Another tantalizing fragment of memory.

But unlike before, this one wasn’t from a dream—it flashed directly into his mind.

And this time, it didn’t disappear right away. Chu Hanjin could trace the threads, pursuing more memories.

…What was it?

In the flashback, he saw himself standing in the pouring rain, his black hair plastered to his temples, soaked through. His eyelashes were misted from the cold, and his lips were pale, as if he had been standing in the rain for a long time.

At that moment, a man holding an umbrella approached slowly. He was dressed in black, his face obscured by shadows, but it was unmistakably Yue Lin.

His slender, well-defined fingers gripped the umbrella handle. As he walked up to Chu Hanjin, his lips moved, as if saying something.

But Chu Hanjin couldn’t make out a single word.

However, Yue Lin’s hand gently brushed his cheek, the touch clear as he wiped away the rain.

Yue Lin tilted the umbrella over Chu Hanjin’s head, unbuckled the blood-stained sword at his side, and clasped Chu Hanjin’s slender fingers. He leaned in close, speaking softly with a hint of laughter in his voice, his breath warm.

Yet Chu Hanjin still couldn’t hear a single word.

The scene shifted. They were now inside a thatched hut. The straw roof shielded them from the jungle rain, and the wood-burning fire crackled, casting a faint glow in the darkness around them.

Chu Hanjin saw Yue Lin’s face more clearly than he ever had before. His brows were sharp, like they were carved from stone, and the lines at the corners of his eyes were long and narrow. His golden eyes were filled with deep affection.

Yue Lin kissed Chu Hanjin’s lips, his tongue slowly tracing along the soft contours before prying open his lips and touching his tongue.

The atmosphere was warm and intimate. Sitting by the fire, Chu Hanjin felt unusually relaxed and at ease in Yue Lin’s presence.

The next scene came into focus. They had undone their robes and were embracing by the fire.

From any angle, his past self didn’t show a hint of reluctance.

Chu Hanjin could even feel Yue Lin’s hot, gentle kisses falling on his body. Despite the urgency, Yue Lin’s actions weren’t rushed or careless.

…

It looked like they were deeply in love, and it didn’t seem like something his mind had just made up. Every scene was so vivid and real.

Chu Hanjin snapped back to the present. His fingers gripping the windowsill had turned pale, and he looked over at Yue Lin, who stood a step or two away, watching the commotion near the stone bridge. His side profile was sharp and clean.

Chu Hanjin’s feelings toward him were a mix of unfamiliarity and familiarity.

Chu Hanjin asked, “Did you find me in a forest?”

Yue Lin looked surprised and glanced at him. “No. But there was one nearby.”

After thinking for a moment, he seemed to catch on to what Chu Hanjin was implying. “Remembering something?”

Chu Hanjin replied, “Just vague fragments.”

No one else knew that Chu Hanjin had been having recurring spring dreams.

He wasn’t planning on sharing that, so he downplayed it, “Sometimes I dream about the past.”

Yue Lin casually asked, “Dream about what?”

“……”

Chu Hanjin’s face hardened. From Yue Lin’s perspective, it looked a little like he was embarrassed and angry. “The past is the past.”

Yue Lin: “…”

At that moment, a figure in plain blue clothing appeared on the stone bridge below, wandering back and forth through the pouring rain.

Chu Hanjin glanced at Yue Lin.

Yue Lin nodded.

The person had arrived!

Yue Lin took out a disguise talisman and said, “I’ll go down. You wait here.”

Chu Hanjin: “I’m coming with you.”

“……”

Yue Lin looked at him.

Chu Hanjin understood immediately.

He clenched his teeth, for the first time feeling how inconvenient pregnancy was. His expression darkened.

Yue Lin smiled lightly, “Be good, now. Stay here.”

Chu Hanjin frowned deeply, wondering who gave Yue Lin permission to speak to him like that.

After disguising himself, Yue Lin removed a string of red woven thread from his wrist. It was clearly handmade, with uneven knots, but at least it was functional. A silver bell was attached to it. “Hold out your hand.”

Chu Hanjin was puzzled but extended his wrist. Yue Lin gently fastened the red string around his wrist, tightening it slightly. “There, all done.”

“What’s this?” Chu Hanjin asked.

“It’s a communication bell. As long as you wear this bracelet, no matter how far away I am, you’ll be able to hear my voice.”

“……”

There was a magical item like that?

“I was worried you might get lost, so I searched far and wide for the right spirit stones to make this. Keep it safe, and don’t lose it.” After explaining, Yue Lin finished disguising himself as Wu Lan and headed out.

Chu Hanjin lowered his eyes, staring at the rough, dark red bracelet on his fair wrist, feeling a bit dazed. Although it wasn’t the prettiest, Yue Lin had clearly smoothed the rough parts so that it wouldn’t chafe his skin.

