The night grew deeper. The lingering warmth of the hotpot slowly faded, replaced by a soothing silence. Xiang Shuai and Yun Wu had already returned to their respective rooms to rest. In the living room, Lu Xiao was still awake, sitting beneath a dim lamp as he read an ancient book, his expression solemn and focused.
Xue Yunxue stepped out into the courtyard.
Tonight, the moon shone brightly, its light gentle and serene, as if calling her to pause for a moment and leave behind all her tangled thoughts.
The villa's courtyard was spacious, clean, and meticulously arranged. She squatted down and gently held a drooping bellflower bud. A trace of energy flowed from her fingertips, and slowly, the bud bloomed open, its petals trembling softly beneath the moonlight.
Yunxue sat down on a garden chair and looked around. The surroundings were utterly quiet—the nearest house was hundreds of meters away. The night wind was cold, slipping through her thin pajamas. She rubbed her arms and shivered slightly.
Suddenly, a warm woolen coat was draped over her shoulders.
Startled, Yunxue turned around. Luo Shixin stood behind her, his face as calm as ever.
"Put it on," he said flatly, yet gently. "Or you'll catch a cold."
"Thank you," Yunxue replied softly. The tip of her nose turned red, whether from the cold or from embarrassment, she wasn't sure.
Luo Shixin then sat down on the chair beside her. Neither of them spoke, quietly enjoying the peaceful night. His presence felt like a mountain—steadfast, silent, and difficult to approach. Yunxue never truly knew what lay behind his composed expression, and that made her slightly nervous.
To break the silence, Yunxue spoke up."Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Luo Shixin paused, as if weighing his words.
"There's no particular reason," he finally said. "It's just… there's something that's been bothering me. And I feel I need to ask you directly."
Yunxue turned to look at him. "Do you still think I am Hu Shui?"
"No," Luo Shixin answered without hesitation. "Not at all."
He looked toward the courtyard, his voice steady."I only want to know… how you came to be inside Hu Shui's body. As far as I know, that body was already laid to rest and sealed at Jiutian Ling Mountain."
Luo Shixin did believe Lu Xiao's explanation—that Hu Shui never had a soul, and that Xue Yunxue's soul had accidentally entered the body. Yet one question still lingered in his mind.
Where did this girl truly come from?
He had once tried to ask Lu Xiao directly. But the vampire only evaded the question, refusing to explain anything. The only thing he left behind was a single short sentence—
That they must protect her. At all costs.
And it was precisely this that made Luo Shixin even more determined to uncover the truth.
Xue Yunxue was slightly surprised by Luo Shixin's question. After a few seconds of silence, she chose to be honest.
"This body… was abandoned, on the brink of death," she said softly. "And before that death happened, somehow, I was already inside it."
Luo Shixin studied her carefully."Then where are you from?"
Yunxue took a deep breath, as if a weight was lifted along with the exhale.
"I can't explain it in detail," she finally said. "But I come from a place that is very, very far away."
Luo Shixin fell silent. He understood that boundary. They were not yet close enough to demand the whole truth.
After a moment, he asked one last question—his voice lower, more serious."Does all of this have something to do with the power of darkness?"
Yunxue turned to him. Her eyes widened slightly, then slowly dimmed. Deep sorrow flowed clearly across her beautiful face, as though old memories had been torn open.
"Yes," she answered softly. "They're the ones who took everything precious from my life."
She lowered her head, her fingers clenched tightly on her lap. The family at the orphanage… her friends… everyone she had ever been with. Even the world she came from.
The night wind blew again, carrying a biting chill. But this time, what felt colder was the old wound that had never fully healed.
Luo Shixin said nothing. He simply sat there with her in silence—a form of protection that needed no words.
Moonlight softly illuminated Xue Yunxue's face, her features appearing gentle and serene. The tip of her nose and her cheeks were slightly flushed, as if touched by the cold night, adding to a charm that was hard to ignore.
Luo Shixin froze.
For a moment, he forgot about the world around him. His heart trembled faintly—an unfamiliar feeling surfaced. The composure and restraint he had built like a steel wall unknowingly cracked.
Why is this girl… becoming more and more attractive to me? he thought.
Xue Yunxue and Luo Shixin continued to talk quietly, light conversation flowing naturally. There were no heavy topics—just simple stories to get to know each other better.
Occasionally, a small smile appeared on Yunxue's lips. A beautiful smile. Luo Shixin caught sight of it, and for the first time that night, the corner of his lips lifted as well—a brief smile, almost imperceptible.
The night breeze blew gently. The coat Luo Shixin had draped over Yunxue still wrapped around her shoulders, slightly oversized for her frame. When Yunxue moved to tighten it, Luo Shixin reflexively held the edge of the coat. Their fingers brushed for an instant.
Neither of them spoke.
Yet that brief moment was enough to make Yunxue lower her head, while Luo Shixin turned his face away, hiding the sudden depth that had entered his gaze.
From behind the second-floor window, Lu Xiao silently observed the scene. Moonlight framed the two figures in the courtyard—too close, too harmonious.
His brows furrowed deeper.
Without a word, he closed the ancient book in his hand. The soft sound rang louder than it should have. He pulled the curtain shut with a quick, slightly rough motion, as if trying to cut off a scene he didn't want to see any longer.
That morning, the villa's silence was suddenly shattered by loud commotion from the front yard.
Before anyone could react, Yun Wu had already dashed out at lightning speed. His instincts screamed—his trap had been triggered.
When he reached the yard, the sight before him made his steps halt.
A man with blue-violet hair was ensnared in the center of the courtyard, his body tightly bound by a pale-glowing spiritual net. The restraining energy pulsed, suppressing a power that was clearly no small matter. Even trapped, the man stood tall, his gaze sharp and filled with rage.
