[Fu’an Inn]
“Knock, knock! Young master, it’s me.”
“Come in!”
With a faint creak of the door hinge, a shadow guard entered with a respectful bow. The hem of his robe carried the dampness of morning mist as he reported in a low voice:
“Young master, after these past days of searching, we finally have a lead at the foot of the mountain between Bai Mang Mountain and Lingqu. A hunter is currently selling a jade pendant engraved with the character ‘Xiao’. After interrogation, he obtained this pendant three months ago in exchange for a few old clothes and a hunting knife from a white-haired youth.”
The shadow guard paused and added more detail:
“That youth was strikingly handsome and delicate in appearance, with an unusually rare pair of green eyes, and possessed monstrous strength. It is said he could hunt an adult wild boar barehanded.”
Li Yunpeng’s fingers suddenly tightened around the jade pendant on the table. His knuckles turned pale, and uncontrollable joy surged in his eyes. His voice even trembled slightly:
“Green eyes… a handsome youth!”
“Young master,” the shadow guard hesitated, trying to advise him,
“However, Young Master Bai Xiao has always had black hair and a frail body. He could never possess the strength to kill a wild boar. This youth—”
“That’s not important!” Li Yunpeng slammed the table and burst into laughter, shaking dust from the rafters.
“Bai Xiao is still alive! He’s in Lingqu!”
The shadow guard suddenly slapped his own forehead in realization:
“Right, young master! That Li Xuan from Fulong Camp also has green eyes!”
“You only say this now?!” Li Yunpeng’s fury flared. He swung his hand and slapped the guard across the face.
Smack.
The guard stumbled to the ground, then quickly crawled back up and knelt in apology:
“This subordinate deserves death! Fulong Camp’s defenses are too tight. Li Xuan is constantly protected. I had to spend great effort bribing an insider before confirming this. I did not dare report recklessly!”
Li Yunpeng glared and stepped on the guard’s chest:
“Besides eye color, what else do you know?!”
“Li Xuan, courtesy name Chang Geng, from Yaowang Valley. Height seven chi seven cun, age twenty-six. Two months ago at the Shura Assembly summoned by Zhao Chengyuan, he exchanged three moves with General Zhao and matched him evenly.”
The guard gasped for breath as he continued:
“His martial style is highly unusual, not belonging to any sect. He is skilled in a technique called ‘Guiyuan’—rumored to be a Shura ability capable of reversing time.”
“Guiyuan… Shura… Li Xuan…”
Li Yunpeng murmured, brows tightly furrowed. After a moment of thought, he suddenly turned:
“Order all search teams to withdraw to Fuyang immediately. No delays!”
“Yes!” the guard responded.
“You, select three of the most skilled infiltrators. Disguise them and send them to villages in the Lingqu mountain region.”
Li Yunpeng’s gaze turned sharp as a blade:
“Keep them far from Fulong Camp. Do not alert Zhao Chengyuan. Report Li Xuan and Fulong Camp movements daily via transmission stone. Not a single word is allowed to be wrong. If there is any mistake—bring me your head.”
“Yes, sir!”
Li Yunpeng walked to the window, looking through the morning mist toward Lingqu. A cold smile formed on his lips.
“Also purchase a large quantity of Lingqu’s finest tea and local specialties—make it as extravagant as possible.”
He brushed his fingers across the window ledge, voice chilling:
“Let Zhao Chengyuan know… I, Li Yunpeng, am returning.”
“Li Xuan… sooner or later, we will meet. Either I come for you, or you come for me.”
[Fulong Camp Training Grounds]
Mid-afternoon.
Nine obsidian pillars pierced into the sky around the training field, runes carved along them shimmering faintly under daylight.
On a long table covered with black velvet, crystals of every color were neatly arranged—fiery red, deep ocean blue, emerald green, electric violet, and pure white—gleaming brilliantly and drawing the disciples’ attention.
Yuwen Ce stood in a dark purple-and-gold priest’s robe. His silver hair was bound with a white jade crown. His expression was cold as carved ice, only the dark red crystal between his fingers adding a hint of warmth.
