The mortal realm teems with inescapable cycles of love, desire, life and death. Humans fabricate idealized images of others, then self-indulgently project these fantasies - their giving stems from illusions, their demands and punishments like children throwing tantrums at blank walls. People yearn to regress into carefree infancy within relationships, chasing that primal mother-child union of blissful contentment. To feed this craving, they either make endless demands or lay poisonous traps.
Ming Xuan had long deemed human affairs tedious, having observed how the masses' so-called relationships followed these tiresome patterns. Even the most passionate pursuits eventually get smoothed by time's iron into blandness. Ephemeral beings find boredom in transience, while those transcending delusions find neither sorrow nor joy.
Only through surpassing time's constraints and transcending the limited self could one attain truly pure, eternal love.
Would such a thing ultimately dissolve into nothingness? His gaze lingered on the path where Shuiqian had vanished.
Though departing without farewell, Shuiqian had left provisions and freshly gathered stew ingredients on the table. A folded Liuzhou map lay weighted by white stones at the corner. After twice searching the cabin, Ming Xuan found no contact information left behind. Unbeknownst to him, this absence would become pivotal in his future as a demon.
After packing and reinforcing the cabin's protective wards at great magical cost, Ming Xuan departed next morning. Mimicking human customs, he crafted an identity card:
**Name:** Bai Changming
**Style:** Ye Sha
This forged credential would accompany him to the Mystic Star Pavilion.
---
**Yang Renzhu**
As constellations wheeled, mortal calendars turned to the Langui Festival - Liuzhou's spring tradition honoring agricultural deity Goumang. Families gathered around hearths depicting the swallow-shaped spring god adorned with willow motifs. Government officials received ten-day holidays.
Prefect Yang Renzhu, orphaned and childless, hosted his annual festival banquet at Moonview Tower. The guest list comprised mostly bureaucrats, scheduled for the evening of Wuchou Month, Renyin Day.
Three days prior, the Mu'an Bureau processed an employment document dated Wuchou Month, Guiwei Day for one "Bai Changming" - assigned menial duties at Mystic Star Pavilion.
Bai Changming counted his dwindling silver. Bribing Yang's steward Zheng Guan had drained his funds. Had he not exhausted magic reserves from recent seal-casting, he'd have forged the paperwork directly into Zheng's registry.
Now part of the inaugural cleaning crew at the newly constructed pavilion, Bai deliberately lingered until closing time, successfully locking himself inside after others departed.
Rumors said Yang built this astrological observatory to fulfill stargazing fantasies.
"What's so fascinating about stars?"
"When the Prefect commands, we laborers break our backs - cursed fate!"
"Even Steward Zheng's just a glorified servant..."
"Hush! The old fox might inspect anytime."
Bai remained silent through the workers' gossip, methodically continuing his tasks.
When night fully claimed the pavilion, he emerged from behind a celadon vase. The three-story structure's first two floors held astrological texts and jade artifacts - Yang's collection favoring grandiose carvings over celestial themes, despite the "Mystic Star" name.
Third floor access was strictly forbidden. *Yang's private sanctuary?* Ming Xuan mused, ascending regardless.
Starry murals of Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird constellations greeted him, their celestial patterns momentarily transporting him to Sahar City summers where lost companions once traced distant galaxies.