Central Province, Ten Thousand Flowers Ridge.
Beside the Deep Pool, Chen Baiqing began brewing tea with gentle movements. She lifted her gaze slightly toward her master beside her, while Li Junzi sat opposite him.
White strands now threaded Li Junzi's hair, and the passage of years had left traces on her face.
Only her eyes had grown ever brighter.
Time would take away youth, but it would also leave answers.
Chen Baiqing first slid the freshly brewed tea toward her master, then toward Li Junzi.
Chu Xingchen reached for his teacup and said with a warm smile:
"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Mister Li. It took me quite some time to get back from Dongsheng Shenzhou."
"You're too kind, Sect Leader Chu. I was the one who came unannounced." Li Junzi shook her head gently. "When I heard you were away, I intended to take my leave. It wasn't anything important, certainly not worth making you travel so far."
Chu Xingchen's expression turned solemn. "For many things, we shouldn't ask whether they're worth doing, but understand whether they ought to be done. Could it be that you no longer consider me a friend, Mister Li?"
Li Junzi smiled freely. "Of course not. It's my honor to be friends with you, Sect Leader Chu."
"Then it's my honor to be friends with you as well, Mister Li." Chu Xingchen raised his teacup. "Martial artists drink wine, while scholars drink tea. Let me use this cup to congratulate you on returning to the Great Confucian Realm. I imagine becoming a Second Sage isn't far off either."
Li Junzi raised her cup as well. Only after draining the tea did she speak calmly:
"Second Sage or not, after all these years, I've found it was merely an obsession in my heart. If