Shu Han dragged the middle-age man from the Yaoshi Institute all the way to the Xiajing Academy’s library. Despite his formidable status, when it came to his younger sister, he was utterly helpless, unable to refuse her requests.
Along the way, they encountered numerous students and teachers, many of whom greeted Shu Xiuzhu with respect.
"Master Shu, what brings you here today?"
"Have you been working on new potions lately?"
"It’s rare to see you in the academy."
Shu Han’s older brother, Shu Xiuzhu, was the second-ranked Concocter at the Yaoshi Institute and a level 75 genius in potion-making, he had earned a considerable reputation. His skill in concocting was unrivaled, and the Fatigue Potions Lin Moyu had used before were all made by him—potions reserved strictly for military use, unavailable to the general public.
But among his many achievements, one thing stood out to those who knew him best: his unwavering devotion to his younger sister, Shu Han. His doting behavior had earned him the label of a siscon [1].
When they reached the library, Shu Han led him to a window where they could see Lin Moyu, deeply absorbed in reading. The moment Shu Xiuzhu laid eyes on him, his expression shifted, and his brow furrowed.
“This young man... such intense murderous aura.” Shu Xiuzhu said in a grave tone.
Shu Han, puzzled, asked, “So it's because of his murderous aura? Could it be from doing too many dungeon runs?”
Shu Xiuzhu chuckled lightly, shaking his head, “Silly girl, have you ever heard of someone accumulating murderous aura just from dungeon runs?”
She paused, thinking it over. It was true—countless people raided dungeons daily in the Dungeon Hall, but none of them ever exuded the kind of dark, oppressive aura that Lin Moyu did.
Shu Xiuzhu’s expression grew more serious as he continued, “No, this is different. He must have killed a great number of Demons or Dragonkind. It’s astonishing... he’s only level 39, and yet he’s taken so many lives. If he doesn’t get this murderous aura under control, it will undoubtedly affect his future growth.”
Shu Han’s concern deepened, “Brother, do you have a way to help him with it?”
Shu Xiuzhu could see that Shu Han was genuinely worried about this young student, and his tone softened, “To get murderous aura under control, it’s something that primarily depends on the person themself. External aids can only do so much. However, I do have some Tranquil Potions. They won’t solve the problem, but they can temporarily help calm his mind. It’s just a stopgap.”
As he spoke, Shu Xiuzhu pulled out a small box containing 20 bottles of potion.
Shu Han’s face lit up, “Thank you, Brother.”
Shu Xiuzhu chuckled and gently patted her head, “Alright, I’ll leave now. I don’t want to intrude on your time together.”
Lin Moyu recounted the events without delving into his inner turmoil; otherwise, the murderous aura would flare up again. The Tranquil Potion made him realize just how serious the problem was. It felt like a daunting trial—one that, if not conquered, would lead to greater issues down the road.
Forced suppression wouldn't work. The murderous aura had to be processed and absorbed until it no longer clouded his mind. The real challenge was figuring out how to digest and integrate it. But how exactly to do that, Lin Moyu had no idea.
This was the most Lin Moyu had spoken in a while, though it didn’t offer much in terms of a solution to his problem. Still, he felt grateful to Shu Han. At the very least, the Tranquil Potions weren’t an ordinary remedy. Like the rare Fatigue Potions he had received before, they were exceptionally rare and valuable.
“Here, take this.” Lin Moyu handed Shu Han an Earth Crystal and a Light Crystal.
Shu Han accepted them without hesitation, smiling, “I’ve made a profit.”
Lin Moyu simply nodded, saying no more. He had already spoken enough. After bidding Shu Han farewell, he turned and entered the Skill Grinding Center.
At level 39, he could command 19 undead legions, but staffing them fully required time. Inside the Skill Grinding Center, Lin Moyu summoned skeletons one by one, meditated to recover his spirit, then repeated the process. Thanks to the Tranquil Potion, he could maintain a normal rhythm. But when the effects wore off, meditation became impossible—bloody memories flooded his mind, making it hard to focus. With no other choice, he continued to rely on the potion, each bottle lasting only 12 hours.
Shu Han was right: it was just a temporary fix.
As he continued grinding, Lin Moyu also searched for a permanent solution, but nothing came to mind. Two days later, the 19 undead legions were fully staffed—a total of 7,410 skeletons. It was his limit before the second class awakening.
He looked forward to that moment—hoping for class sublimation and the awakening of a new talent, wondering how his skills would evolve. It was all a mystery, filled with uncertainty and anticipation.
Stepping out of the Skill Grinding Center, he was greeted by the sight of falling snow. Winter had arrived. Snowflakes drifted gently to the ground, blanketing everything in pure white and bringing a slight chill to the air.
“It’s snowing.” Lin Moyu murmured, watching the earth covered in a pure white layer, as if all the dirt had vanished. The beauty of the scene suddenly reminded him of Demons.
"If all the Demons were dead, would the world be cleaner?" The thought triggered a surge of murderous aura.
Realizing something was wrong, Lin Moyu quickly took another bottle of Tranquil Potion. The murderous aura faded, but he knew things were becoming more troublesome. He took a deep breath, unsettled.
Suddenly, his communicator rang.
“Come over.” It was a message from Bai Yiyuan. Without hesitation, Lin Moyu teleported away.
[1] - siscon