Time flew by, and it was already June. Li Yan had stayed home for over half a month. Once the busy farming season ended, he rarely showed himself, either finding a mountaintop or staying at home to painstakingly study the puppet arts of the "Woodflow School." Since puppets were founded on mechanisms and formations, Li Yan often had no choice but to seek out Gong Chen-Ying for guidance on formations.
Gong Chen-Ying and Zhao Min, meanwhile, were unusually busy. The two women often hid indoors with Eldest Sister, Fourth Sister, and Little Yu, talking about who knew what all day. Yet Li Yan sensed a youthful vitality in Gong Chen-Ying and Zhao Min, something they had previously displayed only during cultivation. Zhao Min was clearly less cold toward the people around her now, and occasionally even smiled knowingly.
Gong Chen-Ying's attainments in formations were extraordinarily profound. After consulting her several times, Li Yan could not help recalling how Lin Daqiao had once said that Four Symbols Peak had repeatedly wanted Gong Chen-Ying to join them. Seeing her skill now, he found it truly extraordinary. A few casual words from her could clear the clouds and reveal the sun for Li Yan. As his research continued, Li Yan gradually developed an interest in formations as well. Of course, he would not neglect the root to chase the branch; all of this was still meant to lay a foundation for his puppet arts.
Ever since he had gained opportunities to be alone with Gong Chen-Ying, they gradually began speaking more. One day, after hesitating for a long while, Li Yan finally asked the question that had weighed on his heart for so long.
"A-Ying, cough... cough, well, I've always found something strange. Why is Zhao Min's relationship with Small Bamboo Peak unlike