Jia Wei Xin didn't just sleep through the night.
She slept through the next day.
Liu Mo Fei tried to wake her several times—gently at first, then with increasingly creative methods that included whispering, tapping her cheek, waving grilled skewers under her nose, and finally… sighing dramatically.
Nothing worked.
She was completely out.
Her body had drained every drop of energy from the spiritual breakthrough. Her meridians were raw, still expanding. She hadn't eaten. She was mortal. This should've been dangerous.
And yet—she looked fine. Peaceful, even.
Just in case, Liu Mo Fei sat beside her all morning, feeding his spiritual energy into her slowly, steadily—making sure the qi that had flooded her system didn't turn chaotic. He'd have to scold her later for pushing too far. Or maybe scold himself. Maybe both.
By nightfall, the moon had risen high over their hut.
And Jia Wei Xin finally stirred.
She blinked, groggy. Her body felt light, warm, strong.
And starving.
She sat up in bed. "Food…" she mumbled, as if summoning it.
Then—CRACK.
The room shimmered. Space rippled like disturbed water. And then—he appeared.
She gasped. "Zhang Tian?!"
The demon prince stood at the foot of her bed, dressed in obsidian robes, his eyes glowing faintly silver in the moonlight. There was no mistaking that smug, devastatingly handsome face.
"I missed you," Zhang Tian said simply.
"I—what—how—?!"
Before she could finish panicking, he reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and with a flick of his sleeve—
They vanished.
___
They reappeared high above the city—on a secluded top floor of a luxurious restaurant that overlooked the mountain valleys below. Moonlight bathed the rooftop in silver, and stars sparkled overhead. A private pavilion sat near the edge, glowing with warm lantern light. Only the most elite cultivators were allowed here.
"Are you seriously—kidnapping me?!" Jia Wei Xin shouted, trying to get her bearings.
"I'm rescuing you from your cruel sifu," Zhang Tian replied with a grin. "Didn't he nearly train you to death yesterday?"
"Well—yes—but—" she paused. "Wait, how do you know that?!"
"I have my ways."
"...Have you been spying on me?"
Zhang Tian did not answer. Instead, he clapped his hands.
A dozen trays of food appeared. Sizzling meat, sweet lotus buns, spicy hotpot, golden dumplings, fruit wine—it was enough to feed an army. And right then, Jia Wei Xin didn't care about anything else.
Her stomach growled loudly.
Jia Wei Xin tore into a bun like it owed her money. She hadn't eaten for almost two days, and right now, Zhang Tian could've confessed to burning down a temple and she wouldn't have cared—as long as he kept feeding her.
"I hate you," she mumbled between bites. "But I'm also so grateful right now, so please shut up."
Zhang Tian chuckled and poured her wine.
—
Elsewhere, Liu Mo Fei sat cross-legged outside her hut, having just finished setting a new energy barrier.
He opened his eyes.
She was gone.
His brows furrowed. He hadn't sensed anything—no energy fluctuations, no warning signs. His barrier hadn't been broken… it had been disassembled.
Whoever took her wasn't just powerful. They were surgical.
He immediately activated the talisman he had placed secretly on her spiritual thread. A soft pulse glowed in his palm—tracking her qi signature.
His eyes narrowed.
Then he vanished.
___
Zhang Tian rested his chin on his palm, watching her with amusement. "You're really something," he murmured.
"Mm-hmm." She didn't even look up.
"You know… I came straight back when I heard about your breakthrough. I settled the entire sect's dispute in one day just so I could see you."
Jia Wei Xin paused, cheeks puffed, a glimmer of surprise in her eyes.
"You… what?"
Zhang Tian smiled. "You think I'd miss this moment? Your first big step as a cultivator? That meridian you broke last night? It was the first of many. And tonight—"
He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. "—I'll help you unlock the next."
Before she could respond, she felt it.
A sudden warmth trickled into her palm where he'd lightly touched her wrist. A steady current of demonic spiritual energy flowed into her body—not chaotic or forceful like she'd expected, but smooth, controlled. Deliciously warm, like the soup she was drinking.
"Wait… What are you—"
"Relax. Keep eating."
"I can't cultivate while—oh my heavens—what is that feeling?" Jia Wei Xin blinked. Her entire body tingled. Her qi was… dancing. Her veins felt like they were humming. Her heart beat with a strange new rhythm.
Zhang Tian looked smug. "Guided infusion technique. Very rare. Very advanced. Only elite-level cultivators can do it."
Jia Wei Xin squinted at him. "You're telling me I'm… breaking through? Right now? While chewing?"
Zhang Tian held up two fingers. "Level two, baby. In two nights."
"No way." She gasped. "Liu Mo Fei made me do sword drills until I saw stars. And you're telling me… this? This is real?"
Zhang Tian gave her the most exaggerated look of solemnity he could muster. "Do you know how much effort I had to exert for this? Do you know the level of control it takes to match your natural qi flow while you're inhaling buns like a spiritual vacuum?"
"You're the one who fed me!"
"And I'll remind you of that every day until you're properly grateful." He winked. "You should switch teachers. I offer food, elegance, and comfort. He offers trauma, dehydration, and bruises."
Jia Wei Xin narrowed her eyes. "You're enjoying this too much."
"Only because I like seeing you happy."
Her expression faltered just for a second. His voice was soft. Too soft. The kind that made her chest ache.
