After washing up, Yan Shouyi slipped into bed.
He rubbed his hands warm, then gently massaged Lin Zitong's lower back.
Lin Zitong was nine months pregnant with twins, her belly swollen, which often caused her back pain, a common ailment for pregnant women.
As Yan Shouyi massaged, he infused a bit of True Dragon Purple Qi, both to alleviate Lin Zitong's soreness and to strengthen the physiques of the unborn twins.
Though the brother and sister had yet to be born, they were destined for greatness. However, Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong had no grand expectations for their children. Having experienced hardship themselves, the couple simply wished to protect their children and allow them to grow up carefree.
"Alright, you're tired too. Get some rest early," Lin Zitong said, grabbing Yan Shouyi's hand to stop him from massaging further.
She turned over, gazing closely at Yan Shouyi's face. Then, remembering the morning when she had helped him dress, her expression turned to one of concern.
"Have Old Jin seen your eyes? Is there any way to restore them?" Lin Zitong asked.
Yan Shouyi shook his head. "Old Jin has seen them. This injury was caused by the Wutong wood, and this eye was completely gouged out. There's no possibility of it healing."
"Are you going to be blind forever? How heartbroken your mother must be!"
Jiang Qingxue had indeed been saddened by this for a long time and still hadn't fully accepted it.
"Speaking of which..."
Yan Shouyi reached out from under the covers and took out the Black Sarira from his satchel.
"This is the Black Sarira. It formed after Master Miaohui's death at Mount Emei. It's said to be able to replace my eye, but it will also absorb my evil thoughts and become a heart demon."
Lin Zitong thought for a moment, then asked doubtfully, "But you don't have any heart demons now, and your evil thoughts have dissipated. Wouldn't the Black Sarira have no effect on you?"
"Uh...?"
Yan Shouyi blinked. It seemed that was indeed the case!
A heart demon was like a seed that grew by absorbing evil thoughts. Now, Yan Shouyi had no heart demon within him, and his evil thoughts had been taken away along with it.
Even if he used the Black Sarira, it wouldn't have any effect!
"Let me try!"
Yan Shouyi didn't want to remain blind, so he eagerly inserted the Black Sarira into the empty eye socket.
After the Black Sarira was placed in his eye socket, Yan Shouyi closed his eyes and felt it.
He could sense the Black Sarira taking root and sprouting within his eye socket, connecting to his nerves. He tried to move his eyeball, and the Black Sarira followed.
Opening his eyes, he was astonished to find that his vision had been completely restored!
From Lin Zitong's perspective, when Yan Shouyi opened his eyes, one eye was normal, while the other was pitch black, which was a bit frightening.
Fortunately, the Black Sarira seemed to have an adaptive ability. The blackness soon receded, and it took on the appearance of a normal eye.
Even upon close inspection, the difference was indistinguishable; one couldn't tell the real eye from the fake.
"How do you feel?" Lin Zitong asked nervously.
"Not only did the Black Sarira find no evil thoughts within me, but it's also been suppressed by the malevolent energy and True Dragon Purple Qi," Yan Shouyi said with a smile. "I should have used the Black Sarira sooner. I suffered being a one-eyed man for nothing!"
Lin Zitong playfully hit Yan Shouyi. "One-eyed man is such an ugly nickname."
"My vision is completely restored... Hmm, wait, the Black Sarira seems to have other abilities."
Yan Shouyi gazed at Lin Zitong. Lin Zitong also felt his gaze was peculiar, as if it could penetrate people's bodies and see their essence.
After holding her breath for ten seconds, Lin Zitong finally couldn't help but ask, "Does it have any special abilities?"
"It seems the Black Sarira can discern the seven emotions and six desires in people's hearts," Yan Shouyi said uncertainly.
"Then what did you see in me?"
Yan Shouyi shook his head. "Only love."
"Hmph, naturally!" Lin Zitong pouted. "Anything else?"
"Does beauty count?"
"You're so naughty~"
Yan Shouyi chuckled and explained, "Your nature is pure. I can't see anything else in you yet. I'll find someone else to test it on later... but I think Little Long must be full of lust."
"Maybe ninety percent lust, ten percent loyalty," Lin Zitong teased.
Yan Shouyi touched his artificial eye, and a question suddenly popped into his mind.
"You little rascal, the State Preceptor is also a Heavenly Corpse Puppet. How do you think he managed to be unaffected by the Wutong wood?" Yan Shouyi frowned. "I've asked Luo Ning and other corpse handlers, but no one could answer. They even thought it was impossible."
Lin Zitong pondered for a moment and replied, "Logically, there's no such thing as a perfect body in this world. If the State Preceptor truly had no flaws, he wouldn't need to fear anyone... So, I think he's lying."
"Lying?"
"Yes, he definitely isn't unaffected by the Wutong wood. He must have deceived everyone and used some method to hide his weakness."
"But the Wutong wood genuinely couldn't harm the State Preceptor."
Lin Zitong pursed her lips and thought again, then scratched her head in frustration. "Ah, they say pregnancy makes you foolish for three years. My brain hurts so much right now, I don't want to think anymore!"
Yan Shouyi: "..."
He quickly coaxed her. "Alright, alright, we won't discuss this."
Lin Zitong was much smarter than Yan Shouyi, so he often discussed problems with her. Perhaps it was due to her pregnancy, but this was the first time Lin Zitong had been "too lazy to think."
"Hmph... Speaking of which, are you leaving tomorrow?" Lin Zitong's face fell with reluctance, and she snuggled into Yan Shouyi's embrace.
Yan Shouyi sighed, hugged her tightly, and stroked her hair.
"The folk sects have united. I still need Yu Lumin's firm support and have to persuade them to fight the State Preceptor with us. Most importantly, you're about to give birth. I have to bring my elder brother back, right?"
"Who are you planning to take with you?"
"Luo Ning and Yuan Jianxin," Yan Shouyi explained. "I discussed it with Ah Gong this afternoon. He's taking the Zhuge siblings, Tian Juer, and Ye Tianyuan to Siam to retrieve the Demon Subduing Pestle."
The State Preceptor was a formidable enemy, and the heart demon suppressed beneath the Maha Pagoda was a hidden danger. While dealing with the State Preceptor, Yan Shouyi had not forgotten to resolve the latent threat.
"I feel like it's been a long time since I left Rongcheng," Lin Zitong said dejectedly.
Her dream was to stay by Yan Shouyi's side at all times. However, after becoming pregnant, she could no longer accompany him on his adventures.
Yan Shouyi gently tickled Lin Zitong's little nose.
"You little rascal, you're fighting in another way! Being a mother isn't easy. Protect the children and ensure they are born safely. You are the greatest hero in my heart!"