Lin Qinghen had no idea when Yin Hengxie came or left. He was entirely focused on comparing two different soil samples in his hands.

As he suspected, all the soil in Bei Zhou contained Demonic Qi—just varying levels of it. The soil in the Plantation area had significantly less, almost unnoticeable levels, so it could be treated as normal soil for planting, though there was still some trace of it.

Lin Qinghen casually took a seed and planted it in the courtyard, then applied a diluted growth accelerator to observe its growth pattern.

It didn’t die immediately. At a casual glance, one would only see a small sprout emerge before quickly withering to a lifeless yellow. But with Lin Qinghen’s fine spiritual sensitivity and natural affinity, he could see tiny black specks of Demonic Qi slowly infiltrating the plant as it grew.

It was as if a war was happening within this simple spirit plant. The Spirit Qi and Demonic Qi clashed fiercely, with the Spirit Qi ultimately defeated.

Next, Lin Qinghen mixed the two soil samples to see the effect. If the Demonic Qi concentration in the soil was reduced, the plant would survive a little longer, but in the end, it couldn’t escape the grip of Demonic Qi and still withered away.

Only when the concentration dropped to the point where ordinary people couldn’t sense it—like the soil in the Plantation—did the Demonic Qi become so weak that it couldn’t breach the plant’s outer defenses and thus had no impact.

Once Demonic Qi gathered in the soil, Yellow-level plants couldn’t withstand it. Higher-level plants could resist, but these were rare and precious. Cultivating Mysterious-level spirit plants artificially was complex, requiring individual care and attention, and even wild ones were few and lacked low-level plants for cover and protection. So, Bei Zhou’s land was increasingly desolate.

Of course, Lin Qinghen wasn’t the first to experiment like this. Many others in Bei Zhou had also tried but couldn’t find a solution.

This pervasive Demonic Qi was also different from that in the Demonic Qi Rift. So far, it hadn’t produced any violently mutating plants, leaving people wondering what element was missing.

This soil problem had long plagued Bei Zhou, contributing to its post-disaster resource scarcity.

Lin Qinghen frowned, repeating his experiments several times. Beyond the well-known facts, he observed something different during the brief period before the plants succumbed to Demonic Qi.

When Spirit Qi and Demonic Qi intertwined within the plant, it wasn’t actually the beginning of its decay. On the contrary, the plant, driven by its survival instinct, summoned all its strength to resist, reaching an unprecedentedly vigorous state. It was like the “catfish effect,” with the Demonic Qi as a powerful catfish stimulating the plant—but ultimately, the catfish was too strong, and the plant was swallowed up.

From this perspective, Demonic Qi in the soil could act as a stimulant, potentially accelerating the evolution of spirit plants—if the amount was controlled.

But no matter how much he tried, Lin Qinghen couldn’t pinpoint the right balance. According to his observations, if the concentration exceeded a certain threshold, it didn’t affect the strength of Demonic Qi’s intrusion, only the speed—essentially, determining whether the plant would die sooner or later.

But if the concentration was too low, Demonic Qi wasn’t potent enough to trigger the plant’s special state.

Demonic Qi had a natural corrosive effect on Spirit Qi. Even a trace was enough to overwhelm a Yellow-level spirit plant.

Mixing the two soil samples and adjusting the ratio wasn’t enough. To reach his goal, he’d need to introduce something else as an auxiliary soil enhancer.

Lost in thought, Lin Qinghen only snapped back to reality when Yin Jiuxiao called out to him.

“What’s up?” he stood up, dusting himself off. “Has Family Head Yin left?”

Yin Jiuxiao gave a light nod and, turning slightly in his direction, said, “He just complimented you.”

“Complimented me on what?”

“He said we’re quite compatible.”

Lin Qinghen chuckled.

“Then I’ll return the compliment,” he replied, “He’s at least got some conscience.”

Naturally, he did, thought Yin Jiuxiao. Guilt and old promises had compelled him to hold onto his title as Young Master for all these years. But in the end, he hadn’t managed anything well.

Being Family Head wasn’t something you could do with conscience alone.

While Yin Jiuxiao only thought this to himself, Lin Qinghen said it out loud. “But his personality’s a bit too straightforward, and he’s not particularly smart. If he had even a hint of cleverness, how could he let the family get like this? Sure, it’s in decline for now, but with the Nine Heavens Exquisite Cloud Sword, he shouldn’t be bullied by a petty guy like Xu Yaoyang.”

These days, Lin Qinghen had come to understand the Yin family better, leaving him a bit thoughtful.

Even if he hadn’t accidentally married into the Yin family, he would have had a favorable impression of them.

It’s rare to risk your life to save others. Before he arrived, he thought there’d still be some dignity left in them, even in poverty. But he hadn’t expected such a disorder.

Yin Jiuxiao smiled and half-seriously asked, “If he weren’t Family Head, who else could take his place?”

After washing his hands, Lin Qinghen helped Yin Jiuxiao into the room. Sitting down, he slowly replied, “You could.”

“Qinghen?”

Lin Qinghen wasn’t joking. He looked at Yin Jiuxiao for a moment, then grabbed his wrist.

“Jiuxiao,” Lin Qinghen said softly, “I want to ask you something. Will you answer honestly?”

Without hesitation, Yin Jiuxiao replied, “Of course.”

But he didn’t expect Lin Qinghen’s next question.

“You have Demonic Qi in you, don’t you?”

Yin Jiuxiao: “…”

He froze, silently processing the question. When had Lin Qinghen realized?

Since they got married, each of them sensed there were deeper layers to each other than met the eye. Though neither had completely laid things bare, they probed each other cautiously, bit by bit.

