The night before, after leaving Yue Lan, Hye Won had more questions. She wanted to understand the women connected to him, and though Han Chen avoided referencing his immortal past, he still had to explain some things. He told her that staying a virgin over millions of years wasn't something he could claim, but in this life, she was his first—and no one else held the place she did.
Hye Won, sharp for such matters, had already asked if he was orchestrating some kind of emotional game to make Yue Lan fall in love with him again. Han Chen only gave her a simple answer: "She's within my reach now, and I can't leave her in an uncertain state. Maybe she finding her own way through this… is how I'll eliminate my heart demon. May be such relation would be the end result..but not for anytime soon." He had to go through intricacies of how relationships work in the long run like in multiple mortal lifespans.
The next day, Han Chen left to visit his parents. He had planned to resume his body cultivation soon, but the pace of recent events—and the growing emotional ties with Hye Won—had slowed him down more than he expected. He decided to start fresh after this trip, setting aside time for seclusion so he could refocus and move forward without distractions.
The high-speed train cut through the countryside, blurring past golden fields and clusters of small villages. Hye Won was asleep beside him, head on his shoulder, breathing evenly. To anyone watching, they probably looked like a couple heading home for the weekend—just two ordinary passengers among hundreds.
But the illusion of normalcy was paper-thin.
Han Chen's phone buzzed softly in his pocket—another intrusion attempt. Fourth this month. His system responded instantly, pushing back and dismantling the threat. He didn't bother tracing the source anymore. No time for curiosity. His money, and his father's reach, had bought him some of the strongest digital defenses possible—layers of encryption, firewalls and hardware hardened against full-scale brute-force attacks.
He nudged Hye Won awake. Her eyes fluttered open as the train neared the station."We're here," he said. She stretched with an easy grace. "Already?"
They stepped off the train, blending into the crowd as best they could, though "low profile" was a lost cause. Kids pointed at them, whispering to their parents—"Mom, look! Models." It couldn't be helped. Martial cultivation had given both of them an edge—taller, sharper, more striking than anyone around them. Han Chen quietly manipulated the crowd with a nudge of spirit will, and they drifted apart from the main flow.
The city was familiar, but not unchanged. New buildings, resurfaced roads, fresh layers of development. It had been three plus years since high school. A reunion message had even popped up recently, some nostalgic get-together organized by a few overly enthusiastic former classmates. His parents' house still looked the same: big, clean, in an affluent neighborhood. But Han Chen's eyes flicked to the street even before they reached the door.
Observers. One group loitered casually—probably private protection arranged by the company. Another pair sat in a car across the street, pretending not to watch. Probably plainclothes cops. They had been shadowed the moment they got close.
Security around the family had tightened lately. Supernatural rumors were starting to link together, and people were beginning to ask the wrong questions.
His mother greeted them at the door, warm smile in place, but her exhaustion showed.
The whole investigation ordeal had dragged on too long. Even the victims had been treated like suspects until legal pressure finally forced the investigators to back off.
"Come in, come in," she said, ushering them inside. Her gaze landed on Hye Won, lighting up. "Ah, so this is the girl. Just as lovely as I imagined."
"Thank you for having me," Hye Won said with a polite nod.
"Nonsense," his mother replied. "If my son chose you, that's all that matters."
She'd taken time off just to receive them. His father, she explained, was still at the Chen Group HQ, busy overseeing their push into the electric vehicle market. Business was booming—but success demanded constant attention.
Once they were settled in the living room, her voice dropped.
"The Han Family patriarch is gone. Just… vanished. So is his son. And one of your elders. No one knows where. People are whispering about connections to the cult. Disappearances."Han Chen sipped his tea, feigning disinterest. "Really."She nodded. "The investigators are still digging. Asking about everything—what I ate last week to what color underwear your father had on that day, and of course… you."
His fingers twitched around the cup hearing those, reminding him about Li Mei. Hye Won smiled.
"Father might have let slip that you were already talented in martial arts. I asked him and he said that he was helpless as they were pressing him for any confession eager to connect dots relating to that incident, so he truthfully masked what you told us three years ago but revealed about how you shown your dark jin level to Han family just to appease them" She sighed, rubbing her temple. "They might take an interest in you now. Be careful."
Han Chen exhaled through his nose. Of course.
Once his mother left to check on kitchen, Hye Won leaned in, her voice a whisper. "So? What's the plan?" He met her gaze. "We play along. They want a martial talent? I will show Dark Jin peak who knows nothing. Considering my rate of improvement I should show that improvement..."
