Helian carefully turned on the water and placed it in the room. She then took out the calming bead gifted by Qingyu and placed it in the basin. Soon, a cool breeze indeed filled the room.
"The things the Protector sent are truly effective. I feel refreshed and invigorated, a feeling that penetrates the very soul," Helian couldn't help but praise.
I chimed in, "I've heard the Mermaid tribe has many treasures, but I haven't had the chance to see them all firsthand."
"If the Demon King says so, then I rather envy Yueyao. She is a princess of the Mermaid tribe, so she must have seen plenty of good things."
"Perhaps she has grown tired of them."
"We could ask her to take us to the Mermaid tribe sometime."
"I fear she might refuse."
"She won't."
As we were talking, we heard someone call from outside, "Helian, the medicine is here!"
"Ah, coming!" Helian responded, then turned to me and said, "Demon King, I'll be right back."
"Go ahead."
After Helian left, Wan Gui Wang suddenly appeared. He said out of the blue, "That girl's gaze towards you is quite peculiar."
I was a bit confused, thinking he suspected Qiuyu of being a bad person, "How could that be? Helian has been with me for a long time, and I know her character. She's not a bad person."
"She might not be a bad person, but the way she looks at you carries a hint of affection."
I didn't understand what he meant and asked, "How come I didn't notice?"
"There's a saying, 'The person in the game is blind, but the spectator sees clearly.' Some things are perhaps clearer to outsiders than to you."
Although I didn't grasp his full meaning, I still replied, "Perhaps you are right."
He suddenly burst into laughter, mocking me, "Perhaps you like that kind of thing."
"Like what? What are you talking about?"
Was he confused today? He was speaking such nonsensical things.
"You'll know," he said, then laughed heartily and flew back into my body.
I frowned, utterly bewildered by his words.
Meanwhile, outside the door, Yueyao and Liu Mei were gossiping.
Yueyao asked, "What did you guys talk about?"
Helian lowered her head, blushing slightly, and shook her head, "We just talked about ordinary things."
Liu Mei pressed, "What ordinary things?"
"We talked about the calming bead the Protector gave."
"That's all?" Both looked disappointed.
"That's all," Helian confirmed.
Yueyao reluctantly handed her the herbs, "Here's the medicine. See what needs to be done."
"The elder said to decoct it three times a day. Let's start tomorrow."
"That's fine. We'll come help tomorrow then."
"Okay." With that, they turned to leave. Helian carried the medicine into the room and placed it on the table. Then she asked me, "Demon King, are you thirsty?"
"A little."
"Shall I pour you some water?" As she said this, she poured a cup of water and brought it to the bedside, handing it to me.
After taking a sip, I asked her, "Helian, why aren't you staying in Nanhai City? What are you doing here?"
Helian smiled slightly and said sincerely, "I've spent a lot of time with the Demon King, and I'm not used to days without the Demon King, so I followed them here."
"You must understand that we might leave at any moment to go to war. We can't always take you with us."
"I know, but I'll protect myself."
"That's good."
She stood up and suddenly noticed the basin was empty, not a drop of water left. She looked curious, "I didn't expect this little calming bead to consume so much water."
"What's wrong?" I heard the curiosity in her tone.
"Oh, the calming bead gifted by the Protector needs water to be effective. Look." She picked up the basin and showed it to me.
I remembered she had brought in a full basin of water. How could it be empty now?
"It really is. This thing of his is such a water-waster."
"Then I'll go fetch another basin."
"Alright."
Helian then put the bead back into its box, picked up the basin, and went out.
After she left, Liu Shinian wandered around again and came to the door of the sleeping quarters. He paced back and forth a few times before finally entering the chamber.
"Muye," he called softly.
I looked up and saw Liu Shinian entering from outside.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Please, don't act alone from now on." He suddenly chided me.
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine! You almost lost your life." His displeased face was filled with worry.
This was the first time I saw him angry with me, yet I found him incredibly endearing. "Hahaha, you're so cute."
My sudden remark caught him off guard, so he calmed himself and sat on my bed to explain.
