53 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

**Chapter 53** As the stone door slowly descended, the last sliver of light from the outside vanished, plunging the stone chamber into complete darkness. White Fan could no longer hold on, and she suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood. Despite the severity, she felt significantly better after doing so. Lying on the stone bed, she took deep breaths, coughing for a while as blood had backflowed into her lungs. She quickly popped a blood-activating and stasis-dissolving pill into her mouth and, after it melted, used her spiritual power to heal her internal injuries. In truth, although Sun Elder's strike seemed ruthless, it was far from his full strength. If it had been, White Fan's level of cultivation would have been insufficient to survive it. "Sigh, what should I do now?" White Fan didn't want to leave Xuaming just yet. Were they really going to have to reveal the matter of the Fire Qilin? White Fan couldn't imagine what would happen if a bunch of Nascent Soul cultivators rushed to Wanfeng Platform to capture the hybrid. She extended her hand and pushed back her sleeve, examining the two golden bracelets on her wrist. These were the price of being captured as a beast. Though the bracelets were forcibly placed on her by the old man from Qingxu Sect, she had learned their functions after staying in Xuaming for a while. Besides concealing her aura, they also had the power to control her mind. Fortunately, the person who controlled them was none other than Lotus Master; he had never intended to manipulate White Fan from the beginning. Even if White Fan were to leave in the end, he would try his best to help her. He truly was a son raised by her own hands, not wasting her decades of painstaking efforts. After recovering from her injuries, White Fan resolved to increase her cultivation to the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage before exiting seclusion. She sat cross-legged and circulated her energy, executing the Coiled Dragon Technique without rest, day and night. The pills her two sisters had gathered over five years were now all consumed by White Fan. Meanwhile, far away in the mortal world, He Yi Man was walking down a street. Unlike the eternal spring of Xuaming, there were no mighty cultivators to control the seasons here. It was winter, with heavy snow falling. The usual bustling crowd on the street had long gathered around their hearths, leaving He Yi Man walking alone in the vast expanse of snow. The falling snowflakes resembled drifting willow catkins, blurring the patch of green she wore. In an unnamed mountain, a simple-minded young man clad in a raincoat was trekking downhill through the snow. His old father stood at the door, watching his departure. He Yi Man's hands and feet were cold, her clothing thin. Though it wasn't particularly late, she had yet to find a place to rest. Had she been anything but an ordinary person, she wouldn't have reached such dire straits. With the collapse of the ephemeral palace, everyone was gone, her supply of spirit stones nearly exhausted. Unaware of how to navigate mortal life, she had spent her money haphazardly. Unbeknownst to her, He Yi Man had already caught a cold. She felt an overwhelming heaviness in her steps, seeing nothing but a blinding white expanse. At that moment, a small boy pushed open the grand gate of a mansion, yawning as he lit the lanterns on the gate. Suddenly, he heard a thud. Curious, he looked and saw someone collapsed at the gate, their thin clothing invoking a pang of sympathy. "My goodness, have I encountered a ghost in broad daylight?" The small boy threw aside his torch and hurried down the steps, looking at the person lying in the snow. He Yi Man's face was hidden behind a white veil. Even without lifting it, the area around her eyes was flushed red, her body stiff, clearly in bad shape. "Miss, miss, what's wrong?" He Yi Man looked dazedly at the hazy figure in front of her, muttering, "Master," before she passed out. When she woke again, she heard voices beside her. "Doctor, please take your time." Footsteps retreated, and He Yi Man opened her eyes, disoriented by the unfamiliar room. A thick quilt covered her, engulfing her in warmth. "Oh, the poor girl is awake." He Yi Man turned her stiff neck, her veil already lifted. Her cold had not entirely dissipated. The originally indifferent eyes now resembled a lake disturbed by ripples, leaving everyone in the room astonished by her beauty. "Miss, you're awake! Walking around in such thin clothes in the dead of winter, it was a miracle that Little Six found you; you could have frozen to death out there." "What happened to me?" He Yi Man's voice, sounding like a rusty gong, barely concealed her thirst. A small maid hurriedly came over, pouring a cup of water and handing it to He Yi Man. "Miss, you caught a cold. How could you not get sick wearing so little in this winter?" "A cold?" He Yi Man repeated, incredulous, as if she didn't understand. "Yes, a cold." He Yi Man had grown up in the ephemeral palace, mingling mostly with cultivation practitioners despite her few outings. Apart from knowing that mortals required food, drink, and other necessities—to which she was oblivious