A Rare Moment of Warmth

I don’t know how much time had passed.

Click.

Gu Yan held Leng Qingqiu’s hand as they settled into the car parked outside the Gu Family residence.

His expression was unusually serious: "I can feel it."

"Feel what?"

"Right now, I’m terrifyingly strong!"

Leng Qingqiu rolled her eyes and smacked Gu Yan lightly. "Be serious."

"Ahem."

Gu Yan cleared his throat and returned to normal, addressing Old Gao in the driver’s seat, "Anyway, let’s head to the Jianghai branch first."

"Understood, Young Master."

The car started moving.

Beside him, Leng Qingqiu sighed inwardly.

Gu Yan was always spouting nonsense she couldn’t comprehend.

But... thanks to him, she realized her perception had nearly doubled once again!

Her control over spiritual energy had also grown more refined.

Could this be... the effects of the Intimacy Cultivation Method?!

[...More like the Furnace Replenishment Technique.]

[I never thought you, the other me, would forgive someone who stole your dagger.]

Xiao Leng suddenly spoke up, her tone indifferent in Leng Qingqiu’s mind.

Hearing this, Leng Qingqiu scoffed internally. "Xiao Leng, what do you know? I haven’t forgiven Gu Yan at all."

"Everything I’m doing now is just taking advantage of his unique constitution!"

"Compensation—this is merely what he owes me."

"And I’ve decided. Once the time is right, I’ll confront him openly!"

[Confront him?]

"That’s right. The day I grow strong enough to suppress him effortlessly, that’s when I’ll reveal my true identity."

[...]

Xiao Leng fell silent.

This woman was beyond saving.

One hour later.

Inside the Jianghai Martial Arts Department building.

Since the headquarters of the Martial Arts Department was located in Capital City, traveling there from Jianghai required using the branch’s teleportation array.

Entering the teleportation chamber,

a group of support staff immediately greeted Leng Qingqiu nervously.

They had already been briefed about her arrival.

"Director Leng, good day."

"Director Leng, good morning."

"Director Leng..."

Everyone stood stiffly, the chilling aura around Leng Qingqiu making them feel as if they’d fallen into an icy abyss.

Hiss... The Sword Holding Department’s director... seemed terrifying.

And the man beside her—wasn’t that the Gu Family’s young master, Gu Yan?

Leng Qingqiu responded with a slight nod, her expression calm.

News of her appointment as the Sword Holding Department’s director had spread throughout the entire Martial Arts Department the very same day.

Given her special status, the headquarters’ director, Long Tianyuan, wanted to avoid any embarrassing misunderstandings.

Gu Yan leaned over and whispered to Leng Qingqiu, who had regained her usual composure, "Seriously, why is no one greeting me? I’m still the Gu Family’s young master, aren’t I?"

Leng Qingqiu chuckled softly. "Hah, what’s the point of such empty formalities?"

"More importantly, Ling’er misses your cooking. When are you planning to visit again?"

Gu Yan paused, then smiled. "Tonight works."

Leng Qingqiu’s lips curled slightly before she stepped into the teleportation array, her voice softening. "Then I’ll wait for you to pick me up after work."

"Deal."

Whoosh!

Leng Qingqiu vanished into the array.

The pressure in the room instantly lifted.

Everyone turned to Gu Yan, their eyes widening in shock.

Hiss! Director Leng was actually that gentle with Young Master Gu?

Is this what love does to a woman?

After leaving the Jianghai branch,

Gu Yan’s expression darkened slightly. Lin Yinyin wasn’t at the branch.

She had likely been summoned back to headquarters.

Heh...

No matter. The [Paw Paw Candy] he’d given her earlier should still have some left.

This timing was perfect.

If he acted too frequently, it might raise suspicions.

After all, no one knew the truth—

Lin Yinyin’s recent sweet treats were actually candies made from Paw Paw cells.

Aside from being delicious, these candies had one crucial function:

They allowed Paw Paw to gradually erode the seal within Lin Yinyin’s body.

As the former Peace Faction director,

the source of her power lay in a [Silver Core] hidden between her brows.

Unfortunately, this core was usually sealed away.

The only ways to reveal it were either breaking the seal or driving Lin Yinyin into a frenzied, out-of-control state.

Once that happened... the core would manifest visibly on her forehead.

And then, Gu Yan could seize its power, gaining control over [Silver Qi].

A faint smirk tugged at his lips.

This energy was distinct from both the Power of Night and ordinary qi—

a hybrid force lying between the two.

If he could harness it, his strength would soar to new heights.

Back in the car,

since there was still time before his next move—and he hadn’t visited the Leng Family in a while—

he made a decision.

"Old Gao, cancel all my appointments for today."

"Understood, Young Master."

