Purple Cloud Unity Covenant (Part 1)

The first rays of dawn break through the snow, and the sky clears after the snowfall.

A row of slender icicles hung from the eaves of the octagonal pavilion, shimmering with a pale golden light in the morning sun. On the stone table inside the pavilion, the wine was still left behind, with two jade cups, one upside down and the other upright, still bearing amber-colored wine stains on their bottoms.

Su Yao and Yang Xiu sat across from each other at a table, a pot of new wine warming on the stove, its steam rising and dispersing in the morning light.

Yang Xiu hadn't slept well last night, but the worry between his brows had completely dissipated, replaced by a long-lost sense of relaxation. He held a cup of hot tea, his gaze falling on two lines of footprints of varying depths on the snow outside the pavilion—the tracks he and Su Yao had left from the cave abode to the octagonal pavilion last night.

"Brother Dao," Yang Xiu suddenly spoke.

Su Yao looked up.

Yang Xiu paused, seemingly considering his words, but ultimately just laughed and shook his head, "Never mind, no need to say anything more."

Su Yao didn't ask any further questions, but simply picked up the wine that had been warming on the stove and poured him a cup.

Yang Xiu took the wine cup, took a sip, and then said, "I will Green Nuo today. The second Divine Ability is extremely difficult, and it is not advisable to stay outside for long."

Su Yao nodded. "Be careful on the road."

Yang Xiu put down his wine cup, suddenly raised his eyes, and looked at Su Yao with an unusual seriousness in his gaze. "Brother Dao, there's something I've been holding back for a long time."

Su Yao looked at him.

"Fellow Zilin, you know better than I how I've treated you," Yang Xiu said slowly. "I don't know what concerns you have, and it's not convenient for me to ask. But last night I saw her standing alone in the snow on the mountaintop, playing the flute. That flute music... I listened to it for a long time."

He paused.

She's waiting for you.

Su Yao didn't reply, but simply picked up his wine cup and slowly took a sip.

Seeing his reaction, Yang Xiu suddenly smiled. The smile held a hint of knowing "I knew it," and a genuine sense of satisfaction. "Brother Dao, I've known you for decades, and I've never seen you hesitate about anything. Slaying demons, eliminating evil, breaking through impasses, opening secret realms—you've always been decisive. Only in this matter are you more hesitant than anyone else."

"How are you any better than me?" Su Yao replied indifferently.

Yang Xiu was taken aback, then burst into laughter. His clear, cheerful laughter startled the snow accumulating at the corner of the pavilion, causing it to fall in a flurry. He stood up, straightened his golden robes, re-fastened the golden bell at his waist, and bowed solemnly to Su Yao:

"Brother Dao, I'm leaving now. There will be plenty of time in the future to meet again."

Su Yao stood up and returned the greeting. "Take care."

Yang Xiu turned and strode out of the octagonal pavilion. After a few steps, he stopped, tossing out a sentence without turning back:

"By the way, fellow Daoist, the osmanthus tree needs pruning. The branches are too dense; when it blooms next year, the fragrance will be weak."

As soon as he finished speaking, the golden robe flashed, and he transformed into a long, gray-purple rainbow, soaring through the air towards the northern Qingnuo Mountain and disappearing in an instant.

Su Yao stood in front of the pavilion, watching the receding streak of light, and remained silent for a moment before chuckling softly.

"Pruning the osmanthus tree..."

He shook his head, about to turn around and go back to his cave abode, when he suddenly stopped.

Outside the octagonal pavilion, beneath the osmanthus tree, a figure in purple robes had appeared there unnoticed. Zilin leaned against the osmanthus trunk with one hand, the other hanging at her side, her gaze fixed on Su Yao's face, saying nothing.

She arrived silently, without even Su Yao noticing.

Su Yao looked at her, and she looked at Su Yao. There were only a few feet between them, but those few steps felt like a very, very long distance.

On the snow, Yang Xiu's footprints were not yet covered by the new snow, while Zilin's footprints were already on the other side.

"Fellow Daoist Yang has left?" Zilin spoke first, her voice low.

"I'm leaving." Su Yao nodded.

Zilin hummed in agreement, shifting her gaze from Su Yao's face to the two osmanthus trees. Unmelted snow still clung to the branches and leaves, and faint traces were visible on the snow's surface. These were the traces of snowflakes that had fallen on the osmanthus trees last night, bringing to mind some of the poems Su Yao had inscribed on the tree trunks, now faintly visible in the morning light.

She looked for a while before whispering, "I heard his flute playing last night."

"That's your flute playing," Su Yao said.

"I'm referring to Fellow Daoist Yang's drinking game." Zilin turned her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. "He challenged you with 'The highest good is like water,' what will you challenge him with?"

Su Yao was silent for a moment, then said, "A knife has no good or evil."

