The Dean looked at Su Mo lying on the ground and sighed deeply toward the heavens.
Red-Clad One Gu Yu and Luo Yin in a white dress drifted over with the little girl. They immediately spotted Su Mo sprawled on the ground and froze for a moment.
"What happened?" Gu Yu asked.
"He drank himself unconscious..." the Dean said.
"Young master, young master..." The little girl ran to Su Mo's side and shook him. When he failed to respond, she looked up at the Dean, at a loss.
The Dean smiled reassuringly. "Your young master simply drank too much. Let him sleep for a while, and he'll be fine."
"But..." The little girl pouted. "Young master has already been asleep for so many days. Tomorrow... he's supposed to take the Spring Examination."
The Spring Examination...
At the mention of the Spring Examination, the Dean thought for a moment, then smiled.
"It's all right. The effects of this wine wear off quickly. It won't keep him from taking the Spring Examination tomorrow."
"Oh..." The little girl lowered her head to look at Su Mo's pale cheeks, her face full of distress.
"Take him back to rest first," the Dean said, waving a hand.
Su Mo was helped back to the Bamboo Pavilion and laid on the bed.
Gu Yu and Luo Yin left the Bamboo Pavilion and entered the courtyard.
With his hands behind his back, the Dean gazed at the clouds and mist below the mountain and slowly asked, "How is he?"
"He's only drunk. He'll wake up soon," Gu Yu replied.
"And the matter of the blood pills?" the Dean asked evenly, giving no hint of his thoughts.
"The blood pills' whereabouts are unknown, but there are signs of involvement from people in official circles." Gu Yu had spent the past two days investigating the blood pills, but the other side had moved swiftly, seemingly vanishing without a trace.
Still, some traces remained.
"Hmph!" The Dean snorted coldly. "They really have some nerve!"
Gu Yu lowered his head without speaking. He had descended into the Underground Palace in West City and witnessed that scene of unspeakable horror.
He could not imagine how Su Mo, a mortal, had felt upon entering the Underground Palace and seeing it.
Even he had felt his heart tremble at that ghastly sight.
No wonder Su Mo had lost control...
"What about that person in the imperial palace?" the Dean asked again.
Gu Yu shook his head. "I couldn't see anything unusual."
The Dean pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Stay out of this matter for now. Someone will deal with it..." The Dean glanced back at the Bamboo Pavilion, seemingly hinting at something.
"All right." Gu Yu showed little emotion either.
The Dean gazed toward the horizon. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "I'll be leaving for a while. When your Little Junior Brother wakes up, tell him he must take first place in the Spring Examination as his trial to become my disciple."
"After that, help your Little Junior Brother with entering the Dao for now. Everything else can wait until I return."
Gu Yu looked up, speechless.
"First place? Is it that easy? You're so sure he can win?"
The Dean shook his head. "The trial isn't about taking first place. It's about questioning his heart."
"You'll understand when the time comes!"
"Oh!" Gu Yu nodded, then felt that something still seemed wrong.
"Why do I have to help my Little Junior Brother enter the Dao, too?"
The Dean gave him a half-smile. "Haven't you already given him a Heart Sword?"
Gu Yu flashed a bright smile. "Well, when I saw him then, I felt we had an affinity..."
The Dean shook his head and turned toward Luo Yin, who stood quietly to one side.
He smiled. "Your Dao of the zither has advanced considerably again?"
Luo Yin bowed slightly. "I must thank you for the Heart Flute, Dean."
"It's a pity you refuse to join my Academy..." The Dean shook his head and sighed.
Luo Yin shook her head slightly. "My Dao does not lie within the Academy."
"And now? Does it still not?" the Dean asked with a smile.
Luo Yin glanced at the Bamboo Pavilion and said nothing more.
The Dean laughed.
"Gu Yu isn't as steady as you are. Give him a hand when something comes up," the Dean said.
Luo Yin nodded.
The Dean smiled. His spiritual power rippled, and with a single step, he vanished...
As soon as the Dean left, Gu Yu turned to Luo Yin with an irritated expression. "What was that supposed to mean? What does he mean, I'm not as steady as you?"
Luo Yin laughed. "Exactly what he said."
Gu Yu rolled his eyes.
After a brief silence, Luo Yin said, "Since Jing Yan has woken up as well, I'll return to the Riverboat Pavilion."
She thought for a moment, then added, "When he wakes up, tell him to visit the Riverboat Pavilion when he has time."
The moment she finished speaking, Luo Yin drifted away, as though... embarrassed.
Gu Yu was speechless. Are they all treating me as a messenger?
After a moment's thought, he turned and returned to the Bamboo Pavilion.
Inside the Bamboo Pavilion, the little girl watched Su Mo quietly, nestled against his chest as she waited for him to wake.
She had so much she wanted to tell him.
About the amusing things at the Academy...
About her worries...
About how much she missed him...
Over the past several days, Su Mo had remained unconscious. She could only fret helplessly, not daring to disturb his rest too much.
Su Mo had been unconscious for over ten days. During that time, she had learned... what earth-shaking deeds he had performed that night.
She could imagine all the danger and strangeness of that night.
That night, after she told Luo Yin that Su Mo had gone to the courtyard in West City, Luo Yin had gone there and brought back the unconscious Su Mo.
Gu Yu had suggested returning to the Academy to recuperate, so the little girl had followed him there.
Over those ten-odd days, she had learned from Gu Yu and Luo Yin that her young master had killed four villains at the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
Though she found it unbelievable, she did not doubt it in the slightest.
Whatever her young master believed was right, she would support.
If they said her young master had killed four villains at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, then he must have had a reason to kill them.
That day, she had watched her young master stand forlornly in the rain.
That day, she had watched her young master tremble helplessly as the woman holding a baby died before him.
That day, she had watched her young master fashion a Heavy Crossbow.
That day, she had watched her young master stand at the bow of the boat for half the night...
Scene after scene, image after image of Su Mo had been branded deep into the little girl's heart.
"Young master has always been like this... always feeling compassion for the suffering of others."
The little girl gazed at Su Mo's delicate, handsome face and gently rested her cheek against his chest.
"If... young master weren't that kind of person, I'd probably still be wandering and begging, or... I might have died last winter..."
"Young master..." With her cheek against Su Mo's chest, listening to his heartbeat and breathing, the little girl felt an inexplicable peace.
"As long as young master is all right, everything is all right!"
"Whatever young master wants to do, I'll go with him..."
The little girl murmured softly.
Feeling a gentle caress on her head, she looked up and saw Su Mo gazing at her fondly, one hand softly stroking her long hair.
"Young master, you're awake?" the little girl cried happily.
"I just woke up!"
Su Mo smiled as he gently stroked the top of her head.
"Do you feel unwell anywhere, young master?" the little girl asked, worry creeping back into her voice.
Su Mo gently shook his head. "No."
"Young master..."
"Hmm?"
"I missed you so much..." the little girl said softly.
She said exactly what was in her heart.
Su Mo rubbed the little girl's head, tousling her long hair.
"I know..."
"Young master is finally awake... I'm so glad!" The little girl pressed her head tightly against Su Mo's chest, the corners of her eyes reddening.
All the worry, fear, unease, stubbornness, and strength of the past several days... crumbled away without a trace the moment Su Mo awoke.
She was, after all, only a little girl barely past ten...
Before you continue