Li Tianying's gaze passed through the window lattice of the thatched cottage and settled on the undulating outline of the distant mountains, as though he were looking through that far-off scenery into an even more distant past.
He fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "When I was young, I met a woman on the Heavenly Path. Her name was Shen Yunsu."
His voice paused slightly over those three words, as though the name still carried a peculiar weight as it rolled off his tongue.
"At that time, Seven Killings, Gu Qinghan, Yan Cangxuan, and Gu Tianxing were also participating in the Heavenly Path alongside me."
He paused, his eyes still fixed upon those distant mountains. "You should have guessed by now that the relationship between us old fellows back then was far more than merely that of fellow disciples."
Li Bufan nodded faintly. He had long noticed that the bond among the Peak Masters was extraordinary. The trust to inject one's own True Essence into another's body without hesitation at a critical moment, without asking why or considering the consequences, was not something ordinary fellowship could ever achieve.
He listened quietly without interrupting, then asked softly, "Then, Master, how did you and Mistress meet?"
At the word "Mistress," the corners of Li Tianying's lips curved slightly upward. "You brat, your mind really does turn fast."
Li Bufan gave a chuckle and did not deny it.
Li Tianying resumed, "Not long after we entered the Heavenly Path, we encountered Yunsu in an ancient city."
"She was gravely wounded at the time, her aura so weak it had reached the extreme. Had she not happened to meet us, she likely would not have survived those next few days."
His voice sank a little as he spoke. "Fortunately, after Qinghan and