Zilin was slightly taken aback, then nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

The two fell silent again. The wind rustled through the osmanthus trees, shaking down a few fine snowflakes that landed on Zilin's shoulders. Today, she wore a very pale purple dress, with delicate Three Yangs patterns embroidered on the hem, echoing the patterns on the Purple Gauze Umbrella. Su Yao's gaze lingered on the fine snowflakes on her shoulders for a moment before shifting away.

"Aren't you going into seclusion today?" Su Yao asked.

"I stood in the snow for too long last night, and I don't want to go into seclusion today," Zilin said casually, as if it were just a casual remark.

Su Yao glanced at her but didn't expose her.

Zilin walked into the pavilion and sat down opposite Yang Xiu, who had just been sitting there. She raised her hand to straighten the overturned jade cup on the stone table, then picked up the wine pot and poured herself a cup. Her movements were as natural as if this pavilion were a place she came to every day.

She picked up the wine cup, but didn't drink it; she simply held it in her palm.

Su Yao stood outside the pavilion and did not come in.

"Come in and sit down," Zilin said.

Su Yao paused for a moment, then stepped into the pavilion and sat down opposite her.

The fire in the stove had gone out, the wine pot was empty, and only a few drops of wine remained in the two jade cups, gleaming in the snow. The two men sat facing each other across the table, just like Su Yao and Yang Xiu had been the night before, but this time, the atmosphere was completely different.

Zilin looked down at the wine in her cup and suddenly said, "Did you hear the tune I played last night?"

Su Yao nodded.

What did you hear?

Su Yao didn't answer immediately. He remained silent for a while before slowly saying, "I could tell you didn't want to play it alone."

Zilin's fingers tightened slightly for a moment as she held the cup.

"You..." She looked up at Su Yao, her eyes bright, as if glistening with a thin layer of water, "You're smart in some ways, and stupid in others."

Su Yao did not respond.

"I was on the mountaintop last night. I saw you raise your glass," Zilin said softly. "You toasted me. But why didn't you come over?"

Su Yao looked at her, his gaze still calm as still water, but his fingertip lightly traced a very faint mark on the rim of the cup.

"Once it's in the past, we might not be able to stand and talk properly anymore," he said.

Zilin paused for a moment upon hearing this, then lowered her head.

"You're right," she whispered. "Once it's over, you might become 'Abbot of Qixia Temple ' again, and I'll become ' True Person Zilin ' again."

Su Yao did not deny it.

The pavilion fell silent for a moment; even the wind seemed to pause.

Zilin suddenly stood up. She walked to Su Yao's side, took out a bamboo scroll from her sleeve, and placed it on the stone table. The bamboo scroll was tied with a purple rope, and a line of small characters was engraved on the surface of the scroll in extremely fine Cloud Seal Script. The characters were not large, but each stroke was clear. Su Yao's gaze fell on the surface of the scroll, and he saw the characters clearly at a glance.

Su Yao's pupils contracted slightly upon seeing this.

"The Purple Cloud Unity Covenant." Zilin's voice came from beside him, softer and lower than before. "This is a dual cultivation method specifically designed for the Rainbow Clouds and Purple Qi, passed down by the third patriarch of Mount Lao Purple Yang Temple and recorded by the third patriarch of Ziyang Temple when the True Lord of Qixia Temple Qixia Temple and the third patriarch of Purple Yang Temple became dao companion partners. The two patriarchs cultivated Purple Qi and Rainbow Clouds to guide their practice, and ultimately both attained enlightenment. Since the time of the two patriarchs, this method has been sealed in Purple Yang Temple, and can only be accessed by True Person of the Purple Qi and Rainbow Clouds paths."

She paused, then pushed the bamboo slip forward another inch.

"The Purple Qi is born from the embrace of the Three Yangs, embodying the essence of immortality, while the Rainbow Clouds exist in proximity to immortality. With the Purple Qi as the guide and the Rainbow Clouds as the matchmaker, this bond is formed, allowing the two to exchange Law Power and mutually support each other's spiritual insights. If one goes into seclusion, the other can nurture and cultivate in their place; if one engages in combat, the other can lend a helping hand. The speed of cultivation far surpasses that of solitary arduous practice."

She paused again, a faint hint of bitterness in her voice:

"This contract is different from ordinary dao companion. It is a covenant on the Dao Path, devoid of personal feelings. Yet it is a step closer than a typical Daoist contract. If you are willing, we can sign this contract, and your future cultivation will be twice as effective with half the effort."

Su Yao stared at the bamboo scroll but did not immediately take it.

He slowly raised his head and looked at Zilin.

Zilin did not avoid his gaze. She stood there, her purple robes fluttering slightly in the morning breeze, her gaze calm as if she were discussing something utterly ordinary. Yet, the fingertips tucked into her sleeves unconsciously tightened slightly.

Su Yao stared at her for a long time.

"Zilin," he said, his voice low and steady.

Zilin hummed in agreement.

"Yang Xiu said something to me last night," Su Yao said slowly. "He said the osmanthus tree needs pruning. The branches are too dense, and the fragrance will be weak when it blooms next year."

Zilin was slightly taken aback.