The silent heavens were suddenly pierced by a clear, ringing cry.
Before Lou Chengfeng could react, Qinglin carried him in a streak of green light straight to Xiao Rangchen.
Xiao Rangchen came back to himself and reached out to stroke Qinglin, who had nuzzled into his arms. When he raised his eyes again, he found himself meeting Lou Chengfeng’s gaze.
Lou Chengfeng silently cursed Qinglin before forcing a smile onto his face.
“...Ahem. Well, your hair is certainly distinctive.” He put on the air of an elder and offered his assessment.
The corners of Xiao Rangchen’s lips lifted slightly.
Looking at the man before him—whose already distant, icy aura had grown even colder, as though he had forgotten how to smile—Lou Chengfeng sighed inwardly.
“Now that you’re back, you should meet the others as well. Lou Yue arranged the position of Grand Elder for you some time ago.”
After saying this, Lou Chengfeng turned and cast a glance at Lou Mo, who stood aboard the cloudship in the distance. Then he called out teasingly to the disheartened remnants of the three great clans:
“What are you all still doing here? Planning to celebrate the New Year in the Wilds?”
Lou Mo gave the two of them a faint glance, then turned and stepped onto the cloudship. The next moment, the cloudship rose into the air and carried the Lou clan completely out of sight.
Seeing this, the remnants of the other three clans fled in even greater panic. They swarmed away as if anyone who lingered behind would be left behind as a sacrifice to Heaven. In the blink of an eye, they scattered like frightened birds and beasts, vanishing in a flurry of haste.
Everyone understood that from this day forward, the Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance, which had occupied the Wilds, would become a colossal force that no one in the cultivation world would dare underestimate.
The once lofty great clans had already become nothing more than clouds of the past.
From this moment onward, the balance of power in the cultivation world had been completely rewritten.
As the great clans withdrew, an ecstatic cheer erupted from the ranks of the Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance.
Lou Chengfeng descended to the ground, and Xiao Rangchen followed, flashing into place behind him.
Surrounded by a sea of people, Lou Chengfeng cleared his throat as countless excited and reverent gazes gathered upon them.
“This is Xiao Rangchen, the Grand Elder of our Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance—”
Before he could finish, his voice was drowned out by the surging roar of the crowd.
He dug a finger into his ear and snapped irritably, “All right, all right, I know you’re excited. He’s not going anywhere. Now go treat your wounds if you’re injured. Stop crowding around here and making trouble!”
He turned and shot a sidelong glance at the cold-faced man.
“Come with me.”
The two of them disappeared one after the other.
Yet instead of dispersing, the crowd gathered even more densely, chattering excitedly among themselves.
“This is incredible! Our Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance is going to soar! Two cultivators at the God Realm!”
“Pinch me! I must be dreaming!”
“The God Realm—that legendary level of cultivation! And there are two of them all at once...”
“So he’s the Grand Elder! The mystery has finally been solved!”
“When I joined the Alliance, I heard there was a Grand Elder, but no one had ever seen him. We all thought he was some old man. Who knew he’d be so young!”
Then someone in the crowd muttered, “Is no one curious about why the Alliance Master slapped him...?”
The boisterous discussion fell into an eerie silence.
...
Lou Chengfeng led Xiao Rangchen to a room on the upper floor of the council hall.
“I’ve already sent word to Aiai. Wait here for her.”
Lou Chengfeng turned to leave, but Xiao Rangchen spoke up.
“Uncle, where is Lou Yue?”
Lou Chengfeng turned around and glared at him.
“If you hadn’t solved today’s siege, do you think I’d have let you stand here? I would’ve thrown you out long ago!”
Xiao Rangchen’s dark eyes fixed heavily upon him, his tone cold and hard.
“Uncle, let me see Lou Yue.”
Lou Chengfeng gave a derisive snort, then walked back and dropped heavily into a chair. He crossed one leg over the other, his posture casual though his voice was filled with resentment.
“When has she ever listened to me? If she had, she wouldn’t have insisted on being with you—and she certainly wouldn’t have waited all these years.”
Xiao Rangchen lowered his eyes, his fingertips curling inward.
Lou Chengfeng glanced at Xiao Rangchen’s left cheek. Even now, the faint redness was still visible. The slap had not been light; otherwise, the mark would not have remained.
