Short Story

Chapter One

Dodging two silly little immortal boys, the little sparrow once again snuck into the medicinal garden on this immortal mountain.

This mountain was called Solitude Peak. It was said a Dao-shattering realm immortal dwelled upon it, but the little sparrow didn't care about that. She had just managed to awaken her spirit and was about to take human form. Three years ago, passing by this place, she discovered the spiritual energy here was exceptionally rich, perfect for cultivation, and atop Solitude Peak was a medicinal garden.

The garden nurtured all sorts of immortal herbs and flowers, but the sparrow wasn't greedy for those. Her favorite was the unattended red berries by the roadside. Since they were useless weeds, the immortal boys would clear them out every so often.

If they didn't need them, might as well let me have them, the little sparrow thought. These berries weren't specially cultivated, but growing in this medicinal garden, their spiritual power far surpassed those born elsewhere, and their taste was much sweeter.

After eating her fill, the sparrow still carried a few berries in her beak, wanting to take them out of the garden. But every time she reached the fence, the berries became as heavy as a thousand pounds, impossible to drag out. Hopping around the berries, she finally sighed, gave them a gentle peck with her beak, and fluttered her wings, flying away.

Just after flying over the courtyard wall, she saw steam rising from the bathing pool next door. The sparrow recalled the immortal boys always saying the immortal of Solitude Peak bathed in this spiritual pool every three days. Long curious about this immortal's appearance, she decided to loiter on the wall and wait for his arrival.

Tucking her wings, the sparrow waited eagerly. Finally, she saw that immortal. Truly as the rumors said, he was divinely handsome, a smile at his lips like a spring breeze, pleasing to the eye and immensely comfortable. His robes billowed and drifted away with the wind, and the moment he entered the water, his robust physique was unmistakably revealed.

The little sparrow felt a fire ignite in her heart. Covering her eyes, she tumbled right out of the garden.

"Little birdie, you went to steal berries from the immortal's garden again!"

"Pah!" The little sparrow shot an unhappy glance at the vine demon below. "What stealing? I call it gathering. If no one wants them, they have no owner."

"Alright, alright, not stealing. So, did you see the immortal this time?" The vine demon had deliberately coiled up the old tree to chat with the little bird.

The little bird raised her wings to cover her face. "Saw him, saw him. He's so handsome."

The vine demon chuckled teasingly. "You're just a little demon who's barely awakened your spirit, your intellect isn't fully formed yet. What's there to be shy about?" The sparrow pouted with her beak. "Hmph, nonsense. I can take human form soon. If I were in human form, I'd be a girl."

The vine demon swayed its vines, leaning against the old tree, and stopped teasing her.

Chapter Two

"What are you doing squatting in the medicinal garden?" It was rare for Kui Zhenren to visit Solitude Peak, only to find its master squatting in the garden, counting berries.

Hearing the voice, Bai Ci swung his two wide sleeves and stood up to reply. "What else? I'm counting how many of my berries she ate today."

"Berries?" Kui Zhenren thought for a moment and laughed. "That little sparrow is still lingering around here? Seems you can't avoid this tribulation!"

Bai Ci turned his head and rolled his eyes at him. "Have you forgotten? Mysterious Unity Immortal Lord once said tribulations are meant to be transcended, not avoided."

"Oho~ Worthy of one approaching godhood. Your realm is truly lofty." Kui Zhenren gave a thumbs-up and stepped inside as well. The soft grass was littered with little red berries. "But, you don't even care for these little things. How many berries can one little sparrow eat? Is it worth being so nitpicky?"

"Ah, that's where you're mistaken." Bai Ci perked up whenever he had a counterargument. "That little sparrow gained sentience after just a few years, which shows her past life was full of twists, but her innate talent is mediocre. Even eating just one of my berries is a significant aid to her transformation and foundation. Besides, she'll have to repay all of this in the future."

Kui Zhenren shook his head repeatedly. "With your stingy nature, I truly don't understand how a little sparrow demon became your tribulation."

