Immortal and Mortal

Outside Linyuan Prefecture, at the marketplace of the Qixia Immortal Sect.

Unlike the noisy, bustling markets of the mortal world, this place was quiet and secluded, with a serene bamboo path. The mountain breeze swept through the woods and over the water, carrying a chill that seemed to belong to another world.

Xia Dong climbed the stone steps. From afar, he spotted a pavilion with upturned eaves halfway up the mountain. Clouds and mist swirled around it, and the scene brought to mind a poem he had read in his previous life.

"White clouds and yellow cranes, a home for the Dao; one sword, one book, one cup of tea. Feathered robes forever touched by rosy clouds, untouched by the peach and plum blossoms of the mortal world."

A gauzy veil patterned with clouds hung around the pavilion, so faint it was almost invisible. The mountain breeze could not pass through it, nor could falling leaves.

Xia Dong stopped outside the pavilion and studied the veil for a moment, understanding at once. It was most likely a formation or a magic artifact used by cultivators to block outside scrutiny.

"Miss Qin has, after all, already embarked on the path of cultivation." He murmured the thought to himself, then stepped into the pavilion with an unruffled expression.

Qin Wan had already prepared a pot of tea at the stone table inside.

They took their seats and, through the rising steam, studied each other at the same time.

The broken engagement, the entanglements between their families, and now the gulf between immortal and mortal all stood between them. Their meeting stirred none of the shyness of an ordinary young man and woman meeting for the first time. Instead, it gave rise to a strange, ineffable feeling.

A faint flicker crossed Qin Wan's eyes.

The Xia Dong before her wore a blue robe washed nearly white, yet he sat with a spine straight as an ancient pine. He had none of the crude, violent bloodlust of a mortal martial artist. Instead, thanks to his mastery of the Crane Stance, he gave off a restrained, peaceful air, his spirit shining from within. His bearing was upright and composed; if she did not know his background, she could easily have believed he was a cultivator who had concealed his talents.

For an instant, the faintest trace of regret swept through Qin Wan's heart.

If only he had a Spirit Root.

The path of cultivation was perilous, every step fraught with danger.

In the cultivation world, people often spoke of "wealth, companions, methods, and land." The word "companions" ranked second for good reason.

On the long road to immortality, how many hidden arrows could be turned aside with a trusted Dao companion—someone who knew you well, understood when to advance or retreat, and could support you through anything?

"Childe Xia, try this Cloud Mist Tea from Qixia Mountain." Qin Wan put her thoughts aside and poured him a cup.

"Thank you, Miss Qin."

Their conversation unfolded slowly over the tea.

Having lived two lifetimes, Xia Dong naturally had more insight and experience than an ordinary youth. Qin Wan, born into a wealthy merchant family, had been steeped in its ways since childhood; now that she had entered the path of immortality, her horizons were wider still.

They talked freely about all manner of things, without the slightest awkwardness.

Xia Dong was deeply curious about the strange and wondrous cultivation world. When he asked questions, he struck just the right balance: neither servile nor arrogantly ignorant. Qin Wan, for her part, answered freely, sharing her experiences inside and outside the sect in a gentle, unhurried way.

From afar, a man and a woman sat in the pavilion.

The man, in his blue robe, looked carefree and composed; the woman's skirt stirred gently as she exuded an otherworldly grace. With fragrant tea and easy laughter, they looked just like an immortal couple stepped from the pages of a storybook, there amid the tranquil pines.

Yet the more smoothly their first meeting went, the more Qin Wan's regret spread through her heart like wild grass.

"Such a man, with his breadth of mind, courage, and bearing—all of them first-rate..."

Qin Wan lowered her eyes slightly and watched the green tea leaves unfurl in her cup. She lifted it to her lips and swallowed the sigh there along with a sip of tea.

And yet, he had no Spirit Root.

The tea's fragrance curled through the air, mingling with the coolness of the mountains.

Qin Wan gazed at the composed young man before her, then suddenly sighed and set down her cup. "Childe Xia, our families have known each other for years. Calling me Miss Qin feels too formal now. If you don't mind, call me Wan'er from now on. I'll presume upon your kindness and call you Big Brother Xia."

"All right."

