The three of them had already stayed in this place for a month. Lucas Qi had fully recovered, and during this time, Lan Yin had gone out to check many times. No one from the Hades Circle came searching, and he knew clearly that his Instinct had helped him—using the power of the Four Sacred Beasts, he created a secluded space all around them, so the Underworld Denizens could not find their whereabouts.
At this moment, Mo Yu and Lucas Qi were busy fishing by the lakeside, while Lan Yin was tending to the fire. Over these days, his face had always been filled with a joyful smile. He had also decided to stay here with them, determined to gain even greater power and then create an even more perfect space for the couple to live together.
In the mountains, with the efforts of all three, they gathered some wood and wedged it between the stone walls on both sides, making a decent shelter that finally felt like a home.
At that moment, Mo Yu and Lucas Qi came over, carrying the fish they had caught today.
"Miss Mo Yu, Brother Qi, you should start preparing—it's time for you to have a proper wedding in the next couple of days."
Mo Yu’s cheeks flushed, looking shy, while Lucas Qi simply nodded.
"Let's start today."
After their meal, the three got busy. Lan Yin had already prepared wedding clothes for the couple, along with a large red flower made of cloth. I’ve seen this before—it was Wang Su who brought it out for me, which allowed me to enter their memories.
That large red flower hung above the mountain, suspended by a red string. Inside, a bed had been set up, along with some other necessities, all tidied up neatly.
Just then, Lan Yin’s expression changed. He sensed that someone had entered this space—from the west. He immediately dropped what he was doing and rushed over.
When Lan Yin reached the western side, the tension in his heart instantly eased. He smiled as he looked at the newcomer.
"Are you just passing by again this time?"
It was the Black-Energy Cloaked Stranger, wrapped in black energy, who walked over slowly. But his gaze revealed deep concern.
"Young man, this is our second meeting, isn’t it? I didn’t expect to run into you again."
Then Lan Yin and the Black-Energy Cloaked Stranger sat down by the lake.
"You know, I’ve met many people before. The first time I meet someone, I bring them good luck. But the second time, it’s misfortune... sigh..."
The Black-Energy Cloaked Stranger said this and let out a long sigh.
Lan Yin clearly didn’t believe him and shook his head.
"Is that really how it works? Why are you passing by here again this time, and where are you headed?"
"The world is vast, and what I seek has yet to appear. Originally, young man, you might have been what I was looking for, but you’re a bit different. Your Instinct has already awakened—use it well, young man. This is no ordinary thing. And you possess two Instincts."
Lan Yin looked at the Black-Energy Cloaked Stranger in astonishment, and I was equally surprised. I had never heard of anyone possessing two Instincts before. But thinking back, I had spoken with Lan Yin’s Instinct before, and he told me he was only one of them.
Then the Black-Energy Cloaked Stranger stood up.
"Young man, be careful. I’m not joking with you. In my life, I’ve met many people, but your fate is especially rough. And what you’re trying to do now—you’re alone and up against great odds. Four words:
Lan Yin seemed to understand what the Black-Energy Cloaked Stranger meant, and I also clearly knew that what Lan Yin wanted to do was challenge the Hades Circle—to resist this obviously unreasonable, yet stubbornly persistent organization. But what he has to face is not only the Hades Circle, but the entire Underworld Court.
"We’ll take it one step at a time. There will always be a way."
Lan Yin didn’t feel discouraged at all. He stood up, looked into the distance, picked up a stone, and tossed it, making a splash as it landed in the water.
"Good luck to you, young man. I should be going now. I hope this isn’t our final farewell."
The Black-Energy Cloaked Stranger rose and vanished into a black vortex. I found his identity very suspicious—the technique he used should belong to the Ghost Syndicate. Also, the black energy enveloping his body gave me no feeling at all, except that he was human.
I’ve met many people from the Ghost Syndicate, and they all have heavy yin energy. If you don’t look closely, you wouldn’t even notice they’re human—including the fierce star still locked by Red Hair in his Hall of Malice, and that one-eyed man.
But this Black-Energy Cloaked Stranger didn’t have a trace of yin energy—he seemed just like an ordinary person.
"What’s wrong, Lan Yin?"
As soon as he returned, Mo Yu asked, but Lan Yin just smiled and shook his head, not taking the stranger’s warning to heart at all.
