Night settled over the Ghost Manor.
Moonlight spilled through the carved windows of the eastern courtyard, illuminating the white plum blossoms that grew beside the pond.
Their petals drifted across the water, moving gently with the night breeze.
Lin Xue sat beneath the pavilion, a cup of tea resting between his hands.
He had been here for several hours.
And somehow, he had forgotten what it felt like to be cautious.
That realization unsettled him.
In his previous life, he had spent years surrounded by people who smiled while holding knives behind their backs.
The Imperial Palace had taught him to distrust silence.
To question kindness.
To search every word for hidden meaning.
Yet here…
There was only the sound of flowing water.
The occasional chirping of insects.
And the faint rustle of Mo Yuan’s robes as he sat across from him.
“You’ve been staring at that tea for a long time.”
Mo Yuan’s voice broke the silence.
Lin Xue looked down.
The tea had gone cold.
He smiled awkwardly.
“I was thinking.”
“About the Oracle?”
Lin Xue’s fingers tightened around the cup.
“Among other things.”
Mo Yuan studied him.
“You don’t seem surprised.”
“By what?”
“By the fact that the Oracle cracked.”
Lin Xue remained silent.
Mo Yuan leaned back slightly.
The moonlight touched the edge of his silver mask.
“Most cultivators would be terrified.”
“I am.”
“You don’t look terrified.”
Lin Xue smiled.
“Perhaps I’m better at hiding it.”
Mo Yuan’s gaze remained fixed on him.
“You weren’t like this before.”
Lin Xue’s heart skipped.
“What do you mean?”
“You used to smile more.”
The words were quiet.
Almost casual.
But Lin Xue froze.
Mo Yuan looked away.
“In the past, whenever you entered a room, you would greet everyone.
You remembered the names of servants.
You would stop to help injured disciples.”
Lin Xue stared at him.
“You remember that?”
“I remember many things.”
The answer was simple.
Yet Lin Xue couldn’t understand why it affected him so deeply.
In his first life, he had barely spoken to Mo Yuan.
They had crossed paths occasionally at imperial ceremonies and military councils.
Mo Yuan had always been distant.
Lin Xue had assumed the man disliked him.
Now…
He wondered if he had been wrong.
“Your Highness.”
“Why did you defend me today?”
Mo Yuan’s fingers stopped against the teacup.
The courtyard became quiet again.
After a long pause, he answered.
“Because you were telling the truth.”
“That’s all?”
“No.”
Lin Xue waited.
Mo Yuan raised his eyes.
“You looked like someone who had already lost everything.”
Lin Xue’s breath caught.
The words struck deeper than they should have.
Mo Yuan continued.
“And I know what that looks like.”
Something changed in his expression.
For the first time, Lin Xue noticed the exhaustion hidden beneath his calm exterior.
The Ghost King.
The empire’s feared prince.
The man everyone believed had no heart.
Perhaps…
He simply knew how to hide his wounds.
Before Lin Xue could respond, footsteps approached.
Xiao Yue appeared at the entrance, holding a small tray.
“Big Brother!”
Mo Yuan turned.
“You should be asleep.”
“But I made something!”
She proudly lifted the tray.
Two bowls of steaming soup sat upon it.
Lin Xue couldn’t help smiling.
“What did you make?”
“Lotus seed soup!”
She placed one bowl in front of Mo Yuan.
Then another before Lin Xue.
“This one is yours.”
Lin Xue looked at the soup.
“Thank you.”
Xiao Yue beamed.
“I told Big Brother you were pretty.”
Mo Yuan closed his eyes.
“Xiao Yue.”
“What?”
“Go to bed.”
“But—”
“Now.”
She pouted.
“Fine.”
Before leaving, she leaned toward Lin Xue and whispered loudly enough for Mo Yuan to hear,
“Big Brother never smiles at other people.”
Mo Yuan’s expression became complicated.
Xiao Yue ran away laughing.
Lin Xue lowered his head, trying to hide his amusement.
Mo Yuan looked deeply embarrassed.
“She talks too much.”
“I think she’s adorable.”
“You’ll change your mind.”
“I doubt it.”
For some reason…
Warmer.
Mo Yuan looked at Lin Xue.
Lin Xue looked back.
Neither spoke.
Then a sudden gust of wind swept through the pavilion.
Lin Xue’s sleeve shifted.
The crimson lotus mark on his wrist flashed beneath the moonlight.
Mo Yuan’s expression changed instantly.
He reached across the table.
His fingers stopped just above Lin Xue’s wrist.
“Don’t move.”
Lin Xue froze.
Mo Yuan gently pulled back the sleeve.
The crimson lotus appeared.
Nine delicate petals surrounded a tiny golden center.
The moment Mo Yuan saw it clearly…
His face lost all color.
“You…”
His voice was barely audible.
Lin Xue stared at him.
“What is it?”
Mo Yuan didn’t answer.
Instead, he carefully touched one petal.
The lotus suddenly glowed.
A surge of spiritual energy exploded through the pavilion.
The tea cups shattered.
The pond erupted into waves.
Lin Xue staggered backward.
Mo Yuan caught him immediately.
Their bodies collided.
For a moment…
Neither moved.
Lin Xue could feel Mo Yuan’s heartbeat.
Fast.
Far too fast for someone who was supposed to be calm.
Mo Yuan stared at the lotus.
His voice trembled.
“This mark…”
“You shouldn’t have it.”
Lin Xue’s eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
Mo Yuan looked at him.
And for the first time…
Lin Xue saw genuine fear in the Ghost King’s eyes.
“Because…”
He swallowed.
“I watched you die with that same mark.”
The world seemed to stop.
Lin Xue’s face went pale.
Mo Yuan’s grip tightened around his wrist.
“You remember.”
It wasn’t a question.
Lin Xue stared at him.
The two men stood beneath the moonlight, surrounded by scattered petals and broken porcelain.
Neither spoke.
Because suddenly…
Lin Xue understood something terrifying.
He wasn’t the only one who had been reborn.
End of Chapter 7