Time flows by, seasons change.
As winter arrives, a light layer of snow blankets the courtyard, remnants from a few days ago that have yet to fully melt away. However, the woman in the yard is dressed only in a thin white garment, her complexion appears fine, but her solitary figure in the cold wind inevitably shows a touch of desolation.
With a calm demeanor, she sits alone in the courtyard pavilion, slowly sipping her tea. Outside the courtyard, the sounds of bustling pedestrians occasionally drift in; just a wall away, the courtyard is completely silent, the vast home containing only her as the living being.
Clearly accustomed to such days, the woman finishes a cup of slightly cool tea, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly before she suddenly raises her gaze towards the horizon.
In the distance, she hears the flapping of wings, and soon a plump bird appears in her sight. It flaps its wings vigorously and lands on the table in front of her, preening its feathers before elegantly opening its beak.
“There are dozens of ghost clan members approaching Yun City. Hurry,” comes the voice of Chu Ming from the bird’s beak. It then names a location. Yun Duan listens quietly, stands up, and brushes her hands against the two swords at her waist.
“Tell him I’ll be there soon.”
The messenger bird nods affirmatively and flies away with all its might. Yun Duan exhales lightly, breathing out a misty white cloud into the frigid air, then steps through the snow to leave the house.
In the empty courtyard, the footprints in the snow, both coming and going, form only a single line.
Outside Yun City, Chu Ming uses his sword to fend off the attacking ghost clan members. Out of the corner of his eye, he catches sight of an uncountable number of ghost clan members nearby and curses under his breath.
It has been over two years since the passage to the ghost realm opened, and the conflicts between cultivators and the ghost clan have gradually reached a stalemate. Since the master of Tianwai Tian is in seclusion, only the deputy master, Pei Chen, is able to seal the passage, causing the execution of such measures to be particularly slow.
Fortunately, this current ghost king seems to be a not-so-malignant fellow, at least not rampaging through the cultivation world. The ghost clan has maintained a strategy of not fighting or retreating, appearing quite satisfied with the current stalemate. It is rare for the ghost clan to launch such large-scale attacks on towns; if it weren’t for Qing Yu keeping a close watch on Yun City and discovering this early, a major incident could have occurred.
Even though he noticed early, it still takes time for other sects to come to support, so Chu Ming has to lead the defense himself. Just as he begins to feel some impatience, he sees a flash of white sword light cutting through the sky, followed by a piercing coldness enveloping him, frost forming on the surrounding grass and trees.
His heart lifts with joy, and he looks up to see the figure in white gracefully landing in the middle of the battlefield. The spirit sword in her right hand is exuding sharp sword light, her robes billowing like a strand of cold, solitary smoke.
“It’s Yun Zhong Jun! Yun Zhong Jun is here!”
The disciples of Qing Yu on the battlefield cheer in unison, the previously stalemated conflict suddenly turning in their favor. The icy figure of the woman, with every move exuding coldness, lightly twirls her wrist to slash down the approaching ghost clan members, her delicate features showing no hint of emotion. Even after the battle reaches a pause, she remains with her brows slightly furrowed, as if she were sculpted from ice.
Chu Ming lets out a sigh of relief and is about to approach her when he overhears the victorious disciples whispering in tones of admiration and respect: “Today is really lucky; we get to see Yun Zhong Jun!”
“Isn’t it? Yun Zhong Jun hasn’t returned to Qing Yu in ages, always searching for the Cang Zhe. Now she’s even willing to come and help us—how remarkable!”
“Hey, did you notice? Yun Zhong Jun is using Fei Wang today. No wonder it’s so cold.”
“Do you think using Wu You would make it any warmer? It’s cold today no matter what; how can you blame it on Fei Wang…”
Chu Ming pauses, rubbing his face vigorously to ease the stiffness that had unconsciously settled there, and walks forward naturally to greet her, saying, “Yun Duan, you just returned a few days ago, and you shouldn’t be disturbed… Thank you for your help today.”
Yun Duan sheathes her sword and turns to nod slightly in response, saying, “It’s no trouble; protecting Yun City is part of my duties. You needn’t be so polite.”
It has been several months since Chu Ming last saw Yun Duan. He notices that she seems even more emaciated than their last meeting and expresses concern, “You don’t look well; was the journey difficult? If I remember correctly… you went to the North Desert?”
