The bowl of medicine still sat on the table, untouched. The two stools remained exactly as they had been when she left. Nothing in the room had been moved—everything seemed just as it was before.
Everything, except that one person was missing.
Bai Ling stood alone inside. The other person was no longer there.
Jin Xiu’s words earlier had carried a deeper meaning. Hong Ning had already guessed what had happened, yet the realization still sent a sharp pain through her heart. She stood frozen at the doorway for a long time before finally whispering, “He’s gone?”
Bai Ling slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers and gave a quiet “Mm.”
In just a few short hours, Wen Xin’s body had been properly laid to rest. As per his wishes, no spirit tablet had been set up. Hong Ning’s eyes fell on the bamboo couch—empty now, yet radiating a sense of familiarity so strong it felt as if its owner might return at any moment to sit and meditate.
She felt dazed, murmuring, “So soon… Why didn’t you call me?”
Bai Ling walked over and, just as he always did, took her hand. “Master has finally fulfilled his wish. In time, he will enter the celestial registry. Perhaps he will even come back to see you.”
Hong Ning looked down at their hands, then slowly lifted her face. Her reddened eyes curved into a faint smile. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve decided to cultivate immortality. Even if he doesn’t come to see me, I can go see him.”
Bai Ling’s eyes lit up instantly. In a low voice, he asked, “What did you say?”
His reaction softened Hong Ning’s mood, easing some of the heaviness in her heart. She laughed. “Surprised, aren’t you? The worldly fool has decided to pursue immortality. You—”
Her words faltered as she saw the sudden change in his expression.
His gaze grew incomparably gentle, and the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly, the faint smile spreading like ripples across water. Like spring melting the ice of a frozen river, the cold detachment on his strikingly handsome face vanished, replaced by a warmth as soft as a flowing stream, shimmering with light.
She had expected him to be surprised, but she had never imagined seeing him smile like this—not once in over ten years. She stared in a daze, utterly transfixed, before finally snapping back to her senses. Unable to resist teasing, she smirked. “Senior Brother, such a stunning smile—what a rare sight. I almost thought you’d dissolve into water.”
Bai Ling didn’t take offense. “You truly want to cultivate?”
Hong Ning lifted their joined hands. “That’s right. You heard me correctly. Master has gone ahead of us, but we are still here. I will do my best to cultivate, so please guide me well, Senior Brother.”
Bai Ling said, “Alright.”
Hong Ning grinned. “Starting tomorrow, teach me how to refine medicine. I want to begin fasting cultivation [a method of training where one stops consuming food] and strive to ascend alongside you to the celestial realm one day.”
Bai Ling stiffened. The brightness in his face dimmed.
Hong Ning didn’t notice. She withdrew her hand and walked over to tidy up the table, adjusting the stools back into place. As she worked, she sighed, “At least there are still the two of us—it won’t be too lonely. When Master was here, you never spoke, and that was fine. But now that he’s gone, it’s suddenly so quiet. I don’t think I can take it. If I come to talk to you, don’t find me annoying, alright? Just respond a little—even if it’s just to humor me. Consider it a favor…”
Bai Ling interrupted her. “Hong Ning.”
She turned back to him with a smile. “What is it?”
Bai Ling averted his gaze. “I will be leaving for a while.”
Her smile froze. She lowered her eyes and softly murmured, “Oh… You’re leaving too.” Then she turned and continued cleaning the room.
After a long silence, Bai Ling finally spoke again. “I’m returning to Kunlun Mountain for now. Just focus on your cultivation. I’ve reinforced the formations around the area—forty feet in all directions. No ordinary demon can enter or leave easily. It’s best if you don’t go out unnecessarily. As for daily supplies, someone will deliver them every half a month.”
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