The bird spread its wings. Before anyone could react, it flew into the darkness between the trees and disappeared. For several seconds, nobody moved. The sound of its wings faded between the branches, leaving only the quiet rustle of leaves above them. Xu Yang continued staring at the place where it had vanished. His fingers slowly curled at his sides. "You're the one they're after." The words remained in his mind, refusing to disappear with the bird. "Xu Yang." Lin Chen's voice pulled him back.
Xu Yang blinked and looked at him.Lin Chen was already watching him with a concerned expression. "We should keep moving." Xu Yang glanced once more toward the trees and turned around and followed the others. They walked for nearly an hour before the forest path became difficult to see.The evening light had almost disappeared behind the trees when Wei Han suddenly raised his hand. Everyone stopped. "There's an old inn ahead." Hei Long looked through the trees. A dark wooden roof was barely visible beyond the branches.
They moved closer. The old inn stood beside the forest path, half-hidden among the trees. Its wooden sign hung crookedly above the entrance, and vines covered part of the wall. Hei Long pushed the door open and entered first.Qing Li followed.He brushed a hanging vine away from the doorway and looked around.
The place was old, but it was still usable. A few wooden tables stood near the windows, and several beds were pushed against the far wall.Chen Yu went toward the fireplace and crouched beside it. He touched the ashes with two fingers."Still warm."Lin Chen came over and looked down. "Someone was here."Hei Long glanced toward the road behind them.The last light of evening was fading between the trees."We're not going farther tonight."Everyone agreed.
Wei Han walked around the outside of the inn while the others brought their things inside. He returned after a short while and gave a slight shake of his head."No one."
Hei Long nodded.Qing Li had already opened one of the shutters. He looked through the narrow gap into the forest, then quietly closed it again."There are no tracks near this side."Hei Long looked at him, then crossed the room and checked the back entrance himself. Qing Li watched him for a moment before turning back toward the fireplace.
Lin Chen began gathering dry wood from a broken wooden box in the corner. Chen Yu helped him carry it over. Hei Long moved one of the heavier benches toward the entrance, while Wei Han remained near the window, watching the dark trees outside.Su Yuan sat down near the wall, his shoulders finally loosening a little. Xu Yang settled nearby.In the novel,Su Yuan had always been described as a calm and distant prince. He was supposed to be someone who rarely showed weakness, someone who could stand in front of the Demon Clan without lowering his head. But the person sitting in front of Xu Yang didn't look like that. Xu Yang rested his chin lightly against his hand. I really don't remember him being like this. Then again, I never thought I'd end up traveling with him either. He glanced at Su Yuan again. Maybe this was one of those things the original story had never bothered to tell.He looked toward the dark window again.
The fire had burned steadily by the time everyone settled around the table. Lin Chen placed the food in the middle, and for a while nobody spoke. They had been walking for hours, and hunger had taken away most of their energy. Su Yuan sat beside Chen Yu, quietly holding his bowl. Qing Li looked at him for a moment before finally speaking. "Why would a prince run away from the Demon Palace?" Su Yuan's hand stopped. His eyes lowered to the bowl in front of him. For a moment, he didn't answer. "I don't want to talk about it."
Yan Luo looked at him across the table. His expression remained calm, but his eyes had sharpened. "You have been fleeing the Demon Palace, and now the royal soldiers are searching for you. After what happened today, can you still keep silent?" Su Yuan slowly raised his eyes. Yan Luo's voice remained steady. "We have already been drawn into this matter. Should we not at least know what awaits us?" Lin Chen nodded slightly. "He's right. If those soldiers find you, they won't spare the rest of us either. We should know what we're facing." Su Yuan's fingers tightened around the bowl in his hands. His lips parted slightly, but no words came.
Across the table, Wei Han quietly set down his chopsticks. The small sound made everyone pause. He looked at Su Yuan for a moment, his expression giving nothing away. Then he reached for the teapot and poured himself a cup. "If he is unwilling to speak," he said calmly, "there is no use pressing him." Yan Luo glanced toward him. Wei Han lowered his eyes to the tea. "We know the soldiers are searching for him. We know they have orders from the Demon Palace. For tonight, that is enough." Xu Yang looked at Wei Han.