Bai Ci looked back at him, his eyes curving into crescents. "Otherwise, why do you always say the ways of the world are wondrous?"

Kui Zhenren nodded in agreement. "True enough. But don't bully her too much."

"Me, bully her?" Bai Ci was astonished. He planted his hands on his hips indignantly. "Who was it just now clinging to the wall peeking at me bathing? How does that make me the bully?"

"Hahaha~" Kui Zhenren casually plucked a berry, tossed it into his mouth, and spoke magnanimously. "Hey, she hasn't taken human form yet. She doesn't distinguish between male and female. A little look won't hurt anything."

"Hmph!"

Three

The little sparrow flew halfway into the sky when suddenly her whole body trembled, and she plummeted from the clouds.

After crashing into a muddy pit, she staggered to her feet. Just as she was about to shake her wings, she found they had turned into pale, fleshy limbs.

"Oh dear, what's happening?"

The peach tree next door, seeing her still dazed and confused, shook down some petals and wove her a green peach-blossom dress.

"Little sparrow, you've taken human form so quickly~"

"I've taken human form~" The little sparrow happily looked at the peach tree. With disheveled hair and holding up her skirt, she spun around the tree back and forth. "I'm so happy! I can walk, I can taste delicious food, I can... Ouch!"

Before she could finish, she tumbled into the dirt again. As she tried to get up, a melodious sound reached her ears—clear zither notes and moving flute music. Lifting her head, she saw a man descending gracefully, draped in a black fox fur cloak, with a youth holding a willow branch on one side and another holding a feather fan on the other.

"Lift your head and look." The man's voice was clear and bright, brimming with vitality like the rising sun. The little sparrow looked up and was met with a brilliant, radiant smile that outshone the daylight.

"Solitude Peak Immortal Lord?"

"You can still recognize me. It seems the transformation isn't complete." Bai Ci looked down at the girl sprawled on the ground. Her small, crimson mouth was slightly pouted, her eyes round and bright, but her cheeks were quite gaunt.

At first glance, she looked like a country girl who had been mistreated since childhood, never having eaten her fill. But that was normal; after all, she was a bird demon. Having never eaten anything good in her life, it was extremely difficult to develop a blessed, prosperous appearance.

The little sparrow was dazzled by his smile. After a dazed moment, she remembered her frequent trips to steal berries from his medicinal garden. Flustered, she scrambled to sit up, worried the Immortal Lord had come to settle accounts.

"Why are you still sitting? Get up!" Bai Ci retracted his smile, took out a jade slip from his robe, and tossed it to the little sparrow. "Over these three years, you've eaten twelve thousand three hundred red berries from my Zhi Garden. Now that you've taken form, you'll do thirty years of cleaning and sweeping on my Solitude Peak."

"Immortal... Immortal Lord, are you taking me as your maidservant?" The little sparrow finally caught on.

Bai Ci impatiently dug at his ear, not wanting to explain further. To his surprise, the little sparrow immediately leaped onto him.

"Really? Really? You're really taking me as your maidservant?" Chirping away—truly a bird at heart. Bai Ci pried her claws from his arm and nodded helplessly. "Yes, really."

"I'm so happy!" The newly humanized sparrow hadn't yet learned to restrain her emotions. Her beaming face was smeared with mud. Bai Ci shook his head helplessly and reached out to wipe it clean for her.

"Do you have a name?"

The little sparrow tilted her head back and shook it. "What's a name?"

"Ah..." Bai Ci sighed helplessly. He grabbed the little sparrow by the scruff of her neck, gave her a couple of shakes, and transformed her back into a small bird, tucking her into his robe. Turning around, he instructed, "Zhi Liu, take the little sparrow tomorrow and familiarize her well with Solitude Peak. The day after, I will give her a name. Leave the rest of the arrangements to Liu Yu."

"As you command!"

Four

At dusk, the sky was ablaze with sunset glow over Solitude Peak. The attendant Liu Yu was leading visitors up the mountain when they heard the sound of a hundred birds singing in chorus from the peak.

