A month after the sect leader came out of seclusion, Su Luowei finally handed over the Sect Leader's Seal, Mingguang Palace, and a whole group of junior disciples to her. Along with that, she passed on a large stack of documents that she hadn't had time to deal with.
Once everything was handed off, Su Luowei felt completely at ease, as if the dark clouds that had been looming over her head finally dispersed. She felt lighter, more relaxed.
The days spent confined to Mingguang Palace, sorting through endless stacks of documents, felt eerily similar to her past life as an office worker—trapped in a cubicle, working overtime with no end in sight.
The only difference was that in her past life, she faced a computer screen, while this time, it was piles of official documents.
In any case, both situations were equally unpleasant.
Returning to Yanmo Peak, she found Meng Shuying had already prepared a meal and was waiting for her. Joining them were Xie Hanzhu and Wen Miaomiao.
Before she could even approach, Xie Hanzhu stood up and waved enthusiastically, shouting, "Senior Sister! We're over here!"
As soon as Su Luowei sat down, Xie Hanzhu sidled up to her with a grin and asked, "Do we have wine today?"
Meng Shuying glanced at her, clearly disapproving. "It's not a special occasion, so why drink?"
"You just don't understand." Xie Hanzhu held up a finger and began to count, "First, to celebrate Senior Sister finally being free from her burdens and returning to a life of freedom."
Su Luowei nodded, and Xie Hanzhu raised a second finger. "And second, today's a farewell meal. I'm about to leave for training outside the sect, and who knows when we'll meet again. How can a farewell feast not include wine?"
Not only should there be wine, but there should also be singing until dawn, not stopping until everyone is drunk.
Su Luowei was curious. "Training outside the sect? You didn't mention that before."
"Yes, it was a last-minute decision."
As the meal began, Xie Hanzhu took a bite of the spiritual beast meat and spoke through her mouthful, "My mother sent a letter recently, saying she misses me. I promised her that I'd visit when I had time, and it just so happens that I do now."
Like Su Luowei, Xie Hanzhu also came from a well-known cultivation family in Wancheng, and as the youngest daughter, she had always been doted on.
Usually, she would return home every three or four years, staying for about a week each time, so this was nothing new. In the past, Su Luowei had accompanied her to Wancheng twice. Later, when Su Luowei couldn't go, Wen Miaomiao would accompany her instead.
However, this time, Xie Hanzhu hadn't informed Wen Miaomiao in advance.
Wen Miaomiao paused while picking up some food but quickly resumed, asking, "You didn't mention this before. How long will you be gone?"
"Well, I'm going alone this time, so I didn't tell you in advance. As for how long I'll be away, it could be as short as half a month, or..." She trailed off, raising an eyebrow mischievously, leaving them in suspense. Then she turned to Meng Shuying. "Where's the wine?"
Since it was a farewell meal, wine was naturally a must. After receiving Su Luowei's approval, Meng Shuying grabbed a shovel and headed to the peach tree in the yard, digging out two jars of wine buried beneath it.
The deep-hued, oil-glazed wine jars had an ancient charm, and Xie Hanzhu's eyes immediately lit up when she saw them.
It was rare for the usually stingy Meng Shuying to be so generous, offering two jars of aged wine. Xie Hanzhu had half-expected her to bring out some fresh brew instead.
When the seal was broken, the rich aroma of the wine immediately filled the air, blending with the scent of peach blossoms, intoxicating with just a whiff.
Four jade cups were set out, and each was filled to the brim. Xie Hanzhu picked up a cup, took a small sip, and finally finished the sentence she had left hanging.
"Or, I might not come back at all."
At those words, three pairs of eyes turned toward her. Su Luowei smiled softly, Meng Shuying watched with mild interest, and Wen Miaomiao's expression was more complicated and deep.
Xie Hanzhu looked down at the wine cup between her fingers.
This set of jade cups was an ordinary item from the mortal realm, something Meng Shuying had come across during a trial many years ago and sent back with a letter. In the letter, she mentioned that although the cups weren't made by a famous artisan, they were still finely crafted and were a gift to Senior Sister.
For someone with a heart, no matter the distance, they would always remember.
For someone without one, even if they saw you every day, it would mean nothing.
"My mother says I'm not young anymore, and it's time to find a partner and settle down. She's already lined up a group of promising young men back in Wancheng, some of them cultivators, others mortals, and she's just waiting for me to return."
