A moment of silence stretched between them before Wang Zhu suddenly spoke, her voice curious but steady.
"Do demons feel tired as well?"
Zui blinked at her, taken aback.
Was she actually asking out of curiosity? Or was this another way of testing him?
His lips pressed into a thin line before he shook his head, deciding it didn't matter what she thought anymore.
"I don't know," he said flatly.
"But I do." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"So stop doubting me and let's rest for a bit... Why are we even walking when we can just fly—"
His words caught in his throat. His body went rigid, small shoulders stiffening. In an instant, his expression darkened, and a slow, creeping chill slithered up his spine.
Wang Zhu noticed right away.
"What is it?" She asked, fingers already drifting toward her sword.
Zui didn't answer immediately. His wide eyes darted across the crowd, scanning the street where they stood.
The wind had stilled, the air turning thick, and heavy with something unseen, something that clung to the skin. Yet the people around them went about their business, oblivious to the shift.
"We're being watched," he whispered, voice low and uncertain.
Wang Zhu hand curled tighter around her sword hilt, her knuckles paling.
"How close?"
"I... I don't know." His gaze flickered between passing faces, too fast to focus, his breath coming quicker.
Without a word, Wang Zhu stepped closer, her presence a steady anchor beside his trembling frame.
"Stay close. Follow my lead."
Zui gave a small nod. His face had gone pale, the fear impossible to hide.
Wang Zhu guided them off the busy street, slipping into a narrow alley where fewer eyes, and fewer innocents, might be caught in whatever was coming.
Hero or villain, it didn't matter. Death never cared whose side you were on.
"Have you sensed the brothel yet?" She asked, glancing down at him.
Zui suddenly froze, his feet skidding against the dirt, his entire body jerking back like he'd seen a ghost.
Wang Zhu frowned, reaching out to steady him. He flinched at her touch, but then his small hand gripped her sleeve tightly, trembling fingers clutching the fabric.
"Yes," he whispered, his voice barely there.
"It's... five streets ahead."
Wang Zhu's brow furrowed, her focus sharpening like a drawn blade.
"Let's move."
She stepped forward—but before she could go further, Zui's hand clamped around her wrist, desperate and shaking.
Wang Zhu turned, and was startled by the sight. The usual stubbornness in his young face was gone, replaced by wide, helpless eyes, the kind only a child could have when they realized they weren't safe.
"I'm sorry," he said, forcing out a brittle laugh.
"I forgot to tell you… I can't go with you."
Wang Zhu's brows twitched slightly. Her gaze sharpened, suspicion flickering behind her calm exterior.
Zui saw it and swallowed hard.
"You've noticed, haven't you? The faint demonic aura around me."
She didn't answer.
He exhaled, shoulders sagging.
"I wasn't born demon."
This time, her expression shifted, just a slight flicker in her eyes, but it was enough to tell him she was listening.
Zui let out a hollow chuckle, devoid of humor.
"I was human once. Just like you. Until I was turned into a demon at seven, through a soul pact and a blood contract."
Wang Zhu's face remained unreadable, but he could tell. She wasn't surprised.
"You already knew, didn't you?" Zui asked quietly.
She said nothing.
Zui scoffed softly, looking away.
"Figures."
Silence settled between them, heavier than before. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, stripped of bravado.
"My sister and I were orphans. Our parents died when we were young. We had nothing. And the place we were born into..." He exhaled slowly, his shoulders sinking under the weight of memory.
"It was a pit of filth. A place where kindness didn't exist. We were made into slaves before we even understood what freedom meant. Forced to work for scraps. Some days, we didn't eat at all. But at least we had each other. That was enough."
His voice wavered, but he kept going.
"Then one day, they accused me of stealing. Just a child, blamed for something I didn't even do. They beat me so badly I couldn't move. Couldn't even speak." His fingers curled into a fists.
"I still remember the look on my elder sister's face. She didn't recognize me. I was so broken, so bloody, that she just stood there… screaming for help, crying, begging. But no one came."
His throat tightened, but he pressed on.
"And then, Ruyu appeared. He whispered promises to her. Said he could save me. If we gave him our pure souls, he'd heal me… and we'd be free."
A bitter laugh escaped him, sharp and empty.
"But demons are liars."
His nails bit into his palms.
"He did heal me. We sealed our souls to him. But freedom?"
Zui's jaw tightened.
"We became his property. His tools. Forced to do whatever he wanted. That's where I learned to lie—obedience meant survival. We tried to escape, but no matter where we ran, he always found us. We even tried to kill him once."
He drew in a sharp breath. When he spoke again, his voice was cold, stripped bare.
"But… when a creation kills its master, the contract ensures they die, too."
His gaze lifted, meeting Wang Zhu's, something raw and desperate flickering in his eyes.
"The only way out is for someone else to do it."
Wang Zhu just stared at him, unreadable as ever.
"I admit it." he said, voice barely above a whisper.
"I lied earlier. I told you my sister and I were just passing through Yunyangcapital. That wasn't true. But everything else was."
He took a shaky breath, forcing himself to go on.
"It's true it was my first time tasting that fruit with sugar… and the pork skewers. The only lie was when I said it was my first time eating human food."
His voice softened, tinged with quiet sorrow.
"I should have said… it was my first time in many years. My first time eating human food again."
He lowered his head.
"I'm sorry. I know I…" His voice faltered.
"But I really need someone like you right now."
His voice cracked on the last word, fragile and raw.
"I can't think of anyone else."
His fingers curled at his sides, trembling. He swallowed hard.
"I won't ask for anything else. Just help us. After that… I'll do whatever you want in return."
He hesitated, voice dropping to a whisper.
"As compensation... for lying to you."