Inside a quiet room of an inn, Diexin sits cross-legged on the bed, her palms resting lightly on her knees as she cultivates.
Spiritual energy gathers around her, drawn in slow, steady currents, seeping into her meridians and filling the hollowness left by exhaustion and injury. Her chest rises and falls in a measured rhythm, breath deep and controlled.
Gradually, the turbulence within her settles.
After a long while, she exhales softly and opens her eyes.
There is turmoil in them.
Yesterday's events surface with painful clarity.
She remembers Ye Weiran appearing in the cave, calm and resolute, cutting off their desperate stand before it became a massacre. She remembers the strange haze that followed, their attackers growing absentminded, movements slowing, expressions dulling as if their will had been drained away.
They had walked out of the cave and through the Red Forest as if unchallenged.
Then Ye Weiran had turned to the Seventh Prince.
With a few precise movements and a spell woven too subtly to resist, she erased his memory of herself, of the escape, of everything that could link Diexin and Chu Feng to what happened inside the cave.
After that, she left without another word.
Diexin and Chu Feng had carried the unconscious Seventh Prince together, moving carefully through hidden paths until they reached a concealed sewer channel, one that led into the city unnoticed. They laid him there, positioned so he would be found quickly but without suspicion.
Then they departed.
Under the cover of night, they entered Suli Town and hid themselves among the crowd, finding a small inn where no one would pay attention to two exhausted travellers.
Now, sunlight peeks through the window.
Diexin rises from the bed and opens it, letting warm light spill into the room. Below, the streets are alive with movement, vendors calling out, carts rolling past, people flowing through the road in constant motion.
She looks at the sky.
It is already noon.
Leaning lightly against the window frame, she lets her thoughts drift.
What should she do next?
Returning to the Duan Family is the most obvious choice, but also the most dangerous.
Her identity is no longer hidden from the Shen Family and the forces behind them. As long as she remains alive, she is a threat to their control over Yulan City. They will not hesitate to remove her, no matter the cost.
Because of that, she hesitates to return to Duan City.
Especially now.
Even though she is pregnant.
With Merin absent, she does not know whether the Duan Family can truly protect her and her child. She is not afraid for herself, but for the life growing inside her.
Her original plan had been clear.
Have the child.
Reveal her true identity to Merin and the Duan Family.
Then take her revenge against the Shen Family.
But now, everything has shifted.
The Shen Family knows who she is.
The danger surrounding her has increased sharply, and she cannot continue hiding her identity from the Duan Family forever. The Shen Family could exploit that secrecy at any time.
And with Merin away, she cannot predict how the Duan Family will react once the truth is revealed. Even a single lapse in protection could cost her life.
She cannot risk that.
Not now.
For the sake of her child, she cannot return to the Duan Family yet.
Until she gives birth, she must remain hidden.
But where?
Staying within Song Kingdom territory would be impossible. The net is already tightening, and sooner or later, someone will find her.
That leaves only two options.
The other two kingdoms.
She thinks for a long time, gaze fixed on the moving streets below.
Finally, she murmurs, "Let's discuss it with Chu Feng."
She steps away from the window, leaves the room, and knocks on the door beside hers.
Moments later, the door opens.
"Diexin!" Chu Feng says, surprise flashing across his face.
He steps aside quickly.
"Come in."
She nods and enters.
Chu Feng closes the door behind them.
Diexin sits on the chair near the window, sunlight falling across her back. Chu Feng sits on the bed, watching her carefully.
She looks at him and asks, "What should we do next?"
Chu Feng frowns.
"Are you not returning to the Duan Family?" he asks.
"No," Diexin replies calmly. "Not until I give birth."
Chu Feng's eyes widen.
"Are you really pregnant?" he asks, disbelief clear in his voice.
Diexin nods.
"I checked," she says quietly. "Ye Weiran was right."
She takes a deep breath, then allows herself a small, restrained smile.
"I am pregnant."
For a moment, Chu Feng simply stares at her. Then urgency flashes across his face.
