Dare Not Meet His Eyes

Nine Li looked at him and grinned, his dimples making him look especially sunny. "Baxa bro! Do you still remember me?"

Baxa shivered all over. "...Did I ever know you?"

"You saved my life!" Nine Li said. "On the way back from Evercrest Immortal Mountain, I called out to you for help, and you rescued me. Do you remember?"

Baxa gave him a few extra looks. "Oh... I was just passing by back then. No one could see me—how did you spot me?"

"I'm a Rune Master! I can open Heaven's Eye and see things others can't," Nine Li explained.

"All thanks to you, kid, I nearly got killed by Henry Xiao and Leo Li," Baxa grumbled.

Nine Li looked guilty. "Sorry! Totally my fault! Baxa bro, you're honestly a good guy!"

"A good guy! Hahaha! That's the funniest thing I've heard in a hundred years!" Baxa couldn't help bursting out laughing.

"You help strangers, you save people. Sure, everyone says you're ruthless and scary, but I think you're way better than most! Those rumors must be nonsense!"

Baxa had originally planned to scare him a little.

But looking at the kid's face—so full of worship and trust—he just couldn't bring himself to scare him. Feeling a little awkward, Baxa pointed to a pavilion up ahead: "Go sit over there for a while! There's wine."

"Uh... I don't know how to drink," Nine Li admitted.

"What kind of man can't drink? How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Well, guess you're not a man yet," Baxa said, heading over himself.

Sure enough, there were two jars of wine over there. Baxa picked one up and poured it straight into his mouth.

His tall, lean figure and movements were pure manly swagger.

The last time Nine Li saw him, it was only for a brief moment.

But the fierce, predatory aura he left behind made a deep impression.

Sometimes he’d imagine what this Baxa—who terrified the whole Three Realms—was like in his everyday life.

The Baxa he saw now was even freer and cooler than Nine Li had imagined...

He really did feel like the legendary hero Nine Li had always pictured.

Nine Li walked over and stood beside him. "But I want to learn to drink. Can I have a little? Baxa bro?"

Baxa grabbed the other wine jar and tossed it to him.

...

Lily Bai stepped through the Spirit Barrier and found herself in front of a two-story wooden house.

The house had a rooftop terrace with railings all around, and every so often there were lamp posts with gorgeous glass lanterns hanging from them.

Damian Black was lounging next to one of the lamp posts.

Lily Bai flew over and landed on the roof too.

Damian Black acted like he hadn't seen her at all—no expression, not even a glance her way.

"Um, hello, Your Majesty the Demon Emperor! Fancy seeing you again!" Lily Bai put on her cutest smile and greeted him.

Damian Black asked coolly, "How did you find this place?"

"I... was just passing by, saw a Spirit Barrier, and came down to take a look. I didn't expect to run into you—what a coincidence, haha..."

Damian Black turned to face her, lips curling into a wicked, mocking smile. "Saw a barrier and just came down to look? So casual?"

This Damian Black was different from the one she'd summoned.

Cold. Evil.

A chill radiated from his bones, like nothing in this world could ever catch his interest.

Thinking of the Damian Black she'd imagined—the one who'd bite her and toss Henry Xiao's bracelet in the trash—Lily Bai suddenly found she couldn't meet his eyes.