"It's been a long time since I visited Solitude Peak. When did your master start keeping all these sparrows?"

"You misunderstand, Lord Yunlai. My Immortal Lord is bestowing a name upon a newly acquired cleaning maid, which has drawn a hundred birds to celebrate."

The woman beside Du Yunlai leaned forward to look. "A cleaning maid? I heard Solitude Peak Immortal Lord has received a divine decree from the God Realm and has been promoted to a position bordering on divinity. He should ascend to the God Realm soon. Why would he suddenly take on a cleaning maid now?"

The two, filled with curiosity, followed Liu Yu up the mountain. From a distance, they saw Bai Ci comfortably reclining on a rattan lounge chair at the summit. A cute little girl was following Zhi Liu's lead, earnestly learning the grand ritual of paying respects to Heaven, Earth, and the gods.

"And this is?" Qin Silian glanced at the little girl, exchanged a knowing look with Du Yunlai, and with a smile, slipped a purple beaded bracelet from her wrist as a gift.

"So pretty! Thank you!" The little sparrow cradled the bracelet, overjoyed.

Qin Silian shook her head with a laugh and asked, "Solitude Peak Immortal Lord, have you decided on the little girl's name?"

"Hmm~" Bai Ci took a sip of wine before responding. "The weather's been a bit cool lately, and it coincides with the first of the month. Let's call her Chu Liang."

"Chu Liang." The little sparrow tilted her head, savoring the two syllables. The thought that this was now her name filled her eyes with a brilliant light.

The two who had ascended the peak had come for Solitude Peak's radiant glow. After observing the ceremony, they left without further disturbance, allowing Bai Ci to save his energy and focus on secluded cultivation.

Having just taken human form, Chu Liang had the fortune to become Solitude Peak Immortal Lord's cleaning maid. What an honor! She returned to the foot of the mountain with her tail feathers practically twitching, showing off to her old friends again and again.

"My, my, our little sparrow has really made it big." The vine demon was genuinely happy for her, but the partridge next door wasn't so pleased. It spoke with a hint of sourness, "It's just a cleaning maid. What's there to be so proud about? I think it's better to cultivate diligently and become the mountain king yourself. Then you won't have to take orders from anyone."

Chu Liang pouted, transformed into her human form—this time wearing a bright green dress—and indignantly flicked the partridge's head with her finger. She ran off a distance before turning back to stick her tongue out at it.

"Nyah nyah nyah~ I don't want to be any mountain king."

Pushing open the tall door, she found the room very quiet. Chu Liang took a handkerchief from her robe and began carefully tidying the books on the table.

Taking advantage of the Immortal Lord being out visiting, she often sneaked off to see her old friends. Half a month had passed since the day she took human form, and she still didn't understand why this Solitude Peak Immortal Lord had taken her on as a cleaning maid.

She had dreamed that becoming human would let her taste all the delicious food and wine she had long coveted. Yet on her very first day, the Immortal Lord had declared her transformation incomplete, forbidding her from eating recklessly. To this day, she was still only allowed fruits or grains—a terribly bland existence.

"Bowing your head like that... are you counting ants?"

A clear voice suddenly came from above. Chu Liang looked up in a panic. "Immortal... Immortal Lord!"

"I've been cleaning very diligently!"

Hearing her timid, fearful voice, the Solitude Peak Immortal Lord raised an eyebrow slightly. "What, do you find me frightening?"

Chu Liang hastily shook her head. "No, no, no, not frightening at all. It's just..."

"Just what?" The Solitude Peak Immortal Lord looked at her with a hint of amusement, watching as her brows furrowed and her little face scrunched up. "It's just... could I go play in the mortal realm? I used to watch them from the tree branches, and it looked so fun. Now that I have a human form, I really want to go experience it."

"And how long can you maintain your human form now?"

