Outside the cave abode, heaven and earth lay shrouded in darkness.
Yet the stone door of the cave abode suddenly opened. Song Wen felt no alarm, not even the slightest surprise. He merely looked calmly at the suddenly appearing Crimson-Scaled King, then removed his clothes.
"You've come."
Crimson-Scaled King was slightly stunned, seemingly not expecting Song Wen to be so calm.
It was like a brute repeatedly breaking into the home of a woman living alone in the dead of night, only for her to take the initiative to sweep the couch and welcome him. Instead, the brute was left somewhat at a loss.
But after only a brief moment of dazed hesitation, the brute pounced.
The next day, at dawn.
The morning light in the east had only begun to brighten.
Crimson-Scaled King rose from the bed. Her snake tail swayed as she prepared to leave, but she suddenly stopped.
"Extreme Yin, yesterday I saw you and Qing Lian playing in the water. You both enjoyed yourselves. In matters of Dao companions, Qing Lian differs from most Willow Snakes. She pursues what you humans call 'never leaving nor abandoning one another, remaining together until one's hair turns white.' I am her elder brother, so naturally I should fulfill her wish. To avoid disappointing her, I will not come disturb you again from this day onward."
With those words, she opened the stone door of the cave abode and left.
"Heh!"
Song Wen chuckled softly and rose to dress.
That morning, he continued building the boat with Qing Lian.
At noon, he arrived at the Human Race Pavilion on time.
The two guards did not lay hands on him again. They merely "teased" him verbally before letting him enter.
The moment he entered the valley, he saw a man standing