Tracking Through the Dark Night: Old Acquaintance Entangled in Love, Ripples Stir the Heart

The night at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was exceptionally tranquil. The glow over Glazed Garden gradually dimmed as Lin Zhixia used the excuse that she "wanted to admire the sect's night scenery alone," asking Ning Rongrong to accompany Tang San and Xiao Wu back to their guest rooms first. She herself slowly made her way along the corridor toward the back mountain. The Star Guidance Bell swayed gently in her palm, its surface glimmering with faint starlight as if sensing the surrounding auras.

She had intended to use the night to sort through her thoughts—ever since meeting Gu Zhinian in Heaven Dou City, that inexplicable fluttering in her heart kept surfacing when she least expected it. Gu Zhinian was a renowned Soul Forger in Heaven Dou City. The last time she had visited a Soul Tool shop to select materials, she had happened upon him repairing a damaged Soul Tool. His focused expression and gentle manner of speaking had both stirred unfamiliar ripples in her heart. Yet she had never been certain whether these feelings were affection, or merely gratitude for his help.

Just as she reached the bamboo grove on the back mountain, a familiar figure suddenly stepped out from behind a tree and blocked her path. Beneath the moonlight, the man wore a black robe. His handsome face carried a hint of gloom. It was Ye Jin, who had fallen in love with her at first sight during the Lantern Festival in Suotuo City.

"Zhi Xia, it's been a long time." Ye Jin's voice trembled almost imperceptibly. His gaze was locked tightly on Lin Zhixia, filled with burning possessiveness. "I've been searching for you for so long. From Suotuo City to Heaven Dou City, I finally found you here."

Lin Zhixia's heart tightened. She instinctively gripped the Star Guidance Bell and took a wary step back. "Ye Jin, why are you here? I've already told you that there's nothing for us to discuss. Please leave." Her impression of Ye Jin remained fixed on Suotuo City—at the Lantern Festival that night, he had forcibly confessed to her and had even tried to grab her hand. Had Tang San not arrived in time, she likely would have found it difficult to get away.

What she found even more unacceptable was that not long ago, she had learned through her parents' Remnant Souls within the Star Guidance Bell that Ye Jin's father had been one of those responsible for hunting down her parents all those years ago. That blood-deep enmity left her with nothing but disgust and vigilance toward Ye Jin.

Yet Ye Jin seemed not to hear her rejection at all. He stepped forward, his eyes full of obsession. "Zhi Xia, I know you misunderstand me, but I truly love you! From the first moment I saw you at the Lantern Festival, I've never been able to forget you. These past days, I haven't been able to eat or sleep. You're all I can think about. I know my father did some terrible things, but those were his mistakes. They have nothing to do with me. You can't deny my feelings for you because of him!"

"Nothing to do with you?" Lin Zhixia let out a cold laugh, pain flashing through her eyes. "He's your father. His hands are stained with my parents' blood. How can you ask me to treat it as unrelated? Ye Jin, wake up. A blood feud lies between us. There can never be anything between us!" The Star Guidance Bell suddenly gave a faint chime. The Remnant Souls of her parents within seemed to sense her emotions, sending out a trace of gentle warmth as if comforting her.

Ye Jin's face instantly turned pale. He stepped forward and tried to seize Lin Zhixia's hand, but she nimbly avoided him. "Zhi Xia, don't treat me like this. I can make it up to you. Whatever you want, I can give it to you! As long as you stay by my side, I'm willing to do anything!" His voice was pleading, but his eyes remained stubbornly obsessive.

Just then, a gentle voice drifted over from afar. "My friend, forcing someone is not something a gentleman should do." Lin Zhixia turned around to see Gu Zhinian approaching slowly from outside the bamboo grove, carrying a Glazed Lantern. He wore a white robe, his expression gentle. The Glazed Lantern in his hand gave off a soft radiance that dispelled the chill of the night.

The moment she saw Gu Zhinian, Lin Zhixia relaxed as though she had found someone to rely on. Ye Jin, meanwhile, watched Gu Zhinian warily, his eyes full of hostility. "Who are you? This has nothing to do with you. Get lost!"

Gu Zhinian walked to Lin Zhixia's side and shielded her behind him. His voice was gentle yet firm. "I'm Zhi Xia's friend. She doesn't want to see you, so you should leave." Though he did not release any Soul Power, he carried a steady presence that made Ye Jin hesitate to approach.

Ye Jin watched the two standing side by side, jealousy and fury flashing through his eyes. Yet he also knew he would gain nothing here. He gave Lin Zhixia a long look and gritted out, "Zhi Xia, I won't give up. I'll make you accept me!" With that, he turned and vanished into the night.

Only after watching Ye Jin leave did Lin Zhixia finally let out a breath. She said gratefully to Gu Zhinian, "Brother Gu, thank you. I've troubled you again." The last time, at the Soul Tool shop, she had encountered a difficult merchant, and Gu Zhinian had also stepped in to help her out.

Gu Zhinian smiled and shook his head, handing her the Glazed Lantern. "It was nothing. I saw you heading to the back mountain alone and worried you might run into danger, so I followed you to take a look. I didn't expect you really would run into trouble. This lantern is for you. The back mountain is dark at night, so carrying it will be safer."

The light from the Glazed Lantern was warm and soft, shining over Lin Zhixia's face and making her cheeks flush slightly. She accepted the lantern and asked quietly, "Thank you, Brother Gu. Why are you at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

"I came to deliver some custom Soul Tools to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I happened to run into Rongrong, and she said you were here, so I thought I'd come say hello." Gu Zhinian explained with a smile, looking at her gently. "That man earlier didn't seem very friendly toward you. You need to be more careful from now on. If you run into trouble, you can come to me anytime."

Lin Zhixia nodded, a trace of warmth rising in her heart. Compared to Ye Jin's obsession, Gu Zhinian's gentleness and consideration made her feel far more at ease. But when she thought of her unusual feelings for Gu Zhinian, as well as her parents' blood-deep enmity, she could not help but frown again—she did not know whether she had the right to pursue this relationship, much less whether it would bring trouble to Gu Zhinian.

Gu Zhinian seemed to see what was on her mind and comforted her softly. "Don't overthink it. Some things are best taken slowly. If you're willing, you can tell me about your troubles anytime. Perhaps I can offer you some advice."

The two walked side by side along the corridor, the light of the Glazed Lantern casting their shadows as a faint warmth filled the air. Lin Zhixia looked at the gentle Gu Zhinian beside her, then recalled Ye Jin's obsessive gaze. It was as if a stone had been tossed into her heart, sending ripples spreading across its surface. She knew that with the appearance of these two men, the lake of her heart had been thrown into complete turmoil.