Chapter 22: Lantern Flowers and You

The Sword Gate melee concluded. Zora had learned sword-kiting, while Vane had learned the "Shrinking Distance" technique—though since his cultivation had not yet reached the Nascent Soul stage, he still required high-tier talismans for assistance.

As evening drew near, it was time for the two of them to practice combat in the Fallen Stone Forest.

Zora said, "We already practiced today, so you don’t need to come over. Goodbye."

"Wait."

Preparing to unsheathe her sword and fly, Zora turned back and looked at him quietly.

Vane’s voice had outpaced his brain, to the point where he didn't even know what he was making her wait for. After a few heartbeats, he said, "I’ll take you; it’s faster. We leave tomorrow at the hour of the Dragon, so it’s better to rest early."

She had never tried "Shrinking Distance" before, so she agreed out of curiosity.

Vane, however, grew conflicted. Frowning, he slowly reached out and lightly grasped her wrist through her thin sleeve. With his other hand, he pulled a pill from his storage bag.

"For the dizziness."

Zora took it. Vane averted his eyes as his spiritual power surged. The talisman moved without wind, floating in mid-air and emitting a faint red glow.

Flames ignited from the bottom. When the talisman burned away, Zora’s vision blurred. When she regained her senses, she was at the entrance of the Fallen Stone Forest.

So fast—just like teleportation.

Vane was about to let go when she turned her hand and gripped him back. The girl’s slightly cool palm fit into his warm hand, their palm lines pressing together.

His heart skipped a beat. He hadn't been startled by the demons and monsters during his tasks, yet he was stunned by this small gesture.

Zora looked up at him and said seriously, "Do it again."

Vane: "..."

Two figures abruptly appeared outside the Hall of Immortal Pursuit. The girl looked left and right, then with great interest, commanded the next location: "Skysea Peak."

"..." He ignited a new talisman.

Before them was the shimmering surface of the Skysea. During the day, the waves were tumultuous, crashing against black rocks and sending white spray everywhere. The cool droplets leaped onto the shore, kissing the hem of her dress like scattered pearls.

Her eyes brightened as she looked around, then she lightly pulled his arm downward: "Golden Wave Hall."

The youth burned a talisman and shrank the distance again.

"Soaring Peak."

...

"Bamboo Resonance Courtyard."

...

"Voidwave Realm Entrance."

...

"The platform where we exited the Voidwave Realm."

...

"Training Ground."

At the training ground, Vane spoke before she could suggest another location: "There are only two talismans left."

"Alright then," Zora gave up, then added, "Can these be used outside the sect tomorrow?"

"No. The spiritual energy in the outside world is meager, not nearly as abundant as in the sect." Vane held the last flimsy talisman between his fingers. It wobbled a few times before suddenly floating up and hovering in the air.

He said, "So before reaching Nascent Soul, 'Shrinking Distance' via these talismans can only be used within the sect."

"I see. Then let's go back."

Returning to the Fallen Stone Forest, Vane did not leave. He watched her silhouette disappear among the jagged rocks before turning away. The flames beside him burned out, and the youth's back vanished instantly.

Zora returned to her quarters to find Zhou Shijin sitting on a stone stool in the yard, dead drunk. She was leaning on her arm with her eyes closed, her face not flushed from alcohol, but deathly pale.

In her original world, Zora had seen people who suddenly died from drinking too much. Although this was the Immortal Cultivation Realm, her master supposedly had a short lifespan and a damaged body. Thus, every time Zora passed by, she would solemnly reach out a finger and hold it under her master's nose to check carefully.

Mhm, still alive.

Zora walked back into the house with a neutral expression.

Zhou Shijin, who was never actually asleep but always quite sober, opened one eye to stare at her disciple’s back: "..."

How is she so silly?

Her disciple had once offered a suggestion. The girl's advice was blunt and sincere: "Drinking too much makes it easy for people to die."

Zhou Shijin had joked in reply, "What doesn't kill you? If everyone has to die eventually, I'd rather drown in wine than die amidst the boredom of the sword."

Her disciple had stared quietly for a long while before actually nodding in agreement. She never mentioned the "drinking makes you die" thing again and simply turned to practice her sword.

