The night passed quietly, and dawn arrived the next morning.
Yang Yunhai, who had already packed his things the night before, rose early and prepared breakfast. At the table, he personally saw off the teammates who had stayed overnight. After everyone had eaten, he said farewell to Meng Shenshou and led his group toward the valley.
A quarter of an hour later, they arrived, and the valley had completely changed. Flowing streams, thriving Blue Silver Grass, and the old wooden house had been replaced by a refined three-story building.
In the distance, a high wall now surrounded the peak and outer forest, looking very much like a private garden.
"Not bad at all."
Dugu Bo nodded with satisfaction. To ensure things went smoothly, he had personally overseen the construction at times.
Yang Yunhai smiled lightly and continued forward.
The four soon entered the house. Yang Yunhai said, "Grandpa Dugu, Sister Yan, since my Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, it's best for me to cultivate close to the ground. The first-floor rooms are more suitable, so Zhuqing and I will live there."
"Then I'll take the third floor." Dugu Bo nodded. "Higher ground gives a better view of the surroundings."
Dugu Yan thought for a moment. Staying on the first floor might interfere with Yang Yunhai and Zhu Zhuqing, so she said, "Then I'll stay on the second floor."
Her eyes flicked briefly toward Yang Yunhai before quickly looking away.
Dugu Bo caught the glance, raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
"Alright, let's all go arrange our rooms first," Yang Yunhai said with a smile. "Once we're settled, we'll start training. The New Year hasn't arrived yet."
"Alright." Dugu Yan nodded and went upstairs with her grandfather.
Soon after, everything was settled. Dugu Yan came back down and joined Yang Yunhai and Zhu Zhuqing for training, while Dugu Bo cultivated quietly on the balcony of the top floor.
By midday, Meng Shenshou arrived with supplies for the New Year stored in a Soul Tool. He handed them over to Yang Yunhai, stayed for lunch, then left.
After a short rest, the three youths continued their cultivation.
That evening, they had dinner and returned to their rooms to cultivate soul power.
The Blue Silver Grass in the valley had grown especially well in his absence. Without a doubt, Yang Yunhai harvested a wave of energy from them, raising his cultivation by a small margin. The surrounding Blue Silver Grass cheered as if welcoming him back.
Feeling gratified, Yang Yunhai rewarded them with a vial of spring water from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. The little Blue Silver Grass grew even more lively.
The next day passed as usual in cultivation.
On the continent, while there was no New Year's Eve festival, the Spring Festival was celebrated. Families would reunite the day before.
That afternoon, Yang Yunhai, unusually, paused his training and joined Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan in giving the house a thorough cleaning. They hung red lanterns around the building to mark the celebration. Yang Yunhai even wrote couplets himself and pasted them on the door, saying it was for good fortune in the coming year.
Because Dugu Bo had refused all visitors, apart from three committee members who came in the morning, no one disturbed them.
At dusk, Yang Yunhai personally cooked a feast. The four sat together, chatting as they ate.
After the meal, they talked a while longer, then returned to their rooms to cultivate as usual.
Half an hour later, in Yang Yunhai's room, Yiner suddenly looked uneasy. "What is Grandpa Dugu doing?"
Within her perception, Dugu Bo silently walked down to the first-floor corridor. He produced a white jade vial from his hand, opened it, and gently blew its contents into the hall. Then he went to the second floor and did the same.
Yiner grew more confused. She couldn't sense any medicinal properties in the faint mist.
'Is this some kind of New Year custom?' she wondered.
Then she noticed the thin mist seeping through the cracks of the door. Though her eyes saw nothing, her senses told her otherwise.
"What is this?" she murmured, startled.
With a sudden thud, Yang Yunhai collapsed mid-cultivation, followed by Zhu Zhuqing.
"!!?" Yiner gasped, frantically shaking Yang Yunhai's arm. "Yun, what's wrong?"
His breathing was steady, as if asleep, but he would not wake.
She then sensed Dugu Bo quickly rushing upstairs, easily opening Dugu Yan's door and lifting her up in a princess carry. Soon after, he brought her downstairs and into Yang Yunhai's room.
Yiner panicked and withdrew back into the soul bone.
'What is Grandpa Dugu planning?' she thought, uneasy as she watched him carefully lay Dugu Yan beside Zhu Zhuqing on the bed.
Then he lifted Yang Yunhai, placed him in the middle, and muttered, "Grandson-in-law, I'll leave Yan Yan to you from now on."
He blew mist from another vial, quickly left the room, and even wedged the door handle with a wooden peg before sitting straight-faced in the living room.
"!!!" Yiner was shocked. She understood exactly what Dugu Bo meant.
Moments later, she felt Yang Yunhai's skin flush red as his eyes opened, unfocused, his breathing heavy. Beside him, Zhu Zhuqing also stirred restlessly.
"How could Grandpa Dugu do this!" Yiner cried out inside, ashamed and angry, but helpless.
She could sense Yang Yunhai's condition, but she had no cure.
Soon the curtains fluttered as bright moonlight spilled into the room.
In the living room, Dugu Bo felt the floorboards tremble. Startled, he pressed his ear to the wooden table.
"Creak… creak…" The noises came fast and loud.
"So fierce!" he exclaimed, then glanced toward the hallway, though no sound carried out.
'No wonder when I came to supervise construction, the craftsmen said Xiao Hai insisted on the rooms being soundproof. So this was why!'
"Old Guan's medicine really works… at least there's someone to share the load," he muttered with relief, then quietly left the house.
'Better not stay here the next two days.'
An hour later, inside the bedroom—
"Yun, wake up!" Yiner's face was flushed red, her voice urgent. She glanced at the silent moon outside, stomped her foot, and materialized in the room. Her face burning, she pressed herself close… only to be pinned down herself.
Time passed. The moon sank low, snow glimmered outside, and the room finally fell silent.
By dawn, the eastern sky was pale.
"Hiss…" Yang Yunhai woke slowly, his waist aching like it had been struck by lightning. He tried to move his hand and realized he couldn't lift it. Turning his head, he froze.
"Yun, this was all Grandpa Dugu's doing," Yiner whispered from within the soul bone, voice trembling with both anger and embarrassment.
"Yiner, what exactly happened last night?" Yang Yunhai asked, bewildered, with no memory at all.
"…" Yiner stayed silent, pretending to vanish.
Yang Yunhai's face grew bitter. 'In the end, despite everything, I still fell for Grandpa Dugu's scheme.'
He sighed, then carefully moved his hand to rest on Dugu Yan's abdomen, channeling soul power to heal.
She frowned slightly, shifted, then fell back asleep.
Quietly, Yang Yunhai pulled away, sat up, and rubbed his sore waist. A glance outside told him the sun was already high.
"Ah… what a mess," he sighed again.
He sat in silence for a long while before carefully dressing and stepping out to the living room.
'What did that old man use last night? Judging by how intense things got, even my iron waist couldn't hold up. They won't wake up soon anyway… I can at least rest for now. Looks like Grandpa Dugu ran off already.'
'What's the meaning of all this?' Yang Yunhai thought grimly.
(End of Chapter)
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