Chapter 665

Chapter 665: Love is Restraint

In a remote corner of Without Folly Mountain,

Xuan Yu, known for his solitary nature, had chosen a secluded cave dwelling hidden deep within the mountain range.

At this moment, three layers of restrictive formations overlapped, sealing the space.

Xuan Yu finally reclaimed control of his body. Staggering, he fell to one knee, his left leg bent beneath him. His crimson eyes were filled with deep restraint, as though struggling against an unbearable torment.

“Come out!!”

“Come out and face me!!”

“You dare act, yet you dare not bear responsibility? Get out here!” Xuan Yu roared, his fists clenched tightly, his eyes burning with uncontained hatred.

A wave of blood-red mist swept before him.

Within the cave, another figure materialized—a man standing loftily, gazing down upon Xuan Yu with mockery in his eyes.

“What have I done that I would not admit? I am not like you, harboring affections for her for years, yet never daring to utter a word.”

“Do you truly think you can stay by her side for eternity, merely watching her? Hah! If she knew your true identity, would she still let you remain in Without Folly Mountain?”

“In fact, I suspect she would be the one to personally end your life!”

Xuan Yu gritted his teeth, his entire being trembling as he suppressed his rage. “Shut up! Shut up!”

The heart demon sneered. “Why deceive yourself in my presence? You know Sword Sovereign Sunshine better than anyone! If you truly love her, why not plant the Heartbound Gu within her? Once the Gu is placed, her life and yours will be bound together.”

“She will love you, depend on you forever. Her eyes will contain only you…”

“Isn’t that the life you desire?”

“You should have seen the way she looks at you now. To her, you are just another ordinary disciple, no different from Zong Bai and the others! Do you not long to be her one and only?”

“Xuan Yu, nothing comes without a price. If you wish to claim the beauty, you must make sacrifices.”

“Don’t you dream of spending your days and nights together, bound for eternity? Don’t you wish to see her dressed in a phoenix coronet and bridal robe, showing her gentle side only to you? Xuan Yu, you truly don’t desire that? You cast away your Demonic Bones, endured countless tribulations to cultivate anew—what was it all for?”

“She has no guard against you. If you wish, you can implant the Heartbound Gu in her right now!”

Kneeling on the ground, Xuan Yu shook his head lightly. “I don’t want that.”

“She should be a goddess soaring above the Nine Heavens, revered by all. I cannot be so selfish as to imprison her in my shadow… Love is restraint…” His voice trembled, as if trying to brainwash himself, terrified that he might commit an unforgivable sin.

The heart demon’s face darkened. “Who are you trying to impress with this display? You know what my existence signifies!”

“Restraint? Have you truly restrained yourself? You have already given birth to a heart demon! You harbor an unpardonable desire toward her!”

“Tomorrow at dawn, the Sect Master will conduct a Heart Inquiry before all of Sword Sect.”

“They say the Heart Inquiry Mirror can expose one’s inner demons. Do you dare bare your soul before the entire sect? Hahahaha! Do you truly dare?” The heart demon leaned in closer, his laughter chilling and scornful.

“Even if you hesitate tonight, tomorrow you will be exposed before everyone. Do you think you can still stay in Without Folly Mountain?”

“Worse yet, the one you wish to protect will become a laughingstock of the Three Realms!”

“Before the eyes of all, your feelings will be revealed. She will be ridiculed, and you? Your cultivation crippled, banished from the sect—this is what you want? Think carefully, Xuan Yu.”

“She still sleeps. If you implant the Heartbound Gu now, everything can still be salvaged…”

Xuan Yu remained kneeling, his head hung low, his expression a mask of agony.

“No… no… I cannot bring shame upon my master. My master is a man of integrity. I cannot disgrace him…” His eyes were vacant, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I cannot let him suffer humiliation because of me…”

“She is a moon in the sky, untainted, untouched by dust.”

“It was I who should never have dared, never have fostered such despicable thoughts! It is my sin… My sin alone…” Xuan Yu let out a choked sob. He had only ever wanted to admire his moon from afar. Never had he desired to drag her into the dirt.

A moon in the sky should shine high above, illuminating all beneath her, not struggling in the murky swamps.

The heart demon sneered coldly. “You’re insane!”

“She is your moon? And what does that make you? If you don’t pull her into the dust, will she ever be yours? Once your identity is exposed, I doubt you’ll even get to keep your life!”

“Idiot!”

Suddenly, the heart demon’s voice turned shrill with panic. “What are you doing?! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“You wretched thing! Are you trying to die?!” The heart demon’s expression twisted in horror.

Xuan Yu had staggered to his feet, gripping a sharp blade in his trembling hand.

“You no longer have Demonic Bones to support you. If you carve me out, you will lose half your life! Is it worth it? Idiot, is it worth it?!” The heart demon’s voice became shrill, filled with urgency and fury.

“You have given everything, sacrificed everything—what for? She will never know!”

Sweat drenched Xuan Yu’s face, his hair sticking to his skin. His grip on the blade was unsteady, but his eyes were filled with a steely resolve.

Blood spilled freely from his chest.

His breath came in ragged gasps. His entire body trembled with pain, his teeth clenched tightly, every muscle in his body taut with effort.

His gaze was fierce.

“I will carve you out. I will not let her be harmed! No one will harm her!” Even if it meant sacrificing himself.

“It is worth it. All of it is worth it!” He could not endure seeing Lu Chao Chao ridiculed by the world, mocked by the Celestial Realm. He could not let his master suffer disgrace!

“I was the one who harbored improper thoughts. It is my burden to bear! She should not be shackled by worldly emotions. She is innocent!” One extra glance from his master had been enough to fill his heart with joy for a lifetime.

He should not have longed for more. It was his sin.

The heart demon flickered, his form growing unstable, his face filled with terror.

“You madman!! You are willing to wound yourself, make yourself suffer—all just for a glimpse of her? Hahaha… You are truly insane!”

“You and I are one. If you cast me out, you will suffer for it!”

Xuan Yu’s hands were soaked in blood, yet he held tightly onto a writhing mass of crimson light, refusing to let it escape. His face had turned ashen, drained of all color.

“I will cast you into reincarnation. Whatever happens next, you will face it alone.”

The heart demon struggled violently in his grasp. “Xuan Yu, you will regret this! One day, Lu Chao Chao will be mine!”

Xuan Yu slumped against the cave wall, his body wracked with pain. His robes, once white and blue, were now drenched in scarlet.

Summoning an old debt from the Netherworld, he entrusted the frail heart demon to an underworld emissary.

“I ask only that you keep this matter a secret.”

“Rest assured, Senior Brother Xuan Yu. A life debt is not so easily forgotten.”

Staggering back to Without Folly Mountain, Xuan Yu stared blankly at the warm golden light flickering in the small courtyard.

He bowed his head and whispered, “A moon should remain in the sky, not be dragged through the mire… I was right.”