The journey of several days passed quietly amidst the mist.
The warhorse trotted slowly across the wasteland of the Seventh Ring of the Demon Realm.
Xue Yin sat in the front, with Jin right behind her.
Jin’s arms were wrapped around her waist.
Although he didn’t use much force, he completely enveloped her in his body heat.
After several days of Xue Yin’s restless magic channeling to stabilize him, Jin’s face was still as pale as paper, but his spirit had recovered.
However, Xue Yin’s body instinctively stiffened as an internal alarm went off.
It wasn’t because of danger, but because of the proximity.
It had been three years.
She had long since grown accustomed to this body—the silver hair, the pointed ears, the silhouette of a young girl, and the pink demonic rose mark branded on her lower abdomen.
Yet, in the depths of her soul, she was still the youth named Zhou Yao.
She could calmly calculate costs and slit an enemy’s throat without blinking, but she had never imagined that one day, she would be held so closely by a young man.
From behind, in the name of protection, they were pressed together naturally without a single gap between them.
Jin’s arms were solid and burning hot.
Even through the thin fabric of her clothes, he held her steadily, like a silent vow.
“Your body is weak. Sit steady and don’t fall off,” Xue Yin said, trying to act composed, though her voice was a bit tight.
She forcibly suppressed the inexplicable panic in her heart, telling herself to prioritize Jin’s injuries and that she must not show any shyness belonging to a “girl.”
Jin’s voice was barely audible, carrying a hint of a raspy smile.
“Yes, Master.”
That word “Master” was like a feather lightly scratching her heart.
Xue Yin bit her lower lip, her fingertips unconsciously digging into her palms.
She suddenly realized that she was actually enjoying this proximity.
‘Damn it, Zhou Yao, what the hell are you thinking?’
She spat at herself inwardly.
The male self deep within her soul was protesting wildly: ‘You were originally a man! How can you get used to being held in another man’s arms like this? And he’s your own disciple!’
But the body’s reaction was honest and cruel.
This girl’s shell was greedy for this warmth.
The heat coming from her back felt as if it would melt the layers of defense guarding her heart.
Every time Jin’s breath brushed against the back of her neck, the rational little figure named “Zhou Yao” in her mind would stumble back, while the instinct named “Xue Yin” would cheer.
This tearing sensation of the separation between soul and flesh caused her unprecedented panic and confusion.
She was afraid that she would eventually forget her former identity, afraid that she would sink into this soft skin and completely become a “woman” who needed to depend on others.
‘I can’t hide, nor can I let myself sink in.’
She held onto the last shred of clarity in the tug-of-war between her two consciousnesses, yet her body honestly did not pull away.
Within that burning body heat, she even felt a trace of long-lost, heartbreaking peace.
‘Perhaps this body doesn’t care who the soul is.
It’s just too cold, and after being lonely for so long, it just needs a little warmth.’
Up ahead, Laine and Ailia shared a horse.
Ailia’s state was exactly like Xue Yin’s, perhaps even more of an ordeal.
Laine deliberately slowed down to let her lean against him, yet he maintained a restrained distance, never truly touching her.
Even so, the heat radiating from his chest still scorched her skin through her thin nun’s habit.
‘Do not go near men; do not be moved by carnal desires.’
The precepts of the canon roared wildly in her mind, every word like a heavy hammer striking her nerves.
She was a nun serving the God, a faithful believer who kept her chastity.
How could she be so enveloped by a man’s aura?
That feeling of being cherished and protected eroded her line of faith like poison.
When the group passed through the final veil of mist, the horizon suddenly opened up.
The city walls of the Amber Corridor stood tall under the dark red sky.
“We’re here. The Seventh Ring, the Amber Corridor.”
Laine’s eyes were full of pride.
Xue Yin stood on the high cliff and looked down.
Below her, the vast territory operated like interlocking precision gears.
The sight shocked her.
To the north was the Furnace District.
Horned demon craftsmen smelted ore, and steam pipes coiled like giant pythons.
The produced gold ingots were engraved with the “Marces” emblem.
The workers were shirtless and drenched in sweat, but there were no slave brands on their bodies—only the luster of sweat flowing over bronze skin.
