“Mmm…”
The silence that usually required her to gauge his mood just to touch him, the one who only knew a few stiff positions, was gone.
In his place was a skilled, versatile lover with a wealth of experience.
He was completely devoted, his strength threatening to meld her into his very bones.
What surprised her was his incredible skill—nothing like the gentle, restrained silence she knew would naturally produce.
“Ah…”
“Ahh…”
“Ahhh…”
The cloudless sky suddenly darkened, roiling with storm clouds.
“Plop…”
The first raindrop fell, huge and heavy, like a stone thrown from beyond the heavens.
It struck the hardened lakebed, splashing a tiny, fleeting puff of dust.
Then came the second, the third…
The raindrops grew denser.
The crisp “plink” sounds gradually merged into a dull, continuous “pat-pat” chorus.
The parched earth greedily drank it all in.
Rainwater rapidly gathered into rivulets, racing along the creviced gullies. No longer was it just surface moisture, but a desperate, deep penetration into the earth.
The bottomless fissures became channels for the rainwater to surge into.
The soil, hardened for so long, gave a “hissing” sound—a nearly joyful yet pained absorption.
Its color visibly shifted from ashen to deep brown.
Soon, the cracks were filled with water, and small puddles appeared in the low spots, spreading and connecting.
The rain poured endlessly.
The sound of the lakebed drinking was gradually overtaken by the gurgle of flowing water.
On the surface, raindrops created countless chaotic ripples, colliding, shattering, and merging.
As the rain subsided, the massive cracks and scorched earth were completely gone.
The earth was silent, every deep fold soaked through with the sky’s cold and abundant tears.
—
Moonlight was like water, casting hazy shadows through the gauze curtains.
The quietude of post-satisfaction flowed within the bedroom.
Su Wan’er nestled against a silent, yet slightly cool, chest, her fingertip gently tracing the small mole she knew so well beneath his collarbone.
Her body and mind were still immersed in the intimacy of moments before.
At the same time, her thoughts couldn’t help but drift up and down.
How did he… know so much?
So skilled?
Those positions, those techniques, even those subtle ways to please a woman… were not something mastered overnight.
Could it be…
An idea uncontrollably rose in her heart—could it be that Mo’er… had practiced in private?
This guess made her heart clench sharply, a wave of emotion washing over her.
That’s it…
It must be for her.
It must be because her serious injuries hadn’t healed, and her depression was written all over her face.
To make her happy, he secretly sought out and learned these… bedroom arts, just to give her an unparalleled experience, to let her forget her worries and be happy again.
With his shy personality, how much courage must it have taken to approach those things?
And with what anxious, loving heart did he, so clumsy yet so earnest, put everything he had learned into practice?
This realization was like a spring soaking her heart.
All doubts and unease dissolved into overwhelming emotion.
“Mo’er…” She couldn’t help but reach out and wrap her arms tightly around his sweating, trembling form.
“You… didn’t have to… I… I’m so happy… truly…”
…
Happy?
She felt happy?
Chen Mo felt no happiness at all.
Because he knew best where those skills came from.
But when he learned them, his thoughts were of Su Wan’er.
Always Su Wan’er.
Yet the lingering soreness in his body, the dull ache in his hidden places, and the emptiness in his dantian—that discomfort from losing his Yin Essence source—constantly reminded him of what had happened.
“I’m sorry… Wan’er… I’m sorry…”
Su Wan’er only thought he was deeply moved, and too ashamed to speak of practicing such things. Her heart softened even more.
She gently patted his violently trembling back, her voice tender enough to drip with honey, “Silly… don’t say sorry… I really like it… truly… as long as you’re by my side, anything is fine…”
“Mo’er, you… have you been preparing for a long time in secret? Those… hmm… where did you learn them?”
Chen Mo avoided her probing gaze, turning his face away.
“No… it’s nothing… I just… read some miscellaneous books. Thinking about my wife’s hard work, I… I thought I should do something to make you happy…”
He paused. “And… I heard that if Dual Cultivation Methods are used properly, they can be somewhat beneficial for a woman’s body and mind. I just… wanted to try.”
She gently stroked his sweat-dampened forehead, her eyes glistening with tears.
“Silly… just having this thought makes me content. In the future… don’t push yourself like this. We’ll take it slow. We still have a long time.”
We still have a long time…
Chen Mo’s heart felt like it had been stabbed.
After a long silence, he gave an extremely faint, nearly inaudible reply. “…Mm.”
Su Wan’er’s heart ached too.
Time was short. It was time to have a child.
In the future when she might not be able to accompany him and protect him for long, she could at least leave him a bond, making her mark on this world more deeply connected to him.
Although it had been postponed due to her injuries and various changes, tonight was the perfect opportunity.
“I’ve been thinking about that matter these past few days.”
Chen Mo was startled.
Blushing, she continued, “Mo’er, give me your Yin Essence.”
His whole body stiffened, his breath halted.
Su Wan’er, thinking he was just shy or surprised by her directness, spoke gently again, “Don’t be nervous. What… what happened before was fine, but if you want a child, you need to… let go of your Yin Essence and let me take it.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to give it.
But his Yin Essence had already been guided away by Ling Ying. The next gathering would take at least ten months.
As she spoke, her fingertip moved down, gently stroking his flat lower abdomen—the place where a man’s Yin Essence gathers.
