Potential

After he finished, Yan returned to the infirmary. Everything remained exactly as they had left it—no dust, but also no belongings. None of the items they had just bought were in sight. Sensing something was wrong, he ran to find Lian Fulan. She was sitting alone on the doorstep in front of the infirmary, lost in thought.

Yan didn't know how to comfort her, so he could only sit down beside her and stay quiet with her.

At night, when Yan felt Lian Fulan's mood had improved somewhat, he returned to the familiar residence of the old dean. He carefully picked his way through the fields, nearly tripping over a pothole along the path. After considerable effort, he finally reached the door and knocked softly.

"Brother Yan, you're back?" It was Cisheng who opened the door. The old dean seemed to have welcomed a visitor with him; the tea on the table was still warm, meaning the guest hadn't left long ago. "Are you feeling better?"

"I'm much better! Fulan said it'll be fine as long as I don't use my cultivation recklessly for a while."

Hearing Yan's words, Cisheng felt relieved and led Yan to a seat.

"Kid, you're late!" The old dean took a sip of tea and said to Yan, "You probably won't get to see her. Perhaps it's fate, and not a good one at that."

Yan was utterly confused and looked to Cisheng for an explanation.

"Forget it, forget it. Since you didn't meet her, it means you two aren't destined to cross paths!" The old dean glanced at the mud on Yan's clothes and poured him a cup of hot tea. "Was the journey here difficult?"

Yan nodded.

"Seems so. Fate was hindering you. As for the reason... who knows? Perhaps to prevent her from leaking something important!" The old dean stared into the distance, his gaze profound, completely devoid of his usual casual demeanor.

"Dean, Danfeng City has committed countless atrocities. This time, that person has complete information and is willing to share it with us. Why can't we seize this chance to rid the world of this scourge?" Cisheng, too agitated for tea, asked excitedly.

"The forces behind Danfeng are no simple matter!" The old dean took another sip of tea, found it unsatisfying, and drained his cup in one go. "Besides, the Wind Clan hasn't declared its stance. With the frequent clashes between the Heterodox Clan and humanity, everything's scattered and divided. Who has time to campaign against villains? They're also on good terms with many independent factions."

"But you, the other masters, and our fellow disciples in the institute are no ordinary people. Even facing Danfeng alone, victory isn't impossible, especially with that person's assistance..." Cisheng grew more impassioned as he spoke, rising to his feet and pointing at the sky. "As for those so-called forces behind them, don't we have our own backing? With him here, even the Celestial Clan wouldn't dare act recklessly. We..."

"Enough!" The old dean roared, slamming the table as he stood up, but his voice quickly softened. "Cisheng, you're inexperienced in the ways of the world. This is a scheme of those in power, not something a mere sect can decide. It's getting late; you should go rest."

Cisheng slammed the door and left.

Only the old dean remained standing there, stroking his beard, his eyes hollow as he gazed at the sky. "What is it you want from this world? In the past, my period of decline would have long passed by now, but I grow increasingly powerless! Is it because of elder brother's attempt back then that you seek to exterminate the three of us brothers?" Before this vast world, how insignificant was the Sub-Institute; before the torrent of the times, how helpless was any individual.

"Old Dean, has something happened at the Heterodox Clan's Imperial City?" Yan, who had been waiting nearby, asked after the dean's emotions had calmed somewhat.

"Child, the world is ever-changing. Nothing is ever truly accidental; many things are destined. As for what happened at the Imperial City, it is not my place to tell you." Yan sensed the old dean had suddenly weakened considerably, his vitality dimmed, so he didn't press further.

After bidding farewell to the old dean, Yan returned. He hadn't come back because he was fully recovered, but because he had coaxed Lian Fulan and seized the chance to make a request when her mood improved. Clearly, his objective had not been achieved.

This time when Yan returned, Lian Fulan didn't urgently urge him to rest. Instead, breaking from routine, she took him up the mountain to look at the stars.

"Fulan, can you take me to see the Heterodox Clan's Imperial City someday?" Yan asked, finding the mood suitable.

