Why not return home?

The expression on Hansu’s face grew increasingly grave, until it seemed on the verge of collapse. This made Daoist Hengbo a little anxious. Though healers are said to be unable to heal themselves, she knew her own body well enough—there was really nothing wrong. But this child, out of filial devotion, insisted on checking her pulse, so she let her. She hadn’t expected Hansu to find anything, but now, seeing her expression...

“Mother, could it be... you’re expecting a baby?” After several careful examinations, Hansu finally felt sure enough. She slowly raised her dazed face, looking at Daoist Hengbo with eyes both blank and brimming with curiosity, and asked.

“You child, what nonsense are you spouting? After having you, I’m already content. I’m a Nascent Soul cultivator, what sort of pregnancy could I possibly have...” Daoist Hengbo's face flushed at Hansu's words, and she reached out a finger to tap Hansu's forehead in mock reproach.

“But really... have you checked yourself?”

“No... no, I haven’t.” Seeing Hansu’s utterly serious expression, Hengbo, who had been so certain, began to feel nervous herself.

“Could it be...?” At last, unable to hold back, she checked herself—and her expression crumbled just like Hansu's!

“It’s... it’s true! Senior Brother! Hurry, come here!” Daoist Hengbo was caught in a whirlwind of emotion—disbelief, pride, anxiety?

Seeing her mother like this, Hansu could only quietly go to the alchemy room and call Lanhe back, interrupting his discussion of pill formulas with Daoist Yuheng.

She left the couple some privacy, and headed out together with Daoist Yuheng.

“Does Junior Sister Huaizhen have any plans next?” After a stretch of silent walking, Daoist Yuheng suddenly spoke.

“Ah? Plans? I’ll probably head out to find some spiritual herbs and medicines suitable for my mother.”

“Why don’t we go together? I’ve arranged to visit an ancient cultivator’s cave dwelling with a few friends. Would you be interested?”

Hansu thought to herself: what I’m looking for are herbs for stabilizing pregnancy, or at least ones useful for female cultivators—would an ancient cave dwelling have those? But since he had already extended the invitation, it would be rude to refuse. Besides, for female cultivators—especially high-level ones—pregnancy and childbirth are a long process, so there was still some time. If need be, she could always send a message to Cong Baoxin to see if she could buy what she needed.

So she agreed readily, and after they set a time, they went their separate ways.

Back home, Hansu wrote out a list of needed items and sent it to Cong Baoxin via messenger talisman, then began preparing for her journey.

The appointed day soon arrived. Hansu had already said her goodbyes to her parents the day before. This morning, she only needed to set off on her own. Ever since that night when she had stood in the breeze, enjoying an intimate connection with nature that had brought her cultivation a great boost, she had made a habit of coming out every night to bask in the moonlight.

Pushing open the door, she found Daoist Yuheng already waiting outside. Seeing her, he merely nodded coolly, said nothing, and summoned his spirit sword to fly onward. Hansu hurried after him. Fortunately, Daoist Yuheng, knowing she was only a newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivator, didn’t fly too fast, so she was able to keep up.

As Hansu set off toward new lands, a conflict erupted within the Domain Lord’s group.

In fact, ever since the group arrived at the Luoxing Realm, on a pitch-dark, windy night when one could not see a hand before one’s face, they had successfully infiltrated Feixing Academy and kidnapped its outstanding young headmaster, Yu Yicong. But soon after, divisions arose among them.

Before finding Mingji and the others, Rong Ling had already cleared out his former palace, perched atop the highest, snow-covered peak of the Luoxing Realm. Ordinary people could never reach such a place, so even after thousands of years—through all the changes of time—it remained undisturbed.

He suggested moving Yu Yicong there: remote, secluded, but still within the Luoxing Realm, so they could set out immediately if they needed to search for anything.

The others agreed—until Mingji said a single sentence that turned everyone against him.

Mingji wanted to imprison him in the Fuhai Realm.

With no support from the others, Rong Ling could do nothing but acquiesce.

Yet the doubt in his heart only grew stronger.

Yes, from the beginning something had felt wrong. When Huayun chased Mingji to the Luoxing Realm, Rong Ling had tried to intervene, only to be injured by the now much stronger Huayun. From that moment, he sensed something was off. But what followed was a dream that seemed to last millennia, leaving all matters to others—he was absent for everything that happened next and had only ever heard Mingji’s version of events.

He harbored doubts, but had never voiced them.

Huayun had always loved Mingji deeply and would do anything for her. Liaowu had indeed said he was tired of the lower realms and wanted to leave. But if that were so, would he really have arranged so many things and harmed so many friends?

If these thoughts were not enough to trouble him, an even bigger question was the Tongtian Mirror.