Hye Won's lips curled. "Think they'll buy it? what if they suspected mine too?"
"Well I fooled them once,.... even if you are tested, I will temporarily take control. Aura masking technique is activated all time."
The evening stretched on, the warm glow of the dining room lights casting long shadows across the table as they talked. Plates of home-cooked dishes—braised pork belly, steamed fish, stir-fried greens—slowly emptied as conversation meandered from the mundane to the meaningful. Hye Won spoke of her mother's recovery, how she had finally regained enough strength to return to work, though she still moved carefully. Han Chen's mother listened intently, her expression softening.
"You've been through so much," she murmured, reaching across the table to squeeze Hye Won's hand. "But you're strong. Stronger than you know."
Then, with the abruptness of a mother who had waited just long enough to broach the subject, she turned the conversation toward other matters.
"Now, Hye Won," she said, her tone shifting into something both gentle and firm, "I don't know how much your mother has talked to you about… certain things. But you're both young, and—"
Han Chen knew where is this going. "Mom."
She waved him off. "Oh, don't act like it's some taboo. This is important."
Hye Won, to her credit, didn't flush or stammer. She just leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm, and grinned. "Please. Go on, Auntie."
" Oh, you still calling me auntie...." She went on.
And so, under the amused gaze of his girlfriend and his own quiet resignation, Han Chen sat through a detailed lecture on safe sex, contraception, and the importance of "respecting each other's boundaries and limits"—all delivered with the gravitas of a military briefing, possibly the first for any ex-immortal in history.
He didn't say a word. Just sat there, listening, no change in expression. Hye Won nodded solemnly. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of him."
His mother looked relieved. Who's taking care of who? He rolled his eyes.
***
It was late when Han Chen's father finally returned, the sound of the front door opening cutting through the quiet of the house. His footsteps were heavy, his voice a low grumble of curses as he kicked off his shoes.
"Goddamn vultures, still outside" he muttered, shrugging off his suit jacket. "Acting like we're the ones on trial."
He paused when he saw Han Chen and Hye Won still at the table, his irritation softening into something weary but fond. "You're still up."
Han Chen's mother stood, fetching a reheated plate of food for him. "We waited for you, and we have a guest" She introduced Hye Won.
His father exhaled, sinking into his chair with the weight of a man who had spent too many hours fighting battles on multiple fronts. For a moment, he just ate in silence, the exhaustion evident in the lines of his face. Then, without looking up, he spoke.
"Han Chen."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
The words were quiet. Han Chen stilled. His father finally met his gaze. "For whatever you did. The litigation team handled the official case, but…" He trailed off, his jaw working as if chewing on the right way to phrase it. "You informing a legal premeditation to move earlier really helped. The way the investigators suddenly backed off and the way the Han family's lawyers folded against accusing any revenge actions etc.." His eyes narrowed slightly. "You had a hand in it, didn't you?"
Han Chen held his stare. "I might have nudged a few things in the right direction." His father snorted. " 'Nudged.' Right." But he didn't press further. Hye Won smirked into her cup. His mother, however, wasn't so easily deterred. She folded her arms, her gaze sharp.
"Han Chen. Be honest with us. That evening when we were in accident, did you… intervene?"
The air in the room thickened with curious gazes. But it didn't faze Han Chen who sipped his tea, buying himself a second. Then, with the practiced ease of someone who had spent lifetimes hiding the truth, he shrugged. "Would you believe me if I said yes? I am studying in another province, I only came back once or twice and apart from calling you every month I don't know what happens here... Just because I revealed to you I was master level three years ago doesn't mean you can dump every supernatural event onto my head. It was another unexplainable miracle of fate, that's all I say."
His mother's lips pressed into a thin line. His father just sighed, shaking his head. "How's your progress in martial arts? after-all three years have passed."
"Its as you guess." They were stunned for a moment and became more sure that he had some hand in their rescue. "Fine. Keep your secrets." His father stabbed a piece of pork with more force than necessary. "Just know that whatever fate did, it saved us, at least we would be badly wounded if otherwise even with our strength... hey but where is that damn truck? vaporizing mid air? It created all those problems."
Han Chen nodded once agreeing with it. Hye Won raised her cup. "To family," After a beat, his father chuckled, clinking his glass against hers.
Han Chen finally allowed a smile. And just like that, the moment passed. Discussions went against deciding not to attend the Han Family now as his grandfather just returned and stabilized the situation and people don't know the missing Hans were dead or alive.
Next day however wasn't so peaceful in the beginning.