The midnight moon hung in the sky.
Its light radiating over the snow and painting the world in a snow silver shade.
The snowflakes danced and fell from above.
Yet as the wind moved, they were separated, never to meet again.
Their life is a chance meeting in heaven and their death is a separation in the earth.
Under the curtain of night, most people were sitting inside the comfort of their homes.
Tianlong would've wanted to spend his time similarly. Sipping some hot tea, wrapped up under his blankets while reading a good book.
However, it seemed that fate had something else for him in store.
After coming out of the candle dragon's statue, he had participated in the tournament, fought a princess and witnessed a deal that would dictate the fate of a rank 5 country.
Later on, he saw his mother massacring and refining an entire clan while also undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation.
All in the span of a single day.
Had it not been for the sudden enlightenment he obtained while observing her swordplay, he wouldn't have spent his time practising outside but obediently been there in his room.
But just as he was about to go back, he witnessed Ji Cangyue sobbing alone in the woods.
"Who?!"
Having detected a stranger suddenly so near her, she jumped out in fright and sent a spiral of searing alchemy flames towards him.
Despite having dodged it, a greater portion of his robe was burnt and there were burn marks all over the scales of his arms and chest.
"Ugh!" He painfully groaned.
As soon as she heard his voice, she realised his identity and sighed in relief. But in the very next moment, she realised what she had done and rushed forwards to help him.
"Tianlong is that you?"
Seeing the burn marks in his body, her expression became ugly.
She hurriedly made him sit down and took out a medicinal cream.
As a high ranking alchemist, the one thing she didn't lack was pills and medicines.
"What were you doing here at this time of the night?"
Tianlong showed a slightly pained expression when her hands applied the cold cream across his burn marks. "Hu… I was just cultivating in the mountain and lost my sense of time. Just as I was going back, I sensed someone nearby so I came to check. Who knew that I would be greeted by a flame serpent as soon as I meet you!"
Seeing his pained expression and hearing his sarcastic reply, she felt guilty in her heart. "Well, you came so near me without making any sound that I was frightened… Don't you know how many bad people are roaming outside at this time?" She softly explained herself.
Seeing her downcast expression and voice, he was reminded of Qingxue.
They were way too similar.
"Senior Cangyue, what makes you think that I'm not a bad guy?" He looked at her with a glint in his eyes.
His voice had a magnetic quality that made her heart let out a loud thump. When she looked into his demonic eyes, for a brief moment, she was hypnotised.
Hearing that question, Ji Cangyue's hand which was applying cream on his chest, stopped there.
Shwoo~
A cold wind brushed past them and lifted Tianlong's hair that fell on her face.
"Bah! Don't talk nonsense!"
She immediately pushed him away and backed up from him. Her heart was still beating loudly from the previous experience.
"Hahahaha…" Tianlong started to laugh when looking at her flustered expression.
Having suddenly noticed that the latter was quite similar to Long Qingxue, his old habit of teasing Qingxue had resurfaced.
"You brat! You have grown so old that now you've started to tease your master?!" She angrily huffed.
She had completely lost her image as a teacher!
"If you really see me as a disciple… then why aren't you sharing your problems with me?" The smile on his lips vanished as he looked at her with a worried expression.
Listening to his words, Ji Cangyue understood that he had witnessed the previous scene.
In the next moment, she felt incredibly ashamed and just wanted to run away from the scene.
"I am going back." Saying this, she immediately started moving towards the clan.
These were her private matters, how could she discuss them with others?
Tianlong had already anticipated this reaction.
He knew that if she saw him approaching her while she was sobbing, she would just run away and might feel awkward seeing him thereon.
That's why, despite having the ability to dodge her attack, he chose to take the brunt of it. Once he gets hit, she would have no choice but to tend to him.
The following conversation was all so that he could strike this question and avoid instant awkwardness.
Seeing her retreating figure, he softly called out, "Did senior Long Zheng say something to you?"
Ji Cangyue's figure trembled for a moment.
She hastened her pace.
"Why did you give that Jade Core to him? I had specifically instructed Qingxue to use it for herself or give it to you." He spoke calmly as ever.
