Seeing Chu Wanning turn his head, there seemed to be a trace of a smile in Hua Binan’s eyes. He stretched out a delicate pale hand from under the wide sleeve of his green silk robe and gently spread it out, indicating that Chu Wanning should accept the brocade box in front of him.

     Chu Wanning nodded and said to the servant, “Thank you.”

     Seeing that he had accepted the box, the mute servant bowed low and returned to his master’s side.

     Xue Zhengyong asked in surprise, “Yuheng, you know Cold Scale Sacred Hand?”

     “I don’t know him.” Chu Wanning looked at the box in front of him, “If I knew him, I wouldn’t have had to spend two and a half million gold to buy his Tapir Fragrance Dew at Xuanyuan Pavilion.”

     “Then why did he give you this?”

     “I don’t know either,” Chu Wanning said. “Open it and see.”

     When they opened the brocade box, there were five bottles of Tapir Fragrance Dew and a letter.

     Chu Wanning opened the letter and read it. Its contents were quite simple. It said that he knew Chu-zongshi had spent a high price to buy the dew at Xuanyuan Pavilion, and felt that the Tapir Fragrance Dew was not worth that price. He had been wanting to offer him another five bottles, but never had the opportunity to meet Chu-zongshi. Now that he had been met with the opportunity at Lingshan Mountain, he could only hope for zongshi to accept it.

     Xue Zhengyong immediately said, “I think he wants to be friends with you.”

     “...”

     If he didn’t accept this gift, it would be disrespectful to the other party. Chu Wanning thanked Hua Binan from a distance and gave the embroidered box to Xue Zhengyong.

     Xue Zhengyong said happily, “For me?”

     “...For Tanlang Elder,” Chu Wanning said. “I’ve always felt that Hua Binan was a bit strange. Every year, Xuanyuan Pavilion auctions off many expensive medicines for him, but they are all of high value. Could he really be compensating for them one by one?”

     Xue Zhengyong muttered, “I don’t think it’s strange. After all, there are high prices, but it’s the first time I’ve heard of one as high and outrageous as yours.”

     Chu Wanning huffed angrily, “I just needed something, what’s so outrageous about it? In any case, you should give these five bottles to Tanlang. There shouldn’t be any poison here, but it wouldn’t hurt for Tanlang to learn how to concoct the Tapir Fragrance Dew.”

     “You don’t need it anymore?”

     “I…”

     Speaking of which, it was strange, but those absurd, yet incomparably realistic dreams were becoming fewer and fewer recently. Apart from the occasional fragmented dream during the days after leaving Rufeng Sect, the rest of his nights were all good dreams. It would be a waste for him to drink any more Tapir Fragrance Dew, so Chu Wanning saw no point in keeping such a good potion for himself.

     —

     After staying at Lingshan Mountain for two or three days, they returned to Sisheng Peak, but Mo Ran was no longer there.

     “He went to exterminate demons,” Xue Meng explained.

     A thin crease appeared on Chu Wanning’s forehead, “Another demon? It’s the nineteenth time this month.”

     “They all escaped from Rufeng Sect’s Jingu Tower.” Xue Meng sighed, “We caught a lot of them and locked them up in our Heaven-Piercing Tower, but it’s nothing compared to Jingu Tower. It’s smaller, and the spirit stones and talismans inlaid there aren’t as powerful as Rufeng Sect. If this continues, I’m afraid the tower won’t be able to withstand it.”

     Xue Zhengyong said, “Next time Li Wuxin comes, ask him to take some back to Bitan Manor and suppress them in his Holy Spirit Tower.”

     Xue Meng smiled, “That’s a good idea too.”

     Xue Zhengyong added, “Guyue’ye can also take some too. I heard that their Star-Plucking Tower is even bigger than Rufeng Sect’s Jingu Tower…”

     This time, Xue Meng was unwilling. Raising his pitch-black brows, he said angrily, “No!”

