Soft light streamed into the chamber through latticed windows, filtered by layers of crimson silk drapes. A faint scent of orchid and sweat lingered in the air. The bed was a tangle of silks, jade ornaments, and scattered hairpins. In the center of it, Yuerou lay soundly asleep, her pale skin flushed with residual warmth.
Gu Changge sat cross-legged beside her, a deep violet qi spiraling around his body in slow, deliberate arcs. His breathing was even, his expression unreadable—but the crimson gleam in his eyes betrayed quiet triumph.
At the nape of Yuerou's neck, a soul mark pulsed with delicate light—jade-green threads laced with crimson flame, shaped like a blooming lotus. The mark reacted faintly to his presence, its rhythm synchronized with his own qi core.
> System Notification
Soul Link Stability: 100%.
Companion 'Yuerou' will now instinctively harmonize with host's will unless forcibly overridden.
Gu Changge opened his eyes and exhaled slowly.
> "So utterly mine," he murmured.
He reached over and brushed aside a strand of hair clinging to her cheek. Yuerou sighed in her sleep, curling slightly toward him.
> "You were a general…" he whispered, tracing her soul mark with a fingertip. "Now you're mine."
---
Gu Changge rose, his black inner robe flowing around him like dark water. He approached the jade-inlaid window and gazed out at the silent courtyard below.
He could still feel the aftershocks of last night's trifold cultivation—physical, spiritual, and soul-bound. Yuerou's Yin-aligned Jade Sovereign Physique had proven even more potent than expected. It had resonated not only with his Succubus Bloodline but also with the Bloodshade Abyssal Sword Scripture.
The synergy had been perfect.
> System Projection
Based on current soul-link configuration and companion compatibility—
Estimated Time to Nascent Soul Breakthrough: Reduced by 60%
New Passive Ability Gained: Flame Anchor – Prevents qi deviation during use of high-tier forbidden arts.
Gu Changge's smirk deepened.
But the system projection didn't end there.
> Warning
Soul Marks of this type cannot be hidden from close inspection by high-level cultivators or ancient sect artifacts.
"Of course," he muttered. "Nothing's ever free."
Yuerou's soul mark was like a flare in the spiritual realm—subtle enough to evade the eyes of average cultivators, but to those with sacred artifacts or high spiritual perception, it would stand out like a crimson flag in a storm.
> System Store Suggestion
Item: Veil Pearl of Heavenly Obscuration – 10,000 Villain Points
Masks all soul marks, demonic signatures, and companion bindings. Effective up to Half-Immortal Realm scans.
Without hesitation—
> Purchase confirmed.
The system shimmered and a translucent pearl materialized in his palm. It vanished the moment he pressed it to Yuerou's soul mark.
Now, even the Half-Immortal would need more than divine eyes to see through her bond.
He flexed his fingers, then brought up a new interface.
> Technique Ready: Veil of the Abyss
Bloodshade Abyssal Sword Scripture – Move II
Destructive Power: ★★★☆
Type: Stealth – Illusion – Breach
Description:
Cloaks the user in blood mist and shadow forms. Enemies cannot distinguish illusions from the true blade; each false form delivers real wounds.
Breaks through sect arrays and palace barriers.
Causes hallucinations and qi deviation in those struck.
Can assassinate targets even during closed-door seclusion.
Best used for infiltration or precision chaos in large-scale battles.
> "Perfect," he whispered.
Now he had the tool to slip unseen through even the sect's strongest defenses—and cut down Lin Tian's allies in silence.
The world would bleed soon.
And he would decide where the blade fell.
---
Lin Tian's POV—
Far from the manor, beneath a cracked willow whose leaves had long withered, Lin Tian sat cross-legged in silence. His robes were dusty, his expression dark and tight with frustration.
The flow of qi around him stuttered—unsteady, unstable. Each breath felt like swallowing splinters of glass.
Early Golden Core Realm.
Stagnant.
> "Why aren't you saying anything?" he muttered.
But his ring-grandpa remained silent. The old spirit's usual gravelly tone hadn't spoken for the day.
Lin Tian clenched his fist, veins bulging.
The silence wasn't just anger. It was disappointment.