He tapped the bronze staff once.
Thud.
The field immediately fell silent.
“Formation arts are not something everyone can master,” he said calmly. “But to give you a quicker method for dealing with beasts in the future, today I will teach you a shortcut—crystal formations.”
“These crystals were obtained by your senior brothers and sisters from previous Rift expeditions. I have already infused them with corresponding formation attributes. Remember this: crystal is the vessel, spiritual energy is the guide, color determines attribute. There are only two ways to activate them—”
“Either inject your spiritual energy and crush them, or throw them at a target to trigger them.”
He flicked his finger, and a red crystal arced through the air.
“Strength depends entirely on how much energy you infuse. The more energy, the greater the power.”
Li Xuan leaned closer to the table, lightly touching a pale blue crystal. A cold sensation spread through his fingertips.
He thought quietly:
“Inject energy then crush or throw… far simpler than memorizing complex runes. But the control of force still needs practice.”
Shen Qingci was already writing notes rapidly, drawing two small icons beside “activation method”—a fist and a throwing motion. He kept gesturing as if rehearsing timing like a scholar preparing for battle.
A Man grabbed three red crystals, excitedly shaking them:
“Crush! Throw! Strong!”
A small wolf cub at her feet sniffed at them and got flicked on the forehead. “Not edible!”
Su Mei held a green crystal up to the light, studying its natural vine-like patterns.
“It’s very fragile. You must be gentle when injecting energy… don’t crush it too early.”
Yuwen Ce swept his staff, lifting all crystals into the air and arranging them into a rainbow arc.
“Red is fire—offense. ‘Blazing Inferno Formation.’
Blue is water—defense. ‘Abyss Shield Formation.’
Green is wood—scouting. ‘Verdant Vine Alert Formation.’
Purple is thunder—binding. ‘Purple Lightning Lock Formation.’
White is light—purification support. ‘Radiant Cleansing Formation.’”
He infused energy into a red crystal and crushed it.
Crack.
Flames erupted instantly, forming a blazing barrier.
“Crush to form defense. Throw to trigger counterattack.”
“Li Xuan, try the Abyss Shield Formation.”
A blue crystal landed precisely in Li Xuan’s hand.
He injected energy steadily. The crystal gradually warmed from cold to lukewarm. He then crushed it sharply.
Crack.
An ice-blue barrier rose—but wavered like a dying flame.
“Your energy must be even. The crush must be clean and decisive,” Yuwen Ce said flatly.
Li Xuan nodded and tried again. This time, combining Guiyuan energy with his own spiritual force, he stabilized his infusion. The moment he crushed it—
A solid Abyss Shield Formation formed, stable and cold like frozen steel.
Shen Qingci immediately annotated:
“Blue crystal—Abyss Shield. Even energy, fast crush, strong defense.”
Next came partner training.
Shen Qingci and Su Mei worked with green crystals.
Shen Qingci whispered instructions:
“You throw it to the east side of the training field. I’ll remotely trigger it.”
Su Mei nodded and flicked her wrist. The green crystal shot out like a falling star.
The moment it landed, Shen Qingci triggered it mentally.
Crack.
Countless vines burst from the ground, forming a net. Light particles drifted along the vines as warning signals.
“Excellent detection precision,” Yuwen Ce nodded.
Li Xuan observed and thought:
“This could also function like a timed trap.”
A Man and Lao Zhan trained with purple crystals. After several chaotic attempts, they finally mastered the rhythm of activation, throwing, and triggering.
Yan Chiyu used red crystals in his own unconventional way, combining chain techniques with explosive fire formations.
Yuwen Ce then produced black crystals.
“These are storage crystals. You can pre-store energy and formations inside them. When needed, simply crush or throw them to activate instantly. One-time use only.”
He tossed one onto the ground.
A golden barrier formed instantly.
“A lifesaver!”
Shen Qingci’s eyes lit up.
Li Xuan also considered it:
“Extremely useful in emergencies.”
