“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

At that moment, Chu Hanjin felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment. The binding spell in his palm tightened, the ropes circling around Chen Yang, restraining him completely. Chen Yang finally stopped moving.

Inside the house, only Yue Lin and the barely breathing Bai Gu remained.

Sitting on the ground, covered in filth, Chu Hanjin went straight to the point, “Were you the one who taught them how to cast the curse?”

Surprisingly, Bai Gu didn’t offer any denial. He nodded. “Yes, it was me. So what?”

“They used the curse to control and harm others, and you’re asking me what’s wrong? Let me ask you again, during the Spring Feast, was it you who placed the same curse on the neck of the Celestial Burial Pit’s Qin Demon?”

Bai Gu coughed up blood, his voice weak. “I wouldn’t know about that.” After catching his breath, he added, “It’s just a puppet curse. If they used it to kill, that’s out of my control.”

He spoke so nonchalantly, as if he hadn’t nearly faced an unmarked grave himself.

Chu Hanjin didn’t want to waste more time with him. “Whether it’s under your control or not, you’re coming back with me to the Yuanshan Sect. There, someone will interrogate you properly.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Gu suddenly lifted his head, giving Chu Hanjin a look of genuine surprise.

But it was only a brief glance. His eyes soon shifted back to Yue Lin’s cold face.

He said nothing more.

Chu Hanjin bound him and left him at the Dao Yamen, waiting for the investigators from the Rongku Sect to arrive. Once they came to take charge, Chu Hanjin finally let out a breath of relief. Entrusting these people to the Rongku Sect should ensure no further problems. He then returned to the inn to rest.

The past two days had been nonstop action. Once seated, Yue Lin immediately called for the innkeeper to bring some food.

The child in Chu Hanjin’s belly, perhaps sensing his father’s exhaustion, didn’t act up. It was only after Chu Hanjin relaxed that a mild sense of discomfort and nausea set in.

Chu Hanjin: “Thankfully, this matter is finally settled.”

During the fight, he had constantly worried about whether it might harm the child.

From yesterday to today, he had barely rested, which wasn’t good for the baby either.

Yue Lin: “Let’s hope so. Whether or not Bai Gu was the mastermind behind the troubles at the Spring Feast, from now on, you should stay out of it.”

Chu Hanjin stared silently at his cup of water, lost in thought.

At a nearby table, conversations could be overheard.

“Finally, someone dealt with those brothers!”

“Thank the heavens! We haven’t had a peaceful day in Fengliu City ever since they arrived. Always afraid we’d be grabbed by cultivators for pill refining. They’ve finally met their downfall!”

“Who knows what kind of person the next ones will be? Hopefully, not like those two brothers.”

“….”

Chu Hanjin paused, setting down his cup.

He said, “Let’s hope so.”

Memories from his past began to surface.

At the age of five, every child would be taken to the Dao Yamen to have their spiritual bones examined, to see if they had the potential for cultivation. Everyone desired to cultivate, and if you asked why, it was simply because cultivation gave one divine power, fame, and the ability to rise above ordinary people, no longer subject to their cruelty.

But those who attained such power often became trapped by their own desires, prone to unjustly killing the innocent.

Yue Lin, understanding his thoughts, said, “It’s true. This kind of thing can shake anyone’s faith in justice.”

While they talked, the innkeeper brought the dishes.

One was a local specialty—chicken, glossy with oil, a rich red color, and an aroma that was incredibly tempting. But after just one bite, Chu Hanjin felt a wave of nausea rise in his throat. “Forget it, I don’t feel like eating.”

Yue Lin realized, “I’ll get you something else later.”

Chu Hanjin nodded. “Alright.”

Uncomfortable with the food, Chu Hanjin ate only a few bites before returning to his room. A little while later, Yue Lin entered carrying a plate of fruit. “I asked the kitchen to prepare this for you. Have some fruit to fill up.”

Chu Hanjin nodded. Soon after, the innkeeper delivered a large bath bucket.

Yue Lin: “I requested that too.”

He really knew Chu Hanjin all too well.

Without needing to say much, once Chu Hanjin finished eating, Yue Lin walked over, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Take a bath and then rest.”

Chu Hanjin hesitated for a moment. “Thank you.”

His fingers stiffened slightly, but he allowed Yue Lin to help him remove his clothing. His pale collarbone and chest were exposed, their contours beautiful. From the waist down, his figure was slender and flexible. He hadn’t yet removed his undergarments, but soon Yue Lin carefully stripped off the rest of his clothes.

It wasn’t that Chu Hanjin was completely indifferent, but after spending over half a month in the mountains, he felt as though he had grown lazy to his very bones. Now, he relaxed, resting lightly against the bath bucket, while Yue Lin picked up a cloth wet with water.

They were no longer strangers—they were both the child’s parents.

Yue Lin scooped water over Chu Hanjin’s shoulder. “It wouldn’t have been a bad idea to deliver the child first while we were at the cabin. These past few days have been too dangerous for the baby.”

Chu Hanjin understood his meaning. “I’ll cooperate with the investigation regarding Bai Gu, but beyond that, I’ll leave the rest to my senior brother. I won’t interfere anymore.”

Water trickled down his fair neck, moistening his skin with a glistening sheen. It looked particularly beautiful.

Perhaps some droplets had caught under his chin, and Yue Lin’s hand gently brushed past, causing a tingling sensation. Unintentionally, Chu Hanjin leaned into the touch.

His thoughts grew slightly chaotic once again.

At this point, there was little left to hide between him and Yue Lin. They weren’t married, but they shared an unusual openness, creating a rather complicated relationship.

However, Yue Lin merely touched him lightly, saying, “You had some water on you.”

There was no overstepping.

