When Li Fei stepped outside, it was already the dead of night at the Academy. The courtyard of the Disciple Rooms stood empty, with patches of melting snow and scattered withered branches covering the ground. Her gaze immediately caught Ye Ye pacing restlessly by the window. She called out to him, but he didn't seem to hear. After shouting his name three times with no response, she approached him only to find him standing motionless, his vacant eyes fixed on the window crack as if his soul had left his body.
His Disciple uniform still bore traces of dried blood—likely from Baili Changyue. Had he been waiting here ever since he regained consciousness?
Li Fei wanted to touch his shoulder and reassure him about Changyue's condition, but something about him radiated an aura that pushed people away. Hesitating, she suddenly noticed Baili Gelin sitting on the steps nearby, lost in thought.
"Ge Lin," she called, repeating the name several times before Gelin finally looked up as if snapping out of a trance.
"Li Fei!" she exclaimed softly, her eyes immediately reddening. Biting her lip, she whispered, "Thank goodness you're alright... I... First I thought my sister would die, then when I woke up and heard you'd fallen too, I didn't know what to do."
"I'm fine, all limbs accounted for," Li Fei reassured her, squeezing her hand. "I saw Changyue inside. Zuoqiu Xiansheng said she'll fully recover by tomorrow morning. There's nothing to worry about."
Gelin's eyes were bloodshot, her hair and clothes disheveled—clear signs she'd neglected her usually meticulous appearance in her distress over her sister and friend.
"Why are you sitting here alone? Don't worry too much—Changyue will be fine tomorrow."
Gelin remained silent, staring blankly at the melting snow on the ground as if drifting away again.
Li Fei felt a growing unease. What was wrong with everyone?
"Is Ye Ye just worried about Changyue?" she asked quietly.
After a long pause, Gelin forced a smile. "Probably. He's always been close to my sister. When something happens to her, he takes it hardest. When she fell off the cliff... he jumped right after to catch her..."
She hesitated before continuing, "Li Fei, when my sister fell, my soul nearly left my body. All I could think was to follow her down."
Li Fei nodded in understanding. If anything happened to Master before her eyes, she wouldn't hesitate to follow either.
"Then Ye Ye jumped too and caught her," Gelin said haltingly. "As I fell, all I could think was... if they died, I wouldn't want to live either. Maybe dying together wouldn't be so bad."
Li Fei gently embraced her shoulders. "You're family. I understand."
"Yes, family." Gelin fell silent for a moment. "Knowing everyone's safe now... I'm really happy. So happy."
Happy? Then why were tears streaming down her face? Li Fei wondered—was this crying from overwhelming relief?
"Li Fei, did you know? We met Ye Ye over a year ago while performing on the road," Gelin murmured, her eyes taking on a strange glow as memories surfaced. "I was the one who found him first—being hunted, covered in blood, half-buried in snow in some alley... When I approached to help, he bit me...""There's a dent on my forehead and a scar on the web of my left hand—both from him... He was so fierce back then. Not only did he bite me, but he also shoved me hard against the wall. My head split open, and I bled so much... Later, he apologized and said he'd take responsibility if it left a scar... What responsibility did he take? I really did end up with scars... When I asked him later why he didn’t take responsibility, he said, 'Haven’t I? Big brother will take care of you for life...' He wanted to be my brother, but I never wanted a brother..."
Li Fei grew increasingly alarmed as she listened. Why was Ge Lin suddenly saying all this? She seemed so strange...
"I knew he liked my sister. I always knew. So what’s wrong with me now? The three of us have always been together, always... Could we stay together forever? Would he be my brother forever?"
She continued murmuring, as if asking Li Fei or perhaps herself. Then, suddenly, she smiled, as if snapping out of it, and said softly, "Li Fei, you're my best friend. I don’t know why, but we just click. It’s so good to have you here now."
"I’ll cultivate well and become a powerful Celestial," Baili Gelin whispered. "I’ll be fine. Really, don’t worry. I’m just too happy."
Li Fei was both puzzled and surprised. She murmured, "Ge Lin, you—"
"I’m fine," Baili Gelin said quietly. "Go on, Li Fei, get some rest. I want to sit alone for a while, okay?"