As far as he knew, the Tongtian Mirror was a high-grade immortal artifact. Its spirit was once a wronged female cultivator, making her temperament mercurial—sometimes helpful, sometimes not. This made ascending to immortality a matter of luck: if she was in a good mood, she would open the way; if not, even the most outstanding cultivator could not reach the upper realm.

Even so, she was not one to go mad so easily. How could she have gone berserk after Huayun stole her, driving Huayun to demonization?

After Liaowu was subdued, with the Tongtian Mirror present, the spirit could not stray far. Even if she was powerful, a prolonged separation from the mirror would weaken her, and there was a strong bond between them. How could Liaowu have so easily subdued her and separated her from the mirror?

Moreover, Mingji claimed to have the Tongtian Mirror in her possession but never produced it, always deflecting the topic. This was the greatest mystery of all. How could he uncover the truth?

Because he suspected Mingji, Rong Ling wanted to bring Liaowu to his own territory in the Luoxing Realm. Unfortunately, Mingji’s side had the numbers, and without solid proof, he could not voice his suspicions. He resolved instead to guard Liaowu closely and prevent any secret plots.

From the moment he was captured, Liaowu wore a mocking smile. He never questioned Xuanting about breaking his oath, nor asked what they intended, just kept that cold, sneering look, as if to say, “You fools.”

Xuanting was especially unsettled by this attitude and tried repeatedly to explain he had not broken his oath—he had never acted directly, only refrained from stopping Rong Ling, Mingji, and the others from seeking revenge.

Liaowu didn’t spare him a glance, treating him as if he did not exist.

Mingji locked Liaowu in a deep dungeon within her underwater palace.

Then, the group interrogated him together. The main question: “What did you do with the Tongtian Mirror’s spirit?!”

Amidst this, Xuanting bellowed, “Why were you so deranged, so selfish as to harm so many friends?!”

Liaowu remained silent throughout. No matter what they said, he gave not a word in response.

Mingji was beside herself with rage—if the others had not restrained her, she might have killed him on the spot.

This made Rong Ling even more uneasy. At last, he found an opportunity to meet Liaowu alone.

“What really happened back then?”

He expected Liaowu to remain uncooperative, but to his surprise, Liaowu lifted his bowed head, looked at him, and asked, “Hasn’t Mingji already told you what happened? Don’t you believe her?”

“I want to hear it from you.”

“Heh, at least one of you shows some intelligence. But even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. I will give you only one piece of advice: stay far away from Mingji.”

“The spirit?”

“The spirit? Heh, what she’s after was never the spirit.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’ll understand in time.”

“And you?”

“Intent and deed alike, I am guilty. This life holds no meaning for me. Better to depart.”

With these soft words, Liaowu’s body dissolved into dust, his soul breaking all bonds and drifting away with the wind.

Rong Ling stood still for a moment, then left.

At this point, searching for the truth in his heart seemed meaningless. One of the key figures had already left his body and begun a new life. The most important thing now was to restore the Tongtian Mirror and bring order back to the Five Realms, so that all cultivators might again have the chance to ascend.

This had been his goal since awakening.

But where should he begin?

As Rong Ling fell once again into confusion, Hansu had already gathered with her companions for the expedition to the ancient cultivator’s cave.

She had thought Daoist Yuheng was a solitary figure, but to her surprise, he had quite a few friends. On reflection, as a Nascent Soul Daoist, how could he truly be alone all his life?

Their team consisted of three male cultivators: Daoist Junjian from the Golden Sword Sect, whom Hansu had met before; Daoist Tuhe from the Zhengyi Sect; and Mr. Tan, a Confucian scholar from Feixing Academy.

The three were waiting at the only teahouse in a small town several hundred miles from the cave dwelling. When Daoist Yuheng arrived with Hansu, the others were visibly surprised.

“Isn’t this the number one prodigy of the Luoxing Realm? Yuheng, my friend, your title has been snatched by a young lady. Aren’t you embarrassed?” said Daoist Tuhe of the Zhengyi Sect, a dark-faced young man with an easygoing manner.

“What number one prodigy? Tell me more!” asked Mr. Tan of Feixing Academy. He had been busy with matters at the Academy, which had been closed recently, and was only now venturing out.

“My junior sister’s Daoist name is Huaizhen. Huaizhen, this is Mr. Tan from Feixing Academy. You’ve already met Daoist Junjian, and this is Daoist Tuhe from the Zhengyi Sect.”

“Yes,” Hansu replied, stepping forward to greet them. Though now a Nascent Soul cultivator, her experience was still limited.

“Huaizhen Ruosu? A fine name,” Mr. Tan said, stroking his elegant beard and nodding with a smile.

“Since we’re all here, let’s discuss the situation,” Daoist Yuheng interrupted, ending their eager stares.

Author’s Note: The sky is so blue today, but I still have to work overtime… hungry… time to go home for dinner.