Thinking back on it now, Zhou Shijin still couldn't help but laugh a few times.

Knowing her master wasn't dead, Zora went into her room and opened a letter. It was from Yiling Ke, who wrote to her every few days.

Formation masters rarely went out in the early stages; they would only feel safe enough to take on tasks after mastering most defensive formations. Yiling Ke was currently in this stage, and her letters often displayed a state of mental instability. Initially, she had used proper letter formats, but now she just scribbled whatever.

The handwriting was bold and wild.

"Zora! I want to eat mortal tanghulu so badly, and mortal meat buns too, but I still can't leave. Every time I think about this, I weep at the window, covering my face in shame. I heard you're going on a task. I want to fly over, grab your waist, and beg: Please bring me ten sticks of tanghulu and ten meat buns! The money is placed on the formation within this letter!"

"P.S. For your reply, you don't just have to answer me; you can tell me about your own stuff. I'm lonely and desperately need to hear stories."

After reading, Zora picked up a brush to reply. Her handwriting was still youthful, but much better than when she first started.

"Okay."

The brush paused for a moment, leaving a small black dot on the paper.

"I participated in the melee today and tied with Vane. He knows 'Shrinking Distance,' and he let me try it a few times. It's really fast. No wonder he always reaches the dining hall before I do."

She packed the reply. The formation glowed faintly, the sealed letter vanished, and several spirit stones appeared on the table.

She practiced for a while and soon fell asleep. Outside the window, the night was thick and crowded with stars.

The Next Day.

The sound of the door opening made Zora wake up reflexively. It was Vane.

When he first started coming to the Fallen Stone Forest in the mornings, he had been flung out by Zhou Shijin under the label of "degenerate." That day, Zora lost her alarm clock and was exhausted from the previous night's cultivation, so she successfully overslept and didn't wake until noon.

She had to explain to her master again that he didn't just need to enter the yard, but the house as well. Only then did Vane manage to pass the stone formation for the second time and enter the room.

Zora rose slowly, staring at the blanket for a moment. Her brain was sluggish, caught in that peaceful, safe morning state of being half-awake.

"We will likely be gone for about seven days," Vane said based on experience. He spread a cloth on the table, collected the things she needed to bring one by one, wrapped them up, and placed them in Zora’s storage bag.

She sat at the dressing table, eyes bleary. As he gathered her black hair into his palm, the movement helped Zora wake up significantly.

They walked to the sect entrance. It was a broad road, different from the Heavenly Stairway, leading deep into the mortal realm, seemingly endless. Several disciples came and went, chatting and laughing. People in the sky were traveling on all sorts of objects.

Not far away, Turi Qi was instructing He Songning on sect affairs. She was heading to Ning'an County for a task, and Sword Gate matters were usually left to He Songning.

"I'll be leaving then. Thank you, Senior Brother He."

He Songning’s expression was also cold, but unlike Song Zhihuai’s frost, his coldness was more detached, like a crane’s wing lightly brushing the water—not quite so forbidding.

Turi Qi walked toward the main road and saw the two new disciples she knew. The girl among them was staring right at her. Turi Qi laughed and approached: "Junior Sister Zora, Junior Brother Vane."

Her voice was truly gentle, like spring water.

Zora: "Senior Sister Turi."

Vane also acknowledged her.

"Are you going on a task as well?"

Zora: "Mhm. To Ning'an County."

Turi Qi was surprised. "Then we are going the same way. I am also going to Ning'an County."

She opened her task scroll to show them, but found their objectives were different; one was in the east of Ning'an County, the other in the west. Turi Qi smiled and tucked the scroll away. "Although we will split up once we reach the county, I can give you a lift."

She had a travel treasure that could carry people. Vane didn't answer; he looked at Zora.

Zora nodded and said, "Thank you."

"No need for thanks."

A large bird that looked like it was carved from wood appeared. The three mounted it; Zora sat in the middle. She touched the bird's back; it was indeed made of wood.

The large bird flapped its wings and cried out, soaring into the sky. The surrounding air currents were blocked by the bird's built-in formation. It was very steady, unlike real birds that occasionally tilt or vibrate.

Along the way, Turi Qi gave them a detailed explanation of things to watch out for during tasks. When they were near Ning'an County, she even took out several scrolls of basic formations and handed them to her.

