After finishing their meal, Lan Yan and Jun Yelan walked down the street and saw a familiar figure ahead.
In front of them was a cloth shop. A man who looked like the owner threw a young man out, still cursing, "Where did this quack from the martial world come from, claiming my wife is a monster."
"If you dare to speak nonsense again, I'll smash your head," the owner said angrily, turning back into the shop.
The young man got up from the ground, rubbing his head. "I am an immortal cultivator from Spirit Mountain, not a swindler." As he prepared to leave, he turned and was stunned, calling out, "Senior Sister?"
Lan Yan: "..." She hadn't expected the world to be so small as to run into Lin Qian here. Besides, wasn't Lin Qian supposed to be in Spirit Mountain? How did he end up here?
Lin Qian thought about what he had done to Lan Yan and his face showed shame. He asked, "Senior Sister, are you alright?" As he spoke, he saw Jun Yelan step forward and quickly retreated.
Jun Yelan's brow furrowed as he stood in front of Lan Yan, staring coldly at Lin Qian. He had not forgotten how this person had hurt Lan Yan and felt a strong urge to kill him.
"Yelan, I'm fine," Lan Yan tugged at Jun Yelan's sleeve, asking him not to worry so much.
At the same time, she didn't want any further dealings with Lin Qian. She said, "Lin Qian, I have already been expelled from the sect, I am no longer your Senior Sister. Don't call me that anymore."
Lin Qian immediately became dejected. "Senior Sister, it's all my fault. After I went back that day, I kept blaming myself, so I came to the human world to cultivate. But it seems I still don't understand."
He had just kindly reminded the cloth shop owner and was kicked out.
Lan Yan looked at the cloth shop and said, "Not all monsters are evil, and not all people hate monsters. The owner of this shop and his wife were childhood sweethearts. You said the owner knew this long ago."
"What!" Lin Qian's eyes widened in shock. He looked towards the shop and saw the couple doting on each other. Had he just spoken incorrectly? He couldn't help but lower his head, clenching his fists.
Seeing this, Lan Yan said, "You have prejudice against them, so naturally you don't see other things. Lin Qian, since you have entered the mortal world, use your heart and your eyes to truly see."
"They are never ugly; it is the prejudiced human heart that is ugly." With that, she and Jun Yelan walked away.
From behind, Lin Qian's voice called out, "Senior Sister, I was wrong. I shouldn't have stopped you back then, nor should I have doubted you." At the time, he felt his Senior Sister had fallen into demonic ways, completely trusting that demonic beast, and not looking back.
"As I said, our positions have always been different." Lan Yan left only these words and departed without looking back.
Lin Qian was left standing alone, then walked away with his head hanging. "Senior Sister, I wish you all the best, and happiness with that demonic beast."
He knew the sect leader would not let them go, so he truly prayed.
Lan Yan quickly put Lin Qian out of her mind. On the way back with Jun Yelan, she said, "Yelan, I've bought things from that cloth shop a few times and know the proprietress there."
"She is a Jiaoren. When she was young, she met her little husband, and later lived in her husband's home. After a few years, she was able to shapeshift. It was her husband who taught her to walk and read, and then they got married smoothly."
"So, there are people in this world like them, and there are also people like us. Not everyone is like your parents."
She knew Jun Yelan carried a burden in his heart.
Jun Yelan took Lan Yan's hand, his eyes no longer holding the previous resentment. "I have you by my side now, and I haven't thought of it for a long time."
"I once hated them, believing I shouldn't exist in this world. When I was captured, I thought I would be destroyed within the formation, and everything would disappear."
"But I met you. It was you who approached me time and again, telling me things, being good to me. So I believe there is a reason for me to be in this world, and it must be to meet you."
Lan Yan couldn't help but feel her eyes well up with tears. She threw herself into Jun Yelan's arms. She, too, had come to meet Jun Yelan. "Yelan, I'm so fortunate it was me who met you. I've also learned a lot by your side."
"I see your unwillingness to give up, your resilience, the unspoken responsibilities you silently bear. Thank you for bringing me all of this."
Jun Yelan stroked Lan Yan's back and placed a reverent kiss on her forehead. He held the person in his arms tightly. This was enough.
The two returned home, cooked together, and slept peacefully.
Thus, they opened their shop during the day, wandered the streets after closing, and rested when they were tired, passing three months in this manner.
On the first day of the fourth month, Lan Yan opened the door and saw a rabbit with a bundle on its back passing by. She thought she was mistaken and called out, "Wait."
The rabbit turned its head, stared at Lan Yan for a moment, and then cried out in terror, "I've been discovered by an immortal cultivator, I'm going to die." It hopped towards a nearby tree and butted its head against it.
Lan Yan: "..." She walked forward, poked the rabbit with a branch, and called out, "I know you're a demonic beast, you won't die so easily. Wake up, or I'll roast you and eat you."
The rabbit immediately stood up, thought of something, and muttered, "You are that Prince Jun's immortal cultivator!" Prince Jun's story was widely known in their demonic realm, household knowledge.
Hearing this title, Lan Yan nodded. "Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry? Has something happened in the Demonic Realm?"
The rabbit cried out, "The Demonic Realm is in chaos! I need to escape quickly."
"I remember they changed the Demon King, how could this happen?" Lan Yan recalled that the new Demon King had ascended the throne when she left.
The rabbit's ears drooped almost to the ground. "The old Demon King hasn't done anything for years, and the Demonic Realm is already in ruins. Furthermore, immortal cultivators are attacking the Demonic Realm, and it's about to be destroyed."
"Before, with Prince Jun, we could hold on for a while, but now Prince Jun is also gone." After saying this, she saw the person at the door, her fur bristling, and quickly ran away.
Lan Yan turned to see Jun Yelan, her eyes filled with worry.
Jun Yelan simply said, "Yan'er, let's go have breakfast."
"Mm." While eating, Lan Yan kept glancing at Jun Yelan. Seeing that Jun Yelan's expression had not changed, she wondered if she should mention the Demonic Realm.
Jun Yelan placed a bun in Lan Yan's bowl. "Yan'er, the dishes have gotten cold." He knew what Lan Yan wanted to say, but if they were to intervene, it would break the peace they currently enjoyed.
Lan Yan then had to eat. While clearing the dishes, she saw Jun Yelan standing at the doorway, with an old turtle beside him. She didn't speak, but looked towards the door.
At the doorway, Jun Yelan stared coldly at the old turtle and said, "Tell him, I will not go back."