Mi Lu returned to his room, lying down and turning over repeatedly as he pondered over the girls HuLü Yan had come across over the years. Yet, after going through everyone in his mind, he couldn’t think of any girl HuLü Yan was particularly close with.

If he had to name someone… then Mi Lu felt he himself was the closest to HuLü Yan. But it wasn’t like HuLü Yan could be interested in him, right?

Not to mention that in all the books they had read, there wasn’t any storyline involving male love interests. Plus, based on HuLü Yan’s attitude towards Xiao Zhen four years ago, there was no way HuLü Yan liked men.

Could it be that HuLü Yan had fallen for some girl before he met Mi Lu? But back then, HuLü Yan hadn’t even turned fourteen—that would be way too early!

Mi Lu thought about it all night without finding a satisfying answer. And if he didn’t figure it out soon, there was no doubt HuLü Yan would keep making wild remarks that left him unsettled. Maybe he should try matching HuLü Yan with Yang Rong again. After all, besides Yang Rong, there wasn’t any other girl HuLü Yan got along with this well.

After making up his mind, Mi Lu turned over, ready to drift off to sleep.

He had been lying on his side, facing the wall, and after turning over, he now faced the arched doorway leading to the outer room.

The archway was just the right height for a person but wide enough for four or five to pass through at once. With only one person standing there, it seemed almost hauntingly empty.

There was no light in the room, but with his cultivation, Mi Lu could still make out the silhouette hidden in the shadows—a dark figure, standing motionless in the middle of the archway, facing him, unmoving.

At first glance, it seemed like some soulless object left there. But Mi Lu knew better; he could feel that person’s gaze, lingering on him.

Suddenly, cold sweat drenched Mi Lu.

Who was that person? How long had they been there? And why hadn’t he noticed at all?

Mi Lu’s body froze as he lay on his side, eyes fixed on the shadowy figure. The figure made no move to advance, simply staring at him quietly in the deep, oppressive night.

After a while, Mi Lu sprang up from his bed, summoning his Bi You Sword from his Qiankun Bag.

The figure lunged at him with lightning speed, wielding a short dagger aimed directly at Mi Lu.

Instinctively, Mi Lu raised the Bi You Sword to block the attack. The clashing of sword and dagger created a sharp, piercing sound. The force was intense, with a surge of spiritual energy pouring into the dagger, vibrating the hilt of Mi Lu’s sword and numbing his hand.

Barely able to hold on, Mi Lu quickly withdrew his sword, dodging as the dagger embedded halfway into his bed. The mattress tore as dark, ink-like poison seeped out, staining it a shade deeper than the night.

That dagger was poisoned!

Clearly, this person wanted him dead.

Knowing he was outmatched, Mi Lu dropped a smoke bomb and spun towards the window, hoping to escape. But the figure anticipated his move, blocking his way and plunging another poisoned dagger toward him.

Mi Lu tried his best to dodge, but he couldn’t evade the blade completely. Just as it was about to pierce his shoulder, a hand suddenly reached out from the side.

The dagger plunged into the hand, with a sickening squelch.

Warm liquid splashed onto Mi Lu’s face, bringing with it the thick, metallic smell of blood. Before he could fully grasp the situation, a hand gently wrapped around his waist, pulling him back.

Mi Lu turned to see HuLü Yan’s face. HuLü Yan’s gaze was ice-cold as he looked at the intruder. Without hesitation, he clenched his fingers around the dagger embedded in his hand, blood dripping from his palm onto the ground like scattered beads.

The intruder seemed startled by HuLü Yan’s ruthless move and hesitated briefly. But HuLü Yan didn’t give him a chance to retreat, sliding the half-buried dagger across the intruder’s throat, forcing him to dodge.

But HuLü Yan moved faster, pulling the dagger free and closing in on the intruder. All the intruder saw was a flash before pain erupted in his chest, his spiritual energy draining as if it was being drawn into HuLü Yan.

The intruder’s eyes widened in terror, trying to struggle, but his limbs felt limp, and the last of his energy was rapidly siphoned away.

HuLü Yan raised his hand, gripping the dagger’s handle tightly as he pressed it to the intruder’s chest.

“Who are you?” HuLü Yan’s voice was cold. “Tell me, and I might spare your life.”

The intruder gasped in pain, managing to whisper, “I-I’m a killer from the Wu Wang Gang. Someone hired me to assassinate you…”

“Who hired you?”

“I-I don’t know…” The intruder’s voice was weak, poison spreading from his chest wound, his life draining away.

Without expression, HuLü Yan slid the dagger downward, cutting the intruder’s chest further. Blood gushed out.

The man screamed, convulsing as he tried to speak through gasps. “Th-the righteous faction… w-wanted us to stop you from reaching Zui City…”

“Your mission?”

“To s-stop you from reaching Zui City,” he whimpered, tears streaming down his face, pleading desperately, “I’ve told you everything. C-can’t you let me go…?”