In the Central Settlement, the streets were clean and lined with shops.
A fox-eared girl was organizing shelves in a cloth shop, her tail as fluffy as a cloud.
A succubus leaned against the doorway of a pharmacy, her purple eyes smiling as she greeted customers.
There was no collar around her neck, only a decorative silver chain.
Human refugees and orc children chased each other in the square, their laughter crisp and free of any barriers.
In the Southern Farming District, rice and wheat grew stubbornly, rising in layers of golden waves.
A few small imps were carrying crops from the fields.
When they saw the heavy cavalry patrol passing by, they didn’t kneel in fear; they simply nodded as if common workers seeing a manager, then continued their work.
To the east was a cluster of watchtowers.
The heavy cavalry patrolled like a flow of iron, their gazes fixed only on external enemies.
The civilians within the borders looked relaxed, and not a single person wore shackles.
“He abolished slavery.”
Jin had dismounted at some point and managed to support himself enough to walk to the stone railing beside her.
His face was still pale, and his legs trembled slightly from weakness.
His figure looked somewhat swaying in the wind, but he still tried his best to stand straight, looking at the land with clear eyes.
“Every resident of the Seventh Ring’s Amber Corridor, regardless of race, has a household registration and wages. Succubi don’t have to sell smiles, fox-ears don’t have to wear collars, and even imps can earn a wage in the Furnace District. Human trafficking is strictly prohibited here, and slavery is not allowed.”
Xue Yin caught a glimpse of the cold sweat on his forehead and his trembling legs from the corner of her eye.
Her heart tightened, and she instinctively reached out to support his arm.
The warmth of her palm through his sleeve supported his floating body.
Xue Yin thought of the fox-eared girl in the cage at the Red Desert market and the “untamed” inscription on the succubus’s collar.
In this world that followed bloodlines and plunder, there was actually a corner of land that viewed all living beings as “people.”
“It’s worth admiring, and I wouldn’t even withhold praise,” she said softly, her hand still supporting Jin.
“So you didn’t reject his protection.”
Jin leaned against the stone railing, using her strength to stabilize himself.
His physical strength had clearly not recovered, and his breathing was a bit hurried, but he still managed to squeeze out a smile.
“Master is finally willing to believe in ‘goodwill’ for once.”
Xue Yin looked at him sideways, her silver hair falling over her shoulders.
“And you? Why do you believe him?”
“Because at the first sight of you on the battlefield, he recognized you were a High Elf, yet he said he was ‘not interested’ in you.”
Jin looked at Laine and Ailia in the distance, his dark red pupils reflecting the morning light.
“What he wants has never been power or bloodline—it’s the nun in his arms.”
He paused, and his voice suddenly softened, becoming extremely gentle.
“Just like how I stay by Master’s side. It has never been because of the Master-Disciple Pact.”
Xue Yin’s heart skipped a beat.
Suspecting her inner thoughts had been seen through, she asked timidly, “Then what is it for?”
“I like you, and you like the feeling this place gives off, right?” Jin looked directly at her, saying word for word, “Master, the great battle just ended. You should rest more. Don’t always think about calculating accounts, running for your life, or saving people—you get tired too.”
Xue Yin’s throat moved slightly, her fingertips digging deep into her palm.
Since she had crossed over into this world, this was the first time someone had told her: Your existence itself has value, not just because you are useful.
“Shut up. Next time you speak, don’t huff and puff so much.”
She turned her face away, the silver glow on the tips of her ears intensifying, but her voice lost its usual cold hardness.
“A mere disciple… who gave you permission to mind my business?”
Jin chuckled.
“I still have injuries on me; naturally, I need to catch my breath when I speak.”
He didn’t argue further, but simply stood a bit closer silently, letting her support him while he blocked the mountain wind for her.
—
As night fell, the Lord’s Manor was brightly lit.
At a long table, a simple dinner was underway.
As the host, Laine raised his glass to the three people opposite him.
His gaze swept over Xue Yin and Jin, finally resting on a somewhat cramped Ailia.
His voice was gentle yet firm.
