Chapter 92 - 91: Trespass?
The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a pale, ethereal glow over the emerald valley. Inside the grand master pavilion of the estate, the soft light of embedded luminous pearls kept the darkness at bay, painting the vast bedroom in a warm, tranquil luminescence. Outside, the rush of the waterfall provided a gentle sound that harmonized perfectly with the whispering pines.
Bai Qingyue lay on the bed, her hair spilled across the pillows. Her eyes were heavy, fluttering as she fought the inevitable pull of sleep, her gaze fixed entirely on the doors of the pavilion, waiting for her husband to come in.
The door then slid open, as Lin Yuan stepped into the room, his black-and-white Daoist robes exchanged for a loose, comfortable dark tunic. In his hands, he carried a wooden tray. Resting upon it was a bowl, radiating a sweet, savory aroma that instantly filled the room.
"You are still awake," Lin Yuan noted, a soft, affectionate smile curving his lips as he walked toward the bed.
"I was waiting for you," Bai Qingyue murmured, her voice barely a whisper, yet carrying the weight of her affection.
Lin Yuan set the wooden tray down on the small bedside table and took a seat on the edge of the mattress. He picked up the bowl, gently stirring its contents with a matching spoon. It was a clear broth infused with crushed lotus seeds and the tender meat of a wind-fowl—a meal specifically designed to be light on the stomach but incredibly rich in vitality.
"I felt that you should eat something before going to sleep," Lin Yuan said smoothly, blowing a wisp of steam away from the surface of the broth.
Bai Qingyue shifted slightly against the pillows, a faint, embarrassed blush rising to her cheeks. She looked at the steaming bowl and then up at his deep purple eyes, her expression flashing with mild reluctance.
"Husband... I have done absolutely nothing today but rest, admire the gardens, and allow you to pamper me," she protested gently, her delicate fingers nervously tracing the edge of the blanket. "I am not truly hungry. I feel as though I am becoming a burden under your care. You have already done so much; you do not need to wait on me in the middle of the night."
Lin Yuan did not frown, nor did he immediately dismiss what she said. He understood the scars the Bai Clan had inflicted upon her—the ingrained, toxic belief that her worth was strictly tied to her utility and cultivation.
He leaned forward, his free hand reaching out to gently cup her warm cheek. His thumb brushed softly against her skin, anchoring her racing thoughts with his presence.
"Qingyue," Lin Yuan spoke. "You could never be a burden to me. Taking care of you is not a chore, nor is it an obligation born of pity. It is a profound privilege. Every single breath you take in this house, every moment of peace you experience, validates the very path of my cultivation. Now, open your mouth. You need to eat."
The certainty and warmth in his words melted the last remnants of her reluctance. Her heart fluttered, and a beautiful, radiant smile broke through her hesitation. She nodded softly, parting her lips.
Lin Yuan carefully raised the spoon, feeding her the broth.
The meal proceeded in a intimate silence. With every spoonful she swallowed, a gentle, soothing warmth radiated from her stomach, branching out to lightly embrace her. The meticulous care with which he fed her, making sure the temperature was perfect and pacing each bite to her comfort, was touching.
When the bowl was finally empty, Bai Qingyue let out a soft, contented sigh. Her eyelids grew heavy, and the warmth of the meal gradually lulled her into a peaceful drowsiness to sleep.
At that exact moment, a familiar, mechanical chime resonated within the depths of Lin Yuan’s mind.
[Ding!]
[Spent time demonstrating unwavering care and devotion to Dao Companion by feeding her.]
[Triggering Investment Return...]
[Reward generated: The ’Nine-Headed Phoenix Marrow Soup’ (Divine-Tier Culinary Recipe) – A legendary recipe capable of reinforcing the Yin based Physique over time.]
Lin Yuan’s gaze flickered briefly as the profound knowledge of the recipe seamlessly integrated into his mind. It was exactly what he needed for her next meal. The system, as always, heavily rewarded his care to his wife.
He placed the empty bowl back onto the wooden tray. Turning back to Bai Qingyue, he leaned in close. She was already half-asleep, her breathing slow and rhythmic.
Lin Yuan pressed a tender, lingering kiss against her soft cheek.
"Sleep now, my love," he whispered into her ear.
A small, serene smile graced her lips, and without another word, Bai Qingyue finally surrendered to the peaceful embrace of sleep, her hand resting trustingly near his thigh.
Ensuring she was perfectly comfortable and warmly covered, Lin Yuan quietly stood up. He did not leave the room. Instead, he walked over to the center of the bedroom, and retrieved a mat of from the drawer.
He sat down cross-legged on the mat, his demeanor instantly shifting. The warm, doting husband vanished, perfectly replaced by the cold, calculating, and peerless seeker of the Great Dao.
Lin Yuan closed his deep purple eyes, regulating his breathing as he slipped into a profound state of meditation. His consciousness turned inward, diving deep into the vast ocean of his dantian.
There, sitting suspended above a sea of spiritual energy, was his flawless Nascent Soul. The ethereal avatar mirrored his cross-legged posture, radiating a terrifying might. The Nascent Soul pulsed, absorbing the ambient spiritual qi supplied by the estate’s high-grade spiritual vein.
Lin Yuan’s current objective was clear. While his combat prowess could easily rival or crush a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul expert like Envoy Zhao Wuhen, his actual cultivation realm was still at the Early Stage.
To bridge the gap and truly solidify his cultivation before the Barrier Realm opens, he needed to cultivate his Nascent Soul so he could break past the Early Stage.
Breathe in the heavens. Exhale the mortal dust, Lin Yuan commanded his inner self, as he cultivated.
The ambient qi in the master pavilion began to swirl, forming an invisible vortex that funneled directly into the crown of his head. The energy was pulled into his dantian, where the Nascent Soul devoured it, refining the raw spiritual Qi into energy for the nascent soul.
He meditated in and out, his mind detaching from the physical world as he explored the intricate brushstrokes of his Dao. The process of expanding a Nascent Soul was agonizingly slow; it required the accumulation of energy to force the ethereal body to grow and mature.
One hour passed. Then two. The night deepened, the moon reaching its absolute zenith above the emerald valley.
But suddenly, his cultivation was interrupted.
Lin Yuan’s Nascent Soul abruptly opened its eyes within his dantian, a silent, but vibrating pulse of warning echoing through his spiritual sea.
In the physical world, Lin Yuan’s eyes snapped open. The serene, meditative calm in his gaze was instantly replaced by a sharp, lethal coldness.
He felt a distinct, undeniable change in the ambient Qi of the surrounding area. It was incredibly subtle—a distortion in the natural flow of the spiritual Qi that powered the estate’s defensive array. To a lesser cultivator, it would have been completely imperceptible, easily dismissed.
But to a Lin Yuan, who possessed impressive perception, it was as loud as a detonating thunderclap.
The perimeter of the estate had been breached.
Without moving a single muscle, Lin Yuan effortlessly expanded his divine sense, casting it out like an invisible net across the courtyards and pavilions. He bypassed the sleeping form of Bai Chen in the eastern wing, pushing his perception toward the outer walls.
There, slipping silently through the shadows of the pine trees, completely masking their footsteps and suppressing their heartbeats, were foreign auras.
It was not just one. It was a calculated, synchronized infiltration. Other cultivators, entirely unrelated to him and Bai Chen, had bypassed the outer wards and stepped into his estate. They moved with the lethal art of assassins, moving toward the master pavilion.
Lin Yuan remained seated on his mat, the ambient shadows of the room dancing across his impassive, handsome face. A terrifying, crackling purple spark arched across his knuckles.
Who dared trespass?