The morning mist on Cold Moon Peak had yet to disperse, and the first ray of sunlight had just illuminated the droplets on the tips of the bamboo leaves.
Lin Shisan paused on the mountain path. He had walked the entire night after returning from Jade Maiden Peak, his whole body steeped in cold, frost flowers clinging to the hem of his robes.
Feng Xian'er was taking a morning nap on a reclining chair, while Long Yan'er sat on the threshold, peeling a freshly picked Spirit Bamboo Shoot.
"Master's Master is back..."
Long Yan'er spotted Lin Shisan first. She dropped the Spirit Bamboo Shoot and ran a couple of steps before stopping abruptly.
She had gotten a clear look at Lin Shisan's eyes. Those dark eyes, usually gentle and guileless, now seemed covered in a layer of dust that could not be wiped away.
Long Yan'er turned back and called, "Master, something's not quite right with Master's Master."
Feng Xian'er slowly sat up. She glanced at Lin Shisan, her gaze sharpening for a moment, then turned toward the kitchen as though she had seen nothing. "Come inside first. The soup's still hot."
Lin Shisan followed her into the Bamboo Hut, sat at the table, and took a sip from the warm bowl of Spirit Beast Soup she handed him.
Long Yan'er had been sent out to practice. Zi Yuner quietly sat down by the doorway, while Feng Xian'er stood against the wall.
"Where did you go last night?" Feng Xian'er's tone was casual, as though discussing an everyday matter.
"Jade Maiden Peak."
"To see Xue Yaotian?"
"Yes."
Feng Xian'er asked no further questions. She simply watched Lin Shisan for a long while, her gaze passing over his brows and eyes before finally settling on the fingers holding his bowl. "Did