Ye Tian had been frozen solid into an ice sculpture, standing motionless outside Rong Chen Zi’s bedchamber. Qingxuan was on the verge of tears and had no choice but to quietly plead with He Bang: “Your Majesty Haihuang, you are magnanimous and forgiving — please release my martial aunt!” He and Qingsu had tried every technique they knew, but the difference in power was simply too vast; even knowing the counter-method, they could not break the spell.

He Bang stood to one side watching, laughing continuously, while Ye Tian was so furious her eyes looked ready to pop from their sockets. Seeing Qingxuan beg for help, He Bang gave a coquettish little spin, her skirts billowing: “Releasing her is possible — have her kowtow three times to me and pour tea as an apology!”

Qingxuan did not dare say a word. This martial aunt was also a fiery temper; if she were truly released, the two of them would surely come to blows again.

Seeing him hesitate, He Bang turned and swept back into the room: “Carry her inside!”

Qingxuan’s face lit up: “Your Majesty, does this mean you have agreed to release my martial aunt?”

He Bang used Rong Chen Zi’s token like a fan, fanning herself idly: “Nonsense! It is hot — carry her inside to cool me down!”

That afternoon, in Rong Chen Zi’s bedchamber. He Bang reclined at ease, eating pastries. Ye Tian remained a block of ice — though the day was scorching, the ice melted with agonizing slowness. Every disciple of the entire Qingxu Temple had gathered at Qingxuan’s call, kneeling in a row outside the room, begging her to melt the ice block.

This glutton held a fried rice cake in her left hand and a date-paste mooncake in her right, her cheeks puffed out like a steamed bun: “Begging is useless. Hmph — that detestable Rong Chen Zi talks of entering seclusion. On what grounds can she go in to see him whenever she pleases, yet I am not permitted? I won’t release her — I simply won’t!”

Qingxuan thought privately: Master entered seclusion precisely to avoid you. But of course he did not dare say so aloud, and could only lower himself to plead softly: “Your Majesty, should my martial aunt have given any offense, this little Daoist apologizes on her behalf. If you will allow it, Qingyun junior brother will make bear-paw tofu for you — please, in your great magnanimity, overlook the… the matter, and release my martial aunt?”

He Bang took a bite of the fried rice cake: “No release! No amount of food will make me release her!” Seeing Qingxuan’s utterly miserable expression, He Bang finally deigned to be reasonable. “Don’t think that I am being unreasonable. If I release her right now, she certainly won’t let this matter rest with me. And I do not dare fight with her.”

Qingsu decided to try provoking her pride: “Could it be that Your Majesty is no match for Martial Aunt Ye Tian?”

“With those paltry little tricks of hers—” He Bang bit off another mouthful of rice cake with a crunch, utterly contemptuous, “—what if I accidentally kill her…”

Though arrogant, there was a fair measure of logic in the words. Qingxuan turned the matter over in his mind several times, and finally steeled himself: “Qingsu, keep watch over Martial Aunt — I am going to inform Master!”

Qingsu moved to stop him: “Master is in seclusion. Isn’t this… not quite right?”

Qingxuan did not slow his step for even a moment. Master, it is not that this disciple wishes to disturb your quiet cultivation — it is simply that this disciple truly cannot hold the situation together any longer…

When Rong Chen Zi emerged from seclusion, his robes and bearing were still immaculate. Qingxuan knelt on the ground, utterly helpless: “Master, this disciple truly did not wish to disturb your seclusion, but…”

Rong Chen Zi waved a hand, his expression grave: “An undeserved calamity — how could I blame you? Rise.”

When Qingxuan followed him to the side hall, the ice sculpture of Ye Tian still stood steadfast before the door, while He Bang inside was eating voraciously, gorging herself without restraint. At the sight of Rong Chen Zi, she merely gave a cold snort. Yet Rong Chen Zi’s complexion went faintly red; he gave a dry cough and instructed his disciples to bring yellow-bordered paper, cinnabar brushes, and ink.

Since ancient times, Daoist practitioners have followed many rules for drawing talismans — generally requiring bathing, changing of garments, offerings to the gods, and prayers — but Rong Chen Zi’s cultivation was of a different order, and the formalities were greatly reduced.

He dashed off a Fire Flame Talisman with a sweep of his hand, then drew together the body’s three inner fires, breaking the Ice Sealing Technique that held Ye Tian. The frost encasing Ye Tian melted at a rapid pace, yet Rong Chen Zi did not dare relax in the slightest — he feared that Ye Tian and He Bang might truly come to blows.

The moment all the ice had melted from Ye Tian’s body, he immediately helped her back to her room. Ye Tian was wholly unwilling, but having been frozen for so long her whole body was drained of strength; she could only put on a brave face with her words: “Elder Brother! Who on earth is that demoness — when did she arrive at Qingxu Temple? And how did she end up in your room?! Have you forgotten what our master taught us?”

Rong Chen Zi replied softly: “So many questions — which shall Elder Brother answer first? Rest for now; Elder Brother will explain everything to you later.”