Wen Miaomiao froze, her expression clearly disapproving.
"Mortals? Mortals only live for a hundred years..."
To a cultivator, a century was but a fleeting moment.
"If that's the case, then a hundred years sounds perfect, doesn't it?" Xie Hanzhu smiled slyly, her eyes gleaming. "After a hundred years, I'd probably be tired of it anyway. It'd be a good time to move on to the next. Have you ever heard the saying from the mortal world? Three great joys in life: promotion, wealth, and death—"
Before she could finish, Wen Miaomiao's brow furrowed, and she called her by her full name.
"Xie Hanzhu!"
Xie Hanzhu blinked, and seeing the stern expression on Wen Miaomiao's face, she shrugged. "I was just joking! Why are you so serious, Wen Miaomiao?"
Wen Miaomiao, clearly frustrated, turned to Su Luowei, hoping she might help persuade Xie Hanzhu. But Su Luowei merely offered a light, nonchalant smile, as if oblivious to the tension between the two, and instead resumed talking to Meng Shuying.
It was Meng Shuying who caught the dissatisfaction on Wen Miaomiao's face and spoke to Xie Hanzhu. "Aren't you going to reconsider? Choosing a life partner is no small matter."
Xie Hanzhu raised an eyebrow. Was the sun rising from the west today? Meng Shuying was actually offering her advice? Among the four of them, Meng Shuying was the most romantic of them all.
With a casual gesture, Xie Hanzhu shrugged. "Of course, it's important. That's why I want to go and personally pick someone I like. If it were up to my mother, I'd probably have ten or so people thrown at me."
Though she was addressing Meng Shuying, her gaze drifted toward Wen Miaomiao.
Wen Miaomiao, clearly understanding the hidden meaning, sighed and said, "We just want you to think it over."
"Stop right there," Xie Hanzhu interrupted with a hand gesture. "There's no 'we,' only 'you.' Senior Sister and Meng Shuying are living happily ever after, constantly lovey-dovey, and wouldn't want to see me lonely and sad."
She then turned to Su Luowei with a grin, seeking validation. "Isn't that right, Senior Sister?"
Su Luowei smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. "Indeed."
She raised her cup and toasted Xie Hanzhu from across the table. "I wish you success in your journey."
Xie Hanzhu lifted her own cup, downing it in one go before playfully flipping it upside down. "I accept Senior Sister's blessing!"
As the night progressed, the cups never stopped refilling. This might be their last gathering for a long time, so they drank to their heart's content.
Even Su Luowei, who usually limited herself to three cups, indulged in several rounds with Xie Hanzhu. And as for Meng Shuying, Xie Hanzhu roped her into drinking quite a bit as well.
As they drank, Xie Hanzhu suddenly wiped away tears, pulling Su Luowei close to recount the past. "Senior Sister, you really don't know how hard it was for us after you left. Especially in those early years—my heart was so heavy, but I had to put on a brave face and comfort the others. Especially Meng Shuying, who was like a walking corpse, only knowing how to cultivate and completely shutting herself off from everything else."
Meng Shuying, though somewhat tipsy, was still relatively clear-headed. She felt a bit embarrassed as Xie Hanzhu spoke about the past, and tried to stop her, but Xie Hanzhu deftly avoided her grasp, slipping to the other side and snuggling up to Su Luowei.
"Back then, I didn't understand love and affection. I just knew it hurt to see her like that. Later, when I experienced it for myself, I realized how painful longing and unrequited love truly were."
She clung to Su Luowei's arm, tears glistening in her eyes. "But now I've figured it out. You can't force love. So this time, I'm going to chase my own happiness. When I finally get married, I'll send you all invitations, and you must come!"
Seeing that Xie Hanzhu was growing more and more incoherent, Meng Shuying shook her head and pried her off of Su Luowei, saying, "You're drunk."
"I am not!" Xie Hanzhu's half-lidded eyes suddenly snapped open as she stood up with a flourish. "When I return to Wancheng, I'm going to marry a whole houseful of beauties! I won't spend the rest of my life pining after just one person!"
Su Luowei rested her chin on her hand, watching with amusement, her eyes full of mirth. "Alright, do you need company on your journey? Shall I… join you?"
Xie Hanzhu's face lit up with excitement. "Yes! Senior Sister, if you have the time, we can travel together and keep each other company."
