Early morning.

The path back to the small mountain village was overgrown with weeds. Dewdrops clung to the leaves, webs stretched between the trees, and walking kicked up dirt and sand. The chirping of birds was still serene.

When his vision first returned to clarity, Zhou Li had found it somewhat disorienting. Now, however, he had adapted; in fact, he had even developed a habit of listening intently to the sounds around him. Any sound would conjure a mental image, although these pictures weren't necessarily accurate. They were merely a comfort.

He glanced back—the scenery here couldn't compare to Mingjiu Mountain. He also took a quick look at Zheng Zhilan. She walked quietly between him and Brother Nan, her mood seemingly no different from usual. Zhou Li withdrew his gaze.

Upon returning to the small mountain village, the first thing Zheng Zhilan did was head to the cowshed to lead the cow to the water's edge. It had been hot recently, and the water buffalo enjoyed playing in the water. So, she would get up early every day to take it to the pool where it could play all day, then lead it back in the evening. This was a part of her life.

The weather was somewhat hot, and climbing the mountain had made Zhou Li break into a sweat. Catching Brother Nan's eye, he conscientiously turned on the fan. He then took chilled herbal tea from the fridge, pouring it for Brother Nan and Huai Xu, who were sitting at the Eight Immortals table. He had lost his privileges by now.

After serving the tea, Zhou Li also took a seat. Finding the fan's breeze insufficient, he picked up the palm-leaf fan from the table and started fanning—a few strokes for himself, then a few for Brother Nan.

Huai Xu dipped his lips into the teacup, blowing bubbles—GURGLE, GURGLE—while keeping his eyes on Zhou Li. Suddenly, he raised his head and asked, "How does it feel?"

"Not too bad," Zhou Li replied.

"Just 'not too bad'?" Brother Nan pressed.

"Yeah."

"Don't you think you enjoy having us serve you?" Brother Nan asked.

"Not really."

Zhou Li paused for a moment. "Actually, it was just particularly hard the first day. After the next two days, once I got into the rhythm, it was much better. And occasionally changing up one's lifestyle, enjoying the quiet, is an experience in its own right."

"I definitely couldn't stand it," Huai Xu waved dismissively.

"Sounds not too bad," Brother Nan said, raising an eyebrow.

"You definitely couldn't stand it either!" Huai Xu didn't believe she could adapt to such a lifestyle. "Have you ever gone a day without playing games?"

"Don't be so sure!" Brother Nan responded defiantly. "Next time it's my turn to try. Then it'll be your turn to wait on me!"

"OW..."

Huai Xu couldn't be bothered to argue further, continuing to dip his mouth into the teacup to blow bubbles, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two.

They had stayed in a hotel last night, and as usual, Huai Xu shared a room with Zhou Li. There, he heard Zhou Li sleep-talking about Brother Nan again. Apparently, Brother Nan was supposed to be looking after a child but was secretly snatching the child's ice cream. This enraged Zhou Li in his dream, making him chase after her, scolding.

Thinking about it was quite amusing...

GURGLE, GURGLE...

Before long, Huai Xu raised his head again, licked the water droplets from his lips, and turned to look outside. "Why have those two come back again?"

"Who?"

"Those two old monsters."

"You mean Lord Xing Hui and Lord Ji Bai?"

"OW!"

"I'll go have a look!" Zhou Li said, lowering his head.

Brother Nan, who had claimed her shoelace was untied, was actually crouching under the table, earnestly tying Zhou Li's shoelaces to a table leg. She was making one dead knot after another.

Zhou Li remained expressionless and twitched his foot.

"I need to step out for a moment."

"!!"

Brother Nan looked up at him, her expression frozen.

Zhou Li was even more exasperated. He slowly said, "First, my vision has recovered. Second, even if it hadn't, I can still see you clearly."

"I was being sneaky."

"I noticed."

"Gotcha!"

Brother Nan, feeling no guilt whatsoever, finished tying the dead knot. She then clapped her hands, scooted out from under the table, and stood up.

Zhou Li: ...

Seeing her expression, he had no expectation that she would help him untie his laces. So, he could only resign himself to squatting down and untying them. While he did so, Brother Nan leaned over, watching him without blinking, even complaining that he was untying them too quickly.

"Childish!"

"Boring!"

"You're more childish than Tuanzi!"

After muttering these complaints, Zhou Li headed out. He paused at the entrance, then decided to take Zheng Zhilan's horse with him.

