“Where are you feeling uncomfortable?” Yue Lin asked.

Chu Hanjin thought for a moment. “I feel hot all over.”

He said this almost mechanically, not accustomed to seeking help from others.

But Yue Lin responded with a soft “Hmm,” sat down beside him on the bed, and gently pulled Chu Hanjin into his arms.

The warmth from Yue Lin’s body spread over him, causing Chu Hanjin’s shoulders to tense up, becoming rigid.

“Relax,” Yue Lin said. “Let me check what’s wrong.”

Yue Lin’s long, skilled fingers rested on Chu Hanjin’s abdomen, the veins slightly visible, as he expertly examined the flow of spiritual energy, like someone who had done this many times before.

After a moment, Yue Lin said, “Your spiritual energy is still unstable.”

Chu Hanjin frowned. “Why is it still unstable?”

Yue Lin smiled. “Maybe because you have a little one now.”

“…”

Chu Hanjin frowned more deeply. It felt strange discussing this kind of thing with someone he’d only known for a few days.

He was about to ask what to do next when Yue Lin, now holding him closer, remarked, “Perhaps the child hasn’t sensed the father’s spiritual energy and is throwing a little tantrum.”

“A tantrum?”

Chu Hanjin remained expressionless, skeptical of Yue Lin’s words.

Could an unborn child, still unformed, really throw a tantrum because they couldn’t sense their father?

His lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes distant.

But never having experienced pregnancy before, he couldn’t entirely dismiss Yue Lin’s theory.

However, it quickly became clear that Yue Lin wasn’t just transmitting spiritual energy. One of his hands held Chu Hanjin’s slender waist, while the other slid into his dark hair, playing with it, his palm tracing along Chu Hanjin’s spine. His nose pressed closer to Chu Hanjin’s pale neck, and he took in a deep breath, letting out a soft sigh.

Like a predator savoring the scent of its prey but unable to fully indulge.

Chu Hanjin’s glassy eyes turned to look at him:

“Show some respect.”

“…”

Yue Lin lowered his gaze, chuckling softly.

The meaning behind that chuckle was clear—he wasn’t taking Chu Hanjin’s words seriously.

Chu Hanjin frowned, confused as to what was so amusing. “What did I say that’s funny?”

Yue Lin coughed lightly and said, “You’re telling me to show respect when we already have a child.”

“…”

Yue Lin withdrew his hand slightly. “Of course, I don’t mean any disrespect. I just found this situation… amusing.”

“…”

Once again, he was taking advantage of the situation.

Chu Hanjin resisted the urge to kick him off the bed.

But maybe it was because of the scent of Yue Lin’s presence or the connection to his father’s spiritual energy. The stifling feeling in his chest gradually eased, and the restless energy inside him calmed down.

Yue Lin carried a faint scent of sandalwood, a subtle fragrance that helped soothe the nerves.

At first, Chu Hanjin barely noticed it, but as he became more aware, he realized he had fallen asleep at some point.

He was lying in Yue Lin’s arms, his head resting against Yue Lin’s shoulder, while Yue Lin, half-reclining with his eyes closed, had his chin lightly resting on Chu Hanjin’s dark hair. His hand was still wrapped protectively around Chu Hanjin’s waist.

It was a comfortable, practiced position. If they hadn’t slept together many times before, they wouldn’t have developed such familiarity.

“…”

Chu Hanjin shifted slightly and noticed that daylight had already broken outside.

He lifted the blanket and got out of bed, hearing Yue Lin ask, “Did you sleep well?”

Chu Hanjin didn’t want to discuss this topic. It felt too much like pillow talk after an intimate night. After thinking for a moment, he nodded reluctantly. “It was fine.”

“Fine? I thought it was quite pleasant.”

“…”

Pleasant? Surely, Yue Lin was the one who found it pleasant.

As breakfast was brought in, and they picked up their chopsticks, Chu Hanjin remembered. “Last night at the Spring Festival, a cultivator from the Hundred Families mentioned that he had seen a symbol similar to the one on the Qin Demon’s neck.”

Yue Lin looked up. “Where?”

“The Northern Desert.”

A silence fell over them.

Yue Lin raised his eyebrows slightly, his tone unsurprised. “The Northern Desert borders the demon realm. It’s a chaotic place where battles between the righteous and demonic paths are frequent. It’s also a breeding ground for trouble. That a similar symbol appeared there makes sense.”

Chu Hanjin asked, “Do you recognize the symbol?”

Yue Lin shook his head. “No.”

Chu Hanjin paused for a second. “Neither do I.”

The symbol was a high-level puppet curse, and despite combing through the records in the library, Chu Hanjin hadn’t found anything similar. It must have been a newly created technique. Typically, if a technique violated moral principles or societal ethics, it would be judged by the Six Sects, declared forbidden, and the methods for learning it would be destroyed.

Anyone who secretly practiced such techniques would be marked for death and hunted to the ends of the earth by the Six Sects.

Chu Hanjin asked, “Do you think the person controlling the Qin Demon in the Celestial Burial Pit is the same one who appeared in the Northern Desert?”

Yue Lin gazed into his bowl, not answering immediately. Instead, he asked, “Who gave you this information?”

Chu Hanjin told him the name.

Yue Lin pondered for a moment, then set down his chopsticks. “Let’s go ask him ourselves.”

The cultivators from the Hundred Families were staying in a courtyard surrounded by mountains and water, with a stone hill in the center and a bamboo grove on the left. A pathway of stone slabs led through the middle.

