Chapter 3: Serenity

The next morning, the first light of dawn broke through the horizon, painting the sky in pale shades of white and grey. A thin mist swirled through the air, bringing a refreshing chill.

The path down the mountain was treacherous, but the two of them, moving in silence one after the other, navigated the soft snow with quick, agile movements until they reached the base.

Starting from the mountainside, the snow had completely melted, revealing withered branches and cold, hard yellow earth. By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, spring was in full bloom, with buds sprouting from the trees and greenery everywhere.

Nearby was a town, its city walls engraved with the name "Brookside Town."

The characters were the same as the ones in her original world.

Zora withdrew her gaze.

Outside the city gates, people came and went in an endless stream.

Countless vendors and laborers pushed carts into the city, while commoners in plain cloth clothes bustled in and out, shoulders brushing against one another. Occasionally, wealthy figures in fine silks passed by in carriages or fanning themselves leisurely.

The management was lax, the city gates wide open—it was peaceful to the point of being fearless.

After their journey down the mountain trails, the two looked quite wretched, though still far better off than the elderly beggars huddled at the foot of the city walls.

Fortunately, the two dead men from yesterday had carried not only medicinal pills and Puppet Threads but also a fair amount of coin.

Zora walked into the city as if no one else were there, with Vane naturally following behind.

He maintained a steady distance of half a meter from her. Vane swept his gaze across the lively crowds on both sides of the road; the shouts of vendors and the clamor of overlapping conversations washed over him, a scene of pure prosperity.

Even in the human settlements under the rule of the Immortal Cultivation Realm, one rarely saw such carefree serenity. There had to be some powerful force protecting this place.

It was a world completely opposite to the Demon Realm, like a glass illusion or a reflection in water, making one feel as if they had fallen into a dream.

Vane’s fingertips curled slightly in his palm, but his face remained expressionless. He pulled back his gaze and glanced slightly over his shoulder.

The faint sensation of being watched vanished the moment he turned his head.

Ahead, the girl walked with steady steps toward a tea house. She stopped, looked up at the sign that read "Tea Smoke Pavilion," then turned and walked away, continuing down the street.

Then she stopped at the entrance of a small pastry shop, peeked inside, and left again.

Vane, who had been following her through every left and right turn: "..."

What exactly was she looking for?

She looked so confident on the surface that it took him a long while to realize she simply didn't know the way.

Zora was unfamiliar with this ancient-style town. She had to observe for a bit before realizing which buildings were shops; each had its own purpose, displaying a level of bustle never seen in the Arena.

To her, it just looked like a more diverse marketplace—places for housing, clothing, and food.

She didn't let anything show on her face, making it impossible for anyone to tell she was walking through such a street for the first time.

Some shop names were cryptic, and their doors were left ajar; unless one walked right up to them, it was impossible to tell what they did.

Some tea houses and eateries were as large as inns, making them quite confusing.

Lacking experience, Zora’s first instinct wasn't to ask for directions but to find things herself.

...

The sun rose higher, scattering golden rays across the street as Zora stepped into a cloth merchant’s shop.

A stout shopkeeper was working an abacus. Seeing someone enter, he looked up with a smile and called to a man in green nearby, "Erjin, go greet the guests."

The man in green approached. No one showed any disdain for the guests' simple and disheveled attire; in Brookside Town, they had seen all sorts of people and events.

As he drew near, the man’s steps faltered slightly, his expression stiffening for a second.

The youthful girl in front was fine; her almond-shaped eyes scanned the silks and garments without any hint of calculation, giving the impression of someone innocent and naive.

However, the boy behind her looked as though he had been soaked in blood and dragged through a slaughterhouse. His features were handsome, but his aura was far too fierce. Despite his young age, he radiated a coldness, his pupils like points of black ink. His youthful energy was overshadowed by a stark sense of isolation and hostility.

The moment the man in green looked over, the boy caught his gaze instantly.

He observed and measured the man with a light glance, then looked away just as casually.

The man in green hurriedly averted his eyes.

"Give him two sets of identical clothes, and I want three identical sets for myself," the girl said, her voice flat and direct as she pointed to the boy and then herself, having quickly figured out the shop's purpose.

"Al—Alright. What style would you like, Miss?" The man in green snapped back to his senses. Recognizing the girl as the decision-maker, he bowed slightly with a bright smile.

"Anything easy to move in," Zora paused. "He will come to pick them up later."

She turned to Vane and opened her mouth, only to realize she didn't know his name. She decided to be blunt: "Once we find a place to stay and get settled, you come back to get the clothes."

