When Li Fei came out, it was already the dead of night at the academy. The disciple quarters’ courtyard was empty, with patches of remaining snow and withered branches scattered on the ground. She immediately spotted Ye Ye pacing by the window and quickly called out to him. Surprisingly, he seemed not to hear her. Li Fei called three times without a response. She couldn’t help but walk over, only to find him lost in thought, staring blankly at the window cracks without moving.
His disciple robe still bore traces of dried blood, likely from Bai Li Changyue. Had he been waiting here ever since he woke up?
Li Fei wanted to go over and greet him, to tell him not to worry about Bai Li Changyue. But for some reason, she felt that his whole demeanor exuded an aura of rejecting any approach or inquiry. She hesitated, and as her gaze wandered, she suddenly noticed Bai Li Gelin sitting on the steps not far away, lost in thought.
“Gelin,” she walked over. Again, she called several times before Bai Li Gelin suddenly seemed to hear, looking up.
“Li Fei!” she exclaimed softly, her eyes immediately reddening. Biting her lip, she said in a low voice, “Thank goodness you’re alright… I was… first I thought my sister would die, then when I woke up and learned you had fallen too, I didn’t know what to do.”
“I’m fine, all limbs intact,” Li Fei grasped her hand reassuringly. “I saw Changyue inside. Master Zuoqiu said she’ll be fully recovered by tomorrow morning. Don’t worry.”
She noticed Bai Li Gelin’s bloodshot eyes, her hair and clothes in disarray. She had been so worried about her sister and friend that she neglected her usually impeccable appearance.
“Why are you sitting here alone, lost in thought? Don’t worry too much, Changyue will be fine tomorrow.”
Bai Li Gelin didn’t respond. She stared blankly at the patches of snow on the ground, seeming to drift off again.
Li Fei felt a vague sense of unease. What was wrong with them?
“Is Ye Ye too worried about Changyue?” she asked softly.
Bai Li Gelin was silent for a moment, then forced a smile and said, “I suppose so. He and my sister have always been close. When she was in danger, he was the most worried. When she fell off the cliff, he jumped down immediately to catch her…”
She paused for a while, then continued, “Li Fei, when my sister fell, I was so scared I nearly lost my soul. I only wanted to go down with her.”
Li Fei nodded. She could naturally understand this feeling. If something happened to her master in front of her, she would unhesitatingly follow.
“Then Ye Ye went down too. He caught my sister,” Bai Li Gelin paused. “As I was falling, I could only think that if they both died, I couldn’t go on living either. It would be better if all three of us died together.”
Li Fei gently put her arm around her shoulders and said softly, “You’re family. I understand.”
“Yes, family,” Bai Li Gelin was silent for a moment. “Now that I know everyone is alright, I’m really happy, extremely happy.”
Happy? But why was she crying? Li Fei couldn’t understand. Were these tears of joy?
“Li Fei, do you know? We met Ye Ye over a year ago while performing on the streets. I was the first to discover Ye Ye that day. He was being hunted, covered in blood, and lying in a small alley. The snow had already half-buried him… I approached him, wanting to save him, but he bit me…”
Bai Li Gelin murmured, seeming lost in memories. There was a strange light in her eyes.
“I have a dent on my forehead and a scar on the tiger’s mouth of my left hand, both from him… He was so fierce then, not only biting me but also pushing me hard against the wall. My head was cracked open, and bleeding a lot… Later he apologized, saying if I was disfigured, he would take responsibility… What responsibility did he take? I was disfigured… Later I asked him why he didn’t take responsibility, and he said, ‘How have I not taken responsibility? Brother will be responsible for taking care of you for life… He wanted to be my brother, but I didn’t want a brother…”
Li Fei grew increasingly alarmed as she listened. Why was she suddenly saying all this? Gelin seemed very strange…
“I knew he liked my sister. I’ve always known. So what about me now? The three of us have always been together, always together… Will we be together for life? Will he be my brother for life?”
She was still murmuring, unclear if she was asking Li Fei or herself. Suddenly, she smiled again, as if coming back to her senses, and said softly, “Li Fei, you’re my best friend. I don’t know why, but we just get along so well. It’s so good to have you here now.”
