Chu Hanjin shook his head, “So that’s how it is.”

Yue Lin didn’t look at him, instead turning his gaze toward the distant fireworks, “I’ve realized that if I want to make you care more about me, being bad to you seems to be more effective than being good.”

Chu Hanjin scoffed, “Then go ahead and continue.”

He turned his head away, his long eyelashes lowering slightly. A silent tension spread between them, and just when it seemed like it would end indifferently, Chu Hanjin’s wrist was suddenly grabbed. Yue Lin’s voice came, somewhat annoyed, “Continue? Fine, let’s continue.”

With that, he tilted his head and kissed Chu Hanjin on the cheek.

Chu Hanjin barely had time to catch his breath before he was pulled tightly into Yue Lin’s arms. He tried to escape, but his nape was gently pinched, just like a few days ago. Instantly, a wave of weakness surged through his body.

Chu Hanjin was incredulous, “Did you… put a spell on me?”

Yue Lin replied, “No, it’s not a spell. Didn’t you notice how unstable your spiritual energy has been? The child needs our energy. I’ve been transferring it to both of you every night to keep things balanced. So I know your body very well and am fully aware of your weak points. To be honest, this is what you’d call taking advantage of the situation.”

Chu Hanjin was furious, “Why… are you doing this to me?”

“Don’t worry,” Yue Lin’s voice was calm, his gaze steady as he looked at him, “I won’t hurt you. This is our child. Your weakness is mine too. Right now, I just want to play with you, to make you more obedient.”

He lifted Chu Hanjin’s hair, kissing his pale earlobe, whispering, “Be good. I’ll make it up to you.”

They were in a dark alley.

But not entirely dark, as the bustling street with people walking and chatting was just a short distance away.

Chu Hanjin was held tightly in Yue Lin’s embrace, his earlobe fervently kissed. The kisses were no longer as cautious as before; they had become aggressive, the heat from Yue Lin’s tongue spreading across Chu Hanjin’s earlobe, leaving a tingling sensation mixed with suppressed panting.

Chu Hanjin’s rationality was slipping away as he realized what Yue Lin intended, “You… are you taking revenge on me again?”

“No, I just want to feel good.” Yue Lin’s arm encircled his waist, protecting him from the cold wall behind. He chuckled darkly, “If I wanted revenge, it wouldn’t be this simple.”

Chu Hanjin understood the meaning behind his words.

His face flushed red as he clenched his teeth, but Yue Lin’s rough lips silenced him. It felt as though he was drowning, struggling for breath, with nowhere to hide. He was submerged in an overwhelming flood, his chest tightening.

In this moment, there were no titles, no constraints—he was just an ordinary person, pinned against a wall by a lover’s deep kisses, unable to escape.

Half-closing his eyes, Chu Hanjin heard Yue Lin’s low voice in his ear, “Does kissing you like this feel good?”

Chu Hanjin’s lips glistened with moisture, his eyes dazed, and he shook his head firmly.

It was strange. Everything had been shattered—what was left between him and Yue Lin was merely the physical, yet his boundaries seemed to be lowering.

Being touched by Yue Lin’s lips didn’t disgust him anymore.

Having his ear and neck bitten and licked left him feeling soft inside, his legs trembling involuntarily.

But Chu Hanjin was fully aware that these reactions were merely the lingering habits of having once lived as a couple with Yue Lin, continuing until now.

Yet, Chu Hanjin had his limits.

He shook his head and insisted, “It doesn’t feel good.”

“No, you do feel good,” Yue Lin confirmed, “Your waist has gone soft.”

Chu Hanjin’s ears immediately turned red with embarrassment and anger, glaring directly at Yue Lin, “If you’re just looking for fun, I don’t care how you treat me. But no matter how my body reacts, it will never be because I like you.”

His words were filled with defiance.

After he spoke, silence filled the air for a moment.

Yue Lin’s brows furrowed slightly with a trace of dark emotion, a restrained laugh escaping him, “Is that so? So in your eyes, emotions and desire are separate. And in your eyes, my touch is that meaningless?”

His voice was like a whisper.

