Days had passed since Wu Haoyu's visit.
Life inside the estate was not so bad. Compared to the void between stars, even a little mortal clutter felt like a pleasant change.
And in the meantime, he had made progress.
Wu Han trained with the sword.
If he was going to do it, he would do it properly. Instead, he chose a greatsword.
The weight of it demanded strength in every motion. It was exhausting, but he welcomed it.
If he had to waste time on martial arts, he might as well wring the most training benefit from it.
Alongside the weapon drills, he dug into the techniques the old Wu Han had been too lazy to learn.
The first was the Silver Bone Technique. The practice was grueling, qi had to be driven into the marrow itself, washing through joints and bones until the ache reached his skull.
But he endured it with calm eyes.
Stronger bones meant stronger support for muscle, and cleaner transmission of force.
And for him, a former lich, reinforcing bones felt strangely familiar.
The second was a refined breathing method. It reminded him of the mana recovery exercises of his old world, though weaker.
Its effect on qi replenishment was limited, but its benefits to stamina were immense.
He could train longer without tearing his body apart. For someone who once relied on draining life to recover, this method was a convenient substitute when there were no souls nearby to harvest.
Morning to midday he swung the greatsword until his arms trembled.
Afternoon he forced qi into his bones until they screamed.
Evening he drilled the breathing method, all while his runes kept Qi circulating automatically.
The awkwardness faded little by little.
His footwork grew sharper, his swings heavier yet smoother. The clunkiness gave way to something resembling grace.
When his muscles had cooled and sweat dried, he turned to alchemy.
He read through pill recipes, memorized herb pairings, and studied furnace diagrams. Then he tried his hand at refining.
The cauldron flared, herbs seared, but the results crumbled into ash. Again and again he failed.
The problem was clear. He lacked what these people called an origin flame
Without a fire affinity to link himself to heaven and earth, he had no way to guide delicate energies into harmony.
His soul still sat half-detached from this universe, so a craft that required communion with its essence was denied to him.
He was not discouraged. He simply adjusted the plan
He would make a substitute flame later, something born of vitality theft and arrays rather than affinity.
For now, he relied on directly absorbing the life force of spirit plants to push his cultivation forward.
Still, the study was not wasted.
He learned the properties of herbs, how certain essences could be drawn out only after boiling, others only after careful cuts.
He also discovered a use far simpler, but no less valuable.
He learned how to cook fish.
"Try some. It is pretty good. The spices you brought yesterday are high quality. I appreciate your effort." Wu Han used his chopsticks to place a piece of herb-steamed fish on the plate in front of Wu Haoyu.
She looked at it reluctantly, then picked it up and ate. Her eyes widened as the flavor bloomed across her tongue.
"It is good." She dabbed delicately at her mouth where a little drool had escaped from hunger.
"Come, eat more," Wu Han said, gesturing for her to continue.
The invitation confused her, but the fish was too good to refuse. She ate in silence, all the while watching him.
Her life now hung in his hand, and she had no workable plan.
For days, she had followed his orders without complaint.
His orders had been simple.
First, bring him cultivation manuals. Then an alchemist's handbook and a cauldron. After that, spirit herbs and rare plants.
Some items had been difficult to acquire, so she lied to her husband, saying she had taken up alchemy as a pastime.
He believed her, even supported her.
The money he gave her, she spent on Wu Han.
Every last coin.
"Now, for today's session." Wu Han rose, walked around the table, and tapped two fingers to her forehead.
The qi cocoon that sealed the poison inside her body tightened and steadied for another day.
-
Wu Haoyu gulped when he stepped closer. Her posture tightened, breath heavy.
To her surprise, Wu Han simply turned away, sat back down, and continued eating with visible enjoyment, as if teasing her were part of the meal.
"Oh, right. Next time buy more of this soy sauce, and fish sauce too." Salty food reminded him of his old world. These sauces were a delicacy.
Perhaps next time he would boil the fish in them instead of using them only as dressing.
"Y-yes," she said.
She lingered. Wu Han frowned. "If you want to eat, eat. If not, then go."
He waved her away like a servant he barely recalled groping days ago.
Wu Haoyu rose and left. The door closed behind her. She exhaled a long, shaky breath. Heat flushed her cheeks as her imagination ran wild.
She pictured him not at the table but standing over her, that calm voice turning into command.
She imagined his fingers tracing along her jaw, simply in control.
He would make her kneel, make her hold his gaze, make her answer questions with the truth she did not want to say.
The thought of being steered, piece by piece, left her breathless.
It felt like being young again, when Wu Wei had been fierce and unstoppable, only this time the presence was sharper, more dangerous.
She did not know whether to hate the feeling or chase it.
"Greetings, Madam Haoyu."
The sly voice cut through her thoughts.
A young woman with her long hair tied high and a warrior's bearing stood ahead. Another figure stood at her shoulder, a lean man with a sword and a colder gaze.
"Wu Meiyi? What are you doing here? And you too, Han Suwen," Haoyu said.
Wu Meiyi was a close relative to Wu Yaoshi, almost a little sister to him, raised side by side since childhood.
Han Suwen was her friend from another sect who visited often. His demeanor was strong and silent, and he wore the look of a man who believed mortals were beneath cultivators.
"I came to question Wu Han about my brother's death," Meiyi said.
Conviction filled her face. Haoyu knew that look. Meiyi had already decided the culprit.
The man behind the door was too dangerous for a headlong charge.
"I think you should leave," Haoyu said. "We already held a tribunal. I have spoken with him. He is innocent."
Skepticism flickered across Meiyi's face. The two were not close, and Haoyu had once tried to arrange a marriage for Wu Yaoshi outside the clan, which Meiyi had resented.
"This is annoying. Move," Han Suwen said.
