Feng Mingqi, Si Qing, and Ming Lou could almost hear the Evil Ancestor grinding his teeth through the barrier.
Though they weren't quite sure if the faceless man had any teeth.
"How did your cultivation increase so rapidly?" the Evil Ancestor roared, his face filled with disbelief.
Qi Yu's voice was leisurely, "Because, people's hearts are treacherous."
The sentient beings of the Three Realms harbored malevolent thoughts, and there was no end to them. Qi Yu's cultivation grew in tandem with these malevolent thoughts.
The faster her cultivation grew, the more rapidly the malevolent thoughts of the Three Realms increased.
The two were mutually reinforcing.
When the Evil Ancestor understood this, his expression became complicated as he looked at Qi Yu through the evil energy. The next moment, he suddenly reeled in the evil energy and fled with Feng Mian!
He fled!!
Ming Lou wore a bewildered expression, "What's going on? Why did he run? He just started fighting and he ran?"
And running wasn't enough, he even took the traitor between them with him.
Feng Mingqi looked in the direction the Evil God had taken Feng Mian, his brow furrowed tightly. "Brother didn't do anything, yet that Evil Ancestor ran away in such a panic."
Si Qing nodded.
Although that fellow didn't have a face, the way he hastily retracted his power indicated his hurried departure.
Qi Yu withdrew her hand and looked at Ming Lou and the others, "What about Feng Mian's matter?"
The "what about it" here wasn't about not knowing how to solve it, but rather not knowing how to tell Yu Zhen.
In fact, Qi Yu felt a sense of relief when the Evil Ancestor suddenly took Feng Mian and left.
Because since just now, she had been pondering how to deal with Feng Mian, who had betrayed them.
Feng Mian was the first child born to Yu Zhen and her father, Li Yu, after Yu Zhen reincarnated as the Demon Lord.
This child was the crystallization of Yu Zhen's love for Li Yu.
If she were to be too harsh, Li Yu might not mind much. After all, he hadn't known he had these children before. But would Yu Zhen be heartbroken?
If she were too lenient, her own side would suffer.
If she had just acted righteously and eliminated her own kin, Yu Zhen... on the surface, she might support her, but what about her inner feelings?
Yu Zhen would definitely feel pained for Feng Mian and be sad that he was killed by her.
In that case, would Yu Zhen still stay by her side with such genuine sincerity as she did now?
Qi Yu dispelled the chilling hellish scene around her and suddenly felt a pang of annoyance.
The gathering of the four demon siblings made her realize once again that she and Si Qing were no longer the only two children of their mother and father.
Therefore, Feng Mian's betrayal needed to be handled with great care. She had to be cautious, try not to hurt Feng Mian, and try to leave Feng Mian for her mother to deal with personally...
No, that wouldn't work either.
Qi Yu pondered uneasily. If she left the traitor Feng Mian for her mother to handle personally, even if her mother wanted to keep Feng Mian, how could she do so under everyone's gaze?
So, what should she do? How should she deal with Feng Mian without losing her mother...
Qi Yu's emotions plummeted repeatedly. She was terrified that a rift would form between her and her mother, Yu Zhen, over the issue of Feng Mian's handling... she was so scared she was going mad.
Although the warmth caused her heartache, having experienced that warmth of companionship, she would rather feel pain than to summon the courage to lose someone again.
On the way back.
Feng Mingqi, Ming Lou, and Si Qing all noticed Qi Yu's low mood.
While Feng Mingqi and Ming Lou flew ahead, Si Qing slowed his pace, flying his sword beside Qi Yu. In a voice only they could hear, he asked, "Sister, what's wrong?"
"Si Qing, do you envy it?" Qi Yu looked at Feng Mingqi's retreating back. "I just calculated. From the time I was possessed until now, the time I've spent with Mother is pitifully short."
"Before Feng Mian, Feng Sixian, and Feng Yunzui came to Buzhou Mountain, I always tried to ignore the fact that Feng Mingqi spent the most time with Mother. But now, seeing Feng Mian's betrayal, and thinking that he is Mother's first child after reincarnation, the one Mother raised bit by bit, I'm finally feeling a little uneasy."
Therefore, she realized that the only person she could fully open her heart to now was Si Qing, her own younger brother.
But thinking about her situation before her memories were restored, she couldn't imagine how lonely Si Qing must have been, wandering the world alone, seeing his sister but unable to recognize her.
Si Qing was silent for a moment, his voice tinged with loneliness. "Sister, do you know? Gods also get jealous. The first time I saw Feng Mingqi, I hated him with all my heart."
"I know he did nothing wrong, but I just hated him."