Hearing this, Chu Liang sensed hope. She stuffed the embroidered handkerchief into her bosom and grabbed the Solitude Peak Immortal Lord's arm. "I can hold my human form for about three hours a day now! Isn't that great progress?" She still remembered how on the first day, she started sprouting feathers after just a quarter of an hour.

"Three hours... that might be worth considering." Seeing the Solitude Peak Immortal Lord's hesitant attitude, Chu Liang, forgetting all propriety, grabbed his arm and pleaded incessantly. "It can be considered! It definitely can!"

Five

Finally arriving in the mortal realm, the little sparrow instead grew fearful. She didn't know why, but even in human form, the world looked scarcely different from what she had seen in her original body. Several times, when people came towards her, she feared being grabbed and crushed to death, so terrified that she kept hiding behind the Solitude Peak Immortal Lord.

Only then did the Solitude Peak Immortal Lord realize something was wrong. He pulled her in front of him to examine her and sighed softly. "What a pity. You finally managed to transform, yet you were born with sparrow eyes."

"What does that mean?" Chu Liang asked, confused. The Solitude Peak Immortal Lord turned her head and pointed to the pastries at a roadside stall. "Could you eat this pastry?"

Chu Liang looked down. The pastry was almost half her size. She swallowed hard, shook her head, and said with great regret, "That much... I probably couldn't finish it~"

Suddenly, a cool sensation touched her forehead. The Solitude Peak Immortal Lord had placed his palm there. A stream of cool spiritual energy flowed into her mind, and the scene before her eyes gradually changed. People became smaller and clearer. When she looked at that pastry again, it had shrunk to a small, delicate, and lovely piece in her hand.

"So it was only this big all along..." Chu Liang looked at the Solitude Peak Immortal Lord with a pitiful expression, her big eyes blinking.

"Well, little girl, want a piece?" The stall owner smiled warmly at them. Chu Liang's eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously. Seeing this, the Solitude Peak Immortal Lord rummaged in his robe, found a few copper coins, and tossed them to the old woman.

This was Chu Liang's first time seeing the mortal world with human eyes. Everything seemed novel and fascinating. She dragged the Solitude Peak Immortal Lord around, stopping here and wandering there, utterly delighted.

"Immortal Lord, Immortal Lord, what's this?"

"Immortal Lord, Immortal Lord, look over there! It's so beautiful!"

"Immortal Lord, Immortal Lord..."

The Solitude Peak Immortal Lord tilted his head back with a sigh, stretched his neck, and finally drawled in response, "Coming!" He ambled over slowly and saw Chu Liang staring at a two-story painted boat ahead. She seemed to like it very much but didn't dare approach.

Well, the boat was currently floating on a small river. Chu Liang, being a bird demon, was extremely afraid of water. The Solitude Peak Immortal Lord resignedly extended his arm for her to hold onto. "Let's go."

After a night on the painted boat, the little girl finally played herself to exhaustion, reverting to her original form and curling up in the Solitude Peak Immortal Lord's embrace. Seeing her sound asleep, the Solitude Peak Immortal Lord sighed and simply took her back to Solitude Peak.

After a night's rest, Chu Liang followed behind Bai Ci, full of energy. She said that to show gratitude for the Immortal Lord taking her to the mortal realm, she wanted to work hard to repay him. Seeing her sincere attitude, Bai Ci handed her the hoe he was holding and told her to clear the weeds in the herb garden.

"Such an easy job!" Chu Liang felt the task was too simple and that Bai Ci was wasting her talents. Bai Ci looked at her with a faint smile. "Don't be greedy for achievement. Focus on doing this one thing well first."

"Alright!" Chu Liang happily took the hoe and skipped her way toward the herb garden.

A partridge and a crow, having arrived at some unknown time, had been watching from atop the wall for a while. Chu Liang waved at them with a smile and asked, "Did you come to see me?"

"Hmph, who's here to see you? We came to pay our respects to the Immortal Lord."