The boy gave a quiet grunt of affirmation, showing no sign of resistance or dissatisfaction.

So, they were master and servant.

The man in green was slightly stunned, unable to fathom how this girl had made such a boy her servant. Perhaps she came from a prominent family, but looking at their wretched state, that seemed impossible.

Having no intention of offending a customer, he tossed his confusion aside and focused on introducing various dresses.

She picked two pieces at random, moving with great speed.

The man in green called another woman to measure the girl, while he cautiously measured her servant.

Up close, he noticed old scars on the boy. From his cuffs to his collar, savage, dark-red scars peeked out, visible whenever he reached out or looked up.

Not daring to stare, the man finished the measurements and retreated.

Once the two guests paid and left, the man in green finally let out a sigh of relief.

Though this town was under the protection of the December Sect, the immortals were arrogant by nature. Furthermore, with the sect’s disciple recruitment approaching, the town was filled with all sorts of people. For ordinary mortals, staying alive was the priority—it was best not to go looking for trouble.

"...Erjin," the woman leaned in, frowning slightly with worry, and whispered, "That girl... her body was covered in old scars and wounds."

"...Probably just someone here to try for the immortal path."

The conversation ended there. As the recruitment day drew closer, the town grew more restless and crowded. It was enough for them to just mind their own business.

She hadn't expected the inns to be so full. Zora checked two places and found no vacancies.

It wasn't until the fifth inn, located in a remote area, that she found the only two rooms left.

When buying clothes earlier, Zora had just handed over money and received change. This time, there were price tags hanging on the wall. She glanced at them and pulled out ten spirit stones.

"Miss, this is only enough for one room," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

"Just one room then."

An attendant walked down from the second floor and called out, "Right away! Miss, please follow me to the end of the second floor."

Zora took a few steps before noticing the person behind her hadn't followed. She looked back to see Vane speaking with the shopkeeper, and another man appearing to lead him somewhere else.

Zora spoke up: "Wait, where is he going?"

"Isn't he your servant, Miss? Servants usually sleep by the stables," the shopkeeper said.

"No need. He has work to do." Zora simply felt it would be troublesome if her servant wasn't around to do things for her at a moment’s notice.

She looked up, and the boy met her gaze.

He suddenly gave a soft smile, appearing very submissive. The smile softened the ferocity of his features, revealing a bit of youthful vigor: "Yes."

The room was of average size, containing a bed, a table, and a wardrobe. The window was propped open by two wooden sticks, revealing a quiet, empty courtyard outside.

Vane stepped into the room, discreetly scanning the surroundings before looking at the girl standing by the window, peering down into the courtyard.

He didn't know how to interact with her, or rather, a servant didn't need to take the initiative; he only needed to fulfill his master's orders.

Had his injuries not been so severe yesterday, he might not have been saved by her, let alone been bound by a covenant. Things had come to this, and his only thought was how to survive—and survive well.

He had always been used to enduring, and she wasn't cruel; in fact, she was merciful and kind to a point that made him lower his guard.

"My name is Vane. What is yours?"

Zora turned around.

"I mean..." Vane paused, offering another smile. "How should I, as your servant, address you?"

Zora didn't notice his cautious probing. "Just call me Zora."

Vane: "But as a servant, I can't just call my master by her name."

Zora didn't care about his request at all, lazily replying: "But as a servant, you can't just ignore your master's orders."

"..." Vane fell silent.

Zora remembered something, took a few steps toward him, and stared directly into his eyes.

Vane almost instinctively took a step back but forced himself to stay still.

"I want to bathe."

"...What?"

Zora repeated: "I want to bathe. Go prepare it, then bring the new clothes over."

"...Alright."

However, the bathtubs here were usually filled with hot water and brought in by the attendants; guests didn't need to do it themselves. Vane seized the opportunity: "Once the clothes are delivered, can I go out and ask around? There seems to be something important happening in town."

Zora didn't care and gave a casual grunt in response.

Once they left, she was the only one in the room.

[He’s definitely going out to learn about the state of the world under the rule of the Immortal Cultivation Realm, so you don't find out he’s from the Demon Realm.]

The Oracle suddenly spoke up.

"Oracle? You’re back?"

[Just communicate with me in your mind; you don't need to speak aloud.]

It seemed to have spent its time away preparing itself mentally; its current attitude was professional and calm.

[Don't worry, your private business like bathing will be blocked from my view. First, I’ll transmit the original plot of the novel to you.]