Lian Fulan fell silent. After a long while, she spoke with difficulty. "If... if the way we entered the Imperial City wasn't through proper means, would you despise me? What if I was also born in a remote, rustic village, would you look down on me?"

"No way! Why would I look down on you for that? As for entering the Imperial City..." Yan rested his chin on his hand, thinking for a moment. "Besides passing an exam or fighting your way in, folks from our village don't really have other ways to get in, right?" Then a thought occurred to him. "Don't tell me, you're..."

"Don't overthink it!" Lian Fulan immediately stopped him, explaining, "I was foolish when I was little. I once ran away from home and secretly climbed Mount Tai... I mean, a really, really tall mountain. I saw an older sister trying to break through the barrier there to come down, so... I gave her a hand."

Lian Fulan choked up. "Only later did I learn she was the Celestial Clan's Eldest Princess. I helped her descend to the mortal realm illegally. The Celestial Clan only knew she escaped with help, so they first suspected us rogue cultivators and began slaughtering us. In the end, with nowhere left to turn, my father and several elders decided to pledge allegiance to the Celestial Clan as cannon fodder to attack the Heterodox Clan's Imperial City. They specifically sought out a technique collection being gathered by agents from the Heaven Beyond Heavens as an exchange and contacted the Celestial Clan to apply pressure. With all conditions in our favor, we managed to break into the Imperial City... I didn't want my father to invade; no one did. He agreed to join the war because of me, because he wanted me to have a better life..." Lian Fulan suddenly recalled some details and added, her words becoming somewhat jumbled.

"That Wind Clan Eldest Princess's fiancé also died in that battle, which is why she holds such a big grudge against you," Yan said, placing a hand on Lian Fulan's shoulder. "This isn't really your fault. The fact that your plan to attack the Imperial City was permitted and supported by the Celestial Clan means they were plotting it all along. That whole story about the princess sneaking into the mortal realm was just a pretext. Since when does a princess going out for fun warrant such a massive mobilization?"

Lian Fulan shook her head, saying nothing.

Seeing this, Yan thought it best not to ask anything else. He quietly sat down beside Lian Fulan and kept her company, watching the stars.

"Little Junior Brother, you're here! Oh~ Sister Lian is here too." Mu Han walked up from the foot of the mountain, looking at Yan and Lian Fulan with interest. "What are you two..."

"We're not..." Yan started to stand up and explain but was pulled back by Lian Fulan, who covered his mouth.

"What business brings Elder Sister here? Surely you didn't come in the dead of night just to watch the two of us make a spectacle!" Lian Fulan stared at Mu Han.

"The one within this young brother's Immortal Seed sparred with me before, and I benefited greatly. I've come specifically to thank him for that." Mu Han ignored Lian Fulan and walked straight towards Yan. "Little Junior Brother, could you summon that entity within the Immortal Seed once more?"

"He just suffered severe injuries and hasn't recovered yet. He cannot use his cultivation. As for communicating with the Immortal Seed, it's not that easy. What if something goes wrong? I doubt Elder Sister would take responsibility!" Lian Fulan instinctively shielded Yan behind her.

"I say, Sister Lian, have you and this junior brother secretly pledged yourselves to each other? Or does this elder sister have some blood feud with you? You won't even give me a decent look." Mu Han hid a smile behind her hand.

"Eldest Senior Brother instructed me to take care of him, so I absolutely cannot let anything happen to him while he's under my care." Lian Fulan fully positioned herself in front of Yan, her tone bordering on dismissal.

"This elder sister merely heard you encountered that Wind Clan wretch and came specifically to inquire. Since you aren't welcoming, I shall leave. Why must it be like this? And even invoking Eldest Senior Brother to scare me off." Mu Han looked at Lian Fulan, then at Yan behind her, sighed, turned, and left.

"Yan, don't casually summon those entities within the Immortal Seed anymore. It's not good for you, nor for them!" Seeing Mu Han leave, Lian Fulan let out a sigh of relief, then turned to admonish Yan.

Yan felt like he had caused trouble again. He lowered his head and muttered a soft, "Okay."