For a moment, Chu Hanjin almost saw a delicate version of himself, insisting that Yue Lin make him a bracelet. But after wearing it for a while, he would hold out his wrist and complain softly: It’s rubbed red, and it hurts.

“……”

Thinking of this, Chu Hanjin furrowed his brow slightly.

He shook off the thought and turned his gaze to the window.

The clear sound of the silver bell rang out: “Can you hear me?”

Chu Hanjin: “Hmm? What’s going on?”

He thought Yue Lin had run into trouble.

Unexpectedly, Yue Lin said, “Nothing, just wanted to chat.”

“……”

Chu Hanjin replied, “Maybe don’t reveal your position on purpose.”

Yue Lin’s voice was low, “Understood. I’ll get close to him and see if I can catch him.”

Yue Lin reached the bridge.

Amidst the misty rain, the man in blue was holding an oil-paper umbrella. It had several holes in it, and water was pouring through, but the man seemed completely unaware.

Chu Hanjin watched as Yue Lin walked up and patted the man’s shoulder.

In Wu Lan’s disguised voice, Yue Lin said, “The job’s done. Where’s the money?”

The man turned to face him.

Yue Lin’s hand rested on his shoulder, following the plan to subdue the man with brute force.

But just as Yue Lin made contact, Chu Hanjin heard a strange, high-pitched whistling sound.

“Buzz buzz buzz—” It was similar to the sword hum from that morning.

Yue Lin quickly withdrew his hand.

In the heavy rain, the two figures were barely visible through the downpour.

Chu Hanjin focused his attention, suddenly sensing that the connection through the bell had been cut off. Outside, the rain sounded louder and more violent, and Yue Lin’s voice was abruptly silenced—

…What happened?

The two figures stood face to face in the rain.

They seemed to be talking.

The conversation dragged on long enough for Chu Hanjin to grow suspicious. He decided to go down and assist Yue Lin. Just as he was about to move, Yue Lin suddenly grabbed the man’s wrist and yanked down with such force that blood splattered from the man’s torn arm. At the same time, Yue Lin drew his sword with a loud swish.

As soon as Yue Lin drew his sword, the man took a few steps back, then leaped into the air, flying toward the buildings.

The man fled, and Yue Lin gave chase.

The two figures moved with lightning speed, their feet making the roof tiles crack under the pressure, disappearing into the rainy night with a few leaps.

Chu Hanjin’s expression shifted slightly as he jumped out the window and pursued them in the direction Yue Lin had gone. But the two of them were too fast. By the time Chu Hanjin reached the rooftops, they were nowhere to be seen. All that remained were the misty mountains and trees in the downpour.

Chu Hanjin’s feet landed in the mud, dirtying his white shoes.

He continued walking, but he hadn’t gone far when a mansion came into view.

It was clearly the residence of a wealthy family, lavishly decorated. Red lanterns hung from the eaves, and remnants of fireworks littered the ground. Despite the dreary atmosphere, sounds of laughter and conversation could be heard from the courtyard.

A wedding?

Today wasn’t an auspicious day for weddings—quite the opposite, it was inauspicious and bad luck.

After taking a few more steps, Chu Hanjin realized what was happening.

It was an illusion.

Judging by the scale of the illusion, whoever created it was highly skilled.

The door opened, and a paper figure with a red flush on its cheeks stepped out, its stiff paper eyes fixed on Chu Hanjin. “Who are you here for?”

Usually, if an ordinary cultivator happened upon a battle between immortals, the best course of action would be to get as far away as possible to avoid getting caught up in the conflict. The owner of this place had clearly sensed Chu Hanjin’s presence and summoned this figure to politely urge him to leave.

Chu Hanjin replied, “I’m looking for someone.”

The paper figure nodded eerily, “Come in for the feast. The wedding banquet is about to begin.”

It didn’t ask him to leave.

Instead, it invited him inside.

Chu Hanjin thought for a moment before stepping into the illusion. As soon as he entered, the paper figure transformed into a lively maidservant who smiled at him, “Please come inside. You’re late. Master Zhang and Master Feng have been waiting for you, drinking tea the whole time!”

What kind of identity was this?

Chu Hanjin thought to himself as he approached the corridor. The maidservant turned again, “Oh dear, young master, why are you just standing here? Go greet the guests!”

Now he was the young master.

The maid servant’s face was full of joy, completely unaware of how contradictory her words were. It seemed she was a low-level illusion spirit.

Chu Hanjin entered the inner hall, where a richly dressed woman was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, sobbing, “When will the war outside ever end? The groom hasn’t even arrived yet, and the draft notice came first. My poor daughter! It’s all that wretched ruler’s fault, bringing such disaster upon us. I only have this one daughter, and I wanted her to marry a good man and live a quiet life. But no, it’s always war, war, war! Can’t we just live in peace?”

