Chapter 49: The Return Journey

The small boat drifted downstream, the moonlight hazy and reflected in the shimmering water, creating a pool of silvery white.

Yan Dan was troubled.

She and Tang Zhou had watched the fireworks and lanterns, and waited until the rain subsided before returning to the inn. However, Yu Mo and the concubine were still in a room, and the eunuch was pacing anxiously at the door, constantly wiping sweat from his brow, looking as if he wanted to kick the door down. Yan Dan couldn't help but think: What in this world needs to be discussed for so long? Even a plot to usurp the throne should have been finished by now, shouldn't it?

Just as the eunuch was about to order the guards to break down the door, it creaked open.

Consort Jiang, leaning against the door, softly said inside, "I'm leaving. Take care."

Yan Dan was willing to swear on her life that the moment the door opened, the eunuch's eyes widened. He scrutinized his mistress's clothes and jewelry meticulously, not missing a single detail, displaying an air of loyalty to the emperor and a desire to catch them in the act.

Yan Dan smiled, thinking that Consort Jiang's departure must have been approved by Emperor Rui. Even the emperor wasn't afraid for his beloved concubine's safety, yet the eunuch was in such a panic.

Consort Jiang walked to her side, gently took her hand, and smiled slightly. "Miss Yan, it's been a long time, almost twenty years, hasn't it?"

The moment Yan Dan touched her hand, she immediately felt that the demonic aura on the other woman had completely vanished. Not only that, but even her cultivation was gone, leaving her completely as a mortal. She hesitated, wondering whether to ask what she and Yu Mo had discussed inside. Before she could speak, Yu Mo emerged from the room, leaning against the door and calmly observing them.

Yan Dan shuddered and blurted out, "You've aged a lot..."

A few sounds of swords being drawn rang out, and a murderous aura emanated from behind.

Jiang Fei wasn't angry, smiling softly. "Of course I've aged. I'm not the same as before. Do you understand?"

Yan Dan nodded quickly. She had guessed this from the beginning. Normally, she could immediately sense any of her kind within a hundred miles. And since she knew Emperor Rui was with a flower spirit girl, it was impossible for her not to detect the demonic aura upon arriving at the palace. Therefore, there could only be one reason: that flower spirit girl, Emperor Rui's beloved Jiang Fei, was no longer one of them.

"I came to see Young Master Yu actually..."

Yan Dan immediately pricked up her ears to listen carefully, her face remaining impassive.

Yu Mo coughed softly, leaning against the door.

Jiang Fei paused, glanced at Yu Mo with a smile, and released Yan Dan's hand. "Actually, it's nothing serious."

Yan Dan's disappointment was indescribable. Anyone would feel this disappointed if their curiosity was piqued only to be dashed when the person who was supposed to speak refused to continue.

As Jiang Fei passed by, she hurriedly said, "Yu Mo cares about you a lot."

Yan Dan naturally knew he cared about her—otherwise, he wouldn't have traveled so far to find her after Tang Zhou had taken her into his magical artifact.

---

After Jiang Fei left, Tang Zhou parted ways with them, returning to Xiangdu alone, while they returned to Yelan Mountain.

Before parting, Yu Mo squeezed Tang Zhou's hand and said calmly, "This is a restriction set up at the entrance to Yelan Mountain. You can find us with this."

Yan Dan was standing close enough to even smell the odor of burning flesh.

When she first arrived at Yelan Mountain, she would rather spend most of the day breaking the illusion set up at the mountain gate than have a single piece of skin burned off—just thinking about it made her cringe.

Tang Zhou looked at the restriction on his palm and nodded slightly. "I will definitely pay you a visit after a while."

---

So, from the moment she boarded the ship until now, Yan Dan had been thinking. Curiosity wasn't a sin, but how could she subtly and discreetly inquire about the cause, process, and outcome of the matter?

Yu Mo was always gentle, reserved, and introverted, except when he was venting his anger and hunting someone down.

Yan Dan felt that if she wanted to find out the whole story, she should ask questions that were only vague and subtle. After all, it was his private matter, and it would be very awkward if she asked and was met with a "What's it to you?"