"Tch, the Immortal Lord went traveling this morning." Chu Liang pouted and ignored them, lifting the hoe to work seriously. It was a beautiful little jade hoe inlaid with gold. With just a light dig, it could pull weeds from the ground, roots and all. She tossed the weeds into a bamboo basket beside her; the job would be done once she threw them all out in the evening.

After the weeding was finished, Zhi Liu would come to water the plants. The garden didn't grow ordinary vegetation; these were all spiritual herbs with sentience. The slightest mishap could cause them to awaken their spirits and begin cultivation, so watering required extra care. Chu Liang herself was just a little demon who had recently awakened her spirit and naturally couldn't handle such a task.

"Ah!" But Chu Liang had only dug a few times when the hoe handle suddenly came loose. No matter how she tried, she couldn't reattach it. Her face fell as she looked toward the wall. "Little crow, partridge, it's broken."

"Oh dear, we didn't see anything." Who knew these two disloyal creatures would zip away with a flutter of wings? When Zhi Liu returned and heard the news, he was so angry he nearly fainted.

Six

"What? Broken!" Bai Ci stared in disbelief at the dismembered jade hoe before him. "This is the Celestial Jade Hoe personally forged by Fengyang Zhenren! There's absolutely no reason for it to just break like this!"

Solitude Peak Immortal Lord frowned as he looked at the three of them, finally fixing his gaze on Zhi Liu, about to question him. Sensing danger, Zhi Liu quickly said, "Immortal Lord, the hoe broke in Chu Liang's hands. It has nothing to do with the two of us. If you want to ask why it broke, we can't answer that."

Liu Yu also nodded. "I truly didn't witness what happened."

Chu Liang's heart sank into an icy chill at that moment. Her face was crestfallen. "I... I really didn't mean to."

Seeing tears about to well up, Solitude Peak Immortal Lord rubbed his forehead and sighed softly. "I didn't say I was assigning blame. Let me see it." Chu Liang hurriedly handed the hoe over with both hands.

Solitude Peak Immortal Lord fiddled with the Celestial Jade Hoe for a while, but his brow furrowed even deeper. Suddenly, as if he had discovered something astonishing, he shot to his feet, startling all four people present.

"Wh-what is it?" Bai Ci rarely saw him so flustered.

Solitude Peak Immortal Lord shook his head, grabbed Chu Liang's wrist, and let spiritual power pour from his palm, enveloping her completely.

After a long moment, Solitude Peak Immortal Lord looked at the innocent and bewildered Chu Liang, momentarily at a loss for words. Bai Ci, unclear about what he had discovered, was about to ask again when Solitude Peak Immortal Lord waved him off and instructed Liu Yu and Zhi Liu.

"You two may leave. This matter has nothing to do with you. Chu Liang, go wait in my room."

"Yes."

After the others had left, Solitude Peak Immortal Lord squatted on the ground, toying with the jade hoe as he explained to Bai Ci, "So-called tribulations truly are only ever late; they never fail to arrive."

"Is there something strange about that little sparrow?" Bai Ci became uncharacteristically serious, even straightening his appearance. The previously disheveled, bearded man lying sprawled on the ground suddenly changed into a proper cross-collared robe and fastened his hair bun with a jade hairpin.

Solitude Peak Immortal Lord was taken aback by his sudden transformation. He rolled his eyes before replying, "Her entire body is blocked by turbid energy. Spiritual energy is obstructed and cannot flow normally. I suspect this is why, despite being able to take human form, she still has the eyes of a sparrow."

"But what does that have to do with breaking the jade hoe?" Bai Ci still didn't understand.

Solitude Peak Immortal Lord looked up into the distance, his sleeves fluttering. The door before him stood wide open. Outside, white clouds brushed past the verdant mountains, and sunlight bathed the entire peak. Amidst the golden, rosy clouds, a faint dark line was visible—one only he could see.

The Heavenly Chasm was right before him. He needed only to take this step to shed his mortal body, ascend to the divine realm, and attain godhood. Five years ago, the divine decree and this very chasm had arrived before his Solitude Peak. If before today he had merely been hesitating, then after today, it seemed this divine seat was destined to be beyond his reach.