to the details—she had consumed many strengthening pills. Consequently, before this cold, she had never been ill. Sickness was an anomaly for cultivators. Thus, He Yi Man, a mere mortal, had lived an extraordinary life, nurtured into an exceptional character by the ephemeral palace. Now, with no ephemeral palace to rely on, she remained a mortal but without the awareness of one, risking becoming a beggar if she continued like this. "Miss, where are you heading in this dead of winter?” He Yi Man calmly replied, "I am looking for my junior sister." Hearing her words, everyone in the room chimed in to dissuade her. "Miss, it’s not a good idea to travel in this weather. The snow has been falling for over a month." "Exactly, in such heavy snow, you won't find anyone. Stay with us until the snow stops." "Indeed, our mansion hasn't had many visitors in a while. The old lady would be delighted to meet you." He Yi Man knew she wasn't in any condition to leave, lacking the strength to even lift her arm and had no choice but to lie still. The kind-hearted servants gradually left, leaving a small maid to give He Yi Man her medicine. However, the smell of the concoction made He Yi Man frown. She was used to fragrant pills, whereas this brew smelled putrid. "What is this?" "This is traditional medicine. The doctor prescribed it. Miss, you must drink it to get better." The maid offered a spoonful, and despite the foul taste, He Yi Man drank it down, immediately coughing from the bitterness, her eyes welling up with tears. "Miss, bitter medicine brings relief. You need to drink this to get well." Seeing He Yi Man hesitant to take another sip, the maid coaxed her again. After finishing the bowl, He Yi Man couldn't fend off the ensuing drowsiness and laid down. Outside, the winter wind howled, quickly chilling the just-used cup. Once He Yi Man fell into a stable sleep, the maid quietly withdrew. In her dream, He Yi Man saw everything about the ephemeral palace, lying on a vine of trumpet creeper, the flowers swaying gently in the breeze. She turned to see her master and fellow disciples watching her quietly from afar. "Master." Excited, He Yi Man jumped off the vine, clutching her flute, eager to run over, but she remembered her master's words from her childhood. Whatever happens, maintain composure because you are my chief disciple. "Yi Man." "Junior sister." "Senior sister." "Yi Man, my junior sister." Standing before everyone, He Yi Man remained silent for a long while before finally suppressing her choked voice. "I just had a dream where everyone was gone, and the ephemeral palace was just my junior sister and me." "How could we ever leave you, Yi Man? We'll always be by your side. Ask Elder Zuo Yun if you don't believe us." Elder Zuo Yun maintained his cold demeanor, but his expression softened when speaking to He Yi Man. "A mere dream shouldn't shake you so. Even if I were truly gone and the entire ephemeral palace with me, you should not falter. As long as the ephemeral palace is in your heart, you will always be my disciple." "Exactly, junior sister, you will always be with us." He Yi Man's eyes seemed clouded with mist, layer upon layer blurring her vision and transforming the figures before her into indistinct shapes. "Master." A tear rolled down her cheek. As her vision cleared, the figures before her vanished like bubbles, leaving only the echo of her senior sisters' melodious laughter: "Junior sister." "Yi Man, junior sister." "Senior sister." Once everything had disappeared, the idyllic ephemeral palace turned into a scene of utter ruin. Majestic palaces had crumbled, and everything from the past was gone—including the once-blooming trumpet creeper, now with its flowers drooping. "Master!" He Yi Man screamed in terror at the scene before her. Lying in bed, she awoke drenched in sweat, with only a small maid frowning at her. As she opened her frightened eyes, He Yi Man gradually regained her composure, staring at the intricate patterns on the bedframe. The initially terrified eyes returned to their usual indifference. A small voice interrupted her thoughts: "Miss, are you having a nightmare? Would you like some water?" "Yes." He Yi Man spoke little after her nightmare. The vivid scenes of the ephemeral palace kept replaying in her mind. The ephemeral palace was gone, leaving her with no recourse. Her junior sister was being hunted, and the Heavenly Dao Alliance along with other sects remained indifferent throughout. Why was all this happening? On the third day, He Yi Man's cold finally subsided. An old lady she had never met gave her a warm outfit. For the first time, she abandoned her usual green attire. The change in her demeanor made her seem less detached. "Miss, the old lady has asked for you to join her for a meal." Following the maid, He Yi Man left the room where she had lain for three days. Lacking any spiritual sense, she had no idea what the outside world looked like. Stepping outside for the first time, she saw a mortal's courtyard, so unlike the otherworldly beauty of the cultivation world. It was simple and unadorned. A stone jar by a small flowerbed had frozen over, and the summer lotus flowers had withered away. A cold wind blew, making her hair stand on end. The maid quickly