Wei Han lifted the cup and took a slow sip before adding, "When the time comes, he will tell us what we need to know." Su Yuan looked at him, a faint surprise passing through his eyes. Xu Yang turned back toward Yan Luo. "He's right. If Su Yuan doesn't want to speak, forcing him won't give us the truth." Yan Luo remained silent. Xu Yang glanced at Su Yuan. "We can ask when we truly need to. Until then, we only need to be careful."Lin Chen was quiet for a moment. Then he sighed. "I suppose you're right."
Yan Luo didn't look completely satisfied, but after a moment, he leaned back. "All right." Qing Li gave Su Yuan one last glance before turning his attention to the food. "No more questions for now." Su Yuan lowered his eyes again. "Thank you." Xu Yang looked at him and smiled then simply reached for his bowl.The silence lasted only a few moments before Hei Long reached for the food. Qing Li happened to reach for the same dish. Hei Long looked at his hand, then quietly moved the bowl closer to Qing Li.
Qing Li glanced at him. "Thanks." Hei Long gave a small nod and continued eating. Xu Yang looked between them.Did I really miss this much? Or am I accidentally creating new plotlines just by being here?...Xu Yang slowly picked up another piece of food.
Either way, I'm keeping an eye on them.
He picked up his chopsticks and reached for a piece of meat.Hei Long's hand moved first. The piece disappeared into his bowl. Xu Yang stared at him. "Hey." Hei Long calmly picked it up. "What?" "That was mine." "You hadn't taken it." "I was going to." "You were too slow." Xu Yang narrowed his eyes. "I was thinking." Hei Long took a bite. Xu Yang stared at him in disbelief. "Are you doing this on purpose?" Hei Long looked at him with a completely calm expression. "Doing what?" "Stealing my food." "It's not yours."
Xu Yang looked at the plate, then at Hei Long. Then he quietly reached across the table and took a piece from Hei Long's bowl. Hei Long froze. Xu Yang smiled innocently. "Now it is." Lin Chen lowered his head, trying not to laugh. Chen Yu covered his mouth. Qing Li glanced at Hei Long, then at Xu Yang. "You started it." Hei Long looked at the empty space in his bowl. Then he looked at Xu Yang. Xu Yang immediately became alert. "Don't." Hei Long reached for another piece.
Xu Yang quickly pulled the plate toward himself. "No. I'm protecting the food." "From me?" "Yes." Hei Long stared at him. Xu Yang stared back. After a moment, Hei Long let out a quiet breath through his nose and leaned back. "You're troublesome." Xu Yang smiled. "And yet you keep sitting beside me." Hei Long didn't answer. Across the table, Qing Li quietly looked down at his bowl,and smiled.Xu Yang noticed.He glanced at Hei Long, then at Qing Li.Hmm. Interesting...Was I really watching the beginning of a side story that the original novel never mentioned? If this keeps going, I might need to start taking notes...
Xu Yang was about to pick up another piece of food when he turned his head and caught Wei Han staring at him from across the room. Their eyes met for a moment. Xu Yang blinked, then gave him a small smile. Wei Han's expression barely changed, but he looked away immediately. Xu Yang paused with his chopsticks in the air. He looked down at his bowl, then back at Wei Han. What was that?.. He glanced at him again, but Wei Han was calmly eating as if nothing had happened. Xu Yang frowned slightly. Maybe i was imagining things...He picked up another piece of meat and started eating.
A moment later, he looked up.Wei Han was staring at him once more. This time, Xu Yang raised an eyebrow. Wei Han met his eyes for a second before looking away again. Did I have something on my face?... Xu Yang quickly rubbed his cheek, then checked his sleeve. Nothing. He looked back at Wei Han. Why did everyone suddenly have to become so strange tonight?... He lowered his eyes and tapped his chopsticks lightly against the edge of his bowl. Maybe he was simply curious.Or maybe he noticed something i Yang didn't. That thought made him pause. No, forget it. I am starting to overthink again...
Xu Yang quietly took another bite and tried to focus on his food. It lasted for about three seconds. His eyes drifted toward Wei Han again. He immediately looked away and sighed inwardly. I am not getting involved. Whatever Wei Han is thinking, he can keep it to himself. I have enough problems without trying to understand another mysterious man.
