Coming Home for Dinner

Luochen hurried towards the grand hall of Bamboo Peak, where Venerable Zhu Qing was leisurely engrossed in a book.

Upon stopping, Luochen bowed respectfully.

“Master.”

Venerable Zhu Qing waved a dismissive hand, then asked directly, “Is Chen Ruan important to you?”

Luochen paused, contemplating for a long moment before answering, “Extremely important.”

Every Daughter of Destiny was crucial to saving the world, making their importance undeniable.

Hearing this, Venerable Zhu Qing sighed. “So that’s how it is. Very well, very well.”

Without giving Luochen a chance to press further, Venerable Zhu Qing opened her hand, revealing a delicate porcelain bottle resting within.

“I called you here this time to give you some pills I’ve refined.”

“Pills?” Luochen echoed, a hint of confusion in her voice.

She opened the bottle and sniffed, detecting a faint, refreshing scent of bamboo leaves.

Venerable Zhu Qing nodded. “These are pills I’ve refined using my origin spiritual energy, named Bamboo Green Pills. They contain potent healing and restorative powers.”

“I’m about to enter seclusion, and the only thing I truly worry about is your illness. Without my spiritual energy, how will you endure its onset?”

“So I consulted True Immortal Yun Qing, and they informed me that if origin spiritual energy is properly controlled, it can be refined into pills and preserved for a long time.”

“However, manipulating origin spiritual energy can only be done by oneself, so…”

“So, Master learned alchemy from scratch?” The thought of the small mountain of alchemy books piled in Venerable Zhu Qing’s room brought a pang of emotion to Luochen, a sting at the bridge of her nose.

These pills were worth a fortune to her.

Because of her illness, Luochen had always been hesitant to venture too far from Bamboo Peak, but with these pills, she could finally explore the wider world.

This would also significantly increase her chances of finding the remaining Daughters of Destiny.

“You, you… don’t be a crybaby now that you’re all grown up,” Venerable Zhu Qing playfully tapped her head, a slight smile gracing her lips.

“Do you remember the promise I made to you?”

“I do.”

“I told you I would protect you for a lifetime.”

Venerable Zhu Qing rose, cupping the cheeks of her disciple before her. The clear spring water in her eyes reflected Luochen’s image, overflowing with a tenderness that seemed ready to spill.

“A lifetime has only just begun.”

Venerable Zhu Qing’s gentle whisper lingered in Luochen’s ear.

The young woman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, attempting to conceal her reddened ear tip.

****

Chen Ruan wandered alone along a deserted mountain path.

The reverent expressions of the Sword Forging Peak disciples when they spoke of Shuanghua seemed to still float before her eyes.

Chen Ruan’s hand unconsciously tightened, her fingertips turning white from the grip.

‘Arrogant, aloof, self-serving, and a wanton killer.’

‘How could such a person be worthy of that position?’

‘To pursue a demon sect leader, she didn’t hesitate to destroy the entire city of Moyang.’

‘Did all those vibrant lives truly mean nothing to her?’

Coupling this with the token she had previously found, Chen Ruan was convinced that Shuanghua was inextricably linked to the incident.

As dusk settled, the last rays of the setting sun painted the path Chen Ruan walked in a golden hue.

Her shadow stretched long and slender, fading into the deepening twilight.

Chen Ruan’s gaze was shadowed, like distant stars obscured by dark clouds.

Indeed, she couldn’t comprehend it. Why would such a person exist within the Feibai Sect, which prided itself on righteousness, and why could such a person openly continue to serve as a peak master?

Shuanghua looked at the unfamiliar girl before her, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

‘A new face, finally! I should go practice with her… no, practice talking.’

Thinking of the disciples who would turn and flee the moment they saw her, Shuanghua grew quite vexed.

‘Who is spreading rumors about me? Even the dogs on the roadside now avoid me by a mile.’

Shuanghua silently grumbled to herself.

‘Forget it, I should focus on the present.’

After a full day immersed in ‘How to Speak,’ Shuanghua felt incredibly formidable.

Chen Ruan looked at the unfamiliar immortal before her, a trace of confusion in her eyes.

“You are?”

