The pain did not improve at dawn.
That was the first thing Lin Ye understood when the grayish light filtered through the upper opening of the room. There was none of that lying relief many cultivators described after a night of rest. No "renewed body." No "stabilized qi."
Only… continuity.
The same pain, in the same place, with the same measured intensity.
—Great, he thought. At least it's consistent.
He tried to sit up and failed halfway. His torso answered with a dry spasm that tore the air from his lungs and forced him back down. It wasn't a dramatic collapse. It was worse: a calm refusal from his body.
The Fragmented Threshold Sutra appeared immediately, clearer than the night before.
"Persistent warning.""Accumulated damage in transitional systems.""Recommendation: structural rest."
—Structural rest… —he muttered. —Right. Does that come with instructions, or just threats?
There was no answer.
Yan Mo entered shortly after, silently, carrying a simple tray: water, a bitter infusion, and a bowl with a dull gray medicinal paste.
—It's not pleasant —he said, setting the tray nearby—. But it will help your organs remember where they belong.
Lin Ye glanced sideways at him.
—That sounds less reassuring than you intended.
Yan Mo didn't smile.
—I'm not trying to reassure you. I'm trying to keep you alive.
He helped him sit up carefully, adjusting every movement as if Lin Ye were a half-collapsed structure. The contact didn't hurt more… but it didn't hurt less either. The body accepted assistance, not initiative.
—How long like this? —Lin Ye asked, taking a sip of the infusion and immediately regretting it.
—Weeks —Yan Mo replied—. Months for a full recovery.
Lin Ye closed his eyes for a second.
—So I can cross out the idea of "disappearing quietly."
—It was never a real option —Yan Mo said—. Huo'an is… restless.
That caught Lin Ye's attention.
—Explain.
Yan Mo sat across from him.
—Your clash with Qin Jue didn't go unnoticed —he said—. Neither did your escape. And Bao Renkun's later attack confirmed something many only suspected.
—That I'm bad business —Lin Ye muttered.
—That you're an unregistered variable —Yan Mo corrected—. And that makes local structures uncomfortable.
Lin Ye took another sip, more carefully this time.
—What kind of structures?
Yan Mo hesitated.
—Trade councils. Minor cultivation houses. Imperial supervisors who don't appear in public records.
Lin Ye raised an eyebrow.
—Sounds like politics.
—It is —Yan Mo nodded—. And you're in the middle without choosing a side.
Before Lin Ye could reply, the side door burst open.
—Hey! —a youthful voice said, loaded with impatience—. Is this where they're hiding the troublesome one?
A young man entered without waiting for permission. He wore clean, high-quality robes, with a discreet emblem embroidered on his chest: a stylized balance scale. He didn't radiate overwhelming pressure; his cultivation barely reached advanced Spirit Core.
But his expression… that was arrogance.
—And you are…? —Lin Ye asked tiredly.
—Shen Rui —the young man replied—. Junior representative of the Shen House in Huo'an.
Yan Mo frowned.
—This place is not open to official visits.
—I'm not official —Shen Rui said with a tight smile—. I'm just here to make a friendly offer.
His eyes scanned Lin Ye from head to toe, lingering briefly on the improvised bandages.
—Huh —he said—. You look… less impressive than I expected.
Lin Ye sighed.
—And you look exactly like someone who shouldn't be here.
Shen Rui frowned.
—Listen, Lin Ye —he continued—. You don't want to make unnecessary enemies. The Shen House has influence. We can offer protection, resources, even a stable place for you to recover.
—And the price? —Lin Ye asked bluntly.
Shen Rui smiled, satisfied.
—Information —he said—. Transparency. What you know… and what you are.
The silence thickened.
Yan Mo watched closely, saying nothing.
Lin Ye set the bowl aside and looked directly at Shen Rui.
—Let me guess —he said—. If I say no, I become a problem. If I say yes, I become property.
—You see —Shen Rui replied—. You're smarter than they say.
—And you're clumsier —Lin Ye shot back—. If you'd waited a couple of days, I might've been desperate enough to accept.
Shen Rui's smile tightened.
—Don't reject something you don't understand —he warned—. Forces are moving. If you don't choose a side, others will choose for you.
Lin Ye held his gaze, even as his body trembled from the effort.
—Then I choose not to choose you.
The air cooled slightly.
Shen Rui stared at him for a long moment, then let out a short laugh.
—Very well —he said—. You're free… for now.
He turned toward the door, paused briefly.
—Just some advice —he added without looking back—. Not everyone who smiles at you during your recovery will come with offers this clear.
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Yan Mo studied Lin Ye with an unreadable expression.
—You just offended a house with real resources —he said.
Lin Ye leaned his head back against the wall, exhausted.
—I know.
—That will have consequences.
—I know that too.
Yan Mo was silent for a few seconds.
—Then… why?
Lin Ye closed his eyes.
—Because it was a small decision —he answered—. And small decisions are the only ones I can afford right now without selling myself entirely.
Yan Mo looked at him with a mix of concern and respect.
—That refusal —he said finally—, minor as it seems… is going to move pieces.
Lin Ye opened his eyes slowly.
—Let them move —he murmured—. I'd rather see them coming than wake up as one of them.
Somewhere in Huo'an, Shen Rui was reporting to his superiors.
And elsewhere, someone was noting that Lin Ye had rejected protection… voluntarily.
The margin had not broken.