Lang Huan returned to the small house in the village. Qiu Yue had already reported everything to Feng Yao without leaving any trace behind. When Lang Huan walked in, she immediately noticed Feng Yao's dark, sullen face.
Feng Yao turned around and walked straight into the bedroom, anger radiating from her back.
Lang Huan hurried to follow, but halfway there her legs gave out. Her vision spun, and she collapsed to the floor, blood dripping from her nose. She wanted to speak, to explain—but everything went black.
"Lang Huan… Lang Huan!" Feng Yao's voice trembled as she rushed back to her side. Seeing that pale face and bloodless lips made her anger vanish in an instant, replaced by worry.
"I'm okay…" Lang Huan murmured faintly, trying to sit up. Feng Yao quickly helped her to her feet and guided her gently to the bed, adjusting the pillows behind her.
"Your Highness… please, don't be angry yet," Lang Huan said in a weak voice. "I don't know what Qiu Yue told you, but… it's better if you hear it from me."
Then, slowly, she began explaining everything—how she once fell off a cliff with Lin Ruochen and found Ling Xiao Palace hidden deep below. There, she met a mysterious woman named Lang Yuyan, who taught her internal force and gave her Xiao Bai.
"Actually… most of my martial skills came from her," Lang Huan admitted softly. "And Lang Ruhua… is her twin sister. I made a deal with her so she would release Xiao Lan."
She told only what was necessary, hiding her real identity carefully. Feng Yao wasn't someone you could fool easily—one wrong word, and the lie would turn into a knife against her.
"Deal?" Feng Yao's brows arched sharply, "And what exactly did you offer her in return?"
Lang Huan lowered her gaze, "Since we're heading to Baiyuan anyway, I promised her I'd find a fruit that can heal her."
Feng Yao's face darkened instantly. "Lang Huan… don't make promises so easily," she said, her tone firm with a hint of anger. "You're not omnipotent. And don't do anything that could put you in danger."
"I know. I'm sorry," Lang Huan murmured. "I'll do my best. And if it doesn't work, I'll find another way."
Feng Yao stared at her for a long moment, then suddenly pinched her ear hard, pulling it with force. "Was it also necessary to carry her in your arms?!"
"Ah—no! No, Your Highness!" Lang Huan yelped, wincing as she tried to pull away. "She's an old woman—over a hundred years old—and she's sick!!"
Finally, Feng Yao let out a sharp breath and released her. She had wanted to teach Lang Huan a lesson for hiding so many things, but watching her pale, exhausted face as sleep slowly took over, the tension in Feng Yao's chest began to ease.
She gently pulled the blanket over her before rising and stepping out of the room. Outside, Qiu Yue was waiting with a solemn expression.
"Three carriages are ready, Your Highness," Qiu Yue reported, handing her a tiny scroll. Feng Yao broke the seal and read it quickly, her expression turning serious. "We need to leave tomorrow," she said firmly. "If we delay any longer, it'll be hard to catch up with Master Xuankai."
Qiu Yue immediately knelt, her voice trembling with urgency. "Your Highness, please… allow Xiao Lan to come with us. Her mother is gone."
Feng Yao stayed quiet for a moment, then gave a short nod. "I won't get involved in your personal matters. You know what you're doing—and how dangerous this journey is."
Qiu Yue only lowered her head. Guilt weighed heavily on her; she had failed to save Xiao Lan's mother. There was nothing she could do now—except take the little girl away and train her as a shadow guard.
Meanwhile, without Lang Huan knowing, Lang Ruhua had silently followed her to the house. She waited outside, eavesdropping on Feng Yao and Lang Huan's conversation. As Feng Yao stepped away from the bedroom, a playful glint lit up Ruhua's eyes. Without a sound, she leapt through the open window.
Lang Ruhua walked over to the bed and lay down next to Lang Huan, propping her head on one hand as she studied her sleeping face with a lazy smile.
"How dare you, little monkey… call me an old, sick woman," she muttered under her breath, reaching out to pinch Lang Huan's nose. "Useless little monkey…"
Lang Huan stirred in her sleep, unaware of who was next to her. Instinctively, she reached out and pulled Lang Ruhua close, nuzzling her face against the woman's chest. "Your Highness… seems like your breasts are smaller," she mumbled in a drowsy voice.