After a few days of preparation, Mo Yu and Lucas Qi held a simple wedding here. The two officially became husband and wife. Lan Yin felt truly happy for orchestrating all this—he had never been so joyful before. He drank a lot, ate a lot, and finally passed out drunk. Mo Yu had to help Lan Yin back to the hut and lay him down.
"Do you really not regret it, Miss Mo Yu?" In the mountains, Lucas Qi asked. Mo Yu just shook her head, quietly leaning against Lucas Qi’s chest.
"Lucas... my husband... I’ve never regretted it. Being with you—even if it means death—is better than being born into a family of walking corpses, endlessly doing soul-collecting work like the living dead."
But the next day, suddenly, the infant spirit Mo Yu called Little Gong came in on its own, looking angry and holding its urn of ashes.
"Lan Yin, you liar! Didn’t you say that if I helped you block the Underworld Denizens, you’d find me a good family to reincarnate into?"
The child started cursing as soon as he arrived. Lan Yin could only smile apologetically, while Mo Yu hurried over to intervene. From then on, the place had one more Ghost Twin, and they got along fairly well.
Each day, Lan Yin would practice in the woods, dig up wild vegetables, and pick wild fruits. Occasionally, he’d go out to check on the outside world. As his power grew, he kept strengthening the power of the Four Sacred Beasts. But sometimes, he’d seem vaguely uneasy, because the Underworld Denizens would inevitably come looking.
"Mother..."
During a meal, Little Gong suddenly called Mo Yu "Mother." Lan Yin nearly dropped his bowl in shock.
"What are you trying to do?" Lan Yin immediately asked sternly, while Lucas Qi quickly explained.
Over time, as they spent more days together, Lucas Qi and Lan Yin patiently taught Little Gong many things. Gradually, the three of them became like parents and son, so Little Gong started calling them that.
"Don’t worry, I’m not going to harm them. Lan Yin, you’re just too suspicious."
Lan Yin could only smile apologetically. He kept staring at Mo Yu’s belly—she was already six months pregnant, her abdomen fully swollen. Every day, Lan Yin would check on the fetus, always feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
Recently, Lucas Qi also seemed off—he got tired easily, often went to bed early, and his complexion was poor.
Lan Yin had thought about this too. After all, Lucas Qi was an ordinary person, and staying in a place like this too long might cause physical issues. Lan Yin decided to go out and find a way to learn more.
But Little Gong, the infant spirit, showed a strange smile. Lan Yin noticed it.
After dinner, Lan Yin took Little Gong to a secluded spot and questioned him.
"Do you know something?"
Little Gong shook his head, then nodded.
"There’s something wrong with the fetus. I’ve been a fetus several times, and this one feels like it just can’t keep developing."
"Why are you only saying this now?"
Lan Yin was furious, then grew anxious.
"Do you have a way?"
"I do. I already told Mother a long time ago. Besides, I don’t want Father to worry."
Lan Yin flicked Little Gong’s forehead.
"Kid, don’t get any funny ideas. I’m going out for a while—I have to find a way to learn more about this."
Afterward, Lan Yin briefly explained things to Mo Yu and the others, then went out. He thought about it—the only place he could go was his ancestral house. His father had once said that each of the ten families of the Hades Circle had its own ancestral house, with secrets hidden inside. When the time was right, Lan Yin should return and see for himself. These things couldn’t be passed on verbally—they could only be understood by the descendants themselves.
Lan Yin had only heard his father mention the ancestral house once, when he was a child. He could only go home first. Although he might be caught by the Underworld Denizens, Lan Yin’s power was now far greater than before. Ordinary Underworld Denizens couldn’t possibly catch him. He had to go back and figure out where the ancestral house was.
Half a month later, Lan Yin returned home. One night, he snuck in quietly. After more than half a year, nothing much had changed at home—Wang Su and the others were gone.
It was late at night. Lan Yin stood outside the study, where the light was still on and the sound of coughing came from inside. Lan Yin hesitated for a moment, then pushed open the study door.
"Father."
Lan Yin called softly. His father put down the ledger in his hands.
"Yin’er, you’re back."
There was no reproach at all. His father simply walked over slowly and sighed.
"Jingde Mountain, Guanyun Village—the Lan Family ancestral house is there. Yin’er, when I was young, I did something foolish for a woman I loved: I kept her soul here, and it nearly ended in disaster. Back then, it was your mother who saved me. Yin’er, you must think carefully about this."
"Father, your son has not been filial."
Lan Yin knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times. Then he raised his head and said:
"Father, I’ve already made up my mind about what comes next."