This was no coincidence.
Hong Ning had already known someone had saved her, so she wasn’t surprised. What did catch her off guard, however, was the faint, exquisite fragrance emanating from the person—it was inexplicably familiar.
A young man dressed in richly embroidered robes.
Or rather, he looked young, though it was impossible to tell his actual age. His eyes were as clear as rippling water, and his face was so stunningly beautiful that words failed to describe it. His faint smile, at first glance, exuded sacred grace, yet upon a second look, it held an almost breathtaking allure—far surpassing even the brilliance of the flowers that had just bloomed in the depths of the pool.
He looked down at her with a smile.
“Hong Ning.”
For no reason at all, a feeling of warmth and familiarity arose in her chest. She instinctively responded with a soft “Mm,” then immediately froze in surprise.
“You… know me?”
The man in embroidered robes merely smiled and did not answer.
Only then did Hong Ning realize—she was completely naked in his arms!
A rush of heat flooded her face.
True, her body was currently that of an underdeveloped twelve-year-old girl, but mentally, she was not.
Struggling to maintain her composure, she forced herself to speak as calmly as possible.
“Could you… put me down first?”
The man complied, setting her down without hesitation.
Hong Ning quickly walked over to pick up her clothes, hastily putting them on. When she turned back to face him, she had regained some of her composure—though she couldn’t stop her face from burning.
After deliberating for a moment, she finally said, “Thank you for saving my life.”
Given what she had just experienced, her calm demeanor was far from typical for someone her age. Most people would find it unusual, but the man in embroidered robes did not.
“I came to save you,” he said simply.
Hong Ning found his words strange.
The man continued, “Cultivation is not easy. Spare it.”
Only then did she realize what he meant.
“But it will continue to harm others,” she argued.
The man said, “It is not of our kind. The heavens will punish it in due time. It is not for me to interfere.”
Letting things take their natural course… He cultivates a different path than Master does, Hong Ning thought to herself.
Still, since he had saved her life, she couldn’t argue further. Instead, she asked politely, “May I ask for my benefactor’s name?”
The man let out a soft sigh.
“So you truly don’t remember.”
Hong Ning was perplexed.
The man raised his right hand.
His hand was exquisite—long, slender fingers, perfectly proportioned, relaxed yet elegant, as if sculpted from the finest jade.
Hong Ning found herself momentarily entranced.
When she snapped out of it, she realized that, at some point, she had been transported into a field of flowers.
A sea of vibrant red camellias, as brilliant as fire.
Hong Ning had always loved such passionate colors. They made her feel warm and joyful, lifting her spirits. Delighted, she crouched down and reached out to embrace the flowers—only to be startled by the sensation beneath her fingertips.
They were solid.
Real.
No ordinary illusion could produce something so tangible.
She was utterly astonished. Tentatively, she asked, “Is this… an advanced illusion spell? Or a translocation spell? You’re a cultivator too, aren’t you?”
The man in embroidered robes shook his head—then smiled. “Something like that.”
Hong Ning had no patience for roundabout answers. She got straight to the point.
“What’s your name?”
The man gazed at her. “You don’t even remember yourself, and yet you’re still this bold.”
A strange feeling stirred in Hong Ning’s heart.
“You… know me?”
The man didn’t answer. Instead, he asked, “Since you were reborn as a human, why don’t you cultivate immortality with your master? The immortal path is eternal—endless life, free from suffering. Why endure the pain of reincarnation?”
Hong Ning smiled.
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