34: charming

The date for Canaan Academy’s enrollment had not yet arrived, so Wutan City temporarily became a base for Mo Yuhan and the other two to rest and recuperate.

The rented courtyard was located in a relatively secluded corner of the city's west side, with green bricks and grey tiles, covered in tenacious vines, making it quite serene.

Mo Yuhan dedicated almost all his time to cultivation.

The Dou Qi vortex slowly rotated within his Dantian, absorbing the world energy that was far denser on Dou Qi Continent than on Douluo Continent.

Xuan Huang Flame flowed through his meridians like docile yet domineering magma; each circulation brought a scorching sting and an increase in power.

He sat cross-legged with his eyes closed beneath an oldSophora japonica tree in the courtyard, his tender face appearing calm and focused in the morning light, a faint, metallic-textured, pale yellow halo surrounding his body.

“Yu Han.”

A clear, slightly hoarse call, like a stone dropped into still water, broke the courtyard's tranquility. The voice came from the half-open carved wooden window of the east wing.

Mo Yuhan slowly retracted his power, and the pale yellow halo surrounding him receded into his body.

He opened his eyes, his dark pupils clear as water in the morning light, and looked in the direction of the sound.

The light inside the window was soft.

Bibi Dong leaned against the soft couch by the window, seemingly having just woken up.

At this moment, she was only wearing a moon-white silk nightgown of extremely soft texture, its wide sleeves slipping down to her elbows, revealing a section of her fair wrist, so slender it seemed it would break with a snap.

The neckline of the nightgown was somewhat casually open, with two thin silk ties loosely fastened, revealing a delicate, jade-like collarbone and the faintly visible, full, rounded edge of an astonishing curve below.

The morning light filtered through the window lattice, casting a hazy golden edge upon her, outlining her breathtaking curves in a fleeting glimpse.

Her thick, silken purple hair was not tied up but loosely draped over her shoulders, with a few strands lazily falling in front of her slightly open collar, adding a breathtaking sense of languor and fragility.

Her complexion still bore the pallor of someone recovering from a serious illness, and her lips were very light, but her deep purple eyes, at this moment, had shed some of their former emptiness and lifelessness, gaining an indescribable complex expression, like a cold pond holding morning mist, silently gazing at Mo Yuhan in the courtyard.

As Mo Yuhan's gaze first touched the fleeting glimpse of snowy skin beneath the moon-white silk and the lazily scattered purple hair, his heart felt as if something had suddenly squeezed it, and his breathing instantly hitched.

An indescribable burning sensation rushed to his cheeks and earlobes. He almost instinctively lowered his eyelids quickly, his thick eyelashes fluttering in a panic, not daring to look again.

His gaze was fixed on a small bluestone slab in front of his feet, as if a peerless cultivation technique was engraved there.

“Aunt… Auntie.”

His voice held a hint of imperceptible nervousness, clear with the unique hoarseness of a teenager's voice-breaking period, “Did you call me?”

“Hmm.”

Bibi Dong’s voice was still slightly hoarse, carrying a trace of morning fatigue, but her gaze never left Mo Yuhan’s slightly reddened earlobes.

She seemed unaware of anything inappropriate in her attire, or rather, she didn't care.

In her eyes, Mo Yuhan in her memory was still just a child who would only act spoiled by her side.

Mo Yuhan took a deep breath, suppressing the stirring in his heart, trying to maintain his outward composure, and stepped into the east wing.

A faint bitter scent of herbs, mixed with a faint yet soul-penetrating cold body fragrance, wafted over him.

He walked straight ahead, stopping a few steps away from the soft couch, and slightly lowered his head.

“Sit.”

Bibi Dong pointed to the soft couch.

Mo Yuhan sat down as instructed, his back perfectly straight, his hands on his knees, his fingertips slightly curled.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Only the occasional bird chirping from outside the window and Bibi Dong’s faint breathing could be heard.

The morning light danced on her exquisite profile, and her long eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyes.

