Hei Bao's expression remained unreadable.
"What exactly are you referring to, Elder?" he asked.
"Why do you say I may never heal? And what does that have to do with Gou Feng's condition?"
Memu glanced toward the examination bed.
The sleeping young man shifted unconsciously beneath the blanket, his brows knitting together looking still disturbed by a dream.
"You and this child have been bound together for a very long time," Memu said quietly.
"Your blood flows through his veins. The bond between you is no longer something that can be severed easily."
She paused before continuing.
"I merely wish to warn you."
The gentleness in her voice faded, replaced by an unusual seriousness.
"Never take your eyes off this child. Keep him close. Do not allow him to wander alone."
Her clouded gaze settled firmly on Hei Bao.
"Otherwise... the past may repeat itself."
Hei Bao's jaw tightened.
He still didn't understand what the elder had been trying to imply about him and Gou Feng. Yet the moment she mentioned that the past could repeat itself, a bitter taste spread across his tongue. He didn't like those words.
Memu regarded him in silence for a long moment before speaking again.
"You have lost many people before, A-Bao."
The simple statement struck deeper than either accusation or blame.
For the first time since entering the chamber, Hei Bao's gaze darkened slightly.
He knew he had lost many in the past.
Those memories had never truly left him. They remained buried deep within his heart, resurfacing only in quiet moments when he was least prepared for them.
But he didn't need to be reminded.
The pain of losing them had long since become a scar he carried every day.
Memu saw the conflicted look on his face. But as an elder accustomed to the shortcomings of the younger generation, she simply continue saying,
"Make certain that this time, you keep this child within your grasp and protect him. Otherwise… your loss may never recover."
Hei Bao let out a quiet scoff and turned his gaze away.
"I still don't understand what you're trying to tell me," he said.
"But if protecting this child is the key to preventing whatever future you're warning me about, then I will do exactly that."
His voice remained calm, but there wasn't a trace of hesitation.
"I'll keep him safe."
He glanced at Gou Feng.
"You said it yourself. My blood runs through him. Our lives are connected. We are tied together. If he dies, I'll die as well."
A small smile appeared on Memu's face.
"That is not what I meant for you to understand."
Hei Bao faced her back and let out a quiet sigh through his nose.
"Then explain it clearly," his voice calm but edged with impatience.
Memu lowered her gaze to Gou Feng.
For a brief moment, the old Seer's eyes held an emotion neither man could decipher, before saying,
"If this child dies..."
The room grew still.
"or falls into the hands of those who seek to use him… our clan will never recover, we, all of us will perish."
Every person in the chamber froze.
Even Hei Bao stiffened.
Cheung Qi's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That serious?"
He instinctively looked toward Gou Feng, who remained asleep and unaware of the gravity of the conversation unfolding around him.
"Is this child truly that important to us?"
Memu nodded and showed a faint, knowing smile that touched her lips.
"Some lives carry greater weight than others. Not because heaven favors them, but because many destinies converge upon them."
Her gaze lingered on Gou Feng.
"This child stands at the center of threads woven long before any of us were born."
Before either Hei Bao or Cheung Qi could question her further, Memu turned toward her apprentices.
"Bring the Moonveil Dewroot," she instructed.
"It should be ready by now."
The three young women immediately bowed and carefully did the task.
Left alone in the quiet chamber, neither Hei Bao nor Cheung Qi spoke another word.
The elder seer was occupied cleaning her hands with herbal water.
As she waited for her three apprentices to return with the medicine, she no longer had the time to entertain any conversation.
Silence settled over the room.
Both men's gazes remained fixed on the sleeping young man, who lay peacefully beneath the blanket, completely unaware of the concern surrounding him.
Gou Feng's breathing remained soft and steady.
His lashes rested against tear-stained cheeks, and his fingers curled slightly at his sides.
He looked no different from before.
No more extraordinary than any other young man his age.
And yet, the High Seer's warning still echoed heavily in the room.
If this child dies or falls into the hands of others, our clan will perish.
Neither of them could believe that the young man Hei Bao had found wandering the streets twenty years ago might one day become either the salvation or the downfall of their clan.
Just who had this child been in his previous life?
Hei Bao and Cheung Qi exchanged a brief glance.
Neither of them spoke, yet they shared the same thought; a growing desire to learn more about Gou Feng and his past.
Unfortunately, the elder seers would reveal nothing further. It was against their nature to interfere with another person's fate or the karmic debts carried across lifetimes. They could only offer warnings, never answers.
With that path closed to them, only one choice remained, and that is to protect Gou Feng, no matter the cost.
Not long after, one of Elder Memu's apprentices returned carrying a small ceramic bowl. Steam rose from its surface, bringing with it the bitter scent of freshly brewed herbs.
The apprentice respectfully handed the medicine to Elder Memu before stepping back.
Memu accepted the bowl and turned to Hei Bao.
"For now, this medicine will lessen his suffering," she said.
"As before, I will continue watching over him on your behalf."
Her cloudy eyes lingered on Gou Feng before settling on Hei Bao once more.
"But the sooner the blood within him awakens, the better."
Without a word, Hei Bao rose from his seat and walked to the bedside.
Carefully, he slipped one arm behind Gou Feng's back and lifted him into a sitting position.
The unconscious young man's body naturally leaned against Hei Bao's chest, his head resting weakly against the older man's shoulder.
