Moonlight and a Beauty

The night at Listening Wave Garden was quiet and peaceful.

Bamboo shadows swayed, casting mottled patterns beneath the moonlight. The distant roar of the Endless Sea drifted faintly over, lending the night an added sense of remoteness.

Inside the meditation chamber, Xu Yuan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, ending his cultivation for the day.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, daily cultivation had shifted from accumulating spiritual power to refining one's Dao foundation at a deeper level. Each time he emerged from meditation, his perception of the spiritual workings of heaven and earth grew a little clearer.

Suddenly, his brow stirred slightly. He sensed an exceedingly faint ripple from the restrictions around the courtyard—one carrying a familiar aura.

At a thought from Xu Yuan, the restrictions at the courtyard gate silently opened. Beneath the moonlight stood a slender figure in red robes, her hair gathered into a simple bun. It was Bi Qiong.

Compared with three days ago, her complexion was no longer pale, and the aura around her had stabilized considerably. Yet there was still an unmistakable weariness between her brows, along with a complicated, hesitant emotion she seemed unable to voice.

"Senior Brother Xu." Bi Qiong's voice was soft, almost drifting in the night breeze.

"Come in." Xu Yuan rose and walked into the courtyard, gesturing for her to sit on a stone bench. He took the seat opposite her and casually poured her a cup of still-warm spiritual tea.

Bi Qiong held the teacup without drinking. She simply sat there in silence, her gaze resting on the gently rippling tea in the cup as though organizing her thoughts.

Moonlight fell across her profile, tracing its soft lines while also revealing the deeply hidden sorrow and confusion in her eyes.

Xu Yuan did not urge her. He simply