ETR | Chapter 41

When Qin Lou heard about Xiao Wan’s dual-type spiritual power, he was naturally overjoyed for a while.

Even though the first moment he saw Xiao Wan, he was already certain this was the child between him and Xiao Xueman, now that the dual spiritual attributes were confirmed—it was just another nail in the coffin.

For Qin Lou, one thing he felt lucky and certain about was that he and Xueman had once leaned on each other, fallen in love in the process, and were bound together by fate. That kind of shared past—no one else had it, and no one could replace it.

Xiao Wan had to be their child. In terms of love, it had always been just the two of them. No one else could’ve had that deep, interwoven bond with Xiao Xueman.

But Qin Lou also knew that the reason Xiao Xueman had never loved anyone else wasn’t necessarily because he loved him that deeply—it was more that love just wasn’t something Xueman needed. If he gave up on Qin Lou, it wasn’t because there was someone else—it was because he didn’t care to get tangled up with anyone anymore.

He was strong enough, independent enough, that he didn’t need a partner.

The two of them knew each other deeply. Qin Lou understood Xiao Xueman, just like Xiao Xueman understood him.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until he lost him that Qin Lou truly realized all this. His relationship with Xiao Xueman had never needed anything extra—he had always been there.

Later on, Lin Yuan and the others would ask him subtly, If you two loved each other, then how did things end up like this?

Qin Lou couldn’t answer. He could only say—Xiao Xueman never did anything wrong. It was him who couldn’t control the darkness in his own heart, and that’s what let Xueman down.

But no matter how much he regretted it, there was no second chance.

So even though he’d always been sure Xiao Wan was their child, now, knowing that the kid carried both Xueman’s wood-type and his own fire-type spiritual power—Qin Lou felt like something had been filled in, like dreams he never dared to hope for had quietly come true in their son.

Thinking back to the time Xiao Wan had been abducted for no reason, Qin Lou still had lingering fear. Luckily, nothing bad had happened to the child, and Ning Ling had handled the aftermath well. The incident ended up exposing a lot of shady business within the sect, which had since been cleaned out. Things were looking better, but that alone wasn’t enough.

This time was an internal screw-up by Wangtian Immortal Sect. But what if next time, Xiao Wan was out there and got bullied by someone else? They had to be prepared. There was always going to be another “Ning Ling.”

Xiao Wan was growing. Xiao Xueman couldn’t always be there to protect him. And in the future, he was bound to encounter more danger.

Even if Xiao Xueman and Xiao Wan didn’t acknowledge his role as a father, Qin Lou still wanted to do something.

That necklace Xiao Xueman had given the boy was powerful, but not enough. Every time Qin Lou thought about how his love token had been taken and now hung around his son’s neck, it made his heart twist. But since it was Xiao Wan wearing it—there was no getting it back.

Qin Lou had always been moved by the memory of Xueman giving him that necklace. Every time he absentmindedly touched it around his own neck, it gave him strength. So he also wanted to give something to Xiao Xueman—a love token should be exchanged by both parties.

But forging a spiritual artifact with one’s heart blood wasn’t something just anyone could do. Qin Lou had drawn his own blood, but always felt like what he made wasn’t good enough. His hands weren’t as skilled. It couldn’t compare to the necklace Xueman had given him. So he kept tweaking it, patching it up over the years—until now, after a hundred years, it finally saw the light of day again.

Qin Lou’s fire-type was aggressive, and so the necklace he forged also leaned toward offense as defense. Paired with Xiao Xueman’s, the two together would better protect Xiao Wan.

There was no chance of getting the old necklace back from around the boy’s neck, but if both of their heart-blood gifts could be worn by their child, protecting him together—it would be its own kind of fulfillment. Especially now that they knew Xiao Wan had dual-type spiritual power, the two necklaces actually complemented each other.

The idea was beautiful. But after finishing the necklace, even pouring in so much of his own spiritual power that he was completely drained, Qin Lou didn’t care. What he worried about most… was whether Xueman and Xiao Wan would accept it.

He’d been pacing around Nan An’s courtyard constantly lately, wondering how to bring it up.

He wanted to say the sect had been cleaned up. That those people who, like Ning Ling, had abused their power were all dealt with. That the sect rules had been reaffirmed. That Wangtian Immortal Sect would never go down the same path as Tian Shu Institute. And then—naturally—he’d bring up the necklace and say it was to protect Xiao Wan.

But he was nervous. Because he knew Xiao Xueman didn’t want to see him. One wrong word, and he might get kicked out again.

He cared too much—so he always felt uneasy.

Anyone who had seen Qin Lou kill without blinking outside the sect would never believe how soft he was around Xiao Xueman.

In the end, it was Xiao Xueman who got fed up and told Su Mingming to let him in.

“So annoying,” Xiao Xueman muttered. His spiritual power was fully extended in the First Heaven, and he was highly sensitive. Qin Lou had been lingering around every day, getting closer and closer. Of course he noticed. “If you’ve got something to say, just say it. Stop pacing around out there.”

At this point between them, what else was there that couldn’t be said?

So when Su Mingming finally brought Qin Lou in, he was actually caught off guard. Sitting down in the treehouse, he couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Xueman—his heart full of words, but all that came out was a reflexive: “…I’m sorry.”