     “What’s wrong?”

     Xue Meng fumed, “I don’t like that Jiang dog, he’s so annoying. Even if Heaven-Piercing Tower explodes, I won’t give him the demons my sect has captured!”

     Chu Wanning shook his head. He didn’t want to listen to the father and son bickering anymore, so he left first.

     He returned to the Red Lotus Pavilion to sleep. Sure enough, he had another peaceful rest without any absurd dreams to disturb him. When he woke up, the sun had already set, with only a trace of red lingering on the horizon.

     By this time, Mengpo Hall wouldn’t have any food left, but he was a bit hungry. He tidied up his clothes and pushed the door open, ready to take a walk around Wuchang Town to eat some snacks.

     Unexpectedly, he saw Mo Ran walking up the bluestone steps leading to the Red Lotus Pavilion.

     Mo Ran smiled when he saw Chu Wanning, “Shizun, I heard uncle say you were sleeping, so I wanted to wake you up.”

     “What’s wrong?” Chu Wanning asked.

     “Nothing,” Mo Ran said. “I just wanted to find you and take a walk together.”

     It really was a coincidence. Chu Wanning felt a little happy because of this same track of mind. In love, something as simple as a coincidence between the two could lift his mood.

     “Where are we going?”

     They asked at the same time.

     Mo Ran and Chu Wanning were taken aback for a moment.

     “I’ll follow you.”

     Again, they said it at the same time.

     Chu Wanning’s fingers squeezed together in his sleeves as he blushed. There was a little sweat between his fingers, his eyes hot, but he looked at Mo Ran calmly and steadily.

     Mo Ran couldn’t help but grin.

     “Anywhere is good.”

     Chu Wanning was actually very happy, but he was still used to acting indifferent, even if his happiness wasn’t indifferent at all. In fact, it felt light and rich, like the crimson red of haitang flowers.

     He said, “Then, let’s go to take a look around town and eat something.”

     He didn’t even ask Mo Ran how the demon hunting went, whether it went smoothly or not. Now that they had realized they had feelings for each other, they had a tacit understanding. When he stood outside the bamboo door and saw Mo Ran’s black robes fluttering in the wind, the golden trim rippling with the night light, he understood that everything was fine. There was no need to say anything more.

     Together, they went to Wuchang Town.

     In the past few years, Wuchang Town had been changing more and more, making improvements. It had expanded from the original three vertical and horizontal streets to the current five vertical streets and six horizontal streets.

     “When I first came to Sisheng Peak, the doors of every house would be closed before nightfall. Incense burner ashes were sprinkled all over the courtyard, eight trigrams mirrors hung on the doors, and spirit-suppressing bells were tied under the eaves.” Chu Wanning looked at the scene of people coming and going, lanterns lighting up all around, and said, “Now, other than the name of the town, I almost can’t recognize anything anymore.”

     Mo Ran laughed, “With Sisheng Peak here, it will only get better in the future.”

     The two walked along the town’s repaved stone main street. Along the way, there were people blowing candy, people playing hide and seek, stalls selling snacks and barbecue, and people eating gudong pots. There was a wide range of dazzling products, and rows of lanterns hanging above the street, illuminating the bustling night market.

     Seeing a gudong stall, Mo Ran remembered that he, Xue Meng, and Xia Sini had eaten here together before. He smiled and pulled Chu Wanning over, “Shizun, let’s eat here. This restaurant has your favorite soy milk.”

     They settled into the small, creaking bamboo chairs. It was a little cold, but the master chef was anything but; he was shirtless, and wiped his hot sweat as he moved over and asked, “Esteemed xianjun, what can I get you?”

     Chu Wanning said, “Mandarin duck pot.”

     Mo Ran said, “Mushroom clear soup pot.”

     “Aren’t you going to eat spicy food?” Chu Wanning asked him.

     Mo Ran lowered his eyes and smiled, his voice gentle and low, “I want to quit.”