rubbed her hands together, urging, "Miss, let's hurry, or you'll catch another cold from the wind." He Yi Man touched her flute to ensure it was still there and said, "Thank you." "If you want to thank anyone, thank the old lady. She's incredibly kind-hearted, though her children and grandchildren passed away too early, leaving her a lonely old woman with just us servants." Entering the house, they found an old lady sitting inside. The room was as plain as the outside, with only a small brazier under the table for warmth. A maid stood behind her, massaging her back. "Old lady, the young lady is here." The old lady's eyes lit up when she saw He Yi Man, pleasantly surprised. "This outfit suits you well." He Yi Man politely thanked her, knowing it was this old woman's kindness that had saved her life. "Thank you, old lady. This outfit is very warm." The old lady waved her hand, and a servant quickly brought a chair, placing it by He Yi Man's side. "Sit, sit. It's nice to finally have someone to share a meal with on these snowy days." As He Yi Man sat, the servants swiftly set the table, uncovering the dishes. Picking up her chopsticks and seeing the food, He Yi Man tasted things she had never experienced before. At the ephemeral palace, green vegetables and white rice were the norm, even when she went out. Boiled spirit fruits were occasionally consumed. Eating a few bites slowly, He Yi Man felt as if she had discovered a new world. Food could actually have such wonderful flavors, and she found her appetite growing, ultimately eating several bowls of rice. The old lady watched her eat bowl after bowl, her eyes crinkling with satisfaction. Although He Yi Man was in her late twenties, she looked as though she was in her teens, possibly due to the many spiritual pills and fruits she had consumed growing up. After a satisfying meal, He Yi Man thanked the old lady and planned to leave, but the old lady said, "The wind and snow are fierce outside. Now is not the time for travel. Stay at my old house for a few more days. As these old bones age, I have few days left. I wish for your company to talk with." He Yi Man turned slowly to look at the old lady, who couldn't walk, and concluded that, based on her eyes, the woman probably had only a couple of years left. As snowflakes fell steadily in the winter night, a brazier crackled inside, warding off the cold wind outside. "I am eighty-one years old. In my life, I married twice, but both husbands died early. I had two sons and a daughter. My youngest son died from a plague when he was ten. My daughter, misled by a deceitful man, drowned herself at sixteen. By the time we retrieved her body, she was already stiff." The old lady and He Yi Man sat side by side, with only two maids nearby. He Yi Man's eyes remained calm, not comprehending the sorrow and pain in the old lady's words. She understood that everyone, mortal or immortal, would eventually die. Her feelings were of confusion rather than grief—the ephemeral palace no longer existed. "My eldest son was told that a girl from the mountains was the best embroiderer in the town. He took a whole cart of betrothal gifts to her family. On his way back, he was startled by a horse and fell off a cliff. The newlyweds became ill-fated lovers, leaving me, an old widow, to tend to this house alone." "Old lady, why dwell on past sorrows?" The old lady smiled faintly, a trace of light in her cloudy eyes. "Life is both short and long. I have lived with these memories and relics my whole life. Only recently did I understand—the most painful fate isn't for those who have died but for those left behind." After saying that, it was as if she experienced a moment of clarity, staring at He Yi Man without blinking. "I see the shadows of others behind you. You should try to let go. Don't live in the past as I have, guarding memories for a lifetime." The two young maids exchanged glances. "Old lady, are you seeing things? If you're tired, you should sleep. Don't scare the young lady." Saying this, they helped the old lady away, leaving He Yi Man deep in thought. She didn't think the old lady was seeing things; she believed her words might be true. Combined with her previous nightmare, perhaps her master and the others were still with her. However, she didn't quite understand the old lady's advice. She believed she lived a clear and rational life. Meanwhile, back in Xuaming, White Fan had transformed into a massive python. Consuming numerous pills had rapidly advanced her cultivation, and her Coiled Dragon Technique was approaching the third layer. After a month, she finally reached the threshold of the Foundation Establishment stage. The two bulges on her snake forehead had grown significantly, almost breaking through the skin. White Fan felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, as if something wanted to burst forth but was just shy of doing so, causing constant discomfort. When all spiritual pills were exhausted, White Fan finally awakened from her secluded cultivation. Transforming back into human form, her bones cracked and creaked. Initially at the sixth level of the Foundation Establishment stage, she had pushed through with the help of pills and sheer willpower to finally reach the ninth level, achieving