"You're here."
Hu Niu raised her head at the sound of footsteps. Her gaze settled on Lin Shisan, and the corners of her lips curved slightly.
At that moment, Hu Niu was sitting at the stone table in front of the Bamboo Hut. On the table were a jug of wine, two cups, and a small plate of peanuts.
Lin Shisan sat down across the stone table, with the night breeze and a jug of warm wine between them. "Where's Yan'er?"
Hu Niu lifted the jug and filled both cups. The wine was clear and bright, gleaming amber in the moonlight. She pushed one cup toward Lin Shisan, picked up the other, and took a small sip. "Have a drink first. Warm up the atmosphere."
Lin Shisan looked at the cup without touching it. Hu Niu put her cup down and looked at his face. "You think I'd poison the wine?"
"You wouldn't use poison." Lin Shisan's voice was level. "You'd only use more direct methods."
Hu Niu smiled. She set down her cup, took the Jade Talisman glowing with a soft white light from her sleeve, and placed it in the center of the stone table. "The Jade Talisman is right here. Finish this cup, and it's yours. Take it to the restrictions on Back Mountain to find Yan'er. I won't stop you."
Lin Shisan looked down at the Jade Talisman, then back up at Hu Niu. "Hu Niu, what exactly do you want?"
Hu Niu gently ran her finger around the rim of her cup. Only after a long silence did she speak. "I want you to remember me."
"What?"
"I waited year after year in Tianshui Village, and year after year on Nine Nether Mountain. After you left the Heavenly Revelation Secret Realm, you didn't even send