As Mu Changtian and Chu Yuqin returned, Lu Chen greeted them with a gentle smile.
"Father-in-law, Aunt Chu, you've both worked hard."
Chu Yuqin didn't respond with words. Her brows furrowed slightly as she quickened her pace, walking directly toward Lu Chen. With concern in her voice and a hint of anxiousness in her eyes, she asked,
"Chen'er, are you alright? Did you get hurt?"
Although she had appeared calm and composed on the way back from the palace, her worry for Lu Chen's well-being had clearly never left her heart.
Lu Chen opened his mouth to say he was fine, but a sudden idea flashed through his mind. Without hesitation, he covered his chest and winced, his expression tightening as he replied with feigned difficulty,
"Aunt Chu, I'm fine... just slightly injured."
Chu Yuqin immediately tensed, her expression turning serious.
"Chen'er, are you feeling unwell? Where does it hurt?"
Lu Chen let out a sigh and spoke in a somewhat strained tone, "I don't feel pain exactly, but there's this... pressure in my dantian. It's like something's stuck, and I'm finding it hard to breathe."
Not far away, Mu Changtian's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. Just as he was about to speak, Lu Chen turned his gaze to Qin Yushan and said, "Commander Qin, please handle the bodies left in the palace. The king isn't feeling well and will return to rest first."
Without waiting for a response, Lu Chen reached out and took Chu Yuqin's hand, walking away in full view of everyone.
"Aunt Chu, come with me. I need your help regulating my internal flow. The Qi in my body is... growing more sluggish."
Mu Changtian was left frozen in place, watching the pair disappear.
After a moment, he turned to Qin Yushan, puzzled.
"Commander Qin... is the King of the North really alright?"
He genuinely believed Lu Chen had sustained a serious injury and required treatment—after all, Lu Chen had looked quite pale.
But instead of concern, Qin Yushan let out a quiet laugh.
"The King of the North is... preoccupied, General."
"Preoccupied?" Mu Changtian frowned, still not understanding. "Why are you smiling when the King may be in trouble?"
Qin Yushan glanced at him and countered,
"General Mu, couldn't you tell? The king's only trouble is standing beside Madam Chu."
It clicked.
Mu Changtian wasn't a fool. After Qin Yushan's subtle reminder, realization dawned.
So... this "injury" was just a pretense?
Lu Chen had used his supposed discomfort to pull Chu Yuqin away under the guise of treatment?
Mu Changtian cleared his throat awkwardly and quickly erased the thought from his mind. Matters of intimacy were not his to speculate on. A man admiring a beautiful woman—especially one as stunning as Chu Yuqin—was hardly surprising. The King of the North was still a man, after all.
Shaking off the topic, Mu Changtian shifted his focus back to the battlefield. As he examined the courtyard littered with corpses, something unusual caught his eye. While the bodies of the assassins were everywhere, there wasn't a single fallen soldier from the palace guard.
Not even one.
"Commander Qin," he asked, unable to hide his disbelief, "why don't I see a single soldier's corpse from our side?"
Qin Yushan replied calmly, "Because not a single palace guard died tonight."
Mu Changtian's eyes widened. "What...?"
Qin Yushan's tone carried a trace of pride.
"The assassins of the Blood Moon Tower were wiped out without us losing a single man."
Mu Changtian stood there, utterly stunned.
The Blood Moon Tower—a force known throughout the land for their ruthless efficiency and deadly skill—had been completely eradicated... and not one palace guard had perished?
Was this the true strength of the Northern Palace?
Qin Yushan didn't elaborate further. Instead, he gently reminded, "General Mu, you've done enough today. Go back and rest. His Highness will summon us tomorrow morning. You'll be needed then."
Mu Changtian nodded slowly, still processing what he'd heard.
"Alright... I'll take my leave."
He turned and exited the palace, his mind filled with awe and questions.
---
At the same time.
Inside the study, Lu Chen wore a pained expression, leaning against the desk dramatically.
Chu Yuqin immediately stepped forward, her face filled with concern.
"Chen'er, please don't frighten Auntie. Are you really feeling unwell?"
Lu Chen sighed deeply, his voice soft and weary.
"An assassin caught me off guard with a palm strike. Commander Qin looked me over and said there's no serious damage... but something still doesn't feel right. There's tightness in my chest."
Chu Yuqin's worries overwhelmed her sense of propriety.
"Quickly, take off your clothes. Let me check."
Lu Chen obediently undid his robes and removed his top without hesitation.
Chu Yuqin raised her hand and pressed her fingers gently to his bare chest, her soft touch carrying a flow of internal energy. She quietly sent her Qi into his meridians, scanning his condition.
Yet after a long moment, she frowned.
"Strange... there's nothing wrong that I can detect."
She looked up, locking eyes with him.
"Chen'er, could this be like last time? A flaw in your martial arts practice making your inner flow unstable?"
Lu Chen nodded slowly, "That's likely. The assassin's palm must've stirred up the hidden damage from my recent cultivation. Now the Qi in my dantian is stuck."
Chu Yuqin bit her lip, deep in thought.
"Didn't you say before you have healing magic? Try using it on yourself."
Lu Chen gave her a helpless smile.
"Aunt Chu... it's hard for a doctor to treat himself. My healing magic only works on others—not on my own body."
Chu Yuqin's worry deepened. "Then what should we do?"
Lu Chen's eyes twinkled slightly as he said,
"Aunt Chu, did you forget the method you used last time to help me regulate my Qi?"
Her expression froze.
Of course she hadn't forgotten. That method had been intimate—far too intimate. She still remembered the shame and chaos it caused... and how dangerously close she had come to losing control.
A blush slowly crept up her elegant cheeks as she hesitated, "Chen'er... is that really necessary? Are you sure it helps?"
Lu Chen nodded solemnly.
"We already tried it last time. You saw the result. It worked."
Chu Yuqin hesitated, clearly conflicted. But after a moment, she sighed lightly and murmured, "Alright... let's try again. But don't bring your legs too close."
Her face flushed a deeper red as she avoided his gaze.
"You can lean in from the top... just not below."
She was well aware of Lu Chen's feelings for her. If he got too close, he might not be able to control himself—especially not in such close quarters.
Seeing her agree, Lu Chen smiled and responded softly, "I understand."
He stepped forward and gently wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling her close.
Chu Yuqin leaned back slightly, her soft curves resting against the edge of the desk. Her posture was slightly tilted, her hips gently concave against the wooden surface.
In a low voice, Lu Chen whispered near her ear, ''Aunt Chu... with the barbarians threatening us now, I don't know if I'll have the chance to see you again."
Chu Yuqin quickly rebuked, "Don't say such ominous things! Auntie believes in you, Chen'er. You possess immortal fate—you're destined to prevail. The heavens themselves watch over you."
Lu Chen let out a quiet sigh.
"Still... it's better to prepare for the worst."
Without warning, he hugged her tighter, pressing his body against hers. The warmth of her figure, soft and fragrant, filled his senses.
Chu Yuqin squirmed slightly, trying to shift away from the rising heat between them—but Lu Chen's embrace was too firm. She could only remain in place, heart racing.
The masculine scent unique to Lu Chen enveloped her, flooding her senses and heating her skin.
Her breathing became shallow, her hands resting awkwardly on his chest.
It was happening again.
Just like last time.
Her heart trembling.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
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