Chapter 9: Bai Chen
The sight of the slightly ajar door instantly extinguished the warm tranquility in Lin Yuan’s heart. In the cruel and unforgiving world of cultivation, an open door in the outer city rarely meant a friendly visit.
Who dares?
A terrifying, blood-red light flared within Lin Yuan’s pupils. Without a single sound, Lin Yuan’s figure blurred. Drawing upon his newly acquired insights into the Dao of Rain, he moved with the fluid, unstoppable velocity of the crashing rain. He bypassed the courtyard and the main hall in a fraction of a second, zipping directly into the bedroom where he had left his wife.
The moment his boots touched the bedroom floorboards, Lin Yuan unleashed his cultivation base.
BOOM!
An oppressive spiritual pressure erupted from his body, instantly flooding the room. The air grew so dense and heavy it felt like solid lead. The killing intent radiating from Lin Yuan had reached an absolute climax, freezing the ambient temperature and causing frost to form on the wooden walls.
Standing near the foot of the bed was a young man in the refined white silk robes of the Bai Clan.
Caught completely off guard by the sudden pressure, the young man’s knees instantly buckled. The spiritual qi in his own body was forcefully suppressed, his breath caught in his throat like a trapped mouse. He barely managed to turn his head to look at the doorway, his eyes bulging with absolute terror.
"Foundation... Foundation Establishment?!" the young man shouted, his voice cracking violently under the strain of the suffocating aura.
Lin Yuan’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. His hand raised, his fingertips already glowing with spiritual qi. He was half a heartbeat away from turning this intruder’s head into mist.
"Lin Yuan, stop!"
A desperate voice shattered the deadly tension in the room. Bai Qingyue, still sitting up in bed, threw her arms out, ignoring the oppressive spiritual pressure that was making her own chest ache.
"Stop, please! He is my first cousin! Bai Chen!" she cried out urgently, her voice trembling.
Lin Yuan’s hand halted in mid-air. The lethal light at his fingertips flickered and slowly died out. With a mere thought, he forcefully reigned in his aura, pulling the pressure back as easily as sheathing a sword.
Bai Chen collapsed completely onto the wooden floorboards, gasping greedily for air as if he had just breached the surface of a deep ocean. Cold sweat drenched his robes, his entire body trembling involuntarily.
Lin Yuan crossed his arms, his expression still completely devoid of warmth. "First cousin?"
Bai Qingyue let out a long breath of relief, her hand clutching her chest. "Yes. He... he came to see how I was faring. During my time of disgrace in the inner city, when the elders and the other disciples mocked me while I was down, Bai Chen was one of the very few people in the Bai family who did not treat me badly."
Lin Yuan’s cold gaze shifted down to the gasping young man on the floor. The killing intent in his eyes receded, though a lingering wariness remained.
"If that is the case," Lin Yuan said smoothly, his tone laced with mild reprimand, "you should have first told me he was coming. I would not have reacted this way. An unannounced guest in the outer city is indistinguishable from an enemy."
"I... I truly did not know," Bai Qingyue replied apologetically, looking at her cousin. "I myself didn’t know he was coming. The clan forbade anyone from visiting me after I was cast out. I did not expect him to brave the outer city."
On the floor, Bai Chen was slowly regaining his wits, though his mind was a chaotic storm. He remained on his knees, not daring to stand up fully. He kept looking at Lin Yuan, his eyes filled with profound disbelief and lingering terror.
Who is this man? Bai Chen pondered frantically. The clan elders explicitly said they married cousin Qingyue off to a trash outer city cultivator! Someone with zero prospects! But this... this man is a true Foundation Establishment expert!
The realization hit Bai Chen like a thunderbolt. A Foundation Establishment expert in Azure Cloud City was an existence that even the Patriarch of the Bai Clan would have to treat with immense respect. Yet, this supreme expert was hiding in this dilapidated outer-city hovel, playing the pig to eat the tiger!
More terrifyingly, Bai Chen recalled the sheer killing intent he had just felt. It was thick, visceral, and absolutely merciless. If cousin Qingyue had spoken even half a second later, his head would currently be separated from his shoulders. This man would have slaughtered a direct disciple of the Bai Clan without batting an eye, purely to protect his wife.
