As Lin Fang's thoughts lingered on the vengeance he would one day bring to his enemies by making their mothers and wives pregnant with his child, a sudden shift in his chest pulled him from his dark musings.
Looking down, he found his mother clinging to him once again, her arms wrapped tightly around him in a protective embrace. To his surprise, the injuries from the previous day, which had once left him battered and broken, had fully healed, thanks to the Scarlet Regeneration Pill—a rare, high-quality elixir known for its unparalleled healing properties.
Though his physical wounds were gone in an instant, the deep scar within his body—the shattered Dantian—remained untouched. A sigh escaped his lips as he considered the gravity of his situation.
'How would I be able to enter a sect without healing my Dantian?' He felt a growing knot in his chest. The truth stung. Without any knowledge of the right pill or artifact to restore his Dantian, his path forward seemed uncertain.
Just as Lin Fang felt the weight of his despair pulling him deeper into the abyss, a sudden noise interrupted his thoughts. The door to his room swung open with a creak, jolting his mother awake from her slumber.
The person who entered his room was a graceful woman in her mid-twenties, dressed modestly yet exuding an undeniable beauty. It was Lin Mei, his second mother—the wife of his late father. Though they were not bound by blood, she had always treated him as more than her own, and in a strange way, she had become his closest confidante.
Lin Mei's eyes, filled with concern, quickly swept over Lin Fang, her gaze lingering on his condition. It seemed she had just heard of what had happened, and the worry etched on her face only deepened as she made her way toward him.
His mother, still roused from the sudden intrusion, shot a sharp glance at Lin Mei. "Little Mei! Can't you see I was sleeping?" she chided, still dazed from the disruption.
But Lin Mei, upon seeing Lin Fang's vulnerable state and the fact that his mother was lying atop him, immediately rushed over to her. Her voice, tinged with both irritation and concern, rang out. "What are you doing, lying on top of him? Don't you know he's already injured, Big Sister Lin?"
Lin Fang, caught between the two women, felt a wave of awkwardness wash over him. His mother, still half-asleep, glared at Lin Mei but couldn't hide the hint of guilt in her expression. She slowly got up, brushing off the last remnants of sleep. "I was just making sure he's alright," she muttered, her voice softer now as she looked at her son.
Lin Mei's sharp gaze softened as she turned to Lin Fang, concern still evident in her eyes. "You've been through a lot, haven't you?" she said gently, kneeling beside him. Her delicate fingers reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "I just heard about what happened to you yesterday… Are you truly alright, Fang?"
Lin Fang remained silent, the weight of her question pressing down on him. He couldn't bring himself to voice the turmoil that roiled inside him, the fear, the anger and the helplessness that had taken root in his heart. Instead, he simply nodded, though it was far from a reassuring gesture.
Lin Mei's eyes narrowed as she studied him. "Don't try to hide it," she said softly. "I can see the darkness in your heart. You're not the only one suffering, Fang." She paused, her gaze distant for a moment, as if remembering something painful. "But you're not alone. Whatever happens, I'll help you. I swear it."
Hearing Lin Mei's words, a small, knowing smile tugged at the corners of Lin Fang's lips. He let out a soft, almost amused laugh and said, "Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine now, especially with both of you here with me. As for what they did… well, we'll see what happens to them. You know the saying, 'Karma is a bitch.'"
His mother, still sitting by his side, playfully poked her finger at his cheek. "Language, young man," she chided, though her lips twitched in a hint of a smile. "But yes, you're right. Let's see how long their arrogance lasts." She then looked at him, her smile softening. "I'm just glad you're alright."
Lin Fang nodded, his expression solemn for a moment. "I'm also glad you didn't do anything rash yesterday," he added quietly.
His mother's face suddenly flushed as she remembered the moments of vulnerability she had shown him, leaning into his arms in tears. "Please... forget what happened yesterday," she muttered, her tone embarrassed but affectionate.
Lin Fang chuckled softly and sat up, reaching out to gently caress his mother's cheek. "Mother," he said with a playful yet tender tone, "always remember this: I am your son, and your everything. Don't feel shy about relying on me. I'll always listen to whatever complaints you have."
His mother's heart skipped a beat at his words, her gaze softening as she looked at him. For a brief moment, she nearly reached up to touch his face, but just as she moved, she was interrupted by Lin Mei's voice.
"Hey, what about me? Aren't you going to listen to my complaints?" Lin Mei's voice was teasing, and though her tone was playful, the pout on her lips made her look almost childlike.
Lin Fang couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her. Despite her maturity, there was a certain charm to Lin Mei—an allure that no younger woman could replicate. He grinned and responded, "Well, you're not going to stop complaining anyway, so why would I tell you the same thing I tell my mother?"
He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. With a mischievous whisper in her ear, he added, "But, you can always talk to me about... other things, if you know what I mean."
Lin Mei stiffened for a moment, caught off guard by his sudden boldness. But rather than feeling uncomfortable, her heart fluttered unexpectedly. She quickly shook her head, pushing the thought aside. "Yeah, yeah, I'll do just that then," she said, her voice slightly flustered as she hugged him back.
At that moment, Lin Fang's mother, watching the interaction between the two of them, felt a sudden rush of warmth and joined in the embrace. Lin Fang, now surrounded by both women, pulled them both closer into a tight hug, feeling a strange, almost surreal sense of comfort despite the complexity of the situation.
As the three of them held each other, neither Lin Mei nor Lin Fang's mother seemed to notice the subtle shift in the air. They both inhaled deeply, their senses overwhelmed by Lin Fang's scent—a warmth that lingered and unknowingly began to pull them deeper into a web of tangled emotions, one they hadn't anticipated.
Lin Fang, on the other hand, could feel the shift. He knew exactly what was happening and what would come next. But instead of feeling alarmed, he remained calm. 'It's better this way', he thought to himself. 'Sooner or later, it was bound to happen.'