Later that night, the fire had burned low. One by one, everyone settled down to sleep, but Xu Yang remained awake. He turned toward the wall, closed his eyes, opened them again, and finally sighed. I really need to stop thinking so much. He sat up quietly and noticed that Su Yuan was no longer inside. Xu Yang stepped outside. Su Yuan was sitting beneath the roof of the inn, looking toward the dark forest. Xu Yang walked over and sat beside him. Su Yuan glanced at him. "You're awake." "Unfortunately." Su Yuan gave a faint smile.For a while, neither spoke. The forest was quiet around them. Xu Yang looked toward the road. "Still thinking about what Qing Li asked?" Su Yuan lowered his eyes. "Yes." Xu Yang waited. He didn't ask anything else.
After a long silence, Su Yuan spoke. "I wasn't always afraid of returning." Xu Yang turned slightly toward him. "When I was younger, I thought being a prince meant I had everything." Su Yuan's voice remained quiet. "People respected me. They listened when I spoke. I thought that was what a good life looked like." He paused. "Then I grew older." His fingers slowly tightened against his sleeve. "I realized everyone already had a plan for me." Xu Yang listened without interrupting. "They decided what I should learn. Where I should go. Who I should meet. What I should become." Su Yuan looked toward the darkness."Everyone knows what I am supposed to become." He lowered his eyes. "But nobody has ever asked me what I want."
Xu Yang was quiet. Then he asked, "What do you want?" Su Yuan looked at him. For several seconds, he didn't answer. "I don't know." A faint, almost embarrassed smile appeared on his face. "That's the first thing I want to find out." Xu Yang leaned back against the wooden pillar. "Then find out." Su Yuan looked at him. Xu Yang shrugged. "You don't have to decide everything tonight." Su Yuan's expression softened. "You make it sound easy." "It isn't." Xu Yang looked toward the road ahead. "But at least this time, it'll be your decision." Su Yuan was silent for a moment. Then he smiled. "Thank you." Xu Yang waved his hand. "Don't thank me yet. You haven't seen how annoying this group can be." Su Yuan laughed and Xu Yang looked at him and smiled.
The fire had burned out during the night, leaving only a ash in the hearth.One by one, everyone began gathering their belongings. Lin Chen rolled up the blankets and tied them to the side of his pack. Hei Long stepped outside and checked the road before returning a moment later. "Nothing on the road," he said. Yan Luo adjusted the strap of his bag. "Then we should leave before the soldiers reach this area."
Su Yuan was still sitting near the wall. Xu Yang noticed and walked over. "You're not packing?" Su Yuan looked down at the small bundle beside him. His fingers rested on the cloth for a moment before he slowly picked it up. "I've been thinking." Xu Yang crouched slightly. "About what?" Su Yuan looked around the room. Everyone had stopped what they were doing.
Qing Li leaned against the table with his arms folded, while Chen Yu stood beside Su Yuan. Wei Han remained near the doorway, quietly watching.Su Yuan took a breath. "Can I stay with you?" The room fell silent. Lin Chen's hands stopped halfway through tying his pack. "Stay with us?" Su Yuan nodded. "If you don't mind." Qing Li straightened. "You understand what you're asking?" "I do." "The soldiers are searching for you." "I know." "If they find you with us, we'll be involved whether we want to be or not." Su Yuan lowered his gaze. "I know."
Hei Long looked at him for a moment. "Then why?" Su Yuan's hand tightened around the cloth bundle. He slowly stood and walked toward the doorway. The others watched him as he stopped beneath the morning light. "Because I don't want protection just because I'm a prince." His voice was quiet, but there was more certainty in it than before. "I've spent my entire life being treated differently because of my title.People bow to me before I even speak. They decide what I should learn, where I should go, and what I should become." He looked down at his hands. "Even when I left the palace, I was still running because I was afraid of being found. I thought leaving would make me free, but I was only running from one place to another."
Chen Yu stepped closer."Then what do you want?" Su Yuan looked at him.For a moment, he seemed unsure how to answer. "I'm not completely certain."Then he smiled. "But I want to find out."Xu Yang leaned against the table and listened.Su Yuan looked toward the road. "I want to travel as Su Yuan. Not as the Demon Prince." Qing Li's expression softened slightly. Su Yuan continued, "I want to see ordinary towns. Eat ordinary food. Walk through markets where nobody knows my name. I want to sleep under the open sky." He gave a quiet laugh. "I even want to get lost."