「At the entrance to the village.」

Zhou Li, leading the horse, encountered Xing Hui and Ji Bai, who were walking and chatting. He hoped their purpose for coming was as he had anticipated, yet his expression remained calm. "Lord Xing Hui, Lord Ji Bai, good morning."

"Good morning, Mr. Zhou Li."

"Good morning."

Both of them were courteous in their demeanor.

Looking up at the sky, Zhou Li remarked, "The weather is rather hot today; it's already so warm this morning. Your journey here must have been arduous, especially for you, Lord Ji Bai. I've brought a horse over; you can ride it."

"I appreciate the kind thought, but it wasn't too tiring." Ji Bai's face showed an increased hint of a smile.

"Are you two here today to..."

"Oh! It's like this!" Xing Hui began. "We went back and discussed it over the past few days. Firstly, the environment here is truly excellent, exceptionally so. Secondly, we've reached an age where we really shouldn't be roaming around like in our youth. It's time to find a place to settle down."

"We've noticed there are quite a few houses here," Ji Bai added.

"I see."

Zhou Li's face still showed no emotion as he replied, "These houses are all unoccupied. You can pick any one or two you like and move in."

He paused, then his tone shifted. "However, these houses have fallen into disrepair over the years and will likely need some renovation..."

"They could use some renovation."

"As long as we can live in them, we don't mind the trouble."

"Shall I get some people to help you? It'll be much faster. Transporting materials from down the mountain is better than felling trees yourselves, and modern materials are quite sturdy," Zhou Li said with a smile. "Anyway, why don't you come to my friend's place to rest first? Have some lunch, and we can discuss this at leisure."

"That won't be necessary."

"Yes, we can do it ourselves."

"Don't be so polite," Zhou Li insisted. "Come with me. She often says she wants to thank you properly, but you left in such a hurry that night."

"Well..."

The two demons looked at each other and ultimately decided to follow Zhou Li.

They didn't notice that Huai Xu was standing by the second-floor window of an abandoned house nearby, his figure hidden in the darkness and obscured by vines. The old demon was grinning cheerfully, fully aware of Zhou Li's intentions.

"Have you heard of such symptoms before?" Zhou Li had already described Zheng Zhilan's eye condition to them.

"I have never heard of them," Ji Bai said, lowering his head.

"I have heard of something similar. Some Heavenly Masters may have peculiarities, some good, some bad," Xing Hui stated. "But these are usually congenital and also accompany the powers granted to Heavenly Masters by the Will of the World; they are almost impossible to eradicate."

"I see..."

Xing Hui was renowned among demons for her vast knowledge. If even she said so, finding a solution would likely be very difficult.

The preferred option, of course, was to find a way to restore Zheng Zhilan's eyes to normal. Zhou Li believed that if Zheng Zhilan herself had to choose, she would never willingly trade her ability to experience the world for the power to identify demons. The price was too great.

But he couldn't rule out the possibility that in the end... after exhausting every option, if it truly couldn't be done, he would still need a backup plan.

Zhou Li had thought it over last night—

People's routines and lifestyles certainly differed. He, for instance, needed at least eight hours of sleep a day. Even during his waking hours, there were often long periods with nothing to do.

If he adjusted his routine a bit...

If his routine were more like Brother Nan's (when she had nothing else to do), he'd be playing games until four or five in the morning and only waking up around noon. Zheng Zhilan, on the other hand, usually went to bed around eight or nine. Well, since he had taught her to listen to audiobooks and given her headphones, she now stayed up until eleven or twelve. Even so, there were still several hours when their schedules didn't overlap.

This opened up the possibility for action.

The prerequisite was to establish a good relationship with Lord Ji Bai—a very, very good one. Otherwise, it would be awkward to keep troubling him.

Moreover, Xing Hui was known for being generous, helpful, and unafraid of trouble—the main reasons for her popularity in the Demon Realm. Therefore, forging a good relationship with her was definitely the right move, no matter what.

So, as soon as Zhou Li entered the house, he placed Tuanzi on a nearby chair. He then eagerly invited Xing Hui and Lord Ji Bai to sit, solicitously brewing tea for them. "Do you two have any dietary restrictions or preferences?" he asked.

"Just cook something simple."

"Right, we're not picky."

"It's no trouble at all, please don't hesitate to tell me. It would make Little Zheng feel better too," Zhou Li said earnestly.

"Then..."

The two demons exchanged glances once more.

"I don't eat meat."

"I don't eat vegetables."

"...Understood."

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