Chapter 2604: Moonlight Like a Lamp, Tears Like Candles

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Bright Moon Like a Lamp, Falling Candle Tears

Shen Qingqiu looked at Liu Qingge.

The Bai Zhan Peak Lord stood facing away from the moonlight, his expression unclear. Only a thin layer of frost seemed to cling to his brow and lashes.

A long silence stretched between them.

Shen Qingqiu felt uncomfortable and could only cough softly. "Liu-shidi, if you don't say anything, I'll take it that you agree."

Liu Qingge’s voice was low and flat, with no discernible emotion. "You want to go to the Demon Realm?"

"Yes," Shen Qingqiu said. "I have to go."

Liu Qingge asked, "Why do you have to go?"

"To… save someone," Shen Qingqiu said.

Liu Qingge was silent for a moment. "Do you think going to the Demon Realm is like going to the market?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "If it were the market, I wouldn't need to discuss it with you."

Liu Qingge said, "Without the Xiu Ya sword, your spiritual power is not enough."

Shen Qingqiu said, "I still have spiritual power."

Liu Qingge said, "Without the Xiu Ya sword, it is greatly reduced. And you can't even fly."

Shen Qingqiu said, "Flying isn't necessarily the only way to go to the Demon Realm."

Liu Qingge said, "Even if you could go, how do you plan to come back?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "That's for later."

Liu Qingge said, "Do you know what the consequences are?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "I know."

Liu Qingge said, "Then do you know how dangerous the Demon Realm is?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "I know. But someone is waiting for me there."

Liu Qingge seemed to choke on something. After a while, he finally said, "Who is waiting for you?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "Luo Binghe."

Liu Qingge’s expression finally changed, looking somewhat bewildered. He seemed to struggle to speak, repeating, "Luo Binghe?"

"Yes."

"He… didn't die?"

"He didn't die."

Liu Qingge seemed to be processing this information with great difficulty. After a long pause, he finally spoke again. His tone was tinged with disbelief. "You… you are saying that person didn't die? He… he is still alive?"

"Yes, he is still alive."

Liu Qingge was silent for an even longer time this time. Then, he suddenly raised his voice. "Alive? How could he be alive?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "He fell into the crack."

Liu Qingge said, "Falling into the crack is death! There is no way to survive!"

Shen Qingqiu said, "But he survived."

Liu Qingge said, "Impossible!"

Shen Qingqiu said, "It's not impossible. He has the Blood of the Heavenly Demon lineage."

Liu Qingge seemed to be hit by a sudden realization. His eyes widened slightly. "Heavenly Demon… lineage?"

"Yes," Shen Qingqiu confirmed.

Liu Qingge was speechless. After a long while, he finally managed to say, "You… you knew?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "I knew."

Liu Qingge looked at Shen Qingqiu as if he were a complete stranger. He pointed at him, trembling slightly. "You… you knew he was a Demon and still… still…"

"Still what?" Shen Qingqiu asked.

Liu Qingge couldn't find the words. He suddenly lowered his hand and clenched his fists. "He was a Demon! A Demon!"

Shen Qingqiu said, "But he was still my disciple."

Liu Qingge scoffed. "Disciple? A Demon disciple? Do you know what kind of trouble you have caused for Cang Qiong Mountain Sect? Do you know what kind of trouble you have caused for the entire human world?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "I know. But he is still waiting for me."

Liu Qingge looked at Shen Qingqiu with a complex expression. He seemed to want to say something, but no words came out. Finally, he just sighed and turned away, walking towards his Bamboo House.

"Liu-shidi!" Shen Qingqiu called out.

Liu Qingge stopped but didn't turn around.

Shen Qingqiu said, "Can you… help me?"

Liu Qingge was silent for a long time. The moonlight cast his shadow long and solitary on the ground. After a long, long while, he finally spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "Help you… go to the Demon Realm?"

"Yes."

Liu Qingge was silent again.

Shen Qingqiu felt a pang of anxiety. Was this asking too much? Was this truly unreasonable?

After what felt like an eternity, Liu Qingge finally let out a deep breath. He turned around slowly, his face still hidden in shadow.

"Alright," he said, his voice low and heavy. "I'll help you."

Shen Qingqiu's eyes widened in surprise. "You… you will?"

Liu Qingge didn't answer directly. He just looked at Shen Qingqiu for a moment, then turned and continued walking towards his Bamboo House.

Shen Qingqiu stood there for a moment, stunned. Then, a wave of relief washed over him. He hadn't expected Liu Qingge to agree so readily. It was a pleasant surprise.

He quickly followed Liu Qingge, catching up to him as he reached the door of the Bamboo House.

"Liu-shidi, thank you," Shen Qingqiu said sincerely.

Liu Qingge pushed open the door and stepped inside without a word. Shen Qingqiu hesitated for a second, then followed him in.

The interior of the Bamboo House was simple and sparse, just like Liu Qingge himself. There was a plain wooden table, two chairs, and a bed. That was it.

Liu Qingge walked over to the table and sat down. He didn't look at Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu sat in the other chair, feeling a little awkward. He didn't know what to say.

