He paused for a few moments, and when he continued, his voice turned sharp. "But this doesn't mean my heart isn't in agony. Just the thought of the woman I cherish most being in your arms—do you understand the bone-deep pain that consumes me? Do you understand how much I loathe you?1

"My clan elders kept advising me that I should not be hasty. I just advanced to the twelfth order and I have time. A true man can wait ten years to enact his revenge, they say. But I truly cannot wait. All I can think of is that each day I delay, she spends another day by your side. These thoughts suffocate me with pain."3

The Great Peacock Demon King listened silently, his mocking smile only growing deeper. "You claim to have no regrets? Then why endure such pain? Your words are meaningless. It's been fifteen years. Yes, nearly fifteen...0