps you yourself are the one parasitized?"

"What are you talking about?" Shen Er’s pupils contracted.

"How did you find me?" Ali looked at him, "I don’t recall reporting my whereabouts to you, and I’ve deleted all records regarding Cui Yan’s reincarnation."

"A search would reveal it," Shen Er said softly.

"How time-consuming must that be? With so many people in Hell Ruler’s charge, and searching for a non-existent person, how long would it take? It couldn’t be accomplished in mere days; the unrest began just days ago, meaning you’d been searching for my traces at least three months prior."

Shen Er: "....."

"And why is it only you coming, where is Chen Qing? Where is Ziyue? In such significant matters, dare you come alone?"

"I..."

Shen Er was dumbfounded, indeed, why had he come here alone?

Yes, indeed, he’d begun searching for Ali’s traces three months prior, yet concealed that fact when asked by his lord.

Moreover, he’d come quietly, alone.

Without informing his lord, even leaving behind an incarnation at the original place.

No one knew he’d come here, why hide this from his lord?

Was he suspecting his lord?

No... it was unintentional!

Realizing this, Shen Er felt an icy chill to the extreme, and all at once, his memories returned.

He recalled, when he was very young, he’d seen a shadow, the shadow told him it could grant him power to free from the old ancestor of the Shen Family.

Yes, it was at that moment, he had already...

Within the room, Ali saw Shen Er emanate black aura, an intensely cold and terrifying presence engulfed the air!