“Hmm.” Yun Duan nods, her gaze dimming slightly, “But the so-called ghost fire mentioned in the rumors was merely caused by mountain spirits and strange phenomena, not heavenly fire.”
So it was another trip in vain.
Chu Ming swallows hard but doesn’t say more. He scans Yun Duan’s slender wrists and frowns, tentatively advising, “Let’s not discuss anything else; your health is most important. You’ve been running around all year; it’s not sustainable. Why not return to Qing Yu first? At least you’ll have a place to rest and can see a doctor…”
Yun Duan quietly listens to him and looks down at the thin layer of snow beneath her feet, slowly but resolutely shaking her head, “I’ve said it before; I won’t return to Qing Yu until she tells me in person.”
Hearing the familiar response, Chu Ming silently sighs in his heart. He has repeated similar words over the past two years at least a dozen times, each time only receiving Yun Duan’s refusal. He recalls what Uncle Wangyue said and can’t help but sigh softly.
“Uncle Wangyue also said, if you’re determined, I probably can’t change your mind.” He feels a bit despondent but quickly regains his spirits, smiling at Yun Duan, “She also said that when you find the person, you must bring back this troublesome disciple who hasn’t returned home for her to see.”
Yun Duan is taken aback, then shows a faint smile, happily responding, “Sure.”
She has been searching for Shang Can for more than two years, with no results.
With the ghost threat temporarily alleviated, there’s no need for her to be involved in the follow-up work. After a few casual exchanges with Chu Ming, Yun Duan turns to leave, brushing past many other cultivators, most of whom gaze at her with admiration and longing. A few familiar Qing Yu disciples step forward to greet her, and she responds with nods and greetings.
Over the years, she has been venturing alone, rushing to any rumor related to fire. Two years have passed, and she has gathered no information regarding Shang Can, instead inadvertently encountering many dangers. Yun Zhong Jun’s reputation in the cultivation world has risen with her status. If she was once a dazzling newcomer, Yun Duan has now become a standout among cultivators, and her two swords have also gained fame, being well-regarded in the cultivation world.
After all these years, Fei Wang has finally been re-attached to her waist. Yun Duan now wields both Wu You and Fei Wang; she doesn’t adhere to a dual-sword style but simply chooses which sword to bring based on her mood.
She might use Fei Wang a bit more often since it is the only item Shang Can left for her.
Still unable to shake off the disappointment from yet another fruitless journey, even after experiencing a battle, she feels a sense of emptiness in her heart. Yun Duan slightly closes her eyes and suddenly hears a commotion. When she opens her eyes again, she sees many Tianwai Tian cultivators rushing urgently toward the battlefield, with Pei Chen at the forefront. He pauses when he sees her, signaling for others to go ahead.
“… It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Yun Zhong Jun.” Pei Chen steps forward first, politely greeting her, “How have you been lately?”
In the past two years, Pei Chen has performed commendably as the deputy master of Tianwai Tian, sealing several passages to the ghost realm. He has grown increasingly composed, and unlike when he used to avoid Yun Duan, he can now greet her with a straight face, even gently advising her, “I heard recently that Yun Zhong Jun encountered demons in the North Desert; it’s better not to overexert yourself.”
“There are many demons in this world, but Yun Zhong Jun cannot afford to seek them one by one,” he pauses and adds, “It’s not a fortunate situation, so the best strategy is to cut ties decisively.”
Yun Duan looks at him for a while before calmly nodding, “You’re right. I wonder when Kun Yao Jun will be able to do this ‘cut ties decisively’?”
“…”
Pei Chen’s lips tighten, their two figures stand quietly in place, neither speaking. To outsiders, it appears as a casual exchange between notable cultivators, but only they know that their words are ruthlessly unearthing each other’s old wounds.
Pei Chen always tried to avoid her, but no matter what, he could never escape a lifetime of avoidance. Yun Duan eventually seizes the opportunity to corner him at Tianwai Tian, coldly demanding to know what happened back on the mountain.
“… What could have happened?” Realizing he cannot escape, Pei Chen gives in, sitting down with a sneer, “Do you really think I’m lying?”
Yun Duan remained silent, quietly watching him. After a long standoff, Pei Chen gritted his teeth and said, “Even if you didn’t know before, you should know now that she is a demon. Given the circumstances, why are you still… Do you know she killed Nan Shuang?!”