"Over a thousand years ago, I met a young woman. She was the daughter of a noble house, yet she dreamed of roaming the world with a sword as a wandering swordswoman. At that time, I was just a low-level cultivator with a playful heart. Finding her quite interesting, I provoked and coaxed her several times, eventually guiding her onto the path of cultivation."

"Could she be your very first disciple?" Having been friends with Solitude Peak Immortal Lord for many years, Bai Ci knew much about his circumstances, yet he had never discovered who his eldest disciple was. Logically, even someone born and dead should have been traceable.

"You could say so!" Solitude Peak Immortal Lord sighed, clasping his hands behind his back. "But back then, we never formalized the master-disciple relationship. It was also my own youthful arrogance; I actually led her and others into the demon realm. After returning, I didn't know her soul had been invaded by an inner demon. Later, due to that inner demon, she accidentally fell under another's sword. I had intended to formally establish our bond before her reincarnation. Only then did I learn her soul had been seized by the demon race, making it impossible for her to enter the path of cultivation ever again."

"If not for this heavenly tribulation, that little girl would have remained a wandering remnant soul in this world, wouldn't she?"

Solitude Peak Immortal Lord sighed, recalling the past. "Mysterious Unity Immortal Lord once told me that during the great war between humans and demons, the inner demon, after being beaten back to its original level, hid within the fetus in Purple Xuan Lady's womb. It even secretly ascended to the heavenly realm once. Later, it was driven back to the mortal world and wreaked havoc before vanishing without a trace. That's why, for all these years, I could never gather her soul and restore it to a body."

"No wonder. I heard this heavenly tribulation is because the inner demon has attained the Great Dao. Is that rumor true?"

"I originally only suspected it, but now it seems that must be the case. That's also why Chu Liang was able to awaken her spirit and take human form within just a few short years. This is the deserved fruit of her enduring a millennium of hardship."

"A pity. Her fruit has become your tribulation." Kui Zhenren lay back down, his eyes growing heavy, almost asleep. After a long while, he remembered the topic had strayed. "But what does this have to do with her blocked spiritual energy?"

Bai Ci looked at him with amusement, then sat down cross-legged and continued sharing the drink. "Her connection to the demon race lasted too long; she's entangled with turbid energy. Coupled with the inner demon attaining the Great Dao, this turbid energy is extraordinary. It not only affects her internally but can even radiate outward, interfering with various magical artifacts. After all, artifacts are inanimate objects; they cannot flexibly adapt the flow of spiritual energy."

"Then she... if she ventures into the Three Realms in the future, this, this, this... how many people would she offend! But if she were used as a magical artifact herself, she would truly be invincible!" Kui Zhenren had already begun imagining all the interesting possibilities of leading Chu Liang to stir up trouble across the realms.

Bai Ci looked at him, momentarily unsure whether to feel joy or sorrow. "Tracing the root cause, it all began with me. Consider it repayment of a debt."

"Heh, are you sure it's just repayment?" Kui Zhenren smiled, watching him.

Seven

Chu Liang didn't know why either. The Immortal Lord ordered her to follow by his side and attend to him, but forbade her from doing anything else. For the first few days, she was quite happy about it. After all, spending every day facing such a handsome man as the Immortal Lord—how could that not be wonderful?

But as days passed, she grew increasingly bored. Bai Ci was a Dao-Breaking Immortal Lord; from what Zhi Liu and the others said, her Immortal Lord was just one step away from godhood. He could ascend whenever he wished, having long reached a state of profound understanding and detachment from worldly affairs. Thus, each day, whether sitting or standing, he would spend most of his time in quiet contemplation.

The Immortal Lord naturally didn't feel bored, but Chu Liang was bored to death.

"Immortal Lord, would you like some tea?" No response. Chu Liang watched him practice calligraphy for a while before running out again.

