By the time Fu Jinyue returned to the bamboo courtyard, darkness had already begun to fall.
Lu Liuru was squatting quietly near the courtyard wall, huddled together with Sinian and Siyan. The one human and two demons were whispering in hushed tones, but they stood up the moment they spotted her.
The female cultivator seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “It is good that you are back; I was on the verge of heading down the mountain to search for you.”
Sinian wore a look of worry. “Master Yun merely said that someone would escort Little Friend Fu back.”
Siyan chimed in, leaning closer, “Master Yun has been acting very strange since his return.”
With everyone offering a sentence, Fu Jinyue found herself at a loss for how to reply.
She forced a smile, and beneath Siyan’s expectant gaze, she gave his head a swift and brief rub. She then expressed her gratitude for Lu Liuru’s concern before recounting the rough sequence of events under the watchful eyes of the three.
She omitted the argument, nor did she disclose the specific name of the rogue cultivator who had escorted her back.
Lu Liuru likely connected some dots in her mind, offering a strained, dry chuckle as she said, “Since everything is fine, I shall take my leave now.”
Seeing that she was about to depart, Fu Jinyue quickly called out to her, “Senior Sister Liuru.”
There was strictly no formal sect relationship between the two of them, so she technically had no right to use such a form of address. However, Fu Jinyue did not want to continue using distant terms like ‘Fellow Daoist’ or ‘Senior,’ so she settled on this title as a compromise.
Hearing this, Lu Liuru turned around. The overcast twilight cloaked her face, obscuring her expression, leaving only a sliver of the setting sun’s residual glow striking her phoenix eyes. The corners of her eyes flared upward sharply; her natural gaze was cool and detached, possessed of an inherent sternness.
Fu Jinyue called out once more, “Senior Sister Liuru.”
Feeling somewhat self-conscious, she muttered, “Thank you.”
Thank you for today’s matter—for clearly fearing Yun Heyin yet closing your eyes to talk nonsense just to stabilize the situation. Thank you, Lu Liuru, for diligently seeking out Cui Lecheng to settle the grievance between the two of them despite your numerous duties. Thank you for the unprovoked kindness shown by someone who had always prioritized self-preservation.
This expression of gratitude did not explicitly spell out many things.
However, this title of ‘Senior Sister’ had already conveyed a great deal.
Lu Liuru gazed from a distance at Fu Jinyue, whose face was filled with awkwardness. In truth, was it only Fu Jinyue who wished to express thanks?
Kindness was something that had always been reciprocal.
The female cultivator suddenly smiled, her sharp demeanor softening. It was not her customary apologetic, bitter smile, nor was it the gentle, placid expression she put on for everyone she met; it was a simple yet genuine, heartfelt smile.
Lu Liuru remarked, “Then Junior Sister Jinyue must put in a few good words for me before the True Monarch. Your Senior Sister is terribly afraid of becoming collateral damage.”
A worker in the professional world truly never forgot the crucial points, no matter the circumstance.
Amused by her words, Fu Jinyue waved her hand. “Fine, fine, fine. Farewell then.”
Lu Liuru also smiled. “Then, farewell.”
As the night deepened, the final sliver of the twilight dipped below the horizon, vanishing into the pitch blackness.
Sinian produced a lantern from somewhere, observing her carefully. “Little Friend Fu has managed to make a friend in this place as well.”
Hearing a young girl use the tone of a grandmother to lament truly felt incredibly surreal.
The moment Fu Jinyue recalled the age gap, she could no longer look at the small-stature Sinian normally. She seamlessly adopted the tone of a junior.
She whined slightly, “Sinian, I am hungry.”
The soft glow of the lantern illuminated the surroundings, reflecting Sinian’s helpless features. The seventy-odd-year-old young girl let out another sigh. “You youngsters simply never eat your meals properly.”
Sinian ordered Siyan around, “Go, deliver tea to Master Yun. I shall take this opportunity to bring Little Friend Fu to the kitchen to light the stove.”
Begging for food was not a first-time occurrence, yet conducting themselves with such stealth was rather rare.
Fu Jinyue inquired, “What is wrong with Senior Yun?”