Liu Qingge finally spoke, his voice still low. "So, what do you need me to do?"

Shen Qingqiu quickly explained his plan. He needed Liu Qingge's help to open a portal to the Demon Realm. It would require a lot of spiritual power, more than Shen Qingqiu had on his own.

Liu Qingge listened quietly, his expression unreadable. When Shen Qingqiu finished, he was silent for a moment, considering.

"It will be dangerous," he finally said.

"I know," Shen Qingiu said.

"Very dangerous," Liu Qingge emphasized.

"I understand," Shen Qingqiu said.

Liu Qingge looked at Shen Qingqiu then, his gaze steady and piercing. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Shen Qingqiu met his gaze squarely. "I'm sure."

Liu Qingge held his gaze for a few more moments, then finally looked away. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

"Alright," he said again, the word a final decision. "I will help you."

A small smile touched Shen Qingqiu's lips. "Thank you, Liu-shidi. I won't forget this."

Liu Qingge just nodded, his expression still serious.

They spent the rest of the night discussing the details of the plan. Liu Qingge was surprisingly cooperative, offering practical advice and suggestions. He seemed to take the matter very seriously, which Shen Qingqiu appreciated.

As the first rays of dawn appeared, they had a rough plan in place. They would need to find a suitable location with strong spiritual energy to open the portal. They would also need to prepare themselves for the journey.

Shen Qingqiu left the Bamboo House feeling a sense of hope and determination. With Liu Qingge's help, he finally had a chance to see Luo Binghe again.

As he walked back towards Qing Jing Peak, the rising sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink. The world felt a little brighter, a little less lonely. He just had to get to the Demon Realm. He had to see Luo Binghe again.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Demon Realm, a figure sat on a throne made of bones, his eyes fixed on a flickering flame.

The figure was Luo Binghe.

He looked different now. His hair was darker, almost black, and his eyes glowed with a faint red light. He wore dark robes that seemed to swallow the light around him.

He was no longer the naive, innocent boy who had fallen into the abyss. He was a powerful Demon Lord, ruler of the Demon Realm.

But despite his power, despite his terrifying appearance, there was a flicker of sadness in his eyes as he watched the flame.

He had been waiting. Waiting for a long time. Waiting for the person he loved, the person who had betrayed him, the person he couldn't forget.

Waiting for Shen Qingqiu.

He didn't know if Shen Qingqiu was still alive. He didn't know if he would ever see him again. But he waited nonetheless, clinging to the faint hope that maybe, just maybe, he would come back.

The flame flickered, casting dancing shadows on the walls of the throne room. Luo Binghe watched it intently, as if it held the answers to his questions.

He had built an empire, conquered kingdoms, and amassed unimaginable power. But none of it filled the vazio in his heart. The vazio left by the person who was supposed to be his shizun, his only family, his everything.

He closed his eyes, a painful memory flashing through his mind. The memory of Shen Qingqiu standing above him, the Xiu Ya sword plunged into his chest, the cold, indifferent expression on his face.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. The pain of that memory was as fresh as the day it happened. It was a wound that would never heal.

But despite the pain, despite the betrayal, he still couldn't bring himself to hate Shen Qingqiu completely. There was a part of him, a stubborn, foolish part, that still clung to the memories of the few moments of kindness he had received, the few times Shen Qingqiu had shown him a flicker of warmth.

He opened his eyes again, his gaze fixed on the flame. It was like a tiny beacon in the darkness, a symbol of the hope he still held onto.

He would wait. He would wait until the flame went out, until all hope was extinguished. But until then, he would wait.

Because even in the depths of the Demon Realm, even as a terrifying Demon Lord, he was still the boy who had fallen into the abyss, the boy who had loved his shizun more than anything in the world.

And he was still waiting for him to come back.

The night was long, and the moon was like a lamp in the sky, casting a pale glow on the world. In the Bamboo House on Bai Zhan Peak, Liu Qingge sat in silence, his mind replaying the conversation he had just had.

Shen Qingqiu. The man he had always found so annoying, so infuriating. The man he had fought with countless times. The man he had secretly respected.

He was going to the Demon Realm. To save Luo Binghe.

It was insane. Dangerous beyond belief.

But Shen Qingqiu was determined. And Liu Qingge had agreed to help him.

He didn't know why he had agreed. Perhaps it was the look in Shen Qingqiu's eyes, the desperate hope, the unwavering resolve. Perhaps it was the thought of the danger Shen Qingqiu would face alone. Perhaps it was something else entirely, something he couldn't quite put into words.

Whatever the reason, he had made his decision. He would help Shen Qingqiu.

He stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the moonlight. The night was quiet, peaceful. But he knew that soon, that peace would be shattered.

They were going to the Demon Realm. And there was no telling what awaited them there.

He closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips. It was going to be a long and difficult journey.

In the Demon Realm, Luo Binghe continued to watch the flame, his expression unreadable. The candle tears dripped down, mirroring the unshed tears in his own eyes.

He was waiting. And the night was long.