Chapter 440: Biiano

The night was slightly cool. Standing in the small courtyard, gazing at the starry sky and its vast expanse, Rod let out a long sigh. What should have been a relaxed time had to be delayed due to unexpected events. It seemed that leading a peaceful life was still very difficult. When one stood at such a height, in such a position, many things were beyond one’s control.
“Still worried?” Lilith’s voice came from behind him.
Turning around, Rod took a deep breath. “Finding the demon soul isn’t the end yet. This is just one; there are two more, and we don’t know where they are!” he said with a bitter smile. The task seemed incredibly difficult.
“Go to the trolls. They must have a way!” Lilith said after some thought.
“Let’s go in a while. We should find this demon soul first. The Netherworld is hard to enter, especially now when it’s at its most impregnable. Forcing our way in now is extremely difficult. In ten days, when the Netherworld enters its opening period, it will be much easier to enter!” Before the opening period, the Netherworld was in a closed state, and entering then was nearly impossible. Even Rod could only sigh in frustration—this was his experience from trying to enter forcefully last time. If it weren’t for Elder Andrews happening to be inspecting inside, he wouldn’t know where he would have ended up. It was extremely dangerous. Unless there was no other choice, Rod had no intention of forcing his way in—luck wasn’t on his side every time.
“Hmm, let’s search on our own for a few days! That method might be a bit troublesome, but it should work well!” After thinking for a moment, Lilith said to comfort him.
Somehow, a tacit understanding had developed between the two of them. With their back-and-forth conversation, the atmosphere softened instantly. Rod’s frown gradually faded as he stared at Lilith, somewhat lost in thought.
“What are you looking at?” Sensing Rod’s gaze, Lilith called out shyly, her face turning slightly red, adding to her beauty.
“You’re beautiful,” Rod said sincerely. Ever since he had accepted his divine status, his perspective on everything seemed to have elevated, allowing him to see things more clearly. He was no longer the naive boy he used to be. Rod would no longer act blindly or try to avoid problems—he chose to face them head-on.

After all these years together, working together for so long, and as a man and a woman at that—Lilith being so beautifully born—saying there were no feelings would be a lie. Since feelings did exist, Rod didn’t intend to ignore them any longer. Having seen too much, he knew he had to cherish what he had now, rather than waiting until it was lost to regret it. Just like the nightingale—only at the moment of her death did Rod realize the pain in his heart and understand that he truly couldn’t lose her.

“Enough, I’m too lazy to deal with you. I have things to do, so I’m leaving!” Seeing Rod still staring at her, Lilith’s face turned red as she quickly finished speaking before turning and running away, leaving behind a graceful figure that left Rod somewhat enchanted.

Rod was left standing there with a bitter smile. Was his gaze really that lecherous? It didn’t seem so. Touching his face, unable to fathom women’s hearts, he sighed and gazed at the moonlight, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Walking outside through the side courtyard, just like in any nobleman’s mansion, there was also a huge artificial lake within the city lord’s residence.

In summer, with a gentle breeze and the chirping of insects, the lake under the night sky took on even more charm. It made Rod stop in his tracks, unwilling to miss such a rare moment of peace.

The sky was filled with stars, the moonlight was bright, the water rippled, insects chirped, and a gentle breeze blew—what a peaceful night. Wasn’t this exactly the kind of tranquility he desired?

Ahead, two figures caught Rod’s attention. Seeing them, a gentle smile appeared on Rod’s lips. Their graceful figures shone brightly even in the dark night.

“Big brother!” It seemed they too had seen Rod, as they came up to him cheerfully.

“Why aren’t you resting yet at this late hour?” These two girls hadn’t been idle these past days; they had done quite a bit. Rod was pleased by this. Now, they could handle things on their own—no longer the same little girls they used to be. They had also helped him a lot during this time, especially Ada, who managed everything alone in Dark Moon City. One could imagine the pressure she must have faced, yet she never complained. Sometimes, Rod even felt sorry for them.

Now that the battles were over, he hoped they could enjoy some peaceful time and have the happiness that girls deserved. As for the rest, he would take it on himself! Just like with this incident involving the demon souls, Rod had no intention of involving them at all.

“Big brother, what’s wrong?” Lucy asked doubtfully, seeing Rod lost in thought.

