Mo Han stirred awake, the golden rays of the afternoon sun slipping through the cracks of the stone house window. His head ached faintly, his body heavy as though he had fought a hidden battle through the night. He pushed himself up from the bed, rubbing his temples, trying to recall the fragments—the haze of temptation, the sweet cloying scent of powder, the moment he had nearly fallen into darkness, and the faint trace of a smile he had left behind.

From across the room, Chi Kai had been watching him silently. She sat cross-legged on a cushion, pretending to study a scroll, but her sharp eyes had followed every twitch of his movements since he stumbled back at dawn. Now, as she caught the subtle exhaustion on his face, the faint disturbance in his aura, and the restless way his hand moved across his chest, she clenched her jaw. She turned her head toward Jia Kai, who had just entered carrying a tray of fresh tea.

"Elder sister," Chi Kai said softly but firmly, "look at him. His qi flow… the heaviness of his steps. Can't you see? He shared yin and yang essence last night. He must have dual cultivated."

Jia Kai's brows furrowed immediately, her gaze snapping to Mo Han. Her eyes, sharp and unwavering, studied him in silence. Mo Han paused midway through pouring himself water, sensing their scrutiny.

"What is it?" he asked calmly, though the corner of his mouth twitched into the ghost of a smile.

Jia Kai set the tray down with a firm hand, the cups rattling. "Mo Han," she said, her voice low and edged, "where were you last night?"

Mo Han raised his head, meeting her gaze with composure. He didn't dodge. "I was attacked."

Chi Kai gasped, leaning forward. "Attacked? By who?"

Mo Han exhaled slowly. "Not with blades or spells… with fragrance. A woman used Aphrodite powder on me. That cursed powder is meant to confuse the mind, to strip away reason and will. I almost fell unconscious."

The air in the room stilled. Jia Kai's eyes widened. Her fists tightened at her sides as anger bled into her expression. "Aphrodite powder…" she repeated, her tone dark. "That's a forbidden charm powder. Only someone desperate—and trained—would dare use it. Do you know who she was?"

Mo Han shook his head slightly, though his eyes darkened with memory. "She called herself Jumi. I could sense she wasn't there to give herself away. She wanted control, to humiliate me, to break my will and prove something to her elder. But…" He leaned back, his smile faint and cold. "She underestimated me. Powder or not, I don't fall so easily."

Chi Kai's heart thumped wildly. She clasped her hands together, her voice trembling with relief. "Then you didn't—?"

Mo Han cut her off with a raised hand. "I didn't cross that line. She tried, but I stopped her. My mind is still my own."

Jia Kai stepped closer, her eyes boring into him with both worry and admiration. "But you came back near dawn, exhausted, as if you carried a mountain. Do you realize how dangerous this is? If you had faltered for even a breath longer, your entire cultivation, your dignity, even your freedom would have been in her hands."

Mo Han nodded quietly. "I know."

"Then why," Jia Kai pressed, her voice sharp with both anger and fear, "did you even go along when she fell before you? Why didn't you turn away?"

Mo Han's expression hardened. "Because turning away from the weak isn't who I am. She acted sick, collapsed before me. Even if it's a stranger, even if it's my enemy—I would still reach out. That's my weakness." He paused, then his eyes flashed with steel. "But I also knew, from the moment she looked at me, that she wasn't ordinary. So I played along, to see how far she would go. I let her believe she had me."

Jia Kai's lips parted in shock. "You… let her?"

Mo Han leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his voice low but unwavering. "Yes. To understand your enemy, you sometimes have to dance with the poison. And now I know—Elder Park must be behind this. She wants me destroyed."

Chi Kai drew in a sharp breath. "Elder Park…"

Silence fell, heavy with the weight of realization.

Finally, Jia Kai broke it, stepping even closer, her hand tightening on Mo Han's arm. Her voice softened, though urgency burned in her tone. "Listen to me, Mo Han. You've already gained too much attention. Healing so many people, earning the title of 'pleasure master'—you think it's harmless, but this is a blade that cuts both ways. Every elder with envy, every clan with ambition, every woman with desire… they'll come for you. If you're not vigilant, one mistake is all it takes to bring ruin."

Mo Han met her gaze, his eyes calm, a faint smile curving his lips. "Jia Kai… I've faced storms far greater than this. Back then, when I was nameless and weak, I carried burdens heavier than a sect's schemes. Do you think a few powders, a few schemes, can shake me now? I know when to draw my sword, and I know when to walk away."

Jia Kai's throat tightened at his words. He wasn't boasting—his tone was steady, grounded, as though he truly had walked through fires none of them could imagine. Against her own will, trust blossomed in her chest.

Still, she shook her head. "Then promise me this. Promise me you'll be cautious from now on. No more wandering into traps just to test your enemies. Not when so many eyes are on you."

Mo Han chuckled softly. "I'll promise to stay vigilant. But you must promise me something in return."

"What?"

"Train harder," he said, his gaze firm as it moved between Jia Kai and Chi Kai. "Both of you. There's an elder-level cultivation competition in less than three months. I want you in it. Stand on the stage, prove yourselves. This sect will remember more than just my name if you shine too."

Chi Kai's cheeks flushed. "Us? In the elder competition? That's… too high…"

Mo Han interrupted, his voice commanding yet gentle. "You've already seen the heights dual cultivation can bring. You're not ordinary disciples anymore. If you don't push yourselves now, you'll always live in my shadow. I won't allow that."

Jia Kai opened her mouth, words catching in her throat. She still didn't fully understand how Mo Han carried such confidence, as though every obstacle was already accounted for. Yet, staring at him now, with his tired eyes burning brighter than flames, she couldn't bring herself to doubt.

"I'll trust you," she whispered at last.

Mo Han leaned back, closing his eyes briefly. "Good. Then don't waste the time I'm buying for you."

The room fell into silence, broken only by Chi Kai's soft sigh of relief and the distant caw of the mountain eagle outside. Mo Han leaned against the wall, letting his fatigue wash away. Despite the shadows plotting against him, despite powders, schemes, and seductive traps, his path stretched forward with unshakable clarity.

And in that clarity, he found peace—even if only for an afternoon.

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