"Immortal Lord, Zhi Liu made some delicious pastries. Would you like to try some?" He did look up this time, but didn't seem inclined to eat. In the end, Chu Liang ate them herself.

"Immortal Lord, the purple peonies in the medicinal garden have bloomed. They're so beautiful. Would you like to go see them?" This time, the Immortal Lord smiled gently. Chu Liang suddenly felt her heart pounding and her face growing warm. Her Immortal Lord was just too handsome.

The Immortal Lord beckoned to her with great amiability. "Come here!" Blushing and fidgeting, Chu Liang approached, only to hear him say, "Since you can now take human form, you might as well learn some human skills. Let's start with practicing calligraphy."

"Ah!" Before Chu Liang could even refuse, the Immortal Lord had already taken her hand, guiding her stroke by stroke in earnest practice.

Feeling the slightly cool touch on her hand, Chu Liang found her thoughts scattering uncontrollably at some point. Her eyes fixed on those pale, slender fingers, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.

Having cultivated for millennia, Bai Ci had rarely encountered anything that stirred his heart since entering the Dao-Breaking realm. Yet, watching Chu Liang's hurried comings and goings, an inexplicable restlessness arose within him.

He had thought keeping her confined in one place would bring peace, but now, holding her soft, small hand, Bai Ci found his mind beginning to wander.

Though Chu Liang was encircled in Bai Ci's embrace, aside from her hand being held by her Immortal Lord, her body, head, and eyes were still free. Her gaze traveled from his hand, up his arm, and finally settled on his face.

His brows were like distant peaks, his eyes like deep pools—glistening and unfathomable. His nose bridge was steep and prominent, leading down to full, crimson lips. Their color was translucent, like cherries fresh from the water; they looked like they should taste very sweet.

The more Chu Liang looked, the more she craved. Before she knew it, she had pounced, biting down on those red lips. A quick suck confirmed they were indeed very sweet.

Eight

Bai Ci hadn't expected Chu Liang to suddenly pounce on him. In that moment of distraction, he didn't know why he had let his guard down completely around her. But the warmth transmitted from his lips clarified many things for him.

Chu Liang finished licking her lips with a satisfied smack. Bai Ci smiled as he looked at her. "Sweet?"

"Mhmm, so sweet!"

"Then, have another taste." Bai Ci released her hand, wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her close, and lowered his head to deepen the kiss.

A thousand years had passed, making his little disciple's features somewhat blurry in his memory. But he would always remember her smile before she died, and the affection he never had time to confess.

If he hadn't been fond of her, why would he have gone to such lengths to tease and provoke her back then? It was just that too much time had passed—so much that he didn't know if he still remembered that girl, or if he still felt the same fondness as before.

But now, holding her in his arms, Bai Ci understood clearly.

"Oh my~" The moment Zhi Liu entered, he saw something he shouldn't have. He immediately turned his back and complained, "Immortal Lord, please be mindful of the setting for such activities. This is the study, a place Liu Yu and I frequently need to enter. I must ask you two to return to your room before engaging in such indecent behavior."

"Ahem~" Bai Ci gave a light cough and, holding the dazed Chu Liang, hurriedly left the room.

Soon enough, Liu Yu also heard about the matter and was quite astonished. "Nothing major happened from yesterday to today, so how did they suddenly become a couple?"

Zhi Liu, being many years senior to Liu Yu, snorted coldly at his words. "The Immortal Lord is a Dao-Breaker. Having cultivated in the mortal world for a millennium, matters of love and affection, however complex, wouldn't trouble him for long. If you can't even grasp something like this, it seems your own path of cultivation still stretches far ahead!"

Liu Yu had been at the mountain sect for over a century but remained stuck at the initial stage of cultivation. Compared to Zhi Liu, who had found his Dao a mere fifty years after entering, he felt increasingly ashamed.

"This is fine as well." Zhi Liu, feeling his own path to Dao-discovery was still endless, mused, "The journey to finding one's Dao is long and arduous. If the Immortal Lord can stay, he can keep us company a while longer."

