Yusang rose and left, putting on her fox fur before going outside and returning to Jiwu Mountain. She wasn’t particularly surprised when she arrived back at Yusang Pavilion and saw Bai Zhi. Bai Zhi sat at the desk reading a book, with her favorite five-colored cakes placed on the table beside him. Tea water was boiling on a small red clay stove, sending white steam curling upward.

“You were out for most of the day. It’s the depths of winter down the mountain—you must be frozen. Come drink some tea to warm yourself,” Bai Zhi beckoned to Yusang, standing in the doorway.

Yusang entered, took off her fox fur and hung it on the screen, then walked over. Bai Zhi put down his book and looked up. Seeing that Yusang was just standing there without sitting down, he reached out to pull her wrist and brought her to sit in the seat beside him.

“What did you go to do?” Bai Zhi asked casually while lifting the teapot to brew tea.

“I relit the Soul Collector.”

When Yusang spoke, Bai Zhi’s hand trembled slightly, and two drops of tea water spilled onto the table, but his expression remained calm, showing no surprise whatsoever.

“You’ve always wanted to ferry your clansmen’s souls, and you’ve done so much—why have you returned to the starting point in the end?” Bai Zhi asked peacefully, picking up the tea from the table and handing it to Yusang.

Yusang took the teacup and held it between her palms, staring at the azure-green tea water for a long time without speaking. Bai Zhi didn’t ask either. It wasn’t until the tea water no longer gave off hot steam that Yusang finally looked up and said, “Bai Zhi, I’ve been forgetting some things all along.”

“What did you forget?”

“I forgot that I was the one who went to the mortal world to help Yan Qige reincarnate. I forgot that I was the one who stole the Soul Collector and Azure Dragon Sword from you to send to his side. I forgot that I was the one who arranged his fate with my own hands.”

…

…

Bai Zhi’s hand, which had been about to pick up the book resting on his knee, froze in midair. After a moment of stillness, it dropped to his knee, and his sleeve brushed the ancient book into the fire furnace, where it quickly burst into flames.

Yusang turned her head to look at Bai Zhi. Bai Zhi simply gazed calmly at the burning ancient scroll. After a long while, he finally spoke: “You’ve remembered everything.”

“Twenty-five years ago, when I fell into Taiyi Lake, you rushed over and struck me heavily. You wanted me to die there, didn’t you?” Yusang asked indifferently.

Bai Zhi didn’t speak. A slight, cold, sorrowful smile appeared at the corners of Yusang’s mouth as she said, “Since you wanted to kill me then, why did you hold back?”

“It was Zi Feng. He used his life to save you, sealed that portion of your memories, and forbade me from harming you in the slightest.”

“With Zi Feng’s soul separated from his body, his seal would lose its effect. I would remember those things. Weren’t you worried about this?”

“What must come will always come. As you said, you’ve grown up and are no longer the little princess who needed me to lead and protect her. You have your thoughts and obsessions. I can no longer stop you.”

Bai Zhi spoke with an unruffled tone. Yusang kept looking at his profile, illuminated by the firelight as if it bore its radiance. Hearing his admission, tears silently rolled from Yusang’s eyes, dripping into the fire with a sizzling sound.

“Why? Please tell me why. You once tried so hard to save me—why did you then want to kill me?”

“Sang’er, many things, once done, are done. They cannot be changed, and perhaps cannot even be regretted. Perhaps you will understand my reasons in the future, but the answer won’t come from me. You’ve grown up and achieved your heart’s desire—you’ve finally found the enemy who destroyed your clan. I feel gratified for you.” Bai Zhi finally looked up, his face bearing its usual gentle smile.

“Bai Zhi, do you know? I would rather you hadn’t saved me in the beginning and let me die together with everyone else, or that you had killed me that day, regardless of Zi Feng’s interference. That way I wouldn’t know all this, and I wouldn’t be as heartbroken as I am now.”

“You should go. From now on, you are yourself, and you have no relationship with me whatsoever.”

“Bai Zhi…” Yusang reached out to grasp Bai Zhi’s sleeve, her eyes full of reluctance.

Bai Zhi smiled at Yusang and reached out to gradually pry open her hand that was tightly gripping his sleeve, releasing her hand as he said, “Go.”

Under Bai Zhi’s smiling gaze, Yusang backed away to the door. Steeling her heart, she closed her eyes, opened the door, and stepped outside. The moment she closed the door, her tears fell like broken pearls. She pressed her hand tightly over her mouth to keep from crying out, so overcome with grief that she could only steady herself by holding onto the nearby corridor pillar.

The person she had always regarded as a father and brother, the person she had always considered her guardian, was someone who wanted to kill her. This was more cruel and terrifying than any truth in the world.

After a long time, Yusang stood up and left. Outside Yusang Pavilion gradually grew quiet—wind ceased, trees stilled, calm and soundless. After a long while, the door slowly opened, and Bai Zhi walked out from inside, standing on the steps with his hands behind his back, looking up at the half moon in the sky.

“Since you’ve come and seen her heartbreak, why don’t you show yourself?” After a long while, Bai Zhi spoke indifferently to the bright moon in the sky.

A light breeze passed by, and in the blink of an eye, a refined man appeared beside Bai Zhi. Yan Qige stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the moon in the sky. After a while, he said, “Tonight’s moon resembles the one during that great battle.”

“Despite everything I’ve done, I still couldn’t stop her. From now on, you’ll have to rely on yourself.”

“Thank you for all these years.”

“I’ve watched you step by step force yourself onto a path of no return, yet I couldn’t stop you or change anything. What is there to thank me for?”

“Bai Zhi, help me one last time. Before everything ends, don’t tell her anything.”

Bai Zhi didn’t answer, only gazing silently at the bright, solitary moon.

Yusang returned to Dajing City and went to the highest hall in Dajing Palace. The place was already in ruins, with dust everywhere inside the hall, and extremely quiet. She opened the hall’s doors and sat on the high threshold, leaning against the doorframe in a daze until she fell asleep, dreamed, then woke with a start to find it was already dawn.

Watching the sun rise bit by bit from beyond the palace walls until it illuminated the entire palace, she stood up and left. She went to the small town in the mortal world, returning to the manor where she and Yan Qige had once lived. Thick white snow had accumulated in the courtyard, covering everything. The snow was knee-deep, and there was a trail of footprints in the snow leading forward to the warm pavilion.

Yusang followed the trail of footprints forward, not stepping in them but walking alongside to create her own set of prints, until she stopped at the door of the warm pavilion. She reached out to place her hand on the door but hesitated, not pushing it open. Several times she placed her hand there and then let it drop, but finally she gently pushed it open.

There was no one inside, but a warming stove was set up, making it very warm. On the desk sat a brain coral incense burner, with musk sending curling green smoke spiraling upward. Yusang entered and walked to sit by the desk, opening the window and turning her head to look at the river water outside. In the depths of winter, with mist swirling around, everything seemed like a dream.

Footsteps could be heard approaching. Yusang turned her head and saw Yan Qige in white robes already standing several steps away from her.