Chu Hanjin approached the carriage, lifted the curtain to get on, when Yue Lin suddenly said, “Didn’t you want to eat the candied haws at the street corner? Shall we go buy some now?”

Chu Hanjin looked up, puzzled.

Yue Lin’s dark eyes stared intently at him.

The implication in his words was clear.

Chu Hanjin, with a hint of confusion in his heart, turned around as instructed, “Okay.”

He took a turn and headed towards the other end of the street. As he slipped out of sight, someone gently tapped his shoulder. His hand went to his sword hilt, about to turn around.

A voice came from behind, “Junior brother.”

It wasn’t Mu Lianchun’s appearance, but the voice was unmistakable—it was definitely Mu Lianchun in disguise.

Chu Hanjin was surprised, “Senior brother?”

He realized why Yue Lin had sent him to a secluded place. If people saw him associating with a demon clan member, it wouldn’t sound good publicly.

“Suddenly leaving and now almost half a year,” Mu Lianchun looked worried, “what on earth have you been doing?”

Chu Hanjin sighed, “Senior brother, it’s complicated.”

Anger flashed across Mu Lianchun’s face, “Those bastards at Rongku Sect said you defected to the demon clan and even colluded with the Demon Lord! I don’t believe it. Don’t I know you better? You wouldn’t do such vile things!”

Chu Hanjin sighed, “It’s complicated.”

“Then explain clearly what you’ve been up to during this time!” Mu Lianchun’s anger subsided quickly, and after looking around, he said, “There’s no rush at this moment, now that I’ve found you, you must come back with me right away—by the way, was that person with you just now from the demon clan?”

Chu Hanjin, “Yes.”

“Come with me right now,” Mu Lianchun demanded.

Chu Hanjin didn’t expect his firm attitude and took a moment to glance toward where Yue Lin’s carriage was parked.

He stared intently for a moment then shook his head, “Senior brother, I can’t leave just yet.”

Mu Lianchun, “Why can’t you leave?!”

Chu Hanjin looked determined, “I have a child with Yue Lin.”

Mu Lianchun, “What?!”

His face turned pale with shock.

It was no wonder he reacted so strongly; anyone would be taken aback by such news. He stared in disbelief at Chu Hanjin, “Say that again?!”

Chu Hanjin felt a bit troubled.

He knew his senior brother’s overprotective nature was kicking in.

Chu Hanjin closed his eyes briefly, saying, “Senior brother, I know it’s sudden, but believe it or not, it’s true.”

Mu Lianchun cursed loudly, “Damn!”

After cursing, he nearly lost it, “What now? The Demon Lord had a child with you, doesn’t that make us connected by blood to the Far Mountain Sect? How can we…”

He couldn’t finish the thought.

Could he still fight them?

But Chu Hanjin gave him a peculiar look, paused, then added, “I gave birth.”

Mu Lianchun, “……………………”

Chu Hanjin sighed, “We’ll talk about this in detail later, but for now, I can’t leave.”

Mu Lianchun frowned, shaking his head, “You must leave, I specifically came to find you.” He added, “Bring the child with you.”

What did he mean?

Take the child and leave Yue Lin behind, abandoning his spouse?

Chu Hanjin looked at Mu Lianchun, “Senior brother, do you think I am someone so heartless?”

In fact, Chu Hanjin had once planned the same, but now, he wouldn’t do that again. The reason was simple; the time spent with Yue Lin had made him realize how important Yue Lin was to him.

Mu Lianchun was visibly anxious, his face stiff, “What do you mean? You can’t leave that demon? Could it be that you…”

He paused.

Chu Hanjin turned his chin slightly, as if looking through the wall to the scene inside the carriage, then he nodded solemnly, “Senior brother.”

Mu Lianchun, “Hmm?”

A ripple crossed Chu Hanjin’s eyes, “If this is destined to be a calamity, I want to face it with him.”

– 

Under the scorching sun, the intense sunlight was dizzying.

Yue Lin’s fingers brushed through the water in the bucket, listlessly splashing it onto the fruit, his interest fading, languidly.

Bai Gu stood outside the carriage, “Isn’t Lord Yue Zhao coming back?”

