Stars and Moon

The following afternoon.

Yun Jingheng walked out of Sea God Island, crossed the stone bridge, entered the Outer Court, passed through the grove of trees, and arrived at the Work-Study Student Dormitory.

I'll talk to my dad about it when I get home tonight. I'd like him to give me a room in the Outer Court. I can't stand walking so far every day.

Several washed clothes were hanging out to dry in the yard. When the wind blew, the gray-white coats fluttered and shone brightly in the sunlight.

He walked to Tang Wulin's room. The door was open, and he could hear voices coming from inside.

"Are you sure you want to say that?" Tang Wulin's voice carried a hint of hesitation.

"Don't worry, I've polished it for you, it's absolutely fine." Xie Xie's voice carried a hint of smugness.

"But I still think it's a bit unreliable."

"How is it unreliable? What if there really is Martial Soul Fusion Skill? Think about it, Martial Uncle's Martial Soul is the Moonlight Sword, Xiao Yan's Martial Soul is the Star Wheel Ice Staff. The stars and moon shine together, isn't that a match made in heaven?"

"Xie Xie... this..."

"Xiao Yan, listen to me on this. Do you really think I can't see through it? It's happened several times already."

"But..."

"Xiao Yan, trust me."

Yun Jingheng's hand stopped on the doorknob, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

After hesitating for a moment, he pushed the door open.

Inside the room, Tang Wulin stood by the window, clutching a piece of paper in his hand, his expression stiff, like a thief caught red-handed.

Xie Xie his arms, wearing an expression that said, "I'm such a genius," with a wide smile that he couldn't suppress.

Xu Xiaoyan sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the hem of her clothes, head down, her whole face flushed.

Hmm... even a monkey's butt isn't this red.

Tang Wulin glanced at Xie Xie, who nodded firmly.

Tang Wulin took a deep breath, stepped forward, and patted Yun Jingheng's shoulders with both hands.

His hands were large and powerful, making a dull thud when he slapped someone.

He looked into Yun Jingheng's eyes with a serious expression, as if he were making a major decision.

"We think you should spend more time with Xiao Yan, not just any kind of contact, but the kind of contact you'd expect. Your Martial Soul is the Moonlight Sword, and Martial Soul is the Star Wheel Ice Staff. The stars and moon shine together; they might even have Martial Soul Fusion Skill."

"For the sake of the team's future, please consider this carefully. This isn't just my opinion, it's Xie Xie's opinion, no, it's the team's opinion."

Yun Jingheng looked at Xie Xie, "Why... why do you think that Xu Xiaoyan and I have Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"

Xie Xie opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, "That... because... it's about Martial Soul attributes!"

His voice rose a half-tone, as if to bolster his courage, "Your Martial Soul has the moon attribute, and Xiao Yan's Martial Soul has the star attribute. Stars and the moon are... are naturally together!"

He spoke haltingly, but the more he talked, the more convinced he became of his point. "Look," he said, "When there's no moon in the sky, you can't see the stars; when the moon comes out, the stars shine brightly. Isn't that harmony?"

Yun Jingheng looked at him. "That's reflection. The moon itself doesn't emit light; it reflects sunlight."

Xie Xie was stunned for a moment, "What?"

Yun Jingheng didn't explain; he figured the guy wouldn't understand.

Xie Xie scratched his head and started again, "Then... then there's more! Your Moonlight Sword has ice attributes, and Xiao Yan's Star Wheel Ice Staff also has ice attributes. Ice and ice, they can always be fused together, right?"

Yun Jingheng looked at him and asked, "What is your Martial Soul?"

Xie Xie was taken aback. "The Light Dragon Dagger and the Shadow Dragon Dagger."

Yun Jingheng nodded, "Light attribute. Gu Yue's Martial Soul is elemental, it has all attributes, why don't you and Gu Yue have Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"

Xie Xie:... If Gu Yue heard this, I might lose my life.

Xu Xiaoyan stood up from the edge of the bed.

Her face was still red, from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears, but she raised her head.

She looked at Yun Jingheng, her lips moving several times, as if she were struggling with herself.

"No... it's not what Xie Xie said."

Her voice was very soft, as if she was afraid it would be blown away by the wind.

She took a deep breath, raising her voice slightly, "It's... it's your Martial Soul that's attracting me."

"What?"

Xu Xiaoyan lowered her head and looked at her hands.

She opened her hand, and a thin layer of starlight, faint yet bright, shone in her palm.