He had made a deal—with an ancient existence sealed beneath the Imperial Capital. In exchange for finding the key to unseal it, the being had promised him an Immortal technique. One more powerful than anything even sect prodigies could touch.
But the ring spirit—his supposed guardian—had refused to teach it.
> "Your soul isn't strong enough to receive it," the old voice had warned. "You'd burn before the first chant was complete."
Still, Lin Tian had defied him. Still, he had taken the deal.
> "Power has a price," he whispered. "But fate… fate can always be bent."
No answer.
He stood, brushing dust from his sleeves. His next step was clear.
> The Royal Vault.
Within it: relics of the Empire's first Immortal bloodline. Forbidden weapons. Sealed techniques. Even fragments of ancient souls.
And there was only one man who might have a way in—someone who had once fought beside Lin Tian's father.
> General Yun Fei.
The Shadowweb Society had confirmed his location in imperial capital. It had cost Lin Tian nearly 400,000 spirit stones just to obtain the information. But it was worth it.
Their seal—a black spider with eight razor-thin legs—was whispered in fear throughout the empire. A network of spies, scribes, thieves, and assassins. No sect controlled them. No emperor could destroy them.
And now, Lin Tian would use them.
---
In the quiet of the Capital Manor, a soft rustle of silk stirred the silence. Yuerou's eyelashes fluttered. Her eyes opened slowly, breath catching in her throat.
She tried to rise—but her legs gave out beneath her.
Before she could fall, strong arms caught her.
"Easy now," Gu Changge murmured, pulling her gently into his embrace.
Her face turned crimson.
"W-We were supposed to…" she stammered.
"Spy on noble families?" He smiled faintly. "Let that wait."
He carried her back to the bed, laying her on the sheets like a treasured scroll.
Her fingers clenched at his sleeve.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Not just for last night. For setting me free. From being a general. From being a pawn."
He studied her for a moment, eyes unreadable.
Then he smirked. "You're surprisingly clingy for a former general."
Yuerou's blush deepened. "I'm not clingy."
But she didn't let go.
Instead, she pulled him down and kissed him.
Soft lips met his. When he responded, tongue sliding against hers, she moaned quietly—lost in the feeling.
> System Notification
Favorability of Companion 'Yuerou' – MAXIMUM.
Loyalty: Irrevocable
When they finally broke apart, breathless and flushed, Gu Changge whispered against her ear:
> "Stay by my side."
"I'm yours," she breathed. "Always."
---
Lin Tian's POV—
The tea house near the Imperial Barracks was plain—two stories of wood and tile, with no music and few patrons. Lin Tian sat upright at a corner table, a sealed jade token resting before him.
A heavy hand clapped his shoulder.
"Boy," said a deep, gravelly voice. "You said your father's name was Lin Wei?"
Lin Tian stood and bowed deeply.
"Yes, General Yun. He was my father."
The man before him towered like a statue carved from old battlefield stone. His shoulders were as broad as siege shields, his every step deliberate.
He looked to be in his mid-forties. Bronze skin lined with old scars. Iron-gray hair pulled into a warrior's topknot fastened with a single jade clasp. A square jaw, short beard, and eyes like a hawk that had seen too many wars and too little peace.
Late Golden Core Realm. Powerful—and dangerous.
Yun Fei stared at him for several long moments. Then, with a slow nod, he said:
> "Your cultivation's not bad. Early Golden Core already? Lin Wei would've been proud."
Lin Tian bowed again. "I still have far to go."
Yun Fei's gaze hardened. "He died in that cursed secret realm. No body. Just a sword."
"My condolences," he added gruffly, though his tone remained cold.
Lin Tian hesitated. Then, cautiously, "I thought… Shui Yuerou once fought with you, General?"
Yun's face darkened.
"Don't speak that woman's name in front of me."
Lin Tian blinked.
"She betrayed the Empire. Delved into demonic arts behind our backs. Her record was sealed. Her name erased from the rolls. That's all you need to know."
"I… understand," Lin Tian murmured.
He had been about to ask about the Royal Vaults, but now…
Yun Fei leaned forward.
"My daughter's been training in the sword. She could use someone her age to spar with. You're not your father, but… perhaps I can still do something for you."
Lin Tian forced a smile.
"I'd be honored."
---