Memu stepped closer and gently supported Gou Feng's chin.
"Slowly," she instructed.
Bit by bit, she fed him the medicine.
Even asleep, Gou Feng instinctively swallowed each mouthful, though his brows occasionally knitted together at the bitterness coating his tongue.
Cheung Qi, who had remained unusually attentive throughout the discussion, finally spoke.
"Is the elder referring to Gou Feng wolf manifestation? Is his awakening getting closer?"
Memu nodded.
"Yes. But before he can fully embrace the Lycans blood within him, there is something he must do first."
Cheung Qi immediately leaned forward.
"What is it?"
Memu continued feeding Gou Feng the last few spoonfuls of medicine.
"...That answer can only come from him," she said softly.
Cheung Qi blinked.
"What does that mean?"
"For some reason," Memu replied,
"This child's spirit does not allow me to see beyond the veil."
A trace of genuine curiosity crossed her weathered features.
"Earlier, when I attempt to look further, everything becomes blurred."
Silence settled over the room.
Even the apprentices exchanged uncertain glances.
Elder Memu had guided the clans for decades. Very little had ever escaped her sight.
For something to obstruct her vision...
It was unsettling.
Hei Bao lowered his gaze toward Gou Feng.
Even in sleep, the young man's fingers had unconsciously curled around the fabric of Hei Bao's sleeve. As though seeking reassurance.
Memu noticed the gesture.
"His awakening will progress more smoothly if he remains close to you. And he will be safe."
She looked directly at Hei Bao.
"Have him stay under the same roof. Keep him by your side."
Cheung Qi blinked several times.
"...Wait."
Everyone turned toward him.
"You mean..." He pointed between the two of them.
"A-Feng should move in with A-Bao?"
Memu nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
Cheung Qi looked troubled.
"Wouldn't that be inappropriate? A-Feng isn't a child anymore."
Memu gave him an odd look.
"Why would it be inappropriate? A-Bao raised this child. It isn't as though they're going to share a bed."
Cheung Qi immediately let out a relieved breath.
"Thank heavens."
"...However," Memu added calmly,
"it would be more beneficial if they did."
Cheung Qi nearly dropped the teacup that one of the apprentices had just handed him.
"E-Elder!"
The apprentices carrying additional supplies stumbled in surprise. One nearly tripped over her own feet.
Memu merely blinked.
"What?"
Cheung Qi stared at her in disbelief.
"Please don't say things like that so casually!"
Hei Bao glanced at him, his expression unchanged.
"...If it's necessary, we'll manage."
He adjusted Gou Feng's position slightly, making sure the younger man remained comfortable against him.
"It's not as though we've never shared a bed before."
Cheung Qi looked horrified.
"...A-Bao, that was not the response I was expecting."
No one answered him.
At that moment, Gou Feng shifted weakly in Hei Bao's arms.
His lashes fluttered.
Hei Bao's gaze sharpened immediately, and his hand supporting Gou Feng tightened slightly.
"Please..."
The unconscious whisper barely rose above a breath.
"Wait..."
The room fell silent.
"Don't go..."
The broken plea echoed softly through the chamber.
Memu watched him quietly before lowering her gaze.
"Let him rest," she said gently.
"You still have time."
Her eyes briefly shifted toward Hei Bao.
"He has never rejected you. Take things slowly for now."
As though responding to her words, the tension in Gou Feng's face gradually eased.
The crease between his brows disappeared, and his breathing deepened.
Steadier.
The desperation lingering even in his sleep slowly faded away.
Cheung Qi couldn't help but stare in shock.
"What just happened?"
He looked between Elder Memu and Gou Feng.
"What did you do?"
Memu gently brushed a few damp strands of white hair away from Gou Feng's forehead.
"I simply quieted his thoughts."
Cheung Qi's eyes widened.
"Elder, can do such?"
He looked genuinely astonished.
"I thought seers only possessed foresight and divination."
Memu chuckled softly.
"A-Qi, even the heavens are full of surprises."
She looked at him kindly.
"So don't be too surprised."
Cheung Qi opened his mouth, only to close it again.
In the end, he decided not to question ancient women capable of calming nightmares with a few simple words.
Outside the chamber windows, moonlight filtered through the trees surrounding the ancestral grounds.
Inside, the bitter scent of Moonveil Dewroot drifted through the warm air.
Seated beside the sleeping Gou Feng, Hei Bao remained unusually still.
One arm supported the young man against his chest while the other secured the blanket around him.
As always, his expression revealed very little.
Yet Elder Memu's warnings lingered heavily in his thoughts.
Hei Bao lowered his eyes to the young man resting against him.
Gou Feng slept quietly now.
Peacefully, for the first time since arriving at the ancestral grounds.
After a long silence, Hei Bao reached up and carefully brushed the sweat away from Gou Feng's forehead.
His movements were subtle.
"How troublesome," he murmured under his breath.
This time, however, the words sounded less like a complaint and more like quiet affection.
He leaned slightly closer, his voice soft enough that only the sleeping young man could hear.
"Get well soon."
Gou Feng did not wake.
But perhaps sensing the familiar warmth surrounding him, he unconsciously shifted closer against Hei Bao's chest.
The fingers clutching Hei Bao's sleeve tightened ever so slightly.
Memu, seated a short distance away, observed the scene in silence. A gentle, knowing smile slowly appeared on her lips..