“I know for a man, you need to be completely relaxed and willing. Mo’er, try… to relax and guide it…”
“No… Matriarch, I… I…”
Chen Mo scrambled backward, instantly putting distance between them, curling up tightly in the inner corner of the bed, wrapping himself in the brocade quilt, revealing only a face as pale as paper, full of panic.
Su Wan’er was startled by his intense reaction.
“Mo Lang, what’s wrong?” She sat up. “Don’t you want a child? Or… is there something wrong with your body?”
Chen Mo frantically shook his head, wanting to explain, but unable to utter a single word.
If Su Wan’er knew the truth—that he had just given all his essence to her “best friend,” and was about to go to the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion to make a public appearance to save her—what would she think?
Looking at his hesitant expression, Su Wan’er quickly tried to soothe him.
“Was I too hasty? Did I scare you? It’s okay, we’ll take it slow. There’s no rush. Let’s talk about the child when you’re ready, okay?”
“It’s my fault for bringing this up when you’re so tired…”
Looking at Chen Mo’s utterly devastated expression, as if the sky had fallen, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
In this female-dominated world, it’s rare, but not unheard of, for a man to be unable to gather Yin Essence or have it be too thin for pregnancy.
Some have naturally special constitutions with thin or uncontrollable Yin Essence.
Others suffer from injuries, illness, poisoning, or cultivation mishaps that damage their foundation, leading to infertility.
For a man, this is often a shame that’s hard to speak of.
Su Wan’er’s heart sank.
Could it be… did Mo’er have such a hidden ailment?
If so, everything was clear.
His efforts were to compensate for his deficiency…
What a fool.
Su Wan’er’s heart ached. She pulled him into her arms, gently patting his back. “Listen to me, Mo Lang. Whether or not we have a child doesn’t matter. What matters is you.”
“Even… even if you really can’t have children,” she paused, her tone without a hint of disgust, only sympathy, “I will never blame you, nor will I think any less of you.”
“You are Su Wan’er’s husband, the person I have chosen.”
“I want you, Chen Mo, not whether you can give me a child. Do you understand?”
Her eyes held unfeigned sincerity.
Chen Mo choked up.
He hugged Su Wan’er tightly, burying his face in the hollow of her neck, like a wronged child finally finding a safe haven, and burst into loud sobs.
“Don’t cry, Mo Lang. Don’t cry. It’s not your fault. It was wrong of me to bring this up and upset you.” She softly kissed the top of his head. “We won’t have a child. Just the two of us is fine too, right?”
In her arms, Chen Mo frantically shook his head, then nodded.
—
The next morning, Chen Mo practically fled from the bed, gathering the scattered clothes from the floor and hastily dressing.
He dared not look again into Su Wan’er’s gentle, trusting eyes, fearing that with one more glance, he would confess everything.
Arriving at the Spirit Beast Garden, Chen Mo opened his palm to reveal a Message Jade Talisman.
A few small characters appeared on the talisman’s surface:
“In three days, at the hour of the Snake (9-11 AM), the usual place. Do not be late. — Han.”
Han Yi was nearby.
She had already changed into the common white dress of an Inner Disciple of Jiaoyue Peak.
The style was simple, but it couldn’t hide her flowing silver hair and strikingly beautiful features.
Through his interactions with her, Chen Mo had found her learning ability to be astonishing.
She had a photographic memory and grasped texts and ancient books instantly.
But her understanding of human relations, emotions, and expressions was nearly blank.
“Master, you are troubled.”
“Heartbeat, too fast. Spiritual Power, sluggish. Breath, faintly laced with fear.”
“Yesterday, as well. Power of the Yin Cold Mark, tangled with soul consciousness, stirring fear. Today, this power’s fluctuation is more pronounced.”
“You’re mistaken,” his voice was dry, his back pressed against the stone wall. “I’m just… a bit tired lately. The mark is harmless… you don’t need to mind it.”
“You lie. For me, the Soul Contract connects us. Your fear is like a bright fire in the dark night. You are resisting, and you are afraid.”
With their minds connected, any pretense was futile.
“Since Master is unwilling to speak, I will not ask.”
She paused. “However, with the Soul Contract in place, my master’s disgrace is my disgrace, my master’s peril is my peril. If any external evil intrudes, or if force is needed to clear the path, my sword can be drawn for my master.”
The words were concise and direct, carrying a resolute, instinctual, blood-born aura of slaughter.
A sharp, metallic edge emanated, dropping the surrounding temperature a few degrees.
This pure, almost brash declaration of protection pierced through the thick gloom in Chen Mo’s heart.
But reason quickly returned.
He thought of Yun Hejun’s unfathomable figure.
No matter how strong Han Yi was, she had just taken human form. How could she contend with them?
Dragging her into this would only end this newborn life under the fist of tyranny.
“Thank you, Han Yi.”
“I’m fine. Just some… old heartaches.”
“I can handle it myself. You just need to adapt well and stabilize your foundation. That’s the greatest help you can give me.”
“Since that is the case, I will follow my master’s words.”
She stopped questioning, but she also didn’t leave. Like the quietest of shadows, she stood silently by his side.
Hum…
At his waist, the Message Jade Talisman vibrated again.
New words were rapidly appearing and fading on the talisman:
“Tomorrow. Earlier. At the beginning of the hour of the Dragon (7-9 AM).”
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