Yun Duan was taken aback for a moment, but quickly regained her composure, frowning. “I’m unaware. But in any case, during our time in the ghost realm, after Shuang Jiang faced off against A Can, he showed no hostility, which I witnessed with my own eyes—”
“Does that even matter?!” Pei Chen abruptly stood up, his eyes blazing with fury. “What matters is that she is… already dead! Killed by Shang Can!”
Yun Duan fell silent for a moment, lowering her gaze. She could actually understand Pei Chen’s feelings; if she suddenly learned that Shang Can had died at someone else’s hands, she would likely be too consumed with vengeance to inquire about the reasons.
With that thought, her heart tightened, and she looked at Pei Chen with an expression as cold as frost. Yet he had calmed down after his outburst, meeting her gaze with a mocking glint in his eyes and saying, “I didn’t lay a hand on her.”
“I can admit that at that time, I did indeed have that intention,” he continued nonchalantly, a self-deprecating smile forming on his lips. “But before I could act, she—”
Pei Chen paused, and after a moment of silence, he continued, “… ignited the entire mountain. The flames seemed to have erupted in an instant, creating a barrier between her and me.”
“At that time, I was just focused on fleeing; I did nothing and didn’t see where she went.”
He hung his head, making it difficult to discern his expression, but Yun Duan felt he was speaking the truth. The bitter taste of another lost lead spread in her heart, and she unconsciously clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.
Pei Chen discreetly glanced at her, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly.
“… If she had intended to harm me then, I wouldn’t have made it off that mountain.”
His voice was low, as if he were speaking to himself: “Let’s consider it… a form of repayment.”
Yun Duan didn’t understand what he meant, and Pei Chen showed no intention of explaining, turning back to his official duties and falling silent. Just as Yun Duan was about to leave, he suddenly spoke again: “Yun Zhong Jun, I advise you not to be too fixated. This is my… heartfelt advice.”
Yun Duan paused for a moment, then walked straight out without looking back.
To this day, Yun Duan and Pei Chen had not met often over the years, and each encounter ended on an unpleasant note—this time was no exception. She glanced at Pei Chen’s retreating figure, quietly turning to leave.
She was unsure of Pei Chen’s thoughts, but during the years she searched for Shang Can, she had envied Pei Chen. At least he knew where to find the person he wanted to see, unlike her, who could search high and low but never find even a trace of Shang Can, only to gain and then lose him once more.
Though their sufferings were different, they were united by shared empathy.
With no other plans, Yun Duan returned to her residence alone. When she had no new information, she would stay in Yun City, living a monotonous life that she didn’t find boring. Initially, staying in Yun City was excruciating, but over time, she gradually found peace.
The traces of Shang Can were slowly fading, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop the bitter scent of medicine from drifting away with the wind. Yet it wasn’t as painful as she had imagined. Yun Duan gradually realized that it wasn’t the remnants left by Shang Can that made her think of him, but rather that anything she saw would remind her of Shang Can.
He was nowhere to be found, yet he was everywhere.
Perhaps after encountering both Chu Ming and Pei Chen today, Yun Duan realized her feelings had grown complicated, prompting her to quicken her pace, intending to return for a good rest. However, just as she reached the door to her residence, she heard sounds of combat coming from the courtyard, mixed with a few familiar shouts.
“Wan Shao, are you insane?! You want to fight the moment you see someone?!”
“You’re the one who’s insane! Why are you running over here from the ghost realm when you could stay there?! Planning to sneak in here— I know you have ulterior motives!”
“Aren’t you also sneaking in here when no one is home?!”
“Can’t I be different from you? I didn’t bring a ghost clan with me!”
Yun Duan paused in her tracks. One of the powerful voices belonged to Wan Shao without a doubt, while another feminine voice added a touch of petulance, sounding somewhat familiar, yet she couldn’t recall who it was at that moment. Hesitating, she frowned, just as the previously closed courtyard door was suddenly thrown open from the inside.
Startled, she instinctively tightened her grip on Fei Wang, but a languid voice greeted her, “Yun Zhong Jun, you’ve finally returned. It’s been a long time.”
Nan Shuang leaned against the door, observing Yun Duan with interest, her smile bright as she remarked, “Today seems perfect for a chance encounter with an old friend, doesn’t it?”
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