A strange feeling of being conned suddenly rose in Lin Qinghen’s heart, so he raised his hand and gently pushed Yin Jiuxiao’s head away from getting any closer. Want to kiss without explaining first?

Yin Jiuxiao looked a little wronged and called out, “Qinghen,” but his current pitiful appearance didn’t really convince anyone. Lin Qinghen wasn’t about to be fooled again.

And besides, his eyes were only part of the issue. Yin Jiuxiao clearly had more he hadn’t disclosed.

—His strength.

Thinking of this, Lin Qinghen immediately asked, “Your strength, did it start changing about a year ago just like your eyes? What’s really going on?”

Yin Jiuxiao’s loss of spiritual power at the age of seven suddenly seemed suspicious now, but it didn’t make sense to say he’d been hiding his strength like Lin Qinghen had been doing. The bullying he endured at home was real, and the scars on his body, along with the attitudes of the people around him, didn’t seem fake. If he’d had his strength all along, there was no reason to suffer like that.

Under Lin Qinghen’s steady gaze, Yin Jiuxiao nodded and then added, “To be precise, it’s because my strength gradually started recovering that my eyesight improved along with it.”

He explained everything earnestly to Lin Qinghen—from his own background to the chaos of demonic qi and spiritual qi in his body. It was only a year ago that he found a way to control it by modifying his cultivation method, allowing his power to get back on track. He even mentioned going to the Lin family for the spiritual qi mentioned in the marriage contract.

He didn’t go into too much detail, though; especially when it came to the topic of his rebirth, he hesitated over whether to explain it. But before he could get to that, Lin Qinghen had already asked another question.

“You’ve never told anyone about your strength recovering?”

“Yes,” Yin Jiuxiao replied, “I’ve kept it hidden. You know the situation with the Yin family. There’s no one I can trust there.”

That made sense. Although Yin Hengxie had some loyalty, his obliviousness rendered him practically useless. Yin Jiuxiao had been right to lay low over the past year.

Lin Qinghen frowned thoughtfully, then asked, “But didn’t you consider revealing it when you went to the Lin family?”

If he’d looked down on the Yin family, there were still plenty of places in the Spirit World where he could go.

With the marriage contract already in place, if Yin Jiuxiao’s original strength had started recovering, his talent was undoubtedly better than Lin Qingshuang’s. A promising talent like that would’ve prompted Lin Zhongtian to react far differently to the marriage than he had.

Obtaining the spiritual qi promised in the marriage contract shouldn’t have been difficult for Yin Jiuxiao. So why let Lin Zhongtian orchestrate this odd marriage where he ended up with Lin Qinghen?

Especially since, at that grand Lin family banquet with all the major powers present, if Yin Jiuxiao had showcased his strength, he’d have been instantly sought after. The Su Ye Immortal Mountain would have extended an olive branch without hesitation.

He wasn’t like Lin Qinghen, who, due to the complexities of his system and other personal reasons, couldn’t join any faction and had to go solo. If Yin Jiuxiao had wanted, there would’ve been plenty of people willing to cultivate him. But he hid his strength, even now.

What exactly was Yin Jiuxiao thinking?

Lin Qinghen examined him closely. Yin Jiuxiao wasn’t simple, but he couldn’t figure out why he was turning down all these opportunities or what other motives he might have.

But his heart, slowly sinking with doubt, was lifted by Yin Jiuxiao’s next words.

“The Lin family is worse than the Yin family. Besides, I never wanted to marry Lin Qingshuang; why reveal my strength there just to attract attention?” Yin Jiuxiao said. “When I was down, no one offered a helping hand—instead, they stepped on me. The moment they saw an advantage, they immediately changed their tune. What’s the point of joining such powers?”

Lin Qinghen was stunned and found he had nothing to argue against.

Yes, power is important, but sincerity means more.

Seeing his expression relax slightly, Yin Jiuxiao continued, “Originally, I just wanted to gain the spiritual qi from the marriage contract and then venture out on my own, leave Bei Zhou, and ignore the Yin family. But…”

“But what?”

“But didn’t I marry you?” Yin Jiuxiao said, his fingers gently twirling a strand of Lin Qinghen’s hair, his expression unconsciously softening. “I thought a marriage in name would be fine. People considered me useless, a failure unworthy of attention, but only you, Qinghen, treated me kindly.

“Lin Zhongtian may not be a good person, but the best thing he ever did was give me you.”

Under Yin Jiuxiao’s gaze, Lin Qinghen found himself at a loss for words to refute.

He felt Yin Jiuxiao’s arm tighten slightly around his waist.

“I know your kindness is genuine, and so my affection is, too,” Yin Jiuxiao continued, his tone softening even further. “I never meant to deceive you, but it’s hard to know where to start explaining things. I needed time to stabilize my strength after absorbing those two strands of spiritual qi. That’s the truth; I didn’t lie to you, Qinghen. Please believe me this once, I…”

He faltered, maybe out of nerves, watching Lin Qinghen intently, afraid of not being trusted.

But at this point, Lin Qinghen didn’t seem particularly angry anymore.

He was struck by a thought, recalling why he’d shown kindness to Yin Jiuxiao in the first place. Because Yin Jiuxiao had always treated him differently.