"Then you should return to the Duan Family immediately," he says.
Diexin shakes her head.
"I cannot."
She explains everything: the Shen Family knowing her identity, the organisation behind them, the danger of remaining in Duan City without Merin present, and the risk even the slightest lapse in protection could pose to her unborn child.
Chu Feng listens in silence, his expression growing heavier with every word. When she finishes, he nods slowly.
"I understand."
Diexin studies his face, then asks softly, "Feng… do you know a place where I could hide?"
Chu Feng frowns, fingers tapping lightly against his knee as he thinks. After a moment, his eyes lift.
"The islands in the eastern sea would be best," he says.
Diexin's thoughts stir immediately.
The eastern islands are ruled by spiritual refiner sects, dominated by the Three Lotus Sects. Power there is fragmented but disciplined, and outsiders disappear easily if they know how to remain unnoticed. More importantly, those islands gather cultivation resources from across the world. Pills, techniques, spiritual herbs, everything flows through the eastern sea.
If she hides there, the Shen Family and the forces behind them would struggle to reach her.
And she could cultivate.
The stronger she becomes, the easier her revenge will be.
"Alright," she says after a moment. "When do we go?"
"After we eat," Chu Feng replies. "We'll buy necessities and a carriage for the journey."
She nods.
Within minutes, they leave the room and step out of the inn.
The street is crowded, filled with noise and movement. Almost immediately, Diexin notices the attention. Eyes linger on her face, curious, admiring, sometimes covetous.
She is used to it.
But now, it feels dangerous.
Chu Feng leans closer and murmurs, "We should buy a veil for you first."
Diexin nods.
They find a cloth store and purchase two simple sets of clothes, plain enough to avoid notice, and several veils of different styles. After that, they enter a small restaurant and eat quickly, neither lingering.
Once their stomachs are full, they move efficiently.
Pills for injuries and recovery.
Tents and bedding.
Travel necessities.
Finally, they purchase a modest carriage drawn by two horses.
Chu Feng takes the reins, and Diexin climbs inside.
It is not a noble carriage. A simple cloth sheet separates the interior from the driver's seat, with the sides and roof enclosed by bamboo fencing. It offers privacy, but little luxury.
They leave the town quietly.
As the road stretches out ahead, Diexin lifts the cloth slightly and looks outside. Farmlands roll past, fields divided by low stone walls, farmers bent over their work, dust rising softly beneath the wheels.
She lowers the cloth again, then asks the question that has been lingering in her mind.
"Chu Feng," she says, "how much do you know about Ye Weiran?"
Chu Feng's expression turns solemn.
"Nothing more than you," he answers after a pause. "I only booked her art house for my family's introduction party."
Diexin grows thoughtful.
She remembers Ye Weiran mentioning Merin. She remembers seeing Merin and Ye Weiran interacting at Chu Feng's gathering. And she remembers Ye Weiran's power, far beyond that of an ordinary warrior or spiritual refiner below the Soul Awakening Realm.
Yet when Ye Weiran spoke Merin's name, there had been respect in her voice.
Caution.
How could someone at the Soul Awakening Realm show such regard for a warrior in the Inner Qi Refining Realm?
Chu Feng glances back briefly.
"Do you know how she's connected to your husband?" he asks. "She likely saved us because you are Merin's wife, and because you are carrying his child."
Diexin frowns slightly.
"I know that," she says. "But I don't know why."
And that uncertainty weighs on her.
It means Merin has more secrets than she ever imagined.
Secrets deep enough that even someone like Ye Weiran acts carefully around him.
That realisation is one of the reasons she is afraid to return to him now.
Diexin releases the cloth sheet, letting it fall back into place. She closes her eyes and begins to meditate inside the carriage, steadying her breath, calming her thoughts.
Chu Feng senses the shift through his spiritual perception.
He turns his attention back to the road and drives in silence.
In his mind, a single question lingers.
Who is Duan Merin, really?