After Nangong Jingtang and Yue Wanqiu arrived at Jiany Yao City, they found the Demon Lord had been replaced. The previous lord, Jiang Jinhe, had vanished without a trace, allowing his /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ successor to seize the position by luck. Months passed, and Jiang Jinhe never reappeared—no one knew her fate. Some demons whispered she had perished, others that she had found her demon partner and gone into hiding. Countless rumors circled, but none could be confirmed.
According to reports from the Conscience Pavilion, before disappearing, Jiang Jinhe had grown very close to a man named Ye Yu. They were suspected to be demon partners. The Pavilion’s master, Feng Zhenxin, had acted with abject deference whenever Ye Yu was present, treating him as supreme in every matter. From this, it was clear Ye Yu could not be an ordinary demon; only the status of demon partner to Jiang Jinhe could command such reverence.
Upon learning these rumors, Nangong Jingtang’s face went deathly pale. Beside her, Yue Wanqiu forced an awkward smile. She knew well how possessive Lady Nangong could be—when they’d met in Luan Yao City, Nangong Jingtang had shown nothing but hostility. Now to hear Ye Yu might have another partner, her mood was bound to sour. Yue Wanqiu hurried to reassure her: all this was hearsay, unworthy of belief. Their priority must be to find Ye Yu first.
Only then did Nangong Jingtang’s expression soften. The two wasted no time and headed straight for the Conscience Pavilion to confront Feng Zhenxin. Yet the once-prosperous Pavilion lay in disrepair. The demon guards at its gate blocked them, citing their master’s order not to receive visitors and urging them to leave.
But Nangong Jingtang—scowling—declared, “You refuse visitors? Do you take us for fools? We aren’t here for your auctions!”
With the combined might of two Demon Lords, they overpowered the guards and stormed to the main hall, finding Feng Zhenxin cowering inside. Gone was his former pride; fear and exhaustion marked his features. At their approach, he tried to hide but was dragged out.
They demanded news of Ye Yu, but at the name, Feng Zhenxin nearly wept. As he put it, Ye Yu was like an inescapable nightmare—when he first met Ye Yu, he lost all control and obeyed him utterly. Only after Ye Yu left did he regain his senses. It was then Feng Zhenxin truly believed there were demons beyond imagination. The experience had terrified him.
Yet this answer did not satisfy them. They sought two truths: Where was Ye Yu? And was he truly demon partner to Jiang Jinhe? Feng Zhenxin admitted he too did not know Ye Yu’s whereabouts—Ye Yu had likely departed the city; otherwise Feng Zhenxin would still be in that dazed state, acting without thought as Ye Yu commanded. As for the partner question, he only recalled their closeness. However, if any demon might be Ye Yu’s partner, it was Luo Ning. The Conscience Pavilion had spent a fortune tracking Luo Ning’s trail at Ye Yu’s instruction—and had indeed found her.
At this, Nangong Jingtang’s face darkened further, and she mentally noted the name: Rival No. 2, Luo Ning.
Even Feng Zhenxin had yielded no solid leads on Ye Yu. Frustrated, Nangong Jingtang and Yue Wanqiu prepared to search the city outskirts for clues. It was then that Niu Erhua contacted Yue Wanqiu, inviting her to witness her ascension as Bull Demon Tribe chieftain. Yue Wanqiu recalled how the chieftain’s seat was never easily claimed—Niu Erhua’s uncle, Niu Shixiao, was a treacherous schemer who had even plotted against his niece. She insisted she must attend, lest Erhua’s new throne prove insecure.
Thus Yue Wanqiu bade farewell to Nangong Jingtang: “Please continue the search here; inform me at once if you learn anything.” With a nod, they parted ways.
When Yue Wanqiu reached the Bull Demon territory, events mirrored her dream. Niu Shixiao brandished the Ring of Life (the clan’s sacred token), demanding Yue Wanqiu submit to his authority. Had it been before her dream lessons, she might have believed him. Now, forewarned by Ye Yu’s explanations, she exposed his plot on the spot and struck him down, hoping to eliminate the threat to Niu Erhua. Yet Niu Shixiao lacked both the power and the subterfuge of Ye Yu’s Thousand Dreams Illusion, so he refused to admit his schemes. Many of the tribe’s demons remained loyal to him, convinced by his lies.
In that day’s battle, Yue Wanqiu failed to detain Niu Shixiao—and he departed with a quarter of the Bull Demons who chose to follow him. Thus, though Niu Erhua rightly claimed the chieftain’s robes, her domain remained fractured.