At that moment, she exuded the same aura as Ye Ye—one that pushed everyone away. Li Fei couldn’t think of anything to say, so she slowly stood and left. Still uneasy, she glanced back and saw, under the cold moonlight reflecting off the lingering snow, tears streaming down Baili Gelin’s face.
Suddenly, Li Fei felt as if she had stumbled upon some secret and quickly turned away. She vaguely understood something, yet not truly. A mix of sorrow and confusion swirled within her.
The next morning, Li Fei rose early, though she had barely slept. The image of Baili Gelin’s tear-streaked face haunted her. She had no idea what to say to her, only faintly guessing at the truth. Children who had endured hardships from a young age naturally lacked the innocence of ordinary kids. Ge Lin might seem cheerful and lively, but the secrets she chose to keep were unspoken—even to Changyue. How could Li Fei presume to pry?
When she arrived at the courtyard from the previous day, the door was already open, much to her surprise. Lei Xiuyuan and Ji Tongzhou stood to one side, listening to Zuoqiu Xiansheng, while on the other side, Ye Ye clung tightly to Baili Changyue, whose robes were stained with blood. Ge Lin stood far from them, keeping her distance.
Li Fei wanted to check on Changyue, but she and Ye Ye were locked in such an intimate embrace that approaching felt intrusive. For Ye Ye and the others, this had been a near-death experience, so their reaction was understandable. Yet the sight of Ge Lin standing alone filled her with an inexplicable ache.
Zuoqiu Xiansheng seemed to have finished his instructions. As he walked away, he said kindly, "Though your injuries—internal and external—have healed, your expended energy cannot be restored so quickly. The masters are busy setting up the Spiritual Qi Net these days, so cultivation is temporarily suspended. Take this time to rest properly."The children respectfully acknowledged and watched as Zuoqiu Xiansheng departed. Li Fei sized up the two boys before her and spoke candidly, "I'm glad you're both alright."
Lei Xiuyuan remained composed, but Ji Tongzhou was visibly uncomfortable with her amiable tone. Flustered, he stammered for a moment before murmuring, "You're... fine too. That's good."
Whether willing or not initially, the three of them had worked together to overcome a crisis in the Academy's restricted area, supporting and caring for one another. Looking back now, their past grudges seemed no different from childish squabbles—holding onto them would be laughable.
Yet suddenly becoming friendly still felt awkward. After standing in silence for a while, Lei Xiuyuan broke the quiet, "Was it Hu Jiaping who subdued that Golden Lion later?"
At almost the same time, Ji Tongzhou blurted out, "What happened with the Golden Lion? Was there really a black stone tower sealed on its back?"
The two boys exchanged glances and then fell into an odd silence.
Li Fei decided to recount everything that had happened after they lost consciousness. When she mentioned being struck by the Golden Lion's claw, even Lei Xiuyuan couldn't hide his shock. Ji Tongzhou exclaimed, "You said that Golden Lion was enormous! How weren't you seriously injured after being hit by it?"
"I was fine," Li Fei replied. "Hu Jiaping and that black-veiled woman arrived just in time. The black-veiled woman turned out to be a weapon spirit—she could transform into a sword. Earlier, Mo Yanfan couldn't harm the Golden Lion with ordinary weapons, but Hu Jiaping managed to wound it using that sword. That's how we escaped."
Hearing about the weapon spirit, the two boys seemed to have an epiphany. Lei Xiuyuan mused, "No wonder I found her aura strange when we first saw her in Lu Gongzhen. So she wasn't human."
Ji Tongzhou added, "I’ve heard only true divine weapons can nurture weapon spirits. That black-veiled woman’s original form must have been a genuine mystic sword."
"I think the sword was called Temper Edge, but it was already broken," Li Fei said. This was her first time hearing about weapon spirits, and she couldn’t help but ask, "What exactly is a weapon spirit?"
"Temper Edge!" Ji Tongzhou, being a prince, had broader knowledge than most. His face filled with astonishment. "Temper Edge was Guangwei Zhenren of No Moon Court’s mystic sword! I heard it was used to slay Taowu, the calamity that wreaked havoc two hundred years ago! How could it have broken?"