Ignoring the traumatized cousin kneeling on the floor, Lin Yuan’s demeanor shifted entirely. The cold aura melted away, replaced by the doting husband.
He walked over to the bed and retrieved the basic spatial pouch from his belt. With a wave of his hand, a lacquered wooden tray materialized, resting gently on Bai Qingyue’s lap. On the tray sat a large, steaming bowl of Sweet Lotus Seed Porridge, its rich, sweet aroma instantly filling the room, accompanied by a plate of perfectly plump, honey meat buns.
"Breakfast is served," Lin Yuan said, his voice warm and gentle.
Bai Qingyue’s eyes lit up at the sight of her favorite meal. She reached out, eager to taste the sweet porridge she hadn’t had since her fall from grace. However, as her delicate fingers grasped the spoon, a dark reality of her condition reared its head.
The cold dampness of the previous night, combined with the extreme shock of Lin Yuan’s sudden entrance and spiritual pressure, had overtaxed her body. As she tried to lift the spoon to her lips, her hands began to tremble violently. The sweet porridge sloshed over the edges of the spoon, splashing back into the bowl before she could even take a bite.
She tried again, biting her lip in frustration, but her weakened muscles simply refused to cooperate. A look of deep, familiar shame crossed her beautiful features.
Lin Yuan didn’t say a word. He didn’t sigh, nor did he look at her with pity.
He simply stepped past the awestruck Bai Chen—who was still kneeling on the floor, watching this bizarre scene unfold with wide eyes—and sat down on the edge of the bed. Lin Yuan gently reached out and took the spoon from her trembling fingers.
"Your body is still recovering from the cold," Lin Yuan said softly. "Allow me."
He scooped up a generous portion of the Lotus Seed Porridge, brought it close to his lips, and blew on it gently to cool the steaming liquid. Then, he guided the spoon toward her mouth.
"Ah," Lin Yuan prompted with a warm smile.
Bai Qingyue’s face erupted in a brilliant shade of crimson. Her heart pounded furiously against her ribs. Having him feed her like a helpless child, especially with her cousin kneeling right there in the room, was unspeakably embarrassing.
"L-Lin Yuan, I can manage..." she stammered, trying to avert her eyes.
"You are shaking, Qingyue," Lin Yuan replied calmly, the spoon still hovering patiently near her lips. "A husband feeding his wife is a matter of course. Open."
Defeated by his gentle persistence and the delicious aroma of the porridge, Bai Qingyue timidly parted her lips and accepted the bite. The sweet, rich flavor of the lotus seeds exploded on her tongue, warming her chest and bringing a genuine look of delight to her eyes.
"Is it good?" Lin Yuan asked, his eyes crinkling with satisfaction.
She nodded shyly, chewing slowly. "It is perfect."
As Lin Yuan scooped up the second bite, entirely ignoring the presence of the third wheel in the room, the familiar chime of the system echoed in his mind.
[Ding!] [Host has invested: Hand-feeding Dao Companion (Acts of Care & Pampering).] [Triggering critical multiplier... calculating...] [Congratulations to the Host! You have triggered a 10,000X Return!] [Calculating return path... Opting for Quality & Efficacy Upgrade!] [Reward: 1x Bowl of Heavenly Jade-Marrow Nectar!]
Lin Yuan’s eyes flashed with inner satisfaction. A ten-thousand-fold return! The system truly favored profound acts of pampering. The Heavenly Jade-Marrow Nectar, resting quietly in his system inventory, was a supreme spiritual liquid known for gently nourishing shattered life-force.
After seeing the reward, Lin Yuan was more than okay. He was ecstatic. He continued to feed his blushing wife bite by bite, the atmosphere in the room completely transforming into a sweet romance.
Bai Chen knelt quietly on the floor, watching the man who had nearly killed him now blowing carefully on a piece of a honey meat bun. He swallowed hard, his mind racing as he finally processed the reality of his cousin’s situation.
She hadn’t been abandoned to a life of misery. She had been handed over to a hidden dragon who treated her like a supreme treasure.
As the last bite of porridge was finished and Lin Yuan set the bowl aside, Bai Chen finally found the courage to speak. He shifted his posture, bowing his head deeply in genuine, profound respect toward the young man sitting on the bed.
"Senior..." Bai Chen began, his voice laced with awe and apprehension. "Can this junior request something from you?"