The night breeze was soft, the temple grounds peaceful, but Hong Ning’s heart was restless.
She walked silently past a decorative rock garden, only to see—
That same rabbit spirit lying lazily on the ground again.
The moment he spotted her, his ears shot up.
"You’re not here to catch me again, are you?"
Then, before she could reply, he started rambling—complaining at length about how difficult cultivation was.
Hong Ning found it amusing and cut him off. "If you stop scaring people, I won’t catch you."
The rabbit spirit visibly relaxed.
Hong Ning asked, "Are you trying to cultivate immortality too?"
The rabbit shook his head.
"Not really. I just happened to eat a leftover immortal fruit that the Old Man of Longevity discarded. That’s how I ended up like this."
Hong Ning sighed. "I see. Cultivation really is boring."
The rabbit nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly!"
"Being a rabbit is good enough?"
A warm voice interrupted them.
"You could be eaten by wolves or jackals. Or worse, captured by humans and roasted as a delicacy."
Both Hong Ning and the rabbit froze.
Somehow, Jin Xiu had appeared beside them without a sound.
He looked at the rabbit spirit and said gently,
**"You were given an immortal fate by chance. Yes, cultivation may be dull, but how can you be certain that a god’s life is any worse?
"In that state, you can still sleep and bask in the sun as you please—but without the fear of death, free to come and go as you like. Wouldn’t that be better?"**
The rabbit blinked, processing his words.
Then, as if suddenly realizing the truth of the universe, he sprang to his feet.
"You're right! I’m going to cultivate!"
In a flash, he transformed into a jade-colored rabbit and bounded away into the night.
* * *
Watching the rabbit disappear over the horizon, Hong Ning felt both amused and exasperated.
She glanced at Jin Xiu and said teasingly, "That’s your idea of guiding someone? Doesn’t that count as tempting them?"
Jin Xiu smiled faintly.
"Whether through persuasion or temptation, I only spoke the truth. The immortal path is eternal. If the rabbit could understand that, why can’t you?"
Hong Ning settled onto a stone, raising an eyebrow.
"You’re always trying to make me cultivate immortality. What exactly do you plan to use to tempt me?"
Jin Xiu answered without hesitation,
“Love.
“The immortal path is eternal, life is everlasting—so too is love.
“In the mortal world, it does not exist forever. With each new life, one forgets the love of the past.
“Just like you—do you remember your past life?
“And in your next life, you will forget your master, your senior brother, everyone you care about now.
“If you wish for love to endure forever, there is only one way—cultivation.”
Hong Ning fell silent for a long time.
Finally, she said, “Lian Hua loves Master Hai Ming.”
Jin Xiu replied calmly, **“Immortals and mortals walk different paths, as do humans and spirits.
“Forcing a union will only bring divine punishment—it will not end well for either of them.”**
Hong Ning felt a wave of melancholy.
Jin Xiu continued, **“If Hai Ming devotes himself to cultivation in his next life, then if fate allows, they will one day ascend the immortal path together.
“Would that not be better than a fleeting life in the mortal world?”**
Hong Ning gazed at him.
“You cultivate as well?”
Jin Xiu smiled faintly. “You could say that.”
“Then why do you protect me?” she asked.
Jin Xiu looked at her for a moment.
“Because I owe you.”
His tone was so natural, yet to Hong Ning, it carried an inexplicable weight, an almost intimate ambiguity.
She felt a sudden discomfort and quickly said, “I don’t remember you ever owing me anything.”
Jin Xiu’s expression remained unchanged.
“It’s better if you don’t remember.”
His gaze unsettled her, and she instinctively turned away.
“This time… thank you. I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
Jin Xiu sighed softly.
“Don’t run around aimlessly again. I won’t have much time to watch over you in the coming days.”
Then, his voice dropped, gentle yet firm—
**“No matter what happens, it is your destined tribulation.
“You must come to understand this.”**
For some reason, hearing these words made her uneasy.
She gave a vague hum of acknowledgment, then suddenly rose to her feet.
“I should go.”
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