Not far away, inside the house-shaped magical treasure, Hua Min'er cracked open one eye. Seeing all her senior sisters sitting cross-legged in cultivation, she rose from her feigned meditation, then tiptoed out of the house. She poked her head out and looked around before heading toward the tree where Ling Tian was. She moved cautiously, afraid of waking anyone who was cultivating.
What she didn't know was that the moment she stepped out of the magical treasure, Yun Ying and the others all roused themselves from their cultivation. They hadn't been cultivating at all; they had clearly been pretending, too. The group crowded around the doorway, peeking outside. Hua Min'er was so focused on Ling Tian that she didn't notice them watching.
"Min'er, why did you come out?" Ling Tian's spiritual sense was always extended. The moment Hua Min'er left the magical treasure, he noticed her.
"Shh, keep your voice down, Brother Ling Tian." Hua Min'er made a hush gesture, then cautiously glanced back at the magical treasure. As soon as she turned, the people inside had hidden themselves. How could she possibly have spotted them?
Seeing nothing amiss, Hua Min'er whispered, "My senior sisters are all cultivating. They won't wake up anytime soon, so I'll keep you company for a while, Brother Ling Tian."
"Oh, hee-hee, you're the best, Min'er." Ling Tian was overjoyed. He'd been fretting over how to pass the long night.
Hua Min'er felt sweetness bloom in her heart. She lightly tapped the trunk a few times and drifted onto a branch, then sat down beside Ling Tian.
"Min'er, have some fruit." Once she was settled, Ling Tian handed her a few spirit fruits he'd been saving.
Hua Min'er took them and happily began to eat, her little legs swinging back and forth from the branch. Her long skirt swayed with them, making her look like a fluttering butterfly—utterly adorable.
"Brother Ling Tian, are these the spirit fruits you picked yourself? They're delicious," Hua Min'er praised as she ate, unaware that juice had smeared the corners of her mouth.
"Look at your face, all sticky. You're a grown young lady, yet you still act like a child." Ling Tian scolded her as he wiped the juice from her mouth. Only after he'd cleaned it off did he answer, "Mm, I picked them on Qingyou Peak before. These few tasted the best, so I saved them especially for you."
"Hee-hee, you're the best, Brother. Min'er likes being carefree like this when she's with you." Hua Min'er seemed to enjoy having him wipe her mouth. Her bright smile made her look like a fairy who'd wandered down from the heavens.
"Oh, you... What am I going to do with you?" Ling Tian sighed helplessly. But seeing Hua Min'er smile so sweetly, how could he bring himself to scold her?
"Min'er is only like this with you, Brother. I'm not like this with anyone else." Hua Min'er wrinkled her delicate nose and pouted.
"Heh..." Looking at her adorable expression, Ling Tian was entranced.
"Look at that silly grin of yours. Aren't you embarrassed?" Hua Min'er puckered her lips, wrinkled her nose, and made a face.
"Heh-heh..." Seeing how cute Hua Min'er looked, Ling Tian only grinned more foolishly.
"Brother Ling Tian, have you sensed that something feels different, too? I felt a little uneasy as soon as I came out." Hua Min'er's expression suddenly turned serious, and her brows furrowed.
"Hm? It should be fine. Senior Sister Yun Ying and the others are much stronger than we are. With them here, what do we have to worry about?" Ling Tian's heart stirred, but he didn't want Hua Min'er to worry, so he hurried to reassure her. Yet how could her keen eyes miss the unease in his expression?
So Brother Ling Tian feels it, too. Maybe he's just afraid I'll worry. Hua Min'er thought to herself. But she didn't want him worrying about her either, so she said, "Mm, that's true. Our senior sisters are here."
"Exactly. Here, Min'er, have some water." Ling Tian handed her a waterskin, silently vowing to protect her and not let her suffer even the slightest injury.
Hua Min'er took the waterskin and sipped a few times before handing it back. Then she looked into the distance, where some strange sights suddenly caught her eye: specks of light flitted above the grass nearby. They must have been fireflies.
"Brother Ling Tian, look! The fireflies are so beautiful!" Watching them flicker, Hua Min'er couldn't help grabbing Ling Tian's sleeve, her face alight with delight.
"Mm, they're beautiful!" Ling Tian echoed.
"Hee-hee, how about I perform a little spell for you, Brother?" Hua Min'er suddenly seemed to remember something, and excitement shone in her face.
"Sure, but what kind of little spell can you do?" Ling Tian asked, slightly surprised and full of anticipation.
"Just watch, Brother. Hee-hee." Hua Min'er teased, keeping him in suspense.
"Oh, is that so? All right, then." Ling Tian grew even more curious.
Hua Min'er fell silent and drifted down from the branch, light as a celestial maiden. She extended her slender hands, and wisps of green, wood-aspected spiritual energy streamed from her fingertips toward the fireflies. Miraculously, the insects followed the energy, gathering around Hua Min'er in ever greater numbers.
That must be Min'er's unique wood-aspected spiritual energy. It brims with the breath of life, so it must be what attracts the fireflies, Ling Tian thought to himself.