Had that fellow still not cooled his anger?
Siyan replied, “He seems… very angry.”
The two crane demons had watched Yun Heyin grow up; even if others failed to perceive it, they could discern the minute shifts in emotion upon his face.
Sinian countered, “Foolish Siyan, that is not anger; that is sorrow.”
“But he clearly looks very angry,” the young lad murmured in a slow, soft tone. “I have never seen Master Yun look that way before. If it weren’t for that, the two of us wouldn’t have stepped out to avoid him.”
It truly seemed a matter of whoever spoke had their own justification.
Fu Jinyue found it difficult to judge based on listening, so she said, “Perhaps the unpleasantness from this afternoon’s commotion is still weighing on his mind. How about I go check on him in a little while?”
As for when ‘a little while’ would be, it was naturally after she had eaten and drunk her fill.
How could an insufferable man ever take precedence over a full stomach?
The night was misty. Fu Jinyue, having eaten and drunk her fill, crossed the veranda holding a tea tray and knocked on the door of the study.
“…” There was no response.
Sinian and Siyan had explicitly stated that this man had confined himself to the study ever since his return. Could it be that her guise of pretending to be a servant delivering tea had been exposed?
Then again, a Nascent Soul cultivator possessed formidable capabilities; he must have detected her approach long ago.
Fu Jinyue abandoned the pretense of being a servant, speaking up, “Senior?”
“…”
Silence.
Was he still angry?
Placing the tea tray casually on the ground, she attempted to push the door open to enter, but the moment her fingertips brushed against the door panels, she felt an invisible barrier blocking her outside.
Her palm pressed against the formless barrier, which showed absolutely no intention of granting entry. Fu Jinyue offered a silent smile, opting not to expend any further effort trying to force her way through the door.
She raised her voice and said, “Senior, you truly misunderstood the matter today.”
“…”
It remained silent.
That man was completely set on ignoring her.
Fu Jinyue was incredibly relaxed; seeing that he intended to wage a war of attrition, she had no desire to tire herself out. She simply crouched down, resting her back against the door panel, and gazed at the bamboo shadows swaying in the night wind beyond the veranda.
The chirping of insects occasionally drifted through the air. Amidst the tranquility, Fu Jinyue picked up a cup of tea from the tray beside her.
The tea was slightly cool. Fu Jinyue took a small sip and suddenly remarked, “Senior, do you still remember that I study under the ancient orthodox Hehuan path, which follows the Way of ‘the intersection of heaven and earth, whence all things are transformed and generated’?”
Her words were soft, carrying a hint of gentleness.
“While studying the cultivation method, I became engrossed in the dual applications derived from it, primarily because you all have continuously withheld the current condition of the Sword Sect Elder from me, yet I can faintly surmise how terrifying the injuries must be.
“Recently, I have been conducting research in the fields, dissolving the violent nature of heavenly tribulation thunder within the lightning-struck spiritual plants, which can be considered a small success. Yet whenever I recall the Elder’s undisclosed injuries, I cannot help but feel that if I am to heal a deeper layer of injury, this current approach will likely fail to work.”
At least, it would not work right now. Healing a mere spiritual plant left her utterly exhausted, let alone a grandmaster of profound cultivation.
Her spiritual energy was too sparse, and her cultivation base was too weak.
Sect Master You was undoubtedly well aware of this, which was why he chose not to disclose further details regarding the Elder. The Sword Sect’s attitude remained as cautious as ever: if you do not present more brilliant results, then your standing will remain limited to this.
—But she refused to be limited to this.
Trapped within a dilemma, Fu Jinyue had spent many days wandering and stumbling into a dead end, filled with bewilderment, until she suddenly realized something while teasing Yun Heyin.
She thought to herself, Why have I been constantly obsessing over the dual applications of the cultivation method, completely forgetting the most fundamental application?
Yes, indeed—use your brain, Fu Jinyue. Think back to how you, who had only just achieved Qi absorption into the body, managed to heal that heavily injured youth back then?
Inside the mountain cave, the system had once stated: [The orthodox method of dual cultivation emphasizes mutual benefit and symbiosis. Under the harmony of Yin and Yang, this sort of injury of his can be healed in just one session.]