Lin Chen looked at Su Yuan for a long moment before walking over and helping him tighten the cloth around his belongings. "The road outside the palace won't be like the one you've known." Su Yuan lowered his eyes to Lin Chen's hands. "I know." Lin Chen pulled the knot once more to make sure it would hold, then released it. "There will be days when you don't know where you'll sleep or when you'll eat. No one will prepare a room for you. No one will wait for you to finish deciding."
Su Yuan rested a hand over the bundle and was quiet for a moment. "That is what I want." Lin Chen looked at him. Su Yuan lifted his eyes toward the open road. "For once, I want the next place I reach to be somewhere I chose to go." Lin Chen studied his face, then gave a small nod. "Then remember that when the road becomes difficult. Freedom isn't only choosing where to go. Sometimes it's choosing to keep walking when the path isn't what you expected."
Hei Long walked towards him. "Are you sure you want this?" Su Yuan looked toward him. Hei Long's expression was serious. "You know what will happen if you leave with us. The Demon Palace won't stop searching just because you've decided to walk away. You may lose the quiet life you're hoping for, and there may come a day when you wish you had never left." Su Yuan listened without interrupting. Hei Long held his gaze for a moment before adding, "You may regret it. But regret is not always a sign that you made the wrong choice. Sometimes it only means the choice mattered enough to hurt." Su Yuan's eyes shifted slightly, but he said nothing.
Hei Long looked toward the road. "If you choose this path, don't expect it to be easy. Just make sure that when it becomes difficult, you're still able to say that you chose it yourself." Su Yuan was silent for a long moment. Then he turned back toward the road. "If I return now, I'll only go back to the life they chose for me." He looked at the road ahead. "Just once, I want to see where my own choice takes me."Xu Yang looked at him for a moment. Then he smiled. "Then come with us."
The group reached the small Demon World town toward evening. The road leading into the town was narrow and uneven, lined with old wooden houses and small shops with faded signs hanging above their doors. The roofs were crooked, dark with age, and strange vines with thin black leaves curled around some of the walls. Old lanterns hung from wooden beams, their dull green flames flickering even though there was barely any wind. Near several doorways, small bones and dried herbs had been tied together and left hanging beneath the roofs, while faint claw marks covered parts of the wooden walls.
A few demons were still walking through the streets, carrying baskets or closing their shops for the night, and at first there was nothing unusual about the place. Yet the moment the group entered, Xu Yang noticed something that made him slow down. Conversations were stopping and demon who had been speaking loudly to a shopkeeper suddenly lowered his voice when he noticed the travelers. Two women standing beside a wooden stall glanced toward them, exchanged a quick look, and moved inside without finishing their conversation. Even the children playing near the roadside were called back by their parents.
One of the children stopped and looked at the group for a moment before his mother quickly pulled him inside and shut the wooden door behind them. Xu Yang glanced down the street. A few strange red flowers grew between the cracks in the stone road, their petals slowly closing even though the sun had not completely disappeared. Farther ahead, an old wooden sign swung gently above an empty shop, making a faint creaking sound that seemed strangely loud in the quiet street.
Wei han looked around,he noticed street had become quieter while they were walking,though there were still demons nearby. A few shopkeepers were pulling down their shutters earlier than they should have, and one old demon hurried past them with his head lowered, clutching a bundle of dried black leaves against his chest. As he passed, Xu Yang caught a faint smell of something bitter and burnt. He glanced back,but the demon had already disappeared into a narrow alley. "Why does everyone look like they're trying to get home before something happens?" Xu Yang murmured.
Lin Chen glanced at the closed shops, his expression tightening a little. "Looks like everyone is in a hurry to get home." Chen Yu looked toward the alley where the old demon had disappeared, then back at the empty street. "Maybe they know something we don't." Su Yuan looked around, uneasiness showing on his face. "Like what?" Hei Long shook his head. "If we knew, we wouldn't be guessing." His voice was calm, but his eyes kept moving across the rooftops.