Zora stripped off her clothes and soaked herself in the tub. Her skin, which had rarely seen the sun, was almost pale, and a slight flush appeared on her cheeks from the steam of the hot water.

A book abruptly appeared in her mind, its pages flipping without wind. The content was transmitted into her brain like a memory.

This was a romance novel disguised as a cultivation story. The male and female leads were in a teacher-student relationship. The female lead was pampered by her family since childhood and sent to the December Sect at age seven. At ten, she became the only disciple of the Sword Sovereign, the male lead.

Years later, the female lead developed feelings for her master, and the Sword Sovereign likewise grew fond of her. However, hindered by their relationship, they faced various obstacles. It wasn't until the finale, after they collectively repelled a wave of evil from the Demon Realm and became saviors, that people stopped opposing their romance. The two became a pair of Dao companions envied by all, traveling the world together.

As for Vane, he was originally a mortal who fled the Demon Realm, hiding his identity to join the December Sect. He had exceptional talent and once became a rising genius of the sect. He acted with abandon, often carrying a sharp smile and high spirits.

However, he used a red-tasseled spear rather than being a sword cultivator and had little involvement with the main couple.

That was until the demonic seed in his dantian was exposed. People from the Demon Realm also infiltrated the December Sect, trying their best to persuade Vane to return and revitalize the Demon Realm.

Before that, he never knew he was a "Natural Demonic Seed"—the innate seed of a demon cultivator.

He had been rotten to the core since birth, as foul as muck.

Because of the exposure, he was subjected to the cruel Punishment of Nailed Bones. The boy hadn't been a truly good person to begin with, and after that, he fell completely. His practiced smile could no longer be maintained, revealing his violent inner self as he was taken to the Demon Realm.

Later, he appeared in the finale during the outbreak of demonic evil.

In the original ending, he shouldn't have appeared again, dying in some forgotten corner.

But in this altered timeline, the boy had somehow gained control over the evil destined to break out. When the Immortal Cultivation Realm launched a crusade, he was unstoppable. He annihilated the immortals, but in doing so, he also annihilated himself.

He had forcibly changed the book's ending.

Zora blinked. In her mind was a scene from after the Great War.

Dark clouds hung low, and a vast silence spread across the flat ground, striking fear and chill into the heart. The wind carried a heavy scent of blood, and the piercing cries of crows filled the air as they pecked at fresh corpses and limbs.

The boy knelt alone atop a mountain of bloody earth and corpses. His spear was thrust into the pile, his hand on the shaft stained bright red. His dark pupils were filled with an overwhelming, world-devouring killing intent.

After a long time, his dark eyes shifted slightly as he looked down at his chest, which was being gnawed away by the evil.

—He gave up on commanding the evil, allowing his body to be consumed and his soul to dissipate from the world.

There was a piece of his monologue in the text.

"I just wanted to be a cultivator in your world, but there was no room for me there."

There were always people trying to hunt him down; he could only fight back, eventually launching a desperate, all-consuming counterattack.

...

Zora finished reading. She felt no internal emotional reaction, but she did understand what things like sects and cultivators were.

If she let him remain a cultivator and prevented anyone from discovering he was a demonic seed, she should be able to stop him from destroying the world.

However, that seemed a bit difficult and troublesome. It was better to just control him.

From this perspective, she was on the right path.

After finishing her bath, she found her clothes placed on the table on the other side of the screen. Zora put on a light blue dress, spending a long time figuring out how to tie the ribbons.

She gathered her black hair loosely behind her.

Sitting at the table, she curiously poured a cup of tea, took a sip, and put it down in silence.

...It was just as bitter as the tea in her world.

After a while, a faint sound came from outside the window.

The girl’s brownish eyes turned toward the window frame.

With the December Sect’s recruitment approaching, countless people flooded into the towns at the foot of the mountains, Brookside Town being just one of them.

This period was one of chaotic overcrowding—the perfect time for theft, robbery, and murder.

The targets were usually mortals—men, women, children, or the elderly who lacked the strength to fight back.

Remote inns were particularly frequent spots for such crimes.

As night fell and stars hung in the dark sky, several figures expertly climbed over the wall and jumped into the courtyard.

"...Are you sure it's here?" a man wearing a red headscarf whispered.

"Sure. It’s just a little girl. The kid next to her looks like trouble, but he doesn't seem to be here right now," a bare-chested man replied.

"Good. Tie her up and let’s go."

They had spotted the girl during the day. She looked disheveled and likely lacked a prominent background. Though young, she was at a marriageable age. Her face was cute and innocent, and she looked very weak—only the boy next to her radiated a sense of menace.

