Two more months passed. Lan Yin continued collecting souls as always, running tirelessly from place to place. At last, he had gathered 9,998 souls—just one more, and his task would be complete. So he went to find Lucas Qi again.
When Lan Yin found Lucas Qi, Lucas had already prepared everything and followed Lan Yin without hesitation.
Lan Yin led Lucas Qi over mountains and rivers to a place nestled by water and hills. By a lakeshore, there was a small valley shrouded in gusts of cold wind and swirling sand, with visibility extremely low. It was a very peculiar place.
"Brother Lan, what is this place?"
"This place is called Little Sky Shelter. Because of the earth veins here, everything flows in chaos, making it so the Hades Circle can't find Miss Mo Yu. Lucas, you can stay outside. The lake has fish, and there are wild fruits on the mountain—enough for you both to live out your lives here."
Lucas Qi was about to kneel and thank Lan Yin, but Lan Yin stopped him by holding his hands.
"Lucas, there's no need. Things aren't finished yet. Next, wait here for my good news."
Lan Yin spoke, glancing at Lucas Qi with concern. At that moment, I noticed Lucas's complexion was poor, his brow dark, and above his head hovered a cloud of gray mist. My eyes widened in surprise.
"Could it be that Lucas Qi is dying?"
I muttered to myself. I had seen this before—those near death often had a cloud of darkness above their heads, a black mist that wouldn't disperse.
Lan Yin returned home—he had to act quickly. After nearly five months away, he found the place even more heavily guarded. Over a hundred members of the Hades Circle had moved in. Clearly, Hades Village was taking this descendant very seriously.
"Brother Lan, where have you been? We haven't heard from you in months."
"Collecting souls, Brother Wang. Haha, I'm going to see my wife."
After exchanging a few words with his parents, Lan Yin went into his room. As soon as he entered, Mo Yu rushed over, bombarding him with questions.
"Miss Mo Yu, please sit down and listen to me first."
Lan Yin looked at Mo Yu with a serious expression. She quietly sat down.
"Did something happen to Young Master Lucas?"
Lan Yin had just nodded when Mo Yu's face turned sorrowful as she looked at him.
"But don't be too anxious. I've already thought of a solution. Listen carefully, Miss Mo Yu. You should know what special privileges a Hades Circle Born has when collecting the last soul, right?"
My heart skipped a beat. I seemed to have heard about this from Uncle Mo before. When leaving the dream world, Uncle Mo had mentioned that the chance to collect the last soul should be reserved for me. At the time, I didn't understand at all.
"A Hades Circle Born, when collecting the final soul, can freely choose whether that soul goes to the Underworld Court or is immediately reincarnated."
My eyes widened. After hearing Mo Yu explain everything, I seemed to understand.
"Is it Young Master Lucas...?"
Lan Yin nodded.
"Lucas Qi has only about thirty days left to live. As Hades Circle Born, we only learn someone's remaining lifespan half a year before their death. I've already collected 9,998 souls, and I have a plan: corpse rebirth. When Lucas is dying, I'll make sure his Yang energy doesn't dissipate. As soon as his soul leaves his body, I'll catch it and return it to his body. Don't worry."
Mo Yu suddenly stood up from the bedside, staring at Lan Yin in a daze. She didn't know what to say, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
"It's alright, Miss Mo Yu. Since I've decided to help you, I won't regret it for a moment."
"But, Young Master Lan, if you do this, you'll be punished by the Underworld Court. You'll be doomed for eternity."
Lan Yin clenched his fists, looking seriously at Mo Yu.
"I want to prove something, Miss Mo Yu. Listen carefully."
Lan Yin spoke, placing his hand on Mo Yu's shoulder.
"You just need to live together with Lucas Qi, spend your lives together. Promise me, don't have any other thoughts."
"But, Young Master Lan, you..."
"Do you want my efforts to go to waste?"
Finally, Mo Yu nodded. Lan Yin also decided that in the next few days, he would take Mo Yu away. Breaking through by force was impossible—the ones guarding the perimeter were all Hades Circle members using Blue Veil, very powerful. With Lan Yin's current abilities, he couldn't defeat them all. As for Wang Su, whom Lan Yin called a reckless youth, he could already use Crimson Veil.
To escape, they would have to break through the encirclement in an instant. Lan Yin had already mastered the use of the Vermilion Mantle and practiced countless times. Only when taking Mo Yu out could he use the Vermilion Mantle to leave in a flash.
After discussing, Lan Yin stayed at home for a few days. To avoid arousing Wang Su's suspicion, he invited many people from the city to celebrate the birth of his child. But Wang Su remained vigilant.
"Brother Lan, your wife's condition seems a bit off. Lan Bo and the others planned to check on her, but she refused. Can you persuade her? After all, your child will be born in just over three months."
"Alright, I understand. I'll talk to her tonight."
Lan Yin agreed on the surface, but tonight, he and Mo Yu had already planned to escape.