Yue Lin watched the fruit and occasionally glanced at the sky, his emotions unclear. He sighed for no apparent reason, his brows furrowed with anxiety.

Chu Hanjin had gone to meet someone from the Far Mountain Sect.

Now that the child had been born, Yue Lin wasn’t sure if he would leave.

Though Yue Lin would respect his decision regardless, his heart was still ablaze, as if something was burning him.

Bai Gu bowed again, “Your Majesty?”

Just as Yue Lin was about to snap at him impatiently, someone spoke.

“I’m back.”

A cool voice, as if soaked in ice water, brought a refreshing breeze along.

Chu Hanjin, holding a bag of crispy pastries wrapped in waxed paper, glanced at Yue Lin, “I’ve got the stuff, let’s go.”

Yue Lin’s frown eased, and he looked at Chu Hanjin for a while without speaking. His heart was in turmoil, filled with mixed feelings, before he walked over to Chu Hanjin and took the pastries from his hands.

Chu Hanjin had chosen him.

Chu Hanjin hadn’t left.

When Yue Lin had signaled for Chu Hanjin to meet with his senior brother, he felt like he was gambling, but fortunately, he won this bet.

Sitting in the carriage, Yue Lin asked, “You didn’t go with the people from the Far Mountain Sect?”

Chu Hanjin replied casually, “I wanted to stay with you, to have an extra pair of hands at least.”

A simple statement, yet it warmed Yue Lin’s heart.

His eyes reflected Chu Hanjin’s face, his voice gentle, “That’s good.”

It was already late when they departed, and they hurried through the night, hoping to intercept the children from the Rongku Sect before they entered the formation area to prevent complications.

Yue Lin knew it was unlikely they’d make it on time, and as expected, when they reached the spanning mountains, the people from Rongku Sect had already entered the misty ridges of the formation.

Bai Gu wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face doomed, “We’re in trouble now.”

This meant they would have to enter the range of Rongku Sect’s formation where spiritual energy was diminished and cultivators lurked, significantly increasing the danger of abducting the children.

“They probably haven’t gone far yet, how about we find an inn outside the misty ridges to settle down for the night and explore later? What do you think, Your Majesty?” Bai Gu could only think of a way to remedy the situation.

Yue Lin expressed his anger appropriately, “If you can’t handle a few people, you might as well lose your head!” After cursing, he added, “You make your own decisions.”

Bai Gu appeared cautious, picking up on something, and asked, “Aren’t you going in with me, Your Majesty?”

Yue Lin, “I’ll wait for you at the inn.”

“…”

Bai Gu hesitated, “My methods, Your Majesty should be clear, I might get discovered as soon as I enter, and not only might I fail to retrieve the children, my life might also be in danger.”

Yue Lin, “Are you scared?”

Bai Gu, “Not exactly scared, but if Your Majesty could assist me… that would be much better…”

Yue Lin sneered, “Dream on. If you need assistance, find your own people. If you get caught, I might deign to rescue you.”

Disappointment and anxiety were clear on Bai Gu’s face. He had thought Yue Lin would join him in the misty ridges of the multi-eyed salt lake, but it turned out Yue Lin was content to watch from the sidelines at the inn, leaving him to bear the risk alone.

However, he dared not defy Yue Lin and nodded, “As you command.”

Seeing him leave the inn, Chu Hanjin set down his sword, asking, “Will this tactic work?”

Yue Lin looked thoughtful, “If he wants to survive, he must use his and Morning Sun Evening Sun’s sneaky methods. Once it gets dark and he leaves, I’ll follow behind him to see if I can find any evidence.”

He placed the tea cup on the table, “Only by forcing him can we reveal his true nature.”

Chu Hanjin, “I hope it works.”

After speaking, he prepared to go downstairs to bask in the sun again. The fruit not only liked to soak in water but also enjoyed sunbathing. When the warm sunlight caressed its skin, its outer skin noticeably yellowed, seeming to hasten its maturation.

However, the fruit didn’t like the scorching sun; it would become wrinkly.

The temperature at dusk would be most suitable.

Chu Hanjin pondered, eager to see the child’s appearance soon.

Meanwhile, the inn was bustling.

