When Mo Ran woke up the next day, he didn’t remember clearly what happened after he got drunk.

     But even if he didn’t remember, Chu Wanning would never forget.

     After that day, he confirmed that Mo Ran had indeed lost many memories from the past, so he became increasingly uneasy. It took him a long time, but he finally found a record of this formation in a book from the medicinal sect in the library of Sisheng Peak.

     Light poured in from the outside window. “Eight Sufferings Long Hatred…”

     His fingertips rubbed the dark lines painted on the scroll, and Chu Wanning took out the spell painted by the little dragon. When he compared the two, they were exactly the same.

     It was a black heart. At first glance, it was easy to recognize it as an affection spell, however, the affection spell had a sesame seed-sized white space to the left of the heart, and this one was upside down and on the right.

     The spell painted by the little dragon corresponded to the effects of the spell, so perhaps this was a poisonous flower spell similar to the affection spell but had the opposite effect?

     In the empty library, the ancient books were mixed with magical runes, which were not easy to understand. Although Chu Wanning had some knowledge of magical runes, he still found it difficult and obscure.

     He read it slowly, word by word, but each time he understood a sentence, the shock in his heart became even greater.

     “Eight Sufferings Long Hatred Flower—demonic seed.” His thin, pale lips opened slightly as he said in a low voice, “Legend has it that thousands of years ago, Gouchen the Exalted brought it from the demon realm to the human world.”

     In the book, there was a strange-looking seed painted inside, and next to it was a drop of blood and a thin wisp of smoke.

     “This kind of cultivation is very difficult, requiring ten years of drinking demonic blood, then fusing it with a wisp of the caster’s soul before it can sprout and bloom.”

     Chu Wanning mumbled, “You need demon blood and the soul of the caster? But in this world… there are no more pure demons.”

     But the records might not be entirely correct, so there was no need to delve into it.

     He continued to read, only to see a heart painted on the silk book. On the right side of the heart, there was a heavily-petaled flower in full bloom. Beside the illustration, there was a passage of complex magical inscription: “This demonic flower cannot survive in the earth, water, sky, nor the ground; only the human heart can support it.”

     Chu Wanning was shocked. This was a flower that could only bloom in the heart?

     Looking further down, it was even more shocking.

     It was written in the book that once the Eight Sufferings Long Hatred Flower was planted in someone’s heart, they would go through three stages.

     In the first stage, the host was not much different from the past. The only difference was that the host would gradually become irritable and prone to malicious speculations about others. Furthermore, the host would also gradually begin to forget some of their good memories.

     At this stage, although the Eight Sufferings Long Hatred Flower was difficult to remove, as long as it was discovered in time, its effects could be slowly suppressed. If everything went well, the Eight Sufferings Long Hatred Flower would eventually fall into dormancy, and it would be difficult for it to take effect again.

     However, if it was not discovered at this time, then depending on the host’s situation, it would take as slow as eight to ten years or as fast as the emotional stirring of a major event for the Eight Sufferings Long Hatred Flower to grow to the second stage.

     At this stage, the host would begin to rapidly forget all the pure memories related to kindness, gentleness, and hope. Instead, they would repeatedly recall the obstacles, frustrations, malice, and torment experienced in their lives.

     The eight sufferings of life—birth, old age, sickness, death, resentment, love, separation, and the five aggregates—would all be engraved in the host’s mind.

     Deep into the bone marrow.

     When Chu Wanning read to this point, his face was already white as snow.

     Mo Ran… wasn’t this the case?

     He had forgotten the wishes of his youth, forgotten the letters he had written one by one. Even the impression of his own mother was no longer clear.

     He continued to read. By the third stage, the host would become bloodthirsty, violent, and irrational…

     They would repay the sufferings they had suffered in the past a thousand times over.

     In front of Chu Wanning’s eyes, there seemed to be a scene of Mo Ran’s sinister smile in the sea of blood in Rufeng Sect. One of his hands filled with spiritual power as it pierced into a cultivator’s body.

     With his fingers full of blood, he forcibly pulled out the heart and crushed it to pieces.