Midday Assessment
Groups of five were tasked with constructing composite crystal formations to withstand Yuwen Ce’s spiritual assault.
Li Xuan formed the core Abyss Shield.
Shen Qingci deployed alert vines.
A Man and Yan Chiyu launched fire and lightning formations.
Su Mei prepared purification support.
Under coordinated responses, the formation held firm despite repeated impacts.
When the test ended, Yuwen Ce withdrew his staff.
“Not bad.”
He rarely showed approval.
“Good coordination. Proper use of activation methods and emergency crystals.”
After training, the group gathered around the remaining crystals.
A Man sighed:
“These things run out too fast!”
Lao Zhan scratched his head:
“You only get crystals from Rift mining. After graduation, you can join expeditions. Or buy them from shops—but they’re expensive…”
Su Mei sighed softly:
“Given our low pay, we can only rely on Rift missions.”
A voice suddenly interrupted:
“You still have the nerve to complain about low pay?”
Shen Qingci put down his brush, raised an eyebrow, and said sarcastically,
“Recently you’ve pocketed five hundred taels of silver, and your monthly stipend is still sixty taels more than ours. You’re still complaining about being poor—are we supposed to just drink the northwest wind?”
Su Mei was choked speechless, her cheeks flushed red and her eyes slightly misted with grievance. She leaned toward Li Xuan, lightly tugging his sleeve:
“I… I didn’t mean that…”
Li Xuan’s mouth twitched, his mind wildly complaining:
“Please! I’m clearly the worst off here! I do more work than you rookie brats, yet I get the least pay. I don’t even have a place to complain!”
On his face, however, he still wore a standard professional fake smile as he smooth-talked:
“Heh heh, no point talking about this—everyone’s hungry, let’s go eat dinner first?”
【Good Canteen】
The warmth of the cafeteria still lingered on their clothes. The companions at the same table ate quickly, set down their bowls and chopsticks, and hurried back to the dorms to bathe, leaving only Li Xuan slowly finishing the last sip of soup.
Dusk had already soaked the sky. A thin layer of cold night dew covered the garden paths, damp and slightly cool underfoot.
On the roadside, massive rockeries stood like silent giants. Beside them, the lotus pond’s remaining leaves curled with withered yellow edges, gently swaying in the evening wind. The bleakness of early winter carried a faint lotus fragrance, spreading through the air.
Li Xuan walked casually, still calculating the details of the daytime crystal training in his mind. From the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a black shadow slowly approaching in the distance. The figure was upright like a pine tree, its steps steady.
As the distance closed, the familiar black robes and cold aura gradually became clear—
It was actually Lord Mo Ying.
Li Xuan’s heart stirred. This usually reclusive and taciturn lord—why would he appear in the depths of the garden at this time?
Mo Ying stood in the middle of the path, blocking Li Xuan’s way.
In his hand he held a pouch embroidered with dark patterns. The pouch’s opening was slightly ajar, and the faint glimmer of various crystals leaked out, sparkling in the dusk.
His gaze never left Li Xuan’s hair near his ear, refusing to meet his eyes. His throat bobbed as if he had gathered all his courage. Then he stepped forward and shoved the pouch into Li Xuan’s hands, his voice low and slightly tense:
“For you.”
Li Xuan took the pouch. It was quite heavy. The cool smoothness of the crystals touched his fingertips. His brows lifted in surprise:
“For me?” He then put on a standard fake smile.
“Oh, I won’t refuse free gifts. Last time I helped you purify the chaotic energy, this time it’s finally compensation.”
He weighed the pouch, smiling with narrowed eyes, but inside he muttered:
“So many crystals all of a sudden… is there some hidden scheme?”
Outwardly he remained polite:
“Many thanks, Lord Mo. I will make good use of it.”
After speaking, he intended to bypass him and continue forward, but Mo Ying still stood there, unmoving.
Li Xuan had no choice but to stop and ask in confusion:
“Does Lord Mo still have something else?”
At those words, Mo Ying’s ears slowly turned red. The blush spread like a tide across his cheeks. After a long hesitation, he finally mustered the courage to reach out, his voice trembling faintly:
“Can… can you help me?”