"You were the one who gave it to her?"
Hearing his words, she couldn't help but blurt out.
Tianlong's eyes twitched when heard her question, but he didn't let anything transpire on his face.
He gently nodded and motioned her to sit in front of him.
"Let's talk."
Ji Cangyue bit her lips. She understood that she couldn't avoid this conversation. After hesitating for some moment, she let out a sigh and begrudgingly went back.
With a wave of her hands, she vaporised the snow beneath and seated herself on a rock.
Facing her student, she didn't know what to say for a moment.
After a long time of silence, she finally couldn't keep quiet anymore. "I thought that Core was something that she obtained herself. Who would've thought that it was something given to her by you…"
Tianlong shook his head and said, "It was something that she obtained by her own strength and intelligence. I just assisted her."
"So it was like that." She sighed in relief.
"Senior Cangyue, you are not answering my question."
"Don't overstep your bounds. This is my private matter, how does it concern you?" She spoke in a slightly irritated tone.
Since he himself claimed that the core didn't belonged to him, why should it matter how she used it? In truth, her emotions were in disarray. Otherwise, she wouldn't have used such a harsh tone with him.
However, Tianlong didn't like her statement. With a cold tone, he spoke, "Well, it concerns me because you are supposedly my teacher and also indebted to me. Did you forget your promise? I asked that you join Grand Xia's Alchemy Palace and become a fourth revolution alchemist. Your talent may be good, but in the end, your cultivation level is low and you have no resources to assist you. That Jade Core could've been used to refine a Spirit Sense Refining pill that would've increased either yours or Qingxue's spirit sense level, giving you the push over others with similar cultivation realm. However, you didn't use it for either of you but used it to increase your husband's cultivation base. Tell me, what were you thinking?"
Ji Cangyue was stunned by his sudden outburst.
She never imagined that Tianlong who was always polite was capable of such cold speech.
Despite being older than him, she didn't know what to say. Maybe even she didn't know how subservient she was acting.
"It…It helped him break through to the middle stages of Jade Core realm." In the end, she could only utter these few words.
"And? He would've achieved the same with a few more decades of cultivation. Meanwhile, Qingxue lost this precious chance to elevate her status as an alchemist…" He heaved a sigh. "Senior Cangyue, just what were you thinking?"
"He's my husband!"
"A husband who doesn't have you in his heart. Do you think I don't know about his thoughts about my mother?"
"That… That…" She became flustered.
It was an extremely unpleasant topic for her.
Moreover, the person in front of her was the said person's son. He was the last person with whom she wanted to talk about this.
As moments passed by, her eyes gradually reddened again. By now, she was biting her lip so hard that it was bleeding.
Tianlong couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "Senior Cangyue, don't worry about it. People are free to imagine whatever they want. As long as it doesn't affect others, there's nothing wrong with imagining things. I doubt that even those who stand at the peak can't completely manipulate other's imagination."
"As long as their actions don't affect others around them, what harm is there in just imagining? However, people's are actions are dictated by their thoughts. So more often than not, they'll act according to them. Your husband's behaviour towards you is one such case…"
Silence.
"So, you knew all the time…" After minutes of silence, she matched his gaze again.
"How could I not?" He replied softly.
Silence again.
Although the snowy winds raged around them, the two of them remained unaffected.
It seemed as if the wind didn't dare to blow near the white-haired youth for it might disturb him.
Had Tianlong wanted, he could've also turned the place into a silent zone. But considering how there was already a constant silence between the two of them, the howling of the wind was more than welcome.
Ji Cangyue finally decided to voice herself. "My husband isn't as bad as you think. He's completely dedicated himself to cultivation and doesn't like interacting with others. For him to achieve that level of cultivation base while being less than 200 years old, proves that he's very talented. Others with status like him all have multiple wives and concubines but he has never courted another woman. It's just that… It's just that he couldn't let go of some of his past feelings…"
"His obsession runs so deep that he's stuck in the past and see the present." He paused for a moment. "Otherwise, why would you shed tears in silence?"
