Emerald Cloud City shimmered under moonlight, its rivers of qi-laced fog drifting between tiled rooftops and ancient eaves.
Most cultivators passed each other without much notice, their attention turned inward to meditation or training. But none spared more than a glance for the man striding through the outer gate—handsome in a restrained, mature way, robes dusted with travel, his aura clean and balanced.
A faint, deliberate scar traced down his left cheek. His black hair was streaked lightly with silver. He looked every inch the seasoned wanderer.
But beneath the calm—
Gu Changge smiled behind the mask.
---
> System Interface Activated
Villain Value: 3450
Purchase Complete: [Whispered Sentiment Talisman] – 1500 Villain Value
Effect: Target's latent affection increases upon first prolonged conversation. Emotional bonds deepen faster. One-time use.
Body-Shifting Bone Pearl: Active
Form: Wei Yunzhao – Middle-Aged Wandering Cultivator
Duration: Unlimited
Truthwoven Seal: Use 1 of 3 Consumed
Effect: Small lies become permanent truths.
Crimson Widow Wine: Inventory
Scan Complete – Affliction Detected
Target: Lin Rou – Cultivation: Early Foundation Building (severely weakened)
Condition: Ice Poison – Internal Yin Corruption
Symptoms: Three flare-ups per week, affecting core stability and spirit
Yang Compatibility: Extremely High – Host's physique suitable for passive treatment
Sub-Quest Triggered: Heal or Exploit the Ice
Reward: Villain Value +800, Fate Severance +2%, Lin Tian Emotional Link Reduction
---
Gu Changge—or rather, Wei Yunzhao—followed the karmic thread through winding alleys to a modest estate in the city's quieter quarter.
Peach blossoms drifted gently in the garden. The Lin residence looked peaceful, untouched by the undercurrents of fate that pulsed all around it.
A young girl crouched by the gate, carefully inspecting a sprouting herb. Her spirit root aura was gentle—Yin-aligned, pure.
She looked up as he approached.
"Who are you?" she asked, direct but not rude.
"Ah," he said, smiling kindly. "You must be Xian'er."
Her eyes narrowed. "You know me?"
"I knew your father," he said, gently melancholic. "We trained together in the wilds long ago. He saved my life once, and I never forgot."
Before she could reply, the front door slid open.
A woman stepped into the lanternlight.
She wore pale lilac robes that clung lightly to her form. Her hair, loosely braided, shimmered with dark sheen. Her beauty had not faded with time—but there was something dimmed behind her eyes. A fragile chill in her step.
Lin Rou.
And the moment she saw him—
> Truthwoven Seal Activated
Lie Registered: "I was your late husband's sworn brother."
Status: Truth permanently accepted by target.
She blinked slowly. Her eyes widened—not with suspicion, but memory. Long-buried familiarity surfaced where none had existed before.
"…Wei Yunzhao?" she whispered.
Gu Changge bowed deeply. "I did not wish to intrude so late, Lin Rou. But when I heard of Tian'er's duel... I felt I owed it to his father."
She stared at him, tears glimmering faintly—but she did not question him.
She believed.
Lin Xian'er turned. "Mother, is he really…?"
Lin Rou nodded gently, her voice wistful. "Your father spoke of him many times."
And with that, the web closed around them.
---
They sat beneath golden lanterns in the inner parlor. The air was fragrant with plum blossoms.
Lin Xian'er excused herself after some time, leaving to cultivate in her room—curious, but respectful. Gu Changge noted her refined presence and Yin-pure qi. Her innocence would make her ideal prey later.
But tonight—his aim was the mother.
He watched Lin Rou carefully as she poured tea. Her fingers trembled slightly. The warmth of her internal qi was unsteady—intermittently failing.
> System Alert: Ice Poison Flare Imminent – 2.5 hours
Symptoms: Cold regression, haze, lung strain
Suggested: Close proximity to host's Yang aura or passive skin contact
She sipped the tea, and he saw the slight exhale—weariness buried behind her smile.
"You've grown stronger, Yunzhao," she said softly. "But… what path have you walked to survive so long?"
"A hard one," he replied. "But no harder than yours. Your husband… he was a man of quiet strength. He never deserved to die in that frozen tomb."
Her face stiffened. He pressed no further.
"I blame myself for not being there," Gu Changge continued, sighing. "He once said he feared leaving you alone."
Lin Rou looked down. "He left us more than once, truth be told. But I… I made peace with solitude."
Gu Changge leaned closer. "You shouldn't have to."
She froze.
Their eyes met.
And he reached into his storage pouch and produced a small, lacquered bottle—deep crimson, sealed with a golden leaf charm.