“Welcome to the Amber Corridor,” Laine said slowly.
“Perhaps you are curious why this place is so different. Actually, the answer is simple—everyone sitting here, including the horned demons working outside the window, the imps farming, and the fox-ears and succubi doing business, we were all once people wandering everywhere. we were lonely souls abandoned by the world, misfits with nowhere to settle.”
He paused, a light flickering in his eyes.
“Until we came here. We stitched each other’s scars together and rebuilt broken trust. This is no longer the private property of some lord, but a common home for all wanderers. As long as you step onto this land, there are no longer slaves and masters, only family.”
Ailia’s eyes reddened.
Her hands tightly clutched the cross at her chest, her voice choked with emotion but sincere.
“Thank you for accepting us, Lord Laine. You have made me realize that beyond faith, there is also warmth.”
Xue Yin picked up her wine glass.
A trace of softness appeared on her usually stoic face.
“Thank you. This land does indeed make one feel at peace.”
At this time, Jin also stood up solemnly.
Although his movements were still a bit slow, he kept his back straight.
He first gave Laine a deep bow, his tone sincere.
“Lord Laine, thank you for being willing to take Master in. Without this place of refuge you provided, she would likely have to set out on a wandering path again. Being able to let her rest here is my greatest stroke of luck.”
After speaking, he turned to Xue Yin, a smile playing on his lips as he whispered, “And of course, thank you, Master, for leading me to find this home.”
—
Late at night, on the terrace of the Lord’s Manor tea house.
In the distance, Ailia held a cup of hot tea, watching Laine prune roses.
The petals were as red as blood and the stems had thorns, yet they were as obedient as silk in his fingers.
“Laine, today… the moon is truly beautiful,” she finally said softly.
Since it was night, both of them understood the hidden meaning behind those words.
Laine’s movements paused.
He then smiled tenderly, his eyes full of warmth, like a gardener who had waited a long time to finally see a flower bloom.
On a nearby terrace, Xue Yin leaned against a stone pillar, watching the scene.
Her fingertips unconsciously brushed over the demonic rose on her lower abdomen.
“What are you looking at, Master?” Jin’s voice sounded from behind her, carrying a hint of a smile.
“…Watching a nun fall in love,” she turned her face away.
“What does it have to do with you?”
“Of course it has to do with me.”
Jin approached, holding a bowl of steaming herbal soup.
His hands were still a bit unsteady, trembling slightly, but he guarded the rim of the bowl strictly, fearing he might spill a single drop.
“It’s time to take your medicine.”
He stopped beside her but didn’t hand it over immediately.
Instead, he leaned closer to the bowl himself, lightly blowing on it a few times to test the temperature.
After confirming it wasn’t too hot, he held it with both hands and offered it to her.
“The great battle overextended too much of your magic. If you don’t recuperate, I’m afraid next time it really will be my turn to carry Master on my back to escape.”
Xue Yin took the bowl.
At the moment their fingertips touched, both of them paused slightly.
That familiar, life-filled warmth spread from her fingertips to the depths of her heart, and Xue Yin’s heart skipped a beat.
She hurriedly lowered her head, using the motion of blowing on the soup to hide the heat rising in her face.
Her long eyelashes cast a trembling shadow under the light.
The steam rising from the bowl blurred her features, as well as her loss of composure and shyness.
“You should also have a good rest,” she said muffledly, hiding behind the mist so her emotions couldn’t be heard.
“Don’t always just look after me.”
Jin didn’t answer immediately.
He just quietly watched her drinking the medicine with her head lowered, watched her silver hair falling beside her cheeks, and watched her tense shoulders slowly relax in the warmth.
The smile in his eyes gradually settled into a deep indulgence and tenderness.
“I know,” he responded softly, his voice melting into the night wind.
“But Master, some things… you can just leave to me.”
Xue Yin’s movement while drinking the medicine froze slightly.
She didn’t look up, but the silver glow on her ear tips became even more obvious in the night.
The night wind grew stronger, and the lights of the Amber Corridor linked together into a warm sea in the distance.
On this wasteland, several lonely souls had finally found a temporary place of rest in this single corner of the world.