He helped Ye Tian back to her room and turned to leave. Ye Tian suddenly caught the corner of his sleeve: “Elder Brother, there are rumors spreading outside… people are saying that you have been using… dual cultivation…” She was a woman, and one who prided herself on walking a righteous path — such words were difficult to bring to her lips. By the time she had gotten this far, her face had already flushed red.

Rong Chen Zi found himself in the position of a cat whose paws were stuck in glutinous rice — no way to talk himself free no matter how he tried. With no other recourse, he offered a noncommittal reply: “More or less.”

Ye Tian’s eyes went wide: “I don’t believe it! If it were Second Senior Brother, perhaps — but not you! Not you!”

Rong Chen Zi handed her a cloth to wipe the water from her face: “Little Ye, don’t take offense at her — for Elder Brother’s sake.”

A faint shadow of pain flickered through Ye Tian’s eyes: “Elder Brother, do you still remember — it was you who once said you would devote yourself wholly to the Dao and sever all entanglements of the heart…”

Rong Chen Zi cut her short: “The world is ever-changing and cannot be foretold. You have traveled a long road to get here and must be tired. Rest first. Elder Brother will come by to see you later this evening.”

Ye Tian rushed to his side, yet having been raised from childhood under the strict code of propriety, she could not bring herself to overstep, and could only plant herself before him: “Elder Brother! That demoness was clearly no good-natured soul the moment I laid eyes on her. Your constitution is already prone to attracting demonic influence — are you not afraid she harbors some ulterior motive…”

“Rest first.” Rong Chen Zi’s voice was gentle, yet it was clear he had no intention of lingering on this topic. He stepped out of the room and left a quiet word of advice at the door.

When he returned to his bedchamber, He Bang had already finished eating. Qingxuan had been feeding her generously every day — her main meals alone were lavish enough — and so she had only eaten half of the pastries. Rong Chen Zi gathered all the cakes and sweets from the table into a food box; a disciple came in to collect the box and tidy the room.

Once everyone had withdrawn, Rong Chen Zi at last sat down at the edge of the sleeping platform. The beautiful He Bang lay on her side, not sparing him so much as a glance.

Rong Chen Zi paid it no mind. During the days of his seclusion, his scattered primordial spirit had been fully gathered back into order: “What happened last time… was this poor Daoist’s fault. The purpose of my seclusion was also to find a quiet moment to think carefully of a way to resolve matters to the benefit of both. After all, you are the Haihuang of the Lingxia Mountain region — if you wish to return to the sea, Rong Chen Zi will lay down his very life to rid you of the renegade priest who has stirred up trouble.”

He Bang’s interest was finally piqued: “He is in the sea, and his techniques belong to the water — your Daozong can only rely on the Water-Repelling Pearl to go down. How can you alone deal with him and his accomplices?”

Rong Chen Zi’s expression was resolute: “This poor Daoist will grind his very bones to dust — whatever he has said, he will carry out!”

He Bang tilted her head in thought: “Life in the sea is terribly dull as well. Suppose I have no wish to return?”

Rong Chen Zi lowered his eyelids slightly, his face reddening, his voice dropping to barely more than a murmur: “If you have no wish to return to the sea… this poor Daoist is willing… to care for you for the rest of his days.”

He Bang stretched out lazily, her dark hair flowing like spilled ink: “What does ‘care for you for the rest of your days’ mean?”

Rong Chen Zi averted his gaze: “It means exactly that.”

He Bang laid her head upon his knee. He gave a slight start, but did not draw away. Her long hair, soft and smooth as the finest silk and brocade, spread out in long flowing streams around her. Rong Chen Zi did not look directly at her, yet he was listening attentively to her every word.

He Bang’s outward expression was perfectly calm, but inwardly she was greatly astonished. The last time he had lain with her — though she had been furious, it had not been entirely without purpose. She had been able to sense the foreign matter she had infused into the spaces of his primordial spirit, tearing a breach in his soul — that soul which had been, until then, utterly clear, utterly unassailable. Yet after only a few days of seclusion, this breach had been completely repaired.

The Daoist classic Sayings of Patriarch Qiu once stated: The mind can create form; the mind can sustain form. A single thought, a single impulse — this is one tribulation. To the deluded, an instant holds ten thousand tribulations; to the enlightened, ten thousand tribulations pass in an instant. In the mind, there is no such thing as time.

Another scripture states: A noble person of few desires is not enslaved by things, nor enslaved by others. As long as there remained even a single crack in his mind, it would be like a dyke with a hole — sooner or later a great opening would be forced through. But now, it seemed he had already sealed that small gap.

What manner of cultivation technique was this? Good grief — let’s hope this wasn’t all for nothing!

He Bang gave a languid yawn: “Then let it be lifelong care — the sea is deadly dull, and I am forever pestered by sea demons. It is far more peaceful here at Qingxu Temple.”

Rong Chen Zi’s eyes were on his nose, his nose upon his heart: “Is that settled?”

