Chapter 103: So, Is He Marrying His Aunt?

Just like during the Snow Village incident, this time too, Yun Jin arrived at Soot-Stained Peak at dawn to deliver news.

Hearing her voice, Mo Yuyan leaped out of bed instantly.
She gestured for He Yimo to open the door, then grabbed his arm: “Wait here and chat with Yun Jin. I’ve sweated profusely from cultivation these past two days—I need a bath and fresh clothes before meeting her.”

He Yimo remembered the stretched kitten nightgown and bit back a laugh, giving a thumbs-up: ’Leave it to me.’

After dressing, he stepped outside to greet Yun Jin.
“Hmm? Where’s Senior Sister Mo?”

Yun Jin scanned the room curiously.
“She’s still asleep… last night’s cultivation session was rather intense,” He Yimo replied deadpan.

“Intense… still asleep…?”
Yun Jin froze, then her mouth formed an ‘O’, snapping shut with a bashful nod. Her perky pigtails betrayed her inner thoughts.

He Yimo stared, surprised by her hidden depth beneath that innocent facade.
“You were overthinking it, weren’t you?”
He teased knowingly.

“N-no! I wasn’t!” Yun Jin waved frantically. “Senior Sister Mo is the Sword Chief! She’d never casually ‘give herself’ to a mere Foundation Establishment playboy!”
Her earnestness felt like a subtle jab.

When did this naive girl learn to roast me?
“First, I never implied that,” He Yimo retorted, pinching her cheeks. “Second, I’m Golden Core now. Show some respect—call me ‘Senior Brother.’”

“Y-you’re Golden Core?!”
Yun Jin’s eyes widened, forgetting the cheek-pinch in shock.
To prove it, He Yimo snapped his fingers. A powerful aura whipped her bangs aside.

“Yun Jin, don’t listen to his bragging! He only advanced by draining my energy!”
A voice chimed in.

“Shut it, Wangxue!”
“I won’t! You locked me in that dark room and squeezed me dry for days!”
The Nine-Colored Deer materialized as a 1.4-meter loli, head-butting his butt in protest.

“This deer gets bolder every day…”
He Yimo sighed, pressing her down.

“I didn’t keep you hidden for nothing. We’re heading to the sect for awards today. If greedy cultivators see you, they might snatch you in your sleep!”

“Eh? Really?!”
Wangxue’s round face paled.

He Yimo crouched, dead serious: “Of course! We’re best friends, right? Dad’s doing this for your own good!”
[Wait—when did ‘best friend’ become ‘Dad’?]

Yun Jin stood dumbfounded, realizing she’d vastly underestimated his shamelessness.
“O-oh, okay…”

Wangxue, oblivious, nodded.
He Yimo ruffled her hair: “Be good, Wangxue~ Once this blows over, Dad will take you and Mommy Yun Jin out to play, okay?”

“Play! Yay!”
The word ‘play’ lit up her eyes. She obediently returned to his seal.

Meanwhile, Yun Jin’s face flushed crimson.
“I, I… when did I become ‘Mommy’…?”

She stammered, poking her chest.
For a fleeting moment, she didn’t mind his teasing.

After all… He Yimo is kind-hearted! He made himself a dad and made me a mom too!

***

Back at Soot-Stained Peak Courtyard

“He Yimo, stop teasing Yun Jin!”
Mo Yuyan’s icy voice cut through the air.

He Yimo released Yun Jin’s shoulders, straightening up with a cough—playing innocent.

Mo Yuyan emerged, now in her ink-wash dancing dress with light makeup. The sight of He Yimo whispering in Yun Jin’s ear—making her steam like a boiling kettle—fueled her suspicion.
This lecher is definitely up to no good! He’s sweet-talked me into complacency; imagine what he’d do with an innocent girl like Yun Jin!

But Yun Jin, blushing fiercely, shielded him:
“Senior Sister Mo! Don’t be mad at Senior Brother! He’s always been gentle to me… he’s never bullied me!”

The air turned awkward.
He Yimo blinked, shooting Mo Yuyan an innocent look. She could only gape, speechless at Yun Jin’s shy yet defiant defense.
When did he become Yun Jin’s ‘Senior Brother’?!

“Well… now that I’m Golden Core, sect rules dictate Yun Jin should call me ‘Senior Brother.’”
He Yimo explained earnestly.

Mo Yuyan’s heart sank.
At this rate… in a few years, I’ll be calling him ‘Senior Brother’ too? She bit her lip, an unwelcome pressure weighing on her.

“Let’s go. The Sect Master awaits.” She turned, voice cool.

***

At the Daoist Training Grounds

On the podium, a sharp-eyed, middle-aged man with silver hair glared at the black-haired youth beside Mo Yuyan. As He Yimo ascended under his senior sister’s attentive gaze, the man’s lips curved into a smile.

“He Yimo,” he said, clapping his shoulder. “You did well last night in the back mountains.”

The moment the words fell, a searing pain erupted in He Yimo’s shoulder—a hidden pressure point strike.

…”!”

—

Grand Tutor’s Mansion, Main Gate

“Liu Ruoning!” Luan Xinyao balled her fists, eyes blazing. “You looked down on my nephew! You publicly humiliated him at the Sword Conference! After all these years, what brings you here? To settle old grudges?”

Before them, a veiled girl in a lily-embroidered dress met her glare defiantly.

“I’m here to discuss He Yimo’s marriage. When did it become your place to interfere?”

“I’m his aunt! Does the marriage contract say ‘Aunt’ or ‘Liu Ruoning’?!”

“Liu Ruoning, you bi—!”

—