“I will practice diligently and become a powerful immortal,” Bai Li Gelin said gently. “I’ll be fine. I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m too happy.”
Li Fei was both puzzled and surprised. She murmured, “Gelin, you…”
“I’m fine,” Bai Li Gelin’s voice was very soft. “You should go, Li Fei. Get some rest. I want to sit alone for a while, okay?”
At this moment, she exuded the same aura as Ye Ye, rejecting anyone’s approach. Li Fei really couldn’t think of what to say, so she could only stand up and slowly walk away. Still worried, she looked back to see Bai Li Gelin’s face covered in tears, reflected in the remnant snow and cold moonlight.
She suddenly felt as if she had stumbled upon some secret, and hurriedly turned away. It seemed she vaguely understood something, yet she didn’t truly understand. For a moment she felt sad, and for another moment, confused.
The next day, Li Fei woke up early, though she hadn’t slept well. The image of Bai Li Gelin’s tear-stained face kept circling in her mind. She didn’t know what to say to her, only vaguely guessing at something. These children, with their difficult circumstances from a young age, naturally wouldn’t have the innocence of ordinary children. Gelin appeared cheerful and lively, but the worries she didn’t want to speak of, no one could draw out, not even Changyue. How could she presume to say anything?
Arriving at yesterday’s courtyard, surprisingly, the door was already open. Lei Xiuyuan and Ji Tongzhou were standing to one side, with Master Zuoqiu saying something to them. On the other side, Ye Ye was tightly hugging Bai Li Changyue, who was covered in blood stains. Gelin stood far away from them, not approaching.
Li Fei had wanted to go check on Changyue, but seeing her tightly embracing Ye Ye, it felt like she would be intruding. For Ye Ye and them, this was an experience of near death and separation, so their behavior was understandable. But Gelin standing alone to the side, for some reason, always made her feel a pang of sorrow.
Master Zuoqiu seemed to have finished giving instructions and said gently as he walked, “Although your internal and external injuries have been healed, the energy you’ve consumed can’t be recovered quickly. These few days, the teachers will be busy setting up the spirit energy net, so cultivation will be temporarily suspended. Take this opportunity to rest well.”
The children respectfully agreed, watching Master Zuoqiu leave. Li Fei looked over the two boys in front of her and said straightforwardly, “It’s great that you’re all okay.”
Lei Xiuyuan was fine, but Ji Tongzhou was uncomfortable with her friendly manner. He stammered for a while before saying softly, “You’re okay too… that’s good.”
Whether willingly or not at the start, the three of them had worked together to overcome a crisis in the academy’s restricted area, helping and caring for each other. Looking back, their past grievances and conflicts seemed no different from childish pranks, and it would be laughable to dwell on them now.
However, suddenly becoming friendly seemed difficult too. The three stood silently for a while before Lei Xiuyuan asked, “Was it Hu Jiaping who subdued the Golden Suanni later?”
At the same time, Ji Tongzhou asked almost in unison, “What’s the deal with the Golden Suanni? Is there a black stone pagoda sealed on its back?”
After speaking, the two boys looked at each other, and suddenly, strangely, both fell silent.
Li Fei decided to tell them everything that happened after they passed out. When she mentioned being struck down by the Golden Suanni’s paw, even Lei Xiuyuan couldn’t help but change color. Ji Tongzhou exclaimed, “You said that Golden Suanni was so big, weren’t you seriously injured when it hit you?”
Li Fei said, “Fortunately, Hu Jiaping and that black-veiled woman arrived then. The black-veiled woman is some kind of spirit weapon that can transform into a sword. Earlier, Mo Yanfan couldn’t harm the Golden Suanni with ordinary weapons, but Hu Jiaping could injure it with that sword. That’s how we escaped.”
When the two boys heard about the spirit weapon, they seemed to have a moment of realization. Lei Xiuyuan pondered, “No wonder when we first saw that black-veiled woman in Lu Gong Town, her aura felt strange. So she’s not human.”
Ji Tongzhou added, “I’ve heard that only truly divine weapons can nurture spirit weapons. The black-veiled woman’s original form must be a real treasure sword.”
