At the edge of the street.
Baili Dongjun chased after him the whole way.
He had to find out what had happened to Brother Yun—
why he had become like this.
Only after chasing all the way beyond the city walls
did Baili Dongjun finally see that familiar back.
At that moment,
Baili Dongjun smiled.
It was obvious—Brother Yun had deliberately waited for him here.
Otherwise, at Brother Yun's earlier pace, he would have long since vanished.
Since Brother Yun was willing to wait,
that meant there was still a chance to salvage everything.
Just as Baili Dongjun was about to approach Ye Dingzhi—
Li Changsheng suddenly grabbed him.
"Don't go yet."
Baili Dongjun frowned.
"Why won't you let me go?"
Li Changsheng did not answer him.
Instead, his gaze settled on Ye Dingzhi as he asked slowly, word by word:
"Ye Dingzhi—
have you fallen into demonic cultivation?"
After sensing Yusheng Mo's death some days ago,
he had also sensed a surge of demonic aura.
Based on his deductions,
that aura was most likely Ye Dingzhi's.
Earlier, inside the blacksmith's shop,
he had already sensed something unusual about Ye Dingzhi.
It had been faint, well hidden—
but for a brief instant, it had leaked out.
Coupled with Ye Dingzhi's abnormal behavior now,
Li Changsheng was certain—
Ye Dingzhi had already entered the demonic path.
The moment Li Changsheng spoke those words,
both Baili Dongjun and Yue Yao froze.
Baili Dongjun stared in disbelief at the familiar figure not far away.
No matter how he thought about it,
he could not accept that Brother Yun had truly fallen into demonic cultivation.
"B-Brother Yun… y-you… really entered the demonic path?"
Baili Dongjun asked, his voice trembling.
Ye Dingzhi turned around and smiled faintly.
"In this world, is there really such a clear distinction between immortals and demons?"
"What is an immortal, and what is a demon—does it truly matter that much?"
"There are evil immortals and wicked men in this world.
If that's the case, what's wrong with becoming a demon?"
"Does entering the demonic path really make one more evil
than those so-called immortals and righteous men?!"
As he spoke—
a terrifying surge of baleful aura erupted from Ye Dingzhi's body.
Blood-red mist filled the sky around him, an utterly horrifying sight.
Seeing this,
Baili Dongjun's last shred of hope shattered.
Brother Yun… had truly fallen into demonic cultivation.
Li Changsheng frowned slightly.
From the looks of it, Ye Dingzhi's descent into demonic cultivation ran deep—
he already possessed considerable attainment.
Li Changsheng said gravely,
"Ye Dingzhi, turn back."
Ye Dingzhi sneered.
"Turn back? If I hadn't entered the demonic path,
would there even have been a road left for me to return to?"
"Since this world forced me to become a demon,
then I'll become one—and slaughter all the karma of this world!"
Li Changsheng slowly shook his head.
"You're obsessed."
As he spoke,
he prepared to make his move.
The longer a demon was left unchecked,
the greater the damage they would inflict upon the world.
At its worst,
the entire world could be plunged into catastrophe.
He could not allow that to happen.
"I think the foolish one here is you, Li Changsheng,"
Ye Dingzhi said calmly.
"You scattered the Great Chun Technique for the sake of a woman—
someone like you is no longer worthy of being called an immortal."
"I may not be your match right now,
but that's only for now."
"But if you want to kill me,
it won't be so easy."
Li Changsheng smiled slightly and raised his hand.
"Then let us try."
"Master!"
Baili Dongjun stepped in front of Li Changsheng.
"I believe Brother Yun must have had no choice—
that's why he was forced into demonic cultivation."
"Disciple begs you—
please don't make a move."
Li Changsheng shook his head helplessly, then looked again at Ye Dingzhi.
He let out a long sigh.
"Ah… enough, enough.
The affairs of this world truly are shaped by fate."
"This time, I'll let him go.
All future karma—I'll bear it myself."
"Thank you, Master."
Baili Dongjun bowed deeply.
Watching this scene,
Ye Dingzhi's eyes flickered slightly.
He wanted to say something—
but didn't know where to begin.
Since things had already come to this,
going their separate ways
was the best possible ending.
A fierce gust of wind swept past.
Blood mist filled the air, obscuring all vision.
When it finally dissipated,
Ye Dingzhi was already gone.
At that moment,
a strip of cloth drifted down and landed before Baili Dongjun.
He picked it up and looked closely.
Written upon it, in blood, was a single line:
"Once one enters the Dao, all else becomes empty.
From this day on, when we meet again, we are but strangers."
Baili Dongjun stared at those blood-written words, stunned.
A deep sense of loss welled up within him.
The promise they had made as children resurfaced in his mind—
He would become the Wine Immortal.
Brother Yun would become the Sword Immortal.
Together, they would roam the martial world.
But now—
everything had changed.
"Such are the turns of fate. Everyone walks a different path.
Even if he hadn't entered the demonic path, things would likely have ended the same way."
"Becoming strangers is already the best outcome.
Brothers drawing blades against each other—that would be the cruelest end."
Li Changsheng sighed.
Even though he had lived for one hundred and eighty years
and was revered as an immortal,
he still could not fully comprehend the ways of this world.
Ye Dingzhi had once been a free-spirited youth,
just like his disciple Baili Dongjun.
Yet from a young age, he had suffered countless injustices—
his entire clan slaughtered, forced to flee everywhere.
Just when he finally found a sincere master,
he was made to watch that master die before his very eyes.
And then, the woman he loved was taken from him…
At this moment, Li Changsheng even felt that
Ye Dingzhi's words carried some truth.
In this world,
entering the demonic path was not necessarily the greatest evil.
Rather, it was those wicked men—
who wore human faces while harboring hearts more vicious than demons.
Only now did Li Changsheng truly understand the meaning of that saying:
If you have not suffered another's pain, do not urge them to be kind.
The three returned to the blacksmith's shop.
After standing in a daze for a while,
Baili Dongjun suddenly remembered something.
He looked at Yue Yao and asked,
"Luoxia, why does the woman beside Brother Yun look so much like you?"
So he finally asked.
Yue Yao had long prepared her explanation.
"That woman is actually my twin younger sister," she said.
"But… it seems she has already taken refuge with Ye Dingzhi."
Baili Dongjun frowned.
"From the way she looked,
I'm afraid Brother Yun used demonic techniques to control her mind."
Yue Yao pretended to be shocked.
"What?! Then what should we do?!"
After pondering for a moment, Baili Dongjun said,
"Brother Yun isn't someone who kills indiscriminately.
Your sister will be fine."
"When I meet Brother Yun again,
I'll ask him to let your sister go."
Yue Yao said gratefully,
"Thank you so much, Brother Dongjun!"
Li Changsheng glanced sideways at Yue Yao.
Though he knew her true identity,
he said nothing.
He simply turned back to continue chatting with Luo Sheng.
Baili Dongjun felt that something about all this seemed… off.
But no matter how he thought about it,
he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong.
Left with no other choice,
he gave up thinking.
Instead, he grabbed a jug of wine
and drank deeply.
At this moment,
his heart was weighed down by an overwhelming gloom—
and only wine could numb it, if only for a while.