Within Bodhi Valley.
Xue Xianzi and Ren Qingchou quietly retrieved all the "Lonely Branch Like Snow" from the Elixir chamber and tossed them into the massive fire pit outside the door. Amid the roaring flames, tens of thousands of white blossoms vanished into wisps of smoke, their ashes scarcely reaching the bottom of the pit before dissipating into nothingness.
When the Dissolute Shop had dug this great fire pit underground, they could never have imagined that Xue Xianzi would one day use it to burn trash. Once all the "Lonely Branch Like Snow" had been destroyed, Xue Xianzi, seized by a sudden impulse, began hauling out the medicine cabinets from the Elixir chamber—large and small—and hurling them one by one into the pit. In less than half a shichen, the chamber had been stripped bare, not a single weed left behind.
This was the most secretive underground location of the Dissolute Shop, where the occasional explosive crackle of flames masked any noise. Thus, despite Xue Xianzi’s prolonged ransacking below, no one noticed anything amiss. By the time he had emptied the Elixir chamber of all its cabinets, it was nearly the second watch.
"Elder," Ren Qingchou clapped his hands together. After helping Xue Xianzi toss the last cabinet into the fire pit, he took a broom and meticulously swept the now-barren chamber. "It's time." Xue Xianzi watched him clean with a sidelong glance, marveling inwardly at how Qu Zhiliang had managed to raise such a disciple. "Since it's time, let's go. Where's the way out?"
"This way." Ren Qingchou drew the small black bow from his back, carefully nocked a Black Short Arrow, and checked all the items on his person before leading the way. Xue Xianzi flapped his sleeves to fan himself. If only this kid could serve as his attendant—he’d be thoroughly satisfied. Pity he was Qu Zhiliang’s disciple. Taking him as a servant would be rather disrespectful to the dead...
Ren Qingchou moved cautiously ahead, completely unaware of Xue Xianzi’s wandering thoughts. His steps were light as he circled halfway around the fire pit before suddenly pressing against an earthen wall. A hidden door swung open, and he immediately loosed an arrow inside. The sound of someone collapsing followed. Xue Xianzi drifted in and saw a swordsman guarding the entrance felled by Ren Qingchou’s arrow—though the young man had clearly held back. The arrow had struck the man’s throat, silencing him without killing him outright. Had the tip veered even slightly, it would have pierced through, ending him on the spot.
The two proceeded along the dim tunnel, encountering checkpoints along the way. Each time, Ren Qingchou fired an arrow—his archery swift and precise, producing almost no sound as he effortlessly cleared the path. Xue Xianzi clicked his tongue in amazement. No wonder Yu Konghou had entrusted Ren Qingchou alone with guarding the Elixir chamber. Had the boy not been dizzy from spinning earlier, subduing him would have taken considerable effort.
After a few more turns, a sudden shout echoed ahead as a figure abruptly blocked the passage. "Who goes there in the dead of night?"
Ren Qingchou hesitated slightly. This man was the Dissolute Shop’s Tunnel and Mechanism Overseer—also the one tasked with guarding Wen Hui. "Overseer."
The Overseer, a stern-faced man in his forties with a long beard, frowned. "Ren Qingchou? Why aren’t you at the Elixir chamber? What are you doing here?" Ren Qingchou’s small black bow abruptly leveled at him. Though the arrow’s glint was faint in the darkness, the Overseer’s expression shifted instantly. "You—""My apologies." Ren Qingchou aimed the arrow tip at him. Xue Xianzi swiftly stepped forward, pressing several acupoints on his body with a laugh. "Easy as pie." Ren Qingchou didn't seem triumphant, maintaining remarkable composure. "Chief Enforcer, where is Sister Hui?" The Chief Enforcer sneered without answering, his voice low. "You dare collude with outsiders to betray Dissolute Shop! When I report to the master, Wen Hui will be skinned and dismembered!" Ren Qingchou murmured, "Tell me where Sister Hui is, and I won't kill you." The Chief Enforcer laughed maniacally but remained silent. Xue Xianzi frisked him and retrieved several sets of keys from his person. "So many keys—they'll surely come in handy. Since you refuse to talk, keeping you serves no purpose." Suddenly struck by inspiration, he added, "How about this, kid? Let's toss him into that giant fire pit in front of the Elixir chamber. He'll burn to ashes in no time, not even bones left. At least three to five days before Dissolute Shop notices he's missing. What do you say?"
Ren Qingchou had no objections and lifted the Chief Enforcer, preparing to drag him back to the fire pit. The Chief Enforcer panicked. "Wait!" he bellowed. "You said if I told you Wen Hui's whereabouts, you'd spare me. A gentleman's word is his bond—how can you go back on it?" Ren Qingchou paused, then nodded. "Where is Sister Hui?"
"She's in the Iron Prison," the Chief Enforcer spat through gritted teeth. "Last time, Miss Bai ordered you to kill Tang Lici, but you failed. The master punished you by assigning you to guard the Elixir chamber and locked her in the Iron Prison. You won't be able to save her!" Ren Qingchou nodded again and turned to Xue Xianzi. "Elder..." Xue Xianzi waved dismissively. "You subdued him. Kill or spare him—your call. No need to consult me." Ren Qingchou hummed in acknowledgment. "Chief Enforcer, my apologies." He gently set him down by the tunnel and walked away with Xue Xianzi toward the exit.
"Kid, aren't you going to rescue her?" Xue Xianzi frowned. "Aren't you the lovesick type? Swore she's the only one for you in this lifetime? Now that you know she's in the Iron Prison, why not go?" Ren Qingchou's gaze was clear. "I'll help you burn those flowers first, then rescue her."
"Aren't you afraid it'll be too late?"
"It won't be." Ren Qingchou spoke with confidence. "Elder, the exit is just ahead."
After crawling through the dark tunnel for so long, Xue Xianzi had nearly forgotten what the sky looked like. Ren Qingchou pushed open a white wooden door, and a sliver of moonlight streamed in, illuminating the ground.
It was as white as snow.
Xue Xianzi stared outside.
It was deep night, the bright moon hanging high, stars sparse. The forest appeared as clusters of darkness in the night, the stark contrast between the radiant moonlight and the pitch-black woods accentuating the valley's snow-white expanse.
The ground was covered in white sand like snow, dotted with rows of tombstones. The smooth, weathered stone slabs glimmered under the moon's glow, cold yet gentle. Crimson vines crawled across the ground, bearing strange snow-white flowers—petals as white as the sand, stamens as red as blood. At a glance, it was hard to distinguish sand from flower...
Three thousand worlds, sighing in vain for the red spider lilies.
Mirrors and dust—all are but emptiness from the start.
Xue Xianzi stared unblinkingly at the scene before him. Ren Qingchou watched Xue Xianzi's eyes and, in that fleeting moment, seemed to glimpse all the regrets and sorrows of this elder's lifetime.
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