Ji Cangyue's body trembled even more. She didn't dare to meet his eyes which seemed to be able to see through her soul.
"Senior Cangyue, people's heart changes with time. He, who loved you yesteryear may become your greatest enemy tomorrow. But as long as you can keep your heart steady, why does it matter?"
"Since alchemy is your dao, you should wholeheartedly focus on it. Then even if the world leaves you, you will still have your dao to accompany you."
Tianlong lightly spoke. Towards this woman who was his alchemy instructor, he had an old relationship.
She could be called his first crush when he was little. As he grew up, that naivety went away and he only admired her as a fellow alchemist.
His relationship with Qingxue further made him sympathetic towards her.
He didn't know that the simple words he had spoken in the spur of the moment had touched her heart deeply.
For once she felt that the person in front of her wasn't just a young man but an old man who had seen many things in his life.
Even if the world leaves you, your dao won't…
'That's right, no matter how people around me change, my dao of alchemy will forever accompany me.'
When she carefully analysed his words, her heart seems to have let go of a burden.
After taking a few deep breaths, she opened her eyes. The depressed air about her was no longer there.
"You brat, is that also how you keep Qingxue away?"
Although her voice was still a bit heavy, one could tell that the latter had put down the burden in her heart.
However, how could Tianlong answer her question?
He was speechless.
"Hmph, that girl is completely smitten with you. I have seen her mumble your name while daydreaming in these last few months." She spoke in a helpless tone.
Her daughter was immersed in the taste of her first love and she couldn't do anything.
Thankfully, the person she selected for herself was such an outstanding young man.
Ji Cangyue doubted that if Tianlong asked Qingxue, the latter would readily give her body to him.
The moment she thought of this possibility, her heart fiercely trembled.
For these six months that they were outside, did they do the deed?
No, it wasn't possible! The youngster in front of her wasn't like that!
Just from his words, it was visible that he wasn't that interested in romantic affairs.
She sighed in relief.
Children these days were too impulsive. It was rare to see someone sensible like him.
How could Tianlong know that he was being judged as a decent man by her?
He was still too absorbed in thinking about her condition.
Finally, after a bit of hesitation, he took out two jades from his ring. "Senior Cangyue, use them to increase your spirit sense."
Ji Cangyue who was immersed in her thoughts, snapped out of them in an instant. Seeing the jades in his hands, her eyes widened in shock, "Tianlong, are… are those Cores of cultivators?"
"Un." He nodded. "Since you have already used up one of the Jade Cores, you'll need them."
"I cannot accept them!" She firmly rejected him. "You have already given me so much, any further and I'll never…"
"It's precisely because I've given you so much already that I'm also giving these cores! If you couldn't get into Grand Xia, wouldn't all of my investment be in vain?"
He took her hands and put both of the Jade Cores there.
"But…"
"Please."
Finally, under his intense urging, she kept both of the sparkling cores in her hand. Even though they were relatively light, due to their value, she felt that they were as heavy as mountains.
She filled up with emotions. Her daughter had really chosen a good man.
"I can see why Qingxue fell for you. If I was younger, then I would've fallen for you too."
"What's stopping you now?"
Her eyes widened at his blatant reply.
"Brat, you are getting more and more frivolous. Do you believe that I'll complain to your parents if you continue to disrespect me?" She loudly harrumphed.
Tianlong gave a dry cough. He had indeed said a bit too much. "Alright, let's not talk about these depressive things. Senior Cangyue, since you are already here, we should discuss some new topics. For the past few days, these have been constantly bugging me. For example, Golden Zoysia leaves are concentrated with metal elements, yet their consumption causes the liver to become rich in wood Qi, even the Yang Linking Vessel…"
Once Tianlong started to ask questions about his practice, Ji Cangyue let go of all other thoughts and started to diligently answer him.
While she might be directing him just because he was a good friend of her daughter and an intelligent person, the current was extremely serious about teaching him.
The number of benefits he had given her was something she could never repay in her life.
Unknowingly, the master and student pair spent the entire night sitting in a blizzard and discussing various theories.
It was just like how when a person does something that he or she loves doing, time seems to go away too fast.