After Yuan Yu left, Han Liang returned to the inn with an unfamiliar emptiness in his chest. He went straight to his room, ordered hot water, and sank into the bath, letting the heat ease the fatigue from the road.
For a long while, he sat in silence, staring at his reflection trembling across the water.
Then the memories came.
Yuan Yu leaning weakly against him in the bath. The warmth of his body pressed close. The moment Han Liang had wrapped his arms around him from behind. The softness of his skin beneath his hands.
Heat rose through him so suddenly that he exhaled sharply.
He finished quickly, stepped out, dried himself, and changed into light clothes. But the warmth inside him faded just as fast when his thoughts shifted to Yuan Yu's wrists.
Those faint marks.
The memory made his chest tighten.
I hope his family doesn't worry too much. I hope they don't scold him.
Only a few hours had passed since they parted, yet the absence already felt unbearable. It should not have felt this way.
And yet it did.
Han Liang lay down and soon fell into a deep sleep.
In the next room, the Second Commander was resting as well.
The next morning, when Han Liang opened his eyes, Yuan Yu was the first thing on his mind.
His calm gaze.
His trembling hands.
The fragile steadiness he had tried so hard to maintain.
Han Liang still worried about his recovery. Yuan Yu's body had been weak even before everything that happened, and what he had endured could not be shaken off in a day.
After breakfast, Han Liang and the Second Commander returned to the market to continue their search for a suitable shop.
Han Liang had already begun planning ahead. If his clan brought a merchant caravan here in the future, the sect and their families could establish trade, build wealth, and create a steady source of income. The Jewel Sect's city seemed promising for that—prosperous, orderly, and far more open to trade than many other places.
Still, they would need to compare it with the Tiger Sect's territory as well.
This had only been their first stop.
And Han Liang could not deny one simple truth.
He was glad it had been this city.
Because this was where he had met Yuan Yu.
Later, after returning home for two or three weeks, they would head toward the Tiger Sect's city and remain there for a while to observe the area. Exploration was planned there as well. After that, they would return to Ying Mountain Town to meet the blond-haired Simon again.
The next few months were already beginning to look exhausting.
Han Liang had only told Yuan Yu they would be apart for a short while. He had spared him the details.
Part of that time would be spent at home.
Part in the Tiger Sect's territory.
And then there would be Simon.
Even so, despite all the information he and the Second Commander had gathered from locals, Han Liang still had not personally encountered anyone from the Jewel Sect.
That morning, they resumed their search for a shop suitable for weapon sales.
Han Liang and the Second Commander had already grown familiar with the market. They moved easily among merchants, examining each possible property carefully. Since arriving, they had spent several days observing the town, asking questions, and quietly gathering information.
At last, they found a place that immediately caught Han Liang's attention.
It stood close to the market, shaded beneath trees, with an open front and a furnace beside it.
Perfect for selling knives and swords.
Han Liang studied it carefully.
"This place is good."
Negotiations began with the owner.
The old man looked to be around seventy or seventy-five years old, with white hair and a permanently bent back. His wife had died years ago, and his two daughters now lived in other towns, both urging him to come live with them.
The shop had once been used for pottery and teapots.
Now, he wished to sell everything.
"Together with the shop, I also have a house," the old man said. "Come and see."
Han Liang and the Second Commander followed him.
The house was small but well cared for, with guest rooms and a wide garden filled with roses, lilacs, and peach trees swaying in the breeze.
Han Liang's interest deepened immediately.
The place was charming.
Practical too.
The shop and house together would be a fair purchase.
The Second Commander seemed to agree.
His gaze lingered on the garden for a moment.
If Yuan Yu were here... how peaceful it would be to live in a place like this together.
The thought came so suddenly that Han Liang immediately looked away.
They agreed to move forward with the purchase.
But buying property in this town was not simple. Outsiders were not trusted easily, and permits were required for nearly everything. Since their arrival, Han Liang and the Second Commander had been handling these matters step by step.
The Second Commander's intimidating presence helped in official offices.
Han Liang, meanwhile, relied on patience, diplomacy… and apparently his face.
At last, the old man smiled at him.
"Young master, you are very handsome. All the girls must admire you."
Han Liang laughed.
The old man puffed up slightly.
"In my youth, I was very handsome too."
That made Han Liang laugh even harder.
As the conversation continued, it naturally drifted toward the Jewel Sect.
Han Liang had long been curious.
The gates were always heavily guarded. The walls stood high. The residence seemed almost impossible to approach.
"How many people live inside?" he asked.
The old man, now clearly comfortable with them, answered freely.
"I heard it is crowded inside, but the true owners are few. Two brothers—the elder and the younger—and their old mother. The leader has one child, while the brothers have a few children between them. But everyone there is deeply loyal to the sect."
Han Liang frowned slightly.
"Only one child?"
For a sect of that size, it seemed unusual.
The old man nodded.
"The young master is around twenty-three, I heard."
Then he added the name.
"Yuan Yu."
Han Liang repeated it silently.
Yuan Yu.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"What a beautiful name."
The old man continued, clearly enjoying the story.
"The young master is rarely seen, but they say he is exceptionally beautiful. Everyone protects him. Everyone loves him. He is said to be a scholar, a very wise young man. One day, he will lead the sect."
He lowered his voice.
"He was born when the peach blossoms bloomed. On his tenth birthday celebration, the whole town spoke of his beauty. After that, Leader Zhen rarely showed him in public."
Then he added one final piece.
"They kept Yuan Yu hidden from everyone. He was born after three miscarriages. My brother's wife was the midwife. She used to say that even as a newborn, he was beautiful."
Han Liang listened in silence. So that explained some things.
The protectiveness. The caution.
Then another rumor surfaced in his mind.
Han Liang hesitated, then asked carefully,
"I heard the Tiger Sect leader wants to marry the young master. Is that true?"
The old man's face changed instantly.
"A man with a man? Impossible!" he muttered, frowning.
Heat rushed to Han Liang's face so quickly it almost annoyed him.
He said nothing.
But Yuan Yu's face was already far too clear in his mind.
At last, Han Liang cleared his throat.
"All right," he said. "Let us complete the purchase, finalize the records, and make the payment."
The old man nodded.
"Tomorrow morning, we go to the city registrar."
The agreement was made.