While they ate, Aze remained silent, his gaze occasionally flicking toward "Yellow Springs" on the table. Jin Xiu merely sat beside him and waited. She did not often eat, only occasionally joining Aze for a meal.
"Sister Jin, I want to leave Nine Peaks Mountain."
Aze's sudden words startled Jin Xiu slightly. She immediately smiled and pretended not to know.
"Do you miss home? That should not be a problem. I'll ask Master Ancestor and see whether, after some time, I can accompany you down the mountain. We can visit the South Mountain Inn and see how Along and Agu are doing. Their children are probably already quite grown. They'll surely be shocked to see that you're still so young!"
Aze stopped his chopsticks and looked up at Jin Xiu.
"Sister Jin, I want to leave Nine Peaks Mountain. I want to leave Nine Peaks Cave Heaven and go into the true Great Heaven and Earth, the great world, to find Mister Ji."
"Mister Ji..."
The days she had traveled alongside Mister Ji flashed through Jin Xiu's mind. His calm pale eyes and extraordinary bearing remained vivid before her, yet also seemed impossibly distant.
"Aze, the world outside isn't as peaceful as Nine Peaks Cave Heaven. There are many demons, monsters, ghosts, and goblins out there..."
"But there are immortals like Mister Ji out there too!"
Aze's retort made Jin Xiu frown slightly as she racked her brains.
"Mister Ji roams beneath heaven, with the four seas as his home. Moreover, he possesses the body of a true immortal, and his whereabouts are difficult to predict. If he does not come looking for you, you will not be able to find him by looking for him."
"I don't believe that! As long as I search earnestly, I'll eventually find Mister