HuLü Yan smirked slightly. “I could.”

With that, he released his grip on the man’s neck.

The man slumped to the floor, quickly downing a few pills from his pouch, scrambling up, and turning to flee toward the window.

But just as he reached it, a whistling blade sliced through the air, embedding itself once again in his chest. The hand wielding the blade gave a firm twist, slashing through his chest and abdomen, spilling his insides onto the ground.

The man stared in disbelief, barely understanding what was happening. HuLü Yan’s cold voice echoed through the room.

“I could forgive you for taking the job.” A slash followed.

“I could forgive you for carrying it out.” Another slash followed.

“But you chose to come after him first.” He paused, then drove the dagger straight through the man’s skull.

The sound of bone cracking was low and ominous.

The man collapsed, dead eyes fixed on HuLü Yan, who looked down coldly, uttering the final words, “Unforgivable.”

–

Yang Rong and Ah Jian arrived after hearing the commotion, only to find the servants cleaning up the intruder’s remains. Even though they were low-level demonic cultivators, they had seen gruesome things before. But cleaning up pieces of the intruder proved too much for some, and a few ran to the trees to vomit.

Yang Rong approached, asking, “Are they okay?”

“Miss, one is alright, one isn’t.” A servant replied, gesturing inside, “The Vice Pavilion Master is in there; perhaps you should take a look.”

Upon hearing that someone was “not alright,” Yang Rong hurried into HuLü Yan’s room.

Inside, she found a few people standing silently by the bed, with Vice Pavilion Master Yan Wen sitting beside HuLü Yan, examining his hand, which was tightly wrapped in bandages.

Mi Lu, noticing Yan Wen’s expression, asked, “Vice Pavilion Master, is his condition serious?”

Yan Wen sighed, “Luckily, the assassin carried an antidote. The wound on his hand isn’t the problem, but there are… other concerns…”

“Other concerns?” Mi Lu asked, confused, “What concerns?”

Yan Wen paused, glancing at the others in the room, then waved them away, leaving only Mi Lu and Yang Rong.

“Mi Lu,” he asked, “did you use any other ointment on HuLü Yan?”

Mi Lu remembered and quickly pulled out the Wan Yu Ointment he had used, presenting it to Yan Wen with both hands. He had panicked when he saw HuLü Yan’s poisoned hand turning black and applied the ointment before giving HuLü Yan the antidote. Yet, after taking the antidote, HuLü Yan’s condition worsened—he was flushed, feverish, and unconscious.

Yan Wen examined the ointment with a frown, sniffing the balm inside.

Yang Rong wrinkled her nose, “It smells… fragrant.”

“Some ointments mask medicinal smells with fragrance.” Yan Wen closed the lid, handing it back. “There’s only half left. Who else did you use it on?”

Mi Lu replied honestly, “We encountered numerous beasts on our way here. HuLü Yan sustained injuries multiple times, so I used this to heal him.”

“Wan Yu Ointment?” Yan Wen laughed bitterly, his tone half-exasperated, “Did you really think it was Wan Yu Ointment?”

With Yan Wen’s words, Mi Lu finally realized something was wrong. He looked between the ointment and Yan Wen, puzzled. “Vice Pavilion Master, what do you mean?”

Yan Wen waved Yang Rong out before speaking gravely, “Mi Lu, you’ve been tricked. This is no Wan Yu Ointment but a… an aphrodisiac balm.”

Mi Lu was stunned.

Aphrodisiac balm?

Yan Wen sighed, “Some people have… peculiar tastes in bed, and your ointment is intended for… such occasions.”

Mi Lu’s world seemed to shatter, unable to face HuLü Yan. But he couldn’t just leave HuLü Yan suffering. After some hesitation, he returned to the room, only to find HuLü Yan struggling to sit up.

“Hey, be careful.” Mi Lu rushed over, helping HuLü Yan get comfortable. HuLü Yan’s flushed face and feverish body made Mi Lu’s throat tighten as he stammered out, “I… I’m sorry…”

HuLü Yan looked at him, his gaze hazy yet focused, “Help me, Mi Lu.” He clung to Mi Lu’s waist, voice soft, “Please, just help me…”

Mi Lu’s mind blanked.

HuLü Yan… liked him?

HuLü Yan brought Mi Lu’s hand to his face, whispering, “Because I like you, Mi Lu.”

Mi Lu felt like his world had burst into fragments, hearing his mind shatter once more.

“I like you.” HuLü Yan’s voice grew urgent, clutching Mi Lu’s hand, “Mi Lu, I like you.”

Mi Lu was at a loss. “But why me…?” he managed.

HuLü Yan pulled him closer, lips brushing his, “Because I can’t keep pretending to ignore my feelings for you. No matter where we go, we will never part. Do you hear me?”

Mi Lu was silent, then sighed, “I hear you. Everything you said, I hear it all.”