Chapter 66: Seclusion

There was no need for extreme urgency yet.

Vane had scouted Drunken Lu Bay alone once. Array masters with high cultivation were rarely seen, and the Sect Leader of Drunken Lu Bay had only just learned of the mole, having not yet taken any countermeasures.

"It won't be too late if we go in a few more days," he said.

Zora had no particular opinion.

One day during sword practice, Zhou Shijin heard she was going to Drunken Lu Bay and guessed her intentions. She reached out to smooth the collar of Zora's robes and smiled gently: "Have you mastered the sword techniques I gave you?"

"Have you broken through the Foundation Establishment stage?"

"Have you memorized your books?"

"Can you walk down the street without being tricked?"

"Do you understand basic social sense and logic yet?"

"I have."

"Almost."

"Can't memorize them."

"I shouldn't be."

"Don't know."

Zora answered matter-of-factly.

Zhou Shijin’s gaze deepened, and she suddenly let out a soft sigh: "Do you know? When I was at your stage of cultivation, I broke through the Foundation Establishment stage and reached the Fusion stage by the following month."

Zora nodded indifferently: "I understand."

"..." The corner of Zhou Shijin's mouth twitched. She patted Zora's head. "Why do you look like you're receiving a report from me? Disciple, my dear disciple, there truly is no one else like you in this world."

"Then, go into seclusion for a while. No rush; from what I see, it’ll be at least half a year before that seal experiences another violent upheaval." Zhou Shijin shrugged and rubbed her chin, suddenly crossing her arms to examine her disciple closely.

"...Speaking of which, do I not know your birthday? I know your bone age, at least."

Zora shook her head: "I don't know it either."

According to the usual master-disciple path, this should have led to the "Master gently creates a birthday, setting a meaningful day as the birth date" segment.

Instead, Zhou Shijin’s pressure instantly vanished. She even flourished her sleeves, her expression vivid: "As I thought. There was no way I would forget my own disciple's birthday."

Zora fell silent for a long time.

She just suddenly felt as if she had forgotten something.

But the memory was hazy, always separated by a layer of veil. She struggled a bit to recall.

What exactly did I forget...

Zhou Shijin misunderstood her disciple's silence. After a quiet moment, she smiled softly and said, "Why don't we set the day we became master and disciple as your birthday? Once fate begins, there are traces."

Zora snapped back: "No."

"...Heh, I knew it."

Zhou Shijin sent her away, only instructing her that she must go into seclusion immediately and not go to Drunken Lu Bay until she passed the Foundation Establishment stage, lest she go there just to hand over her life.

Zora remained in deep thought after Zhou Shijin left.

...What did I forget?

She finished her sword practice, staring at the falling petals.

What was it...

Sitting at the stone table eating the leftover osmanthus cakes, Zora frowned slightly.

What did I forget? Are there people left to kill? Revenge left to take?

She opened her sword manual, read it through, and the thought continued to echo in her mind as she closed it.

—

What is forgotten?

That subtle sensation of "scratching an itch through a boot"—knowing something is there but being unable to reach it—could drive a person mad. Zora felt exceptionally annoyed; she rarely encountered such situations. Generally, if she forgot something, she couldn't find even a shadow of it and wouldn't care. This was the first time she felt this inexplicable restlessness.

It wasn't until Vane heard she was going into seclusion and came straight to her—he didn't know what excuse to use, so he first mentioned that he would keep observing Drunken Lu Bay while she was away, then gave her some food and toys he had bought from the mortal realm.

"Come out of seclusion soon."

Vane spoke dryly, the restlessness in his mind not decreasing a bit; in fact, it burned hotter, mixing with a sour tang that flooded his heart and churned within. The youth’s brow was tightly knit, but he relaxed it a moment later, appearing calm on the surface with his knuckles slightly tensed. He was accustomed to and skilled at hiding his emotions, and he managed a smile as if he were happy she was about to enter seclusion.

"—"

He wanted to say something while smiling, but as he opened his lips, he found he had nothing left to say. He had exhausted his words just now; by all logic, it was time to leave.

He quickly lowered his lashes for an instant, then raised them again.

Zora was staring at him with a fixed, searching gaze.

"..."

"..."

Suppressing his manic nerves, Vane should have noticed her scrutiny immediately upon meeting. But perhaps the news of her "entering seclusion" was too sudden; he had rushed all the way here, calm on the outside but frantic within—why frantic? He didn't understand, and hadn't even realized his own erratic behavior and the sudden firing of his nerves.

He was merely acting on instinct.

Only now did his awareness return as he met Zora's searching gaze.

"..."

Looking at Vane, Zora felt the forgotten thing becoming clearer.

So she stared at him from the moment he arrived. Vane had talked incessantly in a leisurely, thorough tone, as if he had to say everything that needed attention. He also gave her many things, stuffing them into her storage bag one by one.

He just seemed... very busy.

Zora paid no heed; the thing she had forgotten was finally showing a sign, and she didn't want to let it go. By the time Vane quieted down and looked back at her, the thread finally flashed in Zora's mind, and she suddenly recalled what happened months ago.

—

"When is your birthday?"

—

"It's at the beginning of next month."

Oh. So many things happened that she completely forgot Vane's birthday. They didn't "play."

Zora felt no guilt; she hadn't intended to celebrate for his sake anyway, she was just curious about how to "play." She didn't even care about her own birthday, so why would she care about someone else's?

A pity, it could only be next time.

Zora couldn't help but gaze at him with regret.

"..." Vane was stunned and asked, "What is it?"

"Your birthday passed a long time ago. We didn't play," Zora said, shaking her head.

Vane was momentarily dazed.

At that time, missions came one after another. Cultivators aren't that sensitive to time, and he had forgotten as well. He naturally knew Zora was just curious and wanted to play; he pursed his lips and lowered his eyes with a faint trace of regret: "Apologies, I forgot."

Zora: "It's fine. Remember it next time."

It was clearly his birthday, but because both were well aware of the purpose behind the celebration, it created the strange scene of the birthday boy apologizing.

She said, "I won't come out of seclusion until I break through to the Fusion stage. If it takes too long, you go ahead to help Drunken Lu Bay."

Zora paused again, frowning: "You won't die, right? Remember to cultivate well."

Isn't he the world-destroying villain? He shouldn't be a stubborn person; he should know to run if he can't win, eat if he's hungry, and seek shelter if it rains. A self-sufficient servant was much more worry-free.

"Yes," Vane smiled. "I won't die, and I will cultivate well."

Zora nodded and headed to the Shanqing Cave for seclusion. Opening the array outside the cave, she walked inside, then turned back as if sensing something.

Vane was still standing exactly where he was. Seeing Zora turn back, he was startled, then suddenly broke into a smile.

There was no carefully prepared angle, yet under the bright sun, he was incredibly beautiful—as if joy and warmth were blooming from deep within. Light enveloped his lashes, dyeing them gold and making them shimmer. The youth was like a sheathed sword or a stilled spear; the sharpness remained, but it was concealed, willingly extinguishing his fighting intent and smoothing his edges.

Zora suddenly felt she had words to say, but as they reached her lips, she didn't know what they were. She could only repeat: "Make sure you don't die."

Vane felt his spiritual sense and energy lunging toward her, yet he controlled himself and stood perfectly still. Like his thoughts about the birthday surrounding her, this seclusion was for the best; he had no right to stop it, nor did he want to—even though a cloying longing had already begun, he was the best at controlling himself.

If it was good for her, then it must be done. Regardless of his own heart.

Reason overrode his senses, masking all the surging tides. The crashing waves hadn't stopped, but they couldn't compare to the benefits she would gain, so they had to be hidden.

Zora wouldn't think of his thoughts either.

In her view, they were just separating for a short time. What was the big deal? To a cultivator, this amount of time was as tiny as a grain of sand.

Zora began to re-establish the array.

Before she turned away, Vane was helping her set it up, also inputting spiritual energy. The moment she disconnected, he followed suit, looking at her almost like a begging pup.

He likely didn't even realize it himself.

Zora looked closely in confusion.

Though the sun was high today and the person before her was a man, for an instant, she hallucinated him as a soaking wet dog. It was because the emotions in his eyes were too pitiable; even though his face was expressionless, his black eyes could transmit so much information.

It was only for a short time.

Zora was puzzled. She felt the emotion in his eyes was the same as the lingering attachment she had felt for Yiling Ke and Liyu recently: "You are very reluctant to let go?"

Vane hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded, but immediately said, "However, seclusion is the most important thing. Only by breaking through the Foundation Establishment stage can you be safer and protect yourself. After all, Zora, you yourself are the most important."

...But your eyes are still so clingy.

Zora looked at him in confusion.

She couldn't figure out why this servant always lied, and yet never once violated the Master-Servant Oath.

Only now did she realize he was being too clingy. Was Vane always like this?

But being stared at with such a gaze made her feel strange all over...

Zora stared back earnestly, but it had no effect other than creating a bizarre scene of two people staring at each other.

Zora ordered him through the barrier and array: "Close your eyes."

Vane paused and obediently closed those dark eyes.

Zora was satisfied and completely vanished into the cave.

The array acted as a disguise, making the cave entrance look like a hillside with no entrance.

Vane stood outside the cave entrance, motionless until the next morning, before finally moving to leave.

Normally at night, he would only go to his quarters to meditate; he might as well stay here with her.

As for lying... he hadn't lied.

He knew her suspicion just by looking at her expression. In fact, it wasn't so.

The reluctance was real.

The words of agreement and the analysis of the benefits of her seclusion were also real.

Such contradictory feelings were tearing apart yet subtly merging.

But the youth remained silent. If she didn't ask, he wouldn't speak.

Vane looked up at the sky, and his mind, which had stalled for a day and a night, began to turn.

Zora was already at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage with no mental obstacles; she should be able to break through soon... very soon.

He would go to Drunken Lu Bay again today.

...And pick up a few missions to kill villains while he was at it.

Like a restless dog off its leash, his wildness grew stronger, an abnormal urge to bite.

He especially wanted to see blood right now.

An impatient, eager, boiling restlessness.