A furious roar shook the underground chamber.
Laboratory equipment trembled violently as Pei Yu slammed his hand onto the experiment table. Glass tubes shattered and scattered everywhere, thick green liquid spilling across the floor like poisonous blood. Dim lights flickered wildly, casting long shadows that danced along the metallic walls.
His chest rose and fell sharply. That experimental creature—his masterpiece perfected over several years—had been destroyed.
Destroyed… by two ordinary beast humans.
Veins bulged at his temples. His eyes reddened like a beast that had lost its sanity.
"Impossible…" he muttered softly, his voice dripping with venom.
What lingered in his mind was not the death of the giant mutant, but the image of a dark-haired girl with golden-green light blazing in her hands.
A plant element. Not an ordinary plant element. That power was different from any other plant element… something never recorded in the thousands-year legacy of his clan.
For countless generations, their ancestors had gathered ancient manuscripts, documenting every awakening of rare elements within the beast world. Heavenly fire, void ice, destructive lightning—everything had been recorded.
But a golden plant element?
Never. Not a single record. As if that power… did not belong to this world at all.
Pei Yu's breathing grew heavier. His gaze slowly shifted toward the cultivation chamber in the corner of the laboratory—or rather, toward the place that now held nothing but black ashes.
That foreign tree was dead. The ancient being passed down through his clan for thousands of years… the primary source of mutant potions… the core ingredient of the narcotic that had kept his mind "stable."
His hands trembled. His lips quivered uncontrollably. Without that substance, his thoughts felt like they were being pierced by thousands of needles. Faint voices began buzzing inside his head, throwing his breathing into chaos.
He grabbed his own hair.
"Damn… damn… DAMN!"
His scream echoed like the howl of a mad creature.
Yet his rage had not reached its peak. The door to his private study—where he recorded all his research, all those critical notes—had been breached.
And amidst the chaos… one empty space stood out clearly.
The ancient manuscript was gone.
The mysterious scripture that even the Dark Authority considered a forbidden relic—the text believed to contain the true secrets of the plant world.
He had not even managed to read a single word; the language and symbols were completely incomprehensible to him.
His long beard trembled as his jaw tightened. Dark aura seeped from his body, turning the surrounding air cold and heavy.
All of this… because of that girl.
Hurried footsteps sounded behind him. A man in a black robe knelt with his head lowered.
"Professor…"
Pei Yu did not turn around. His voice came out low, yet carried suffocating pressure.
"Moran."
The slick-haired man bowed even deeper.
"Send a message to the Dark Authority," Pei Yu said slowly, every word filled with killing intent. "Capture that girl."
He finally turned, madness gleaming within his cold eyes.
"I want her alive—alive."
The corner of his lips curled into a terrifying smile.
-------------------
Xue Yunxue's eyelids trembled before finally opening.
A white ceiling stretched above her—too bright, too clean, unfamiliar to her still-heavy eyes. Harsh light pierced her blurred vision, while the sharp scent of medicine and disinfectant instantly filled her senses.
She frowned. Her mind felt empty… then suddenly heavy.
Fragments of memory surged back like shattered glass—the dark corridor, Luo Shixin's nearly motionless body, the healing light she forced herself to maintain… then cold… unbearably cold…
Her eyes snapped open. She tried to sit up.
Pain struck her head like a hammer from within. The world spun violently. Her breath caught as she suppressed a groan that nearly escaped her lips.
Her hand gripped the white bedsheet, forcing herself to stay conscious.
Xue Yunxue's gaze swept around.
The room was spacious and orderly. Pale metal walls, rows of medical equipment blinking with soft indicator lights, and the steady beeping of monitors filled the silence.
A hospital…? Her brows furrowed. How had she ended up here?
And—
Her heart began to race.
Luo Shixin.
She immediately searched for him, her eyes anxiously scanning every corner of the room. But the ward contained only herself.
Anxiety crept into her chest. The door opened quietly.