He shoved her with what, for him, was a light touch. It hurled her backward.
She hit the paving hard, a sharp pain lancing through her side. She cried out as something gave with a small crack.
Meiyi shot him a fiery look, then, seeing the door before her, set her jaw and pushed it open.
"I did not expect more visitors today," Wu Han said, setting down his bowl and rising.
"And you attacked one of mine as well. A bit much, do you not think?" His tone was calm, but anger flickered in his eyes.
His toys were for him to break, not for others to touch.
"You dare," Wu Meiyi snapped. "I knew it. You must have gained some treasure by killing Senior Brother."
In her eyes, the old Wu Han had always been a coward.
He had avoided stronger opponents, including her. If he stood so calmly now, he must be hiding a secret.
"Treasure," Wu Han said. "You could call it that. But I did not kill Wu Yaoshi. I swear it on our family name."
He lifted a hand and pointed at the man beside her. "What about him? The one he struck is the wife of the clan head. How dare you, worm."
Han Suwen's jaw ticked. His hand fell to his sword hilt. Meiyi caught his wrist and pushed it down.
"Calm down," she said. "I will handle this."
"No, you will not." Before she could react, Wu Han stepped in and opened with a palm strike.
"Dirty rat!" Wu Meiyi met him head on. Her qi flared, a pressure wall formed, and his palm stopped mid-flight.
She countered at once. Each hand cut the air like a whip, driving him into a frantic guard.
'So, this is the difference between stages.' Wu Han smiled.
He was Fourth Stage. Meiyi was Sixth. She overpowered him with ease. If she went all out, he would already be on the ground.
Within ten exchanges the result was clear.
Wu Han's back foot slid. Meiyi's fingers hovered a hair's breadth from his throat while he pulled ragged breaths.
She knew it, and so did he.
Killing him was not an option.
"See. You cannot handle it." Even in defeat Wu Han smiled, and the calm on his face poured oil on Meiyi's anger. She shifted her stance and aimed to ruin his arm instead.
'This girl.' Wu Han slid his weight and lifted a hand. A small dust flickered across his palm, then twisted.
Rank 1 magic, Wind Blast.
Bang!
A dense gust erupted from his hand. Meiyi's strike was shoved aside.
Her guard opened for a blink.
Wu Han did not waste it. He spun on his heel and whipped a kick into her stomach.
The impact lifted her from the floor and hurled her through the doorway into the pond.
"...!" Han Suwen's eyes widened. His hand flashed toward his sword, but Wu Han was already beside him, one hand resting on his shoulder.
"I have enough reason to behead you here and now. Be wise, boy." Wu Han's voice was cold. His gaze held mockery and iron.
Han Suwen saw it at once. This was not a bluff.
"Tsk." He stepped back, leapt to the pond's edge, hauled Meiyi from the water, and retreated from the pavilion.
Watching them retreat, Wu Han exhaled slowly, his voice dropping into a cold murmur. "And you didn't even call for help. I'm disappointed in you."
His gaze slid down to Wu Haoyu, still crumpled on the floor. He did not offer her a hand.
Without another word, he turned, stepped back inside, and closed the door.
Left outside, Wu Haoyu pressed trembling palms to the ground, dragging herself upright.
Silently, she walked away, head lowered, the echo of his disdain heavy on her shoulders.
Night settled over the Wu estate like ink.
Wu Wei sat at the table by the window, ledger open, cup untouched.
Wu Haoyu loosened her hairpins and folded her outer robe, careful with each motion.
Wu Wei asked without looking up, "How is your study?"
Haoyu kept her face smooth. "Well. Very well. I found a teacher who agreed to guide me in basic alchemy. There was an incident today, and I… disappointed my master. But it will not happen again."
Wu Wei snorted. "I will go meet him."
Her fingers tightened on the silk. "There is no need. He is strict and private. He prefers not to be disturbed."
Wu Wei closed the ledger at last. "I prefer to know who is taking my wife's time."
She opened her mouth to weave another lie, but he cut across her.
"Another time. The work here is a mountain. The Luo family sent word. They will allow a meeting if we present a new candidate, but we both know what that means. They will call every option unworthy."
He rubbed his brow, voice dry. "The only reason we had this chance in the first place is because Great Grandfather pulled their patriarch out of a death trap decades ago. I have blown it!"
Haoyu lowered her eyes. The room felt smaller.
She wet her lips. "What about Wu Han as the new candidate?"
Wu Wei's head jerked up. Fury flashed like steel.
Her heart stumbled. "If the Luo family sees potential, they might at least…"
"I agree but..." Wu Wei said. "There are other men in this clan. We will not beg with that wastrel."
He exhaled and reached for the cup.
For the first time tonight a thin smile touched his mouth. "There is one piece of luck. The Han family has agreed to move forward with talks for Meiyi. Han Suwen is the second son of their clan head. If that marriage lands, our line will have an alliance with the second strongest family in town, second only to the Luo."
He drank. Relief settled over his face like a veil.
"We endure. That is enough."
Haoyu stood very still.
Wu Wei rose, unfastened his belt, and lay down with a weary sigh. "We will visit your teacher when the accounts ease. I will sleep now."
She dimmed the lamp and slipped under the covers beside him.
He turned his back to her. His breathing steadied. The space between them felt wider than the bed.
She stared at the ceiling.
The burn along her ribs had faded into a steady ache. Under that ache, another heat coiled, low and shameful.
Her mind replayed the afternoon like a charm she could not break.
The way he had ignored her and eaten. The way his voice had turned to command and her body had obeyed.
The way he had not offered her a hand when she fell.
She pressed her palms together until the knuckles whitened.
She turned on her side, away from her husband. "Tomorrow, I will go early," she whispered.
"I will repay my master for the mistake I did today."