"The first time I saw you in Skysea City, it lit up by itself."

Her voice trembled, but she enunciated each word clearly.

"It's not because I think you're good-looking, although you are indeed very good-looking, but your Martial Soul is calling out to my Martial Soul. It keeps calling out."

She looked up at Yun Jingheng.

"I don't know if that's Martial Soul Fusion Skill."

The room fell silent.

Xie Xie's hesitant voice came through, "Xiao Yan... why didn't you tell us?"

Because I don't know why.

Yun Jingheng looked at Xu Xiaoyan, then summoned the Moonlight Sword and held it in his hand.

The silver-white blade gleamed faintly in the sunlight, and the patterns on it were Crescent Moon, curved and shimmering with a frosty white light.

Xu Xiaoyan's eyes lit up.

She raised her hand, and the Star Wheel Ice Staff materialized in her palm, with silver-blue starlight flowing at its tip.

She looked at the ice staff in her hand, then at the Moonlight Sword in Yun Jingheng's hand.

Between the two Martial Soul, something was vibrating gently. It wasn't sound, nor Soul Power, but something else entirely, like a heartbeat, like breathing, like two magnets drawing closer to each other.

Yun Jingheng sensed it.

He looked down at the Moonlight Sword in his hand; the patterns on the blade were trembling slightly, as if it were moving on its own.

He looked up at the Star Wheel Ice Staff in Xu Xiaoyan's hand; the starlight at the tip of the staff was twinkling, and it was flashing on its own.

"This is..." Yun Jingheng began, but did not continue.

"Uncle-Master, I really didn't ask you to do anything. I just wanted you to know."

She put away the Star Wheel Ice Staff in her hand, the starlight dissipated, and she lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes.

I'm done talking.

She turned and left.

Yun Jingheng stood there, his mind blank.

He still held the Moonlight Sword in his hand; the patterns on the blade were still trembling slightly, but the amplitude had decreased.

He turned his head and looked at Xu Xiaoyan's back.

She had already reached the door, her hand on the doorknob, about to push it open.

"Wait a minute," Yun Jingheng said.

Xu Xiaoyan stopped. She didn't turn around, but her hand slid off the doorknob and hung at her side, clutching the hem of her clothes.

"Give it a try?"

"Try something?" she asked softly.

Yun Jingheng thought for a moment, "Let's try the Martial Soul Fusion Skill."

Xu Xiaoyan turned around abruptly, her eyes wide and slightly moist, looking excited.

"What... what did you say?"

Yun Jingheng looked at her and said, "I said let's give it a try. Theoretically speaking, if we have Martial Soul Fusion Skill, our Soul Power will resonate."

"Shall we... try cultivating together?"

Xie Xie was stunned for a moment, then the corners of his mouth slowly curved upwards, curving higher and higher until wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes.

He glanced at Tang Wulin, and Tang Wulin glanced at him back.

The two looked at each other for half a second, then nodded simultaneously, as if they had reached some kind of tacit understanding.

Xie Xie grabbed Tang Wulin's sleeve and pulled him outside.

"Let's go, let's go train."

Tang Wulin stumbled slightly as he was pulled, but did not resist and followed him toward the door.

When he reached the door, he stopped, turned back to look at Yun Jingheng, and had an indescribable expression on his face.

"Uncle-Master, you can take your time trying it out. We're going to train now." "Let's go."

Yun Jingheng's gaze shifted from the doorway to Xu Xiaoyan, who had transformed into a steampunk princess.

Her fingers gripped the hem of her dress so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and the hem of her dress was twisted into a pretzel.

"That..."

Xu Xiaoyan's voice was so soft it was barely audible, "Uncle-Master... here..."

She paused, as if to bolster her courage, "Tang Wulin's room... is always bustling with people coming and going... it's not quiet."

She paused again, her voice even softer, "My... my room... is quiet."

"Let's go... to my... room...?"

Yun Jingheng blinked. "Sure, and also, as I said before, don't call me that. Just call me by my name, or Jing Heng."

"Okay... okay, Jing... Jing Heng."

"Come on, come on, where's your room?"

"This way."

Ye Xinglan wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at Tang Wulin and the other person who had rushed over.

Gu Yue put down the water bottle, slightly out of breath, and turned her perspective.

"Where's Jing Heng? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

"Hey, I'm trying out Martial Soul Fusion Skill with Xiao Yan."

Ye Xinglan, Gu Yue:?!