An older nurse entered with calm steps. Her face was gentle, streaks of gray visible at her temples. She approached while checking the monitor beside the bed.
"You're awake?" she said warmly. "Don't try to move too much. You suffered extreme exhaustion."
Still slightly breathless, Xue Yunxue swallowed before asking hoarsely,
"Was… someone the one who brought me here?"
The nurse smiled faintly, as if she had expected the question.
"Of course," she replied gently. "General Luo Shixin personally brought you here. You are now in the military hospital."
Xue Yunxue's heart seemed to stop for a moment.
Luo Shixin…
Warm relief slowly spread through her chest, so strong it nearly made her eyes sting. Without realizing it, her tense fingers finally relaxed.
He was safe. He was alright.
A quiet warmth gradually filled her heart.
She survived.
They all survived.
Yet beneath that relief lingered a small unease she could not ignore. Her memory returned to Luo Shixin's expression before she lost consciousness—the firm gaze mixed with worry he rarely showed.
Would he be angry?
She had clearly disobeyed him… going alone into that illegal laboratory, risking her life on the battlefield. Returning without serious injury was already a blessing.
Xue Yunxue bit her lip softly.
"Moa… are you there?" she called inwardly.
Silence. No gentle voice answered within her consciousness.
Her gaze fell to her wrist. The peach-shaped mark resembling a tattoo looked paler than usual, its glow dim like dying embers.
She exhaled quietly. The little tree was clearly exhausted.
Despite being five thousand years old… it still behaved like a stubborn child. The thought lifted the corner of her lips slightly, though worry still lingered. She soon shook her head, dismissing the thought.
What mattered most now—they were still alive.
The door opened softly again. The elderly nurse left, closing it gently behind her.
The room fell silent once more.
Only the steady rhythm of medical machines accompanied the night.
Without wasting time, Xue Yunxue immediately checked her spoils.
One by one, she pulled books and notes from her storage space. Old papers scattered across the white hospital blanket—some worn and stained with chemical fluids, others newer with ink not yet fully faded.
All of them contained potion formulas. Poisons. Biological experiments.
Her eyes instantly turned serious.
She read quickly, tracing every symbol and complicated handwritten note, hoping to find clues to neutralize the Gu Poison inside Lu Xiao's body. Her brows knit in intense concentration as her fingers flipped page after page.
The world around her seemed to disappear. She did not even notice the door opening again.
Light footsteps entered silently.
A tall shadow slowly fell across the page she was reading.
Xue Yunxue froze.
She looked up.
A woman stood there.
Tall and slender, dressed in a perfectly fitted military uniform. Her long hair was neatly tied back, revealing a sharp yet beautiful face. An aura of discipline and calm surrounded her—cold yet elegant. For a moment, Xue Yunxue felt as if she were seeing another version of Luo Shixin.
Their eyes met. Reflexively, Xue Yunxue hurriedly gathered the scattered books on her bed, slightly embarrassed at being caught studying something clearly not hers.
The woman observed her calmly.
"It seems you're much better than before," she said, her voice gentle yet authoritative.
Her tone was calm… graceful… almost identical to someone Xue Yunxue knew very well.
Only then did Xue Yunxue realize.
The woman before her was Luo Mei—Luo Shixin's younger sister.
And somehow, Luo Mei's gaze held not only curiosity… but also subtle evaluation, as if she were trying to understand what kind of woman could make her brother risk his life without hesitation.
"Sorry… I didn't notice you came in. Is there something you need from me?" Xue Yunxue asked, slightly awkward as she organized the papers on her lap.
The woman did not answer immediately. She stepped closer, her military boots producing soft sounds against the sterile hospital floor.
"Of course," she said calmly, the corner of her lips lifting slightly. "I came to visit my sister-in-law."
Xue Yunxue immediately coughed lightly.
"S-sister-in-law?"
