"Where I'm going is there, too."
Early the next morning.
The mist had yet to clear.
Lin Zhaoyu found the burial ground of the Jiuyou tribespeople amid the scattered rocks.
She set out the newly purchased incense burner and fruit, knelt before the graves, and bowed devoutly, touching her forehead to the ground.
Chi Yuan stood a short distance away.
Dressed in plain clothes, she watched it all silently, like an outsider.
The rites concluded.
Lin Zhaoyu rose.
She brushed her sleeve across the corners of her eyes, wiping away two trails of tears.
When she raised her head again, a bashful smile had appeared on her face.
"I'm sorry, Master. I've taken up so much of your time."
"It's fine."
Lin Zhaoyu asked again, "Where is your old friend buried? I'll take the offerings over."
Chi Yuan shook her head.
She said nothing.
She merely turned and slowly walked along the slippery rock wall.
Her gaze fell upon the unfathomable darkness below.
"The spirit scatters beyond the nine heavens, and the soul sinks to the depths of the netherworld."
Chi Yuan's voice was soft, as though she feared disturbing this deathly silence.
She stared into the abyss below, her eyes empty. "That's how an old Shenzhou saying goes. But it's cruel. Death is like a lamp going out. What spirit or soul could remain? Once they're gone, they've truly vanished forever."
Lin Zhaoyu's heart tightened, and she asked tentatively, "Were those friends... also members of the Jiuyou Tribe?"
"They weren't fellow tribespeople. They were mortal enemies."
A bitter curve tugged at Chi Yuan's lips.
"Those lunatics in Jiuyou were bent on resurrecting Chi You. My friends only wanted to wipe out that evil beast '750' for good."
Wind blew up from the depths, carrying the stench of decay.
"Chi