Chapter 5: The Heart's Burden of Agares, the Moon Demon God

The Fourth Demon God, Samigina, the Necromancer Demon God, said respectfully, "The appointment of a Crown Princess is a matter of great importance. As this concerns the future succession of the Demon race, it would be prudent to proceed with caution."

"At the very least, Princess Bai Yue must undergo a series of tests to determine if she is capable of carrying the banner of the Demon race."

Samigina’s implication was clear: if the Emperor wished to appoint a Crown Princess, so be it, but Bai Yue must be assessed to see if she had the mettle to secure her position as the heir apparent.

Feng Xiu was momentarily stifled by Samigina’s words. He had not yet consulted Bai Yue about the appointment; he had intended it to be a surprise for his daughter. Now, with the demand for an assessment, the surprise was turning into a shock.

"Very well, we shall table this matter for now," Feng Xiu conceded. "But surely you have no objections to me naming Yue'er the Saintess of the Demon race?"

Compared to the title of Crown Princess, the title of Saintess was merely an honorific with no real power. The gathered demons dared not obstruct Feng Xiu further.

"As long as Your Majesty is pleased," Agares said, his smile not reaching his eyes.

After the morning assembly concluded, Feng Xiu kept the Moon Demon God, Agares, and the Star Demon God, Vassago, behind. He wanted to introduce his newly reunited, radiant daughter to his two brothers.

Upon hearing that he was to meet Bai Yue, the resentment Agares had been suppressing could no longer be contained. The knot in his heart, festering for so long, had to be spoken: "Your Majesty, why can you not let go of that woman, Bai Lingxuan?"

"This time, you have defied the world to name a half-human, half-demon with light-attribute affinity—who cannot even cultivate—as your Crown Princess. What kind of love potion has Bai Lingxuan fed you to so cloud your judgment?"

"Big Brother, I didn't know until now that you forced our third brother to use the Life Prophecy. You knew full well that once a Star Demon God uses that art, their life would reach its end within fifty years, yet you still let Vassago use it!"

"Do you truly regard Vassago and me as brothers? Or are brothers merely like clothes to be changed at will, while your beloved is your very limb, never to be severed?" Agares roared hysterically. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with a complex mix of anger, heartache, and grief as he stared fixedly at Feng Xiu.

Feng Xiu sighed and exchanged a glance with Vassago. Neither had expected Agares to discover the truth.

"Second Brother, both you and our third brother are my most cherished kin. I owe Lingxuan far too much; only Third Brother’s Life Prophecy could grant her a glimmer of survival. I had no other choice."

Vassago finally understood why his second brother had acted so coldly toward his niece; it was pure, displaced anger directed at Bai Yue.

Vassago felt it was time to clear up the misunderstanding before a rift formed between his older brothers.

"Second Brother, although I performed the Life Prophecy, it did not affect my lifespan. Big Brother shouldered the vast majority of the backlash for me. Had there not been a way to ensure both our safety, Big Brother would never have allowed me to use it."

Vassago raised his palm, and a pale purple sun emerged. Feng Xiu followed suit, revealing an orange-yellow star in his own palm. Intricate, profound incantations swirled around them, establishing a synchronized soul resonance between the two.

"The Life-Sharing Contract!" Agares’s eyes widened, staring at them in disbelief.

"Third Brother, Big Brother is blinded by love and acting recklessly, why didn't you stop him?"

"Is a Life-Sharing Contract something to be signed so lightly?"

Agares felt a flicker of relief—Feng Xiu was still the brother he knew, one who would not disregard Vassago’s safety. It seemed he had long since prepared a way to extend Vassago’s life. However, this contract would bind their lives inextricably: if one perished, the other would follow.

"Second Brother, why are you making such a fuss?" Feng Xiu laughed, patting his chest. "I have broken through to the demigod realm; I have plenty of lifespan to squander!"

In truth, it was not as simple as he claimed. Historically, Star Demon Gods died young. While other high-ranking demon gods remained in power for millennia, the Star Demon God position was the most volatile, changing every seven or eight centuries. This was due to the excessive lifespan cost of using the Great Prophecy. In the six thousand years since the demons arrived on the Holy Demon Continent, the forbidden Life Prophecy had only been used once, at the cost of the Star Demon God’s life within a decade.

"Big Brother, you just spoil our third brother too much!" Agares glared at him indignantly.

Vassago pursed his lips and recounted the day Feng Xiu had come to him, holding the lifeless body of Bai Lingxuan, his eyes filled with such sorrow and deadened despair.

"Second Brother, Big Brother truly terrified me that day. I had never seen him look so broken. I could feel that his heart had died, that it had ceased to beat. Yet, I had the means to save his beloved. I feared that if I waited, he would follow her into death. So, I acted on impulse; it was I who initiated the forbidden Life Prophecy to lock in the last of Lady Bai Lingxuan’s vitality. Big Brother did not force me."

"On the contrary, it was Big Brother who initiated the Life-Sharing Contract to save me. I had fallen into a coma after using the prophecy, and I only discovered the contract after I awoke."

Agares was left speechless. It turned out he had been overthinking everything, assuming his brother had coerced the third into using forbidden magic to save his lover. In reality, his naive third brother had acted voluntarily, and the contract had been a selfless move by the eldest to protect him.

"I am sorry, Big Brother. I misunderstood you," Agares said, shamed. "I even called you blinded by love; I was such a fool. And I took my anger out on my niece, Bai Yue. I was inexcusable."

"That’s right! You just called me blinded by love! Old Second, come to think of it, you’re the one who’s truly love-struck!" Feng Xiu, settling scores, had been too busy comforting Agares to notice the insult earlier.

Vassago watched as Feng Xiu chased Agares around the Demon Palace and shook his head helplessly. "Second Brother, you are on your own. I cannot help you."

As Agares ran, he suddenly spotted a graceful figure entering the hall. He decisively hid behind his niece, clutching her robe.

Agares straightened his back and, with righteous indignation, shouted at Feng Xiu, "Big Brother, Yue'er is here! Can you not spare me this once for the sake of our niece?"

"Fine! For the sake of Ah Yue, I shall let it slide!" Feng Xiu held out his hand to Agares, his demands characteristically bold. "I don't want much—just fifty-one percent of the shares of the Yueye Trading Group. From now on, let it be renamed the Yueye Business Alliance!"