Han rested his head against Lu Qingmo’s shoulder, sinking into an indescribable sensation of warmth and softness.

  What a divine opportunity.

  A shift in position, the fragrance in the air, the delicate touch—words failed to capture the moment. The faint floral scent teased his senses, filling his lungs.

  His face remained impassive, but deep inside, he sighed.

  If Senior Sister wanted to compete with Aunt Yun, she would need a few more years to mature.

  He was genuinely concerned for her.

  Leaning against Lu Qingmo, Han let her support him as they entered the peach grove. Their closeness rendered his injuries irrelevant.

  And yet, at this moment, his body was utterly weak and powerless.

  Perhaps, that was a blessing in disguise.

  "What happened to you?" Lu Qingmo asked, her voice laced with concern and irritation.

  Not at Han, but at Yuan Yihan.

  She had been holding back a simmering anger over Han’s little stunt with the snail earlier, planning to teach him a lesson upon his return.

  But she hadn’t expected him to return in this state.

  The moment she sensed his presence outside the grove, her heart clenched, and without hesitation, she rushed to meet him.

  "The possessed one was the Soulfiend Elder," Han explained. "Vice Governor Yuan successfully dealt with him—there were no complications."

  "But on my way back, I was ambushed by warriors from the Celestial Mother Sect—two Viscera Realm fighters attacked me together. That’s how I ended up like this."

  "Aunt Yun, I suspect someone within the Wudang Division or the Ghost Division in the provincial capital is colluding with the Celestial Mother Sect."

  His sudden decision to return, his deliberate detour—none of it had thrown them off.

  According to the Iron Brothers, even if he had skipped Snow Mountain and returned to Black Cloud Town directly, they would have intercepted him all the same.

  Such confidence. Han refused to believe it was mere coincidence.

  They hadn’t even known his name. Even if they had deduced he was from Black Cloud Town, they shouldn't have been able to pinpoint his exact route.

  Either the Celestial Mother Sect had some terrifying means of tracking targets without any clues, which would be utterly monstrous—

  Or someone had secretly marked him, feeding his location to them in real-time.

  Han strongly suspected the latter.

  Perhaps the Iron Brothers' souls would reveal something useful.

  Lu Qingmo paused for a moment before responding, "I’ll discuss this with Elder Ye."

  Then, her gaze sharpened.

  "And why didn’t you contact me the moment you realized you were ambushed?"

  Hadn't she just scolded him for his recklessness with the Soulfiend Elder? Yet when real trouble came, he still faced it alone.

  "I didn’t want you to worry."

  Lu Qingmo’s chest rose and fell as she let out a long sigh.

  You’re too considerate for your own good.

  So considerate that it made her heart ache.

  She helped him into his room and pulled out a handful of pills.

  "Take these."

  Han obediently opened his mouth.

  Lu Qingmo hesitated.

  I meant take them yourself!

  Han simply stared at her, unmoving.

  She had no choice but to feed him.

  Then, she retrieved a few talismans and pressed them onto his body. A warm energy seeped into his wounds, soothing his battered frame.

  Her eyes fell upon his more severe injuries—though the bleeding had stopped for now, they remained dangerously unstable.

  She hesitated.

  Then sighed.

  I really owe you one.

  She placed a talisman beside him.

  "This is a Cleansing Talisman. Use it."

  Damn it. Han despised the existence of talismans at this moment.

  If there were no Cleansing Talismans, Lu Qingmo would have to prepare a basin of warm water and help clean him up.

  These damn Daoist arts weren’t making his life easier—they were ruining his opportunities.

  "Aunt Yun, I think I can’t move. I have no strength left."

  "Oh?" Lu Qingmo arched a brow, eyeing him with suspicion.

  "You really can’t move?"

  Han blinked.

  And suddenly, he realized something.

  With Lu Qingmo’s cultivation, if she truly focused on sensing his condition, she’d quickly discover the extent of his injuries.

  And his injuries, while severe, weren’t bad enough to leave him completely paralyzed.

  If not for the Nine-Orifice Golden Pill and the True Dragon Blood Soulstone, he would have been unconscious.

