Song Yan walked slowly to Xu Ziqing's side and noticed that the spirit tablet before him seemed different in form from the others, resembling a cenotaph.
A name was carved upon it: Xu Ziling.
Seemingly noticing his arrival, Xu Ziqing glanced over and greeted him calmly.
"Oh? Elder Song."
He smiled faintly. "The changes in this world truly are hard to fathom."
"It feels as though the last time I saw you, you were still an outer sect disciple at the fifth layer of Qi Refining-"
"And now you're already the master of a peak."
Song Yan waved a hand. "Elder Xu, there's no need for that between us. Just call me Song Yan."
He felt somewhat dazed himself. Those days in the outer sect, making a living by selling Qi-Nourishing Pills and scavenging rubbish at Fireworker Stockade, seemed like only yesterday.
But the spirit tablet before him drew his thoughts back.
"Was she your... younger sister?"
For reasons he had never understood, Elder Xu Ziqing had always looked after him.
Sometimes, while chatting with cultivators he knew in the sect, Song Yan would ask about Elder Xu Ziqing. He had heard that Xu Ziqing once had a younger sister, but she had later passed away.
Seeing the name on this spirit tablet, he guessed that it belonged to her.
"Yes."
Xu Ziqing's expression held no bone-deep anguish. He remained calm throughout.
"My sister didn't die in the war. She wasn't even a cultivator of the Dongyuan Sect, so I haven't come here these past few days."
He smiled a little sheepishly and gently brushed the inscription on the cenotaph.
"Her name was Ziling, and she was five years younger than me. Our parents died early, and we siblings had only each other."
"She was very sensible, and fiercely determined."