Did he still remember what that ‘one session’ entailed?
Fu Jinyue thought to herself, Sooner or later, I will have to grow accustomed to this absurd method of cultivation.
Once she figured it out, she immediately initiated a discussion with the system regarding the Hehuan sect cultivation method, primarily exploring whether she could share the unique dual cultivation method while still keeping her trump cards reserved. The result was—
It was possible.
Although minor details remained unresolved, the general direction was correct.
Keeping the joyful news in her heart, Fu Jinyue was eager to try, yet she patiently and repeatedly pondered how to perfect it further.
Who could have anticipated that a verbal dispute would erupt, leading her to blurt out the method in a fit of reckless speech.
Furthermore, because the atmosphere at the time was truly terrible, it had caused Yun Heyin to completely misunderstand.
“…Therefore, the solution mentioned today was by no means an insult.”
Concealing the unmentionable portions, Fu Jinyue finally explained the entire sequence of events.
Growing tired from crouching, she simply sat down, resting her back against the door panel and stretching out her legs, letting them sway contentedly in the whistling night breeze.
Fu Jinyue did not know if the man inside was listening, nor did she know if he was still present.
She simply kept watch here, listening to the bamboo leaves rustling and whispering in the wind.
Quiet, persistent, she guarded his side in this manner.
Yun Heyin could no longer maintain his silence. He stepped closer to the door panel, looking down through the latticework of the fretwork pattern and through the thin window paper within those squares, catching sight of the young girl’s blurry silhouette.
He ought to follow the thread of her words to inquire about the probability of success for this method, yet what tumbled out of his mouth was: “Was it that rogue cultivator who escorted you back?”
The young girl seemed to fail to grasp his meaning, replying blankly, “Yes.”
He is certainly kind-hearted.
Yun Heyin suppressed his impulse, asking coldly, “How much certainty do you have regarding that method?”
“Sixty percent,” Fu Jinyue spoke the truth. “Given a bit more time, perhaps ninety percent.”
“How long?”
“A single day at the shortest, several months at the longest.”
It was vague and distant, and the inherent chances of success were far too slim. With time running short now, it would likely be impossible, Yun Heyin thought to himself.
With the proper affairs questioned down to this point, the matter should be considered concluded. He parted his lips, wanting to speak a few more words with her, yet he could produce no further speech.
—What did you and that rogue cultivator do?
He could not ask.
—Has he ever touched you?
He must not ask.
—You once extended an invitation to me; does it still hold true now?
How could he possibly ask.
His hand hovered hollowly behind the window paper, outlining her blurry silhouette beneath his palm, as if he could touch her by doing so.
Yun Heyin thought to herself, She spoke those words once more.
—”I study under the ancient orthodox Hehuan path, which follows the Way of ‘the intersection of heaven and earth, whence all things are transformed and generated.'”
Every time he recalled these words, it was as if the young girl appeared before his eyes again, her gaze burning, carrying a smile.
Her nature was cold and rigid, yet she was exceptionally vivid, like molten iron flung into the sky, exploding into clusters of brilliant gold sparks under external striking. The sparks plummeted like rain, scalding in bits, thoroughly setting a person ablaze, burning down everything along the way.
A swelling fullness and bitterness filled his chest, joy accompanied by pain.
Yet that layer of paper was so thin, yet he could not pierce it.
Precisely because she had explicitly stated the path she cultivated and practiced. The ancient Hehuan path, no matter how orthodox, still required dual cultivation to practice. The other party did not make a deliberate effort to conceal it, and within her phrasing, she had even teased him repeatedly, acting truly daring and reckless.
Yun Heyin was not a person who had sworn an oath never to marry or take a Dao companion.
However, within his life plan, that companion ought to be dignified, adhering to conventions and rules, just like him, and just like the numerous teachings he received.
He and she ought to grow in perfect alignment with the rules.
“Senior, are you still there?” Seemingly growing sleepy from waiting, the young girl let out a yawn.
Yun Heyin replied hoarsely, “Still here.”