  Shape and Spirit Annihilation left him drained, yes—but picking up a piece of talisman paper should have been well within his abilities.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Which meant…

  She had already seen through his act when she carried him inside.

  "Actually, I think I can move now," Han immediately corrected himself. "I’ll do it myself."

  Lu Qingmo shot him a pointed look before turning away.

  The moment she left the room, Han attempted to flip himself upright—

  And failed.

  …Yep. No strength at all.

  He had no choice but to obediently lie still and cleanse himself.

  Outside, Lu Qingmo couldn’t help but chuckle at the muffled sounds inside.

  Han had guessed correctly.

  At first, she had been too worried to notice the details. The moment he collapsed, she instinctively caught him.

  But soon after, she realized—

  His injuries, while serious, shouldn’t have left him unable to walk.

  And that realization left her both amused and exasperated.

  Such a crafty little fox.

  But seeing him so battered, she hadn’t had the heart to call him out on it.

  She had already carried him this far. What was a little more?

  When she reentered the room, she carried a cup of water and fresh bandages.

  She wrapped his deeper wounds first. The cooling sensation of the bandages suggested they carried a trace of healing energy.

  Throughout the process, their faces were mere inches apart. Their breath intermingled.

  The scent of Lu Qingmo’s fragrance filled Han’s lungs.

  She paused.

  Why is he inhaling so deeply?

  Han, meanwhile, gazed at her serene, breathtakingly beautiful face.

  A warm sense of peace settled over him.

  Aunt Yun is so kind. I really like Aunt Yun.

  Once the bandaging was complete, Lu Qingmo handed him the water.

  Han took it—only for his fingers to tremble.

  The cup nearly slipped from his grasp.

  A faint sense of embarrassment crept over him.

  I can’t move, sure. But I can’t be this weak!

  Lu Qingmo caught the cup and frowned.

  "What’s going on with you?"

  "The ones who ambushed me were two minor mastery Viscera Realm warriors. They also took Bloodburning Pills," Han explained.

  "I had to use some techniques with side effects."

  Lu Qingmo’s heart shook.

  That level of strength?

  And yet… they still failed to kill you?

  They should have been the victors.

  Yet here he was.

  Lu Qingmo struggled for words.

  Finally, she helped him sit up and fed him water.

  This was only the second time she had ever done something like this.

  The first time had been when Bai Ruoyue was little.

  She still remembered how, back then, she had accidentally poured too much and ended up spilling water all over the little girl’s face. Bai Ruoyue had burst into loud sobs.

  This time, she was much more careful.

  Senior Sister planted the tree.

  Junior Brother sat in the shade.

  "Now," she said, "tell me everything that happened."

  "I—"

  "Wait," she interrupted, eyes narrowing.

  "Did you just say you killed the ones who ambushed you?"

  Han nodded.

  "Yeah. Otherwise, how else would I be here?"

  "I thought I mentioned that earlier?"

  He casually took out the Iron Brothers’ souls and handed them over.

  Lu Qingmo’s lips parted slightly.

  When did you tell me that?!

  With the strength they had displayed, she wouldn’t have been surprised if Han had died.

  Yet not only had he survived—

  He had killed them.

  Before she learned the details, she had thought Han was lucky just to make it out alive.

  Now that she knew the full story…

  …She didn’t know what to think.

  Han should have been more injured.

  Seriously, he should have been dead.

  "Aunt Yun, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?"

  Lu Qingmo remained silent. She needed a moment.

  Just let me think.

  Her gaze on Han was complicated—filled with curiosity, disbelief, and something close to frustration.

  No supreme martial arts. No legendary weapon. How did you accomplish this?

  You shouldn’t have been able to accomplish this.

  The further one progressed in cultivation, the harder it became to kill an opponent of a higher realm—especially from the Viscera Realm onward, and especially when the opponent was a trained warrior of the Celestial Mother Sect rather than some wandering rogue.

  Could someone kill across such a vast gap in power?

  Yes.

  Had she seen it before?

  Also yes.

  In the Xuandu Monastery, there were prodigies capable of such feats. They were the future of the sect, true embodiments of the Dao.