The words were spoken so casually—without hesitation or preamble—that warmth rushed to Xue Yunxue's face. She did not even know whether to deny it or explain how such a situation had come to be. Yet Luo Mei seemed completely unconcerned with how her famously cold and ruthless brother had somehow ended up with this girl.
Luo Mei carefully observed her reaction.
Her gaze was sharp, but not hostile.
The girl before her looked far younger than she had imagined. Her face was gentle, almost fragile, clearly not yet twenty years old. It was difficult to imagine someone like her standing inside that illegal laboratory and fighting high-level experimental creatures alongside her brother.
Yet facts were facts.
Luo Shixin—her brother—had rejected the marriage proposal of Princess Hu Lian, the royal heir long considered the most ideal partner for the Golden Eagle clan. That decision had nearly sparked internal conflict within the family. The Eagle clan valued strength and bloodline above all else. Marriage to them was never merely personal—it was political alliance.
And now… her brother had bound himself to a girl of unknown origin. No wonder their father was furious.
But instead of looking down on her, Luo Mei felt curious.
Extremely curious.
Her gaze shifted toward the bed.
Papers were scattered everywhere—research documents, chemical formulas, biological experiment records. Some pages were even stained with dark-colored liquid.
"What are you doing with all these documents?" Luo Mei asked, picking up a sheet at random.
Her eyes scanned the cover:
Cell Regeneration Formula.Mutation Stabilization.High-Level Poison Extraction.
Her gaze narrowed slightly.
These were not ordinary documents. Even military laboratories did not have unrestricted access to research like this. Where had this girl obtained them?
"I took them from the laboratory I went to yesterday," Xue Yunxue answered honestly.
Her clear black eyes met Luo Mei's gaze directly without avoidance. There was sincerity there—enough to convince most people.
But not entirely.
Luo Mei had been a soldier since childhood. She was used to detecting even the smallest lies. And she sensed something being hidden.
Xue Yunxue was telling the truth… but not the whole truth.
Behind her calm expression, the girl was still concealing something.
A secret.
Unbeknownst to Luo Mei, deep within Xue Yunxue's dimensional storage space lay an ancient manuscript resting silently. Its cover was dark and cracked with age, strange symbols etched across its surface—a document even Pei Yu had tried to conceal.
Xue Yunxue herself had no intention of touching it yet.
Her instincts told her… it was far more than an ordinary research record.
Meanwhile, Luo Mei placed the document back down.
Slowly, she began to understand.
The girl before her appeared gentle—almost too innocent for such a cruel world. Her face was calm, her movements graceful, and even her manner of speaking carried no arrogance whatsoever. Yet beneath that fragile appearance hid something far stronger.
Resolve.
A conviction that would not easily waver.
As a female soldier raised on the battlefield, Luo Mei had seen countless noblewomen: arrogant yet weak, beautiful but dependent on family power, or cunning enough to survive through schemes. She had never liked such types.
To her, strength was not merely combat ability—it was the courage to make decisions and bear their consequences.
And this girl possessed both.
She had entered an illegal experimental laboratory alone—a place even elite troops hesitated to approach—without protection, without military support. Whatever her true purpose had been, she returned alive… almost without serious injury.
That was not luck.
That was capability.
No wonder her cold and ruthless brother had rushed after her into danger.
Luo Mei's gaze softened slightly.
According to her investigation reports, Xue Yunxue possessed a rare plant element with constantly fluctuating energy compatibility. But what shocked her most was what had happened the previous night.
When Luo Shixin returned to headquarters with Shaotian, Luo Mei had almost believed her brother would die. His armor was destroyed. A massive hole gaped across his chest and shoulder—the mark of a fatal strike no one should have survived.
Yet when the medical team examined him…
There were no open wounds. No bleeding. Only traces of poison slowly fading away.
And her brother, in his usual flat tone, had simply said:
"Yunxue healed it."
Just how powerful were this girl's healing methods?
Or… how much strength was she truly hiding?
She found herself eagerly anticipating what astonishing thing this little girl might do next.
"What are you planning to do with all these documents?" Luo Mei finally asked.