That crisp, decisive answer made Qin Wan look at him again.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally brought up the matter that had long hung between them. "The Qin Family's decision to break off the engagement was a matter of weighing family standing against the path of cultivation. Father didn't want to hold you back, and I, too, was determined to seek the Dao. There was no other choice. I hope you won't hold it against me, Big Brother Xia."

"Miss Wan'er, you needn't say so much." Xia Dong lifted his teacup and gently blew away the foam, his voice as calm as still water. "You and I follow different paths, one immortal and one mortal. Breaking off the engagement was only natural. The Qin Family acted honorably. You not only spared me humiliation, but also left me many generous gifts as compensation. I feel nothing but gratitude. Why would I resent you?"

Looking into his open, honest eyes, Qin Wan shook her head. "Those material possessions are easy enough for someone of your talent and character to acquire in time. The Qin Family owes you a favor."

As she spoke, a ripple passed through Qin Wan's heart.

When she had first met Xia Dong, she had shown him goodwill mostly because of his unusual status in the Dao Registry. But after their conversation, even setting that aside, his eloquence, knowledge, and unyielding integrity all marked him as someone destined for greater things.

She had only recently entered the immortal sect, and the worldly warmth within her had not yet been completely stripped away by the cultivation world's cold cruelty. Besides, as a young woman in her prime, she could hardly help admiring a man of such talent and striking good looks.

Qin Wan recalled something her father often said.

"Heaven favors no one, yet is ever with the good."

When Master Qin was young, he had traveled far and wide and fallen into desperate straits several times. In the end, he had escaped disaster through one principle: "Treat others with kindness." The broken engagement had been forced by circumstance, and seeking the Dao Registry had been driven by self-interest, but the Qin Family had endured in business not by kicking people when they were down, but by making good connections.

At that thought, Qin Wan made up her mind. She looked at Xia Dong, her eyes warm yet exceptionally resolute. "Big Brother Xia, people in the cultivation world often say to sever worldly ties and avoid entangling oneself in mortal karma. But today, Wan'er wants to share a little of your karma."

Xia Dong paused, then looked up at her.

"Our families have known each other for years, and today we've met here beneath Qixia Mountain. Surely this is fate's arrangement." Qin Wan picked up the teacup before her and spoke solemnly. "If you don't mind, Wan'er would like to become sworn siblings with you, Big Brother Xia, sharing fortune and misfortune alike. Would you accept me as your younger sister?"

Outside the pavilion, the mountain wind rose, making the gauzy veil snap and flutter.

Xia Dong looked at the young woman holding her teacup, and a ripple stirred in his heart. A cultivator had offered to become sworn siblings with a mortal, binding her own immortal fortune to that of an ordinary man. If word of this reached the Qixia Immortal Sect, people would surely laugh at her.

He had no intention of currying favor. But now that she had made the offer, to reject her outright would seem affected, and worse, it would show no respect to this newly initiated cultivator.

Besides, her sincere goodwill had truly touched him.

"I dare not refuse a gift from a cultivator." A warm smile touched Xia Dong's lips. He lifted his cup and lightly tapped it against Qin Wan's, the porcelain ringing out with a clear chime. "I'm just a mortal now, so this title of Big Brother is quite the windfall for me."

"In cultivating the heart and the Dao, we don't cultivate distinctions of rank." Qin Wan smiled brightly.

They drank their tea in place of wine and drained their cups. There was no solemn blood oath, nor any vow beneath Heaven and Earth. Here, in the cool Pine Slope Pavilion, an immortal and a mortal quietly forged a bond.

Xia Dong set down his teacup and clenched his hand slightly inside his sleeve.

He had little to his name now, but one day he would repay this kindness in full.

After they became sworn siblings, the atmosphere between them grew all the more familiar and natural.

"Come, Big Brother Xia." Qin Wan stood and smoothed her skirt. "This is my first time visiting a cultivation marketplace too. Let's explore it together, as brother and sister."

"I couldn't ask for more." Xia Dong stood and brushed the fallen leaves from his blue robe.

The two walked out of the pavilion side by side.

Qin Wan withdrew the soundproofing artifact. Treading the damp flagstones and facing the clouds and mist as they began to part, she walked beside him toward the cultivation marketplace hidden deep in the mountains.