He lowered his eyes, gazing at the young girl leaning against the other side of the door, and said, “I have acquainted myself with this matter. You should head back first.”
Fu Jinyue countered, “I will not go back.”
“Once I return, I won’t be able to find you again, Senior,” the young girl stated with absolute certainty. “I am going to wait right here, until you cool your anger, Senior.”
Yun Heyin fell silent for a brief moment before stating, “I was never angry.”
Fu Jinyue let out a laugh. “Liar!”
She actually used his own words to refute him.
Arrogant and domineering, lacking even a shred of respect for an esteemed cultivator. Yet at this moment, Yun Heyin harbored not a single trace of anger in his heart. He gently, very gently, rested his head against the door.
Leaning against the door, separated from the young girl.
He did not make the slightest sound; it was merely a single, minute indulgence.
He said, “The night is cold and bracing. Please return, Fellow Daoist.”
“I am not going back,” that domineering girl still insisted. “You should still let me inside to check on you, Senior.”
“Is Senior not curious about the solution?” Her tone carried a strand of ambiguity. “What Senior said today is reasonable; if we do not verify it, how can we know the catastrophes? This matter is of grave importance, and I am willing to… try it out with Senior.”
Yun Heyin’s heartbeat threw itself into disarray, his breath catching in his throat.
From merely this instantaneous inclination, the skies within his sea of consciousness suddenly shifted violently, and the teachings of the past came surging forth.
Those voices belonged to men, women, the young, and the old, overlapping heavily alongside a rumbling roar, blanketed across heaven and earth like claps of heavenly tribulation thunder.
They said: Yun Heyin, you must not be wanton, you must not be clamorous, you must not move in haste, you must not be discourteous, you must not engage in rivalry and jealousy…
Yun Heyin, you ought to be respectful and courteous, you ought to fulfill promises with fidelity, you ought to maintain integrity with righteousness, you ought to be diligent in your duties, you ought to be erudite and deliberate in your thoughts, you ought to be strict in self-cultivation…
Yun Heyin, you were born with a deficiency in your three souls and seven po; your primary soul, Taiguang, lacks a fraction.
Yun Heyin, you possess a demonic heart.
You are a demon.
You must not become a demon.
He knelt in the darkness.
That sword-wielding figure stood before him once more, the raised blade cutting into his neck.
—Heyin, at all times, bear in mind that one must exercise restraint and firmly maintain the Dao heart.
He lowered his eyes, following the blood trickling slowly along the blade, along that snow-bright sword body, and lifted his head to look up. He discovered that the sword-wielding figure’s countenance was blurred, with countless faces overlapping upon it, shifting unpredictably.
It was his mother, his father, his master, his friend, and every person in this life who had offered him earnest teachings.
It was his inner demon.
Now, that inner demon had gained an additional appearance—the young girl smiling beautifully, her hand holding the sword loosely as if she cherished him deeply. She tossed away the sword in her hand, her soft fingertips touching the wound upon his neck, her tone light.
—Since it hurts so much, why force yourself?
—Would it not be wonderful for the two of us to fly off together as a pair?
The kneeling figure wore an expression of painful endurance. He parted his lips…
Yun Heyin!
The man who had been leaning against the door panel, coveting the touch, snapped awake instantly, his breathing rapid.
He condemned himself in a hundred ways within his heart.
Suppress desire, exercise restraint and calmness, firmly maintain the Dao heart.
You must not become a demon!
She covets your cultivation, she has ulterior motives, she seeks only a momentary pleasure, and her nonconformity makes her an unsuitable match.
You know this full well, so how could you permit your desires to run rampant and your mind to slacken?!
If you grant permission, will not years of restraint be destroyed in a single day? How will you face your mother and father beneath the nine springs, how will you face your numerous masters and elders, how will you face…
Yun Heyin suddenly curled his palm inward. His mind was in a complete tangle, yet he still clenched his fist tightly, dragging himself away from the edge of the precipice.
Fu Jinyue had been growing somewhat impatient from waiting when she suddenly heard a strange sound behind her. Lifting her head, she spotted a shadow standing behind the window paper.
The shadow shifted slightly, appearing quite ethereal and unsteady. Fu Jinyue asked, “Senior, are you alright?”
