Inside the Small Blessed Land.
At the clearing where they had tested an array last time.
Bai Zixi stood to one side, mixing fiery-red Spirit Ink with hands as white as snow.
Mo Hua held his brush and concentrated on drawing the array. Xiao Ju handled small tasks like serving tea and water.
The three worked together, each attending to their own task. It was a cheerful scene.
As Bai Zixi mixed the Spirit Ink, she kept an eye on the Array Patterns on the ground, checking for mistakes or omissions.
Now and then, she looked up at her junior martial brother as he worked.
She watched his long, elegant fingers, his unhurried ease as he set brush to ground, and those eyes bright as stars. Her gaze lingered, though what she was thinking was anyone's guess.
Mo Hua was absorbed in his work and did not notice his Junior Martial Sister "sneaking looks" at him.
Only when he finished drawing the array and turned around did their eyes meet. They both froze for a moment.
Mo Hua asked, "Senior Sister, is something wrong?"
Why does she keep looking at me?
For some reason, Bai Zixi felt a little flustered. "You have ink on your face..."
"Ink on my face?"
Mo Hua blinked. Impossible. He had been drawing arrays for years. How could he still get ink on his face?
He was not a child anymore.
And this was precious High-Grade Third-Grade Spirit Ink.
The ink was worth more than his face.
Mo Hua could not help rubbing his face with his hand.
The face that had been clean now bore two streaks of ink.
Bai Zixi pressed her lips together, but a glimmer of amusement lit her eyes.
Mo Hua could tell his Junior Martial Sister was laughing at