After Shen Yuan leaves his room the next morning, Luo Binghe goes to unwrap Xin Mo. It's sweet that Shen Yuan was bothered by it, and he can sympathize. Xin Mo's energy is hostile. Even Luo Binghe is sometimes startled by its animosity. But since it has been at Luo Binghe's side for so long, he has grown somewhat fond of it. He has spent a long time trying to understand it, one predator to another, and it is nearly impossible to understand something without caring for it. And besides that, it chose him, and though its moods are tempestuous, it has never forsaken him. Luo Binghe has few enough friends that such a thing is significant.

So he greets his sword and straps it to his waist to get used to the feel. He doesn't always bear Xin Mo like this—just as often he has it in a qiankun pouch—but he has missed having a sword by his side, so he indulges himself. Xin Mo is a heavy sword, but its mass is more than physical: it seems to draw in light from around it, the way a dip in the road collects rainwater. It is impossible not to be aware of its presence. It curls up in Luo Binghe's mind like a wild animal seeking warmth by the fire.

The next order of business is to see if its powers are intact. Luo Binghe does not intend to return to his world just yet, but he would like to confirm that the path is open to him. He draws the sword and attempts to slash a portal to his personal quarters in his palace. Xin Mo's power crackles to life in his hand, surging up to meet his will with violent enthusiasm—and then fizzles to empty sparks. Nothing.

A dull disappointment settles on him. But they have been trapped here without exit for months already—the situation has not changed. He is confident that he will return to his world someday. His adventures always turn out how he wants in the end, even if it takes a long time.

He tries cutting a portal from one end of the room to the other, and this time it works, a shining slash in the air—when he steps through it, he is facing where he stood a moment ago. He cuts a portal to the kitchen and that works as well, depositing him between the stove and the magic box. He tries the lounge where he and Shen Yuan first coupled, but Xin Mo seems to have trouble with that. Given how changeable the mansion is, it's possible that the lounge is no longer where it was, or has disappeared completely. Either way, the slash in the air shows somewhere on the grounds; rather than dismiss it, Luo Binghe steps through. He finds himself a little ways into the woods.