Zhōng Yǐn Yuè stood in place, silent for a long time, feeling that the cold night was particularly windy tonight.

“Shizun.” Wēn Hán called from behind him. Zhōng Yǐn Yuè sighed inwardly, knowing that he could only return for now.

“Wait a moment.” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè said to Wēn Hán. After saying that, Zhōng Yǐn Yuè flew up on his sword. He soared into the air, raised his hand, and reestablished the barrier on Yù Luán Mountain that had been broken by the heavenly thunder. Once the barrier was set, Zhōng Yǐn Yuè landed back on the ground. He sheathed his sword and was about to speak when he heard a coughing sound from the other side.

Zhōng Yǐn Yuè turned to look. The one coughing was Bái Rěn Dōng. He coughed while slowly turning over, struggling to prop himself up from the ground.

“Rěn Dōng!” Wēn Hán hurried over to help him up. “Are you okay? Does anything hurt?” Wēn Hán asked with concern, and Bái Rěn Dōng shook his head. He couldn’t stop coughing and couldn’t say a word.

After a long while, he finally stopped coughing. He raised his head, but before he could answer Wēn Hán, he saw Zhōng Yǐn Yuè standing in front of him. Upon seeing him, Bái Rěn Dōng suddenly showed a guilty expression, his face filled with pain as he said, “Shizun… I’m sorry.”

Zhōng Yǐn Yuè was taken aback: “Sorry for what?” He truly didn’t know what Bái Rěn Dōng was apologizing for. Bái Rěn Dōng coughed a couple more times, his lips moving for a long time before he hoarsely said, “I messed up the mountain gate…”

“Ah.” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè understood, “No need to apologize, this has nothing to do with you. Besides, with a Thunder Spirit Root emerging from my disciple, I’ll have something to brag about in the future. I should be thanking you with fireworks, why would I blame you?”

Bái Rěn Dōng looked stunned. He didn’t know how to respond, standing there in a daze: “Ah…”

“Let’s head back to the palace, there’s been too much going on tonight.” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè said, “The side palace wasn’t burned, right?” Wēn Hán replied, “Shizun, don’t worry. The disciples over at the side palace set up a barrier; it wasn’t burned.” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè nodded in approval: “Good, you’ve been quite diligent lately.”

Receiving such praise from Zhōng Yǐn Yuè, Wēn Hán’s face lit up with joy. He carried Bái Rěn Dōng on his back and returned to the disciples’ side palace with Zhōng Yǐn Yuè. Zhōng Yǐn Yuè didn’t return to his own Yù Luán Palace but followed them to the side palace.

He took a look at Sū Yù Yíng. Lù Jùn had already brought her back and helped treat her injuries. Sū Yù Yíng was still lying on the bed, fast asleep, showing no signs of waking up. Zhōng Yǐn Yuè checked her pulse and confirmed she was fine before getting up to leave.

Lù Jùn followed him, holding a lamp, and the two walked together to Bái Rěn Dōng’s quarters. Bái Rěn Dōng was sitting on the bed, and Wēn Hán had just brought over a medicine box, opening it to look for something to treat the burns on his body. Upon seeing Zhōng Yǐn Yuè, Wēn Hán nodded to him as a greeting: “Shizun.”

“Mm.” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè waved his hand without turning back, signaling Lù Jùn to place the lamp on the side table. He walked over and said to Wēn Hán, “Let me do it, you sit aside.” Wēn Hán obediently stepped aside.

Zhōng Yǐn Yuè glanced at the injuries on Bái Rěn Dōng’s face, then turned back and picked a bottle of spirit medicine from the medicine box. He tucked the spirit medicine into his sleeve and then picked up a towel soaked in water from a nearby basin, wringing it out with force. He walked to the bedside, sat down, and said to the startled and somewhat overwhelmed Bái Rěn Dōng, “Don’t move.”

Bái Rěn Dōng was so frightened that he didn’t know what to do. He scooted back a bit, struggling to say, “Shizun, I can do it myself…” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè frowned: “I told you not to move, so don’t move.” Bái Rěn Dōng stiffened all over, not daring to move again.

Zhōng Yǐn Yuè held the corner of the towel, carefully avoiding the wounds, and wiped the dirt off Bái Rěn Dōng’s face. The other two stood by silently, watching. Zhōng Yǐn Yuè was lost in thought. So much had happened in one day, and his mind was a mess, feeling incredibly frustrated, unable to sort through everything.

He silently cleaned Bái Rěn Dōng’s face, then silently squeezed the spirit medicine into his hand and applied it to Bái Rěn Dōng’s face. While applying the medicine, Zhōng Yǐn Yuè’s gaze inadvertently dropped down, and he suddenly noticed a faint handprint on Bái Rěn Dōng’s neck. The handprint had almost faded away. If one didn’t look closely, it would be completely unnoticeable. It looked like someone had choked his neck. And judging by the direction of this handprint, it seemed like a hand had completely wrapped around his neck, clearly intending to strangle him.

Zhōng Yǐn Yuè was taken aback, withdrawing his hand that was applying the medicine, and stared at his neck: “Lift your head.” The sudden command left Bái Rěn Dōng confused, but he still obediently lifted his head. The young man was thin, with a pale and slender neck, which still bore some blackened burns and some dirt. But the most obvious thing was that almost disappearing handprint.

