Chapter 70

Xi Heng chuckled when he heard her response. “No rush. Before heading to the front lines, let’s deal with his injuries first.”
That suited Luo Han just fine—Ling Qingxiao’s arm was still bleeding heavily. His slender fingers, pressed to the wound, were stained red. It was a gruesome sight, yet on him, it almost carried a brutal elegance.
Luo Han’s heart ached as she looked at the blood. “So much blood...It’s been this long and it still hasn’t stopped?”
With ice in his blood and dragonkin resilience, Ling Qingxiao should’ve clotted faster than anyone. But for some reason, even though the demon god had long since left, his wound remained unhealed.
Xi Heng leaned over and took a look. “Wounds from a demon god aren’t easy to recover from. I’ll seal it temporarily with divine power, but to truly heal it, we’ll need medicine that stops bleeding and expels demonic energy.”
Hearing that, Luo Han immediately thought of someone—skilled in herbs, expert in treating demonic qi, and nearby. The chief of Qingshan Village met all the criteria!
She said quickly, “I know a place where we can get medicine for his injury. Senior Xi Heng, if you could stop the bleeding temporarily, I’ll go to Qingshan Village to get help.”
“No.” Xi Heng hadn’t even spoken yet when Ling Qingxiao firmly refused. “The demon god might still be nearby. It’s too dangerous for you to go alone. The injury is minor. There’s medicine at the front lines too. Let’s head there first.”
“How can you say that?” Luo Han protested just as firmly. “You’ve lost so much blood—how can you travel like this?”
“Enough,” Xi Heng finally interrupted, exasperated. “You two clearly can’t bear to be apart, so just go together. Get the medicine first, then go to the front lines. I haven’t been to Qingshan in years—kind of miss it. Lead the way.”
Once Xi Heng made the call, the bickering pair fell silent. This decision meant taking a huge detour, but neither efficiency-minded Ling Qingxiao nor eager-to-learn Luo Han objected.
—
The village chief had been busy through the night. For Qingshan Village, this night was unforgettable—first the villagers were knocked unconscious by a strange mist and nearly wiped out by demons, then they learned the demon god had passed nearby and wanted to “clear the path.”
Everyone had been terrified, no one dared step outside, only waiting helplessly for fate to descend.
The chief had spent the night on edge. Outside, lightning flashed and thunder boomed—clearly an unusual weather pattern. Around midnight, a deafening rumble shook the ground as an entire mountain collapsed.
When dawn came, the villagers began to wake one by one. The night had been eerily quiet, and the sun had risen as usual, so eventually people crept out to investigate.
The demon god didn’t show. Did that mean he was gone for good?
No one could say for sure. Everyone was nervous and unsettled—until someone suddenly said, “Wait—where are those siblings who were staying with us? Did something happen to them?”
That startled many people. Uncle Zhao searched through the crowd, hesitating. “It can’t be, right? I saw them yesterday—they were fine. Those two didn’t get affected by the mist, and their skills are high. They should be okay.”
The crowd erupted into worried chatter. The chief’s heart grew heavier. A whole night had passed, and Ling Qingxiao and Luo Han hadn’t returned. Could all that chaos last night...have been because of them?
Were they...still okay?
The chief didn’t dare think further. People argued back and forth, unable to reach a conclusion. Then someone with sharp eyes pointed and shouted, “Look—isn’t that them?”
The chief looked up and was stunned to see several familiar figures walking down the mountain path that led to the village. When she saw the man in front, her pupils contracted sharply.
“God Xi Heng?”
She could hardly believe her eyes.
When she was still a child with her hair in braids, she’d once caught a glimpse of the god Xi Heng. She’d thought that would be the greatest fortune of her life—never imagining that one day, she would see a miracle again.
It was none other than the famously mysterious and aloof God of Time—Xi Heng.
The village chief hurriedly led the villagers to welcome the deity. Xi Heng waved his hand dismissively when he saw them. “I’m keeping things simple this time. Don’t bother with those fancy rituals. Just hurry up and treat his injury.”
