After that fateful night, Second Young Master Yinmo wrestled with a secret that threatened to shatter his very existence. Deep in his heart, he feared that if word ever spread about his dark magic affinity—even as it perfectly balanced his innate wood element—people would not see him as a mere cultivator. Instead, they would label him a demon, an aberration whose unnatural power marked him for eternal damnation. The ancient prejudices and the clan leader's unyielding suspicion haunted him. His tortured mind even wondered whether his father, Shenlong, had once harbored this secret, and whether Shenlong's long exile at the east gate was a solitary act of penitence. But Yinmo quickly rejected the notion. If the clan leader—ever hostile toward his father—had learned of such forbidden power, both his father and he would have been executed without hesitation.
With that realization burning within him, Yinmo vowed to keep this dangerous balance hidden at all costs. He resolved to cultivate further in secret, convinced that no one must ever know the truth behind his seemingly impossible fusion of vitality and dark magic. Under cover of night, he slipped away from the village and into the forest until he discovered a small, concealed cave. Here, in the quiet sanctuary, he immersed himself in deep meditation using the techniques taught by the clan leader. Throughout the night, his mind and body worked in silent communion, gathering essence and refining the flow within him with deliberate precision.
As dawn broke, Yinmo sensed an acceleration in his inner strength—a breakthrough that should have propelled him to the next stage of cultivation. Yet he made a conscious decision to delay any overt progression. His breakthrough, though brilliant and rapid, was kept hidden beneath an unassuming exterior as he began the journey back to the clan. The clan was the only place he could safely reside, despite the ever-present risk of his secret being discovered.
Upon reaching the ornate manor, the charged atmosphere was palpable. In a richly appointed hall, the clan leader and his son were deep in conversation about the unsettling incident that had once nearly consigned Yinmo to oblivion. "He's probably dead by now," the clan leader sneered, though his tone carried a careful note of precaution. "If you are to take the twins as our prized heirs in the future, you must be vigilant—a child born of two Qi gatherers may have only average aptitude unless nurtured right. But if you wait until they have matured further… then you might secure an heir of exceptional talent… or even a supreme child."
Shortly thereafter, the two twin sisters arrived. Mingzhu, the slightly more mature twin with a steady wood affinity, appeared composed; her sister, Shuiyun, sensitive in her water affinity, had eyes red-rimmed with unshed tears as she gazed into the distant shallow forest. A servant soon announced, respectfully, that the young master, Lei Xuan, had summoned them for a cultivation session with the clan leader.
After the servant's departure, Mingzhu softly inquired of her twin, "Are you still thinking about him?"
Shuiyun remained silent for a while, her sorrow palpable before a few whispered words escaped her lips. Mingzhu then sighed, "It's troublesome that Big Brother Lei insists we accompany him. I fear his intentions may stray far from genuine guidance."
Shuiyun's voice trembled as she murmured, "I don't fully trust him—there's talk that his desires aren't only focused on your training…"
Mingzhu, quietly resolute, pressed on, "Regardless, we must set these doubts aside. The clan expects us to focus on our cultivation. Prepare yourself to meet the clan leader and Big Brother Lei. Our future in the clan depends on our progress."
Back in the grand hall, as the conversation simmered, the clan leader casually added with a dismissive air, "It appears that the disturbances stirred by that Yinmo incident have hindered your progress. By now, his interference should have been forgotten."
Before any further words could be exchanged, a servant burst into the room with urgent news:
"Second Young Master Yinmo has returned!"
A collective gasp swept through the assembly. Shock and cautious calculation marred every face as word of Yinmo's return spread. No one yet knew the secret that thrummed in his veins—namely, the balance of dark magic and wood that, if discovered, would unmask him as something less than human. And so it remained for now; Yinmo, the familiar Second Young Master, had returned at an unexpected hour.
In that charged moment, as the clan leader's gaze flickered with both concern and shock.