“I think that sword was called Lifeng, but it was broken,” Li Fei, hearing about spirit weapons for the first time, was quite interested and couldn’t help asking, “What exactly are spirit weapons?”
“Lifeng!” Ji Tongzhou, being a prince, had broader knowledge than most. His face was full of surprise, “Lifeng is the sword of True Person Guangwei of the Moonless Court! It’s said that the Taowu that caused havoc for two hundred years was slain by True Person Guangwei using Lifeng! How could Lifeng be broken?”
Lei Xiuyuan said, “Divine weapons develop spirit weapons after a long time, but sometimes this isn’t necessarily good for these divine weapons. It usually takes about fifty years, during which most of the spiritual energy goes into nurturing the spirit weapon, making the divine weapon itself more fragile. If the divine weapon is used during this time, it’s normal for it to break.”
The two boys spoke back and forth, but halfway through, they suddenly felt as if they were competing to show who was more knowledgeable, and once again strangely stopped.
Ji Tongzhou still couldn’t fully relax. Jiang Li Fei was one thing, she was a girl, and a good man doesn’t fight with women. But this Lei Xiuyuan matched him in every way, which made him somewhat unwilling to concede. He immediately snorted, “Go on then! You seem to know quite a lot!”
Lei Xiuyuan calmly said, “The prince knows quite a bit too, it’s surprising.”
His words always seemed to carry a subtle sting. Ji Tongzhou was extremely displeased. The two of them could never get along. He was about to say something sarcastic in return when suddenly a girl’s choked voice came from behind, “Your Highness! You’re finally awake!”
Ji Tongzhou turned to see Princess Lanya and a few sycophants standing behind, watching him. The poor little princess’s eyes were red and swollen, probably from crying, looking like two peaches. Seeing Ji Tongzhou standing there safe and sound, she rushed over with tears, first hugging him tightly, then quickly retreating, realizing her impropriety. She said with a trembling voice, “Thank goodness! Your Highness! I… I thought you…”
Ji Tongzhou always became awkward when he saw girls cry. He frowned and said, “I’m fine, what are you crying for!”
Princess Lanya wiped her eyes hard, “I… I won’t cry anymore.”
Despite saying she wouldn’t cry, tears kept falling from her peach-like eyes. Ji Tongzhou became even more embarrassed and decided to ignore her.
He had just been engrossed in conversation with Jiang Li Fei and the others and was somewhat reluctant to end it. He felt quite comfortable with them. No one treated him with excessive reverence or flattery. Although he disliked it at first, somehow he gradually stopped finding it disagreeable. Compared to the flattery of his sycophants and Princess Lanya’s unconditional compliance, he found it more comfortable to have people freely chatting and bantering.
But his sycophants swarmed around him, their flattery and praise unceasing, making his head spin. When he looked back, Jiang Li Fei and Lei Xiuyuan had already moved to one side.
He suddenly felt a bit lost.
“Were you injured by the Golden Suanni afterward?” Lei Xiuyuan suddenly asked.
Li Fei shook her head. She didn’t want to tell the whole truth, so she changed the subject, “I plan to tell Changyue about Zhenyun Zi later. Although it’s hard to guard against, having some mental preparation is better than being killed unexpectedly without knowing anything. By the way, has your Heaven’s Sound Spirit Seal recovered?”
In the restricted area, he could say everything because the miasma was so thick that no immortal techniques worked there. Now that they were back at the academy, he would probably return to being the tight-lipped Lei Xiuyuan.
Lei Xiuyuan said, “Master Zuoqiu has already removed the Heaven’s Sound Spirit Seal mark for me.”
“It seems the academy indeed knows the culprit behind this incident but ultimately chose to remain silent,” he looked up at the blue sky above, where countless fine lines of light were faintly intertwining into a net. “The spirit energy net has also begun to be set up. At least our days at the academy will be more peaceful from now on.”
Li Fei was about to speak when she saw Ji Tongzhou walk over. His demeanor was somewhat awkward. After a pause, he suddenly said in a low voice, “This time… thank you both.”
He dropped this abrupt word of thanks and turned to leave. Li Fei was stunned for a while before realizing he was thanking them for taking care of him when his leg was broken. This little prince was so awkward, that he couldn’t even express gratitude smoothly.