Xiao Xueman looked at him. “What are you apologizing for this time?”

“Su Mingming told me… you found me annoying,” Qin Lou said. “Sorry. Sometimes I can’t help but come see you.”

Xiao Xueman chuckled, “Wangtian Immortal Sect is your place. Does the Dijun need to be this uptight in front of me?”

“You built this sect yourself. Without you, it wouldn’t even exist. It’s not just mine,” Qin Lou gave a bitter laugh. “Xueman, it’s not about being uptight.”

It was just instinct—treating someone precious, someone you were lucky enough to get back, like something too fragile to touch. That feeling… only intensified when it came to Xiao Xueman.

“What you said before—I’ve been doing all of it. It was my fault for not managing the sect well. Saying sorry to Xiao Wan now feels too little, too late. The only way I can make up for it is to ensure this kind of abuse of power never happens again. That’s the least I can do for you both.”

After saying that, Qin Lou felt slightly relieved. But Xiao Wan, nestled in Xiao Xueman’s arms, still wouldn’t even look at him.

“There’s also this—”

He pulled out the necklace from his robes. It glowed like a droplet of blood-red flame—his heart’s blood.

“I made it. I wanted to give it to you, but I always felt it wasn’t good enough. So I never did. Now… I want to give it to Xiao Wan. It can protect him,” Qin Lou said. “Nothing more. No hidden meaning.”

The reason Xiao Xueman had used his heart’s blood to make a necklace was because it was the purest, free of any impurities. If anything had been added or altered, it would be obvious immediately.

Qin Lou’s necklace was clean. His heart blood, once removed, no longer held any connection to him. Back when Xiao Wan disappeared, Xiao Xueman couldn’t trace him through the necklace—Qin Lou’s wouldn’t work for that either.

Even so, Xiao Xueman had no intention of accepting it.

“Qin Lou, there’s nothing between us anymore. And Xiao Wan has nothing to do with you,” Xiao Xueman said. “If you manage the sect well, and get the pavilion leaders to keep their own people in check, then that’s enough to make it up to me. Anything beyond that… don’t bother. It’s meaningless.”

Qin Lou’s hand froze awkwardly in mid-air. Xiao Xueman clearly had no intention of taking the necklace.

“I just want to protect Xiao Wan. It could… help with his cultivation too. I really… I’m not trying to push anything,” Qin Lou’s face went pale. “It’s like what Su Mingming did—giving him a cauldron.”

Xiao Xueman sighed. Seeing the look in his eyes, he turned to ask Xiao Wan softly, “Baby, do you want it?”

Qin Lou saw Xiao Wan finally look at him—his eyes full of wariness and rejection.

He’d already heard from Lin Yuan what this man had done to his daddy. Not to mention, his first impression of Qin Lou had been bad. Now it was worse.

“I don’t want it,” Xiao Wan buried himself back in his daddy’s arms. “I don’t want to see him.”

Qin Lou heard every word loud and clear. His lips parted, but no words came out.

“Xiao Wan doesn’t want it either,” Xiao Xueman looked at him. “Qin Lou, don’t force the child, okay?”

Qin Lou forced out a small, painful smile and slowly withdrew his hand.

“If there’s nothing else, let’s end it here,” Xiao Xueman said. “I still need to help Nan An heal, and Xiao Wan needs to cultivate. Dijun, please leave.”

Qin Lou didn’t even know how he made it out of the treehouse. He had so much to say to Xiao Xueman, but in the end, none of it came out.

The other didn’t want to listen, didn’t want to accept anything. So what was the point in talking?

Nan An’s health was gradually improving. Qin Lou saw it with his own eyes. In just a few days, Xiao Xueman would be done with the treatment. And when that time came, he’d leave—with Xiao Wan, without looking back.

After being shut down so harshly by both Xiao Xueman and his son, Qin Lou sank into a bit of a slump. But he didn’t dare go against Xueman’s wishes. So later, he tried to go through Nan An instead. She was kind-hearted and also wanted what was best for Xiao Wan. After some persistence, she reluctantly agreed.

But even if Nan An was the one delivering it, Xiao Xueman still refused.

“I don’t need it. Take it back,” Xiao Xueman said. “I already made it clear—he’s not allowed to get involved in Xiao Wan’s matters. If he keeps sending things, I’ll just destroy the necklace.”

Nan An knew his temper. He meant what he said. So she didn’t push. She’d tried—she could say she did her part. She turned around and handed the necklace back to Qin Lou, repeating Xiao Xueman’s words exactly.

Qin Lou didn’t say anything for a long time after hearing that. Nan An looked at him, eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.

He wanted to do something for Xiao Xueman and their son. But no matter what he did—it was useless.

“Just go along with Xueman’s wishes,” Nan An advised gently. “He’s about to leave. I don’t think he’s been very happy staying here these days. Xiao Wan’s the same. If you truly love them, Dijun—don’t stop them.”

Qin Lou: “…”

He muttered under his breath, “I never meant to stop him.”

He didn’t care where Xiao Xueman went. Whether it was the First Heaven, Wangtian Immortal Sect, or anywhere else—he wouldn’t stop him anymore.

As long as… he could still sneak over just to see him. That would be enough.