After much thought, Yan Dan slowly lifted the curtain and stepped out of the cabin. She saw Yu Mo standing at the bow with his hands behind his back, the moonlight shimmering on his sleeves, making him appear even more handsome and elegant. Hearing a noise behind him, he turned his head slightly. Yan Dan saw that he was holding a jet-black, translucent bead in his hand.

Yan Dan suddenly realized that Jiang Fei had come to return the Extraordinary Eye. She had heard that the Extraordinary Eye was a supreme treasure of heaven and earth, gathering the essence of heaven and earth. If a demon obtained it, even without any affinity for the eye, simply absorbing its auspicious energy would greatly benefit their cultivation.

Yu Mo looked at her, then at the Extraordinary Eye in his hand, and suddenly reached out. "If you like it, I'll give it to you."

Yan Dan was stunned. She had heard that Yu Mo had been forced back to his original form because of this Extraordinary Eye. He had now regained it, which was no small feat, yet he wanted to give it to her?

"Such a precious treasure would be a waste even if you gave it to me. You know I'm lazy and don't cultivate much. You'd better keep it for yourself."

Yu Mo chuckled almost inaudibly. "Since it's useless, why keep it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he casually tossed the strange eye in his hand. The strange eye drew an arc in the air before landing in the river with a plop and slowly sinking to the bottom.

Yan Dan looked at him in shock and stammered, "This... this precious thing, you... you just threw it away like that?"

This is such a waste! If he didn't value the strange eye, why did he risk his life to find it before? Was he looking for it for fun?

Yu Mo frowned slightly, his expression hazy in the pale moonlight. "You don't want it, but you won't let me throw it away. What do you want from me?"

Yan Dan didn't have time to ponder his intentions before leaping into the river, shattering the moon's reflection. Soon, the fragments of the moon's image coalesced again. Yu Mo remained standing at the bow, hands behind his back, the shimmering water reflecting in his pupils, also casting fragmented images.

He stood for a moment, then slowly closed his eyes and sighed softly.

---

A splash was heard, and Yan Dan emerged from the water, holding up the strange eye, her face beaming. "Thank goodness I found it. I was worried the bottom of the river would be too dark..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Yu Mo bent down and pulled her tightly into his arms. His movements were forceful, almost embedding her into his body, making it difficult for her to catch her breath.

Yan Dan stirred, trying to peek out of Yu Mo's arms. She'd been underwater for too long and was feeling quite breathless. The moment she moved, she felt Yu Mo tighten his grip on her shoulder, slowly pressing his cheek against her neck, and mutter, "Don't move, just for a little while."

Yan Dan slowly calmed herself, only then noticing that Yu Mo's arms were trembling slightly. Logically, she should be the one trembling—after all, she'd jumped into the water. She suddenly wanted to see Yu Mo's expression, though she was quite certain it was the same as usual, a slight, almost mocking smile.

After a moment, Yu Mo released his arms, reaching out to touch her profile, his tone and expression unchanged. "Go change your clothes, be careful not to catch a cold."

---

Yu Mo's jinx.

Yan Dan angrily wrapped the blanket around herself, sneezing twice as she huddled to grab another blanket. She must be the first demon in the world to catch a cold and get sick. If word got out, she would be a laughingstock and be infamous for eternity. The mountain demons and water monsters of Yelan Mountain would surely laugh themselves to death.

Could it be that she'd been living among mortals for too long and had caught a cold?

The saying "humans and demons are destined to be apart" truly seemed to hold a profound truth.

Her hand, reaching for the blanket, was only halfway there when Yu Mo lifted the curtain and stepped into the cabin. Seeing this, he immediately grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her. "How are you feeling?"

Yan Dan thought for a moment and said, "Very cold."

Yu Mo picked up the outer robe from the table and wrapped it around her as well, then casually touched her forehead. Yan Dan looked at him, only to see him slightly frown, then lower his head to touch her forehead. "What?"

Yu Mo said expressionlessly, "It seems you have a fever."

Yan Dan felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her head, repeating with utter despair, "A... fever...?"

Yu Mo stood up. "The ship is almost at shore, I'll go get a doctor."

Yan Dan struggled to grab his robe, practically bursting into tears. "No, no, I absolutely don't want to see a doctor!" I must be the first demon in the world to want to see a doctor when I'm sick—it's utterly ridiculous.