Xue Yunxue lifted her head and answered without hesitation.
"Of course I'm going to read all of them and study them."
A simple answer. Honest. Without hidden ambition.
Luo Mei let out a small sigh, then smiled faintly.
"Hm… then you'd better hide them quickly before my brother finds out. He'll definitely confiscate all of it."
"Really?"
Xue Yunxue immediately panicked a little. She hurriedly gathered the documents scattered across the bed, stuffing them hastily beneath the blanket.
But—
Before she could hide everything—
Click.
The door opened.
The air in the room instantly grew heavy.
Luo Shixin entered first, Shaotian following behind him. The general's cold aura filled the room even before he spoke.
His golden gaze immediately fell toward the bed.
Straight at Xue Yunxue's hands, which had stopped moving a moment too late.
"What are you trying to hide now?" His voice was low and sharp.
Shaotian let out a long sigh behind him.
His superior truly lost all patience whenever it came to this little girl.
"Nothing!" Xue Yunxue replied too quickly.
An answer that sounded far too suspicious.
Luo Shixin's eyes narrowed slightly.
He did not immediately expose the lie. Instead, his gaze shifted toward Luo Mei.
"And what are you doing here?"
His tone was flat, yet clearly carried a subtle warning.
Luo Mei merely smiled meaningfully, completely unaffected by her brother's oppressive aura.
"Me? Nothing," she said casually. "I just wanted to greet my sister-in-law."
Xue Yunxue nearly choked on air.
Shaotian suppressed a laugh.
Luo Shixin's gaze sharpened further.
"Oh right," Luo Mei continued as if nothing unusual had happened, "I also brought something."
She took out a crystal core from her storage pouch.
The crystal was silver-white, radiating a soft glow like moonlight. Pure energy pulsed within it—clear and powerful.
A Silver Wolf crystal core.A high-level recovery artifact whose value surpassed most military-grade potions.
Luo Shixin's eyes immediately narrowed.
He clearly recognized it. Its effects could accelerate bodily regeneration far beyond ordinary medicine. Luo Mei stepped closer and placed the crystal into Xue Yunxue's hand.
"This will help you recover faster."
Her tone was gentle—almost like that of a real older sister.
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out with the firm stride of a soldier.
The door slowly closed behind her.
The room fell silent once more.
Now only Luo Shixin, Shaotian… and Xue Yunxue remained, still holding the glowing crystal in her hand while a pile of secrets lay hidden beneath her blanket.
"Hand over all those documents. Now."
Luo Shixin's voice was low and cold, like an order issued on the battlefield—not loud, yet leaving no room for refusal.
Xue Yunxue immediately stiffened.
Her hand instinctively pressed down on the blanket, as if the documents beneath it were the last treasure she had to protect.
"Let me read them a little longer," she replied. Her voice was not loud, but the refusal was unmistakable.
Shaotian, standing near the door, almost thought he had misheard.
Refusing… the general's order?
He glanced secretly at Luo Shixin, already bracing himself for an incoming storm of anger.
But Luo Shixin did not move.
His golden gaze remained calm, only growing slightly deeper.
"I'll make copies for you," he finally said. "Right now, those documents are needed for military research."
A logical reason. Official. Impossible to refute.
Yet Xue Yunxue slowly shook her head.
She knew very well—once those documents entered military hands, she might not see them again anytime soon. And among those records might lie clues to neutralize the Gu poison inside Lu Xiao's body.
She could not hand them over so easily.
Silence descended upon the room.
Tense.
Shaotian swallowed.
This girl… was truly bold.
If anyone else had stood in that position—even a high-ranking officer—Luo Shixin might have already lost patience and cut off their hand.
But now… there was no oppressive killing intent. No anger. Only a long, steady gaze.
Gradually, Luo Shixin's expression changed.
The tension in his eyes faded, replaced by something gentler—something rarely seen by anyone.