With the god speaking, the chief didn’t dare object. She responded quickly and looked at Ling Qingxiao, her brow furrowing involuntarily. “You’re injured again?”
Ling Qingxiao sighed. “I was careless. I’ve troubled you once more, Chief.”
“No trouble at all,” the chief said. “You two did a great service for Qingshan Village last night—helping you is my honor. I just feel heartache seeing it. Such a fine young man, always getting hurt.”
Luo Han nodded in heartfelt agreement.
Xi Heng didn’t like crowds, and since Ling Qingxiao’s arm was still bleeding, the chief didn’t waste time with pleasantries. She led them into the courtyard, then firmly closed the door, shutting out the curious onlookers.
Once the others were cleared out, the chief’s expression turned serious. “May I take a look at the wound?”
Ling Qingxiao hesitated for a moment before rolling up his sleeve and exposing the injury. The clothing had hidden the true extent of it—until now, Luo Han hadn’t realized how bad it really was.
The wound was deep and long, slashing across Ling Qingxiao’s forearm. Around its edges, black demonic energy swirled, constantly tearing at and aggravating the injury. The sight was shocking. The rest of his skin was pale and flawless like porcelain, making the gruesome wound stand out like a crack across a perfect vase.
Luo Han was stunned. She hadn’t expected it to be this bad, and instantly flared with anger. “You call this not serious?!”
Ling Qingxiao calmly replied, “It isn’t. The demonic energy is preventing the bleeding from stopping, so it looks worse than it is. It’ll heal quickly.”
Even the battle-hardened village chief was taken aback. She didn’t waste time speaking and immediately stood. “I already have medicine for this sort of thing. I’ll fetch it now.”
Qingshan Village was in constant conflict with demons. Severe injuries like Ling Qingxiao’s weren’t uncommon, and the chief always kept a full stock of medical herbs—luckily so, because today they’d be put to use.
The chief returned with several bottles. “This one removes demonic energy. This is an antidote. This is for treating the wound. Roll your sleeve up a bit more—I’ll start applying the medicine.”
As she approached with the bottle, Ling Qingxiao clearly leaned away.
The chief was surprised, and Luo Han explained, “He doesn’t like being touched by others. Chief, let me do it.”
The words sounded normal at first, but upon closer thought—he doesn’t like being touched, but Luo Han is okay?
The chief silently handed the medicine over. Xi Heng, watching, sighed inwardly. Getting old really does mean not keeping up with the younger generation. These kids are so forward nowadays…
The chief and Xi Heng tacitly excused themselves. “You two apply the medicine here. We’ll go check on things outside.”
Luo Han didn’t even have time to say anything—the room emptied out in seconds. With fewer people around, she turned to Ling Qingxiao. “Pull your sleeve up. This wound can’t wait.”
Ling Qingxiao glanced at her, then obediently did as she asked.
Luo Han dipped into the solution for dispelling demonic energy and began carefully dabbing it around the wound. “Does it hurt? If it does, say something. This is my first time applying medicine—I might not get the pressure right.”
Ling Qingxiao hummed in acknowledgment. But he already knew—he wouldn’t say anything, even if it did.
Luo Han leaned in close to be careful, her breath gently brushing his arm. The sensation made Ling Qingxiao shift slightly, unaccustomed.
But before he could move, Luo Han pressed his arm down. “Don’t move.”
Her bare hand was on his arm, and without any clothing between them, Ling Qingxiao could clearly feel the warmth of her fingertips. Her hand was soft and slender, completely different from his own.
Aside from that incident in the Abyss of Absolute Spirits, Ling Qingxiao had never had direct physical contact with anyone. This sensation was completely foreign.
It had been the same back then. He’d collapsed from exhaustion, briefly reverting to his dragon form due to depleted spiritual power. Though he hadn’t lost consciousness, Luo Han had assumed he had, and had tried to move him somewhere flat—touching his dragon tail in the process.
