He Qing was caught off guard when Duan Chenhui suddenly grabbed his wrist. It took him a while to respond, “I’m just keeping my promise.”

Duan Chenhui didn’t let go, though he wasn’t holding on tightly. If He Qing wanted to, he could easily pull away. Duan Chenhui looked up at him. He had already given He Qing a chance, and, in doing so, given them both an opportunity.

“What if my injury never heals?” Duan Chenhui asked, his words carrying an unspoken meaning.

“I will heal you,” He Qing promised with sincerity.

Duan Chenhui chuckled and released his hand. “But I’ll only consider it healed when I say it is.”

He Qing was silent for a moment. “General, you’re being unreasonable.”

“Correct.” Duan Chenhui nodded, fixing his gaze on him. “He Qing, I don’t know how long you’ve been in this world, but some karma can’t be repaid simply because you wish to. It’s too late.”

He Qing gripped his prayer beads tightly and took a step back. He hesitated again but didn’t leave. He lowered his gaze and asked, “Then what does the general want?”

“Unless you can enlighten me,” Duan Chenhui replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as he wheeled himself away. “Qiao Yi told me that in cultivation, karma and inner demons are key elements. Unfortunately, I’ve got both.”

He Qing stood frozen, watching as Duan Chenhui moved farther away. After a brief pause, he followed slowly. “What’s your inner demon, General?”

“Why don’t you guess?” Duan Chenhui smiled again, turning back to look at him. He didn’t say anything further, just kept staring at him.

He Qing felt a strange unease under his intense gaze, and his fingers moved faster along the prayer beads. Suddenly, the string snapped, and the sandalwood beads scattered across the snowy ground before he could react.

Duan Chenhui sighed as he bent down and picked up one of the beads, holding it in his palm. “Your beads broke.”

“…Mm.” He Qing closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, calmly gathering the beads from the ground. He didn’t ask for the one Duan Chenhui held.

Duan Chenhui didn’t return it either. Instead, he tucked the bead into his pocket.

He Qing glanced at Duan Chenhui’s clothes. Duan Chenhui smiled at him. “I’ll give it back once I’ve dealt with my inner demon.”

He Qing paused, then nodded. “Alright.”

Duan Chenhui looked at him for a while longer, seeming to be in a good mood. “It’s cold out. Let’s go inside.”

He Qing hesitated briefly but eventually followed him back indoors. As they entered, they were quietly observed by the people inside the household.

He Qing had no idea that the family group chat was already blowing up.

Third Uncle: [Why did Duan Chenhui bring back such a stunning beauty?]

Third Aunt: [But he does look familiar…]

Second Cousin: [I think so too! Has Big Bro moved on from his divorce?]

Little Six:[“So…who’s going to greet them?]

Everyone: [You go! Hurry!]

Poor Little Six, also known as Duan Liu, was pushed out. He cautiously walked over to Duan Chenhui. “Big Bro, who is this gentleman?”

“You can call him Mr. He,” Duan Chenhui said with a straight face. “He’s the leader of an adventure group.”

“Oh, nice to meet you, Mr. He!” Duan Liu stared at He Qing for a moment. Then it hit him—this man looked an awful lot like his former sister-in-law! The only difference was the hair and eye color!

Duan Liu was shocked. Had his big brother found a lookalike?

Noticing Duan Liu’s expression shifting, Duan Chenhui tapped the armrest of his wheelchair, snapping him back to reality. “Little Six, prepare a room for Mr. He.”

“Oh, right! I’ll get right on that!” Duan Liu quickly accepted the task and scurried off, noticing how his brother’s mood had darkened.

From upstairs, Qiao Yi watched Duan Chenhui bring He Qing back and shook his head. Now he was convinced that He Qing was still an innocent little fox in the demon world, though Duan Chenhui didn’t know that yet…

Qiao Yi thought about it for a moment but decided not to tell Duan Chenhui. Otherwise, he might feel guilty. He had only told Duan Chenhui that He Qing was a cultivator.

He Qing was eventually settled into a sunlit room. As the sunset cast its warm light, he began restringing his prayer beads, though the missing bead made it obvious. The rhythm of the beads felt off without that one piece.

As He Qing ran his fingers over the string, he remembered that the bead Duan Chenhui had taken had a character carved into it. He wasn’t sure how he could get it back.

While he was contemplating this, Sun Tu interrupted him through the mystical mirror. “He Qing, why haven’t you come back yet?”

“I’ve been invited to stay at the Duan household.”

“?!?!” Sun Tu stared at him, frustrated beyond belief. “You’re still tangled up with him? Ohhh, I get it. You’re a lotus root, and lotus roots are known for staying connected even after being cut!”

He Qing pressed his lips together. “I had no choice, and the general took my prayer bead.”

Sun Tu’s eyes widened in disbelief. For a Buddhist cultivator, a prayer bead wasn’t just any ordinary item! He glanced around nervously, but He Qing seemed unbothered, so Sun Tu decided there was no point in getting worked up over it.

“If you’re staying at the Duan house, aren’t you going to retrieve your true form?” Sun Tu reminded him, still eager for He Qing to ascend and take him along for the ride.