“I’m warning you. If Lou Yue doesn’t want you near her, then no matter how powerful you are, you are not to approach her again!”
Xiao Rangchen remained silent.
Lou Chengfeng’s gaze swept over the man’s painfully conspicuous white hair. His teeth began to ache with irritation. In the end, he abruptly rose and walked straight out, unwilling to make himself any more miserable.
After Lou Chengfeng left, Xiao Rangchen spread his divine sense across the entire Wilds. Aside from the ruins, which he could not investigate, there was no sign of Lou Yue anywhere else. He quickly came to a conclusion.
The arrival of Xiao Aiai a short while later confirmed it.
“You need a golden leaf to enter the ruins. I can take you in, but...” Xiao Aiai hesitated. “Brother, perhaps you should wait a little longer. Since she went back in, she probably doesn’t want to see you for the time being. Don’t force her...”
Xiao Rangchen said only one thing, his voice low and firm:
“Take me there.”
Xiao Aiai hesitated for a moment. But when she looked at his frost-white hair and remembered the countless times she had seen Lou Yue lost in thought, she ultimately led him into the ruins.
“She got this courtyard after returning from the Chaotic Abyss Sea.” Xiao Aiai stood on the grassy ground and gazed at the quiet courtyard ahead, speaking softly.
She glanced at the man, who had gone slightly dazed, then sighed and turned to leave the ruins.
Xiao Rangchen stood there in a trance, staring at the small courtyard enclosed by a wooden fence. His gaze settled on the tall, luxuriant Spring Glory Tree in the yard, its branches covered in clusters of white blossoms.
He lifted his feet and slowly walked closer, one step at a time. Pushing open the half-closed courtyard gate, his eyes came to rest upon the broad reclining chair beneath the Spring Glory Tree.
The words he and Lou Yue had spoken here all those years ago echoed once more in his ears—
“I was thinking that this place still needs a house.”
“It would be even better if there were a big courtyard.”
“We could plant a Spring Glory Tree in the courtyard. When spring comes, I’ll pick Spring Glory fruit for you and feed it to you myself.”
“There should be a broad, comfortable reclining chair beneath the Spring Glory Tree. When we have nothing to do, we can lie there and rest.”
“And behind the house, we should build a hot spring pool. Whenever we’re tired, we can soak in it and stretch our muscles.”
His deep, dark eyes instantly churned with emotion.
He moved to the reclining chair.
It was large enough for two people, yet now one side was covered with scattered white petals while the other remained completely clean.
Xiao Rangchen slowly bent down. His trembling fingertips moved inch by inch across the petal-free side of the chair.
He could vividly imagine Lou Yue curled up alone on that side, gazing up at the Spring Glory Tree.
The distinct bones of his hand began to tremble uncontrollably.
A breeze swept past, sending a soft rustle through the branches. White blossoms drifted down before his eyes, brushed across his hair, and floated away into the distance, never to return.
Xiao Rangchen abruptly closed his eyes. His thin lips tightened into a cold, rigid line, and his pale knuckles clamped around the edge of the chair.
After a long while, he straightened again. He did not enter the house. Instead, he walked directly toward the back, where Lou Yue was.
At the end of the pebble path lay a pool of jade-green hot spring water. Steam curled upward like smoke and mist. Pale pink gauze curtains hanging between the pillars drifted gently in the wind, casting the figure lying against the edge of the white-jade pool in an increasingly hazy, unreal glow.
Xiao Rangchen stopped abruptly.
Over the past three years, he had dreamed of this figure countless times. Every time he drew near, she vanished like a fleeting illusion. When he awoke from the dream, he was still trapped in the Chaotic Abyss.
No one knew how much time passed. The palace lanterns beneath the corridor gradually lit one after another. Only when their warm yellow glow pierced the hazy steam and mingled with the moonlight did Xiao Rangchen finally restrain his aura and slowly approach.
Her inky, curling hair hung damply over Lou Yue’s shoulders. Her slender back was taut, forming a fragile yet stubborn curve, while her delicate shoulder blades rose and fell faintly beneath her thin clothing with each breath.
Xiao Rangchen circled around to face Lou Yue and crouched down on one knee.
Her eyes were closed, a crease gathered between her brows, and her thick, curled lashes cast a shadow over her face.
Xiao Rangchen raised a hand and gently smoothed away the faint furrow with his fingertip.