As they approached the courtyard, voices could be heard from the other side of the bamboo grove.

“You spend your days wandering around brothels and drinking, living for the moment. You only came to the Spring Festival for free food and wine. So how come you remembered seeing that symbol but never told me?”

“Keep your voice down.”

“I’m asking where you got the money from!”

“I said, keep your voice down!” The outburst was unmistakably from Wu Lan.

His companion quieted down, scratching his ear impatiently. “If you’re making money, don’t keep it to yourself!”

The cultivators of the Hundred Families were getting ready to leave. The two men, carrying heavy bags, walked slowly, clearly trying to avoid attracting attention.

As they passed through the grove, Yue Lin grabbed Chu Hanjin’s wrist, pulling him behind the stone hill. His hand was warm, and although it was broad daylight, pulling him like this made Chu Hanjin want to brush him off. But when he heard the approaching voices, he followed Yue Lin behind the rock.

Yue Lin whispered, “Another eavesdropping session, huh?”

“…”

Recalling their last unpleasant experience with eavesdropping, a faint blush crept up Chu Hanjin’s neck. He sharply pulled his wrist free, only for Yue Lin to catch it again with a teasing smile. “Focus on the matter at hand.”

Chu Hanjin bit his lip and let out a quiet scoff.

The footsteps moved closer to the courtyard’s exit.

“I didn’t want to carry too much silver, in case someone found out. I promised to pay him the full amount after the deal. He’s supposed to meet me again tonight, a full one hundred taels! You keep watch for me, and I’ll treat you to some wine.”

“Seventy-thirty split?”

“Be glad you’re getting anything at all!”

“…”

The two men murmured to each other, plotting as they left the courtyard.

Yue Lin emerged from behind the stone hill, glancing at Chu Hanjin. “So, taking money to spread rumors—that’s righteous?”

It seemed that whenever they encountered such off-the-record behavior, it revealed the hypocrisy behind the supposedly righteous facade.

Yue Lin remarked casually, “It’s always the pure-hearted who get used and hurt, while the schemers who smile with a knife behind their back enjoy wealth and respect. What’s that saying? ‘Those who burn bridges are rewarded, while those who build them die nameless.’”

Since Yue Lin was challenging him, Chu Hanjin felt compelled to respond. “We’ve only seen two people act poorly, and both were in private. As the saying goes, judge a person by their actions, not their heart. Even if someone missteps and commits a sin, it doesn’t necessarily make them entirely evil.”

Yue Lin laughed softly. “Lord Yue Zhao, you’re too kind. But not everyone thinks like you. Some people, the moment you make a mistake, will seize it, write it down, and use it to destroy you—never letting you rise again.”

His grip on Chu Hanjin’s wrist tightened, his eyes flashing red, his expression twisted with a hidden rage.

Chu Hanjin blinked, taken aback. “You’ve got demons in your heart.”

They arrived at a small stream, the water flowing steadily.

Yue Lin scooped up some water to wash his face, his complexion pale, his figure swaying as if he could collapse at any moment. “It’s been too long… I almost forgot. Let’s talk about something happier.”

His smile returned, the hatred in his voice vanishing, replaced with softness. “You told me once before that not all people are entirely bad.”

A chill ran down Chu Hanjin’s spine.

Yue Lin’s voice had been filled with a strange, menacing energy. Even his sword hummed with a sinister vibration, mirroring its master’s rising anger. Given the power of his sword, if someone provoked him now, they would likely be cut to pieces in an instant.

Yet, even in his fury, Yue Lin managed to calm himself, speaking gently to Chu Hanjin.

He was unusually tender.

But there was also a heaviness beneath that tenderness, a hidden weight that seemed to hinge on Chu Hanjin’s presence. If Chu Hanjin made a wrong move, Yue Lin might lose control.

After a moment of contemplation, Chu Hanjin remained silent. From the woods ahead, voices echoed.

“Let’s rest for a bit and eat something.”

Wu Lan and his companion had sat down on a large rock.

“Where are we staying tonight?”

“At the town by the foot of the mountain. I’m meeting him under the archway.”

His companion asked, “Are you sure this person is reliable? If word gets out, your reputation will be ruined, and the Six Sects will come after you.”

“Who cares? You’d be a fool not to take the money!”

The wind blew gently, and Yue Lin stepped forward into the clearing.

Wu Lan was mid-bite into a dry biscuit when he spotted him. “Brother Yue Lin?”

Another gust of wind, and Chu Hanjin emerged from behind the bamboo grove, dressed in snow-white robes, his gaze calm and sharp as he looked at the two men.

“Lord Yue Zhao?”

They didn’t seem worried about Yue Lin, but the moment they saw Chu Hanjin, they panicked, jumping up and drawing their weapons in terror, their faces ashen.

Yue Lin chuckled. “Is Lord Yue Zhao really that frightening?”

Wu Lan fell to his knees, his face filled with fear. “Lord Yue Zhao, please spare me! I didn’t mean to deceive you…”

Chu Hanjin walked forward, closing the distance between them. Just as Wu Lan, who had been groveling on the ground, was about to beg for his life, he suddenly drew a short sword from his sleeve and thrust it toward Chu Hanjin’s throat.

Chu Hanjin sidestepped the attack, his hair remaining perfectly in place. His white shoe pressed down on Wu Lan’s shoulder, knocking him to the ground, and with a flick of his foot, he disarmed him of his fan.

Looking down at Wu Lan, Chu Hanjin asked coldly, “Still defiant?”