Another shocking revelation.

Just as you feel your spine about to snap, an invisible **** yanks you from the disciples’ grasp and sets you roughly on your feet.

Across the room, Song Baiyun, now composed, clears her throat, and a ripple of order spreads.

“My, I haven’t laughed like that in ages,” she says with a lingering smile. “No wonder my youngest is so taken with you, Son-in-law.”

“Son-in-law?!” you say.

“Isn’t that what you are? You’re Meiyu’s husband, aren’t you? As a master, my role is greater than that of a birth parent, for I am the one who guides her toward a new life in the Dao. So, that makes you my son-in-law, doesn’t it?”

You hesitate, recalling the strange way you were brought into the sect. You can’t deny it.

“...Yes, I am, Venerable Immortal.”

“Master,” she corrects. “Call me Master, Son-in-law.”

“Of course… Master.”

She nods once, satisfied, then her gaze sharpens. “Now that you understand your wife’s constitution, we need to discuss her transformation—how her body will change and how it will affect her mind.”

“Her mind?”

“You’ve noticed it, haven’t you? Her growing affection, her boldness, her hunger for your touch. This is just the beginning.”

Your heart pounds. The beginning?

The memory of last night claws its way to the forefront—the twins’ fevered eyes, the hunger radiating from Song Baiyun’s crimson gaze.

The beast.

You look up sharply.

“Last night, you saw something shameful,” Song Baiyun says. “But it’s not an isolated event. The Yin and Yang within us—within every Red Bamboo disciple—does more than shape our bodies. It warps our minds. It stirs a hunger that eclipses reason. At night, when the Yin surges, the clash of Yin and Yang within us is like stars colliding. The result is inevitable: an unbearable need for consummation.”

A cold weight settles in your stomach.

“This is why the Red Bamboo Sect is dangerous after dark. Meiyu comes to your side not just for comfort, but to protect you. If things go wrong, she can at least flee with you.”

You glance at Meiyu, who smiles sheepishly, like a child caught with sweets.

All this time, she’s been protecting you while you slept?

“But know this: As Meiyu cultivates, she won’t be immune to this madness. Her hunger will only grow—relentless, demanding.”

Your mind flashes to the twins’ animalistic cries.

“As her husband, will you have the strength to endure it? Can you withstand her cravings when she comes for you—a mere mortal?”

“Master, what exactly are you suggesting?!”

Master Song gestures to the disciples. “Do you truly think these women could unleash their hunger on just anyone? On villagers? Wandering strangers? Do you think I can?”

Her lips twist into a bitter smile. “No, we have only each other. Among ourselves, we endure. We survive the worst of the craving.”

Your throat dries. “And Meiyu?”

“Meiyu chose you,” she says softly. “She clings to you, hoping in you—a thread tying her to sanity, to restraint. But even the strongest thread can fray. Will you be strong enough to hold her when that happens? When the beast inside her awakens fully?”

Your mouth opens, but no sound comes out.

“Remember,” she continues, “what you saw last night was just a glimpse. Not the true storm.”

You turn to Meiyu. She looks away, shame flickering across her face.

“Master Song,” you rasp, “what happens if I can’t... satisfy her?”

At that, Song Baiyun smiles again—slow and sorrowful.

“That is the question you must answer as her husband. You have two choices: let her join the others under cover of night, where her hunger can be spent among those who understand it... or try to bear it yourself. Stand before the raging river with nothing but your mortal flesh. But know this—if Meiyu ever loses control... if her hunger overwhelms her... there will be no one who can save you.”

The words settle like a **** knell.

You turn to Meiyu. Her face is just as you remember: sweet, bright, full of hope.

But her body...

Even standing still, you sense it—the slow, mounting pressure beneath her skin. Something vast and wild straining against a fragile cage.

She is changing. Perhaps faster than you can keep up.

But the thought of her being with others...

“Perhaps,” Master Song says, slicing through the heavy silence, “you need a clearer demonstration.”

With a clap of her hands, Lu Qingyi steps forward.

Slowly, she begins to undress, revealing something that threatens to rob you of your sanity.