CHAPTER 642: YOU ARE PROTECTING HER NOW?

She lashed out with her other hand, but Xiang Yu caught that wrist too. He didn’t burn it. No, only the hand that had dared to touch his man would suffer. He wanted it scorched from her body.

Shuang Hua, trembling in agony, gasped, "Xiang Yu... why are you interfering?"

It was known across the realms, Xiang Yu never involved himself in demon politics. He had been mocked as a half-breed, scorned for his mixed bloodline after killing his own father to claim the northern throne.

In the past, many had challenged Xiang Yu’s authority, arrogant demons, ambitious demon heirs, even some of his own subjects. All were ruthlessly slaughtered. The demon realm quickly learned that beneath his handsome mortal face lay a cruelty far colder than his predecessor’s. He did not seek to expand his territory. He did not crave dominion. But if provoked, his wrath was absolute. As long as the other demon kings kept their distance and respected his borders, he remained a silent storm.

But Shuang Hua had miscalculated.

She never imagined Xiang Yu would cross into her territory, not to negotiate but to kill.

He was too far gone to listen. Her pleas fell on deaf ears. She had dared to touch what was his, and now she would pay the price.

Shuang Hua screamed, her voice cracking the air. Her subordinates tried to intervene, but a suppressive force crushed their will, pinning them in place. Only one figure moved freely and that was Han Xin.

He stepped forward, calm amidst the chaos, and placed a hand on Xiang Yu’s shoulder. Xiang Yu turned sharply, eyes blazing, ready to strike.

But then he met Han Xin’s gaze. It wsd steady, unyielding and familiar.

The fury in him trembled. He turned back to Shuang Hua, his grip still tight. Then Han Xin spoke, voice low but commanding. "Yu Yu... that’s enough."

Xiang Yu’s rage, already a tempest, twisted into something even darker. A violent storm that made the very air scream. His runes flared brighter, pulsing like veins of wrath, and the snow around him melted into steam. His voice, low and gritted, cracked through the chaos. "You are protecting her now?"

Han Xin’s fingers curled slightly on Xiang Yu’s shoulder, steady but gentle. "Because," he said quietly, "I don’t want you to dirty your hands."

The words struck deeper than any blade. Han Xin could careless about Shuang Hua’s death, he was more afraid of what it would cost. He knew the other realms watched Xiang Yu like wolves circling a lone prey. If Xiang Yu kept engaging his demon core in his current state, it will affect the divine seed.

Xiang Yu’s grip loosened. His soulless eyes flickered with a sliver of clarity, the storm behind them dimming just enough.

He turned to Shuang Hua, voice low and venomous. "If you even think of him again... I will burn your realm to the ground. Do you understand?"

Shuang Hua, trembling, nodded quickly. He released her with a rough shove, and she collapsed into the snow.

Xiang Yu rose and turned away. Han Xin reached out, hesitant, but Xiang Yu dodged the touch. Han Xin’s hand lingered in the air before curling awkwardly, his heart sinking.

He thought Xiang Yu was still angry with him. Xiang Yu pulled out a cleansing talisman, its edges glowing faintly. He stared at it, then muttered under his breath, "I am dirty."

Shuang Hua, bruised and trembling, was being helped to her feet by her subordinates when she heard this. She turned back her pride bleeding more than her body. Her glare cut through the air, sharp and incredulous, as if asking Xiang Yu, ’Are you freaking serious?’ But the moment her eyes met his, she froze in fear.

Xiang Yu misread her gaze, believing she was staring at Han Xin. His voice came low, calm, yet laced with menace. "You no longer need your eyes." He stepped forward, slow and deliberate.

Shuang Hua stumbled back, her composure shattering. She fell to the ground, scrambling in fear, her subordinates too terrified to intervene.

On other hand, Han Xin didn’t care if Xiang Yu was covered in blood, dirt, or frost. Even if he were cloaked in blood from head to toe, Han Xin would still reach for him. And he did.

He wrapped his arms around Xiang Yu’s waist from behind, pulling him into a quiet embrace. Xiang Yu’s body remained tense, his glare still locked on Shuang Hua, who was now fleeing like a hunted animal. Han Xin reached up, pinching Xiang Yu’s chin gently, forcing him to turn. Xiang Yu’s focus shifted.

He saw the redness on Han Xin’s jaw, frostbitten and bruised. His expression changed instantly. Concern overtook fury. He touched Han Xin’s jaw with trembling fingers, voice soft and urgent. "Does it hurt? Does anything hurt?"

He began checking him all over. He checked his neck, his shoulders, his wrists his touch frantic, searching for wounds.

Xiang Yu began to panic even more. He had braced himself for the truth, had told himself again and again that Han Xin no longer possessed divine power. But seeing it, feeling the complete absence of celestial energy, was something else entirely. It was like staring into a void where light should have been. Han Xin was fully mortal, fragile, breakable. And if Xiang Yu had arrived even moments later, Han Xin might have died.

His breath hitched, his voice brittle. "Ho-how could he do this to you?" he whispered, eyes burning. "You are his son..."

Han Xin felt the storm rising in Xiang Yu’s chest, emotions surging and erratic, threatening to consume him. It broke Han Xin’s heart to hear him like this, so raw, so afraid.

He reached up, cupping Xiang Yu’s face gently, forcing him to meet his gaze. "Yu Yu," he said softly, "I am okay."

But it didn’t soothe him. Xiang Yu’s eyes remained wild and his emotions erratic.

So Han Xin leaned in and kissed him.

Xiang Yu froze, startled. Then he melted into it, his grip tightening, his lips taking control. The kiss was fierce, grounding, desperate.

Around them, the demons fled, following their shattered queen into the wind. The breeze stirred, lifting their robes and hair in a dance of silk and frost. And in the eye of the storm, the lovers held each other with no care in the world.