“I already have it.” He Qing opened his hand, revealing a snow-white lotus seed resting in his palm.

Sun Tu stared at the seed, unable to help himself as he salivated. It looked so nourishing. “Have you ever heard the story of a fish eating a lotus? How about giving me a petal?”

“Never heard of it.”

“You’re so stingy.”

He Qing planted the lotus seed in a small round fish bowl. “After the He family’s ancestral rituals, I’ll discard this body.”

“Why wait so long?” Sun Tu couldn’t understand the delay.

“I’ll use this body to pay respects to his parents one last time,” He Qing said as he poured water over his true form.

“That’s so troublesome. My current body is way better—it’s just a lazy little prince.” Sun Tu stopped pestering him and said, “I’ll call you when I need something.”

The mystical mirror disappeared, and He Qing carried the fishbowl outside to get some sunlight. In the garden, he found Duan Chenhui and Qiao Yi playing chess. As he approached, Qiao Yi shot him a teasing look, as if to say, “See? You should’ve left earlier! Now you’re stuck here! The old fox wins again!”

He Qing glanced at the chessboard and remarked, “Teacher, you lost again.”

“…” Qiao Yi was speechless and waved his hand in frustration. “I’m done. This is exhausting.”

Duan Chenhui packed up the chess pieces and noticed the bowl in He Qing’s hands. “What are you growing?” he asked, finding the lotus seed inside oddly familiar.

“A thousand-year-old lotus seed.” He Qing set the fishbowl on the table. “There was once a man who found a lotus seed. Many said the seed was dead, but he didn’t believe them. Every day and night, he prayed for it to sprout. One morning, he woke up and discovered…”

“Discovered what?” Qiao Yi was engrossed in the story, but He Qing suddenly stopped.

He Qing smiled. “He discovered the lotus seed was gone.”

“Was it stolen by a cat? Or maybe a bird took it?” Qiao Yi found the story amusing, suspecting it was an allegory for He Qing’s own experience.

Duan Chenhui also seemed intrigued. “What happened in the end?”

“A fish took it,” He Qing said, pressing his palms together, “and then it fell into the mortal world.”

“That fish must’ve been really crafty. Should’ve been eaten.” Qiao Yi nearly burst out laughing. So, was that how He Qing ended up falling into the mortal realm?

“No, it was actually his first tribulation,” He Qing finished the story, feeling thirsty. He pulled out his watering can and began watering the lotus seed.

Duan Chenhui chuckled at the lotus. “It’s a good story. If that lotus is the same one, do you think it’ll sprout?”

“…It should.” He Qing touched the seed, though he had already grown quite tall.

Qiao Yi snickered. “But it’d probably be delicious in a soup too.”

“…” He Qing picked up the fishbowl and left. “I’ve had enough sun for now. I’m heading back.”

Duan Chenhui watched him leave, pondering for a moment. Then, he opened StarNet and found a trending topic. Apparently, the lotus seed that had been kept in the Holy Grail had mysteriously disappeared, and many were criticizing the current officials for being careless.

Duan Chenhui sighed, rubbing his forehead. “What does he want the lotus seed for?”

Qiao Yi chimed in without a care, “Probably for medicine? Didn’t he give you a pill?”

Duan Chenhui recalled He Qing mentioning something about the lotus flowering. So, he was waiting for the thousand-year-old lotus to bloom? It seemed it would take a long time. He glanced at the news again. “Well, even though the lotus is gone, the Holy Grail’s still there.”

“You sound disappointed,” Qiao Yi teased. Duan Chenhui always appeared upright and honest, but anyone who could rise to the rank of general surely had more complexity to them.

“I’m not,” Duan Chenhui denied. “I’m just relieved the Holy Grail is intact, so the event can still go on.”

Qiao Yi smiled. “So, are you going to judge the competition?”

“We’ll see.” Duan Chenhui thought of He Qing. “Depends on whether He Qing participates.”

“He’s already got the lotus seed…no, I mean, he’s so zen, he might not even bother,” Qiao Yi laughed.

Duan Chenhui pretended not to hear and wheeled himself back inside. “I’ll go ask him.”

When Duan Chenhui returned to the house, he couldn’t find He Qing in his room. He had no idea where He Qing had wandered off to again. It wasn’t until dinner that He Qing finally appeared, walking out slowly.

After observing for a few days, Duan Chenhui realized that He Qing was deliberately reducing the time they spent alone together.

Finally, one day by the lake, he managed to catch him alone. Instead of asking why He Qing had been avoiding him, Duan Chenhui asked, “Are you going to participate in the diplomatic friendship tournament?”

“Can I still participate?” He Qing replied, raising an eyebrow. “Isn’t being a former suspect a stain on my record?”

“You were never convicted. What stain?” Duan Chenhui walked closer and saw He Qing placing the fishbowl on the ice, where the water inside was beginning to freeze. He had serious doubts about whether the lotus seed could still sprout.

“Hmm. I’ll ask Zhang Lin and the others,” He Qing said, bending down to pick up the fishbowl and heading back.

Duan Chenhui glanced at the setting sun on the horizon. It seemed autumn was approaching soon.