"Every time you go out alone, you encounter danger. If something were to happen to you, what about Heishan? What about us?"
"Don't worry, I won't die."
Seeing my nonchalant expression, his anger grew. He stood up abruptly, crossed his arms, and huffed, "If you don't take this seriously, I won't talk to you anymore."
I secretly smiled and coaxed him, "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you seriously."
Just then, Helian arrived at the door with the water basin. She heard laughter from inside, and it sounded like only one male voice.
After a moment's thought, she didn't enter but stood by the window with the basin, listening quietly.
Liu Shinian had intended to feign anger to teach me a lesson, but seeing me admit my mistake so quickly, he felt awkward continuing the act. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"I'm serious," he said, putting down his sword and sitting by my bed again.
"I know."
"Is it still him?"
I knew he was referring to Liu Xiang.
"Yes."
"I'm very curious. Why does he treat you this way? Perhaps it's not just for that oath." His analysis was not unreasonable.
"What you say might be true. However, none of us can ever truly fathom his thoughts. But I am certain he won't bother me again anytime soon."
"So, you calculated this?"
"There was no choice. If I didn't face death, he would surely have returned."
"I'm sorry, I was wrong to blame you." His sudden apology left me a bit flustered.
"Your concern is valid, and I'm happy you care about me."
"Haven't I always cared about you?"
"I couldn't tell."
He laughed heartily and suddenly asked the question that had been buried in his heart, "Muye, what do you think of me?"
I boldly replied, "You, well, you're lustful, fond of wine, and prone to fighting."
Hearing my assessment, he looked quite dejected. "Am I that bad?"
"Not entirely. At least, many people like you."
"Do you like me too?"
Outside the door, Helian, who had been eavesdropping, felt her calm heart clench. Although everyone gossiped that Liu Shinian liked the Demon King, they had never shown it overtly. Now, with him asking this, could it be true?
Thinking this, her heart ached suddenly. She bit her lip, wanting to hear the Demon King's answer.
His sudden question stirred a mix of emotions within me, and I hastily changed the subject, "Stop joking. You're the best at joking."
Liu Shinian smiled knowingly, stood up, and said, "I was just teasing you. Seeing you so lively and energetic puts my mind at ease."
Hearing that it was just their jest, Helian's suspended heart finally settled. She immediately wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes.
"I knew you were just joking," I replied to Liu Shinian, though I didn't know how much weight he placed on that question.
"Alright, I should be going back. Get some good rest."
"Okay, you go back then."
With that, he stood up and walked out of the sleeping quarters. Seeing him leave, Qiuyu finally entered with the basin.
"Demon King, I'm back."
"That's great."
She then placed the basin aside and put the calming bead back in. I looked out the window and realized it was already sunset.
"Helian, there's an empty room to the right of this chamber. You can stay there."
"Oh, I saw it."
"You must be tired today. Go and rest."
"Okay, Demon King, I'll be going now."
"Alright."
As night fell, a crisp, cold wind blew in from the window. At this moment, Wan Gui Wang unseasonably reappeared to speak with me.
"What is love in this world, that it makes one pursue life and death together?" he uttered his nonsensical words again.
He flew before my eyes and circled, realizing I was still clueless. He then burst into laughter and asked me, "What are your feelings for Liu Shinian?"
"Shinian is my good friend."
"Is that all?"
"That's all."
He suddenly sighed.
"I know that those in our line of work must be devoid of love and hate, of emotion and desire, destined for a lonely life. If I could choose, I truly wish you could find someone who loves you dearly."
His sudden heartfelt words made me feel a bit strange, and I asked him directly, "Are you stimulated? You're so odd today."
He suddenly transformed, becoming that shadowy human figure. He walked to the window and gazed at the sky, sighing, "I must have never told you my story, would you like to hear it?"
"Tell me, I'm listening." He was truly strange today.
"When I was young, I met a lively and cheerful girl. I didn't know her name then, so I casually named her Caitou."
"Caitou?" I chuckled. I never expected he had such a past.