Su Yuan noticed and lowered his voice. "You think we're in danger?"Hei Long looked at him."I think we shouldn't stay out here too long."Su Yuan's fingers tighten around the strap of his bundle.Qing Li glanced at another window as it quietly closed. "They're definitely hiding something." He sounded annoyed more than afraid, but his hand had already moved closer to his sleeve.Yan Luo slowed when he noticed the strange marks beside a doorway.He crouched slightly to get a better look, his brows drawing together. "And they've put these everywhere."
Xu Yang leaned closer, then stopped when he saw the same marks carved into the next doorway. "You know what they mean?" Yan Luo shook his head. "No. But someone went to a lot of trouble to put them here." Xu Yang looked down the street again. A moment ago there had been people everywhere. Now there was hardly anyone left.Wei Han had been quiet the whole time.He finally looked toward the darkening sky, his expression unreadable. "Let's find an inn."
Su Yuan followed his gaze and felt a faint chill run down his back. "You think we'll get an answer there?" Wei Han shook his head. "Probably not." He glanced toward the last few open shops. "But at least we'll have a roof over our heads." Xu Yang rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll take that." Yan Luo looked ahead and noticed a small shop still open at the end of the street. "Come on. We can ask there." No one argued.Even Su Yuan moved a little closer to the others as they continued down the road.
Yan Luo led the group farther into the town until they reached a small shop with baskets of dried herbs hanging beneath the roof.He stopped and approached the shopkeeper. "Excuse me. Has something happened here recently?" The shopkeeper's hands paused over the herbs he was sorting. For a moment,he didn't answer then he smiled forcefully."Nothing you need to worry about." Lin Chen looked at him. "Are you sure?" "Of course."
The Man glanced toward the darkening sky before lowering his voice. "You're travelers. Find an inn before it gets late." Xu Yang caught the movement of his eyes. The shopkeeper wasn't worried about them. He was worried about nightfall. Before Lin Chen could ask anything else, the man turned away and began rearranging the same herbs he had already sorted.
They eventually found a small inn near the quieter end of town.The innkeeper greeted them politely, but his smile disappeared the moment he looked past them toward the road. "You should come inside quickly," he said. "Why?" Su Yuan asked. The innkeeper hesitated. "It will be dark soon." He stepped aside and motioned for them to enter. Once everyone was inside, he immediately closed the wooden doors behind them and slid the bolt into place.
Xu Yang glanced at the door. "You always lock it this early?" The innkeeper looked at him. "It's safer." "From what?" The man gave an awkward smile. "Nothing just old habit." He turned away before Xu Yang could ask again.A moment later, he began checking the windows.One by one, he pushed each wooden shutter closed and secured the latches. Hei Long noticed and walked toward one of the windows. "Are you expecting trouble?" The innkeeper shook his head. "No...No! Everything is fine!"
Hei Long looked at the locked shutter, then back at him. "Then why close everything?" The innkeeper didn't answer,He simply lowered his eyes and continued checking the latch. Xu Yang noticed several small bowls placed near the entrance. Each contained coarse salt mixed with dried herbs and a few thin red roots. There were similar bowls beside the stairs and beneath the windows. He crouched near one and looked at it closely. "What's this for?" The innkeeper's expression tightened. "Nothing important."Xu Yang touched one of the dried roots with a claw before pulling his hand back. "You have a lot of nothing important around here." Chen Yu gave him a quiet look, but Xu Yang only shrugged.
Su Yuan had been watching the innkeeper since they entered. He moved closer to Xu Yang and lowered his voice. "Why does everyone seem frightened?" Xu Yang glanced toward the innkeeper. "I was wondering the same thing." Su Yuan looked around the room.The innkeeper was pretending to clean the counter, but his attention kept drifting toward the windows. "Do you think something will happen tonight?" "I don't know." Xu Yang straightened. "But whatever it is, everyone seems to know about it except us."
Hei Long heard them but didn't join the conversation. He walked toward the courtyard and looked through the gap between the shutters. The street outside was becoming quieter. A few remaining demons were hurrying home, and several shops had already closed even though there was still enough daylight to remain open. Hei Long watched the last shopkeeper pull his door shut, then quietly said, "Why is everyone rushing home before sunset?" Xu Yang looked over. "You noticed that too?" Hei Long's eyes stayed on the street. "Yeah." He was silent for a moment before adding, "Whatever they're afraid of, it hasn't happened yet."