"Why, when I was tortured by the Heavenly Emperor and Ling Ruo in the God Realm, could they, brother and sister, enjoy Mother's love?"
"So, I don't know how to comfort you either, because like you, I was left behind for a very long time. So long ago that the happy memories of Mother, Father, and you in my memory are few and far between."
"So long ago that many feelings, because of missed opportunities, have become too embarrassing to speak of."
Qi Yu stopped talking. After a while, she suddenly laughed. "We've lived for so long, yet we're worrying about such things. I'm truly going backward as I get older."
"Let's go, let's go home. Fighting with the Evil Ancestor just now made my clothes dirty."
As she spoke, she pulled Si Qing along, trying not to look at his face, silently praying that Si Qing would continue like this and not comfort her.
Otherwise, if she became fixated, she might easily burst into tears.
Si Qing stared blankly, nodded in response.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
After the Evil Ancestor fled with Feng Mian, he directly established himself as king in a nameless, deserted city not far from Wujia Village.
Feng Mian looked at the Evil Ancestor and finally asked the question that had been bothering him, "Lord Evil God, why didn't you fight back against Qi Yu just now? Instead, you took me with you?"
"That Ice Demon is now actually at the tenth level of cultivation... I couldn't win, so of course I had to run. And do you know what I saw on Qi Yu just now?" the Evil Ancestor's tone was grave.
Feng Mian shook his head.
"I saw a sea of karma behind him!" the Evil Ancestor looked at Feng Mian. "This is a characteristic only possessed by those of great wickedness. If I tried to seize his body, wouldn't I be seeking my own destruction? So, from now on, you are not to interfere with anything related to Qi Yu."
Feng Mian nodded.
After speaking, the Evil Ancestor closed his eyes and sat down to recuperate.
On Buzhou Mountain.
As soon as Qi Yu entered her room, she began to refuse to see anyone.
No one understood what was happening; everyone was bewildered.
Yue Zhi went to ask Si Qing.
Si Qing hesitated for a long time, then spread his hands helplessly, "Just let her have some quiet. Don't ask any more questions."
He knew Qi Yu's thoughts had hit a dead end, but he also knew that outsiders couldn't pull Qi Yu out of that dead end.
Just like himself.
"Is Brother Qi Yu really alright?" Feng Yunzui suddenly asked.
Si Qing glanced back at her, nodded gently, and then, also with a hint of annoyance, returned to his room.
Seeing this, Feng Yunzui was silent for a moment, then looked up at Feng Mingqi and Feng Sixian, and instructed them, "In front of Qi Yu from now on, mention the past less, and mention things about Mother less."
"Why?" Feng Sixian asked, confused.
Feng Mingqi was also puzzled.
"...No one is perfect. I just feel that no one would be happy to see their long-lost parents have younger siblings." Feng Yunzui lowered her gaze. "Just because Brother Qi Yu doesn't say it, doesn't mean he isn't sad."
When the sky completely darkened.
Si Qing looked out the window at the bustling mortal world, the bright lights, and suddenly remembered that it was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the mortal realm today.
He frowned and pondered for a moment, then his figure flashed, gradually shrinking until his features settled into the appearance of a seven or eight-year-old boy. He changed into a red cloak, put on a small round hat with white fur trim, his long hair falling behind him, and holding a lantern, he gently knocked on Qi Yu's door.
"Sister~" Si Qing's voice was childish. "It's the Mid-Autumn Festival in the mortal world tonight! It's so lively. Shall we secretly go down to the mortal realm and release sky lanterns? You promised me."
Hearing this sentence and this voice inside, Qi Yu was slightly stunned.
After a long while, she opened the door and looked at the scene before her blankly, her eyes gradually turning red.
The young boy Si Qing had transformed into waved the lantern in his hand. He wore a pure white immortal robe under his red cloak.
The familiar sight suddenly reminded Qi Yu that before she was possessed, she had casually promised to go to the mortal realm with Si Qing to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival when she had the chance.
But that promise remained unfulfilled due to her possession.
Qi Yu held her temples and suddenly laughed.
"Sister, let's start over," Si Qing looked up at her. "Let's celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in the mortal world together, celebrate the New Year in the mortal world together, let's go find delicious food in the mortal world, and make many friends."
"We can have memories too."
"Although we may not be able to have both parents, you still have me. As long as you are in this world, I will exist. I am your brother."
Hearing this, Qi Yu's figure gradually shrank. Her magic power conjured a small pink cloak to match the small immortal robe. Holding a small rabbit lantern conjured by her magic power, she took Si Qing's hand and choked out a "good."
Soon, the two little ones, avoiding the other people and the evil spirits, ran down Buzhou Mountain together.