Back in the courtyard, the situation felt tense. Leng Jin Yu looked up to the sky, listening to the sounds of battle. He couldn’t help but feel useless. As Chun Yin, he never would have sat an attack like this out. But now, he had to stay here because he might not be able to win in a fight against the demons.

Jinde looked at him, his expression torn. He knew how Leng Jin Yu felt. With Chun Yin’s memories having become a part of him, there was no way he wouldn’t loathe not being able to be a part of this. And even as just Leng Jin Yu, he likely would have loved to use the opportunity to try his ability in an actual fight and gain experience. He was just that type of person.

He glanced at the shell with their child and then sighed. “You should go.”

Leng Jin Yu turned back to face him, his eyes widening faintly. “What?”

“You should go out and give it a try as well. I’ve never wanted you to fight Jin Ling because you were unprepared and he is strong. But you’ve been training incessantly all these days and not everyone in the demon realm can compare to Jin Ling. So … you should go and try your hand at fighting them. It’ll give you the insight you’re craving.”

Leng Jin Yu hesitated. Of course, he really would have loved to do this but … “This isn’t some small skirmish. It’s a full-on battle. If I go, I might not be able to come back.”

Jinde reached out and cupped his cheeks. “That is why you have to be smart about it. Don’t rush into the thick of it. Stay at the fringes of the battlefield, support some of the dragons over there first, then take on some by yourself. If you can’t stand it any longer, you return here at once.”

Leng Jin Yu still hesitated. If it had just been him, he naturally would have done it. But Jinde had spent half his life waiting for him and they had a child on the way. How could he leave now and put his own life in danger, risking making Jinde a widower and their child half an orphan before they were even born?

Jinde shook his head. “Don’t think so much.”

“I don’t know if the risk is worth it.” If he wanted to fight demons, there were likely other options. Just look at that Ye Yang! With how intent he was on impressing Adviser An Bai, he could probably talk him into practicing with him. There was no need to put himself into that situation.

Jinde sighed and let go of his husband, turning to Xiang Yu instead. He put his hands on his shoulders, giving him a serious look. “Xiang Yu, can you do me a favor?”

Xiang Yu nodded without hesitation.

“Alright. Then please stay here and make sure that nobody harms our child. I will go and accompany Leng Jin Yu to make sure that he’s safer out there. If somebody dares to make trouble here …” He hesitated. “Well, you know Jin Ling. If it’s him, just put him out of commission for a while but don’t harm him too much. If it’s anybody else from their side, you don’t have to hold back.”

Xiang Yu nodded. “I’ll do that!”

“Thank you.” Jinde smiled and let go of him. “Then we’ll go and help Qiu Ling decimate some of those fools.” He took out a veiled hat and made sure to secure it tightly before patting Xiang Yu’s head and turning to his husband. “Let’s go.”

Leng Jin Yu still wasn’t sure what to make of this but he still gave a hum. Anyway, if they died, they’d die together. Since their souls were already bound, they had made sure of that. Then in the next life, they would be reborn together as well. It wouldn’t be the worst outcome. Surely, since fate was on their side, allowing them to meet twice despite his reincarnation, they could meet once more in another life.

The two of them left but Jinde still turned to Jing Yi. “I’ll keep an eye on Qiu Ling as well while I am out there so don’t worry. You’ll get him back in one piece.”

Jing Yi nodded and watched the two of them leave. He couldn’t help but sigh when Leng Jin Yu closed the door behind them and then turned to look at the sky as well. Going out there together with the one you loved … it was the ultimate proof of your feelings, wasn’t it? Leng Jin Yu was willing to stay for Jinde while Jinde was willing to put himself in the same danger for his husband.

On the other hand, he and Qiu Ling … they could never be like that because he simply wasn’t strong enough. But then, not even Jing He would have been able to follow him onto the battlefield, wouldn’t he? After all, he had been raised not to take part in any fights from what he knew because he was so precious to his people and his family in particular.

Well, in this one case, it didn’t reassure him that Jing He wasn’t any better than him. What was there to take pleasure in when his lover … no, his husband was out there, fighting alone because he couldn’t support him? In fact, he could only stand here and wait for news. That time of waiting was the most vexing.

He pursed his lips and finally turned to Xiang Yu who was staring at the shell with almost gleaming eyes. “Hey … I think I’ll also go to take a look. I might not be able to fight the battle with them but maybe I’ll be able to find a place where I can see well from. That way, I’ll at least know how Qiu Ling is doing.”

Xiang Yu merely gave a hum and a short nod before focusing his whole attention on the shell and their surroundings again. He couldn’t let anybody hurt this child. He had promised. So naturally, he couldn’t leave it out of his sight.

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