Chu Hanjin couldn’t make sense of the scene. Typically, illusions reflected the caster’s own experiences.

Whose memory was this?

Suddenly, Chu Hanjin felt a tap on his shoulder.

He turned to see the same maidservant, cheeks flushed and smiling. “Miss, you’ve completed the wedding ceremony. It’s time to go to the bridal chamber and wait for your groom.”

“…”

Chu Hanjin was no longer surprised by the absurdity of her words.

He didn’t move, but this time the maidservant didn’t leave. She stood there persistently, “Miss, if you don’t go, the mistress will be angry when she finds out. Your groom is entertaining guests in the front hall and is already quite drunk. He’ll be here soon to consummate the marriage.”

Her eyes rolled strangely, the whites showing more than the pupils, and she grinned sinisterly. “Miss, even if you don’t listen to the mistress, you should at least listen to your groom. Haven’t you been eagerly waiting for your wedding night with him?”

Chu Hanjin remained still.

The maid servant’s mouth began to grow fangs, and the ground beneath his feet softened, rippling like water. The beams of the house turned into foul-smelling bones.

The maidservant spoke in a haunting voice, “Miss—”

Chu Hanjin realized that if he didn’t go along with the illusion, it would turn hostile.

After a brief pause, Chu Hanjin nodded and followed her.

The maid servant’s face returned to normal, and the ground solidified again. “Our young miss is the most beautiful! Although the groom is handsome, he has a mole in the middle of his forehead. He could never compare to our miss.”

As the maidservant rambled on, Chu Hanjin entered the inner room.

The maidservant pulled out a red veil, “Miss, sit on the bed and don’t lift the veil. The groom has to do that himself.”

Chu Hanjin stopped abruptly when he saw the bed.

On the bed lay a corpse, dismembered and dressed in a red bridal gown. The body was in a horrific state, the blood soaking the fabric and turning it a sticky, dark color. The stench of rot filled the air. Several talismans, each drawn with a different technique, were stuck haphazardly to the body. There wasn’t an inch of intact skin—all of it had been shredded by blades.

This person had likely been beaten to death by a group of cultivators, and even in death, their body had been mutilated.

The maidservant, while arranging the bed, wiped her hand across the blood but seemed oblivious to it. Smiling, she placed dates, peanuts, longans, and sunflower seeds under the severed limbs. “Miss, these are for blessing you with many children.”

The grisly corpse on the bed, contrasted with the maidservant’s gentle and considerate tone, was chilling.

The maidservant wiped the sweat from her brow as blood from the corpse dripped down her chin. “Miss, I’ll go greet the guests now. You be a good girl and wait here for the groom, alright? Don’t go running off!”

Her words were filled with innocent joy.

The bride in this illusion must have been just as naive.

Chu Hanjin’s gaze returned to the corpse on the bed.

The body, dressed in a wedding gown, had a mole in the center of its forehead.

This must be the groom, the one who was supposed to consummate the marriage with the bride. But unfortunately, he was dead, and his death had been incredibly tragic.

Looking around at the festive decorations, Chu Hanjin thought, What a sad illusion this is.

As he was thinking this, the maidservant’s voice came from outside, “The groom is back!”

Chu Hanjin stiffened slightly.

Wasn’t he dead?

“Groom, your bride is waiting for you inside! You’re so drunk! Groom—”

The maid servant’s words were cut off.

There was a loud bang as the door was kicked open.

Chu Hanjin only saw the maid servant’s head fly across the room, trailing blood. She was still wearing that eerie smile on her face.

Chu Hanjin tightened his grip on his sword as a figure appeared in the doorway, with the exact same face as the corpse in the room. Dressed in a red wedding robe, holding a long knife, and with a red mole in the middle of his forehead, he stood there, cold eyes scanning the room.

His gaze locked onto Chu Hanjin, who stood by the bed.

What was this?

Was he going to attack?

As Chu Hanjin was considering this, he heard movement behind him.

The mutilated corpse on the bed began to stir, making a clicking sound, as if it was trying to get up.

A chill ran down Chu Hanjin’s spine. Just as he was about to turn around, he heard a low voice say, “My beloved wife.”

“…”

A pair of hands gently supported his waist, pulling him into a hot embrace that pressed firmly against his back. Chu Hanjin looked down and saw a pair of red shoes next to his white ones, leaving bloody footprints on the ground as they slowly seeped outward.

“My beloved wife…” The voice was soft and low.

Cold breath brushed against his ear.

His wrist was tightly gripped by a pair of hands. When he turned his head slightly, he felt a warm, wet sensation on his neck as a tongue licked him.

He couldn’t be sure if it was the groom’s corpse.

—But the voice was unmistakably Yue Lin’s.