Chapter 65
When Zhuo Yichen finally opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a familiar wooden ceiling.
For a moment, he was confused.
Then the memory returned.
Li Lun.
The fight.
Wen Xiao collapsing.
The poison.
His heart immediately clenched.
Yichen sat upright.
Too quickly.
A sharp pain shot through his body.
He inhaled sharply.
The room around him was dimly lit by lanterns.
Outside the window stretched the endless wilderness.
His expression darkened.
He knew this place.
The last time he had been here, Li Lun had dragged him into the Wilderness against his will.
And now-
he was back.
A movement near the doorway caught his attention.
Ao Yin sat nearby.
The shapeshifter looked almost relieved to see him awake.
“You’re finally awake.”
Yichen frowned.
“What are you doing here?”
Ao Yin crossed her arms.
“Master told me to keep an eye on you.”
“Master?”
Yichen scoffed.
“He isn’t a master , he is a coward hiding in the shadows.”
Ao Yin wisely chose not to comment.
Yichen immediately attempted to rise.
Dark energy instantly wrapped around his wrists.
His body froze.
A barrier.
His expression became colder.
At that moment, the door opened.
Li Lun entered.
The moment he saw Yichen awake, something flickered in his eyes.
Relief.
Only for an instant.
Then it vanished.
“Ao Yin.”
His voice was calm.
“Leave.”
Ao Yin nodded and disappeared without argument.
The room fell silent.
Yichen immediately struggled against the restraints.
The barrier tightened.
Pain shot through his arms.
“Stop.”
Li Lun stepped closer.
“You’re still weak.”
Yichen glared at him.
“You coward.”
The words struck harder than any blade.
Li Lun remained silent.
“You brought me here against my will.”
Still silence.
Yichen’s eyes reddened.
“Where is Bai Jiu?”
Li Lun’s expression changed slightly.
“Where is he?”
Yichen demanded.
“Where is that boy?”
For the first time, anger appeared in his voice.
His voice broke slightly.
“Where is he?”
Li Lun looked away.
For once, he couldn’t meet Yichen’s eyes.
“He is safe.”
“Safe?”
Yichen laughed bitterly.
“Then bring him here.”
Silence.
“Bring him here, Li Lun.”
The silence told him everything.
Yichen’s face turned pale.
Li Lun clenched his fists.
“Stay quiet.”
His voice was lower now.
“Or you’ll make things worse.”
Yichen immediately tried breaking through the barrier again.
The effort sent another wave of pain through his body.
His vision blurred.
His hand instinctively moved to his abdomen.
A strange ache pulsed there.
Deep.
Unsettling.
Li Lun noticed immediately.
His expression changed.
A trace of concern appeared.
“Stop moving.”
Yichen looked up sharply.
“What?”
The door suddenly opened again.
An elderly physician entered carrying a medicine box.
Yichen frowned.
“What is this?”
The doctor approached cautiously.
Li Lun stood beside him.
Watching.
Waiting.
The physician checked Yichen’s pulse.
Once.
Twice.
A third time.
The old man’s face slowly changed.
His expression became grave.
The room grew very quiet.
Yichen’s heartbeat accelerated.
The doctor finally lowered his hand.
Li Lun immediately spoke.
“Well?”
The physician hesitated.
Then sighed heavily.
“The child…”
Yichen froze.
Li Lun’s eyes widened slightly.
“Child?”
“The child has been affected.”
A cold feeling spread through the room.
“The demonic poison circulating through Lord Zhuo’s body has reached the child.”
The doctor’s voice softened.
“The child is poisoned.”
Everything became silent.
Completely silent.
Yichen’s fingers slowly tightened around the blanket.
His face lost all color.
“No…”
The word barely escaped him.
For months he had endured everything.
The pain.
The battles.
The uncertainty.
Because he believed the child would survive.
Because he believed there would still be a future.
But now-
The physician lowered his head.
“If the poison continues spreading…”
He couldn’t finish the sentence.
