Healing

Three days later, Shen Ge opened his eyes. He slowly got up and moved his body. After lying down for three days, he felt that his whole body was not right.

Hearing the noise inside, Su Sui pushed open the door and asked with some joy, "Master, you're awake. How are you? Is anything bothering you?"

"I'm fine, much better." Shen Ge waved his hand, then gestured for Su Sui to go outside to talk.

Upon entering the courtyard, Shen Ge immediately spotted Mu Wan sitting sullenly on a stone bench. He glanced at Su Sui, his eyes questioning.

Su Sui shook his head, seemingly unsure why Mu Wan looked unhappy.

"Shen Ge, you've recovered. How are you? Is there anything that feels uncomfortable?"

"It's alright, you're fine now."

"That's good."

"Oh, right, Senior Sister Liuyue said to thank Senior Sister Wang Yan after you woke up. She even used a Soul-Nourishing Snow Lotus for your injuries; otherwise, you wouldn't have recovered so quickly."

"Okay, I'll go and thank Senior Sister Wang Yan later," Shen Ge nodded.

"By the way, where's Senior Sister Liuyue? She didn't go out, did she? If she hadn't shown up in time, I might have already been completely digested by now."

"Senior Sister Liuyue has gone out. She will be staying in the Phoenix Kingdom for a while and will only return once things have stabilized there."

Mu Wan glanced at Shen Ge and said, "Qingyu said that you should stay in the sect for the time being. Because of the Phoenix Kingdom, the situation in the entire Southern Barbarian Lands is very turbulent. A great war between good and evil might break out. Neither you nor I are strong enough to go out."

"Are you feeling down because you can't go out?"

"No, that's not it. I bet Aunt Mu Wan is upset about something," Su Sui chuckled, her eyes fixed on Mu Wan with a strange look.

"You brat, it's been so long since I disciplined you, are you itching for a beating again?" Mu Wan said reproachfully, her fair face flushed with a very faint blush that went unnoticed.

Suddenly, Shen Ge raised an eyebrow and said in a somewhat low voice, "About the Phoenix Kingdom..."

Mu Wan paused in her pursuit of Su Sui, turned around and sat down in front of Shen Ge, whispering, "It's alright for now. Um... Han Yu wasn't seriously injured, but there's a funeral in twelve days..."

Su Sui walked over and sighed softly, "I never expected my cousin to die like this. It really makes you feel the impermanence of life. She single-handedly built an empire and should have had a bright future. What a pity."

"Okay, I understand. You guys go ahead and do your own thing. I'll go visit Senior Sister Wang Yan first."

With that, Shen Ge got up and walked outside.

Mu Wan watched Shen Ge's retreating figure, hesitated for a moment, and then called out, "Shen Ge!"

Shen Ge turned to look at her, waiting for her to continue.

Mu Wan hesitated for a while before mustering the courage to ask, "Will you stay in Phoenix City from now on?"

Shen Ge didn't answer; he simply turned and left, because he didn't know the answer himself, nor did he want to.

Watching Shen Ge's departing figure, Mu Wan's knees buckled and she sat back down on the stone bench, her eyes suddenly filled with tears.

Su Sui glanced at Shen Ge's retreating figure, took a few steps forward, stood behind Mu Wan, and gently patted her shoulder. "Uncle Mu Wan, you've known my master for so long, you understand him."

"Yes, I understand him, but it's precisely because I understand him that my heart aches."

In the Phoenix City Palace, Han Yu sat at a table with slightly red eyes. In front of her were two piles of black powder, one filled with boxes and the other containing only a few hundred wisps of powder.

Those hundreds of grains were Su Du's ashes that Han Yu had selected from the whole mass of black ash over the past few days. These carried a Su Du's aura, which she could detect, but the others were indistinguishable to her.

Staring at the large pile of black ash Han Yu remained silent for a long time, finally burying her face in her hands and sobbing, "Sister, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I can't tell anymore, I really can't tell anymore, please forgive me, I really can't tell anymore... Sister..."

Just then, a Qingfeng suddenly blew the window open, and the Qingfeng swept through slowly, carrying with it a large amount of black ash, as if trying to bury the ash in the air.

"Sister, is this guidance you gave me?"

Han Yu looked at the ashes she had identified, then at those blown away by the wind, and a rare smile appeared in her somewhat red and swollen eyes.

"I understand, sister, I understand." As she spoke, Han Yu started crying again.

Spirit Moon Sect.

Shen Ge arrived at Wang Yan's cave abode, carrying a basket of spirit fruits in one hand and several pots of ornamental spirit flowers in the other.

As soon as he entered, he said with a grateful expression, "Senior Sister Wang Yan, I'm so sorry to have troubled you with all this money."

Wang Yan glanced at Shen Ge carrying several bags and chuckled, "You know I spent money, so you're thanking me with these things? Isn't that a bit too casual?"

Shen Ge smiled somewhat awkwardly, "Junior brother, this is all I can do. Senior sister, please don't laugh at me. Besides, it wouldn't be nice if I offered you Spirit Stone as a token of my gratitude. You'd say I have no brotherly affection and that I measure everything with Spirit Stone."

"I don't mind you insulting me with Spirit Stone, you can bury me with Spirit Stone if you want." Wang Yan casually took a spirit fruit from the fruit basket, didn't wash it, took a bite, and smiled.

"That won't do, junior brother. I don't have that many Spirit Stone. It's more worthwhile to send some spirit fruits instead."

After chuckling, Shen Ge became serious, bowed, and said, "Thank you very much, Senior Sister. Otherwise, I would still be lying in bed, completely clueless."

"Alright, alright, we're all from the same sect, and we usually get along quite well. If you're in trouble, how could I, as your senior sister, just ignore you?"

"Just put the spirit fruit on the table. As for the flowers, you can arrange them wherever you like. Put them wherever you think looks best."

Seeing Shen Ge busy at work, Wang Yan straightened her face and lectured, "Junior Brother Shen, I'm not trying to criticize you, but it's better if you make decisions about some things sooner rather than later. Actually, there's nothing wrong with talking things out. We're all so familiar with each other, how could we become enemies?"

Shen Ge knew Wang Yan was implying something, but he could only smile apologetically and reply evasively, "Senior Sister, some things aren't as simple as they seem, but I'll do my best."

"You, you, I can't control you. Just take what I said earlier as a joke, don't take it to heart. And don't you dare hold a grudge against me, or I'll really get you."

"Senior sister, how could I dare? Besides, you're right, some things need to be decided now, otherwise I won't have the chance to make a decision."