This area belonged to the Rongku Sect, closest to the salt lake, a place normal travelers and cultivators wouldn’t linger. Those who came here were likely related to the multi-eyed salt lake.

The cultivators drank, chatted, and ate. Just as Chu Hanjin sat down with the small fruit on a bench, a group of people swayed into the door.

Seeing Mu Lianchun, Chu Hanjin was momentarily stunned.

Mu Lianchun also froze, “Junior brother.”

Chu Hanjin, “Senior brother?”

Mu Lianchun, “You…”

Chu Hanjin asked first, “Why are you here?”

Mu Lianchun, “This…”

It was no wonder Chu Hanjin was confused.

If Mu Lianchun had come just to find him, he should have returned after reaching Wind Willow City. Why was he near the salt lake?

Mu Lianchun, seeing Yue Lin behind him, stiffened for a moment, then pulled Chu Hanjin’s sleeve, “Come over here, I’ll tell you.”

He glanced at the fruit in Chu Hanjin’s basket and exclaimed, “What fruit is this? I’ve never seen it before.” Then he changed the subject, “Come on, come have dinner with your senior brother. Look how thin you’ve gotten; you must not have been eating well these days. Tonight, I’ll drink a few with you, let’s have a good meal!”

His words lacked focus but were warmly inviting as he put an arm around Chu Hanjin’s shoulder.

Hearing this hearty invitation, Chu Hanjin knew something was up.

Chu Hanjin couldn’t help but frown, “Senior brother…”

Mu Lianchun ignored him, “Come on, come on, junior brother!”

What was going on?

Chu Hanjin had no choice but to glance at Yue Lin, “I’ll go over once more.”

He walked to the guest room and closed the door. Mu Lianchun, leaning on his boots, switched from his previous lively demeanor to silent and brooding.

Chu Hanjin urged repeatedly, “Senior brother, why did you call me over?”

“What did I call you over for? What do you think? Do you think we, as brothers, need to speak in front of that demon?”

Chu Hanjin was about to speak but stopped, shifting the topic instead, “Why are you here?”

Mu Lianchun’s face seemed resentful, and after a long pause, he said, “Junior brother, you’ve been in the demon realm these past few months, you probably don’t realize how much your reputation has been damaged.”

Chu Hanjin was indifferent, merely humming in response.

Mu Lianchun’s face was full of sorrow, “People from Rongku Sect have been slandering you, clamoring to issue an ‘expulsion order’ to brand you as a fallen demon, condemned to be hunted everywhere. If it were someone else, they might have done it already! But because it’s you, I can’t believe it. On one hand, I’ve been looking everywhere for you, and on the other, I’ve been fighting with Rongku Sect to prove your innocence. Why did I come to the multi-eyed salt lake? Isn’t it to meet with the elders and argue with them again!”

Mu Lianchun was furious.

Chu Hanjin could only listen.

“Junior brother, oh junior brother! Why must you entangle yourself with the demon clan? Think about the Far Mountain Sect, think about our master, you need to take care of your reputation! Tonight, when the people from Rongku Sect come, you should explain the whole story in front of us! This way, there will be no more misunderstandings, and the truth can be made public. Did you hear me?”

Chu Hanjin was unaware of Yue Lin’s arrangements for the evening and did not respond for a moment.

Mu Lianchun’s voice suddenly rose, “I’m asking you! Junior brother!”

His voice was so loud it startled the fruit in the basket. The fruit seemed surprised, trembling and squeezing itself into the folds of the cloth, its skin slightly wrinkling.

The fruit was scared.

Realizing this, Chu Hanjin placed the fruit in his lap, his slender fingers stroking its skin from center to tail, very gently but without stopping until the fruit’s green skin relaxed again.

He looked up at Mu Lianchun again and said softly, “Senior brother, lower your voice.”

“…”

Mu Lianchun stared at the fruit in his hands, then remembered to ask, “Where’s your child?”

Chu Hanjin held it up, “This is it.”

Mu Lianchun’s frown deepened, almost painfully distressed, “You were pregnant for months and gave birth to this thing?”

At that, the fruit began to tremble, its whole body wrinkling.

Mu Lianchun paused, asking, “What’s wrong with it?”

Chu Hanjin expressionless, “It’s angry.”

“…”