     Many people cried and begged for mercy; corpses littered the ground, but Mo Ran only laughed loudly, his eyes flashing with a luster of excitement and madness. He repeatedly muttered the same sentence:

     “When life is three feet long, you can’t ask for ten feet… You can’t ask for ten feet!”

     Ruthless, insane, evil, and ferocious.

     Why did Mo Ran become like this?

     At the time, it wasn’t like he didn’t have the slightest doubt, but the effects of the Eight Sufferings Long Hatred Flower were slowly deepening, layer by layer. The most important point was—as written in the silk book—that this kind of demonic flower would not create violence for no reason but instead amplify the host’s own hatred and desire.

     In other words, the hatred and desire really did belong to Mo Ran; no one had wronged him.

     Mo Ran had indeed thought about massacring the entire Rufeng Sect and becoming unrivaled in the world. He also did resent Chu Wanning, but these emotions may have been fleeting or something that was buried deep in his heart that even he had almost forgotten. It was just that the Eight Sufferings Long Hatred Flower would dig out all the grudges in his heart and cause him to act on them.

     As a result, in the eyes of outsiders, although the host of the Eight Sufferings Long Hatred Flower was deranged and crazy, he still hated with cause and reason instead of suddenly changing his temperament and becoming a completely different person. People would think, He is slowly becoming this way because of hatred, rather than, He is slowly becoming this way because of a curse.

     Because of this, almost no one would be able to easily detect the Eight Sufferings Long Hatred Flower in Mo Ran’s body, and by the time it was discovered, it would usually be at the second or third stage, when it would be absolutely impossible to remove or contain it.

     After Chu Wanning read through this passage, he couldn’t come back to his senses for a long time.

     What kind of feeling did he have in his heart?

     Surprise? Regret? Anger? Fear? Or perhaps it was regret…

     He didn’t know.

     He sat on the floor of the library, which had become slightly dilapidated due to years of disrepair. It was currently afternoon, and the sun was still warm. But when it shone on him, not even the slightest bit of warmth could reach him.

     Chu Wanning sat in the library for a long time. He felt as if there was a person standing behind him that he couldn’t see or touch. That person smiled faintly and sat there like a malicious spirit, watching their every move and word from behind the scenes.

     He lowered his head and looked at the words written on the silk:

     “In the first stage, if discovered in time, although the Eight Sufferings Long Hatred Flower is difficult to remove, it can be contained, and the host will not lose their heart.”

     Chu Wanning read the sentence over and over countless times.

     In the end, he was stunned to find water droplets dripping down and slowly spreading out on the silk book. He stretched out his cold hand and tried to wipe away the water stains.

     However, before his hand touched the surface of the silk, he instinctively turned his face to hide his wet eyelashes and trembling eyelids.

     It was his fault—his fault. It was he who had always been proud and aloof, who valued his face above everything else. It was he who was unwilling to speak openly and honestly about anything he wanted to say.

     If discovered in time…

     He will not lose his heart.

     But after so many years, he didn’t notice anything. The so-called Yuheng of the Night Sky, Beidou Immortal, didn’t even realize that his disciple had become the host of a demonic flower. It was his solitude and ineloquence that caused Mo Ran to embark on the road alone, walking into the boundless night towards a sea of blood and deep hatred.

     How could he have the face to hold an honorable position? How could he have the face to be called “Shizun” by Mo Ran?

     If discovered in time.

     The words lingered in his ears like a nightmare. He felt as if there was a thorn in his back or he'd been choked to death, and he was extremely shocked—he was unworthy of being called Shizun.

     Looking back now, how long had Mo Ran been acting abnormally? It wasn’t just one or two years in which Mo Ran’s condition worsened. In the many years they had been together, Mo Ran was originally a shy and brilliant teenager. Bit by bit, he had been swallowed up by darkness and soaked in blood.

     And as his Shizun, it was only until today—once everything was irreparable, and it was impossible to look back—that he found out… His mind was in chaos, and his body felt like a floating boat. He felt extreme pain and hatred—he was unworthy of being called Shizun!