Ling Qingxiao had been startled and instantly recoiled. From that day on, Luo Han had kept a respectful distance.
He had thought himself completely intolerant of physical touch. And yet, right now—he was awake, fully aware, with nothing but a minor wound—and he was letting someone else bandage him.
It surprised even him.
He realized that, if the person was Luo Han, physical contact didn’t seem as unbearable as he’d believed.
Her fingers were warm and gentle. When they touched his skin, it was as if that patch of his arm warmed up. Her strokes were light as feathers, brushing faintly over the wound—leaving behind an odd tingling and almost itchy sensation.
Luo Han finished cleaning the wound. The black demonic energy visibly lessened. Then she reached for the clotting powder.
“This might sting a bit,” she warned. “The medicine’s pretty strong.”
Ling Qingxiao came back to his senses and shook his head. “It’s fine.”
Luo Han kept her movements gentle. She knew that even if she hurt him, he wouldn’t say so—so all she could do was be careful.
She sprinkled on the powder, then picked up a white cloth and began wrapping it around the wound with delicate precision.
Ling QingXiaolifted his arm to help her, holding it steady mid-air. Though it was a position that offered no support, his arm never wavered—not even as Luo Han wrapped it round and round.
It was inevitable that her hands would touch other parts of his arm in the process. Luo Han noticed—just as she had thought—Ling Qingxiao really was naturally cold. Not just his hands; his entire body seemed to carry a chill. His forearm was long, pale, and cool to the touch. The sensation was like touching a piece of jade.
Luo Han finished bandaging the wound, carefully applying the rest of the medicines one by one, and finally let out a satisfied sigh. “All done.”
Ling Qingxiao came back from his slight daze and said, “Thank you.”
As he spoke, he noticed Luo Han adjusting his sleeve for him. He instinctively said, “I’ll do it.”
“No need, no need.” Luo Han gently lowered his sleeve and, imitating his usual manner, neatly arranged the cuff. “There. All set.”
Once everything was in order, the two of them stepped out of the room and saw the village chief and Xi Heng sitting in the courtyard, chatting. Upon hearing them come out, Xi Heng turned and smiled. “Finally done?”
Ling Qingxiao disliked troubling others. Knowing his injury had delayed everyone for so long, he felt deeply apologetic. “Thank you, Xi Heng-shen. Thank you, Chief. I’ve made everyone wait.”
“You were injured—it’s only right to stop and treat it.” The chief stood up with them and said, “Others would sacrifice others for their gain, but you’re the opposite, always squeezing yourself to help someone else. Good thing your sister is with you. You two complement each other well.”
As soon as Luo Han heard this, she realized the chief had misunderstood again. She quickly clarified, “Chief, you’re mistaken—we’re just siblings.”
The chief gave them a strange look. “And what’s wrong with that? Siblings can marry too, can’t they?”
Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao were both dumbfounded.
Seeing their shocked faces, the chief asked in confusion, “You mean you didn’t know? I remember that dragons love sibling marriages. Why are you so surprised?”
Luo Han stared at Ling Qingxiao in disbelief, blindsided by this bombshell.
Ling Qingxiao was clearly hit with a shock as well. Meeting Luo Han’s gaze, he quickly explained, “No.”
Dragons had indeed once encouraged sibling marriages in order to preserve their bloodline, but that custom had long been abolished. By the time of the Tianqi Era, such a concept was utterly unheard of. The two of them, trying to avoid suspicion, had introduced themselves as siblings—only to realize now that in the ancient times, this kind of sibling relationship was actually a common marital arrangement.
Their explanation, meant to avoid awkward questions about sharing a room, had completely backfired in the context of the times. No wonder Luo Han had felt something off during her previous conversations with the chief. It was off.
So just what had the chief misunderstood back then?
Xi Heng, watching it all with a smile, was clearly enjoying the show.