As the fireflies gathered in greater numbers, Hua Min'er began to dance. Her form fluttered like a butterfly, then darted like a swallow. She danced to the rhythm of the Illusory God Phantom Shadow Movement Technique, the spiritual energy spreading all over her body and drawing the fireflies into their own graceful dance. In an instant, specks of light glittered all over Hua Min'er like stars, and her beauty rivaled that of a Heavenly Immortal.
Ling Tian was entranced. Before he knew it, he'd taken a Jade Flute from his Storage Ring. He drifted down from the branch and made his way toward Hua Min'er, playing softly as he went.
The flute's melody was gentle and lilting, like moonlight spilling down in ten thousand rays, like wisps of mist entwining in the breeze. Hearing it, Hua Min'er's heart trembled, and her dance grew even more graceful, rising and dipping like a drifting wisp. When she suddenly glanced back, she added a thousand tender charms to her beauty.
And so the two of them danced together, the flute's melody winding and the dance soaring. It was as though the world held only the two of them. The more enchanting her movements became, the more ethereal the flute grew; when the flute rang clear and bright, her dance grew light and graceful. For a time, their dance and the flute's melody wove together into a scene of breathtaking beauty. Eventually, specks of firelight circled around them, dancing along with them. Beneath that glow, the two seemed like a pair of celestial lovers, enough to make all living things burn with envy.
No one knew how long it had been before the song ended and the two slowly came to a stop. A burst of crisp applause rose around them. They looked over and saw Yun Ying, Yao Yu, and the others surrounding them. Their faces held astonishment, envy, admiration, excitement, and wonder.
"Wow, what a beautiful dance, and such a tender melody." One of Hua Min'er's senior sisters stared in awe, her mouth hanging open as she murmured.
"Junior Sister Min'er's dance and music are so beautiful!" Yun Ying's eyes sparkled, and her voice brimmed with envy.
"That kid Ling Tian is quite handsome, too. Ah, what a pity—Junior Sister Min'er got to him first." Yao Yu's voice held deep admiration and a trace of regret.
For a while, everyone praised and envied them, their hushed chatter never ceasing.
"Senior Sisters, when did you get here? Did you... did you see everything?" Hua Min'er was terribly embarrassed. As she spoke, the fireflies scattered in flickering lights, returning to dance among the grass and trees.
"We've been here for ages. You two were so wrapped up in each other that you didn't even notice us." Yao Yu was the first to recover from her astonishment and couldn't resist teasing Ling Tian and Hua Min'er.
"Senior Sister, you..." Hua Min'er's cheeks bloomed with blushes. She gazed at Ling Tian with deep tenderness; when she saw him looking at her, too, she smiled faintly, her face as lovely as a peach blossom.
Ling Tian's heart stirred, and sweetness softened his expression. The boundless heroic spirit in his heart melted into tenderness.
"All right, enough of that lovey-dovey stuff. Ling Tian, do you have any more of those spirit fruits? Your big sister here is starving." Yao Yu couldn't take it anymore and was the first to speak up.
"Uh, I've got plenty more." Ling Tian finally came to his senses. He took out the spirit fruits, and soon a great pile had gathered.
"Hee-hee, then let's have a bonfire party tonight. Junior Sisters, bring out all the good stuff you've been saving!" Yun Ying suggested, taking out several jade bottles first. A faint, delicate wine fragrance immediately wafted through the air.
"Wow, Hundred-Fruit Flower Brew! I haven't had that in ages. Since you've brought yours out, Senior Sister, I won't hold back either. I'm sure you haven't had Green-Fruit Tea in a long time, either." As she spoke, Yao Yu took out a sealed jade jar. A rich tea fragrance drifted from it even before she unsealed it.
With the two of them leading the way, everyone else stopped holding back and brought out the treasures they'd been saving for ages. In an instant, all kinds of things appeared: rare delicacies from the mountains and seas, fine wines, and fragrant teas—everything one could wish for.
"Um, Ling Tian, go gather some dry branches. We can't have a bonfire party without firewood." Seeing that everyone had brought out just about everything, Yao Yu gave Ling Tian his orders.
Ling Tian had no choice but to head to the nearby woods for firewood. Fortunately, there were plenty of trees, so dry branches were easy to find. Before long, he'd gathered enough to fuel three or four bonfire parties.
Then everyone arranged a great bonfire. They gathered around it, chatting and laughing, eating spirit fruits and delicacies, and drinking fine wine and fragrant tea. After seeing Ling Tian and Hua Min'er's flute-and-dance performance, they took turns showing off their own talents. They sang, danced, displayed their techniques—everything under the sun—and Ling Tian's eyes were opened wide.
For a time, their corner rang with laughter and chatter. There wasn't a trace of the hardship of a training expedition. Even Ling Tian and Hua Min'er cast their unease to the far corners of the sky and savored the beautiful moment.
The bonfire party carried on until dawn. By morning, everyone was exhausted, yet no one wanted to leave. They leaned against one another in pairs or threes, dozing, and even in their dreams, they wore broad smiles.
At some point, Ling Tian and Hua Min'er had come to rest on a towering ancient tree beside the bonfire. The two leaned against each other, Hua Min'er's head resting on Ling Tian's shoulder, half her body nestled in his arms. Ling Tian had one arm around her waist, the two of them posed in tender, intimate closeness. They were both asleep, sweet smiles on their faces. Ling Tian's cloak covered Hua Min'er, draped over her as though he'd put it there to keep her warm.
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