A pitch-black night.
Flushed cheeks.
Disheveled clothes.
Eyes brimming with grievance.
Su Mo hugged his arms tightly, his expression filled with “horror.”
“What were you doing?” He straightened his rumpled clothes, his gaze drifting to the culprit that had poked him awake—a complicated mix of emotions swirling inside him.
There was a time when that thing had been his pride. Now, it was betraying him for someone else.
“I…” Ye Qingyi had meant to say, “You were the one who suddenly hugged me!” But guilt twisted her words at the last second: “Why so dramatic? It’s not like you’ve never seen it before.”
With that, she bolted to the bathroom under the pretense of needing to go, hiding inside like a fugitive.
Worried about his “little brother’s” safety, Su Mo stood outside the door and called in: “Listen, don’t you dare bully him, or else—”
He wanted to threaten her but found himself at a loss for words. Instead, he left the warning hanging, letting her imagination fill in the blanks.
BANG!
The door swung open. Ye Qingyi’s face was still damp, clearly just washed. “I think I should explain myself. I don’t want this ruining my majestic image in your eyes.”
She flexed her arm, striking a bicep pose.
“Is your image in my eyes that important?” Su Mo had a knack for zeroing in on the key point.
Ye Qingyi rolled her eyes. “None of your business!”
Okay, she’s flustered.
Adopting the mindset of “a real man doesn’t argue with a woman,” Su Mo decided to let it go and changed the subject to ease the awkwardness: “So, about your Ye family’s Jade-Seeding Technique—how exactly does it work? I’ve been studying it for days and still can’t figure it out.”
“Oh, the Jade-Seeding Technique? That’s easy.” Her mouth moved faster than her brain, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.
“Easy?” Su Mo eyed her skeptically, clearly unconvinced.
He doubted Ye Qingyi had even successfully planted her first jade seed.
“Well… there is an easy way. It’s just not really suitable for you.” She backpedaled hard.
“Then tell me the hard way. I’m a glutton for punishment.”
Heh, at least you know yourself.
“Fine. As compensation, I’ll teach you for free.” She pulled him into a meditative pose. “First, you need to understand that our organs already contain the five elemental attributes. Your job is to activate them and make them obey you.”
Su Mo: “…”
“But here’s the thing—activation is usually the hardest part. My sister broke the norm by using her own power to force the elemental energies out of her organs. It worked for her, but it’s not a method everyone can replicate.”
“So, the process doesn’t have to involve drawing elemental energy from the organs? Any method that plants the jade seed counts?”
“In theory, yes. But my sister’s the only one who’s ever taken an alternative path, so it’s not exactly a proven strategy. You’re better off just—”
Before she could finish, Su Mo had already slipped into deep meditation. At the same time, wisps of dark cyan Yin Fire seeped from his skin.
Thankfully, his control had improved enough that his clothes remained intact this time.
“This lunatic’s even crazier than my sister,” Ye Qingyi muttered, resigning herself to guarding him.
Her words had sparked an idea in Su Mo—enticement.
If Ye Qingyu could forge a new path through coercion, why couldn’t he carve his own through temptation?
His plan was simple: extract a strand of Yin Fire’s essence and place it near his heart, leveraging its dominance over all flames to lure out the fire hidden deep within.
It sounded far-fetched, but he went for it anyway.
One thing Ye Qingyi hadn’t mentioned was how mentally taxing jade-seeding could be. Without sufficient spiritual strength, failure was almost guaranteed.
Each failed attempt made the next one harder, creating a vicious cycle.
Not that she doubted Su Mo’s mental fortitude—she just worried he’d literally play with fire.
…..
Three Days Later
Su Mo’s heart suddenly pounded violently, his chest heaving as his blood circulation accelerated to inhuman speeds.
Ye Qingyi noticed the anomaly immediately, bracing herself to intervene.
Gradually, his body stabilized—except for his heartbeat, now stronger than ever.
Invisible to the naked eye, a tiny jade seed pulsed with crimson light within his heart. With its presence, the heart became a second core alongside his dantian. As the seed evolved, so would his heart, growing only more formidable with time.
“You did it!” Relief washed over Ye Qingyi’s excitement.
Guard duty might seem passive, but it was exhausting—requiring constant vigilance and split-second reactions. Few could handle it.
“Thanks for watching over me,” Su Mo said sincerely.
“If you really appreciate it, then give me a treasure as thanks. Otherwise, spare me the empty gratitude. Not even a milk tea? Hmph!“
“You wound me.” Su Mo pulled out the emerald he’d confiscated from the foreign mage, Jack. “Well? Is this sincere enough?”
Ye Qingyi took the gem, eyes sparkling. “Wow, it’s gorgeous!”
Su Mo sighed inwardly. Women are fascinating creatures—always noticing things men overlook. He’d carried this emerald for ages without realizing how pretty it was…
Then again, its talent was too impressive for me to care about its looks.
“Wait—this… it’s a storage artifact?!” Ye Qingyi clapped a hand over her mouth. Not only was the emerald beautiful, but it also functioned as a spatial treasure—with massive capacity at that.
The gift’s value was staggering. The way she looked at Su Mo shifted entirely.
From disdain to outright admiration.
Su Mo basked in the moment, pressing further: “So, how do you plan to thank me?”
Ye Qingyi studied him silently before suddenly leaning in, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered, her cheeks pink:
“How would you like me to thank you… Brother Xiao Mo?”
The words “Brother Xiao Mo” hit like adrenaline, flooding Su Mo’s body with energy.
And that was just the content of her words—her voice was actually a downgrade.
He couldn’t help imagining how he’d react if Ye Qingyi said the same thing in her real voice after they swapped back.
Probably very excited.
After all, what guy could resist a peerless beauty calling him “brother“?
Ahem. “Just so you know, the spirit stones and stuff inside are yours too. They’re worth just as much as the emerald.”
Ye Qingyi rolled her eyes. “What, expecting me to call you something else now? Dream on, hmph!“
But beneath the tsundere act, her heart was doing cartwheels.