The moment Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao appeared at Xiangshi, Xi Heng had sensed them. Other people might not notice the traces of time, but not the God of Time. He knew someone had crossed time and space, traveling from the future to the ancient past—but he’d been too lazy to investigate. So he’d put it off again and again.
It wasn’t until last night, when thunder and lightning raged across the front lines and every god sensed the arrival of a new law, that everyone realized a new deity had arrived. Xi Heng, being the most idle of the bunch, had been pushed into service by the rest of the gods to go and retrieve the newcomers.
He’d thought the task would be dull. But once he arrived, it turned out to be far more entertaining than expected.
Especially watching this “sibling pair” clumsily cover up their relationship—it was simply delightful. Xi Heng already knew their real identities and of course knew they weren’t siblings at all.
Clearly, the future they came from was very different from the present. Because of the constraints of time laws, they couldn’t reveal the future directly, but Xi Heng didn’t need them to. He could infer plenty just from small clues.
And frankly, guessing was much more fun than knowing.
Apparently, sibling marriages were no longer acceptable in the future. And judging by everything so far, the development of the Immortal Realm in the future was...extraordinary.
Having enjoyed the spectacle to his heart’s content, Xi Heng finally said with a satisfied smile, “Alright. It’s getting late. Let’s get moving.”
The others quickly sobered up. Luo Han gave the chief a sincere thank-you, and the chief, still grateful for their help the previous night, pressed a bundle of medicinal herbs into their hands and reluctantly walked them to the village gate.
“A thousand-mile send-off still ends in farewell,” Luo Han said to the chief. “We’ll leave it here. Please take care.”
Ling Qingxiao also bowed in farewell. “Thank you. Until we meet again.”
The chief sighed. “You too. The front lines aren’t like it is here. Once you’re there, be careful—take care of yourselves, and don’t get injured again.”
Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao thanked her again. Seeing their goodbyes were nearly done, Xi Heng smiled, nodded at the chief, and vanished from sight in an instant.
Only the chief remained behind, gazing at the empty space with a sense of loss.
The gods’ travel speed belonged to an entirely different dimension. Luo Han now finally understood what people meant by "shrinking the earth into inches"—in a blink, they had already crossed thousands of miles.
She couldn’t even see the landscape clearly. Only vague shadows whizzed by as green mountains and trees faded away, replaced by scorched earth and barren wilderness.
After the time it took for a single incense stick to burn, Xi Heng brought them to a halt. As soon as Luo Han landed, her head spun slightly. Her body swayed—very subtly—but somehow, Ling Qingxiao still noticed. Without a word, he reached out and supported her. Only when she regained her balance did he quietly let go.
Luo Han steadied herself and looked up to find they had arrived outside a military camp. The camp bustled with activity—soldiers coming and going, all clad in full armor. The armor had once been white but was now stained dark with blood and time.
Suddenly, shouts came from one side of the camp. Luo Han turned to see a team of soldiers carrying a stretcher. From between the crowds, she could only glimpse swathes of red splashed across black armor—a brutal contrast.
She hadn’t been prepared. The sight hit her hard. She hadn’t even entered the camp yet, but the atmosphere of war already rushed to meet her.
So this—this was the real front line.
Just as she was reeling, a pair of hands gently covered her eyes. Ling Qingxiao stood beside her and said, “Don’t look if you don’t want to.”
Xi Heng, watching this, said leisurely, “These are just the wounded being brought back. She hasn’t even seen the real horrors yet. If you’re shielding her now, what will you do later?”
“She doesn’t need to be part of the war,” Ling Qingxiao replied calmly. Even speaking to a god, his tone remained cold and indifferent. “Xi Heng-shen, aren’t you neutral? You just do what you enjoy in the rear. So can she.”
When Xi Heng encountered the Demon God earlier, the two had exchanged a few words that briefly touched on the current situation. Just from those few words, Ling Qingxiao had already pieced it together.
Xi Heng’s smile deepened. “That’s right. I’m indeed neutral and don’t assist any side. But if she’s also neutral—how will you earn the trust of those within?”