He paid no mind to my laughter and continued, "At that time, righteous people detested the Ghost-Demon tribe. In their eyes, the Ghost-Demon tribe was an embodiment of evil. Therefore, whenever they encountered or saw a member of the Ghost-Demon tribe, they would pursue and slaughter them. However, she was different. I remember when I was young and ignorant, during a migration with my tribe, we happened upon a group of righteous individuals. Upon seeing us, members of the Ghost-Demon tribe, they acted as if they had seen demons and madly drew their swords to kill. My abilities were weak then, and I couldn't protect my tribesmen. I could only watch them die before my eyes. Just then, a girl suddenly rushed from afar and yelled at them. I don't remember what she said. But thinking back now, she must have been a person of status. After she drove those people away, she saved the remaining tribesmen. I was very grateful and asked her, 'What is your name?' But she wouldn't say. Later, we met again near the border of Xizi Kingdom. She was wearing white, like a female knight-errant, and I was contacting various tribes. We met on the official road. I had already forgotten her, but she called out to me first, 'Don't you remember me?' It was then that I recalled she was the girl who had saved me long ago. That day, we happened to be resting by the river ahead, and without a word, she left her group and followed me. That night, I asked her again, 'What is your name?' but she still didn't answer. So, I had no choice but to say, 'Then I'll call you Caitou.' To my surprise, she readily agreed. Later, there were frequent skirmishes between the Ghost-Demon tribe and the Four Cities, and she followed her father to the front lines. We met again then. Seeing me among the combatants, she immediately abandoned her armor and left. After the battle ended, she voluntarily returned to find me. That night, we talked a great deal. She told me she hated fighting, hated the so-called righteousness and evil. She wished everyone could live happily. I was deeply moved by her words. Afterward, she was recalled by her father. This time, her father forced her to participate in the battle. She refused and then, without hesitation, rode her horse out of the camp to find me. I was deeply touched and wanted to take good care of her. But she refused, encouraging me to find a way out for the Ghost-Demon tribe. I have been working hard at it, until the great war with the Four Cities later. I promised her that once I won, I would return to marry her. Who would have thought that as soon as we left, the Four Cities would attack our rear? Caitou, to be true to the Ghost-Demon tribe and to her genuine feelings, committed suicide between the two armies. It was only later that I learned she had never told me her name because she wanted to live a new life. I failed her."
Listening to his long story, my heart ached for him. If it were the old me, I would have wept profusely upon hearing such a touching story. But now, besides sadness, I could no longer shed a single tear.
"Why are you telling me this now?" I asked him.
He sighed deeply and said, "Perhaps it's because I feel guilty towards you. I hope you can also find someone to accompany you for a lifetime."
I shook my head and replied sincerely, "I promised you that I would lead the Ghost-Demon tribe out of this cage. Until I see that day, I will not fall in love with anyone."
"I didn't expect you to be as stubborn as I am. National righteousness ultimately cannot accommodate romantic affection. Alas!" He sighed again and transformed into a wisp of black energy, flying back into my body.
Whether he didn't want me to follow in his footsteps or genuinely felt some guilt, either way, it was enough to show that he trusted me implicitly.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night. I gazed out the window for a very long time.
The next morning, Helian woke up early to change the water for the calming bead. Upon entering the room, she saw the person on the bed whose quilt was not properly covered. She walked over and examined me closely, finding me sleeping soundly. Gently, she pulled the quilt up, then leaned by the bed for a while longer before contentedly getting up to change the water. Afterward, before Liu Mei and Biyao arrived, she took the herbs to the courtyard to boil them herself. Just then, Yueyao and Liu Mei also hurried over. Upon seeing her, they laughed, "Why are you up so early?"
She smiled slightly and replied, "I'm used to it. If the Demon King calls for me and I'm not here, it would be troublesome."
"One moment it's 'Demon King,' the next it's 'Demon King.' I think you only have the Demon King in your eyes now," Yueyao couldn't help but tease.
"That's not true," Helian retorted.
"Alright, alright, stop teasing. Let's look at the fire," Liu Mei reminded them, and only then did they busily add wood and tend to the fire.