Just as they followed the wall to the middle of the courtyard, they heard the soft sound of a wooden door hitting a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

The voice wasn't loud, but it struck their hearts like a thunderbolt. The three of them turned toward the sound.

The boy, who had just finished bathing and changing, was adjusting his cuffs. He was dressed in black, the hem of his robes embroidered with indigo auspicious clouds. He wore black boots with blue patterns, and his narrow sleeves were tied tight at the wrists with layers of blue thread, revealing the slender bones of his hands.

His black hair was tied high in a ponytail with two ribbons—one blue, one black—peeking out occasionally from the sharp ponytail. His youthful spirit seemed to rise with the wind.

He looked at them with a smile. He would pretend and allow himself to be controlled in front of the master he was forced to obey, but he was a different person in the face of unknown enemies.

Especially these lowly thugs.

Since fleeing the Demon Realm and being hunted, the resentment in his heart had nowhere to go. Having been influenced by the Demon Realm, his very roots had been dragged into the black mire—he didn't have a single thought of appropriate punishment, kindness, or mercy.

He once tortured a person who had bullied him for three days and nights before letting them finally die.

It was easy to imagine the cruel resentment in the heart of an ant that everyone could trample, who had barely managed to survive until his teens. Before leaving the Demon Realm, his status had only just begun to improve, and he had only fled because he was targeted by some powerful demon cultivators.

Seeing the boy was alone and lacked a weapon, the three men grew bold and charged at him together.

Vane was about to move when he suddenly felt his body lose control. He dropped abruptly onto one knee, his dark pupils widening for an instant.

Behind him, someone placed a hand on his left shoulder and vaulted into the air, making up for the height difference between her and the three large men.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the skin of her hand appearing pale in the darkness, followed by the light blue hem of her dress.

She was just as calm when she killed people, without even a hint of malice. It was as ordinary to her as drinking or eating.

A cold light flashed. Two of the men fell to the ground instantly. The last one was killed when she climbed onto his back and snapped his neck.

Blood stained her new dress, red plum blossoms blooming across a blue sea.

Zora checked each of them to see if they were truly dead, crouching down to earnestly feel their pulses. Once she confirmed they were all dead, she turned to head back to the room.

"...Wait. Leaving the bodies here might not be a good idea." Vane stood up, his intensity completely gone, and looked at her. "Even if we’re in the right, the shopkeeper will definitely cause trouble. Furthermore, these people might have companions. If their plan was known to those companions, they’ll likely come looking for trouble later."

He didn't say anything about these people being evil or the need to punish wickedness—if anything, he didn't have such concepts in his mind.

Zora felt a bit sleepy and rubbed her eyes. "And then?"

Vane: "It’s better to follow the trail and wipe them all out."

In other words, kill the whole nest.

"Then you go follow it. I’m going to sleep." Zora yawned and walked upstairs.

Vane was left speechless: "..."

After a while, a head peeked out from the second-floor window. Zora had extremely soft features; when she peeked out with the candlelight behind her, she looked like a small flower suddenly appearing from the grass. She waved her hand at Vane below.

Vane watched for a moment and realized it was a gesture used for calling a puppy. However, her eyes were so clear that even insulting actions performed by her failed to provoke any shame or anger.

He walked upstairs and entered the room.

Zora had just finished taking off her blood-stained outer dress, leaving only her inner garments.

The moment he entered, he saw her bundle the light blue garment and hand it over.

Vane, who was about to politely avert his eyes, was slightly stunned.

Zora: "Wash it. The blood needs to come off."

"...Fine." Vane took it.

It was only an outer dress; there was nothing to avoid, especially since one lacked that specific social filter and the other knew little about romance.

"I’ll stand guard outside when I return," Vane said.

Zora wrapped herself in the bedding, curling into a ball with her back to him. Hearing this, she merely pointed a finger back at the floor beside the bed. "Sleep here. If anyone else comes to kill me, let out a shout."

She lacked vigilance. Earlier, if Vane hadn't opened the door and made a sound, she wouldn't have noticed so quickly. She decided it was better to have a human barrier. If he stood at the door, there was still the vulnerability of the window, so lying here was best.

"Yes." He really wanted to say those people hadn't come to kill her but to kidnap her. On second thought, there was no point; there wasn't much difference.

The candle was blown out, darkness took over, and the door was quietly closed.

Vane stood before the door, looking at the clothes in his hand.

Tonight, he had to not only follow the trail to kill people but also do laundry.

"..."

It was actually quite peaceful, giving him the illusion of a serene life.