     That day, Chu Wanning didn’t know how he gathered his emotions, how he slowly walked out of the library and into the empty bamboo forest of Sisheng Peak.

     He didn’t know how he managed to return to the Red Lotus Pavilion. Under the wisteria trellis, everything was in chaos. He sat there alone, from the brilliant sun to dusk.

     Later, a person walked into his line of sight.

     The man had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his appearance dignified. He stepped on the ground cast with the glow of the sunset, carrying a lantern in his hand as he slowly walked towards the pavilion.

     Because Chu Wanning was in a daze, he was unable to react in time to see who the person was; he couldn’t even tell what year it was. In his eyes, that tall and handsome man overlapped with the youth in his memory—

     He remembered that a month after he became a disciple, Mo Ran had excitedly come to the Red Lotus Pavilion to look for him, carrying a small clay pot wrapped with bamboo vines.

     The boy ran too fast, so his cheeks were slightly red as he panted. His eyes were astonishingly bright.

     “Shizun, I tasted a very good wine at the foot of the mountain. I bought a little, so I’ll treat you to it.”

     Chu Wanning asked, “You haven’t accepted a mission yet. Where did you get the money?”

     Mo Ran grinned. “I borrowed it from Uncle.”

     “...Why waste his money?”

     “Because Shizun likes me.” Mo Ran smiled, holding the wine pot with both hands, then handed it to Chu Wanning. “I also like Shizun.”

     Chu Wanning still remembered his embarrassment and bashfulness at the time.

     The youth’s goodwill was too blazing, like a hot potato, and he was unable to hold it. He flicked his sleeves and scolded, “What nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean like and dislike? Don’t say that again.”

     “Oh… okay then.” The youth scratched his head. “But when I eat and drink well, I will definitely think of Shizun. I want to taste it with Shizun.”

     “...I’ve never drank.”

     Mo Ran smiled. “Then you should at least give it a try, right? Maybe Shizun has a good tolerance.”

     Chu Wanning pursed his lips, took the wine pot, and opened it. He tried to smell it tentatively, and his eyes widened slightly.

     “Does it smell good?”

     “Yes.”

     “Haha, quickly drink some and see.”

     Chu Wanning took a sip. Although it was strong, the taste was mellow, and his mouth was immersed in the strong flavor. Chu Wanning couldn’t help but take another sip. “It’s not bad. What is it called?”

     Mo Ran grinned brightly. “This is called Pear Blossom White.”

     This was the first time he had drunk wine in his life. He muttered and repeated to himself, “Pear Blossom White… That’s a good name.”

     Mo Ran was very happy. “If Shizun likes it, then when I can accept missions in the future and earn two taels of silver, I will buy it for Shizun to drink every day.”

     Chu Wanning took another sip and cast him a sidelong glance with his phoenix eyes, his expression still indifferent. “Then, I’m afraid you won’t be able to save your money.”

     Mo Ran smiled happily. “There’s no need to save it. All the money I earn can be used to buy things for Shizun, Uncle, and Auntie.”

     Chu Wanning didn’t say anything, but he faintly felt a crack in his heart and a trace of sweetness seeping out. In order not to let Mo Ran see his joy and prevent others from thinking, So, Yuheng Elder can be bought with a cup of wine, he continued to hold the wine up without batting an eye, drinking coldly and indifferently.

     Beside him was his newly accepted little disciple, who was chattering nonstop. Chu Wanning sometimes found it surprising since his indifference was like a wall to anyone.

     Only this guy happily climbed over the wall and even rubbed the back of his head, still looking around as if nothing had happened.

     I’m afraid he’s a fool.

     On the other side, Mo Ran was thinking about what he would buy for Shizun in the future, so he asked, “Does Shizun like to eat osmanthus cake?”

     “Mm.”

     “What about lotus crisps?”

     “Mm.”

     “Osmanthus jelly and lotus root?”

     “Mm.”

     Mo Ran dimples grew even deeper and sweeter. He smiled and said, “Shizun really likes sweet things.”

     Chu Wanning didn’t respond this time. He probably finally realized that sweet things were not consistent with his usual cold demeanor.