Yu Mo had no choice but to bend down and carefully pull the hem of his clothes away from her hands, inch by inch. "Even if we don't find a doctor, we still need to go to town to buy food. How can I go if you keep dragging me like this?"

"... You really can't find a doctor?"

"If you keep holding on like this, I'll go and get a doctor to take your pulse."

Yan Dan immediately and obediently let go, wrapped in a blanket and crawling two steps on her knees. "My lord, please take care."

Yu Mo leaned down, gently pinched the tip of her nose, and whispered, "When I'm not here, don't wander around. Even if there's excitement somewhere, don't go to see it, understand?"

Yan Dan couldn't help but say, "Yu Mo, you're just like my father..."

---

Yu Mo indeed kept his promise and didn't bring a doctor.

Yan Dan clutched the blanket in one hand and rummaged through the things he had bought with the other. "Oh, there's rose sugar and pine nut candy too. Do you really like sweets?"

Yu Mo picked out two large bags of medicine. "The candy is for you."

Yan Dan shuddered and immediately said, "I don't want to take medicine."

Actually, she wasn't picky about food. She wouldn't miss out on anything delicious, and as long as it filled her stomach, she was fine. As for snacks like candy and preserved fruits, Bai Ling actually preferred them. If she had to drink a bitter and unpleasant-smelling Chinese medicine as a reward, she wouldn't do something so counterproductive and not worth it.

Yu Mo turned his head to look at her and put the two large bags of medicine aside. "I knew you would say that. I found a folk remedy. We'll make a soup with it later. If it works, you won't need to take the medicine."

Yan Dan knew that some folk remedies were quite effective, so she wrapped herself in the blanket and huddled to the side, watching Yu Mo put the mutton and offal into the casserole to stew. When it boiled, he added a handful of dried red chilies.

Yan Dan couldn't help but say, "Isn't there too much chili?"

Yu Mo didn't turn around, and said calmly, "This recipe is for inducing sweating—the fever will subside after sweating."

Yan Dan shivered inexplicably. She seemed to have heard of the concept of inducing sweating, but would it work on a demon? But what was stewing in this casserole was her life-saving treasure—whether she drank the medicine or not depended entirely on this pot of food.

When Yu Mo placed the casserole on the low table and lifted the lid, Yan Dan smelled a strong spicy aroma and immediately sneezed. When she got closer to the table and saw the glistening mutton and reddish broth in the casserole, she sneezed twice more in quick succession.

Yu Mo held down his sleeve and ladled her a bowl of mutton soup. "It's so spicy—one bowl should be enough."

Yan Dan quickly said, "That's enough, absolutely enough."

She picked up the spoon, scooped up a small spoonful, and immediately choked and coughed. Although it was her first time eating Yu Mo's cooking, this pot of mutton soup didn't require any special culinary skills—besides being spicy, she couldn't taste anything else.

Yu Mo hesitated for a moment, then gently patted her back to help her catch her breath. Yan Dan picked up the porcelain bowl, closed her eyes, and decisively poured the soup into her throat in one gulp, looking at Yu Mo with teary eyes. "Does this folk remedy really work?"

Yu Mo hesitated for a moment, avoiding her eager gaze. "... It should work, right?"

Thoughts:

The opening resolves the Consort Jiang mystery: she returned the Extraordinary Eye after giving up her demon cultivation to live as a mortal with Emperor Rui—a parallel to themes of sacrifice for love. Yu Mo's dramatic gesture of tossing the Extraordinary Eye (the treasure he nearly died for) into the river reveals how little material things mean to him now. When Yan Dan dives in to retrieve it, his fierce embrace afterward—trembling arms, cheek pressed to her neck, whispering "don't move, just for a little while"—betrays emotions he won't voice. 

The second half shifts to comedy: Yan Dan catches a cold (mortifying for a demon) and Yu Mo fusses over her like an overprotective father, buying candy for her and cooking an absurdly spicy mutton soup as a "folk remedy." His uncertainty ("It should work, right?") while she sits there teary-eyed from the heat is both hilarious and sweet. The chapter beautifully balances weighty moments (throwing away the Eye, the desperate embrace) with domestic warmth (nose pinches, blanket wrapping, questionable cooking). Yu Mo's actions speak louder than words—he'd rather toss away a priceless treasure than see Yan Dan uncomfortable, revealing the depth of feelings he refuses to acknowledge.