In the dark alley, they weren’t alone. There were other couples, stealing moments of intimacy in the shadows.

But no one disturbed each other, each focused on their own desires.

“If my touch means so little to you, then I’ll just do as I please. Don’t worry, just close your eyes, and it’ll be no different from meditating. Please, don’t mind me.” Yue Lin spoke in a low, hushed tone.

Chu Hanjin heard the sound of clothing being undone.

Yue Lin’s voice came again, “Whatever you do, don’t take me seriously.”

The atmosphere became more charged.

The inner cultivation of the Far Mountain Sect forbade impure desires, and Chu Hanjin practiced a technique to maintain inner clarity. The first step was to resist temptation. Temptation was the demon in the heart, an unspeakable fear.

He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes as if he were in the purgatory described in books, where the fangs of desire and ghosts waited to claim his soul at any moment.

…Everything was tempting him.

The heat from Yue Lin’s body.

His voice.

His breath.

When Chu Hanjin lowered his eyelids, the fleeting images of wild plains and towering mountains flashed in his mind, and when he closed his eyes, only shadows remained.

It was a surreal scene.

A mortal was desecrating his god.

And this time, it was closer than that moment in the brothel—closer, more direct, more heated.

Chu Hanjin’s mind was no longer peaceful. There was no tranquility, only the trembling sound of Yue Lin’s voice, the sweat dripping from his throat, the rhythmic pressure of hands on skin, and the deep murmur of his name…

What Chu Hanjin felt wasn’t disgust or repulsion, but rather a tightening grip on his heart, as if he were walking a tightrope.

Yue Lin’s breath on his earlobe was hot, and he couldn’t help but murmur, “Ah Chu…” It was almost enough to melt his ear.

Chu Hanjin realized that the walls he had built were crumbling inch by inch.

As the sound in his ear amplified, Chu Hanjin began to accept the truth.

He realized that he did desire Yue Lin.

This man attracted him.

Acknowledging this didn’t awaken him; instead, it made him lose even more control. His fingers clenched tighter. He didn’t think it was affection—perhaps it was just the lingering result of being husband and wife in the wilderness for so long, leading his body to instinctively respond to him.

…But it wasn’t love.

Chu Hanjin’s body grew hot, but his forehead continued to sweat.

He desired Yue Lin.

The thought even made him want to give in, as Yue Lin called to him, waiting for his response. All he had to do was reach out, and he could grasp the fragments of dreams and memories, those blurred lines between pleasure and pain.

This was temptation, his inner demon.

Chu Hanjin opened his eyes and looked directly at Yue Lin, realizing how strikingly handsome the man was, how inexplicably alluring.

He even craved the warmth of his body.

A surge of self-disgust welled up within him, but it was quickly pushed aside, his mind filled only with the overwhelming attraction to Yue Lin.

Like a seductive demon smiling before Buddha, with chants in the background no match for the fluttering silk and swaying hips. The more Chu Hanjin tried to recite his calming incantations, the more they crumbled.

He closed his eyes again, his clothes now damp with sweat. The cold breeze alternated with warmth, sending waves of sensation through him.

His heartbeat quickened, dizziness overtook him, his chest tightened like a drawn bowstring—so taut it seemed it might snap at any moment.

All Chu Hanjin could do was wait for Yue Lin to stop, as if he were gambling.

…After some time, Yue Lin let out a soft breath.

Without moving, Chu Hanjin felt a chill down his back. His sweat wasn’t any less than Yue Lin’s.

Yue Lin rested a hand on his shoulder, pulling him close, clinging to him without saying a word. He simply kissed Chu Hanjin’s hair, his breath slightly ragged from the exertion, catching the faint scent of sweat.

Chu Hanjin’s fingers were stiff as he glanced at Yue Lin.

Yue Lin pressed his forehead against Chu Hanjin’s and said softly, “Let’s head back.”

Though his words indicated they were done, it was clear that Yue Lin hadn’t had enough.

Yue Lin carried Chu Hanjin back to the courtyard, placing him into the hot spring and undoing his sweat-dampened clothes.