“Who are you?”

Before Chen Ruan could finish her question, the other party had already spoken.

“I was rescued by Senior Sister Luochen, my name is Chen Ruan, and I’m currently staying at Bamboo Peak.”

‘Success? I actually spoke three consecutive words fluently?’

Shuanghua was so lost in her immense delight that she completely missed the other person’s reply.

“May I ask for Senior’s esteemed name?” Seeing Shuanghua ignore her, Chen Ruan spoke again.

“Shuanghua.”

Chen Ruan felt as if struck by lightning, a cold sweat snaking down her back like a poisonous serpent.

‘Another success?’

Shuanghua felt lightheaded with elation.

‘Wait, this isn’t the time to celebrate. She just said she was Luochen’s guest?’

‘Should I reply, “Ah, Luochen, she is indeed a very excellent young person.”’

‘Perhaps I should add, “I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”’

‘Never mind, I’ll just say it first.’

“Luo… Luo… Luochen… chen.”

‘Failed again.’

Shuanghua was on the verge of tears.

‘If this continues, she’ll definitely think I’m strange. Will she discover I stutter?’

‘No matter, I’ll just slip away first.’

To protect her reputation (did she even have one?), Shuanghua decided to retreat.

“Luochen?”

The peak master before her softly uttered the name, a hint of disdain seemingly in her tone.

She didn’t deign to glance at Chen Ruan again, merely waved her sleeve, and vanished from the spot.

Chen Ruan’s eyes clouded over, her fingertips white from clenching.

‘What did she mean by that? Did she think I wasn’t worth talking to?’

‘Was she at odds with Sister Luo?’

As if recalling the girl who always wore a smile, a faint smile unconsciously appeared on Chen Ruan’s face.

‘I must keep a close eye on this person; I cannot let her harm Sister Luo.’

Chen Ruan secretly resolved.

‘Right, it’s time to head back to Bamboo Peak.’

‘Wait, where am I?’

Night had fallen, the bright moon absent, with only two or three scattered stars visible in the sky.

Chen Ruan discovered a somewhat sad truth.

She was lost.

In the deserted mountain paths, the young woman felt a profound sense of disorientation.

She didn’t know where she had wandered, and there wasn’t a single light in sight.

‘What if I activate my powers here?’

Chen Ruan immediately dismissed the thought; doing so would surely expose her identity as a demonic cultivator.

Under these circumstances, she could only rely on instinct.

She walked until her legs ached, until the last remaining starlight was obscured by dark clouds.

She walked until she remembered that night in the ruins years ago, a night sky as utterly black as this one.

The eerie howls of wolves echoed around her, punctuated by the occasional sound of collapsing wooden planks within the ruins.

Amidst the corpses of her loved ones, Chen Ruan had endured the most agonizing night of her life.

Now, boundless darkness enveloped the land, and it also enveloped Chen Ruan’s heart.

The person she was now was not a powerful cultivator with five-revolution cultivation; she was merely that helpless child from back then.

She began to tremble.

Chen Ruan squatted down, tucking her head into the haven formed by her hands and knees, seeking a sliver of comfort.

This was a lesson she had learned over many years—doing so provided a greater sense of security, even if only a little.

‘It will pass soon.’

Chen Ruan continuously reassured herself.

Looking at the trembling girl curled into a ball before her, Luochen felt a pang of self-reproach.

She had simply assumed Chen Ruan was still playing outside, only realizing something was amiss as dusk approached.

“Miss Chen?” Luochen spoke softly.

“Miss Chen?” A voice rang out, like celestial music.

“What’s wrong? Why are you curled up here alone? Are you lost?”

Luochen took the token from Chen Ruan’s hand and shook it gently. “It took me quite a bit of effort to find you.”

She had been scolded by the sect master for several days after losing the original token, so she had placed a spiritual energy tracker on the new one, never expecting it to actually come in handy.

“Sister Luo,” Chen Ruan cried out, losing control as she threw herself into Luochen’s embrace.

It seemed that the girl from all those years ago had also found salvation.

“I’m here. Let’s go home for dinner,” Luochen smiled, gently holding the girl in her arms.

“Okay.”