Xiao Hua was naturally unafraid of the rain. He crouched down and looked at the patch of nameless orange-red flowers before him. When the raindrops first fell, the flowers swayed gently, as though unable to bear the burden. As the rain grew heavier, their stems bent low, yet they seemed to struggle, straightening themselves from time to time. But their petals began to drift away as well. The downpour came pouring down, crackling and pattering. The entire flower stalks had been completely flattened, and the flowers in the rain looked utterly miserable. Petal after petal was sliced away, until the whole earth was covered in fallen blossoms. Those fallen blossoms floated and sank bleakly in the pooled water. Where was their former brightness now?
"People's hearts always change; every flowering season has its time!" Xiao Hua felt a faint strangeness in his heart. He looked up at the sky, intending to disperse the rain clouds, but after a moment, he sighed softly, murmured a line, and swayed back onto the flying boat.
Xu Zhi and Fairy Xingyue were both at ease, unconcerned by the falling rain. Their hands seemed to have been clasped together, but when they saw Xiao Hua return, they let go again.
Xiao Hua smiled slightly and was about to speak when he saw that silver light still surrounded Xu Zhi's body. His heart sank, and he frowned. "Senior, your physical body?"
"Didn't you say it yourself? Every flowering season has its time!" Xu Zhi said blandly. "It is time for this physical body of mine to be replaced as well. No need to worry!"
"All right!" Xu Zhi had actually mentioned this before. Xiao Hua nodded slightly. "As the Buddhist Sect says, the physical body is merely a shell, the greatest burden..."
"That is what the