Both of them entered the water, and Yue Lin scooped water over Chu Hanjin’s body, helping wash his hair.

There was no restraint or formality this time. Yue Lin simply stripped Chu Hanjin bare, focusing on washing him with no shame, his gaze lingering over every inch of his skin.

But this time, the madman seemed gentle. After checking the time, he said, “Let’s finish up quickly. It’s your usual bedtime. If you don’t sleep on time, you’ll have insomnia again.”

Chu Hanjin ignored his tenderness, still shaken by what had happened in the alley. It was as if he was seeing Yue Lin in a new light, his eyes repeatedly drifting to his face.

Yue Lin tucked him in, asking, “What is it? You’ve been looking at me all night.”

Chu Hanjin hesitated, unsure of what to say, “…It’s nothing.”

Yue Lin pressed further, “Not only have you been looking at me, you haven’t been as angry with me as usual.” His deep golden eyes were dark and hoarse as he asked, “Are you so disappointed in me that you no longer even find it worth getting angry?”

“…”

Chu Hanjin hadn’t expected Yue Lin to think this way.

Like a reckless youth, Yue Lin kept pushing him, waiting to see if he would get angry. If Chu Hanjin did, Yue Lin felt guilty. If he didn’t, Yue Lin felt even worse, unable to bear being completely ignored.

Yue Lin did terrible things to Chu Hanjin but feared his hatred.

He was contradictory, complicated—hating Chu Hanjin but unable to stop loving him.

Chu Hanjin’s heart softened slightly, but he tried to remain composed, “If you feel guilty, then stop treating me like this.”

Yue Lin looked into his eyes, “You hate it that much?”

Chu Hanjin didn’t answer, “Sleep.”

Yue Lin couldn’t quite understand Chu Hanjin’s meaning. But then, Chu Hanjin himself didn’t fully understand his own feelings—this unfamiliar sensation of softening toward someone.

That night, neither of them slept well, each lost in their own thoughts. Before long, Yue Lin came back to him, pulling Chu Hanjin into his arms and placing his palm over his stomach to transfer spiritual energy.

Chu Hanjin pretended to be asleep. Once the transfer was done, Yue Lin turned away. No matter how drawn to each other they were, as long as the conflict between right and wrong remained unresolved, there would be no chance for peace between them.

Chu Hanjin drifted off into a restless sleep.

When he woke up, the space beside him was empty, and voices came from the courtyard.

“The palace preparations are complete, just waiting for the Lord to take his place. I came to inform him and found someone lurking on the wall, so I captured them.”

Yue Lin and Bai Gu stood facing each other, a half-dead man lying on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth.

Chu Hanjin walked into the courtyard. Bai Gu glanced at him, then smiled, “I wonder if this is someone from the righteous path, looking for Lord Yue Zhao. If so, we’ll leave it to him to deal with.”

Yue Lin’s expression was calm, and he said nothing.

Hearing the words “righteous path,” Chu Hanjin’s mind stirred. He approached the figure, using two fingers to pull aside the person’s collar.

People from the righteous path could disguise themselves, but fellow disciples had a way to recognize each other—by a hidden mark on the neck that could only be revealed by a certain chant.

With just one glance, Chu Hanjin recognized the symbol of the Far Mountain Sect.

This was a spy from the Far Mountain Sect.

Chu Hanjin looked up, and Bai Gu was still smiling, “Since Lord Yue Zhao has already become the consort of our Demon Lord, he’s now one of us in the Demon Clan. But this man kept insisting that our Lord kidnapped you, claiming you were being held against your will and trying to rescue you. Our Lord is so wronged! And look, he even brought along a ‘Communication Talisman.’ Perhaps Lord Yue Zhao would like to explain? After that, we can kill him. That way, the righteous sects can hear your stance loud and clear.”

Chu Hanjin’s face darkened.

A Communication Talisman was a rare and valuable item used only by select spies in the Six Sects. It transmitted everything the spy saw and heard before death back to their sect, aiding in intelligence gathering.

And now, Bai Gu’s words made the situation crystal clear.

He wanted to tell the entire righteous path that Chu Hanjin had defected to the Demon Clan.