When he said this, he had clearly forgotten about the existence of one other person.

Having just finished chatting with the vine demon, Chu Liang hopped and skipped back to the mountain gate. Before returning, she had specifically visited the herb garden to pick some flowers; their nectar made pastries exceptionally sweet.

Hearing that a cultivator had come seeking the Dao after untold hardships, Bai Ci, seeing his firm resolve, had kindly lectured on the Dao for him. So, Chu Liang had gone down the mountain specifically to avoid them, returning only after that person left. Though they had been apart for just half a day, it felt like a long separation.

The moment she saw Bai Ci, she was overjoyed. Without a second thought, she pounced on him.

"No!" Hearing Zhi Liu's anguished cry, Chu Liang had a bad premonition. Looking down, she saw Bai Ci holding a jade-green round bead in his hand—the very one Zhi Liu had been painstakingly carving recently.

For a moment, Zhi Liu disregarded his Immortal Lord's feelings, shoved Chu Liang aside, and snatched the bead back. Unfortunately, the pearl no longer responded to his spiritual power. "My Convergence Pearl!"

Bai Ci held the wronged Chu Liang and rubbed his temples, looking rather awkward. "How about... you refine it again? Having succeeded once gives you experience; a second refinement should be easier."

"Heh!" Zhi Liu was on the verge of tears. He stared intently at Chu Liang for a long moment before saying coldly, "Immortal Lord, I think apart from her sparrow eyes, Chu Liang's human form is fine now. Why don't the two of you go down the mountain for training soon!"

As soon as his words fell, the bright white Heavenly Chasm outside the house rumbled loudly. Bai Ci glanced at it and sighed helplessly. Although Chu Liang and the other two had long known of the Heavenly Chasm's existence, this was their first time seeing it with their own eyes, and they were filled with yearning.

"Solitude Peak, you really aren't coming."

Hearing that person's voice, Bai Ci chuckled lightly. "Zhenjun Yinbo, it's been a long time."

Then came a man's laughing voice. "I said it long ago, Solitude Peak is most compatible with us wanderers. A divine seat doesn't suit him." He paused before continuing, "After this tribulation, the time for our reunion is not far off. Solitude Peak, we all look forward to meeting you."

Bai Ci shook his head helplessly, reached out to pat the nearby Zhi Liu, and held Chu Liang even tighter.

Suddenly, a woman's voice spoke softly, "Chu Liang's life in this world is fraught with hardship and prone to attracting calamity. Now that you've made your choice and have reached the later stage of Dao-Breaking, re-experiencing human affairs and sentiments... remember, remember... *cough*... In short, anger harms the body. Try to take things easier."

Bai Ci frowned in deep thought, but saw the Heavenly Chasm gradually fading. Asking for clarification seemed impossible. Just as he was about to disperse the traces of the Heavenly Realm, he faintly heard Zhenjun Yinbo hastily leave one last remark, though it wasn't directed at him.

"A reminder for the two little lads: send them down the mountain quickly, or be careful with your child forms."

Hearing this, Zhi Liu and Liu Yu were greatly alarmed. The reason they could maintain their childlike forms was precisely due to the cinnabar mark between their eyebrows; if it were destroyed, their century-long cultivation would be ruined in an instant. They immediately covered their foreheads and fled, calling out from afar, "Please, Immortal Lord, quickly take Chu Liang down the mountain."

"Why did they suddenly cover their foreheads? I remember they had a red mark between their brows." Chu Liang grew curious, really wanting to touch that cinnabar mark on their foreheads.

Hearing this, Bai Ci faintly sensed something amiss. Pondering Lady Purple Xuan's words carefully, he suddenly recalled Chu Liang's previous life, entangled with an inner demon for a thousand years. Now that curiosity had arisen, she would surely not rest until her goal was achieved.

"En-enough of this." Bai Ci gazed at the sky speechlessly. "Let's go down the mountain!"