It was clear that Su Luowei had already had too much to drink. Her eyes were half-closed as she took her time responding. "Not two people—three. Ah Ying will come with us."
Xie Hanzhu raised an eyebrow. "What about her responsibilities at Qionghua Peak?"
Seeing that Su Luowei was already showing signs of drunkenness, Meng Shuying gently took the cup from her hand, calmly explaining, "Yu Qing has returned."
"Really? Senior Sister Yu has come back?"
The mention of an old acquaintance instantly piqued Xie Hanzhu's curiosity. "Did she tell you why she left so suddenly all those years ago?"
To Xie Hanzhu, Yu Qing had always been the most dependable person in the sect. For her to leave in such a rush, with no time for farewells, surely there had to be a story behind it.
Meng Shuying cast a sidelong glance at her, then raised her finger. Xie Hanzhu immediately let go of Su Luowei and obediently returned to her seat.
"The letter was from Jiang Ye."
Back when Fuguang entered the mortal world, Jiang Ye had been blinded just from making eye contact with him. Many of those present from the Danyang Alliance had died or been gravely injured, including their leader, Min Lanmeng, who had been killed by Fuguang's palm.
At the time, Jiang Ye couldn't see, but she had heard her master's final scream and Fuguang's disdainful remark: "And you think you're worthy of being my daughter's master?"
It had taken everything for Jiang Ye to escape that hellish place. She later sought numerous ways to heal her eyes, but nothing worked.
Her cultivation was weak, and it was a time of chaos. She was alone and helpless, and eventually sought someone to rely on.
Unfortunately, she trusted the wrong person.
Proud and arrogant by nature, Jiang Ye, even blind, refused to settle for an ordinary cultivator. After much searching, she finally found a Nascent Soul cultivator, but he saw her as nothing more than a tool. He deceived her into practicing demonic techniques, draining her spiritual power, and then discarded her once she was no longer useful, despite the fact that she was four months pregnant.
After that ordeal, Jiang Ye lost all hope and chose to live in a remote village, giving birth to and raising her daughter alone.
As her lifespan drew to a close, she feared for her young daughter's future. Remembering the sisterly bond she once shared with Yu Qing in the Qingxu Sect, she sent a letter as a last-ditch effort.
"After handling Jiang Ye's affairs, Yu Qing brought the little girl back."
Hearing Jiang Ye's fate, Xie Hanzhu couldn't help but sigh. "When I saw her at the Danyang Alliance, she was so powerful. Who would have thought…"
Meng Shuying lowered her eyes, gently playing with Su Luowei's hand, her expression calm and unmoved, unlike Xie Hanzhu's emotional reaction.
"Her downfall was her own choice."
When Meng Shuying first arrived at Qionghua Peak, she knew nothing, and it was Jiang Ye's constant trouble-making that led to everything that followed.
One wrong step, and everything went downhill from there.
Xie Hanzhu thought for a moment before asking, "What will Yu Qing do with the little girl?"
"She's taken her as a disciple and will send her to the Ascension Platform when the time comes."
"That's probably for the best," Xie Hanzhu said. "After all, she is the daughter of an old acquaintance. Though Jiang Ye and I didn't get along, the child is innocent. This way, Yu Qing can give her some closure."
Meng Shuying thought of the girl's wary, guarded eyes when she looked at others, and the fervent, almost obsessive look she had when she looked at Yu Qing. She shook her head.
What that girl wanted wasn't just for Yu Qing to honor her mother's memory.
The look in her eyes, the emotions behind it, the mindset—no one understood it better than Meng Shuying.
In that little girl, she saw a reflection of her younger self.
The wine jars were empty, and the cups drained. Xie Hanzhu had long since passed out, and Su Luowei had thoroughly enjoyed herself.
After watching Wen Miaomiao take Xie Hanzhu away, Meng Shuying carried Su Luowei to rest on the bed in the study.
There were two desks in the study: one for Su Luowei and one for Meng Shuying. Back in the day, Meng Shuying would sit at that desk, reading and practicing calligraphy, occasionally stealing glances at her Senior Sister through the scrolls.
Her gaze back then must have been just as filled with obsession as that little girl's.
The wheel of fate never stopped turning, and everyone had their own story. Wen Miaomiao had hers, Xie Hanzhu had hers, Yu Qing had hers, and Meng Shuying had hers too.
Her story began right here.