Yin Jiuxiao knew his shadows were tracking him. Though Lin Qinghen lacked the skills to track them, his observational and perceptive abilities were top-notch. He’d sensed the faint disturbances in Yin Jiuxiao’s aura that even Yu Yinyin, Yin Jiuxiao’s shadow, had missed.

It would be a lie to say Lin Qinghen hadn’t noticed the anomalies in Yin Jiuxiao’s aura during daily cultivation.

At first, Lin Qinghen, cautious about his own life, didn’t know enough to recognize the Demonic Qi lingering around Yin Jiuxiao.

But recently, after witnessing the effects of Demonic Qi in the soil, he suddenly recalled Yin Jiuxiao’s strange aura.

Lin Qinghen wasn’t overthinking it; he simply recalled Yin Jiuxiao’s childhood injury from Demonic Qi, which had shaken his mind and caused his cultivation technique to backfire. However, no one had ever mentioned that traces of Demonic Qi lingered in his body.

For someone with Demonic Qi to coexist with Spirit Qi all these years was nothing short of a miracle.

Beyond the oddities in Yin Jiuxiao’s body, Lin Qinghen had another thought: if he could survive, then so could my spirit plants.

So, choosing this moment to bring it up served multiple purposes.

Yin Jiuxiao didn’t entirely understand Lin Qinghen’s studies. But from Lin Qinghen’s recent mutterings as he worked with the soil, the term “Demonic Qi” had come up frequently.

Once you got to know him, you realized Lin Qinghen was pragmatic and never did anything pointless. Yin Jiuxiao quickly realized he’d become a research subject.

Yet, what Yin Jiuxiao had wasn’t Demonic Qi but a Demon Bone. Those plants didn’t have a Demon Bone to sustain them—totally different situations.

“I do have Demonic Qi, but it doesn’t help much—just keeps me alive,” Yin Jiuxiao replied bluntly. “How I’ve held on for over ten years, I can’t explain; maybe I’m just stubbornly lucky.”

That wasn’t exactly a lie. Even with two lives’ worth of experience, Yin Jiuxiao couldn’t fully explain his early cultivation state. He could only attribute it to innate strength and some foundation at birth, allowing him to endure the two conflicting energies.

Lin Qinghen scrutinized him for a long moment, pondering, then asked further.

“Can you control the Demonic Qi within you?”

Yin Jiuxiao hesitated. “Not entirely.”

He didn’t want to reveal everything, nor did he intend to lie outright. Both of them held their secrets, so Yin Jiuxiao’s response was part truth, part evasion.

“I’ve just barely managed to survive all these years,” he continued, gesturing to his eyes. “If I were more capable, I wouldn’t still be here struggling.”

True, Lin Qinghen thought. Yin Hengxie hadn’t been able to protect him and had only brought him more trouble. The Yin family was no haven.

When Lin Qinghen still had a bit of confidence in the Lin family, he’d wanted to run away. If Yin Jiuxiao had had any means to protect himself, he wouldn’t have returned here. Lei City, with its scarce resources, wasn’t exactly ideal for cultivation.

What Lin Qinghen didn’t know was that Yin Jiuxiao, originally planning to run, had changed his mind and returned because of him.

“One more question,” Lin Qinghen continued, “Can you control the Demonic Qi in your body to a certain extent?”

After a pause, Yin Jiuxiao gave a vague answer. “To a certain extent, yes.”

After a moment, he added, “If Qinghen needs Demonic Qi, I can try to draw some out. It might hurt, but I’m used to it; my body’s already in this state. If it’s useful to Qinghen, at least it’d mean something.”

With his Demon Bone and Sword Bone coexisting, Yin Jiuxiao could manipulate both types of energy separately. If Lin Qinghen needed it, it wouldn’t be too difficult to draw out a few threads.

But the pitiful tone in his voice made him seem fragile in Lin Qinghen’s eyes again.

Thinking it over, Lin Qinghen vaguely sensed an idea forming in his mind. “Not yet.”

As usual, Yin Jiuxiao was agreeable, making conversations with him so easy. If he stayed, maybe this research would get easier.

After a long silence, Lin Qinghen ruffled his hair and said, “Still, having Demonic Qi within you can’t be pleasant. Jiuxiao, if I find a solution one day, it’ll help you too.”

Yin Jiuxiao didn’t expect much from this, but Lin Qinghen spoke as if he were making a solemn promise.

Lin Qinghen was indeed hard at work. Digging and experimenting with soil, he hadn’t yet asked Yin Jiuxiao to extract any Demonic Qi. Sadly, every spirit plant he cultivated withered one by one.

Now that Yin Jiuxiao’s secret was out, he felt more at ease. He openly trained in a nearby room.

Earlier, he had worried that merging the energies of the two sources would take time, with occasional disruptions in his aura during cultivation. But now, he realized he had nothing to hide.

Lin Qinghen knew he was cultivating and even moved quietly around the room when he entered.

With his questions answered, Lin Qinghen didn’t pry further, though he occasionally asked about Yin Jiuxiao’s understanding of Demonic Qi. Yin Jiuxiao’s answers provided helpful insights for Lin Qinghen’s research.

Lin Qinghen was anything but idle. Immersed in his work, he had little time to investigate Yin Jiuxiao. So long as Yin Jiuxiao remained cooperative, Lin Qinghen was satisfied, even assuming Yin Jiuxiao couldn’t see him. His actions were candid.

Two people, sharing a room, each with a complicated past, had somehow struck a balance, their unspoken understanding allowing them to coexist peacefully.

For both, these days were more interesting than before. They both needed some quiet time, and each found joy in this unusual companionship.

Author’s Note:

Two protagonists reaching an understanding! [High-five!]