As he lifted his head, Wēn Hán also saw it. “Shizun, this is…” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè’s expression darkened as he asked, “Today, did you encounter anyone in the forest?”

“Eh?” Bái Rěn Dōng touched his neck, dazedly saying, “After returning to the mountain?” “Mm.” “Well… I was on my way back with my senior sister from Shàng Xuán Mountain, and before I even got off the sword, I encountered heavenly thunder in mid-air and immediately lost consciousness… I shouldn’t have encountered anyone on Yù Luán Mountain.”

Zhōng Yǐn Yuè furrowed his brows tightly. Then how did this handprint come about? Bái Rěn Dōng lowered his head but couldn’t see the handprint on his neck. He anxiously touched his neck and asked, “Shizun, is there something wrong with my neck?” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè didn’t speak, but Lù Jùn said, “There’s a handprint; it looks like someone choked you.”

Bái Rěn Dōng was shocked: “!?” “If you didn’t encounter anyone, then someone must have taken advantage of your unconsciousness to try to harm you…” Wēn Hán said cautiously, “Shizun, could it be that someone is jealous of your spirit root and wants to harm you?” “Who would be so bold so early?” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè replied, “Your shizun and shixiong didn’t even go down, and someone is already so jealous that they want to risk the mountain fire to kill you?”

“That’s true.” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè fell silent again. His gaze deepened, lost in thought. The three of them looked at Zhōng Yǐn Yuè, falling silent alongside him. After a while, Bái Rěn Dōng softly said, “Shizun…”

Zhōng Yǐn Yuè looked up at him: “Mm?” Bái Rěn Dōng shrank his neck, cautiously saying, “Shizun, did I awaken my spirit root tonight?” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè was taken aback, then chuckled: “Didn’t you just wake up and apologize to me? How did you know you awakened your spirit root?”

Bái Rěn Dōng’s face turned red: “I… I can’t believe it.” He lowered his head, his eyelids drooping, and his voice softened, “I… was fortunate to be brought by Elder Lìng Zé to test my spirit root, and others have always said I was useless…”

“Countless senior brothers and sisters laughed at me for having no spirit root when they came to Yù Luán Mountain. Some even came specifically to mock me…” “Now that I’ve awakened my spirit root, and it’s the rare Thunder Spirit Root that Shizun mentioned, I really can’t believe it, fearing it’s just a fleeting dream, and when I wake up, it will all be gone.”

Zhōng Yǐn Yuè was speechless. Bái Rěn Dōng curled up on the bed, looking like a small ball, quite pitiful. Seeing him like this, Zhōng Yǐn Yuè finally began to understand. He had crossed into a book; this was another world. This was a world, no longer just a simple book. Everyone had flesh and blood, a past and a future, and everyone was interconnected. The protagonist was not just a character; he was a real person who could be influenced. Zhōng Yǐn Yuè might really be able to change him.

Zhōng Yǐn Yuè reached out and ruffled Bái Rěn Dōng’s hair. “With so many injuries from being struck by lightning and burned by fire, how could it be just a fleeting dream?” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè said, “Listen to me, Bái Rěn Dōng. Just having a Thunder Spirit Root is already a remarkable talent, and today, with the heavenly thunder assisting your awakening, it’s even the heavens helping you.”

“With such a prodigy, the sect will definitely value you greatly. You won’t be called useless anymore; you’ll become a favored disciple in the sect.” “Tomorrow, I’ll take you back to Shàng Xuán Mountain. The sect master wants you to choose a new master. With your current qualifications, you can follow anyone.” At this point, Zhōng Yǐn Yuè paused and asked, “Do you… want to follow Qián Yào?”

Upon hearing this, Bái Rěn Dōng’s expression froze, and he almost shouted: “I don’t want to!” Bái Rěn Dōng panicked, rolling over on the bed and kneeling in front of Zhōng Yǐn Yuè: “Shizun! I only want to follow you; I don’t want to follow anyone else! You are the best shizun in the world, and only you don’t mind that I have no spirit root and are willing to keep me as your disciple!” His expression was earnest.

Zhōng Yǐn Yuè fell silent. After a moment, he tentatively asked again, “You really don’t want to follow Qián Yào?” Bái Rěn Dōng nodded vigorously. Suddenly, his expression stiffened as if he thought of something, and he softly spoke, “Shizun… are you saying this to send me away?”

“Not at all, I’m just asking what you think.” Zhōng Yǐn Yuè chuckled lightly, “Even if you say this, I can’t go against the sect master and the other elders, nor can I refuse to take you up the mountain. Taking you up the mountain is something that must be done. If you still want to follow me, then we can explain it to them later.”

“The elders are also doing this for your own good, and they won’t force you. If such a prodigy like you is willing to follow me, I’ll naturally be happy; how could I send you away?” Hearing this, Bái Rěn Dōng let out a sigh of relief. He happily said, “Thank you, Shizun!” His joy was so genuine, and his eyes were so clear. Zhōng Yǐn Yuè felt that all his previous unease finally settled down. He understood.