     Chu Wanning was stunned for a moment. Then, he suddenly understood why Mo Ran didn’t want to eat spicy food anymore. He felt as if a fish had swam by, bubbling the pool of his heart and causing the water to ripple slightly.

     “You don’t need to quit…”

     Mo Ran smiled. “No, I just want to.”

     “...”

     “I want to be like you…” Mo Ran’s thick lashes lowered to Chu Wanning’s flushed ears and he smiled.

     The second part of the sentence was left unsaid. I want to be like you, so we can have a pot where two pairs of chopsticks reach into the same pot, no longer red and white, clearly separated.

     Mo Ran also ordered some stir-fried dishes, but unfortunately, they didn’t have any exquisite desserts, so he ordered three jars of soy milk, then sat down to wait for their food to arrive.

     There were many people eating nearby; men and women, old and young, with dark and light hair. The steam from their soup pots rose up from all directions, and the rising flames met the night air. Shouts and joking, laughter and selfish desires, all gathered together in a sea of tenderness amidst the boiling heat of smoke and fire, the fragrance of the food, and the warmth of the wine.

     The mortal world was so ordinary, so lively.

     Before Mo Ran turned fifteen, he was starving, and couldn’t have good food and wine.

     Even after becoming Emperor Taxian-Jun, he was above all others, but still couldn’t have true peace.

     Now he had it.

     Suddenly, a flame rose in the air. It turned out that the chef had put food in a pot and started cooking. The fire rolled up from the big pot in clusters, causing the shirtless man’s entire body to be covered in a layer of fine oil. He added salt, soy sauce, and vinegar to the pot one after another, his strong muscles flexing. A plate of stir-fried food was ready in an instant.

     It was served immediately to the table when it was still hot.

     “Fried Oil Double Crisp!” the waiter shouted.

     In his previous life, Taxian-Jun was unsatisfied by all kinds of delicacies, but for some reason, he laughed out loud at this “fried oil double crisp.” His slender fingers folded and he rested his chin on them, deep dimples appearing as his eyelashes moved slightly. At this moment, the brilliant light from all five lakes and four seas gathered on those two curtains of ink, dying the darkness with light.

     Chu Wanning asked, “What are you laughing about?”

     “I don’t know. I’m just very happy.”

     Chu Wanning didn’t say anything, but the handsome man across the table smiled so charmingly that it inexplicably made his heart feel light and joyful.

     After eating, they looked up at the sky. It seemed like it was about to rain, but they still remained blissfully unconcerned and continued to enjoy this brilliant night.

     As they walked past a lantern shop, Mo Ran suddenly stopped and looked over at it. Chu Wanning followed his gaze, looking to where an old craftsman was carefully framing a pagoda lantern. Next to him, there was another very similar one that had already been made.

     “Uncle, may I take this pagoda lantern?”

     He didn’t ask for the price, nor did he ask if Mo Ran liked it. Chu Wanning walked over and handed the craftsman a golden leaf, then handed the pagoda river lantern to his disciple standing behind him.

     “Take it.”

     Mo Ran was stunned and delighted. He asked, “For me?”

     Chu Wanning didn’t say anything. Carrying the half-full jug of wine he hadn’t finished from his meal, he looked around left and right. When his eyes fell on the river bank in the distance, he started walking towards it.

     The light of the lantern flickered, then brightened again. Holding the lantern, Mo Ran murmured, “I wanted to light up one of these ever since I was young, but I didn’t have the money every year.”

     “Yes.” Chu Wanning looked at him lightly, “You’re the poorest.”

     Mo Ran smiled.

     The river flowed quietly and gently. Chu Wanning didn’t want to go down the stone steps, so he just leisurely crossed his arms and leaned against the covered bridge, raising his head to drink from the wine jar with a bright red tassel.

     He looked over slightly, the resplendent light of the lantern shining on his exquisite pale face. His expression was indifferent, but there was an unconcealable warmth in his eyes as he looked at the happy man holding the pagoda lantern by the river bank.