Chu Hanjin leaned back against the bath bucket. As Yue Lin’s movements were gentle, the warm water made him feel a bit drowsy.

Yue Lin wet his hair, but, fearing he might catch cold, kept a protective layer of spiritual energy around him. After washing his hair, he quickly dried it with spiritual energy and then cleaned his body.

Chu Hanjin closed his eyes, feeling Yue Lin’s hands glide like feathers from his upper body to his lower body, massaging his feet gently.

He heard a deepening of breath near his ear. It had happened before—he could sense Yue Lin reacting—but he chose not to ask about it, preferring to remain blissfully unaware.

Their relationship would likely end once the child was born. Everything would be over by then.

“Alright, go to bed and rest,” Yue Lin reminded him in time. “Don’t stay in the bath too long.”

Chu Hanjin sat up, allowing Yue Lin to help him dress, before moving to sit on the bed.

Yue Lin changed the bathwater and said, “Sleep.”

Chu Hanjin lay down, and shortly after, Yue Lin also climbed into bed, settling on his left side.

Once in bed, Yue Lin moved gently, pulling Chu Hanjin into his embrace.

Chu Hanjin remained silent. By now, the familiar exchange of spiritual energy to soothe the baby was routine. Resting his head on Yue Lin’s shoulder, Chu Hanjin relaxed, watching as Yue Lin unclipped the bed’s canopy. The room darkened noticeably.

“Let me feel your belly,” Yue Lin said.

He placed his hand on Chu Hanjin’s abdomen, slowly transferring spiritual energy.

It was slightly warm, but Yue Lin noticed and loosened Chu Hanjin’s collar a bit. “It’ll be fine in a moment.”

Chu Hanjin responded softly, “Hmm.”

Yue Lin’s calming of the baby always made Chu Hanjin feel comfortable.

Sleep overtook him, and Chu Hanjin drifted off. The past few days had been so exhausting that now, in Yue Lin’s arms, he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Once Chu Hanjin was sound asleep, Yue Lin’s eyes lowered slightly.

His hand slowly moved along Chu Hanjin’s back, eventually brushing over his lips, gently touching them. One could imagine how soft they would feel in a kiss, but for now, they remained closed, unyielding.

Yue Lin let out a soft sigh.

Since arriving in the northern desert, the unease within him had only grown stronger.

His deep golden eyes drifted down to Chu Hanjin’s shoulder and neck, the pale skin like jade, half hidden yet entirely dignified. To him, it was the greatest temptation.

Memories of their past intimacy resurfaced in Yue Lin’s mind.

His gaze darkened as his hand slipped inside Chu Hanjin’s clothes.

Breathing in Chu Hanjin’s scent, Yue Lin hurriedly sought release through self-pleasure. He had worked hard to maintain a friendly demeanor to earn Chu Hanjin’s trust, but deep down, he was driven by desire. Though he could conceal it outwardly, he couldn’t hide it within.

Imagining leaving marks on Chu Hanjin’s body and spilling certain things on him, Yue Lin trembled lightly, staring intently at Chu Hanjin’s face as he finished.

His movements were quiet and clean. He didn’t disturb Chu Hanjin in the slightest, returning to lie beside him as if nothing had happened.

When Chu Hanjin woke up, everything felt completely natural. Yue Lin, half-awake, looked at him, his voice clear, “You’re awake?”

Chu Hanjin, still groggy, responded, “Hmm.”

Yue Lin knew he wasn’t fully awake yet. “Then sleep a bit longer.”

Chu Hanjin closed his eyes again. Unintentionally rubbing slightly against Yue Lin, like a cat not fully awake.

When Yue Lin reached out to touch him, Chu Hanjin didn’t resist, even tilting his chin up slightly.

Yue Lin caressed him slowly, careful not to let any trace of desire show. If Chu Hanjin sensed even a hint, he would pull away.

He was a stubborn person.

Always had been.

He would only expose his vulnerable side to those he trusted, and though he now trusted Yue Lin, certain parts of his guard still hadn’t fully come down.

Just as Chu Hanjin began to fall back asleep, a knock on the door interrupted the quiet, along with the innkeeper’s voice. “Sir?”

Yue Lin assumed they were bringing more water. When he opened the door however, a group of people dressed in black with intricate embroidery of sun and moonlight on their collars and lapels, stood outside.

The group was of varying heights and builds, but their expressions were uniformly cold and resolute, carrying an unsettling aura.

Yue Lin gave them a quick glance, motioning for silence before locking the door.

The innkeeper who had been dragged along was trembling, too scared to utter a word.

Yue Lin said, “Let’s talk downstairs.”

As he walked, Yue Lin thought about what to do.

The streets were nearly empty at this late hour. Just as they stepped outside, there was a thud behind him.

“My lord!”

“Your Highness!”

The two voices were distinct.

The one who called him Your Highness quickly corrected himself to My Lord.

In the demon clan, there was only one king. As long as he lived, no other could take the throne.

Since Yue Lin hadn’t died, the current Demon Lord would either have to step down or kill him.

“Keep your voices down.”

He knew their purpose the moment he saw them. “Here to rescue Bai Gu?”

“Yes, the Lord sent us to ask for your opinion.”

They came to ask for his decision, pretending to be honest and straightforward.

Hearing this, Yue Lin let out a soft “Ah.” “So, he’s the current Demon Lord.”

The group exchanged glances. After decades, only the one who had first called him Your Highness truly recognized him.

The title Lord must have been something Bai Gu had them use.

Yue Lin asked, “Why are you looking for me? I’ve been dead for years.”

The group exchanged uneasy looks before one replied, “According to Lord… Bai Gu’s orders, we were sent to ask if you’d return to the demon clan, reclaim your throne and restore the demon clan’s glory.”