Lei Xiuyuan explained, "Divine weapons develop weapon spirits only after ages of existence. But for these weapons, nurturing a spirit isn’t always beneficial. For about fifty years, most of their spiritual energy goes into forming the spirit, leaving the weapon itself fragile. If used during this time, it’s not surprising for it to break."
The two boys went back and forth, but halfway through, they suddenly stopped, as if realizing they were competing over who knew more—another awkward silence.
Ji Tongzhou still couldn’t let go of his pride. Jiang Li Fei was one thing—she was a girl, and he wasn’t about to argue with a girl. But this Lei Xiuyuan matched him at every turn, and he couldn’t help feeling resentful. He snorted, "Go on then! You seem to know a lot!"
Lei Xiuyuan replied coolly, "The prince is quite knowledgeable himself. Surprising."His words always carried a hidden edge, which irritated Ji Tongzhou immensely. The two of them simply couldn't get along peacefully. He opened his mouth to retort with some sarcastic remark when suddenly a girl's choked voice came from behind: "Your Highness! You're finally awake!"
Ji Tongzhou turned to see Lan Ya Junzhu standing there with a few of his lackeys, watching him. The poor young noblewoman's eyes were red and swollen from crying, resembling two peaches. Seeing Ji Tongzhou standing there unharmed, she rushed forward tearfully, embracing him tightly before suddenly remembering propriety and hastily stepping back. Trembling, she said, "Thank goodness! Your Highness! I... I thought you..."
Ji Tongzhou always became flustered when faced with a crying girl. Frowning, he said, "I'm perfectly fine. What's there to cry about?"
Lan Ya Junzhu wiped her tears vigorously. "I... I won't cry anymore."
Despite her words, tears continued to fall from her peach-like eyes. Ji Tongzhou grew even more embarrassed and simply ignored her.
He had been in the middle of an engaging conversation with Jiang Li Fei and the others and was reluctant to leave. Truth be told, he felt quite at ease with them—no one bowed and scraped or flattered him. Though he'd initially found them annoying, for some reason, he'd gradually stopped feeling that way. Compared to the sycophantic praise of his lackeys or Lan Ya Junzhu's unconditional obedience, he found it much more comfortable to bicker and chat freely with others.
But then his lackeys swarmed around him, their endless flattery and fawning making his head spin. When he looked back, Jiang Li Fei and the others had already stepped aside.
A sudden sense of loss washed over him.
"Did the Golden Lion injure you afterward?" Lei Xiuyuan suddenly asked.
Li Fei shook her head. She couldn't bring herself to reveal the whole truth, so she changed the subject. "I plan to tell Chang Yue about Zhen Yunzi later. Even if it's hard to guard against, it's better to be prepared than to be caught off guard and die for no reason. By the way, has the Celestial Sound Word Spirit taken effect on you again?"
In the Restricted Area, he had been able to speak freely because the dense miasma nullified all Immortal Techniques. Now that they were back at the Academy, he would likely revert to being the tight-lipped Lei Xiuyuan.
Lei Xiuyuan replied, "Zuoqiu Xiansheng has already removed the Celestial Sound Word Spirit's mark from me."
"It seems the Academy does know who the real culprit is but has chosen to remain silent in the end." He looked up at the blue sky, where countless faint threads of light were densely woven into a net. "The Spiritual Qi Net has also begun to form. At least we can feel somewhat safer during our remaining time at the Academy."
Just as Li Fei was about to speak, she noticed Ji Tongzhou approaching, looking somewhat awkward. After a pause, he suddenly muttered in a low voice, "Um... you... you guys..."
He trailed off mid-sentence. Truthfully, he hadn't expected Jiang Li Fei and Lei Xiuyuan to help him so selflessly in the Restricted Area, given how hostile their relationship had been before. He felt both grateful and puzzled.
After struggling for a long time, he finally mumbled in a barely audible voice, "Well... uh, thank you."
With that, he turned and walked away. Li Fei was left stunned for a moment. That abrupt "thank you"—was it for the care they'd given him when his leg was broken? This young prince was so awkward, even his gratitude came out grudgingly.
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