Gods Sing, Ghosts Chant, Aiding the Hero's Song - Midnight flute notes, hauntingly pure, and a lonely spirit on a desolate road

After that night's turmoil, Xing Yan had no heart to linger any longer. He called Qiong Rong and Xueyi along and headed toward the region where lakes and pools grew more plentiful. After so many days of delay, he felt it was time to devote more attention to seeking the Highest Clarity Water Spirit.

It was now early June, and the weather was gradually growing hot. Fortunately, their route followed lakes and ponds, where moisture was abundant and the trees cast dense shade, so the journey was not particularly arduous. Several more days passed. One afternoon, as they traveled, Xing Yan suddenly felt a few drops of water land on his face, wonderfully cool. Just as he was exclaiming at the refreshing sensation, rain came pattering down from the clouds, and before long all three of them had their clothes soaked.

They sheltered beneath the trees for a while, watching countless threads of rain sway and drift without pause. Before long, puddles had gathered everywhere on the ground. Though the rain alternately strengthened and slackened, it showed no sign of stopping even after a lengthy wait. Xing Yan called to the others, raised his flying sword, and headed toward a distant cluster of houses and trees. Seeing their hall master do so, Xueyi and Qiong Rong rose into the air as well, following closely behind him through the rain and mist that filled the sky. Forewarned by Xing Yan, both girls carefully shielded their bundles, doing their best to keep the rain from soaking through.

In the blink of an eye, they reached the outskirts of a market town. Without even taking time to examine their surroundings, Xing Yan led the two girls straight into the nearest inn at the town entrance. They took two rooms, changed into clean clothes,