He didn’t need to.
Yichen understood..
Across the room, Li Lun stood completely motionless.
As if struck by lightning.
Because even he had not expected this.
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The physician’s words lingered in the room long after he had left.
The child is poisoned.
Zhuo Yichen sat silently on the bed.
His hands resting over his abdomen.
His thoughts were a mess.
The world had nearly ended.
His body had become half-demon.
His sword had shattered.
He had lost Bai Jiu.
Lost countless friends.
And now-
even this small life was suffering because of him.
His eyes slowly reddened.
Li Lun clicked his tongue.
“You really do make everything complicated.”
Yichen glared at him.
Li Lun looked away first.
“I hate this.”
His voice sounded unusually irritated.
“First Zhao Yuanzhou.”
He folded his arms.
“And now you’re carrying his child.”
Yichen immediately snapped back.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Unfortunately, it is.”
“It isn’t.”
“It is.”
The argument lasted all of three seconds before Yichen doubled over in pain.
The poison inside him stirred again.
His face turned pale.
Dark veins crept beneath his skin.
Li Lun’s expression immediately changed.
“Idiot.”
Yichen tried pushing him away.
“Don’t touch me.”
Li Lun ignored him.
A familiar green glow appeared in his palms.
Demonic energy.
Gentler than usual.
Warmer.
Yichen instantly understood.
“What are you doing?”
“Saving your life.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“You clearly do.”
“I said no.”
Li Lun rolled his eyes.
“And I said yes.”
Before Yichen could protest again, Li Lun pressed a hand against his shoulder.
Warm energy flowed into him.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The poison that had been attacking his body began retreating.
The pain lessened.
The burning sensation faded.
Yichen’s eyelids grew heavy.
His body, exhausted from days of suffering, finally relaxed.
Yet tears still slipped down his cheeks.
Silent tears.
The kind that appeared when someone was simply too tired.
Too afraid.
Too overwhelmed.
His hand instinctively moved to his abdomen.
Protectively.
As though shielding the tiny life within.
“I don’t know what to do…”
The words escaped before he could stop them.
Barely a whisper.
Li Lun froze.
Yichen rarely admitted fear.
Almost never.
But now he sounded helpless.
Like a man standing at the edge of a cliff.
Unable to see the future.
Unsure whether there would be anything left to save.
Li Lun looked away.
His chest tightened strangely.
“You humans…”
His voice softened.
“You worry too much.”
Yichen gave a weak laugh.
Then slowly drifted asleep.
Tears still lingering at the corners of his eyes.
Even in sleep, his hand never left his abdomen.
As if afraid that if he let go-
he might lose everything.
Li Lun remained seated beside the bed for a long time.
Watching.
Silent.
The lantern light flickered across the room.
Hours later-
he finally stepped outside.
Into the quiet night.
His private chamber was empty except for Ao Yin.
The shapeshifter immediately noticed his condition.
His face was paler.
His aura weaker.
The dark poison swirling around his arm had become visible.
Ao Yin frowned.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
Li Lun sat down heavily.
For once, he looked genuinely exhausted.
“Done what?”
Ao Yin stared at him.
“You took part of the poison into yourself.”
Silence.
Li Lun said nothing.
Ao Yin’s expression grew more serious.
“You’re already weak.”
“And now you’re giving away your own strength?”
Still silence.
Ao Yin lowered her voice.
“For him?”
Li Lun laughed.
A quiet laugh.
Bitter.
Almost self-mocking.
“For him?”
He repeated.
Then glanced toward the room where Yichen slept.
For a moment his expression softened.
Painfully so.
“He looked scared.”
Ao Yin froze.
Li Lun leaned back.
Closing his eyes.
“I’ve seen him angry.”
“I’ve seen him stubborn.”
“I’ve seen him try to kill me.”
“But…”
His voice became quieter.
“I’ve never seen him scared.”
The smile disappeared.
“He looked like he was about to lose everything.”