Of One Heart

Inside the quiet room, Mo Wen and Song Yixue sat facing each other across a long table.

Two cups of spirit tea sat on the table, their delicate fragrance refreshing the heart and mind.

"Brother Mo, this is Cold Moon Dew I just bought. Try it and tell me how it tastes." Song Yixue wore a pale green silk robe. Her glossy black hair was swept up in a cloudlike style and adorned with a bluebird jade hairpin.

Her attire was exceptionally simple and elegant, yet it perfectly suited her bearing, like an orchid blooming in a secluded valley. She looked every bit a fairy from the jeweled palace who had descended to the mortal world.

"Cold Moon Dew, what a fine name! The cold moon hangs high, and immortal dew descends to the mortal world. I must savor it."

Mo Wen picked up his cup and took a small sip. A bracing chill instantly seeped into his limbs and bones. His somewhat weary mind felt as though it had been washed in cold, sweet wine, leaving him clear within and without, free of even a speck of dust.

"Excellent tea!" Mo Wen could not help exclaiming.

He took another sip. The fragrance filled his mouth, but the wondrous effect from before was gone.

"Brother Mo, you may not know this, but Cold Moon Dew only has the power to cleanse the mind on the very first sip. After that, it's not much different from ordinary spirit tea," Song Yixue explained.

"So that's how it is. The mysteries of creation really are beyond understanding!" Mo Wen said with a smile.

"Yes. If Cold Moon Dew had that wondrous effect all the time, I'm afraid the likes of us could never hope to enjoy it," Song Yixue said.

Mo Wen thought that made sense. He put down his cup and began chatting with Song Yixue.

From Song Yixue, Mo Wen learned that this group of Rogue Cultivators had been causing trouble at the Song Clan Talisman Shop for several days.

Song Yixue had reported the situation to the Patrol Office, but it had only sent two minor Qi Refining officials to drive them away once, then paid the matter no further attention. Seeing the Patrol Office's attitude, she knew Ji Yuan must have pulled some strings, which was why he had acted so brazenly.

At a loss, she had wanted to notify Mo Wen, but feared disturbing his secluded cultivation, so she had endured it herself. She had not expected Mo Wen to arrive at just the right time today and settle the matter so decisively.

After hearing her out, Mo Wen frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Ji Yuan can't be allowed to live!"

Song Yixue was startled. Her voice trembled slightly as she said, "Ji Yuan is the young master of the Ji Household, after all. If he dies, I'm afraid it will alert the Ji Household's patriarch..."

Mo Wen pondered for a moment before saying, "There's no hurry with that. For now, we still need to figure out how the Song Clan Talisman Shop can establish itself in Azure Luan Immortal City."

"Brother Mo, you displayed your mighty prowess today. Those Rogue Cultivators probably won't come back to cause trouble, will they?"

"That's nowhere near enough. I can keep them in check for a time, but not forever!"

Song Yixue thought it over and agreed that Mo Wen had a point.

Although Mo Wen was already a Foundation Establishment cultivator, if he frequently intervened in the Song Clan Talisman Shop's business, his involvement would be "without a proper name or justification!"

After all, the shop bore the Song Household's signboard. Now that there was trouble, instead of a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Song Household coming forward to back it up, they had Mo Wen, an outsider, stepping in. What kind of arrangement was that?

"I don't mind the trouble, but I'm worried about what your clansmen will think when word gets back to the Song Household," Mo Wen continued.

Song Yixue knitted her delicate brows, her expression shifting. She had cultivated in the lineage for many years and naturally knew about some of the fly-like scheming and dog-like skulduggery within the clan.

Leaving everything else aside, the clan still had no clear answer as to how the news that she possessed the Bewitching Yin Physique had leaked out.

"Brother Mo, what would you suggest?" Song Yixue suddenly understood and turned her beautiful eyes toward Mo Wen.

Whatever she did now, she could not avoid relying on Mo Wen's strength. In that case, why spend any more effort worrying over it?

Whatever Brother Mo wants to do, I'll support him with all my strength. Anyway, I...

At that thought, Song Yixue suddenly felt her face grow hot.

Seeing Song Yixue staring at him, Mo Wen could not help feeling a little elated.

"Sister Yixue, what do you think of these?" Mo Wen took out a stack of talismans and placed them on the table.

Song Yixue turned her gaze to the talismans. At first, she remained quite calm. But before long, she sprang to her feet and asked in a trembling voice, "Are these second-tier spirit talismans? More than a dozen second-tier spirit talismans?"

"That's right. Fire Phoenix Talismans, low-grade second-tier. Seventeen in all," Mo Wen said calmly.

"Brother Mo, have you become a second-tier talisman master?" Song Yixue asked, her face alight with excitement.

"Mm, I only broke through recently. My success rate is still very low," Mo Wen said with a smile.

Looking at Mo Wen, Song Yixue suddenly felt a trace of shame at her own inadequacy. She could hardly be blamed for making a fuss. Second-tier talisman masters were simply too rare!

"Yixue, if I were to open a talisman shop in Azure Luan Immortal City, would you come help me?" Mo Wen asked, getting straight to the point.

Song Yixue's eyes flickered. Quick-witted as she was, she immediately understood the deeper meaning behind his words.

She had to choose between her lineage and Brother Mo!

"Brother Mo, I'll do as you say," Song Yixue said softly, without much hesitation.

Mo Wen was overjoyed to hear her say that. Her words were practically a confession!

He gently took Song Yixue's hand and said solemnly, "Yixue, be my dao companion! In this life, let us support each other as we climb the immortal path together."

Song Yixue nodded lightly, her face full of bashful shyness.

Mo Wen laughed heartily and drew Song Yixue into his arms.

The two held each other tenderly for a long time before finally parting.

"Mo, where are you planning to open the shop?" Song Yixue straightened her clothes and began making plans for him.

"There's no hurry. I want to see how the Song Household reacts first. If possible, I wouldn't mind letting the Song Household have a share of the spoils," Mo Wen said.

"Mo, thank you for thinking of me." Hearing this, Song Yixue felt all the more that Mo Wen was someone she could entrust herself to.

"They're your clansmen, after all. If I can give them a hand, that's a good thing too," Mo Wen said with a smile.

"Let's take it one step at a time!" Song Yixue sighed softly and said no more.

The two spent quite a while discussing the launch of the "second-tier spirit talismans" before leaving the quiet room.

Though the Song clansmen wondered why Mo Wen and Song Yixue had stayed in the quiet room for so long, none of them dared say a word.

After all, Mo Wen was now a Foundation Establishment High Person. They could hardly curry favor with him fast enough, so who would dare get on his bad side?

After exchanging a few more words with Song Yixue, Mo Wen bid her farewell and left.

Now that he and Song Yixue had pledged themselves to each other, he had all the more reason to strengthen himself. If something unexpected happened in the future, he would have enough strength to deal with it and would not be left with regrets too late to remedy!

After returning home, Mo Wen continued cultivating diligently day and night. Every ten days or half a month, he would go to the Song Clan Talisman Shop to meet Song Yixue and bring her the second-tier spirit talismans he had just finished drawing.

Only three months later, when Song Yixue had accumulated a hundred second-tier spirit talismans, did they put ten of them on display in the shop.

Soon, news that the Song Clan Talisman Shop had second-tier spirit talismans for sale spread throughout Azure Luan Immortal City.

Every faction in the immortal city, including the city lord's mansion, was making inquiries everywhere about the origin of this batch of second-tier spirit talismans.

All kinds of information related to the Song Clan Talisman Shop also quickly appeared on the desks of the various factions' leaders.