The hunched old man looked at him one last time, wearily saying farewell, "That's all I can do."

Ignoring the angry roars behind him.

He closed the door.

"Watch him closely."

He said this last to the overseer, "If he makes a reckless move, it's okay to kill him."

The overseer nodded indifferently.

Lord Inugami never looked back, walking straight ahead, through layers of defenses, until he saw Horn Mountain waiting at the entrance.

"Where is he?" he asked.

"Already here," Horn Mountain replied, "waiting for you."

Lord Inugami nodded and walked straight toward the heavily guarded quiet room.

Passing through corridors and portals, he pushed open the last paper door.

There he saw the young Samarai kneeling under the calligraphy, as if he had already foreseen something, his eyes lowered, expression devoid of any fluctuations.

There was no sign of the impulsiveness and impatience usually deliberately displayed.

No more disguising the fox-like dark maliciousness in his eyes.

"Thank you for your patience, Old Jiujing."

Lord Inugami closed the door behind him and sat opposite him, "I suppose you know why I asked you here today."

"Yes, thank you for the hard work, erasing the traces for me."

The young Samarai bowed his head, his forehead touching the ground, expressing gratitude to the old man, "I always thought that someone like me couldn't fool a wise elder like Lord Inugami. Turns out, this day came even sooner than I expected."

He said, "I am the murderer."

Without any concealment, he honestly and straightforwardly answered Lord Inugami's question.

Yet it made Lord Inugami feel no anger or sadness, only a profound exhaustion amidst numbness.

Too many waves, too many storms.

Also too many changes.

Unknowingly, everything became completely different from before, unlike anything he knew.

These years of left-and-right maneuvering, after patching things up, such a massive loophole appeared before him, yet he couldn't even feel fear anymore.

Instead, he felt an urge to laugh bitterly.

This day finally arrived.

"…You did better than you said, Old Jiujing, better than anyone. Before the escape of the impure, I never suspected you."

In silence, he lowered his eyes, almost pleadingly, and softly sighed, "Please stop now, Old Jiujing, there is still a chance to undo everything."

In the silence, no one spoke again.

In the long silence, the young Samarai seemed lost in thought.

Blankly looking up, he gazed at the solemn quiet room before him.

For a long, long time.

"Lord Inugami."

He spoke softly, "I have two fathers."

"One is an impractical man, he raised me with a deluded sense of affection, believing he could gain power… The other is an arrogant and superficial man who turned me into what I am now, thinking he was generous, believing he could manipulate everyone."

They taught me indifference and pain."

"But now, both my fathers are dead."

He lowered his head, seemingly smiling self-mockingly:

"I remember my biological father being kind and gentle before my mother passed away. I also remember my adoptive father being full of ambition when he first ascended to power."

"But until the end, they never achieved happiness, only pain and death. They couldn't fulfill their wishes, even losing everything, becoming unrecognizable themselves."

He said, "Perhaps they shouldn't have been born into this family, just like me."

And so, the young Samarai bowed calmly, apologizing to the old man before him.

"I'm sorry, Lord Inugami, for betraying your expectations and trust."

"I have no path of return anymore."

"…"

Should it be anger or regret?

Yet Lord Inugami found he felt nothing, only a sense of loss and emptiness, ineffable sorrow, "With such scheming, you could have entrusted the family to…"

"No, Lord Inugami, I don't want to obtain the Li Jian family."

Li Jian Jiu Jing said, "I only wish to destroy it."

In that instant, the young Samarai drew his sword!

But, it was already too late…

Lord Inugami lowered his gaze, no longer wanting to watch.

Long before he entered this quiet room, he had already fallen into a siege. Now, the Eight Canine Warriors of the Li Jian family were lying in wait outside the quiet room.

As soon as Old Jiujing made a move, the only thing waiting for him would be death.

In the silence, the sound of a slash was heard.

Scarlet color spurted, dyeing the calligraphy on the wall red.

When the murky blood dropped again, falling back onto Lord Inugami's face, he slowly lifted his gaze in a daze, looking at the unharmed Old Jiujing before him.

And the five fingers protruding from his chest… from his back.

Horn Mountain.

The silent, steadfast warrior didn't draw his sword but only clenched his fingers together, like keen metal tearing through the old man's back, plucking out the heart, piercing from the chest.

Slowly gripping.

Shattering the feebly throbbing heart.

"…Horn Mountain, when did you?" he asked wearily.

"A long time ago, Lord Inugami."

The indifferent warrior replied expressionlessly, "Old Jiujing's thoughts are the same as mine: such a struggling Li Jian family only brings endless pain, just like you've always felt…"

The moment the hybrid teenage girl living on the border in reluctant peace was drawn into this ugly storm, he had already sensed it.

The Li Jian family he safeguarded, what kind of hell had it become.

He said, "It's time to end it all."

Lord Inugami breathed wearily, only raising an eyebrow slightly, as if laughing self-mockingly, closing his eyes, awaiting death's arrival.

Horn Mountain slowly withdrew his hand, took out a handkerchief, and wiped away the blood stains.

While Old Jiujing grasped his sword and stepped forward, step by step.

"Thank you for your care and sacrifice over the years, the Satomi clan has failed your expectations, very sorry." The Sword Blade lifted slowly, aiming at Lord Inugami's neck, Old Jiujing gave one last farewell, "Please rest."

In that instant, a thunderous roar erupted.

Lightning shot forth from nothingness.

For Lord Inugami had opened his eyes, and from those murky eyes, brilliant and scorching light burst forth.

The aging and weak body at this moment reversed time, ignoring the erosion of years and the entanglement of suffering, drew his sword, stepped forward and... struck!

The dying old lion at this moment erupted with one last ferocity.

The miracle of Eight Rooms descended upon us, then swiftly departed…

The two crossed paths.

A deep scar was etched across Old Jiujing's face, almost splitting his visage in two. Yet now the scar was slowly closing, rapidly healing like new.

Unable to discern just how close he had come to death.

And in the staggering footsteps, the blade in Lord Inugami's hand cracked, blood gushed from his chest, and took away his last breath.

The shattered and fragile body finally fell, emitting a low sound.

Like a bursting bubble.

Perhaps it was the sound of waking from a long daydream?

At last… it was over.

Forgive me, Lord Tadazou, forgive me.

I have already… lost the ability to save… the Li Jian family…

He closed his eyes one last time, praying silently.

Please, punish me…