Rod smiled slightly and said, “It’s okay.”
“Where are you two planning to go?” Looking in the direction they were heading, Rod was puzzled—neither were they going to his courtyard nor back to their own residence. It seemed they were heading outside the city lord’s mansion. It was so late, and the battle had just ended; the streets were eerily quiet. Could these two girls have suddenly decided to go shopping at such a time?
“Lucy said she wanted to see those prisoners, so…” Ada replied, a bit embarrassed, after hearing Rod’s question.
“Yes, those people are pitiful. I saw many wounded people today. I couldn’t sleep at night, so I thought I’d go check on them. They’re still human!” Lucy said innocently. It seemed this little girl still had a compassionate heart!
This made Rod feel relieved. After all this time of war, it was fortunate that she still retained such kindness. Wasn’t this the same innocent little girl he had met back then?
He didn’t stop them. After all, those people were being kept under guard inside the government buildings of Water Screen City. That place had originally been a military camp with a good environment. Since the prisoners didn’t have weapons and were guarded by strong people, there was no danger. So Rod didn’t object. Anyway, there was still some time before bed, so it wouldn’t hurt to let them go take a look.
“Be careful!” Rod reminded them.
“Yeah, don’t worry. We’re going now!” With that, Lucy took Ada’s hand and quickly headed toward the government buildings, leaving behind two long silhouettes.
Watching their figures, Rod smiled faintly. These two girls were truly unpredictable. He remembered when he brought Lucy to Dark Moon City some time ago, the two of them got along terribly. But in just a few days, their relationship had become surprisingly close, like twin sisters who were inseparable. It even made people wonder if Lucy was Ada’s real sister instead of Eileen, who was now imprisoned.
Shaking his head in confusion, Rod decided to return to his room to rest. He had indeed been tired from all the traveling these past few days. After going out for a walk, he found himself in much better mood.
Just as he reached the entrance to his courtyard, his gaze froze. An old figure appeared before him—coming out of his own courtyard! Compared to a few years ago, there were more wrinkles on his face, and his hair was much paler. His eyes held a look of weariness, deep and unfathomable.

“Old man!” Rod’s voice sounded strained; he didn’t know what was wrong, but at that moment, it felt as though someone was squeezing his throat, preventing him from speaking!
The person who came was none other than Bianuo, the old man who had raised Rod. Rod had seen him during the attack on Water Curtain City today. He had held back his emotions and avoided reminiscing, as the circumstances didn’t suit such things. He had planned to find him the next day, only for Bianuo to arrive at his residence first, which made Rod feel somewhat embarrassed.
Hearing Rod’s voice, Bianuo froze momentarily, then looked up at him with a hint of excitement in his eyes. If one looked closely, they could see his lips trembling slightly—a sign of extreme emotion.
“Not bad, you’ve grown up. You’re no longer that little rascal from before!” Approaching Rod, Bianuo forced a smile, his eyes slightly moist. He raised his hands tremblingly, as if wanting to touch Rod’s face, but stopped halfway, his expression filled with sadness and complexity.
That young boy, that troublemaker who always argued and defied him had now grown into a man of integrity, a renowned super warrior.
A vast gap seemed to have formed between them, an insurmountable chasm. At that moment, Bianuo didn’t know how he felt—sad, uneasy, suffocated.
“Have you been with the Scorpion King’s clan these past years?” Sensing the tense atmosphere, Rod asked softly. It had been so long since they had spoken up close. Looking back, Rod found it somewhat amusing—his rebellious nature must have caused the old man a lot of worry.
His heart was in turmoil, and his throat felt dry, making it hard for him to speak!
“Heh, where else could this old bones be? The war faction’s ambitious wolves wouldn’t let you and me go. Thankfully, you’re fine. Otherwise, even if I were torn to pieces, I wouldn’t be able to face my master!” With a sigh, Bianuo spoke in a hoarse voice, filled with emotion, seemingly reflecting on how he had spent these years. At the same time, he must have been imagining how Rod had spent his time too!

Over several years, for some reason he couldn’t meet Rod directly; he even saw him several times in secret, but each time he failed to recognize him. One can only imagine his feelings—witnessing Rod grow step by step, with hardships and dangers at every turn, each time it was heart-stopping! Each time, he could only sigh in secret from behind: the child has truly grown up!