  But their circumstances were entirely different.

  They were born into greatness—flawless in every way, even beyond what most could consider perfection.

  And Han?

  What was his situation?

  She knew about his forbidden techniques, of course.

  But while those were important, they were only one factor in a warrior’s strength.

  In real combat, strategy often mattered more than technique.

  Those peerless geniuses built their power upon secret arts, wielded divine martial skills, and were fortified by heavenly treasures.

  They had lineage, talent, insight, luck, and destiny. Everything was in their favor.

  But Han?

  What the hell did he have?

  Lu Qingmo knew exactly how strong Han’s true energy and physical body were.

  Nearly comparable to a Viscera Realm warrior. That alone was enough to explain why he could fight above his level.

  But he lacked the most critical factor in such battles—a supreme martial art.

  So how did he not only kill across one major realm but then do it again?

  Lu Qingmo racked her brain.

  And came up empty.

  Which, in hindsight, made sense—because without gambling his life away, Han’s combat ability should have only been around the early Viscera Realm at best.

  The two artifacts within his heart and soul gave him the endurance to sustain long battles.

  For Lu Qingmo, killing across realms was shocking, but still somewhat understandable.

  What she couldn’t accept was that Han had done it while being practically broke.

  She was very curious now.

  Just what are you hiding, Han?

  What kind of secrets do you have?

  She really wanted to take a peek.

  But unfortunately…

  She couldn’t.

  "Aunt Yun? Aunt Yun?"

  Han’s voice pulled her from her daze.

  He waved a hand in front of her face.

  Stop staring, Aunt Yun. There will be plenty of time for that later.

  Lu Qingmo shook herself out of her thoughts and refocused.

  "If what you’re saying is true, then their presence was highly suspicious," she said at last. "Someone in the provincial capital is likely colluding with the Celestial Mother Sect."

  "And that Warden Zhu… his entire background is dubious. The Celestial Mother Sect’s presence in Tianyue Province runs far deeper than we thought."

  She fell into contemplation.

  What exactly is their goal?

  "I’ll speak with Elder Ye about your encounter," she continued. "If someone really betrayed you…"

  A cold glint flashed in her eyes.

  "Then I won’t let them go unpunished."

  They dared to ambush someone I raised?

  Had Han been anyone else, he would be dead right now.

  She didn’t even want to imagine that possibility.

  "Hopefully, this whole mess will be over soon," Han sighed.

  If he had known things would get this complicated, he never would have accepted that damn Punish Evil Token in the first place.

  Damn you, Brother Shu.

  Lu Qingmo gave Han a long, thoughtful look.

  "Aunt Yun."

  "Hm?"

  "I’m hungry."

  He knew she could cook.

  "…"

  At first, all I had to do was give you a chair.

  Then, you wanted a bed.

  And now, you want food too?

  Just how much more are you going to ask for?

  She didn’t even want to think about what his next request would be.

  But then she saw the way he was looking at her—eyes full of quiet expectation.

  And, in the end, she softened.

  Fine.

  You’re an injured man. I’ll take care of you.

  Han watched her graceful silhouette disappear into the kitchen, a small smile tugging at his lips.

  Then he closed his eyes, resting.

  When dealing with an aloof, older woman, you had to break her defenses.

  You couldn’t go along with her, couldn’t put her on a pedestal. That would only make her more distant and unreachable.

  Instead, you had to bring her into the real world.

  Make her experience things she never had before.

  Let her be one way in front of others—but a different way in front of you.

  Do that enough times, and you’d become irreplaceable.

  Of course, this wasn’t something to try on just anyone.

  But then—

  The door slammed open.

  A powerful gust of wind rushed in.

  And before Han could react, someone grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently.

  "Junior Brother! Junior Brother, are you okay?! You can’t die!"

  "Wake up, Junior Brother!"

  Han rolled his eyes.

  There was only one person who could be this dramatic.

  Senior Sister, please shake me a little less.

  At this rate, my bed is going to collapse before I do.

  I survived Snow Mountain only to be shaken to death right here.