Li Xuan followed his gaze and saw strands of chaotic energy coiling around the hem of his robe, unstable and dense—almost condensing into form.
His heart sank, alarmed:
“Is he an idiot? I already made it clear last time—it requires borrowing Commander Zhao’s yang energy as a transition to purify it. Now the chaos is about to explode, and he comes to me? Don’t tell me Zhao the Tiger sent him to test me?”
Li Xuan frowned and said earnestly:
“But Lord Mo, marrow cleansing purification always carries the risk of memory loss. You hold countless military secrets in your mind—such risk seems inappropriate?”
He deliberately emphasized the words “memory loss,” hoping Mo Ying would back down.
But Mo Ying still stared at him firmly, eyes burning with determination, word by word:
“Just like when you helped Grand Tutor Bai…”
“You!”
Li Xuan’s pupils contracted sharply. Cold sweat broke out instantly on his back. That matter had been extremely secret—Grand Tutor Bai himself had ordered it not be disclosed. How did Mo Ying know?
He had no time to think further and grabbed Mo Ying’s wrist tightly, practically dragging him behind a rockery into a hidden spot.
The giant rock blocked the outside light, leaving only faint strands of moonlight. His face looked panicked, his voice trembling slightly:
“You saw it?”
Mo Ying stumbled from being pulled, and when he leaned closer, he caught a faint clean fragrance from Li Xuan’s hair. His heart shook violently, his face flushing even deeper as he softly responded:
“Mm…”
In truth, he had not only seen it, but had also stood there for a long time behind the rockery, watching Li Xuan purify Grand Tutor Bai. Watching that gentle light entwine between them, a thought grew wildly in his heart—
He also wanted to get that close to Li Xuan, even if only for a moment.
“Did you tell anyone about this?”
Li Xuan’s voice was urgent, his palms already damp with sweat.
If Commander Zhao found out, the consequences would be disastrous.
“No.”
Mo Ying shook his head. His gaze was sincere without the slightest impurity. How could he tell anyone?
This was a secret only between him and Li Xuan—a carefully treasured excuse to get closer to him.
Hearing those two words, Li Xuan finally relaxed. The heavy stone in his chest slightly eased.
His mind raced:
“Reject him? What if he gets angry and exposes everything? Agree?…”
The air between them was so still they could hear each other’s breathing. Mo Ying stood there without moving, his gaze tightly bound to Li Xuan’s face. That persistence made Li Xuan feel overwhelmed.
After a long silence, Li Xuan finally stopped, looked up at him, and said with resolve:
“I can help you purify it, but you must swear this stays buried forever. You are never to tell anyone—especially Commander Zhao.”
Rather than being controlled, better to stabilize him first and think of another plan later.
Mo Ying immediately nodded solemnly, eyes fixed intensely on Li Xuan as if receiving a great blessing. His joy nearly overflowed—he could finally get close to Li Xuan again.
Li Xuan opened the pouch and took out a translucent white crystal. It glowed softly under the moonlight.
Holding it, he said seriously:
“I will channel the purifying spirit from within this crystal into your body. This will avoid the risk of memory loss from marrow cleansing.”
Inside, he thought:
“Of course this is fake. I’m just afraid Mo Ying will tell Commander Zhao, so I need an excuse to leave myself an exit later.”
Without waiting for Mo Ying’s reaction, he directly reached into his inner garment.
When his fingertips touched the firm, tense chest muscle, Li Xuan stiffened slightly—
“Wow! Such a solid chest… feels really good.”
The warmth and texture made him inexplicably flustered.
He forced himself to stay calm, quickly crushed the white crystal, and shouted:
“Return to origin—marrow cleansing!”
The shattered crystal turned into countless specks of light, forming a fake purifying energy that surged into Mo Ying’s chest and spread through his entire body.
A familiar tingling sensation swept over him again. Mo Ying couldn’t help trembling slightly. He grasped Li Xuan’s hand still on his chest:
“Ah… mm…”
—this was the touch he had longed for over the past two months.