“Spirit Hall…”

Bibi Dong finally spoke, her voice very soft, as if she was talking to herself, or perhaps asking a question, “How is it now?”

She knew that Mo Yuhan must have secretly returned to Douluo Continent, but he hadn't mentioned it to her, fearing it would trigger her pain.

Mo Yuhan looked up, meeting her deep purple eyes.

They no longer held complete desolation but rather a sense of release.

He knew that his aunt would ask this question sooner or later.

“Qian Xunji announced to the outside world that Auntie and I… colluded with external enemies and that he personally ended your life.”

Mo Yuhan’s voice was very calm, as if stating something unrelated to him.

However, he clearly concealed some rumors.

He was afraid that if he mentioned the rumors of illicit relations, his aunt would truly become furious.

And in the depths of his dark eyes, a cold glint flashed, “Qian Xunji took this opportunity to purge dissidents. Grandfather Ju and Grandfather Gui were marginalized, and the forces that previously supported Auntie were either reassigned or met with misfortune. Inside the Holy Hall, Qian Xunji and his lackeys from the Consecration Hall now hold sole dominance.”

Every word was like a cold needle, piercing Bibi Dong’s heart.

Her hand resting on the armrest of the soft couch, her knuckles were slightly white.

In the depths of her purple eyes, the faint glimmer that had just gathered, a bone-chilling killing intent suddenly permeated the room, and the temperature of the room seemed to plummet! The water in the teacup on the table silently condensed a thin layer of frost.

Mo Yuhan watched her quietly, offering no comfort.

He knew that any comfort at this moment would be pale and powerless.

In fact, this hatred was what was currently sustaining her life, and it was also one of the driving forces for her to regain her strength.

After a long while, the terrifying killing intent slowly receded like a tide.

Bibi Dong closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her eyes held nothing but an unfathomable, icy cold pond.

“When we go back…” Her voice was hoarse, “But now is not the time.”

Mo Yuhan was afraid that Bibi Dong would act impulsively upon hearing this news, “Auntie, your injuries are not healed, and your foundation is damaged. Qian Xunji’s power is immense; we need time, we need greater strength, we need a… perfect opportunity.”

He paused, then added, “The elixirs of Dou Qi Continent will greatly benefit the repair of your foundation. The Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill from Canaan Academy is just the first step.”

The cultivation speed on Dou Qi Continent was clearly much faster than on Douluo Continent.

Bibi Dong silently looked at Mo Yuhan, at this child who was only eight years old but possessed a maturity far beyond his age.

His eyes were clear and firm, carrying an undeniable strength.

This strength brought a faint warmth to her heart, which had been frozen by hatred and pain. She softly “hmm”ed, signifying her approval.

The room fell silent again.

But this time, the atmosphere seemed to have eased somewhat. Bibi Dong’s gaze shifted, falling on the swaying tree shadows outside the window, seemingly lost in thought.

After a while, she spoke again, her voice carrying a rare hesitation and… a subtle hint of the confusion appropriate for a woman of her age.

“Yu Han… that little girl called Little Fairy Doctor…”

Mo Yuhan’s heart stirred, and he looked up at her.

“She…”

Bibi Dong’s fingertips unconsciously rubbed the soft silk sleeve, her brows slightly furrowed, “These past few days, I often see her lost in thought alone, her eyes… very empty. Sometimes in a corner of the courtyard, sometimes in her room.”

“At first, I thought she was compounding medicine, trying to taste its properties, after all, she is a physician.”

Her voice paused, a glimmer flashing in her purple eyes, “But later, I realized something was wrong. The medicines she consumed… the quantity grew larger and larger, and… I recognized several of them as highly poisonous substances. It was definitely not as simple as just testing medicine.”

Mo Yuhan’s heart sank suddenly.

What was bound to come, had come.

He was silent for a moment, and the air in the room seemed to solidify.

Bibi Dong’s gaze rested on his face, filled with scrutiny and inquiry.