Departure

That evening, Shen Ge was sitting cross-legged on the bed, cultivating, when a faint noise came from outside the door.

Shen Ge's eyes snapped open, a hint of killing intent in them. But he soon remembered where he was, and the killing intent slowly faded.

"Creeak..."

The door was gently pushed open, and a small figure crept in, bent at the waist.

The corner of Shen Ge's mouth twitched, and he deliberately spoke in a teasing tone. "Fairy, surely you didn't have to come all this way to thank me so late at night?"

Han Yu jumped in fright. Blushing, she lowered her head and stammered softly, "B-Big Brother Shen, y-you're still awake?"

Shen Ge got up, brushed off his clothes, and stepped forward. "I can't sleep. Come on, sit outside with me for a while."

Watching his back as he walked out the door, Han Yu blushed and slowly followed.

The two came to the courtyard one after the other, and Han Yu thoughtfully brought over two stools.

Shen Ge looked up at the full moon overhead. Its sly moonlight was quite bright.

"Fairy, you're clever and beautiful. If you're willing to work hard, this little place won't be able to hold you. I'd really like to teach you something, but in the end, I realized I don't know how to do anything," Shen Ge said suddenly, though his words were so ambiguous that they were hard to make sense of.

But Han Yu seemed to understand. She placed a stool beside Shen Ge and slowly sat down.

"Big Brother Shen, you're no ordinary person, are you?"

Though it was a question, Han Yu said it with certainty.

Shen Ge nodded, then raised a hand and held up one finger. A small flame danced on its tip.

Han Yu's eyes narrowed, a trace of shock in them, but the shock quickly turned to dejection. Lowering her head, she said, "That's amazing. No wonder you could stay alone in the deep mountains and old forests for so long, Big Brother Shen. No wonder you could cure a poison that countless physicians couldn't."

The word "immortal" was no secret to ordinary people like Han Yu. Though they had never seen one, they always heard tales of immortals' deeds through various channels.

"Big Brother Shen, it must have been very hard to gain all those abilities, wasn't it?"

Shen Ge nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it was hard. I nearly died several times."

"Enough about that. Watch the moon with me for a while."

Han Yu nodded, and silence fell afterward.

The next day.

Shen Ge glanced at the house behind him, chuckled, and strode away. He said no goodbye, nor was there any need for one.

But Shen Ge had barely left the village when Han Yu came after him.

"Big Brother Shen, wait!"

Seeing the girl running after him, Shen Ge shook his head and stopped.

Han Yu soon ran up to Shen Ge, panting. After catching her breath for a while, she handed him the bundle on her back.

"Big Brother Shen, thank you for saving my brother. My family is poor, and we don't have much to give you, so I made you a set of new clothes over the past few days. Besides, my brother's clothes don't fit you."

Shen Ge took the bundle and thanked her with a chuckle. "Thanks. A fairy really is a fairy, as capable in the parlor as in the kitchen. I wonder who'll be lucky enough to marry you someday."

Han Yu chuckled, then put on a stern face and softly lectured him. "Big Brother Shen, how can you start teasing people the moment you open your mouth? Don't do that anymore. Some people have bad tempers, and you'll get yourself into trouble that way."

The little girl, who clearly didn't even dare look him in the eye, was now lecturing him with a serious expression. Shen Ge found it somewhat funny, but to his surprise, he also felt a trace of warmth.

It felt so good to have someone care about him.

Shen Ge smiled. "All right, I'll remember what you said, Fairy. I won't talk like that next time. I'll try to say less to strangers, and once I get to know her, I'll tease her."

Han Yu frowned. Clearly, Shen Ge's shameless answer did not satisfy her, but she wasn't in a position to say much more. She could only offer him her good wishes. "Big Brother Shen, you're an immortal, so I hope you keep getting more and more powerful, and, best of all, that you never run into danger."

"May your good words come true. I believe that one day I'll stand atop the mountains and look down upon everything in the world."

"All right, go home. I hope fate brings us together again."

Shen Ge waved, turned, and strode away without the slightest hesitation.

Han Yu stared blankly at Shen Ge's retreating figure as he walked farther and farther away. Only when he disappeared at the foot of the distant mountain did she slowly turn and return home.

Though Han Yu had approached him with a purpose this time, there was no denying that Shen Ge had left a deep impression on her, especially with the way he had lit a fire on his finger the night before. Compared to that, even his saving her brother seemed insignificant.

Still, Han Yu did not think Shen Ge was above her. Perhaps he was simply too amiable, lacking the majesty of an immortal.

Back home, Han Lin saw his unhappy sister and comforted her. "Little sister, don't be upset. Physician Shen isn't an ordinary person, after all. He wouldn't stay in a little place like this."

"Though Physician Shen speaks kindly enough, I always feel that, deep down, he doesn't see us as the same kind of people. But that's only natural. How can rustic villagers compare with an exalted person?"

Han Yu puffed out her cheeks and pouted. "Brother, listen to yourself. Is that any way to talk? What do you mean, rustic villagers and exalted people? Aren't we all people?"

"You'd better hurry and recover. Once you're healed, go hunting in the mountains. When you get something, we can go sell it in town together."

Though she hadn't said it outright, how could he, as her brother, fail to hear the meaning between her lines? She was telling him that the family was almost unable to put food on the table and wanted him to earn some money.

A little mercenary, wasn't she?

But Han Lin wasn't particularly angry. The family had spent all their savings on his illness, and the grain they were eating now was left over from last year. As the pillar of the family, it was his responsibility to support the household.

"Brother, you should find yourself a wife. Hunting is dangerous, after all, so have a child first."

With that, Han Yu picked up the pile of old clothes beside her and went out.

Watching his sister leave, Han Lin shook his head and said with some amusement, "She really is my own little sister. Now she's even worrying about her brother's marriage. Looks like the girl really has fallen for him."

"Then again, what woman could resist a man who calls her 'fairy' every other word?"

Rubbing his chin, Han Lin said, somewhat tempted, "Should I give it a try too? I may not be as handsome as Physician Shen, but I'm a seven-foot man, at least. I can't be that far behind. If I sweet-talked them a little, wouldn't those young ladies be bashful to death?"