His gaze drifted across Li Xuan’s delicate features, then slowly downward, settling on his pink, full lips. A thought he could no longer suppress surged up:
“I… I want to kiss him.”
His throat moved as he spoke shakily:
“It’s… not like this.”
Before the words finished, his other hand was already around the back of Li Xuan’s neck. His fingertips brushed his soft hair roots, trembling with restraint—
He was afraid of startling him, and even more afraid that if he hesitated, he would lose the courage forever.
“What?”
Li Xuan’s question was still stuck in his throat when his lips were suddenly covered by soft warmth that came without warning.
Behind the rockery, light and shadow were fragmented by the stone, falling in broken patterns over them.
Lotus leaves swayed in the wind, bringing a hint of winter chill, yet it could not suppress the rising heat between them.
Li Xuan’s hand was still inside Mo Ying’s inner garment, clearly feeling the chest muscles rise and fall with his rapid breathing, solid and powerful.
The faint glow of the shattered crystal still lingered, wrapping around them. Mo Ying’s eyes were misted, his grip tightening on Li Xuan’s wrist and neck.
The kiss carried two months of suppressed longing.
He was born cold and stern, his hands only used for killing on the battlefield, yet now he was clumsy like a boy experiencing love for the first time. He gently brushed Li Xuan’s lips, as if confirming this was not an illusion.
Then he could no longer let go, cautiously licking his lip, sending a wave of tingling sensation through him.
Li Xuan froze completely.
He had always been good at pretending, always composed in danger, but now his mind went blank.
All that remained was the burning warmth on his lips, Mo Ying’s faint pine scent, and his heavy breathing brushing against his face.
His thoughts spiraled:
“Damn… why is he licking like a dog? Is he a virgin?”
Mo Ying did not know that since the last accidental purification in the water prison, his gaze had never left Li Xuan.
He had wanted to get close but never found a chance—until he saw Li Xuan in the bamboo forest with Grand Tutor Bai…
Actually, he could have asked Su Lao for purification and was already prepared to accept memory loss.
But that would only allow him to hold Li Xuan’s hand.
What he wanted was more—to kiss his lips, to feel his warmth, to leave a mark on him.
So he deliberately let the chaotic energy accumulate, waiting until the limit before seeking Li Xuan.
He had calculated that Li Xuan would not refuse. He had calculated this was the only chance.
“Mm…”
Li Xuan finally reacted, instinctively trying to pull back, but his neck was firmly held.
The kiss deepened.
Their breathing grew heavier, faces flushed, and only when they were both nearly out of breath did Mo Ying slowly pull back.
Their foreheads rested together, noses touching, breaths mingling.
“I…”
Mo Ying’s voice was hoarse, still trembling with aftereffects, cheeks flushed unnaturally red. He still did not dare meet Li Xuan’s eyes, but still refused to let go of his neck or hand.
“Is… what I want.”
He had never been taught how to express affection. This was the only way he knew.
Li Xuan’s chest rose and fell violently, lips swollen and glistening.
His mind was chaos:
“He’s serious? And he doesn’t mind I’m a man?”
Emotions tangled—shock, anger, embarrassment, and a strange trembling feeling.
“…Alright then.”
Taking advantage of Mo Ying’s momentary looseness, Li Xuan quickly pulled his hand away and turned to flee, running toward the dorms in near panic.
Mo Ying watched his retreating figure until it disappeared at the end of the path, then slowly leaned against the rockery and slid down.
Touching his racing heart, still remembering the warmth in his palm, he smiled faintly—deeply satisfied.
“Li Xuan…”
He murmured the name softly.
“Next time, I’ll make you accept me slowly.”
【Shen Qingci’s Top Secret Report】
“Master! Stop what you’re doing! Mo Ying has made a move on Brother Xuan! The two were entangled behind the rockery, Brother Xuan fled back to the dorms in a shy panic. Your subordinate cannot help but worry deeply for you—since we are in the same camp, you must quickly make your move and seize Li Xuan!”