His bright blue eyes stared fearlessly at Yun Wu. Dark blue scales slowly surfaced along his neck, shimmering under the morning light—a clear sign that his emotions were on the verge of losing control. His handsome face twitched, his jaw clenched tightly as he suppressed his anger.
"So this is how you welcome a guest?" he said coldly, his words heavy with pressure.
A name instantly flashed through Yun Wu's mind.
Lin Yuan.
Soon after, Luo Shixin arrived at the courtyard, followed by Lu Xiao and Xiang Shuai. The auras of the three instantly turned serious when they saw who was caught in the trap. Tension thickened, the morning air growing heavy. A major problem had arrived for Xue Yunxue.
A few seconds later, Xue Yunxue followed from behind and immediately recognized the man.
It was Lin Yuan—one of her beast husbands.
His blue-violet hair shimmered softly in the morning light. His clear blue eyes were strikingly beautiful, paired with a sharp, high nose and sensual lips. The mermaid blood within him granted near-perfect genetics, as though all beauty had been condensed into a single form.
Yun Wu released the trap.
The spiritual net vanished, and the young man stood upright with graceful composure. His beautiful eyes swept over the five men before him, clearly filled with surprise.
"Why are all of you gathered here?" he asked.
Lin Yuan's gaze then settled on one particular figure."Even you are here?" he said, staring at Lu Xiao. "If I remember correctly, you don't even like Yun Wu."
At that moment, Luo Shixin swiftly pulled Xue Yunxue behind him, placing her in a protected position, hidden from Lin Yuan's view.
But Lin Yuan was not so easily deceived.
"Then who are you hiding behind you?" he asked coldly, his sharp eyes fixed on Luo Shixin.
Before the atmosphere could grow more tense, Yun Wu stepped forward. His gaze darkened.
"Why did you come here?" he asked bluntly.
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, then smiled faintly."Why?" he repeated casually. "We haven't seen each other for a year. That snake said you already have a partner, so even if I'm late, I came to congratulate you."
Yun Wu shot an irritated glance at Xiang Shuai.Why did that damn snake have to contact this crazy fish?
However, Lin Yuan's smile faded as he asked his next question.
"Is that the girl you tried to redeem from the rebel territory?" he asked with a gentle smile.
In an instant, Yun Wu's face hardened. His hands clenched, veins bulging on his arms.
Behind Luo Shixin, Xue Yunxue's heart began to race.
A girl? Rebel territory? Redeemed? Who is that girl?
"Are you having a reunion…" Lin Yuan continued lightly,"…without inviting me?"
His smile vanished completely.
The air in the courtyard tightened, as if the pressure of the deep sea had suddenly descended, crushing their chests.
The four men instinctively heightened their guard.
Lin Yuan was a merman at level eighty-five—a number that could not be taken lightly. Even Lu Xiao, who had reached level eighty, was still far below him. In the world of power, even a single level difference could be an insurmountable chasm, let alone five.
If a battle truly broke out, they would be at a severe disadvantage.
Moreover—Lin Yuan had come alone.
Those blue-violet eyes moved slowly, sharp and calculating. His gaze no longer lingered on Yun Wu or Lu Xiao, but swept toward Luo Shixin… then paused just a little too long behind the general's body.
A dangerous smile curved at the corner of his lips.
"Interesting," he murmured softly."This aura…"
He inhaled lightly, as if catching a familiar scent.
"It seems I finally know," he continued calmly, yet with piercing pressure,"who the girl is that you're trying so hard to hide."
Behind Luo Shixin, Xue Yunxue's heart pounded violently.
She knew—
Lin Yuan had noticed her.
"You are not allowed to hurt her," Lu Xiao's voice rang out coldly, carrying undeniable pressure. "She is not who you think she is."
"That's right," Xiang Shuai added, his gaze hardening. "She's not that girl."
Xue Yunxue, who had been hiding behind Luo Shixin all this time, finally gathered her courage and peeked out. Her gaze met Lin Yuan's blue-violet eyes directly.
For a moment, the world seemed to freeze.
Then Lin Yuan smiled—a thin smile, sharp as a blade.
"Well," he said softly, his eyes roaming over Yunxue's face without restraint. "You've become even more beautiful."
His tone turned mocking.
"So this is how you captivate the hearts of these men?" he continued with open ridicule.
"I've already told you," Lu Xiao stepped half a step forward, his voice now far firmer, almost a growl, "she is not the person you think."
Lin Yuan let out a short, cold laugh, devoid of warmth.
"My brothers," he said, shaking his head slightly,"or could it be that all of you have been given some kind of seduction potion by this cunning girl?"
His gaze locked onto Xue Yunxue again, cold and full of prejudice.
"Isn't there a potion that can make a woman look more beautiful?" he continued softly, venomously."The charm of her face is nothing but a disguise—to hide her dark heart."
The air around them grew increasingly oppressive.
Xue Yunxue felt her chest burn with suppressed emotion—not fear, but anger slowly rising.Why am I always judged for something I never did?
Not far away, a pair of hidden eyes watched from the shadows.
They were Bai Ling's envoys.
Though they couldn't clearly catch the conversation in the courtyard, one thing became obvious—the man who had just appeared radiated an utterly terrifying aura. His spiritual energy surged wildly, mixed with dense rage that pierced the skin and made breathing difficult.
The pressure was so intense that the scouts unconsciously retreated several steps.
Cold sweat trickled down their temples.
If that man so much as turned his head slightly, their presence would be instantly exposed.
The tension in the courtyard was palpable, as if the very air were trembling. Even from afar, the fury of the blue-violet-haired man felt like undisguised killing intent.
A conclusion formed in the minds of the spies.
That man… truly wanted to erase that woman.
And for their mistress—
Wasn't that precisely very good news?