Zhang Tian reached over, gently brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I meant what I said. I missed you."
And just like that, she felt the warmth again—but this time, it wasn't spiritual energy.
He smiled—slow, confident, dangerous.
Too dangerous.
Just when she was about to say something—
___
BOOM.
The air snapped.
A wave of spiritual pressure burst through the rooftop pavilion like a thunderclap.
Liu Mo Fei appeared at the entrance, his cloak billowing, his eyes like ice.
Zhang Tian didn't even flinch. He glanced lazily at the door, then back at his wine.
"And here comes the storm," he muttered.
Liu Mo Fei's gaze swept the room—broken chairs, shattered plates, spiritual residue in the air.
And then he saw her.
Jia Wei Xin!!
Sitting next to Zhang Tian. Laughing. Eating.
Alive.
But clearly under someone else's influence.
He stepped forward, his robes settling with ominous stillness.
"Zhang Tian," he said, voice low and sharp.
Zhang Tian raised his cup. "Liu Mo Fei."
"You're touching my disciple."
Zhang Tian gave her a sideways glance. "She seems pretty comfortable to me."
"Take your hand off her," Liu Mo Fei said, a note of steel in his voice.
Zhang Tian blinked. "Why?"
"She's a cultivator under my care. You infused demonic energy into her while she was unconscious from training."
"She was conscious. And hungry."
"She just broke through a meridian. Her body hasn't stabilized yet. You could've crippled her cultivation path."
Zhang Tian tilted his head. "Or helped her skip three months of suffering. Which, I did."
"You don't know how her body handles energy flow."
"I knew. I studied her thread before I even touched her qi."
The air between them turned electric.
Jia Wei Xin looked back and forth, eyes wide.
"Okay, seriously, what is it with you two—"
"She's my disciple," Liu Mo Fei snapped.
Zhang Tian's smile turned wicked. "And she's my—"
"DON'T!" Jia Wei Xin yelled, cheeks puffed, voice muffled with crab bun. "Don't finish that sentence! Both of you, stop—"
Too late.
Their spiritual auras exploded as they launched at each other.
Sparks flew. Blades clashed. The entire rooftop shook under the force of their battle.
One side was pure, controlled swordsmanship. The other, chaotic but devastatingly powerful. The sky flickered as if caught between two storms.
A table flew. A bowl shattered. A dumpling died tragically in the crossfire.
"STOP WASTING MY DINNER!" Jia Wei Xin roared, finally slamming her chopsticks down.
Neither listened.
She jumped to her feet, grabbed a tray of still-warm buns—
Thunk. Thunk.
One hit Liu Mo Fei square in the jaw.
The other smacked Zhang Tian in the shoulder.
Both froze.
Jia Wei Xin stood between them, cheeks flushed, hair messy, fists clenched.
"You two can fight after I'm full, well-rested, and not kidnapped. Sit. Drink your damn wine. And stop posturing like overgrown spiritual chickens!"
Silence.
Then—Zhang Tian let out a snort. Liu Mo Fei's mouth twitched.
They both burst out laughing.
It was too ridiculous—two of the most powerful martial artists in the realm, halted mid-duel… by a level-two disciple. With buns.
"Can that even be considered a weapon?" Zhang Tian muttered, rubbing his shoulder.
"It is now," Liu Mo Fei said, massaging his jaw.
Honestly, the aim was terrifying. Jia Wei Xin didn't just throw buns—she launched them with the deadly precision of someone who once pitched fastballs as a state-level baseball champion.
But the most terrifying thing… was her gaze.
Sharp. Killing.The kind of look that even demons would flinch at—then flee.
A gaze that could freeze both a top martial master and a demon lord in place.
They turned obedient almost instantly—like oversized martial kittens.
They sat down. Awkwardly.
Fruit wine was poured.
They sipped.
Still glaring. Still spiritually bristling. But now with the quiet restraint of men who knew they were being watched.
Jia Wei Xin sighed as she saw them behaving. She looked at the remaining buns she hadn't thrown—then took a bite.
"Please talk like adults," she muttered. "And no more fighting. Especially when I'm not done with my food."
Zhang Tian and Liu Mo Fei exchanged a glance of silent understanding.
And from that moment on, neither of them would dare start a fight without first confirming Jia Wei Xin was well-fed.
…Though let's be honest—they'd definitely still fight. Every chance they got.
___
Zhang Tian broke the silence.
"I still can't believe you put another talisman on her. What are you, a jealous stalker?"
Liu Mo Fei's expression didn't change. "I call it responsible mentorship. You can call it whatever helps you sleep."
ZT scoffed. "She broke through again, by the way. That's two levels in two nights. And this time? She was eating. Maybe you should take notes instead of turning her into a human punching bag."
Jia Wei Xin gave an approving hum as she reached for dessert.
Liu Mo Fei didn't respond.
He simply reached into his sleeve and activated the second talisman.
A soft shimmer bloomed beneath Jia Wei Xin's feet.
"Wait. Wait—WAIT—"
Too late.
Her body lifted.
"I HAVEN'T FINISHED DESSERT!" she shrieked, grabbing a sweet roll on instinct as she vanished in a flash of light.
Silence returned to the rooftop.
Zhang Tian stood alone.
He looked at the empty seat beside him.
Then… he smiled.
"She took the sweet roll. That means something."
His fingers brushed the rim of his tea cup.
"She likes me."
He raised the cup to the stars.
And drank.