He Bang rolled over, her posture leisurely: “Mm!”

That evening, fearing another quarrel between He Bang and Ye Tian, Rong Chen Zi instructed his disciples to bring the meal to the room. He Bang had only just eaten that afternoon and was not very hungry — she ate only seven bowls. Taking advantage of her meal, Rong Chen Zi went to look in on Ye Tian. Ye Tian was quite unharmed; after resting the entire afternoon she had recovered her strength. The moment she saw him, she brought up the matter of the demoness again.

Rong Chen Zi sidestepped the subject: “The matter concerning her… Elder Brother has his own judgment. Junior Sister need not worry.”

He wrote out a prescription to calm her nerves and sent Qingyun to decoct the medicine, then turned and left. Ye Tian stood in the doorway, watching his retreating figure — that long-robed, upright, and unblemished silhouette, unchanged from when they were young, save that he had now become entangled with a demoness.

Lost in a daze at the doorway, she stood there for two full cups of tea’s worth of time. Rong Chen Zi had long since vanished from sight, and it was only Qingyun who came in carrying the freshly prepared medicine. Ye Tian drank the medicine; Rong Chen Zi had been thoughtful and had added licorice root — the medicine was not bitter at all. But her heart tasted bitter enough to wring out a stream.

When Rong Chen Zi returned to his bedchamber, He Bang had already finished her evening meal, and the disciples had tidied the room. The lingering heat of summer had not yet fully receded; she lay with only a thin blanket draped over her. Rong Chen Zi appeared not to notice the graceful curves beneath that blanket. He sat cross-legged upon the sleeping platform, formed a hand seal, performed breathing exercises for a long while, and at last extinguished the candles.

The night was bright with moonlight and fragrant with breeze. The courtyard was faintly filled with the sound of crickets. He Bang was unaccustomed to such darkness; ever since she had moved in, Rong Chen Zi had kept a habit of leaving a wall lamp lit at night: “Why did you put out the light?”

Rong Chen Zi said nothing. He quietly took her hand and slowly drew back the thin blanket from her body. He Bang cocked her head and watched him for a moment — it was only when he settled himself over her that the realization struck: Bloody hell — it’s happening again?!

She was somewhat reluctant, and offered a gentle reminder: “Rong Chen Zi, the river clams from our area only reproduce once a year.”

Rong Chen Zi had already loosened his outer garments, wearing only his inner robe; his manner was still dignified and unassuming: “Mm.”

He Bang squirmed. She was tender — truly tender — as though one could serve her directly with a dish of garlic vinegar. Yet Rong Chen Zi only lifted the hem of her skirts. This time he was extremely careful, but He Bang was still somewhat tense: “Rong Chen Zi, find another place — it hurts there!”

Rong Chen Zi’s breathing was steady, his mind clear: “It’s all right. I will be very gentle.”

He Bang was skeptical. When that enormous presence made itself known, she gripped Rong Chen Zi’s broad shoulders and felt utterly at a disadvantage — so she tried to coax some food out of the situation: “Rong Chen Zi, it still really hurts!”

In moments like these, Rong Chen Zi was always especially generous. He sliced open his wrist and pressed the wound again to her lips. He Bang lapped at the blood beading from his wound as that enormous presence pressed in slowly — and it was indeed extremely gentle.

She gave a soft hum. Rong Chen Zi’s breathing remained completely even, not a trace of desire stirring. He Bang was a little puzzled: “Old Daoist, what exactly are you doing?”

Rong Chen Zi braced himself with both elbows on the platform, his voice tranquil: “Hush — not a sound.”

He Bang was hardly the obedient sort. She wrapped both legs around his waist, sensed that the wound on his wrist had begun to close, and quietly bit it open again. Rong Chen Zi gave a pained grunt, but said nothing.

The night at the end of summer and beginning of autumn was profoundly still. No fierce passion between the two in the room — Rong Chen Zi moved with measured restraint, his breathing never broken, so gentle that He Bang felt no sense of anything amiss. As time wore on, He Bang grew a little bored: “Old Daoist, why don’t you say anything?”

Rong Chen Zi’s mind remained perfectly clear. He spoke, slowly, as though teaching a lesson: “Cultivators regard essence, energy, and spirit as the three treasures; of these, essence refers to primordial essence. The essence of the acquired realm is coarse essence. Primordial essence is born from perfect clarity and perfect stillness — the moment a single thought of desire stirs, it transforms into coarse essence. In ancient times, those who practiced the art of dual cultivation mostly failed to understand this principle, and so what they gathered was largely coarse essence — which is why those who practiced this technique all carried upon them an aura of licentious impurity. Only when one reaches the utmost emptiness, the utmost steadiness, can the primordial essence that circulates be of benefit rather than harm.”

His every word was calm and composed. He Bang listened with her tongue clicking: “Old Daoist, spending time with you is truly an education.”

Rong Chen Zi was caught between laughing and exasperation. After quite some time he gave a dry cough and offered a modest reply: “Not so extraordinary.”