Her lashes trembled before slowly lifting.
Her dark eyes, hazy with mist, stared at him blankly, as though she were still trapped in a dream.
Xiao Rangchen’s gaze wavered. His hand slid down to rest against her cheek, his fingertip lingering there in a tender caress.
Lou Yue’s consciousness returned in an instant.
She abruptly slapped his hand away and lifted her chin, her voice cold. “Who told you to come in?”
Xiao Rangchen remained silent.
Lou Yue walked to the other side and climbed out of the pool. In an instant, her inner garments and hair were dried.
Without sparing him a glance, she reached for the outer robe hanging beneath the covered walkway, draped it over herself, and turned to leave.
Two strong arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind.
Lou Yue’s eyes sharpened. She raised a hand and immediately tried to wrench herself free.
Xiao Rangchen tightened his hold, lowering his head to bury his face against the curve of her neck. His voice was low and hoarse.
“I’m sorry…”
Lou Yue’s hands stilled. The taut string in her heart, stretched tight for three years, had been plucked.
But in the next instant, anger and resentment surged up within her. She struggled harder against his arms, her voice turning cold and harsh.
“Let go!”
Xiao Rangchen’s arms drew tighter, pressing Lou Yue firmly against him as he repeated over and over, “I’m sorry…”
He turned his head and pressed his forehead deeply against the skin at her neck. His voice trembled so badly that it was nearly broken, every word steeped in remorse.
“…I’m sorry… I’ll never leave you alone again…”
Lou Yue’s lashes quivered.
“I’m sorry… Lou Yue… I’m sorry…”
She tried to pry apart his tightly clasped fingers, her nails digging into his flesh.
Xiao Rangchen caught her struggling hand and clasped it fiercely in his palm. His grip was so strong it nearly crushed the bones in her hand, yet the instant he touched her cool skin, he restrained himself and eased his strength. His knuckles strained white.
All around them, only the faint rustle of the evening breeze through the gauze curtains could be heard. Warm mist drifted over, shrouding their figures in a hazy veil.
Lou Yue gazed at the warm yellow palace lanterns beneath the eaves and slowly spoke.
“I hate waiting. I hate being kept in the dark. I hate having everything forced upon me.”
When she saw him return, she had first been stunned with joy. Then the grievances and resentment she had kept buried rose within her in a sudden flood.
Perhaps they had never needed to be separated for three years.
They could have discussed it and made thorough preparations before fighting the ghost fiends. They could have searched together for another solution.
Even if it truly had come to that in the end, she would not have wanted to accept everything in ignorance.
Yes, he had wanted to keep her safe. But he had no right to make the decision for her without consulting her—to shut her out, tell her nothing, then send her away to bear everything alone and leave her waiting in helpless ignorance.
If she had not discovered something was wrong and failed to awaken in time, how lost and hopeless would she have been upon returning to the outside world?
He had been worried about her.
But how could she have been any less worried about him?
Her voice softened. “Xiao Rangchen, I really hate it when you do this.”
Xiao Rangchen’s throat worked painfully. His voice came out ragged.
“…I was wrong…
It was my fault…”
The moment he saw the courtyard, and the reclining chair that bore traces on only half of it, he had realized how blindly headstrong he had been back then.
He had left Lou Yue behind, alone, waiting where she was for someone whose return had no known date.
What he had believed was careful protection had ultimately pushed her into another mire.
Xiao Rangchen’s voice grew so strained that it trembled, his eyes reddening.
“I… won’t hide anything from you again… I’ll face it with you…”
“You can punish me, curse me, hit me… Whatever you want.”
He lifted a hand and turned Lou Yue around, pulling her tightly into his arms. Bending his back, he pressed trembling kisses into her hair.
“Forgive me…”
The night breeze stirred his head of white hair, carrying the faint, crisp scent of frost and snow from his body as it drifted through the mist in wisps.
Lou Yue closed her eyes. A sheen of moisture gathered on her long lashes as she clutched his robes tightly and said fiercely, “Xiao Rangchen, if there’s ever a next time, I won’t wait for you. I’ll forget you at once!”
Xiao Rangchen’s entire body shuddered. Then he placed a hand behind her head and pressed her even deeper into his embrace.
His voice was hoarse, each word firm and resolute, as though he were making an oath.
“There will be no next time. Never.”