"I promise," he finally said, his voice lower than before, almost a whisper meant only for her, "if I find anything you're looking for in those documents… I'll tell you."
The sentence was simple.
But it was not an order.
It was a promise.
Xue Yunxue fell silent.
She looked at the man before her—those golden eyes, usually cold, now appeared sincere. Not forcing. Not pressuring.
Only asking for trust.
Slowly, she let out a small breath.
Her hand moved beneath the blanket, pulling out the stack of documents she had awkwardly hidden earlier.
The papers were slightly wrinkled, some corners folded from her hurried attempt to conceal them.
She handed them over.
Not to Luo Shixin—but to Shaotian, who instinctively stepped forward to receive them.
Shaotian's eyes widened instantly. He flipped through several pages reflexively… then nearly dropped them in shock.
High-level mutation experiment formulas. Biological energy stabilization records. Core data from classified research.
These were clearly top-tier documents that even military headquarters could not easily access.
How had this girl obtained them?
Shaotian looked at Xue Yunxue with a mixture of admiration and disbelief.
Meanwhile, Luo Shixin did not look at the documents at all.
His gaze remained fixed on a single person.
-----------
The door closed softly behind Shaotian as he carried the stack of documents away. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became quiet—too quiet.
Only the two of them remained.
Luo Shixin stood beside the bed, his shadow stretching long across the white hospital floor. His gaze was calm, yet as sharp as ever.
"Is there anything you want to say to me now?" he asked quietly.
Xue Yunxue lifted her face.
Their eyes met.
Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, as if weighing the courage she needed to gather. For a moment, she looked like an ordinary girl—not someone who had just survived a bloody battle.
"I'm sorry…" she finally said softly. "I didn't listen to your warning and went to that laboratory alone."
Silence fell again.
But this time, Luo Shixin's expression gradually softened.
He stepped forward and, with a natural movement—almost instinctive—gently brushed his hand over Xue Yunxue's hair. The touch was warm, far removed from the cold general everyone knew.
"It's good that you understand," he said in a low voice.
There was no harsh reprimand. No anger. Only a faint sense of relief hidden beneath his tone.
Xue Yunxue lifted her head again, her eyes filled with another concern.
"Have your injuries fully healed?"
Without thinking, her hand reached out. Her fingers touched Luo Shixin's chest, now covered only by a thin military shirt.
She checked him seriously—truly seriously.
The wound left by the poisonous thorns had completely disappeared. His skin was whole again, without even the slightest scar.
Xue Yunxue let out a relieved breath. Her treatment had worked.
"Thank goodness…"
But she failed to notice something.
The touch lingered too close.
Too long. Too intimate.
Luo Shixin's firm, warm chest was clearly felt beneath her palm. His muscles tensed reflexively, his breath pausing slightly.
Something inside him reacted—not because of injury, but because of the girl in front of him.
Was she doing it on purpose?
But when he lowered his gaze to her face, all he saw was an innocent expression filled with pure concern—completely without ulterior intent.
…This girl truly had no idea what she was doing.
Luo Shixin's jaw tightened faintly.
Before the situation became more dangerous for his own self-control, he gently but firmly caught Xue Yunxue's wrist, stopping the contact.
"You should rest," he said, his voice calm again, though slightly lower than before. "You've exhausted all your energy. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you home."
He slowly released her hand. Without waiting for a reply, Luo Shixin turned toward the door. His steps remained steady, though his breathing had grown slightly heavier.
The moment he stepped into the corridor, the cold air brushed against his face, yet the heat within his body only became more apparent. His blood pulsed unevenly—the beast instincts within him beginning to stir restlessly.
He recognized the signs.
A natural cycle he could never fully control—his rut had arrived, and it tormented him intensely.
Being too close to Xue Yunxue… could cause his desire to surge uncontrollably, becoming difficult to suppress.
Luo Shixin closed his eyes briefly, trying to steady his breathing. He could not allow himself to lose control.
Right now, what he needed… was to immerse himself in cold water.