"He gave me this the last time we explored the old ruins of Northern Jade Marsh," Gu Changge said smoothly. "Plum wine, your favorite. He wanted to bring it back to you… but fate turned cruel."
Her hand brushed the bottle. It was warm to the touch, tinged with yang essence and emotional imprint.
> Crimson Widow Wine – Activated
Effect: Emotional defenses lowered. Warmth perception enhanced. Gentle aphrodisiac over time.
Ice Poison Interaction: Rapid craving for Yang energy, mental confusion under heat influence
Whispered Sentiment Talisman Triggered: Affection scaling accelerated
Lin Rou hesitated. "It's late…"
"One cup," Gu Changge whispered. "For him."
She looked at him—and nodded.
---
Moonlight poured through the open window. One cup turned into two, then three.
Her cheeks flushed pink. Her body, usually cool with the poison's chill, now radiated a warmth she hadn't felt in years. Her mind grew foggy, but not in fear—comforted. Cradled.
Lin Rou began to laugh—lightly at first, then more openly. She spoke of Lin Tian's quiet stubbornness, his strange love of sword scrolls, the way he always tried to act older than he was.
Then she turned wistful.
"I used to be stronger, you know," she said, staring into her cup. "Back when I still had a name beyond 'Tian'er's mother.' But that realm… cursed thing…"
She pressed a hand to her ribs.
"Ice took root in me. Poison qi. They said my core was damaged. Now—three times a week, I wake choking on cold."
Her voice faltered. "No one can help."
Gu Changge reached forward—slowly, as if moved by concern—and touched her wrist.
Warmth surged through the contact. Her eyes widened.
"I can help," he said gently. "Your husband told me everything once. About your cultivation. Your Yin root. The poison can be soothed… with balance."
Her breath came faster. "What kind of balance…?"
"A yang essence strong enough to drive it back," he said. "At least to ease the pain."
She swallowed. "That's forbidden… treatment like that…"
Gu Changge's eyes held no lust. Only empathy.
"You're not alone tonight, Lin Rou. You don't need to be cold anymore."
Silence fell.
Then she stood, swaying slightly.
Her body flushed again—the warmth overpowering the ice inside her veins. She trembled—not from poison—but from the ache of proximity.
"You… should stay," she whispered. "It's too late to return to an inn. And I…"
She didn't finish.
She didn't have to.
Gu Changge nodded solemnly. "If it brings you comfort, I will."
---
> System Update:
Villain Value +800
Sub-Quest [Seduce Lin Rou] – Progress: 28%
Lin Rou Trust Level: Very High
Emotional Vulnerability: Critical
Ice Poison Resistance: Initiated via Passive Yang Contact
Night Stay Flag: Achieved
Whispered Sentiment Talisman – Expended
---
Later that night, Gu Changge stood silently by the moonlit window of the guest room.
He had not touched her.
But he had laid the groundwork so thoroughly that the next step would come by her choice.
From the room beyond, he could feel Lin Rou's fluctuating qi—her pulse, erratic; the poison beginning to stir again.
> System Note: Ice Poison Flare – Suppressed by residual Yang field
Warmth association with host's presence increasing
Dependency Probability: 54%
Gu Changge sipped the last of the Crimson Widow Wine and smiled faintly.
"Some poisons," he whispered, "desire their cure more than they resist it."
---
Elsewhere in the house, Lin Rou sat in bed, holding her blanket tight around her.
She felt warmer than she had in weeks.
And the name she whispered into the night was not her husband's.
"…Yunzhao…"
---
In the adjacent room, Lin Xian'er sat by her window, staring at the stars.
She had seen the way her mother blushed. Heard her speak the stranger's name in a voice too soft, too intimate.
A strange heat coiled in her gut—not quite jealousy, not yet understanding.
But it would linger.
And grow.
---
Back at his secluded villa the next day, Gu Changge dismissed the disguise. His real features returned—regal, cold, perfection incarnate.
He gazed at the threads of fate projected by the system.
One strand—Lin Rou's—now shivered with golden-red tension. Another—Lin Xian'er's—had begun to pulse with the first beats of unformed curiosity.
But the boldest thread?
Lin Tian.
Now fraying. Slowly.
---
> System Update:
Villain Value +400
Sub-Quest [Seduce Lin Rou] – Progress: 38%
Lin Rou's Affection: Dream-State Triggered
Fate Severance with Lin Tian: 11%
Flag: Yang Dependency Initiated
Flag: Emotional Imprint Solidified
Lin Xian'er Impression: Mild Intrigue Sparked
---
Gu Changge smiled faintly.
"One night stayed," he murmured. "One poison soothed. One truth rewritten."
He gazed up at the stars.
"And next… the heart breaks itself."