     He took another sip of the wine. Due to his vexation, this mouthful was rather bold. Although the wine was sweet and mellow, it was still a bit strong, and he choked.

     Helpless to save face, Chu Wanning felt that it was very embarrassing to choke on his wine while drinking, so he endured and forced himself not to cough. As he endured, the burn in his throat became more and more intense, and the corners of his eyes and tip of his nose turned a little red.

     The youth beside him was still talking about his great ambitions and his not-so-grand future. He seemed to have heroic intentions. “Then I will buy them all for Shizun. I will collect all sorts of delicious foods from all over the world and compile it into a book, then accompany Shizun to eat all the good food in the world. And then…”

     He turned his head with a smile and was suddenly startled.

     “Shizun, you, what’s wrong?”

     Chu Wanning: “...”

     As a Shizun, if he choked on the wine brought to him by his disciple, wouldn’t it be a huge joke?

     Hold on. Don’t cough.

     So the corners of his eyes turned even redder, and a layer of mist even appeared in his eyes.

     Mo Ran was at a loss for words. “Did I say something wrong? Shizun, why are you crying?”

     “...”

     Chu Wanning glared at him, his long eyelashes trembling slightly with anger.

     Mo Ran didn’t notice his anger and only stared blankly for a while before he seemed to understand. His tone suddenly became very gentle. “Is it because no one bought anything for Shizun before?”

     Chu Wanning became even more infuriated.

     Mo Ran muttered, “Actually, there was a time when I couldn’t eat anything for a while and almost starved to death. Then I met a savior-gege on the road, and he gave me a pot of rice porridge to drink… I also like sweet things, but no one could buy them for me before.”

     This young man had a talent for comparing himself to others, and in the end, he firmly believed that Chu Wanning’s eyes were red because he was moved.

     He took Chu Wanning’s hand.

     This was truly unexpected. With Chu Wanning’s upbringing, aside from teaching others magic spells, he had only ever held Huaizui’s hand. He felt very surprised that he was suddenly grabbed by a newly accepted disciple in such a reckless and unruly way.

     Just as he was about to get angry, he looked up and saw a surprise. It was a handsome and childish face, saying earnestly:

     “Shizun, when I am successful, I’ll buy sweets for you.”

     The youth’s brows and eyes were filled with gentleness.

     “I’ll buy you the best sweets in the world, as much as you want. My mother taught me to repay kindness.”

     He hadn’t gone to school properly and had spent a long time at the brothel, so his speech was always strange, and there were always some words that didn’t convey his meaning.

     However, Chu Wanning knew that he had been scalded at the time. He stared at Mo Ran for a moment, then suddenly lowered his eyes, not saying a word.

     After a long time, the effects of his accident with the wine finally subsided. Chu Wanning coughed uncomfortably and said lightly, “Don’t talk nonsense again in the future. And…” He suddenly became curious and asked, “There’s something I want to ask you.”

     “Please speak, Shizun.”

     Chu Wanning hesitated and finally asked a little awkwardly, “At that time, there were so many people in front of Heaven-Piercing Tower. Why did you kowtow to me?”

     The teenager Mo Ran opened his mouth to speak—

     But at this moment, his memories were suddenly interrupted.

     Taxian-Jun held a wine pot and stood in front of Chu Wanning, who had been lost in thought. He raised a finger and poked his forehead.

     “What’s wrong?”

     Only then did Chu Wanning’s eyes slowly regain focus. He looked at the Mo Ran in front of him.

     His face was pale, and his expression was gloomy. Although he was still handsome, he couldn’t hide the violence in his bones—his pair of beast-like eagle eyes.

     He was no longer that passionate youth of the past.

     It was all in the past.

     He suddenly felt very, very tired. It was an acute loss and pain that he had never experienced before in his life as a prisoner for such a long time.

     He was so conflicted that he didn’t know how to face the man in front of him.

     Chu Wanning turned his face.

     A large, slightly cold hand grabbed his chin and pulled his face back. Light and shadow flowed within his phoenix eyes, reflecting the last trace of red light in the sky, along with Taxian-Jun’s gloomy face in the thick darkness. “Are you still angry?”