...

Evening.

Gu Yan made a rare trip to pick up Leng Ling’er.

The girl looked utterly shocked to see him.

It was worth noting—

this little brat truly lived up to her title as the new generation’s Chosen One.

In just a short time, she had already reached the peak of the Postnatal Martial Realm.

And considering she’d only started cultivating less than two months ago...

Of course, credit was also due to Meteorite, who’d been helping her uncover the Old Dragon King’s hidden legacies.

As time passed, Gu Yan took Leng Ling’er to the Jianghai branch to pick up Leng Qingqiu for a family dinner.

After a lively evening,

in the kitchen,

the sound of running water filled the air.

Gu Yan was washing dishes while Leng Qingqiu stood beside him, sleeves rolled up, assisting.

Since her perception had broken through to a new level, Leng Qingqiu could "see" things more clearly.

Though she couldn’t perceive full details,

her spiritual senses now outlined complete shapes.

The most noticeable change was in her eyes—

they had become pure white, glowing faintly.

"You won’t be coming back for a while after this, will you?"

Leng Qingqiu asked softly as she tidied up.

She knew—and understood—that Gu Yan would soon leave to deal with the Grim Reaper Organization in the Western Nation.

But she couldn’t help worrying.

The Grim Reaper’s leader was a late-stage Grandmaster.

With the Blood Curse Array’s amplification, his strength might climb even higher.

Without using his dagger, Gu Yan stood little chance against him.

Yet if he did use it... the Power of Night would inevitably corrode him further.

From their interactions today, Leng Qingqiu had noticed something.

Gu Yan’s body temperature... was gradually dropping.

Inching closer to what hers used to be.

Gu Yan paused, turned off the faucet, and dried his hands before smiling.

"Yeah, there are some things I need to handle."

"But don’t worry, I’ll be back soon."

The Night Organization had already issued a kill order for the Grim Reaper Organization.

So... in two days’ time, he had to make his move.

Leng Qingqiu knew that no amount of persuasion would make a difference, so she could only let out a soft sigh.

She turned her head to look at Gu Yan. This was the first time Leng Qingqiu had opened her pure white eyes, which emitted a faint glow, in front of him.

"Qingqiu, your eyes...?"

Gu Yan was stunned. He remembered that there had only been tiny white specks in Leng Qingqiu's eyes before—how had they become like this now?

Leng Qingqiu didn’t answer. Instead, she gently placed both hands on either side of Gu Yan’s face and said softly, "The basic facilities of the Sword Holding Department will be fully completed by next Monday."

"The Sword Holding Department in Jianghai will be established next to every police station."

"Also, regarding talented individuals, I already have candidates in mind."

"There are several martial artists in the Jianghai branch who are suited to become Spirit Masters. I’ll have them join the Sword Holding Department as Sword Holders."

"About the operational meeting I mentioned earlier—where 30 people from the department and the ancient martial arts world will be sent to the Western Nation..."

"That matter has been finalized."

"Twenty-nine members from different sects, along with Bai Jun from the department, will go to the Western Nation."

"Among them are five grandmasters, and the rest are all at the peak of the Xiantian stage."

"Their strength is not to be underestimated. Even the Night Organization will likely have a hard time dealing with them."

"Lastly..."

After saying so much, what Leng Qingqiu truly wanted to express was...

She slowly extended her hands, gently wrapping them around the back of Gu Yan’s neck. She pulled him down, pressing his head against her shoulder, and spoke in a tender voice, "What I really want to say is... if you’re too tired, you can come back and let me share some of your burden."

"Living an ordinary life together would be just fine."

At this moment, Leng Qingqiu felt a faint impulse... to let go of revenge.

Compared to vengeance, she was more worried about Gu Yan putting himself in danger.

Gu Yan was momentarily stunned before gradually regaining his composure.

He seemed... to understand the meaning behind Leng Qingqiu’s words.

If he were to lay his cards on the table now... the two of them might end up on a completely different path.

Would that outcome be better? Or worse?

Gu Yan didn’t dare to gamble—because this might very well be his last cycle of the world.

Only his final plan could ensure that he and Leng Qingqiu would break free from the shackles of the Night Organization and truly be together.

Not to mention... there was still the shadowy mastermind suspected to be the "Heavenly Dao" lurking in the dark.

Having come this far, there was absolutely no way he would turn back now.

The light of hope was right before him.

Just a few more steps, and Gu Yan would be able to complete his ultimate plan.

So...

"Alright, I’ll come back when I’m tired."

Gu Yan rested his head on Leng Qingqiu’s shoulder.

He gave an answer he himself didn’t believe.

Hearing this, Leng Qingqiu slowly closed her eyes and sighed inwardly.

This... was a lie.