“With a clear conscience, why would I need to earn anyone’s trust?”
Xi Heng raised an eyebrow. “You’re that confident? I don’t even know whether to call you bold or naive.”
“It’s simply the truth.” Ling Qingxiao said no more—words were useless; actions were the only proof. He kept his hand over Luo Han’s eyes. “No need to look. Let’s go in.”
They were standing at the entrance, and with Xi Heng beside them, more and more people had begun to notice. Luo Han nodded, not wasting any more time, and followed Xi Heng inside.
With Xi Heng leading the way, even though Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao were strangers to the camp, no one stopped them. As they walked toward the main tent, Luo Han, still full of questions, couldn’t help but ask, “Xi Heng-shen, since you’re neutral and don’t participate in the war, why are you at the front lines?”
“I didn’t want to be, either,” Xi Heng sighed. “But all my friends are here. I was living alone and got bored, so I moved in too.”
Luo Han had imagined all sorts of profound reasons—she never expected something so sudden and casual. But thinking of Xi Heng’s personality, it actually made perfect sense.
Taking the chance before they reached the main forces, Luo Han quickly tried to gather intel: “Xi Heng-shen, who are we meeting right now?”
“He Xu. Rong Cheng went to the battlefield today—I’m not sure if he’s returned yet,” Xi Heng said, then sighed again. “Why must they fight? It’s exhausting and miserable. What’s the point?”
This was something Luo Han had always been puzzled by. She tested the waters carefully, “It makes sense that the Immortals and Demons fight over unequal resources, but after so many years, the damage done has already far exceeded what was being fought for. Why hasn’t the war stopped?”
Xi Heng chuckled softly. “Indeed. Why hasn’t it?”
He spoke like he was casually complaining about a rainy day. “Maybe it’s because...the war was started by the gods. As long as someone doesn’t want it to end, everyone else just has to keep fighting.”
Luo Han’s eyes widened. What? What was he saying? Was he joking?
Xi Heng seemed completely unbothered by his own terrifying statement. When he saw Luo Han’s shocked expression, he clicked his tongue and said, “Can you not be so dramatic? Look at the guy next to you—he’s much calmer.”
Ling Qingxiao replied helplessly, “I’m just as shocked. I’m merely not expressive.”
Luo Han quickly composed herself, trying to look as calm and unmoved as possible. She felt like she’d accidentally stumbled into a divine secret. Even her tone became more cautious. “Then...when will this war end?”
“I don’t know,” Xi Heng sighed faintly. “Maybe soon.”
The truth stunned Luo Han. In the historical records of the Immortal-Demon War, the Heavenly Realm had always blamed the Demons’ greed, claiming they had ruthlessly invaded and refused to repent. But now, with just a few casual words, Xi Heng revealed a chilling truth.
It was the gods who started the war. And to satisfy their own selfish desires, they kept stoking the flames of battle on all sides. Humans were capable of ignorance, obsession, and greed. Immortals felt joy, anger, sorrow, and fear. And gods...had desires, too.
After Pangu created the world, the gods roamed freely between heaven and earth. At first, they were like family—no boundaries, no sides. But as their numbers grew, so did their ambitions.
Until one day, not even Pangu or Nuwa’s authority was enough to keep balance. And then, war broke out.
Perhaps war is the easiest way to concentrate power, to reshuffle the board. Every god drew power from different sources, and so each took a different side. Some, like the Demon God, supported the Demons. Others, like Rong Cheng and He Xu, supported the Immortals. And a few, like Xi Heng, remained neutral.
But Xi Heng’s neutrality wasn’t due to any noble desire to protect the people or end the war. It was because his power came from time. The war between Immortals and Demons had nothing to do with him, so he helped neither.
This truth was far from what Luo Han had imagined. She couldn’t help but fall into deep thought. She’d been summoned back to stop the war—but now she found herself in an even longer, more devastating war in the ancient past. Why? For what purpose?