“…”
There was no response.
Fu Jinyue felt a hint of suspicion. Just as she was about to ask again, she heard a low reply.
“It is nothing,” his voice was hoarse.
For a person like Yun Heyin, acting in this manner could be described as a complete loss of composure.
Fu Jinyue had never heard his tone sound so utterly despondent.
There is a chance!
Instinctively, she felt the timing was excellent.
Fu Jinyue stopped swinging her feet and immediately stood up, inquiring with concern, “Senior, is it truly nothing?”
She said, “I simply cannot remain at ease; it is better to let this junior inside to check—”
“It is nothing!” Yun Heyin interrupted coldly. “The night is deep. Please depart, Fellow Daoist.”
These words were delivered swiftly and sharply, his attitude unmistakable. Cut off so abruptly, Fu Jinyue’s interest waned slightly.
Yun Heyin pursed his lips, staring at the blurry silhouette beyond the window paper. The young girl stood right before him, separated by a single door. If he yielded to his personal desires and let her inside, he would undoubtedly find it impossible to exercise restraint any longer.
Yes, separated by a single door.
Let this barrier stand forever; that would be for the best.
Silence followed, the wind blowing gently, with only the bamboo leaves rustling. Just as Yun Heyin surmised that the young girl must have grown weary of him, he saw the silhouette outside lift her head.
She said gently, “Is Senior in distress?”
She had not departed.
“Senior.”
Yun Heyin heard her speak.
“I know not why you are in distress, why you are in pain, nor do I know if I have done something wrong. But I do not wish to see Senior struggling so. Is there anything this junior can do?”
She humbled herself to such an extent, and her words were entirely filled with deep sincerity. Yun Heyin felt a wave of dryness in his throat.
…How he wished she would draw closer to him.
Yet his mouth uttered, “Utter nonsense!”
How he wished that on that day, he had not drawn his hand away—how he wished he could follow the impulse to press her onto the table, leaning down over her, ensuring that those beautiful eyes of hers looked only at him. And naturally, he wished for many more countless acts of intimacy that could not be detailed.
Yet his mouth still uttered, “Fu Jinyue, you have been pestering me relentlessly for days, and now you keep watch before another’s door deep into the night. What sort of propriety is this?”
He craved her, even if it meant being fooled and trifled with by her, even if it was merely a temporary absurdity.
Yun Heyin said coldly, “You had best depart as soon as possible, and restore my peace.”
The person on the other side seemed startled by his sudden, fierce tone, remaining silent for a long moment. When she spoke again, her voice actually carried a hint of sobbing.
“Does Senior truly loathe me to this extent?”
“…”
There was no response.
Forcing back her sobs, she murmured, “Can you really… not let me inside?”
“…” Silence.
How could he dare let her step inside.
Sparks of blood seeped from Yun Heyin’s tightly clenched hand. He said with great difficulty, “Go.”
That silhouette fell into another bout of tight-lipped silence. She stood obstinately for a long time, but ultimately, she still departed.
Yun Heyin heard her footsteps gradually recede, the sound striking step by step. Within the excessively quiet night, it felt as though it were striking against his heartstrings, making him tremble, unable to control himself.
The sound grew distant, yet Yun Heyin remained motionless.
The aching pain of a swelling fullness within his heart pinned him to the spot.
How could he move.
After a long while, the bamboo leaves suddenly swayed, and the night wind wailed as it slipped through the crevices of the window, throwing the candlelight into disarray and casting the figure inside the room in alternating light and shadow.
One could see that the man wore only a thin white garment, appearing as though he had washed away all superficial splendor, unadorned by jewels. Everyone claimed he resembled a divine statue residing in the mortal realm but detached from the mundane world—devoid of desire, emotion, love, or pursuit, unstained by a fraction of the secular world.
Yet at this moment, the warm glow of the candle illuminated his face, dissolving that cold expression and melting away the frost and snow, leaving only the hidden torment of a hundred struggles. Lamentably, even a divine statue with a lowered gaze sitting upon a high pedestal, once tainted by secular passion and desire, could never…
Go back.