Lang Ruhua's lips curved into a mischievous smile. Leaning close, her breath warm against Lang Huan's ear, she whispered teasingly, "Oh? Do you like them smaller… or bigger?"
When Lang Huan heard the reply, her half-asleep mind froze. Something felt wrong. Slowly, she opened her eyes—and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. The person in her arms wasn't Feng Yao… it was Lang Ruhua.
"You…! Why are you here?" she hissed, scrambling up in panic.
Lang Ruhua tilted her head, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Why? Am I not allowed to be here?"
Lang Huan's gaze darted around the room, searching desperately for Feng Yao. She wasn't there. "What do you want? Don't tell me… you still need yin essence—"
"Tch tch," Lang Ruhua clicked her tongue and leaned in, her pout making her look both sulky and dangerous. "You said you'd take responsibility. But now? You look scared to death." She threw herself against Lang Huan's chest, arms looping around her neck. "I don't care. You must take responsibility…"
"Okay, okay—what do you want?" Lang Huan muttered, her voice tight as she awkwardly patted Lang Ruhua's back. Her face had gone pale. "Just… please, don't do this. If she comes back and sees you like this, I'll—"
"Useless little monkey," Lang Ruhua cut her off with a smirk, her tone dripping with mockery. "Afraid of your wife, huh?"
"Ssshh!" Lang Huan pressed a hand to her temple. Meanwhile, Lang Ruhua only grinned wider, clearly enjoying every second of her flustered expression.
"I want to go with you to Baiyuan Mountain," Lang Ruhua said suddenly. "Your martial arts are shallow. If I'm there, I can protect you."
"No. Absolutely not," Lang Huan shot back immediately, shaking her head so fast it almost made her dizzy again. "That's a bad idea."
"I want to go," Lang Ruhua cut her off, hugging her even tighter, her arms like iron chains around Lang Huan's neck.
"If you don't let me, I won't let go of this hug…" Her voice dropped low, playful yet threatening. "Or maybe… I'll scream and tell everyone you did something improper to me. What do you think, hmm?"
Lang Huan froze, her mind completely blank. Heavens… what kind of devil did I bring into my life?
"You… you… huff—fine! You win!" A dull ache crept into her head as panic set in. What on earth am I going to tell Her Highness?
Lang Ruhua tilted her head, that smug little smile tugging at her lips. "Little monkey… are you thinking about what explanation you should give her?"
"Hmm… just say I'm your master." Her tone was dripping with triumph, her amber eyes glittering with mischief. "What are you so scared of? Besides… I do plan to teach you for real. So technically, I'll be your master."
Her words were soft, but the wicked curve of her lips made Lang Huan feel like she had just stepped into a trap with no way out.
Lang Huan looked at Lang Ruhua and felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It reminded her too much of Feng Yao back when she had tricked her. These two women… they could really be a matched pair in scheming, Lang Huan thought helplessly.
Taking a deep breath, she finally said, "Please… keep my little secret." Her voice lowered as she told everything—who she really was and how she came into this world.
Lang Ruhua listened silently, her expression unreadable until she finally sighed softly. "Hmm… So Yuyan is living in your sea of consciousness."
Then her lips curled in disappointment. "With her guidance, and yet your cultivation and martial arts are still this shallow? Tch tch… truly disappointing."
Lang Huan's lips curved slightly into a smile. "Are you… really going to teach me?"
She really needed a master to guide her. Finding Lang Yuyan in her consciousness was rare and unpredictable, like chasing smoke in the wind. If Lang Ruhua truly meant to teach her… this was an opportunity Lang Huan couldn't afford to lose.
Her heart swelled with relief and gratitude. "Thank you… Master."
Lang Ruhua reached out, gently cupping Lang Huan's face and pulling it close until their foreheads nearly touched. For a moment, the world seemed to stop breathing. Her lips curved into a satisfied smile, as if she had gotten exactly what she wanted. Heat bloomed on Lang Huan's cheeks, her pulse quickening as strange tension coiled between them.
Her fingers brushed against Lang Huan's cheek, then she let go. Just as Lang Huan began to react, Lang Ruhua moved—leaping gracefully from the bed with her extraordinary qinggong, slipping through the open window, and vanishing into the fading light without a sound.
Lang Huan sat frozen on the bed, staring at the curtains swaying in the breeze. Her mind was a storm of confusion…