Over the next few days, Chen Qing's life returned to its usual rhythm. He kept a low profile, rarely going out, and devoted himself to cultivation.
Several days later, a disciple from the Flying Book Pavilion delivered a reply to Chen Qing's small courtyard.
Chen Qing accepted the thin slip of paper. It felt light in his hand. He quickly opened it and saw that on the pristine white page was only one large character: Received.
The handwriting was identical to the note Li Baichuan had left before.
"Only one word—'received'?" Chen Qing frowned slightly.
There was no doubt that Li Baichuan had received the Nine Revolutions True Return Pill, as well as his letter asking about the origins of the True Martial Seal.
Yet the other man's response was nothing more than that solitary word.
No explanation, no hint, much less an answer to any of the doubts in his heart.
What did Master Li mean by this? Did he think the time was not right and could not speak plainly? Or was the matter too deeply involved, requiring caution even in a letter lest it leave grounds for gossip? Or perhaps... he simply did not care about my question, only whether the pill had reached his hands?
All manner of speculation churned through Chen Qing's mind, only to turn into a fog in the end.
Li Baichuan had always acted unfathomably, like an antelope hanging its horns—leaving no trace to follow.
With a single word alone, Chen Qing had no way of guessing his true intentions.
He softly exhaled a breath of stale air, held the letter over the candle flame, and watched it turn into a small pinch of ashes.
"Forget it. Since Master Li will not speak, there is no use overthinking it. Strength is what