For the first half of his life, Xiao Yu’an lived under constraints, yet he never considered himself pitiful. He had a master who doted on him, a brother he had regained, and a junior brother who, though ill-tempered, at least never harmed him. Until one day, his master abandoned him, his brother planted a gu in his body, and his junior brother sneered, demanding to know why he was still alive… Even so, Xiao Yu’an never lost hope in the world—because he met a young swordsman. Cold as moonlight, noble as rare jade, every gesture of the young swordsman exuded grace befitting a renowned sect. Xiao Yu’an thought they could be friends. Later, the young swordsman demanded he offer his blood to save another’s life. Xiao Yu’an didn’t want to die. He wanted to live—freely. **Before You Dive In:** - *The cover features the bottom. The top is Gu Louyin. Only the top succeeds in the crematorium arc. From beginning to end, the top and bottom have eyes only for each other, though the bottom has intimate moments with cannon-fodder tops.* **Not suitable for pure romance purists.** - *The synopsis is the content warning. Each form of toxicity is spelled out. Not a sweet story, not a straightforward power fantasy—expect old-school melodrama and dogblood twists. Proceed at your own discretion.*