This was Nalan Yanran's personal chamber—her private sanctuary.
Ordinarily, no man had ever set foot inside; not even her father or grandfather had entered more than once or twice.
Normally, anyone wishing to speak with her would have to send word through a servant.
Yet now, a man had barged straight into her room without permission, sat down beside her bed…
And worst of all—he wasn't even here for her.
Watching Chen Mo take her teacher's pulse with a look of deep concern and guilt, Nalan Yanran felt a strange irritation well up in her heart.
Noticing her grandfather and father still standing outside, she called out to them briefly—then shut the door in their faces.
Outside the room.
Nalan Jie: "…"
Nalan Su: "…"
They exchanged glances.
"Grandfather," Nalan Su murmured, "a man and a woman alone in a room at night… You don't think anything improper will happen, do you?"
"Nonsense. What could possibly happen? Young friend Chen Mo isn't that kind of person—and Sect Master Yun is in there too."
"Didn't you just say he's the flirtatious type? And Yun Yun is unconscious."
"…"
Inside, the room was filled with the faint fragrance of calming incense, soothing the mind and spirit.
Although Yun Yun remained unconscious from her severe injuries, her face—drained of color—still retained that gentle, intellectual beauty.
Every feature seemed perfectly balanced: not stunning at first glance, but the more one looked, the more captivating she became.
If one were to describe her… Yun Yun was the very embodiment of grace and refinement—a woman whose quiet elegance drew the eye and refused to let go.
As Fa Ma had described earlier, after Chen Mo finished checking her pulse, he split off a thread of spiritual sense and entered Yun Yun's body to examine her condition.
What he found made his expression darken.
Inside her meridians, there was a black skull-shaped mark, rampaging violently. If left unchecked, it would eventually destroy all of her meridians—leaving her crippled.
Chen Mo's eyes filled with sorrow and resolve. Then, without hesitation, he removed his shoes and climbed onto the bed.
Seeing that, Nalan Yanran—still fuming—snapped,
"What are you doing?!"
"Healing her," Chen Mo replied calmly, helping Yun Yun sit up slightly against him.
Nalan Yanran immediately quieted, worry replacing irritation.
"How is my teacher?"
"Just as President Fa Ma said. But… I can heal her."
As he spoke, he began untying Yun Yun's light-blue robe under Nalan Yanran's shocked gaze.
It seemed Yanran had already changed her teacher's clothes earlier—she wore nothing beneath.
When the robe fell open, Chen Mo clearly felt the tremor that passed through Yun Yun's delicate body. Even unconscious, her instincts still reacted.
There was no lust in his eyes—only pity and determination.
Her fair skin was flawless, like jade under moonlight, save for a single blackened mark on the right side of her back, shaped like a fist-print, as if ink had been spilled upon white paper.
Chen Mo gently touched the mark, feeling a faint shudder run through her body.
Seeing him study her teacher's bare form, Nalan Yanran couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Pervert…"
But Chen Mo ignored her completely. After confirming the exact spot of the wound, he pressed his fingers together—and a strand of black-blue flame suddenly ignited at his fingertips.
The Undying Demon Flame (Bu Mie Mo Yan).
Taking a deep breath, Chen Mo carefully placed the flame onto the black fist mark. The black-blue fire was wrapped by his soul force, and under precise control, it slowly entered Yun Yun's body—
—its purpose: to devour the black skull of condensed soul energy wreaking havoc within her.
The foreign soul energy soon detected the intruding flame.
Like a frightened beast, it began fleeing chaotically through Yun Yun's body.
With a thought, Chen Mo split his Undying Demon Flame into several strands, all wrapped in spiritual power.
They spread out, surrounding the skull from every direction, blocking its every path.
The struggle was fierce.
Both Chen Mo and Yun Yun broke into cold sweat, their veins bulging with strain. Yun Yun's delicate face twisted in pain, soft groans escaping her lips despite her unconscious state.
Nalan Yanran rushed to her teacher's side, gently wiping away the sweat from her forehead.
"Teacher… please, wake up…" she whispered anxiously—but Yun Yun didn't respond.
Inside her body, the strands of Demon Flame pursued the skull relentlessly. After half an hour of intense control, they finally cornered it—and then pounced all at once.
The searing heat devoured the black skull piece by piece, reducing it to nothingness.
Even that sinister soul energy—strong enough to trouble a Dou Zong—was absorbed by the Undying Demon Flame, strengthening its own origin.
Time passed slowly.
The room was quiet save for the sound of breathing.
Sweat rolled down both Chen Mo's and Yun Yun's faces, the latter's expression still filled with pain, delicate and heartbreaking.
Sensing the crucial moment approaching, Nalan Yanran stopped wiping her teacher's sweat, afraid any movement might interrupt the treatment.
Her eyes were full of worry and unease.
After nearly two hours—by which time the sky had begun to pale—Chen Mo finally moved.
He curled his fingers slightly, and the threads of Undying Demon Flame slowly withdrew from Yun Yun's body, returning to him one by one.
When the last wisp was absorbed, he exhaled deeply and pulled a handkerchief from his storage ring, wiping the sweat from his face.
"How is she?" Nalan Yanran asked immediately. But as her eyes fell on the handkerchief in his hand—her own, which she had once given him—her face suddenly flushed red.
Chen Mo, focused entirely on Yun Yun, didn't notice her embarrassment.
After cleaning up, he carefully dressed Yun Yun again, gently laying her back down and covering her with the blanket.
Then, stepping off the bed and putting his boots back on, he said softly:
"The energy inside her body has been completely devoured by my Heavenly Flame. However, it had ravaged her meridians for too long, leaving her body extremely weak. She'll need several days of rest before waking. But overall, she'll be fine."
"Hu…"
Nalan Yanran finally let out a breath of relief, the weight in her heart lifting.
"When will she fully recover?" she asked.
"Depends on how fast her body mends—at least half a year," Chen Mo replied, straightening his robe. "By the way, where's the kitchen?"
"You're hungry? I'll have someone—"
"No need. I'll cook something myself for Sister Yun Yun to replenish her strength. Just tell me where it is."
"Go out, straight ahead, turn left, then right—walk a few minutes more, and you'll find it," she answered softly.
And with that, Chen Mo left quietly, the first light of dawn spilling through the window onto Yun Yun's peaceful face.
****
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