A Twinge of Bitterness

About the time it took to drink a cup of tea later, Yu Lianhua steered the spirit boat toward Azure Origin Peak, with Jiang Ping'an seated aboard.

Yu Lianhua activated the spirit boat's windproof barrier. Seated on the boat, the two were shielded from the wind and could chat at ease.

"Martial Uncle Jiang, do you feel as though the world has suddenly opened wide before you?" Yu Lianhua asked.

They sat facing each other, less than three feet apart.

Jiang Ping'an turned to glance at the mountains racing backward outside the boat and smiled. "Naturally."

The true answer was no. On the contrary, he was trapped in a cage.

Imitating Jiang Ping'an's manner and tone, Yu Lianhua said, "Naturally." After saying that, she burst into laughter herself.

Faced with Yu Lianhua's playful, captivating beauty, too exquisite to be matched, Jiang Ping'an could not help but smile and shake his head.

Yu Lianhua laughed. "Martial Uncle Jiang, you're truly composed. When Lianhua first entered the Qi Refining Realm and could fly freely through the sky, I was so excited and happy. It felt as though, vast as heaven and earth were, Lianhua could go anywhere."

"And now?" Jiang Ping'an asked.

Yu Lianhua's smile faded, and she sighed softly. "Now, Lianhua is merely a drifting speck between heaven and earth—far too small."

Jiang Ping'an nodded slightly in agreement but said nothing.

A smile returned to Yu Lianhua's face as she said enviously, "Martial Uncle Jiang, you are different. Your path is vast and distant. One day, you will become a giant of the cultivation world, setting out toward the jade-green sea at dawn and reaching Cangwu at dusk."

"I'll borrow your auspicious words," Jiang Ping'an said.

Yu Lianhua continued, somewhat sorrowfully, "When you become a True Lord, become a Dao Lord,