"Who knew it was this flimsy." The one who broke it calmly handed the thing back to the boy. "Make it sturdier next time."

"This is a mechanism!! It’s not for smashing people with!" Xi Nan lamented in grief and indignation.

He had just consulted a mechanism master in the last couple of days to make this finished product, and before he could properly show it off, Chuzheng had turned it into this.

Chuzheng: "..."

So it’s my fault, huh.

I didn’t even use much strength.

If the quality is crap how is that my fault for using too much force, what kind of logic is that!

Chuzheng fished a few silver notes out of her sleeve and stuffed them into Xi Nan’s hands. He instantly stopped howling.

"Tower Master, Hui Chun has arrived." Xin Yu ignored her own silly brother and led Hui Chun inside.

"Sister Zheng." Hui Chun called out.

Chuzheng stood up. "Come with me."

"Oh, oh, oh..."

Hui Chun immediately followed.

Xi Nan’s gaze circled around Hui Chun. When Chuzheng and Hui Chun went around the screen, he finally leaned toward his own sister. "That little girl can handle it?"

She looked way too young, didn’t she?

Even if she was the Jinhua Saint’s disciple, it still didn’t inspire much confidence.

"No idea." Xin Yu shot him a look. "If you have a way to invite the Jinhua Saint himself, we wouldn’t need Hui Chun."

Xi Nan rolled his eyes. "I only just managed to find out the Jinhua Saint was around here, and you still want me to invite him? You sure think highly of me."

Xi Nan at least had some self-awareness and knew he didn’t have that kind of pull.

Who was the Jinhua Saint?

With so many people in the martial world, he didn’t treat saving people as some obligation. He saved whoever he felt like saving, and if he didn’t want to, he just didn’t.

That was the leverage of being the number one Holy Hand in the world.

Xi Nan added, "Besides, didn’t you hear what the Tower Master said? Sounds like that Jinhua Saint has some grudge with our former Tower Master."

Xin Yu: "..."

The former Tower Master was always digging pits for their Tower Master.

The Tower Master was really too pitiful.

Xi Nan rubbed his chin, gossiping. "What do you think, what kind of grudge does the Jinhua Saint have with the former Tower Master?"

Xin Yu: "No idea."

Xi Nan: "Sis, your life is way too boring. All you do is practice martial arts all day. Find some joy in life."

Xin Yu: "..."

Not interested.

-

Inner room.

Hui Chun was about to insert the needles for Man Yue. The silver needles were so fine that they shouldn’t hurt going into the skin, but Man Yue’s reaction was a bit strange.

He seemed terrified.

Before Man Yue’s eyes, he was back in that dim room.

The Eldest Young Master Man as a child was holding a silver needle, closing in on him step by step.

"Little brother, this is really fun, it doesn’t hurt. I saw the doctor use it. Let me try it on you, okay?"

The Eldest Young Master Man’s face was all innocence, not a trace of malice, like he was truly just curious and wanted to try what it felt like to stick the needle into a person.

But the little child he’d forced into a corner was filled with terror, shaking his head as he cried, "No... Brother, it really hurts."

"It doesn’t hurt." The Eldest Young Master Man said innocently. "Little brother, you’re way too delicate."

The scene shifted.

In the main hall, the child knelt on the floor, complexion pale, forehead covered in cold sweat. His thin little body was like a dead leaf blown about in a storm.

"Was it you who took the doctor’s silver needles?"

The man’s stern voice came from above.

"I... I didn’t." The child’s voice trembled as he denied it. "It... it was bro—"

Smack!

The man slapped the table. The sound made the child flinch again.

"You’re already lying at such a young age. How did my Man Family end up raising something like you!" The man was furious. "Lock him in the confinement room. He doesn’t come out until he’s reflected on himself!"

"I didn’t... Father... I didn’t take them."

The child tried to grab the man’s hem, but he missed. The hem slid out of his palm.

He watched that tall, imposing figure grow farther and farther away.

Outside the door, someone was leaning on the doorframe, grinning at him. That smile was still innocent and pure, like the most beautiful thing in the world.

But...

It was him...

Creak—

The door slowly closed. The child collapsed to the floor in the Dark room, and the last sliver of light vanished from his eyes.

Gloom and Dark wrapped around him. The child curled up in the corner, leaning against the wall to steady himself.

Even an adult couldn’t endure such an environment for long, let alone a child of only a few years.

"Go away!"

The youth suddenly shoved Hui Chun away and shrank toward the inside of the bed, like a frightened puppy, eyes dark as he glared at them.

Hui Chun still had a silver needle in her hand. That one glare from the youth was like being thrown into an ice cave. Her whole body went cold.

The first time she saw this youth, Hui Chun just thought he was exceptionally good-looking, even more beautiful than a girl.

But there was deep wariness in his eyes. He only allowed Chuzheng to get close.

Chuzheng had soothed him for a long time before the youth calmed down and allowed her to come forward and take his pulse.

Who knew he’d suddenly explode now...

Even Chuzheng was startled.

"Man Yue..."

The youth didn’t buy it from Chuzheng either. He snarled at her, "Get out!!"

Chuzheng tried to grab the youth’s wrist, but he reacted violently, eyes bloodshot. "Don’t touch me, get away!"

Chuzheng’s brows knit slightly. She forcibly pulled him over and held him tight in her arms, rubbing his back. "It’s me, Man Yue, calm down."

Man Yue struggled fiercely. Hui Chun even saw a bloody scratch appear on Chuzheng’s neck where he’d clawed her.

"It’s okay, it’s me. You’re safe." Chuzheng pinned down his flailing hands, soothing him in a low voice. "Look at me, Man Yue, look at me."

The youth was forced to meet Chuzheng’s gaze. His intense emotions gradually eased. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

His chest heaved violently, then slowly calmed. He slowly hugged Chuzheng tighter, his body curling up, as if he wished she could hold all of him.

Chuzheng wrapped him up in the quilt, then tried kissing the space between his brows, coaxing softly, "It’s over, it’s over."

The youth likely felt safe. His body gradually relaxed.

Hui Chun whispered, "Sister Zheng..."

"You can go out first," Chuzheng said to her. "Sorry to trouble you."

"N-no trouble, I didn’t help at all anyway." Hui Chun glanced at the youth clinging tightly to Chuzheng, as if she were a life-saving straw, then turned and left.

After Hui Chun left, Chuzheng lay down with the youth in her arms. "Sleep for a while, all right? I’ll stay with you, nothing to be afraid of."

Chuzheng’s lips brushed over the youth’s brow.

The youth suddenly raised his head and bumped right into the corner of Chuzheng’s lips. Their eyes met.

Chuzheng paused slightly, her gaze darkening a little. The youth froze for a second, then instinctively pulled back, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

Chuzheng gently patted his back, coaxing him to sleep.

"When is Yan Ya coming back?" the youth asked, voice muffled.

Chuzheng: "..."

I’ve gone to all this trouble to coax you, and you’re thinking about another man.

Pissed!

Chuzheng said coldly, "Sleep!"