Back when he was nothing, this was the person who saw him as better than Lin Qingshuang, someone willing to marry him sincerely. And only Yin Jiuxiao had genuinely spoken to him, had stayed by his side, and accepted him no matter what personality he revealed, be it mad or ruthless. Yin Jiuxiao never seemed to judge him.

And now, even as he realized Yin Jiuxiao’s strength and true nature had been hidden, this one thing was real—Yin Jiuxiao hadn’t lied about his feelings.

Coming back to Lei City with him already proved that. Otherwise, there was no reason to stay; with Lei City in its troubled state, Yin Jiuxiao could have easily left for a brighter future elsewhere. But he hadn’t.

Yet, he still had questions. His momentary softness wavered as he cleared his throat, steeling himself again before asking, “Then, what did you do today?”

Yin Jiuxiao exhaled with relief.

Had they finally gotten past the earlier matters?

Lin Qinghen hadn’t pushed him away, nor did he seem angry enough to kick him out. He was still being held, which meant there was still a chance.

And, as for today—he had no reason to worry. Today’s task was actually a gift for Lin Qinghen.

The previous issues didn’t trigger anger, so surely this wouldn’t either.

“I figured since you’ve resolved matters inside Lei City, the only issue left was the Lang Clan outside,” Yin Jiuxiao explained. “So I went out today to take care of them and make sure you could rest easy.”

Lin Qinghen was even more confused.

“Wait a minute… You went alone to handle the Lang Clan?” Lin Qinghen couldn’t believe it. “Even Yin Hengxie has been willing to deal with the Lang Clan, so why not ask him for help? Why go alone?”

Surely, Yin Jiuxiao couldn’t be that reckless?

Yin Jiuxiao shook his head seriously, replying, “It’s not the same.”

If Yin Hengxie got involved, the Lang Clan would end up absorbed into the Yin family. That wouldn’t be much help to Lin Qinghen and might even have a few negative repercussions.

Right now, the Yin family was still controlled by Lin Qinghen’s Gathering Origin Spirit Stones and faced constant shortages. As long as they needed those stones, they’d be forced to comply.

The Lang Clan still had some resources. If those assets went to the Yin family, they’d swell too quickly and disrupt the balance Lin Qinghen had worked so hard to establish. It’d spell trouble.

The incident with Manager Wang already showed that some within the family were getting restless. Even if Yin Hengxie could act tough, he couldn’t handle everything. If the Lang Clan joined too fast, these growing ambitions in the Yin family would threaten Lin Qinghen.

So Yin Jiuxiao had to pick the right moment to take over the Lang Clan personally, making them Lin Qinghen’s asset. With Die Meng in its infancy, stabilizing Lei City from inside and out would ensure its growth.

Besides the big picture, he also had his reasons. If Yin Hengxie handled it, it’d be someone else’s credit. How would he win Lin Qinghen’s heart with that?

“I wanted to tell you last night but was afraid you’d be mad.” Yin Jiuxiao buried his head on Lin Qinghen’s shoulder, mumbling, “I just wanted to make you happy so you wouldn’t be so upset.”

Lin Qinghen understood his meaning.

His fingers tightened, a complex surge of emotions flooding through him, leaving him a little bewildered but amused.

Yin Jiuxiao really had been thinking of him, even at the expense of ignoring the Yin family’s interests to focus on Die Meng for his sake.

Up until now, anyone who’d been kind to him earned his gratitude—Yu Yinyin, his mentor, was a prime example. He had worked hard to live up to her expectations.

But only Yin Jiuxiao had ever considered him so deeply, not just for Die Meng’s situation but for his own peace of mind.

Lin Qinghen realized that Yin Jiuxiao’s “affection” was more than mere words.

It was a genuine confession.

“Still, going alone… it’s too dangerous.” Lin Qinghen’s voice was tinged with a stammer, his gaze falling to Yin Jiuxiao’s injured arm. “And this is only the first time! How far did things go with the Lang Clan? If it’s bad, then don’t go next time. We’ll find another way…”

Before he finished, he felt Yin Jiuxiao pat his back gently, saying, “Qinghen, don’t worry. I’ve already settled it.”

…Settled it already?

Alone?

Lin Qinghen knew the Lang Clan’s internal strength well enough. Their leader, Wei Lin, was a Heavenly Tier, not far behind Xu Yaoyang in strength.

Yin Jiuxiao hadn’t clarified his exact strength, only that it’d recovered. Based on logical assumptions, he was probably a bit stronger than Lin Qingshuang—reaching Earth Tier at his age was already astonishing.

But by that logic, even if he teamed up with Wei Lin, they’d still be short.

“I made a deal with Wei Lin. I killed the chief, and now I have control of the entire Lang Clan,” Yin Jiuxiao said, his voice tinged with a hint of pride as if expecting a reward from Lin Qinghen.

But Lin Qinghen’s expression was utterly stunned.

That Lang Clan leader was a Heavenly Tier, with overall strength comparable to Xu Yaoyang!

Even though Lin Qinghen wasn’t a primary cultivator, he grasped just how unbelievable Yin Jiuxiao’s feat was.

Eighteen-year-old Yin Jiuxiao had defeated a Heavenly Tier?

How absurd was that?

The one he’d taken in like a fragile doll, who was now cuddled up and acting all coy—he was the true cultivation prodigy here!

No wonder Lin Qinghen had always felt that Yin Jiuxiao’s strength was impossible to resist. If he could push him away, then something would really be wrong!