     Chu Wanning closed his eyes for a long time, then said hoarsely, “No.”

     “Your fever has subsided?” Before Chu Wanning could answer, Mo Ran let go of his chin and touched his forehead, then said to himself, “Yes, it’s gone.”

     He sat down and removed the seal of the wine pot, then said, “Since your illness has subsided, and you’re no longer angry, today, you will accompany me to drink wine.”

     “...”

     He knew that there was an invisible mastermind behind Taxian-Jun and that the seemingly peaceful Sisheng Peak was actually full of dangers. He knew that he shouldn’t act rashly and alert the enemy. He shouldn’t act strangely.

     But when the wine was poured, and Mo Ran said lightly, “Pear Blossom White, your favorite wine,” he was still in a daze.

     The aroma drifted out as if it was separated from the world, like an illusion between fantasy and reality.

     It was also the first wine he had ever drank in his life.

     He would never forget it.

     Chu Wanning raised his eyes and looked at the person pouring the wine. He knew that Mo Ran couldn’t remember this moment from the past. Suddenly, he felt a dull pain in his heart, and his throat felt sore, so he picked up the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.

     The wine was too strong. If he drank it like this, he would choke.

     But this time, Chu Wanning didn’t have any scruples. He began to cough violently, as if he was holding onto a blade of grass in a torrent. His eyes were red, and his eyelashes were wet. Finally, tears began to roll down his cheeks.

     Mo Ran was startled, and his eyes glazed over for a moment, seemingly in a trance.

     However, he quickly narrowed his eyes and grinned. “What’s wrong, Shizun? Why are you crying?”

     Chu Wanning endured. Even if it was heartbreaking, even if it was extremely painful, even if the truth was known, he couldn’t do anything.

     Or pull out the Long Hatred Flower.

     Or find out who the mastermind was.

     Or die himself.

     Before that, he knew he had to endure it.

     Pretending to know nothing and pretending to be extremely angry, Chu Wanning closed his eyes and said hoarsely, “Wine.”

     Mo Ran asked slowly, “Is the wine too strong?”

     Chu Wanning didn’t answer. He filled another cup and poured it into his lungs, burning it all the way down.

     “Why did you kowtow to me?”

     He opened his misty eyes and looked into the distance. In the evening mist, Heaven-Piercing Tower still stood solemnly. But the young man who said with a smile, “Because I like you and think you’re very gentle,” could never come back.

     There were eight sufferings in life.

     Birth, old age, sickness, death, resentment, love, separation, and the five aggregates

     It was called everlasting hatred.

     There had been so many opportunities to discover the truth, but he had missed them all. When he finally discovered the real reason for Mo Ran’s twisted nature, he had already become a cripple and couldn’t do anything.

     At night, Chu Wanning looked at Mo Ran sleeping soundly beside his pillow. His once innocent face was now covered in a layer of coldness, and his face was as white as paper.

     He hated it, resented it.

     When Mo Ran cut all ties with him with his own saber, his heart had also been broken. When Mo Ran forced him to submit, his heart had also died.

     But in the long night, it was desolate and clear through the mournful curtain.

     As he lay beside Taxian-Jun, Chu Wanning, who finally knew the truth, only felt that the past hatred, resentment, heartaches, and even deaths were all so absurd.

     Mo Ran had long been poisoned. All of his actions weren’t his original intentions at all. The all-powerful Emperor Taxian-Jun had long been imprisoned and bound by iron chains. He was his Shizun, but he couldn’t do anything.

     Because he didn’t know how many pairs of eyes were watching him, he couldn’t tell anyone the truth. He couldn’t even show the slightest bit of compassion and gentleness to Mo Ran; he could only hate, resent, and remain cold-hearted until death.

     Only in the dead of night, deep inside Wushan Palace when Mo Ran was asleep, could Chu Wanning get up and caress Mo Ran’s pale face.

     Only then could he say gently, “I'm sorry; it's Shizun who didn't protect you well.”