She smiled warmly: "Consider this an induction gift from your Senior Sister. I wish you a smooth journey."

"Thank you." Zora accepted them, not bothering to feign a refusal like others would. Looking at Turi Qi’s gentle smile, she suddenly remembered Zhou Shijin saying she should occasionally get along well with others and not be a perfect loner. She immediately applied Yiling Ke’s formula: "Do you want to eat tanghulu and meat buns?"

Is she inviting me to go shopping?

Turi Qi was momentarily stunned, then laughed. "Of course. After we finish our tasks, we can meet here. The timing should be about the same."

She flew off on the bird and vanished in the blink of an eye.

"..." Vane hadn't spoken the entire time, watching Zora handle social interactions with such rigid mechanicalness.

The two entered Ning'an County. Night was falling, and the county was holding a lantern festival. The entire street was illuminated by lantern light. Lanterns and various lantern flowers hung down—a feast of lights, beautiful beyond words.

The crowd of pedestrians was bustling. People in fine silks and plain cloth alike laughed together. Everyone carried a lantern. Occasionally, a young girl would meet a boy carrying the same style of lantern; she would lower her eyes and smile, and the boy would stop, his face flushed.

This meant they were fated.

Vane looked at the scroll as he walked. "The demon's appearance is erratic; we only have a general direction. They usually emerge at the hour of the Boar, so it won't be too late if we wait another hour before heading over."

"Oh."

She bought the tanghulu and buns Yiling Ke wanted and put them in her storage bag. Time was frozen inside the bag, so there was no fear of them getting cold.

The lantern festival was just looking at lanterns. Zora looked at a few and lost interest. There was a river running under a bridge in the county. She sat on a square stone platform by the river, her calves resting against the vertical stone face, swinging them lightly back and forth, her heels tapping the stone.

There was no one here. The willow trees provided cover, and even the lantern light didn't reach this dim spot.

Vane sat beside her, gazing at the Kongming lanterns from afar before blinking and turning slightly to look at her. The lights from the opposite side of the river cast a faint glow in her eyes. Having adapted to the darkness, he could also see her profile clearly.

Zora suddenly pointed to the clusters of pink and green lantern flowers gathered by a net on the riverbank: "What are those?"

The river lanterns inside the net were stationary, while countless identical lotus lanterns outside the net flowed with the current, like clusters of sparks on the dark river.

"Prayer items. The county puts many hollow river lanterns on the shore for people to pick up. They tuck a slip of paper with a wish inside and release them into the river to drift away."

After he spoke, he glanced at her. The river was still some distance away. The youth released his long spear from his storage bag, and with a flick of the tip, he easily hooked a river lantern. With a trail of water droplets, the wet pink flower slid down the spear shaft into his palm.

He held the flower out to her. The flame inside the flower flickered.

Zora took it, looking at the hollow center waiting for a wish slip. Her face was brightened by the soft light, her lashes casting a shadow—like a handful of white snow melting into warm red. With her bright eyes and white teeth, she was truly lovely.

The previous few tasks had all involved sleeping in the wild and fighting bloody battles; they had never lingered or looked at the scenery. Vane was used to that and didn't see any downside to it. But being with Zora, he always felt as if time were flowing slowly.

Zora turned her head: "Do you want to write one?"

The only light in the youth's features was reflected in his dark eyes. He shook his head: "No."

She didn't want to write one either.

Zora extended her arm holding the lantern. Her sleeve slid back, revealing the fair skin of her forearm. Vane pursed his lips and immediately shifted his gaze back to the lantern.

With an infusion of spiritual power, the lotus lantern left her palm and drifted through the air, as if the night had become a great river carrying it downward. The lotus lantern landed back into the net.

Zora: "How much longer?"

Vane: "Half an hour."

Zora: "Mhm."

She stared at the opposite side of the river and stopped speaking. Vane could feel her swinging legs tapping the stone surface every now and then.

He watched the opposite bank for a while, then suddenly looked at Zora again. Just as she was about to look back in confusion, he immediately turned away, looking in the other direction, his ponytail swaying slightly.

The river flowed slowly, shimmering with light, covered in lantern flowers like a moving scroll extending into the distance.