     Dummy, what’s so fun about it?

     But he still watched unblinkingly as Mo Ran walked to the river bank, rambling on and on to the pagoda lantern. After a long time, he finally leaned down and gently placed the pagoda lantern on the river’s surface. A ray of golden-red light reflected on the sparkling water, and Mo Ran patted the water twice, sending the lantern away.

     That day, Mo Ran stood by the dark river bank for a long time. It was not a festival or holiday, and there was no one else on the river to release a lantern except him. Only that tiny pagoda lantern emitted a weak but stubborn radiance. It traveled far and wide in the cold waters of the boundless night before turning into a small, trembling spark that was finally swallowed up by the darkness, disappearing without a trace.

     Mo Ran stood there silently. No one knew what he was thinking.

     He saw it through to the end.

     Until there was no more light on the surface of the river.

     It started raining, a thunderstorm. The raindrops beat down on the duckweed and knocked on the white tile walls.

     Everyone laughed and exclaimed as they scattered. It was rare to see such a sudden downpour in the winter. The peddlers scrambled to cover their pots, pans, and utensils they used to make their living, and pushed their small carts in a hurry to hide from the heavy rain.

     Chu Wanning was also a little bewildered. It was still early in the winter. This rain was too heavy.

     He stood under the covered bridge, the rain and wind only barely wetting the corner of his clothes. Mo Ran hurriedly ran up from the bottom of the river bank, his entire body soaked with rain. He looked at Chu Wanning with tenderness, but also a little embarrassment.

     “Cast a spell to dry yourself,” Chu Wanning said.

     “Okay.”

     Such heavy rain didn’t hinder cultivators from traveling, especially great masters like Mo Ran and Chu Wanning. They would easily be able to return to Sisheng Peak with a simple barrier.

     However, neither of them opened the barrier, instead standing side by side under the bridge, waiting for the rain to stop.

     After waiting for a long time, the rain still showed no signs of stopping, and the world was filled with mist and fog. The bustling night market dissipated in an instant, like watercolor diluted by the cold rain.

     Mo Ran said, “The rain doesn’t seem to be stopping.”

     “It’s raining like a disease,” Chu Wanning said lightly.

     Mo Ran laughed out loud, and after a moment, turned to Chu Wanning, “What do we do now? We can’t go back.”

     “...”

     Chu Wanning knew that he should answer him and say something like: “Aren’t you a cultivator? Don’t you know how to open a barrier? Why can’t we go back?”

     But he was silent for a while, and for some reason didn’t say a word. He only raised his head and looked at the boundless night rain. His palms were slightly warm, and there was a little sweat between his curled fingers. Just as he was thinking about how to answer him, Mo Ran grabbed his hand. The slightest tremble, the slightest heat, the slightest fine sweat, all fell unobstructed into Mo Ran’s hands.

     Mo Ran looked at him for a while, then finally spoke, “Shizun, I… I want to be with you…”

     The words were at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t say them. However, his heart was beating fast, and he couldn’t swallow them. His black eyes were wet and hot, as he said in a low voice, his tone warm and intimate, “I mean… the rain is too heavy, don’t go back to the sect tonight. It’s such a long journey, you’ll catch a cold.”

     Chu Wanning didn’t react, and froze for a moment before saying, “I’m not cold.”

     “Then are you hot?”

     “I’m not hot either…”

     Mo Ran’s breath was hot and his chest was heaving. Before Chu Wanning even finished speaking, he held his hand and pressed it against his pounding heart, then said in a low voice, “I’m hot.”

     Rain poured on the nearby duckweed.

     But Chu Wanning could see the fire in his eyes. He could see the molten lava and heat.

     The young man was so anxious that he was almost pitiful, but also very cute. His voice was a little hoarse, “Let’s go to the nearest inn, okay? Let’s go now.”