Foundation Establishment perfection. As the stone door opened, Huan Ri's distant voice could be heard: "Master." White Fan exhaled a turbid breath, nostalgically taking in the damp odor from outside. "Did anyone come to visit this month?" "Only Master Yi Xi's young disciple came by once. Upon learning you were in seclusion, they left without asking more." White Fan nodded and was about to leave when Huan Ri grabbed her. "Master, every time you leave in such a hurry, you neglect to speak with us sisters. If this continues, we'll become withered flowers.” “What withered flowers?” “Master, can't you take us out with you this time? We’d like to see the world too.” “But taking you with me is inconvenient.” “Master, do you scorn us for our low cultivation? If we reach the Foundation Establishment stage next time, will you take us then?” Eager to get to Sun Elder, White Fan hastily agreed, "All right, reach Foundation Establishment first." With that, she leaped away. Unlike before, she now tried flying, having advanced her cultivation to the cusp of the Core Formation stage. A little flight practice was no problem. When White Fan landed in front of Sun Elder's cave abode, the guarding young disciple seemed to know she was coming and immediately opened the gate for her to enter. When White Fan met with Sun Elder, he asked the same question as always: "Have you made up your mind?" "Yes, I've made up my mind," she replied. Sun Elder turned to face White Fan, waiting for her to continue. She had decided during her days of closed-door cultivation that if she could not stay, then she would leave. Although it was regrettable, she was not afraid. It just meant losing a tranquil place for cultivation. "Disciple regrets disappointing Elder. There are people who have shown me kindness; I cannot act against them." Sun Elder's brow furrowed slightly. He remained silent, and seeing this, White Fan turned and left without another word. She hadn't expected that after five years in Xuaming, she would be expelled from her sect just one year after taking a master. It felt like a shame. Without that demonic cultivator, perhaps she could have cultivated peacefully here for a long time. Before leaving, White Fan decided to visit Master Yi Xi. Though he had only formally taught her for a year, the five years spent transcribing scriptures had left a deep impression on her, showing how a good temperament benefits cultivation. Outside his cave abode, everything appeared unchanged. Master Yi Xi still sat beneath the eaves, resting on what seemed like an eternal mat. "Master." "Yes, your cultivation has advanced during this seclusion. I didn't expect you to catch up with your senior sister so quickly." "Master." "When?" "Disciple must leave now. I may never return. Please look after the twin sisters for me." "Very well." Master Yi Xi assumed White Fan was merely going out to seek opportunities for Core Formation, so he agreed to look after the twin sisters. "Take care, Master." Feeling dejected, White Fan ran out of the cave abode. Master Yi Xi watched her departing figure, unchanged in demeanor. Anxiously, a young boy approached and asked, "Master?" "Let her go. If anyone inquires, tell them Xuan Yu has gone on a training journey." "Yes, Master." Before leaving, White Fan went to the pill room to stock up on various pills for future use. There, she unexpectedly ran into Zhou Zhi. "Oh, it's Brother White. Haven't seen you for over a month, and your cultivation has increased again. Are you heading out for training, taking so many pills?" White Fan hadn't expected to meet Zhou Zhi here. She stammered, "Yes, Brother Zhou, I'm leaving this time." "Then I wish you a swift return. Be cautious while training in Nanzhou. I don't have much to offer, but please take this small container gourd." Zhou Zhi handed her a small, emerald-green gourd, charmingly cute. White Fan was pleasantly surprised, looking at the palm-sized gourd that seemed freshly picked. "Thank you, Brother Zhou." Zhou Zhi waved his hand. "You took me to the Enlightenment Hall before, which greatly benefited my cultivation. This journey of yours may not be safe. The small gourd is not of much use. The vine produces countless of these gourds; I have several more." White Fan clutched the small gourd in her hands, feeling grateful. She hadn't yet decided where to go. Though her senior sister suggested Dongzhou, part of her wanted to heed He Yi Man's words and revisit the immortal city. This time, she was well-prepared with spirit stones. "I have a spirit pearl, a gift from my master. I'm giving it to you now. I've been in Core Formation for too long to put it to use. Take it, Brother." "Brother Zhou." Zhou Zhi's warm smile remained as he handed her a white bead about the size of a thumb, making White Fan feel unworthy. "Don't hesitate. I believe you need it more than I do." --- Thank you all for the nutritional fluids! I truly appreciate it. A million kisses and hugs to you. Thank you to the angels who voted for me or provided nourishment. Special thanks to the nourishing [nutritional fluids] angels: Qiqi Riding Kiki - 80 bottles; Late-Stage Novel Cancer - 20 bottles; Thank you all for the support. I'll keep working hard! Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter