The next morning, Chu Wanning woke up with dark circles under his eyes. He hadn’t slept well last night, so he looked especially gloomy. His originally cold and aloof expression was covered with a thin layer of ice, with no warmth to be seen.

     He pushed the door open and saw Mo Ran washing clothes outside.

     …Why are you washing clothes so early in the morning? Didn’t you wash them last night?

     Seeing him come out of the room, Mo Ran felt a bit embarrassed. His cheeks were splashed with soap, and he turned to greet Chu Wanning, “Shizun.”

     “Mm.”

     “Third Madam Sun kept her promise,” Mo Ran said. “She took the money and sent food to everyone this morning. I put it on that little stone table in the courtyard, so go ahead and eat, Shizun.”

     “What about you?” Chu Wanning asked.

     “I’ve already eaten.” Mo Ran’s arm dipped beneath the sparkling water, its lines strong and refreshing, “After Shizun has finished eating, we can go sell the butterflies and flowers together.”

     Although the food given by Third Madam Sun was very simple, there was quite a bit, even including three steamed buns.

     He sat in the small courtyard, slowly munching on the buns. The sun rose from the east, shining through the grape vines above his head and creating a patchwork of mottled shadows on the table.

     He glanced back at Mo Ran’s tall figure, his heart surging with an indistinct warmth. He took another big bite of the steamed bun.

     —

     When they got to the market, the appearance of the golden haitangs and fiery-red spirit butterflies caused a huge ruckus. All the fishermen on the island flocked to see them. Even those who didn’t plan to go to the market today were drawn by the sight of the haitang flowers and spirit butterflies.

     “Flowers!”

     “What’s so strange about flowers? Haven’t you seen flowers before?”

     “Golden flowers! They’re made of spiritual energy! They can bloom all year round! They can even send messages!”

     “What?! Where are they?!”

     A huge wave of people went to look.

     “Butterflies!”

     “What’s so interesting about butterflies? There are a lot of them here in spring.”

     “They’re so beautiful! They’re made of spiritual energy and can ward off small evil spirits! They're very pretty, very obedient!”

     “Ah, really?! Where?! Where?!”

     Another wave of people rushed over.

     Third Madam Sun was sitting high up in her manor when she heard the news. She couldn’t help but bring a few of her attendants to the market. Before she could even reach the door, she saw the dense streaks of golden-red light from the crowd in the distance, causing people to cheer in wonder. She ignored the surrounding villagers and walked over to take a look, feeling like her heart was being clawed by ants.

     Immediately, she spotted the two cultivators who had come yesterday. One of them was smiling brilliantly as he performed tricks with the butterflies to attract customers. The other remained expressionless as he stood under a tree with his arms crossed indifferently. He didn’t say a word, and remained silent.

     “Selling butterflies! Selling butterflies!” The handsome man turned around and smiled at the man standing still under the tree, “Shizun, why aren’t you shouting?”

     Shouting? Chu Wanning scoffed internally. He didn’t even know how to write the word shout. Did he have to be as shameless as that vulgar Mo Weiyu, and shout, “Selling flowers, selling haitang flowers!” in front of everyone?

     Don’t even think about it.

     Everyone felt that such celestial items must be very expensive, so they hesitated for a long time. Finally, someone boldly dared to ask for a price, “How much are the butterflies?”

     Mo Ran said, “Ten gold for one.”

     Chu Wanning coughed behind him.

     Mo Ran corrected, “...Three copper for one.”

     “So cheap?” The surrounding people were shocked, and all came to buy them one after another.

     Mo Ran was instantly occupied, handing out flowers and butterflies left and right. While he was busy, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a little girl in ragged clothes in the distance, looking at the bustling scene with a longing expression.

     Mo Ran smiled and didn’t say anything else. Suddenly, his fingers closed, forming an extremely magnificent phoenix-tailed spirit butterfly. With a gentle blow, the butterfly floated across the sea of people and landed on her braid.

     The little girl was stunned, her face full of astonishment. She took a few hesitant steps before she stopped and shook her head. She had no money; not to mention three copper coins, she didn’t even have a single one.

     Mo Ran waved his hand at her and mouthed the words “for you” before smiling and turning away to continue working.

     Third Madam Sun watched as the dazzling and beautiful spirit items were bought. She watched as a young lady who loved beautiful things simply put a haitang flower in her black hair bun. All of a sudden, her hair glowed. It was surprisingly radiant, and shone with an indescribable air of nobility. She couldn’t help it.

     “These butterflies and flowers, I want them all.”

     Mo Ran raised his head, his smile still brilliant, “Oh, I was wondering who could be so generous. So it’s Third Madam.”

     “How many are left?” Third Madam Sun asked. “Count them and I’ll take them all back to the manor.”

     “That won’t do,” Mo Ran laughed. “Everything is first come, first serve. Others came before you, and they haven’t finished buying yet. I can’t just let you have them first.”

     Third Madam Sun looked at the crowd of villagers and immediately became anxious. She was afraid they would sell them all before she could get a chance. She said, “Then I’ll pay a higher price.”

     “I can’t make the decision,” Mo Ran said. “I’m just helping, you have to ask my Shizun about the price.”

     Third Madam Sun went under the tree and found the aloof and cold-looking flower seller Chu Wanning.

     “Xianjun, why don’t you sell all those flowers and butterflies to me? We’re all businessmen, the price can be negotiated.”

     Chu Wanning said coldly, “Ten gold for one.”

     Mo Ran, who was standing to the side, couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He turned his head and met Chu Wanning’s dark phoenix eyes. He was amused for a moment, but he also felt a lush softness. He couldn’t help but smile and scratch his head, revealing his deep dimples.

     Third Madam Sun was very rich. To her, this money was only a small amount; she quickly bought the remaining haitang flowers and spirit butterflies, and ordered her attendants to take them away.

     When she returned to the mansion, she happily combed her hair into a bun, placing over fifty bright golden flowers onto it and making the butterflies dance around her. When her attendants looked at her head full of golden light, looking like a melted candle from afar, they couldn’t help but find it funny. However, since she was their master, they could only hold it in until their ribs were about to break.

     Third Madam Sun didn’t have long to enjoy herself when someone came to report that the two cultivators had started selling other things in the market. Startled by the news, she rushed to the market again, swarmed by butterflies and wearing a decorated high bun.

     “Selling butterflies! Selling butterflies!”

     Third Madam Sun squeezed her way over and put her hands on her hips. She was furious, “Didn’t I buy all of them just now? Why are there more?”

     Mo Ran blinked, “They’re newly made.”

     Third Madam Sun raged, “Since you can make new ones, why did you sell them to me for ten gold each?!”

     Mo Ran grinned, “Think about it. You get up in the morning and go to a fried bun shop where many customers are lining up to buy them. But you want to cut the line, so the shopkeeper tells you that you can eat first, but you have to pay more. Isn’t that right?”

     Third Madam Sun said angrily, “You, you evil merchant, you…”

     Just as she was thinking about how to refute this person’s misguided reasoning, she suddenly saw the silent cultivator walk over. His fingertips flashed with a brilliant light, and a twin haitang appeared.

     Although Madam Sun was angry, she was also drawn to it, and asked, “What is this? Why is it different from before?”

     “This haitang flower has the art of rejuvenation spell. Placing it at the bedside before sleeping will maintain your radiance the next day, and its effect will last fifteen days.” Chu Wanning casually handed the flower to Mo Ran and said, “Go sell it, one hundred gold.”

     “Wait,” Madam Sun said, fearing that these two would say something about cutting in line for an additional fee. Although she was furious, she still said, “Don’t take it away, I want this one. How many more can you make? I want all of them!”

     Chu Wanning said, “I don’t want to repeat the spell too many times, so I’ll only make three.”

     “Three hundred gold then.” Madam Sun took out the money, “I’ll give it to you.”

     “Mo Ran, collect the money.” As Chu Wanning spoke, he lowered his head to form the other two flowers and hand them to Madam Sun. Then, he began to form a fourth flower.

     Third Madam Sun was unhappy, “Didn’t you say you would only make three?”

     “This one is different,” Chu Wanning said lightly. “It has the art of wonder’s tone spell. When worn, it can make a woman’s voice more pleasing to the ear.”

     “...” Even though Third Madam Sun was greedy for money, she was even more greedy for youth. She could only look on helplessly as the Sisheng Peak cultivator formed one wonderous haitang after another. She was so angry that she hated his guts, but she could only say, “Okay, okay, okay. I’ll buy it, I’ll buy it.”

     When they finally went back and closed the door, it was already night. The master and disciple sat at the table and counted the money. They found that it was enough for the entire group to stay at Feihua Island for a few more days while they waited for the fire to be extinguished. Chu Wanning put half of the remaining silver away and pushed the other half over to Mo Ran, “When we leave, return the rest to Third Madam Sun.”

     Mo Ran was stunned, “Why?”

     “Feihua Island is a long way from Linyi, and there are few resources, so food and clothing is very difficult to come by. But the fishermen on the island somehow have enough to make ends meet. Don’t you think it’s a bit strange?”

     “...Yes.” When Chu Wanning said this, Mo Ran thought about it carefully and indeed felt that this was the case.

     Chu Wanning said, “You’ll know if you ask around. Today, when you were cleaning up at the market, I went to look for the village chief and asked him some questions. Actually, this Third Madam Sun was originally a disciple of Rufeng Sect, but because she wasn't very gifted, her master didn’t really care about her. Even after five years, she still only knew basic swordsmanship.”

     Mo Ran was slightly surprised, “She’s a disciple of Rufeng Sect? Then, has Shizun ever met—”

     “No,” Chu Wanning said. “The village chief said that when she was seventeen, she followed a group of cultivators to Feihua Island to recruit new disciples. Those cultivators took advantage of the fact that the island was far away and full of ordinary people.”

     He continued, “Even if the civilians were bullied, they couldn’t go all the way to Rufeng Sect to seek justice. So, during that time, they committed countless crimes against the islanders. They ate their food, stole their money, and even…”

     “Even?”

     “Even sexually assaulted young men and women.”

     “...”

     Chu Wanning continued, “Madam Sun was so furious that she had an argument with her shixiong and shijie. She was young and insignificant, but her temper was fierce. She offended her fellow disciples and, in the end, was stabbed by one of them and pushed off a cliff.”

     Mo Ran muttered, “So that’s how it is… No wonder the village chief advised her that we weren’t cultivators from Rufeng Sect. I didn’t expect… sigh…”

     “Yes. She was lucky that the sword didn’t hit her vital points, and that after she fell into the sea, she was spotted by a fisherman while he was out fishing. That fisherman had two daughters, but they both died early, so after saving her, he took her in as his adopted daughter and taught her how to fish, hunt, and do business. After her foster father passed away, she inherited his legacy and gradually created the most successful family on Feihua Island.”

     Chu Wanning paused for a moment, then said, “As you heard, the harvest on Feihua Island this year wasn’t good, so she was the one who went to great lengths to give aid to each family. Although she’s a good businessman, she only takes money from cultivators; she would never take a cent more from the islanders, and would even help the poor.”

     Mo Ran didn’t say anything, but he thought of the little girl who longed for the spirit butterflies. She was shabbily dressed and had a dirty face—it was obvious that she had lost her parents.

     However, she wasn't frail and skinny; her cheeks were puffy and her eyes shone with a clear light. If it wasn’t for someone helping her, such a young child who had to beg for food for a living… wouldn’t they have already become sallow and emaciated?

     “Madam Sun goes out to sea more than twenty times a year,” Chu Wanning said. “Each round trip takes seven to eight days, so she spends most of her life at sea. Look at her luxurious residence, why would she bother to travel in the wind and waves when she’s already in her fifties? Every year, she painstakingly brings goods from Feihua Island to sell in Linyi. Then, she goes to buy supplies and brings them back to Feihua Island. She obviously doesn’t lack money.”

     “...I understand.” Mo Ran felt terrible. He immediately got up and picked up the remaining half of the silver, getting ready to leave.

     Chu Wanning called out to him, “Where are you going?”

     “I’ll return the money to her,” Mo Ran replied.

     “Sit down,” Chu Wanning said lightly. “Why are you so silly?”

     Mo Ran was puzzled, “Hmm?”

     Chu Wanning explained, “Look at Third Madam Sun. She has a fierce personality and she's very strong-willed. What she hates the most are cultivators… If you go over and give her money like this, won’t she beat you up and send you out of the manor?”

     “...”

     Mo Ran thought about it and suddenly felt a little pain in his heart. He couldn’t help but sigh, and asked, “Then what should we do?”

     “I told the village chief that before we leave, we’ll give the rest of the money to him, so he can pass it on to Third Madam Sun,” Chu Wanning explained. “By then, we’ll all be gone. And since the money is something that can help make life a little better on Feihua Island, she won’t refuse it.”

     Mo Ran lowered his eyes and thought for a while before nodding his head, “Shizun is right. We’ll do as Shizun says.”

     Chu Wanning sighed, “There are many things in this world that can’t be judged based on the surface alone. Sometimes, even the layer under the surface may not be the ultimate truth either. I often remind myself that I need to calm down and judge things and people carefully, but sometimes I still can’t help it.”

     Hearing this, Mo Ran suddenly felt even worse. Judging a person just from looking at the surface, judging right and wrong, good and evil, wasn’t this what he had done to Chu Wanning in the past?

     Apart from him, most people in the world would find it extremely difficult to maintain a pair of clear eyes and a calm heart in the face of intense emotions. One had to think long and hard to see the truth hidden under the dust and sand.

     What he did to Chu Wanning, and what Nangong Si did to his own mother—they were both blinded by appearances and fooled by their emotions. In the end, they both made terrible mistakes, causing hurt and pain that could never be undone.

     Perhaps only someone like Chu Wanning, who seemed cold and indifferent, would stubbornly leave room in his heart for everyone and try his best not to judge everything with malice. Therefore, the more Mo Ran tried to understand him, the more he would discover that this Beidou Immortal, who seemed more irritable than anyone else, actually possessed a heart untainted by unreasonable hostility.

     What this person hid behind his cold and aloof face was actually a kind and forgiving soul.

     Because of such a soul, Mo Ran felt for Chu Wanning even more, and an extremely strong desire to protect him grew in his heart. Perhaps it was because he had been through mountains of corpses and seas of blood that he was able to understand that in this world there was nothing more precious than a pure heart. It was a gentle flute in the smoke of war, a flower in the trenches.

     Standing in front of such a soul, Emperor Taxian-Jun, who had once brought disaster to the world, thought silently. If there was a day that his Shizun needed it, even if he was covered in blood and wounds, even if he died without a complete corpse, even if he was burned to ashes, even if he had to sacrifice his broken soul—

     He would protect this pure and precious soul.

     “What are you thinking about?”

     “Oh, nothing.” Mo Ran smiled, “Just a small matter.”

     “A small matter?” Chu Wanning asked.

     Mo Ran pursed his lips and suddenly remembered that when they went to the market this morning, Chu Wanning told him that he wanted to learn the imperial sword technique. He said, “Shizun, come with me.”